The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 2: The Struggle for Nobility

"Damn it! This world is so messed up! The path to rising through the ranks is practically sealed shut.For a commoner to become nobility, even with luck, it takes several generations."
Henwell, now over three years old, angrily tosses his book onto the floor. He can now think clearly for up to ten hours a day, and his body is growing strong, developing slightly better than his peers.
When Henwell turned one, his father returned from the battlefield. The War of the Six Kings had ended, with both sides reaching a stalemate.
From the conversations Henwell overheard, he deduced that the war was essentially fought over living space, meaning this ceasefire was only temporary.
But there was good news—Henwell's father returned from the battlefield safe and sound. Moreover, Henwell's father had saved a baron several times during the war, earning him the nickname "Lucky Obian."
However, the rescued baron didn't believe Obian's success was merely due to luck. He recognized that Obian wasn't just one of the drafted farmers but someone who had undergone some battle training.
Obian comes from a family of merchants, a trade that began with his grandfather. By his father's time, they operated as a trading caravan. However, unlike independent operations, their caravan was a collaboration of several people buying and selling goods together.
In this feudal kingdom, relying on peaceful travels was naive. To protect their lives and assets, everyone in the caravan had to be prepared to fight and be willing to do so.
By the time of Obian's father, the family had saved some wealth.
When Obian's father was young, he learned combat skills from a mercenary for several years.
When Obian was still a young man, his father even hired a knight's squire to teach him combat techniques. Unfortunately, the squire later died in battle; otherwise, Obian would have had a valuable connection to the knightly class.
Thanks to his merchant family background, Obian grew up well-fed and received systematic training, resulting in a strong physique. He even considered joining the army and regularly practiced weapon combat skills.
If not for his father being severely injured on his last trading journey, which forced Obian to take over the family business and promise not to travel, he would have ventured out to make a name for himself.
With this foundation, when Obian went to the battlefield, he wasn't like the farmers and other commoners who showed up empty-handed.
Obian didn't just bring his purchased longsword and leather-covered shield to the battlefield; he also had a set of repaired second-hand leather armor. He even bought a jaded horse sold by the army.
These assets caught the baron's attention, earning Obian a place in the baron's personal troops rather than being thrown to the most dangerous front lines as expendable fodder like other conscripts.
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Thanks to his formal knight combat training, Obian performed nearly as well as the baron's guards in battle, which led to him earning several commendations.
However, despite a year of life-and-death struggles and slaying over ten enemies, Obian's social status remained unchanged. He accepted this as a matter of course, saying, "If becoming a noble were easy, they'd be everywhere."
Obian is thoroughly satisfied with Henwell's healthy growth. Upon discovering Henwell's early intelligence, he immediately provides him with numerous books, recognizing the high cost of knowledge in this place.
Henwell displays impressive learning ability, quickly mastering the official language of the Ika Kingdom.
Seeing his son as a promising talent, Obian spares no expense. After Henwell's fourth birthday, he spends a significant amount and leverages his connections with the baron to enroll Henwell in the nearest knight's manor.
There, Henwell receives a noble family education alongside the knight's son.
For Henwell, eager to learn more, this is a great opportunity. As a child, he focuses on acquiring knowledge, and the meals at the knight's manor are excellent, allowing him to enjoy meat daily.
Henwell always eats a lot, leading other children to playfully nickname him "Little Food Barrel."
Henwell doesn't mind at all, thinking, "I'm not eating for free. My dad is paying for it."
Every month, Obian sends three gold coins to the Kukler knight's household. For commoners, this is a fortune. In Diversion Bay, a small town, a five-member family's annual expenses amount to just two gold coins.
Henwell's family owns several shops, two mills, and quite a bit of land, making them one of the wealthier families in town. However, three gold coins a month represent a quarter of their monthly income. To spend such an amount on a four-year-old child seems like a crazy waste to other townsfolk.
Henwell spends a year at the knight's manor, making the most of his father's investment. Not only does he learn to write, but he also masters many aspects of noble etiquette.
These are just the visible achievements; Henwell actually absorbs much more. He begins studying the continent's common language, and he takes every opportunity to explore a wealth of books, trying to learn as much as possible about this city that still feels somewhat unfamiliar to him.
Most importantly, Henwell starts secretly learning Kukler's knight training methods. Kukler, the youngest son of a viscount in the Ika Kingdom, lacks inheritance rights but comes from a family with a long tradition.
Through sheer skill and determination, he earns the title of knight and possesses his own knightly fief. Though it's just a small village east of Diversion Bay, it's a legitimate piece of land.
Kukler's knight training method is a family secret, not meant to be shared. He often supervises his second son's training, and during these times, Henwell is always nearby, playing.
No one suspects a five-year-old child, thinking that at his age, not wetting the bed is an achievement, let alone training.
Even though it's just basic training—simple exercises to toughen the body, strengthen muscles and bones, and improve physical coordination—Henwell eagerly absorbs it all.
This knowledge is beyond the reach of commoners or even merchants.
Of course, only with the combination of secret potions and visualization techniques can one cultivate the energy known as "Fighting Spirit".
Reaching that level is what truly defines a knight. However, Henwell isn't thinking that far ahead; he's focused on growing strong first.
He's already planning for the future. When he reaches his teenage years, he intends to reform the family's business, accumulate capital, and innovate by adapting various inventions.
Henwell has never considered rising through combat; money can achieve the same, as long as there's enough of it.
Yet, sometimes it's wise not to plan too far ahead. The fickle goddess of fate, that damn trickster, often leaps out from the shadows when you're most confident, delivering a harsh slap to remind you of life's unpredictability and cruelty.