How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

1.

“Damn it…”

In the shallow cave where faint sunlight seeped in, a boy with a weary look muttered.

Contrary to his young face, his worn-out visage carried an unmistakable heaviness of exhaustion.

It wasn’t simply because the boy was suddenly thrown into a strange world in his past life.

Rather, it was due to the overwhelming amount of work that even his immature body couldn’t handle, making the 21st century seem like a distant memory in the standards of his previous life, even surpassing the workload of the 20th century.

“Is it right to make a kid work like this?”

To Rohan, an educated man who had even completed university education, it was evident that the villagers all appeared small and unattractive due to this harsh environment.

Thanks to the recent village autumn walk, there was room for idleness like this, just a week ago he would have been better off not dwelling on resting well at home.

Yet, there was a reason he remained hidden here.

If he showed signs of resting inside the house, he could be dragged out by his father’s cruel hands at any moment, or even end up rolling on the floor after a few senseless beatings.

His actions, which seemed to view rest as the worst form of denial, were horrifyingly unbearable, but leaving the house was not a guarantee of survival for the next day.

Although people from the 21st century often said the world was harsh, this new place he had fallen into was truly unforgiving; even if it meant dealing with a violent father, stepping out of that fence could quickly lead to becoming a slave or even death.

Last year, one of the village youths ran away because he couldn’t bear living like this, only to return a few months later missing one arm.

The head of the house who regained his lost child overnight mercilessly beat his disabled son, and soon after being disregarded even by his younger siblings, he took his own life.

To Rohan, who had lived in a world where human rights stories felt mundane, the situation was so pitiful that it fit the description, but to the people here, it was an inevitable conclusion.

Of course, being different from them, Rohan was greatly shocked by witnessing that incident.

It was around that time that Rohan, who was busy just trying to get through each day, began to think and act for himself.

Rohan started actively utilizing the fragmented knowledge he gained from watching YouTube or reading.

He made crude traps to catch small animals or birds, and chose a suitable stick to wield whenever he had time.

The results of his consistent efforts over the past year were quite satisfying.

His physique had grown to an incomparable size compared to before, and the act of wielding the stick felt natural.

The best part was that the work became incredibly easier than before, beyond comparison.

Of course, knowing that showing weakness would only increase the workload, he occasionally pretended to be struggling.

Subscribing to YouTubers who taught primitive skills or survival tips was the best decision he had made, even though it was knowledge that was of no help when he lived on Earth.

‘Thank you, Bearx. Thank you, Ex.’

Although Rohan led a more fulfilling daily life than any other children in the village, the fact that this restlessness was not entirely alleviated was an inevitable reality.

Just swinging a stick for the rest of his life to avoid being crushed by his father was not the only solution, as he would likely have to live his whole life as a serf, paying tribute to others’ land.

‘How can I avoid such a fate?’

Neither YouTube nor books provided a clear answer on this matter.

Judging by the different continent names, it didn’t seem like Earth, and Rohan had no interest in medieval Europe even when he was on Earth.

Skipping through videos that popped up through algorithms, was there anything he could know?

All he could do for now was to grow stronger day by day.

‘I should at least keep my body in shape to do something.’

That was no different from where he used to live or here.

Today, having torn apart a fairly large bird resembling a magpie, he could consider it as sufficient protein supplementation.

‘Let’s go home now.’

Leaving the house briefly wasn’t a conspicuous act, but leaving it unattended for too long could pose risks to his safety.

The signs of the sun crossing over were starting to show, indicating that it was time to descend now to avoid unnecessary trouble.

As soon as he climbed up the back hill of the village, there was a cave, so it would take at most twenty minutes to reach home.

With lightened steps due to a full stomach, Johan descended the mountain as if flying, and a different sight than usual caught his eyes.

“Horses?”

Just like on Earth, horses were also important livestock here.

However, that didn’t mean they were easy to come by.

Especially horses as large and well-kept as those.

Seeing something unusual was happening, Johan’s expression hardened.

In a rural village with nothing noteworthy, someone with such horses had visited?

A sense of impending trouble crept in.

“Should I hide now?”

After a brief hesitation, it was already too late once he entered the village.

“Hey, you there! Come here!”

A man who looked like a soldier, wearing a helmet, called out to Johan.

“Damn it…”

A grim feeling brushed past him, but now he couldn’t run away.

Right beside him, wasn’t there a horse tied up?

“Me…?”

All Johan could do was stupidly respond.

“Yeah, you. Come here. You have a good build, right? How old are you?”

“Thirteen.”

“Really? But you have such a good build? Are you not lying?”

Seeing the soldier’s fierce expression made him shiver slightly, but there were plenty to vouch for him.

After confirming his age once more, the order to follow came back.

He really didn’t want to go, but he had no choice now.

With a tear-streaked face, he followed to the village head’s house.

As if all the villagers had gathered, the soldier pushed his way through the crowded street, different from usual.

Following behind, pushing through the crowd, he emerged to a square formed by the crowd.

“Recruiting officer, here’s one more person we found.”

“Is that so? Oh, good build. How old are you?”

“Thirteen.”

“Really? Looking at your physique, you seem almost twenty? You’re big and tough.”

“That’s why we brought him right away. hahahaha.”

“Good, nice to meet you. I’m Haken, the recruiting officer.”

“Uh, hello.”

Forced to greet, Johan’s mind was already in turmoil.

‘Conscription officer? Seriously screwed up. Isn’t it like getting dragged straight into the battlefield if you mess up?’

In that brief moment, Rohan’s mind was filled with images of himself dying miserably on the battlefield.

However, unexpectedly, Haken chose persuasion over coercion.

“What’s your name?”

“Rohan.”

“Alright, Rohan. Just heard it, but I came from Ezel Castle as a conscription officer. I’m gathering new soldiers. If you join as a soldier, you’ll receive one silver coin monthly. It’s not that great, but decent accommodation and meals will be provided. Do you have any thoughts on this?”

In a short moment, many thoughts crossed Rohan’s mind.

‘I haven’t heard of any recent talk about war.’

War was common in this world, but common as it was, there was no one unaware of its terror.

Moreover, in a place with scarce proper entertainment, even the smallest gossip would quickly spread throughout the village.

Important events like wars were as naturally known as posting on social media.

Though this place was a rural backwater, fantasy version of Instagram with occasional visits from the nobles, known as Bobusangs, existed.

And the conscription officer’s demeanor was much gentler than expected.

It was highly unlikely for a war to break out.

Without much concern for age, they would take anyone they could get.

‘But still, the army…’

Even in the 21st-century South Korean military, there were inadequacies and numerous absurdities, so how much more backward and barbaric would the medieval-like army of this unknown land be?

It was a given, without needing to delve deep into it.

Various cruel acts were commonplace, and there was even a possibility of regular physical abuse.

Though a sense of discomfort ingrained in his instincts surged, Rohan’s rationality led to a different response.

‘But would that be any different from now?

Right now, I’m always working outside, suffering inside the house, getting beaten anytime.

So, wouldn’t it be better to at least get paid for it?

As Rohan briefly pondered this newfound realization, the response didn’t come from him but rather from the crowd around.

“Alright! Hurry, take him away!”

The familiar voice belonged to Rohan’s father.

The glint in his eyes revealed his intention to seize the opportunity to reduce expenses and pocket some wages.

“Who are you?”

Seemingly annoyed by the blatant intrusion, a soldier standing beside Haken raised his voice.

“I’m his father. A very diligent man.”

In response to the soldier’s hostility, the village chief, who usually carried himself with authority in the village, spoke in a tone never heard before.

“This is none of your concern. Rohan, what will you do?”

Watching his actions, Rohan made his decision.

“I’ll go.”

“Good. Kartum! Take this boy.”

“Yes! Come here.”

After Rohan disappeared, Haken called over Rohan’s father, who was anxiously waiting.

“And you. You said you’re the boy’s father?”

“Yes, that lad is my son. hehehe.”

“I’ll give you three silver coins.”

“Oh, thank you. Please feel free to take advantage of my sturdy nature!”

He laughed heartily, his mouth splitting wide, while rubbing his head continuously. To anyone watching, it was clear that he was experiencing a sense of joy.

Nowhere in his demeanor was any hint of concern for his children.

Of course, Haken did not express renewed astonishment at this fact.

He had seen far too many grim sights for that.

While other parents watching Rohan receive three silver coins looked on with envy, there were no promising candidates in sight.

It was fortunate that he managed to secure three.

In fact, it could be said that it was quite a lot for a rural village.

Usually, children in such impoverished villages were small in stature and weak, unable to become useful soldiers.

Given that they were tasked with the harsh work of the estate for a long time, qualities were more important than anything else.

Even the cumbersome questioning was for the same reason.

Since it was his own choice, he would actively participate in training compared to being dragged into it.

As Haken finished the conscription, Rohan sat in an abandoned house that was once the sanctuary of Lady Roel, feeling very tense.

The house, left unattended for over a year since the owner’s death, was not as ominous as one might think.

What made Rohan nervous was not the cold room where Lady Roel lay dead, but the several soldiers standing in front of him.

Beside Rohan, there were several boys who seemed to have arrived first, all sitting quietly on the floor.

They seemed to be from different villages as none of the faces were familiar.

Though the atmosphere was stifling, Rohan didn’t feel too bad.

Seeing the children gathered, he felt his speculation that this wasn’t conscription for war but something else turning from a guess to certainty.

“They wouldn’t just pick children like this if there was a war going on.”

Of course, that didn’t excuse his father.

“How could he so easily abandon his son like that!”

It was a thought he often had, but it was clear that his father was not a decent man.

After all, he had realized it when he beat his mother to death, saying she was a nuisance.

Since there was no affection to begin with, the disappointment didn’t last long.

Glancing around cautiously, he saw that no one seemed particularly interested in him.

Though there were children who occasionally made eye contact, he didn’t dare to speak.

The tense atmosphere made it impossible to even consider such an attempt.

Suppressing the fidgeting in his mouth, the night fell imperceptibly.

Surprisingly, dinner consisted of much softer bread and a small, tough piece of meat compared to what they usually ate.

“Perhaps I made a very good choice?”

Certainly, it wasn’t comparable to freshly caught and cooked meat, but for ordinary village children, it was a meal beyond their wildest dreams.

If it hadn’t been for the secretly eaten meat, tears might have welled up.

Although Rohan usually enjoyed meat, he couldn’t deny that there was no excitement this time.

Eating meat other than birds, snakes, squirrels, was truly rare for him.

The meat they provided had a strong aroma, which some might call savory while others might say it had a gamy taste, but he could instantly tell it was pork.

Although it wasn’t the Korean soul food, pork belly, just eating pork after a long time made his heart feel warm.

After savoring the taste of memories and filling his stomach, he heard faint whispers among the quiet children.

The soldiers’ attitudes also seemed to soften noticeably.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, he quickly asked the other children the things he had been curious about.

Where they came from, how they ended up here, what they had for dinner yesterday, and such.

In fact, it was a trivial question, but many children couldn’t even answer that properly.

It was inevitable.

If the intellectual level of children who spent the whole day working in the fields was high, how high would it be?

There were even children who didn’t know the name of their own village properly.

Still, they weren’t without income, and the information they laboriously gathered was quite positive.

“Not even a beating, and always providing food at this level?”

Just that was truly remarkable.

As a modern person who had completely adapted to this trash-like world, it was unbelievably hard to believe.