Wizard: Grinding from Knight to Primogenitor

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Forging, White Horse, Silver Armor, and Bright Silver Spear

Hearing what Roy said, Tony shook his head and quickly replied,

”You might have gone to Redwood City to buy books before, but you’ve never dealt with bounty hunters. They aren’t exactly virtuous, civilized men. I appreciate the thought, though.”

”I might be gone for a few days after I leave the castle. While I’m away, I’m leaving you in charge of all matters in the domain, big and small.”

Tony certainly knew that his uncharacteristic departure from the Ice Wolf Domain would attract the attention of Baron Red Eagle and Baron Giant Dog.

However, he still didn’t plan on letting Roy hire the Dark Night Knight.

According to the information he’d gathered, the Dark Night Knight was not a particularly easy person to get along with and had a rather short temper.

After the Dark Night Knight became famous, many people wanted to hire him, and quite a few offered prices far exceeding the normal rate.

But very few actually succeeded in hiring him.

Not only that, but the Dark Night Knight had also injured many who tried to hire him.

”Let me go instead. I’m part of this family too. You can’t shoulder everything by yourself.”

”Besides, I’m an Initial Tier Knight now. I have some ability to protect myself.”

”If I fail, then you can go.”

Roy continued.

Tony fell silent.

After a dozen or so seconds, he finally replied, ”Alright. Since you’ve put it that way, you can go tomorrow.”

”You’re a man now. It’s time you took charge of some things.”

Although this was different from his original plan, Tony ultimately agreed so as not to discourage Roy’s initiative.

”How much are you prepared to offer to hire him?”

Roy asked.

”He’s a Peak Knight. Too small a reward definitely won’t be enough to move him.”

”500 gold coins!”

”I plan to hire him for 500 gold coins!”

Tony replied with a serious expression.

’500 gold coins?’

Roy’s expression was one of surprise after hearing Tony’s answer.

He wasn’t surprised because the offer was too high, but because it was far too low.

While 500 gold coins was half of the Wesley Clan’s entire savings, it was still too little to hire his alternate identity, the Dark Night Knight, to assassinate Baron Red Eagle and Baron Giant Dog.

If he recalled correctly, the Wesley Clan’s current savings were only about 1,000 gold coins.

The reward for assassinating an ordinary High Tier Knight was around 150 gold coins.

If the target was a noble, the price would at least double.

The exact increase depended on the specific strength of the target’s family.

Take Jeremy, the eldest son of Count Rock Lion, for example.

Jeremy was also just a High Tier Knight.

But the reward for assassinating him wouldn’t be less than 1,000 gold coins.

The moment Tony mentioned 500 gold coins, Roy knew that Tony hadn’t had much experience dealing with bounty hunters either.

If the Dark Night Knight weren’t his alter ego, there was absolutely no way Tony’s offer would be enough to hire him.

”Alright. I’ll do my best to convince him to accept the commission.”

Roy said to Tony.

Tony nodded and began to brief him on the things to watch out for when hiring a bounty hunter at a tavern.

After finishing his conversation with Tony, Roy returned to his bedroom.

His original plan had been to head to Redwood City tonight to see if Sonia had found the person willing to sell an Exemplary Breathing Technique, and to bring back the materials for alchemy potions while he was at it.

Now, he had changed his mind.

Since he could go to Redwood City openly tomorrow, there was no need to make an extra trip tonight.

As for Sonia, seeing her tomorrow night would be fine.

After resting in his chair for a moment, Roy focused his mind. He instantly vanished from his bedroom and reappeared in Chaos Square, where he began his cultivation of the Purgatory Dragon Meditation Method.

...

「The next morning.」

After finishing breakfast in the dining hall, Roy, with Aili’s help, donned his Silver-White Armor emblazoned with the Wesley Clan’s Ice Wolf Clan Emblem, and equipped his Fine Steel Cross Sword and a white cape.

He then made his way to the main gate of the castle’s keep.

”Be safe, and be careful on the road!”

Tony patted Roy’s shoulder and handed him a bulging leather pouch.

Inside the pouch were 100 gold coins—the deposit for hiring the Dark Night Knight.

”Alright!”

Roy nodded and took the pouch.

Under the watchful eyes of Tony, Erin, Aili, and the others, he walked over to the white warhorse waiting at the gate, swung himself into the saddle, and rode away from Ice Wolf Castle.

The moment he was outside the castle gates, he spurred his horse into a gallop, speeding toward Redwood City.

For an ordinary Official Knight, the white warhorse’s running speed was by no means slow.

But for Roy, the warhorse wasn’t even half as fast as he was at a full sprint.

However, he wasn’t in a hurry right now.

Besides, he quite enjoyed the feeling of galloping on horseback.

’A white horse and silver armor!’

’If I just had a Bright Silver Spear, it would be perfect!’

Once Ice Wolf Castle had disappeared from view, Roy retrieved a long spear from Chaos Square.

In addition to the long spear, he had stored many other cold weapons in Chaos Square.

This included, but was not limited to, cross swords, thrusting swords, two-handed swords, scimitars, daggers, crossbows, warhammers, two-handed axes, long spears, chain hammers, shields, and so on.

After taking out the long spear, Roy twirled it, performing a few flourishes.

’It’s no good!’

’Something’s still missing!’

Although they were both long spears, the one he was using now was a far cry from the long spear in his memory.

’I should learn forging when I have the time!’

’Once I’ve mastered the Forging Skill, I’ll be able to craft weapons that suit my own tastes!’

Without any hesitation, Roy added ”master the Forging Skill” to his to-do list.

...

「More than five hours later.」

Roy arrived smoothly at the east gate of Redwood City.

Following the line of people entering the city, he paid the 1-copper-coin City Entry Tax and rode straight for the South District.

He didn’t go directly to the ”Blood and Flames” tavern, but first found an inn to check into.

The time he and Tony had agreed upon was three days.

Whether or not he convinced the Dark Night Knight to accept the commission, he would return to the Ice Wolf Domain in three days.

If he failed, Tony would come to Redwood City himself to commission the Dark Night Knight.

Tony would never have guessed that the Dark Night Knight was Roy’s alter ego.

He certainly couldn’t have imagined that Roy had already decided the night before to assassinate Baron Red Eagle and Baron Giant Dog.

The Cuckoo Inn.

First-floor lobby.

”Do you have any vacant rooms?”

Roy asked the innkeeper behind the counter.

The innkeeper was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

If there was anything noteworthy about him, it was his sturdy build.

”We do!”

”A high-level suite is 5 silver coins a day, a standard suite is 2 silver coins, and a regular room is 30 copper coins.”

The innkeeper replied slowly, his eyes glancing over the Silver-White Armor Roy was wearing.

”Give me a high-level suite, and have someone look after my horse.”

With that said, Roy took out his pouch, retrieved 15 silver coins, and placed them on the counter.

On this continent, no matter the kingdom, the exchange rate between gold, silver, and copper coins was fixed at 1 to 100.

Aside from the different patterns on the coins, their size, weight, and exchange rates were all consistent.

Only in special circumstances were commemorative coins minted.

Take the Kalin Kingdom, which occupied the Tulip Domain over a decade ago, for example.

In the year the peace treaty was signed, the Kalin Kingdom issued the Tulip Gold Coins to commemorate their victory in the war.

The innkeeper collected the silver coins and called over a skinny, brown-haired youth who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. ”Take our guest to suite 302, then lead his horse to the stables.”

”Yes, boss!”

The brown-haired youth first replied to the innkeeper, then turned to Roy and said, ”This way, Sir Knight.”

Roy said nothing, simply following the brown-haired youth toward the stairs.

”Bring a lunch up for me. The change is your tip.”

After surveying the suite, Room 302, Roy took out a silver coin and tossed it to the brown-haired youth.

The brown-haired youth caught the silver coin, an irrepressible look of joy appearing on his young face. He quickly replied:

”Right away, Sir Knight!”

...