How to Live as a Genius Knight in a Fantasy World

19.

Although he had been told that he could freely roam the areas excluding the underground and the third floor, it was not easy to stroll comfortably in unfamiliar places.

Moreover, even if he were to come across nobles at any time, caution was needed as it was not an unusual place, making it uncomfortable.

In short, it was an uncomfortable place.

Naturally, what Rohan headed for was outside the castle walls.

There wasn’t much to entertain oneself indoors, and feeling a longing for his computer and smartphone, he greeted the guard and set off for the castle.

Though it was named a ‘castle,’ in reality, it was nothing more than a structure built within the walls.

Made of stone, it was larger in scale compared to a commoner’s house.

Of course, being made of sturdy material, its durability was considerable, but it was not capable of performing the function of a real ‘castle.’

Therefore, what Rohan explored were the facilities within the walls.

Starting from the gardens around the castle, there were the training grounds, a small stable, and the knights’ quarters, but as the castle itself was not very large in scale, there wasn’t much to see.

‘Not much… to see here?’

Since only guards with long experience and good performance evaluations could be stationed at the castle, Rohan, who was practically a newly enlisted soldier, had no connection to them.

Therefore, he was curious about what was inside the castle, but besides the buildings being slightly tidier, there was nothing particularly noteworthy.

At least they seemed to handle waste disposal well, and the faint smell of urine and dung that subtly wafted around was noticeably less, which Rohan appreciated.

In the end, Rohan headed for the training grounds.

“Oh…”

Upon entering the training grounds, things caught his eye that he hadn’t noticed when passing by with a quick glance.

Each weapon, made available for anyone to use, was well maintained, and the floor was neatly organized with hardly any uneven spots.

Moreover, there were devices for strength training like dumbbells and barbells that were not found in the barracks, all of which were so heavy that he was slightly surprised.

‘Well… they are knights…’

In fact, no matter how good the medicine for Earth’s strong men was, it could never have as dramatic an effect as Ora, so perhaps it was only natural.

Rohan, who once again confirmed the faint Ora flowing within his body, smiled faintly.

Whether it was due to the swordsmanship of ancient warriors that he had developed during life-threatening situations, or the body’s memory of using Ora in moments of peril, he didn’t know.

But after his body had somewhat recovered, he could once again feel the energy of Ora flowing within him as he swung his sword, and through his efforts to become accustomed to that sensation, he had now reached a point where he could clearly perceive the presence of Ora even in his daily life.

Although he was only at a level where he could use it when displaying the swordsmanship of ancient warriors, someday, according to Rohan’s will, he would be able to use it freely.

Just imagining himself wielding Ora freely made Rohan feel content.

Of course, he was not yet confident enough to lift such a hefty lump of iron.

After thoroughly examining the training grounds, he headed towards the garden behind the castle.

Though not very large in scale, being situated within the narrow confines of the castle, there were still flowers blooming despite the approaching winter.

‘Somehow… it feels warmer here than in other places…’

Due to the trees scattered around, obstructing the view, and the intricate paths making it feel like navigating a maze, it gave the sensation of taking a stroll in a labyrinth.

A structure designed to maximize the use of limited space.

While lacking openness, it was a garden that, despite its narrowness, seemed quite pleasant for a short walk.

Apart from the city, the world was filled with grass and trees wherever one went, but opportunities to enjoy greenery without worry were surprisingly rare due to lurking dangers.

Feeling at ease with the faint scent wafting through the air, Rohan strolled slowly, admiring the flowers and trees until he came to an open space in the middle of the garden.

Seeing a small table and a few chairs placed there, it seemed like a spot for teatime.

Of course, it wasn’t the small square that made Rohan’s steps halt.

It was the petite figure, features clustered delicately, and even the golden hair sparkling in the sunlight.

A girl, resembling a doll, sat at the table, enjoying her tea.

Beyond beauty, there was a hint of mystery in the scene that momentarily captivated Rohan’s heart, snapping him back to reality.

“Who is she…?”

At first, Rohan’s mind was filled with questions.

But soon, as his rationality returned bit by bit, he could recall her identity.

“A person who can freely enter the Yeongju Castle, around my age, a beauty with blonde hair…”

Considering all the conditions, only one conclusion remained.

She was the only daughter of Viscount Izel, in other words, Viscountess Yeongae.

“Wait, is this really a place I can come to?”

It felt like stepping into a place where one shouldn’t enter no matter how much he thought about it.

As he tried to quietly turn away to escape the dilemma, she sensed his presence and turned her head.

“Trouble.”

The moment their eyes met, Rohan could not help but be engulfed in uncertainty.

Should he turn and run away like this? Or should he casually greet her?

Although he was past the age where interacting with women felt awkward, dealing with a girl of a different social status was an unfamiliar territory even for Rohan, who had tasted the bitterness of society.

He could see her eyes widening as she spotted him.

“It’s too late to run away.”

Having made up his mind, Rohan cautiously approached her.

“Hello. I am Rohan, the new disciple of Viscount Izel.”

Seemingly assured that he wasn’t a suspicious person, a faint smile appeared on her face.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Sophia.”

“Yes, I look forward to working with you.”

After bowing in greeting, Rohan turned and hurriedly left the garden as if fleeing.

Returning to his room, Rohan sighed, feeling anxious and confused.

“She’s beautiful…”

Even though it had just happened, it felt like a dream, perhaps because it was so sudden.

Although he had heard the word “beauty” to the point of being sick of it through TV and YouTube, he hadn’t expected such a level of beauty.

Considering he himself, who had seen countless beauties through screens, was affected to this extent, it was no wonder others would praise her endlessly.

However, Rohan, not being so naive as to be completely captivated by beauty and forget reality, tried to regain his composure by meditating after a long time.

“She’s someone who has no connection with me anyway.”

As the daughter of a viscount, a woman with such beauty could aspire to a high noble marriage.

Moreover, having recently had her coming-of-age ceremony, she was still very young.

The reason Rohan felt confused now was partly due to that.

Feeling like trash for perceiving such a young girl as a romantic interest.

After calming his mind with various reasons, Rohan let out a long sigh once again.

“I’ve really aged, haven’t I.”

Getting old doesn’t mean getting old.

It means growing physically and maturing s*xually.

Having gone through this process once before and having received sufficient education, he was well aware that these impulses were driven by hormones.

However, understanding it did not mean he could control it all.

The explosively secreted hormones would create numerous impulses, and no matter how hard he tried, he could sometimes be swayed by them.

He had suppressed his interest in the opposite s*x half willingly and half unwillingly all this time.

But now that he had to continue living here, he felt he should consider things like dating and marriage.

Considering Rohan’s age, it was about time to start thinking about marriage.

In fact, he had seen a drunken father in the village talk about his own marriage.

“And if you don’t get married, you won’t be treated like an adult, you know.”

Of course, if he got older and more skilled, he wouldn’t be treated like a child, but there was certainly a cultural belief that marriage was essential to becoming a complete adult.

But easier said than done, Rohan couldn’t easily think of marriage.

It was something he had never tried in his past life, and he had never met a woman who wanted to get married in the first place.

And it was the same here.

“No, even worse.”

Perhaps because modern values still lingered.

Rohan couldn’t bring himself to feel love for the women here, who had a level of intellect close to ignorance, considered not bathing for ten days normal, had a scent resembling foulness, and possessed consumer habits that couldn’t be found even with eyes wide open.

Thinking about this unsolvable problem, he involuntarily sighed.

“I’m not in a hurry yet. It’s just a useless thought.”

He pushed the worries to a corner of his mind, lay down on the bed, and felt the unfamiliar softness, which humans adapt to good things quickly.

Soon, comfort enveloped him.

“If only I had a smartphone, it would be truly perfect.”

Today, there were too many regrets.

And so, the first day in Yeongjoo Castle passed in boredom and disappointment.

It was a tiresome first day, but as soon as the next day arrived, the situation completely changed.

As Freddy had conveyed, there were not just one or two subjects for Rohan to learn.

And among the many teachers of these subjects, the first one to come out to teach Rohan was none other than Viscount Izel himself.

Dressed lightly in armor, he came out to face Rohan and demanded to be attacked with all his might.

“Come on, attack me with all your power!”

A different kind of vigor than what he had seen in the study.

It seemed that his true nature as a warrior was undeniably revealed.

Of course, Rohan had no intention of refusing.

Regardless of skill proficiency, clashing swords with others was an act that brought about dramatic growth in itself.

Moreover, the opportunity to freely attack a stronger opponent without fear of death was not something anyone could obtain.

“The swordsmanship of Charles-style practical combat and the sword defense of a low-level mercenary reveal themselves, along with the swordsmanship of ancient warriors.”

It was the conclusion he had come to after thinking for several days.

In fact, even in Rohan’s opinion, it was an unreasonable thing to parry a knight’s blow with basic martial arts learned as a soldier.

Furthermore, being the prime minister with the highest martial status, it seemed unlikely that Viscount Izel, even if Rohan tried to conceal it, would not suspect anything suspicious.

But if he were to announce that he had learned the swordsmanship of ancient warriors, Rohan would likely be able to justify his martial status.

The swordsmanship of ancient warriors was believed to be comprised of breathing and movements to handle Auras, something the Viscount could recognize.

If asked how he learned it, he would think it was destiny that led him to catch wild animals.

It was a plausible excuse in a world with many mysteries untouched by human hands.

And the Viscount did not disappoint Rohan’s expectations.

The moment their newly acquired disciple’s sword clashed with his own, he sensed a faint Aura flowing from the disciple’s sword.

Fending off Rohan’s full-force attacks effortlessly, he exclaimed, “Rohan! You indeed wield Auras! How can you do that at your age?”

In response to the Viscount’s question, Rohan sheathed his sword and replied, “When I was young, I often climbed the mountains to hunt. That’s when I happened to learn it.”

“You accidentally learned swordsmanship that utilizes Auras?”

“Yes, it was a strange stone with peculiar engravings… When I touched it, swordsmanship was etched into my mind. After fully mastering swordsmanship, the stone turned to dust and flew away.”

“Hmm… an artifact…?”

Nodding after a brief moment of chin stroking, the Viscount acknowledged, “It’s not common, but there have been individuals who, like Rohan, gained knighthood through such encounters.”

‘The method of using Auras seems quite primitive.’

After a moment of contemplation, Rohan’s excuse successfully convinced the Viscount.

No, the Viscount was even more pleased with Rohan’s rapid progress.

Feeling Auras once would greatly aid in ascending to the proper level of a knight.

Moreover, with such a primitive Aura technique that doesn’t even create Aura Stones, mastering the Viscount’s technique would surely be unhindered.

After glimpsing Rohan’s foundation, the Viscount’s lesson ended only after numerous clashes with swords.

Though not an excessively long time, it was a valuable period for Rohan to test his skills against a stronger opponent and for the Viscount to gauge how to instruct Rohan.

After the sparring with Rohan, the Viscount returned to his study lost in thought.

‘Talent that will not end as a mere ordinary knight.’

As a Viscount receiving his first disciple, he was an experienced knight with remarkable skills.

Assessing the talents of budding individuals was not a difficult task for him.

Originally having high expectations for Rohan, the Viscount’s expectations only rose.

With the heightened interest of the Viscount, Rohan’s daily schedule inevitably became densely packed with education.

Being a great knight or noble required more than just skill with a sword.

Moreover, even though Rohan had successfully completed higher education before, here he was considered nothing more than an illiterate and ignorant person surviving on swordsmanship.

Unjust as it was, even to Rohan himself, this assessment was close to reality.

No, it was simply the truth.

‘Is this really me, illiterate, orphaned, poor, and ignorant?’

This truly made his heart heavy, so Rohan approached his education with immense passion.

The teachers who came to class with little expectation after hearing about Rohan’s background were astonished.

It was no wonder, as Rohan, who achieved excellent grades in a country where being second in terms of educational zeal was shameful, showed a level of focus that made him seem born to study, much to the surprise of teachers who were used to dealing with ignorant knights or merchants’ offspring.

The evaluations of the teachers who conducted the first week’s classes were overwhelmingly positive.

Their evaluations were relayed to the Viscount through Freddy and Sijong, and a smile crept onto the Viscount’s face upon hearing the good news.

“Oh, really? Being that smart, huh? hahahaha.”

Since the child he took in as a disciple had such outstanding abilities, it was nothing less than a testament to the Viscount’s discerning eye.