novelraw Chapter 50 : Quasi-Knights! The Battlefield Faction!
Chapter 50 : Quasi-Knights! The Battlefield Faction!
Chapter 50: Quasi-Knights! The Battlefield Faction!
Leo took the cloth bag—inside were sixteen silver coins.
He hadn’t expected the Golden Knight Order to be willing to establish a long-term service agreement with him.
Naturally, he nodded in agreement. “Understood. I will provide the highest quality service for the warhorses of the Golden Knight Order.”
Perhaps because in his previous life he had also been a Golden Knight, he naturally felt some goodwill toward the Golden Knight Order of the Danlun Kingdom.
Leo took the sixteen silver coins he had just earned—still warm in his hands—and first settled his debt with Granny Gu.
Then he took out five silver coins and handed them to the weapon stall owner, selecting a beast bone bow.
In the blink of an eye, the sixteen silver coins were reduced to just one.
Still, compared to last time when he spent everything, this was already an improvement.
Leo quickly left.
As expected, as long as his work was good, there would always be a market.
He made his way back to the castle dormitory.
This time, he brought along Starfall and hurried toward the Dungeon.
Leo’s schedule was always tightly packed. Soon enough, it was time again for the Thunder Lizard to be fed.
That was something that could not be delayed even for a moment.
……
By noon, Leo was replacing horseshoes, and this time the client was Rog, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time.
“I’m really sorry about what happened before, Leo.” Rog stood obediently to the side, apologizing while waiting.
During this period, he had been recovering from his injuries, and he had changed quite a bit.
After learning that Leo had started doing business, he thought for a long time before finally mustering the courage to come find him.
“Don’t worry about it. But don’t forget the five deals you promised.” Leo continued working. He didn’t have the time to hold grudges against such a kid.
However, Leo still intended to make good use of his connections.
Suddenly, his hands paused slightly as he saw two knights in black iron armor leading a horse toward them.
“No… not knights. Quasi-Knights.”
Leo immediately noticed the gray armbands on their arms. Their armor lacked engravings and trim—standard for Quasi-Knights.
With the support of his Intelligence Network, Leo now had a much more comprehensive grasp of information within the castle.
While earning money, he was also gathering a large amount of intelligence.
All the horses he had serviced had become his free information sources.
At this moment, Leo focused on trimming and shoeing the “informant” before him.
The arrival of the two Quasi-Knights did not affect the quality of his work.
Most of Leo’s clients were still Knight’s Squires. It was rare for Quasi-Knights to seek him out personally.
As footsteps approached, a rough voice sounded, “You’re Leo?”
Leo glanced up.
The speaker was a burly man—broad and thick like a wall, with a prominent scar at the corner of his eye that made him look even fiercer.
Leo did not recognize him.
But the Quasi-Knight behind him was extremely eye-catching.
The strongest Knight Attendant in Blackstone City—Zoro.
Seeing Leo remain silent, the scar-faced man immediately grew displeased.
Just as he was about to step forward, Zoro reached out and held his shoulder.
“I’ve heard you’re quite skilled at tending horses. Please help change the horseshoes for my mount.”
With his figure blocking the light, Leo raised his head.
Although Zoro spoke politely, his tone and expression carried the demeanor of someone in a superior position.
“Sorry, please wait your turn. It’ll be done shortly,” Leo replied politely, yet neither servile nor overbearing.
If one was doing business, there had to be rules.
First come, first served—this was the best way to maintain long-term business.
Just like delivering food in his previous life, Leo never differentiated between poor districts and wealthy ones—he always maintained his own rhythm.
“Kid, what kind of attitude is that? Don’t you see who we are?!” The scar-faced man was short-tempered.
Leo ignored him, continuing to hammer the nails.
Now Rog, standing beside Leo, began to panic.
He quickly spoke with a smile, “Sir Zoro, I’m not in a hurry. Let Leo take care of your horse first.”
Although Rog had once acted domineering among Knight’s Squires, when facing Quasi-Knights—
especially Zoro, the strongest among them—he was extremely tactful.
Not only because Zoro was a prominent figure in Blackstone City, but also because Zoro had never liked noble-born youths like them.
He didn’t want to offend Zoro over such a trivial matter.
Fortunately, Leo drove in the final nail with force. “Your horse is done.”
Rog looked slightly embarrassed, hurriedly handed over two silver coins, and quickly led his horse away.
At this moment, the scar-faced man, having been ignored again, was on the verge of losing his temper.
Leo sensed his intention to act, and his gaze instantly turned cold.
Logically, the man shouldn’t dare to start trouble inside the castle.
But if he really did—
Leo wasn’t particularly afraid either.
Just then—
Clap, clap, clap.
Zoro began applauding on his own.
He had been quietly observing Leo the entire time.
It was his first time seeing someone so proficient at trimming hooves and fitting horseshoes—it felt quite novel.
In just over ten minutes, a full set of horseshoes had been replaced.
“Boss, he—” the scar-faced man started again, but Zoro raised his hand to cut him off.
A faint smile appeared on Zoro’s face. “Impressive craftsmanship. No wonder so many people come to you.”
Leo smiled and cupped his hands slightly. “My apologies, Sir Zoro. I don’t like being distracted while working.”
“As it should be.” Zoro spoke briefly, placing two silver coins on the table.
Leo immediately got to work.
He led Zoro’s horse forward and skillfully began trimming hooves, replacing horseshoes, polishing, and applying treatment.
He was already thoroughly familiar with the entire process.
In just over ten minutes, Zoro’s horse was finished.
The horse stamped its hooves happily.
Zoro looked at his mount, then at Leo. “Your name is Leo Laide.”
“Yes, Sir Zoro.” Leo remained polite.
“I appreciate your focus. I’ve heard you’re quite capable—would you like to join us?” Zoro’s lips curved slightly as he extended what seemed like a sincere invitation.
“Join?” Leo asked knowingly, pretending not to understand.
The scar-faced man could no longer hold back. “Kid, our boss is giving you an early opportunity.
Even if your father is a lord, with your background, you’ll definitely be abandoned by the noble faction sooner or later. You might as well join us directly.”
Based on the information Leo had gathered during this time,
the Quasi-Knights of Blackstone City were roughly divided into two factions.
One was the Battlefield Faction—composed of soldiers from the city garrison. They fought their way up through military merit, accumulating achievements to become Quasi-Knights,
and potentially being chosen by knights to become Knight Attendants.
As Laforin’s Knight Attendant, and the strongest among them, Zoro naturally became the leading figure of the Battlefield Faction.
The other faction consisted of noble and lord-born youths like Leo.
They came to Grey Stone City as Knight’s Squires to train.
With support from their families, they advanced rapidly, and once they mastered the Knight Breathing Technique, they could be formally appointed as Quasi-Knights.
These Quasi-Knights were known as the Noble Faction.
Previously, the representative of the Noble Faction had been Eve.
However, Eve did not like interacting with others.
As a result, the Noble Faction lacked leadership and was relatively loose.
Leo had not expected that Zoro had come here—
to recruit him in advance.