I stood at the main entrance of the Flune Knight Order's training ground.
A young knight, who was acting as a gatekeeper, saw me and quickly ran over. It was the same rude knight I had encountered the first time I came here.
"Young Master Eugene! You've arrived!"
The squire bowed deeply to me and greeted me loudly. His previous arrogant attitude was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm here to see Sir Elvis. Lead the way."
I gave him the same line as before.
The knight's back bent even lower.
"Understood! I'll guide you right away!"
Two weeks had passed since the attempted rape incident involving Lexi. During that time, I had been visiting the Flune Knight Order regularly. My goal was to improve my relationship with the knight commander, Hent, and to win his support.
'He's almost on my side. I didn't expect it to work this quickly.'
What I had overlooked was that entertainment in this world was virtually non-existent. There was no TV, of course, and literature was limited.
Commoners were too busy trying to make a living to have much interest in literature. Even if they were interested, they quickly got bored. Most books in this world were for knowledge, not entertainment.
The main forms of entertainment in this world were theater and circus performances.
'Maybe I should sell novels… No, that's too much trouble.'
Books don't just appear out of thin air, and how many commoners would be willing to spend money on expensive paper to buy books? Most importantly, I'd have to translate the text into this world's language. The effort required didn't seem worth the potential profit.
Moreover, the majority of commoners were illiterate.
"Um… Young Master Eugene."
The knight leading the way turned to speak to me.
"Hmm?"
"Can I buy some cigarettes now?"
I chuckled. It seemed the squire had also gotten a taste for cigarettes after seeing the entire Flune Knight Order smoking.
"Of course. You know the price, right?"
If he's willing to buy, there's no reason not to sell.
"Hehe. Of course."
The knight took out a black silver coin from his pocket. It was worth 100,000 nerl.
"You're buying two packs at once?"
"Is that not allowed?"
"No, it's fine. Do you need a lighter?"
"N-No, I'm fine."
I nodded. After all, finding a source of fire isn't difficult.
"Here you go."
"Thank you!"
"By the way, how much is your monthly salary?"
"1 million nerl!"
I nodded.
Compared to commoners, his income was relatively low. But considering he's a knight, it's not that bad. The knights live in the training ground's dormitory, so they don't need to spend much on living expenses.
'Once he becomes a full-fledged knight, his treatment will be incomparably better.'
I put the cigarettes in my pocket and looked at the knight-in-training with satisfaction. He, too, would become one of my main customers in the future.
***
"Young Master Eugene! You've arrived!"
Hent greeted me with a bright smile. The metal watch on his left wrist glinted. It was a gift I had given him.
Over the past few weeks, I had been regularly visiting Hent and giving him gifts—essentially bribes. The amount I'd spent on Hent alone was close to 3 million nerl.
"I'm here again today. I hope I'm not being a bother?"
"Of course not, Young Master. Please, have a seat."
It was fortunate that Hent was a former mercenary. He didn't have the annoying knightly pride and was quite materialistic, so the gifts worked wonders.
"Sir Elvis, have you had lunch?"
"Not yet. Today's menu didn't look appealing."
He probably skipped lunch on purpose, knowing I would come. I had visited at this time yesterday as well.
"Then shall we eat together? I haven't had lunch either."
"How could I refuse an offer from Young Master Eugene?"
Hent gulped audibly.
Most of the food I brought was from the modern world. It was flavorful and intense, completely different from the bland food of this era.
"Today, it's chicken. You seemed to enjoy it last time. And of course, I brought beer. German beer."
"Chicken and beer! Chimaek!"
[T/N: Chimeak in South Korea is chicken served with beer.]
Hent's eyes sparkled to an almost uncomfortable degree. I understood. This combination was unbeatable.
"Mmm. This golden, crispy fried chicken! How do you make it?"
Hent asked while tearing into a piece of fried chicken.
"It's just chicken fried in oil, as the name suggests."
"Honestly, after trying it last time, I couldn't forget the taste. I even begged my family's chef to make it for me."
"Oh? Did he succeed?"
I gulped down some beer and asked. Since I had already had my coming-of-age ceremony, no one would interfere even if I drank beer.
"He failed. It was too greasy. All I did was waste expensive oil and chicken. Couldn't you teach me the secret recipe?"
"Hmm. I'm not ready to reveal the Korea Secret Chicken Recipe yet. Sorry, but you'll have to wait."
"Sigh. That's a shame, but I understand. I'll be counting the days until the Korea Secret Chicken Recipe is revealed."
"How's the flavor of the spicy chicken?"
"It's amazing. No words are needed. It's slightly spicy yet sweet… Last time, I tried to take some home, but Lexi almost stole it all."
"What about the soy sauce chicken?"
"The savory flavor is outstanding. I think it's just as good as the spicy chicken. But my personal favorite is the fried chicken. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside… It's perfect for my taste. And it pairs best with beer."
"What if I opened a chicken restaurant in the city?"
"Really?!"
Hent's voice rose.
"Just asking. I don't have any plans right now."
"…I got too excited. I'd definitely welcome it. If a restaurant selling chicken of this quality opened, I'd probably visit every day."
"I see."
Chicken was indeed an unbeatable business idea. In the modern world, there was too much competition, but in this world, there was none. Judging by Hent's reaction, even if the quality of the chicken dropped, people would still buy it.
'I should start a business. I can't keep bringing things from the modern world forever.'
Chickens were common livestock in this world too. However, they seemed a bit different from the chickens we ate. They were less flavorful.
'The chicken problem is easy. I can just bring fertilized eggs and hatch them.'
The age-old question: which came first, the chicken or the egg? In this world, the egg came first.
'As for the chicken recipe, it's all over the internet… Hmm. If I can just train the right people, it should work, right?'
Even though it was possible, I didn't plan to do it right away. It wasn't something I could do alone, and I didn't think it would bring more profit than cigarettes.
The meal was over. Hent had eaten most of it. As a knight who trained his body, he devoured three whole chickens in no time.
"Sir Elvis."
I called him in a serious tone.
"Yes, Young Master Eugene. Please speak."
"Could you teach me the swordsmanship of the Flune Knight Order?"
"Ah, are you interested in swordsmanship too, Young Master Eugene?"
I gave a bitter smile. My frail body didn't exactly scream "swordsman."
"Despite how I look, I am a member of the Pruckus Count family."
"Oh, my apologies. I spoke out of turn."
"It's fine."
I recalled Jin Woo-sung's words.
Taking a break from the Yeongcheon Style and learning other swordsmanship techniques to improve my skills was one way to grow.
'Besides, I'm curious about this world's swordsmanship. It wouldn't hurt to learn.'
The more, the merrier.
I liked that saying. Learning various swordsmanship techniques would undoubtedly be useful someday.
"Given that your heart condition has improved recently… a little training should be fine."
"Yes, I've been feeling much healthier lately. I still have occasional attacks, but… well, they only happen about once a week."
That was a lie. The "attacks" were just occasional acting. I needed to maintain the image of being sickly to use it to my advantage.
"...I can't take my eyes off you. I'll teach you myself."
"Don't worry. My health has been really good lately."
"Young Master, have you learned the Mana Breathing Technique?"
The Mana Breathing Technique. As the name suggests, it's a breathing method that draws mana into the body. By repeating it, one can supposedly sense and use mana.
It's a top-tier technique that commoners can't access.
As the son of a high noble, I had easy access to the Mana Breathing Technique.
"...I've tried it, but it doesn't seem to have any effect."
I spoke with a hint of gloom. I had practiced the Mana Breathing Technique properly. I even had Head Butler Hassent check it. But there was no effect. It felt no different from regular breathing.
"The Mana Breathing Technique requires consistent practice. You won't see immediate results."
"I see."
I replied weakly. Just thinking about the Mana Breathing Technique brought my mood down. I might have mana insensitivity.
Once again, I realized how much I needed a Mana Awakening Potion.
"If you keep practicing the Mana Breathing Technique, you'll eventually feel it."
Hent stood up from his seat. He walked toward the wall where his swords were displayed. There were 13 in total, all looking quite similar.
Hent picked up the sword I had gifted him recently.
"That sword… the one I gave you."
"Yes. Every time I look at this sword, I feel happy. It's not a legendary sword, but it's an excellent one. Where did you get it?"
It was a sword worth about 2 million won.
A mass-produced item sold at a hunter shop. Made with modern technology, it was superior to most swords in this world. Its simple yet stylish design was particularly appealing.
"I happened to come across it. It suits you well."
"Haha. Lately, maintaining this sword has become part of my daily routine. It's a magnificent sword."
Like most knights, Hent was obsessed with swords.
"Then, Young Master Eugene, shall we head to the training ground?"
"Yes..."
I followed Hent.
'…The smell of cigarettes is everywhere.'
It was quite strong. I knew the entire Flune Knight Order smoked, but I hadn't expected them to become such heavy smokers in just two weeks.
I glanced out the window. Six knights were huddled together, smoking. Turning my gaze slightly, I saw another knight leaning against the windowsill, smoking.
'I had imagined this scene, but… what the hell? Are knights really this lacking in self-control?'
Seeing it with my own eyes, the popularity of cigarettes was even greater than I had anticipated.
"Sir Elvis, how popular are the cigarettes?"
"They're so popular that we can't keep them in stock. Nowadays, everyone smokes during breaks. Of course, I do too."
"...It's not exactly a good look. How about setting up a designated smoking area?"
"I've been concerned about that too. I'll set up a smoking area in a suitable location."
***
I spent about an hour learning the basic swordsmanship of the Pruckus family from Hent. In my hand was a wooden sword.
It was a basic swordsmanship technique that every knight or soldier affiliated with the Pruckus was good at, but it wasn't smooth.
It was simply a matter of skill.
The basic swordsmanship of the Pruckus family was more about physical training. It didn't require any special talent like the Yeongcheon Style.
"It's quite tiring."
"The purpose of basic training is to build the muscles needed to wield a sword. If you plan to continue swordsmanship, you'll need to practice basic techniques for at least three hours every day."
"Three hours every day… That might be too much for my frail body."
"Given your naturally weak constitution, there's not much you can do."
I wasn't particularly interested in the Pruckus family's swordsmanship. I already had the Yeongcheon Style.
"I've heard that my brothers, Zent and Kyle, have exceptional talent in swordsmanship. What about my talent?"
The eldest and second sons of the Pruckus family were considered geniuses with the sword. Currently, Zent was regarded as more skilled, but later, when Kyle revealed his abilities, the evaluations would change.
Hent gave an awkward smile at my question, then spoke to me with a serious expression.
"This could affect your future, Young Master Eugene… so I'll be honest."
"That's what I want."
I already expected what he would say.
"You have no talent, Young Master Eugene. If you continue practicing the Mana Breathing Technique… you might become a knight… but your swordsmanship talent is at the level of an ordinary soldier. At best, you might reach the level of an elite soldier. Anything beyond that seems impossible."
His words were quite harsh.
"I see."
"...Aren't you angry?"
"There's no point in getting angry over something I don't have. The sword isn't everything in this world. Right?"
"You're absolutely right, Young Master. The sword has its limits. You're very wise."
I was just spouting nonsense.
I hadn't expected much in the first place, so I wasn't angry. I already knew about my lack of talent.
'I have the Play Life app and the Yeongcheon Style, after all.'
***
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