The male supporting character was actually myself.

"Hmm, to slay a dragon, one must be a mid-level warrior. The hiring fee for a mid-level warrior is at least several thousand gold coins. That's quite a sum!"

"Several thousand? These days, there aren't any mid-level warriors willing to risk their lives for a mere few thousand gold coins..."

…………

Chapter Fourteen: The Journey to Find the Protagonist

While the city's residents were discussing the Dragon-Slaying Order, speculating on how many warriors would be mobilized and how many casualties would occur, Jiang Chen rode a black steed leisurely along the bluestone-paved street.

Longsword, armor, and steed – this is the most popular warrior's three-piece set that has been passed down to this day.

"Host, why are we parading around like this? Hurry up and finish your act, then go find the main hero. I can't wait to see how you handle this mud-playing kid." The fluffy ball perched on his shoulder, feeling the expectant and envious gazes of the crowds as they passed through the bustling streets, and it couldn't help but straighten its back.

Jiang Chen lowered his voice and said, "Make sure the performance is convincing, so everyone knows that I'm going to slay the dragon all by myself, which is extremely dangerous."

To avoid making a scene during the performance and attracting unwanted attention, as long as they don't get too close, we won't give ourselves away.

The little white cat suddenly realized;

The people in the city were also whispering and discussing it amongst themselves.

"Only one warrior! He looks so young, is he going to slay a dragon by himself?!"

"I've heard some rumors. Apparently, he's the youngest and fastest warrior to ever reach the intermediate level in the entire Warrior Academy. He's a ruthless guy who single-handedly went to sea and wiped out the entire Black Sea pirate crew!"

"High skill breeds boldness; they probably have their own special skills."

"I was thinking that dozens of warriors fighting a dragon would be a once-in-a-millennium spectacle, and I was going to take the opportunity to go and watch. But it turns out to be just a little kid. Forget it, let's stay at home to avoid getting involved."

"I need to go pray that the Warriors will win big!"

"It's risky. A kid in his teens, no matter how capable he is, can't beat a dragon. Didn't you see how fierce the dragon's fire breath was? It burned people to ashes in an instant..."

…………

The horses' hooves clattered as they slowly strolled down the long street.

Eighty percent of the public shook their heads and sighed, seemingly having already foreseen the warriors' crushing defeat;

The remaining optimists felt that there was at least a 50/50 chance. Even if they couldn't win a fierce battle, the dragon might realize that this place was not a good place to stay and run away.

The last small group had already secretly sold off their possessions, packed up their valuables, and prepared to flee as far away from the dragon as possible...

Before nightfall, the roar of the dragon echoed again in the deep ravine, which had been quiet for two days. It seemed to be in a good mood and flew over the city to show people its enormous body and the terrifying flames it spewed that seemed to burn even the clouds red.

The warrior, whose figure had disappeared into the ravine, remained motionless.

People speculated whether he might lie in wait for the best opportunity to act.

That night, the people of the entire city were unable to sleep.

First, a terrifying roar of a dragon suddenly echoed through the night sky; then came the sound of rocks collapsing; flames occasionally lit up the night sky; many residents nearby swore they heard the ear-piercing sound of a warrior's longsword clashing against the dragon's scales; they even heard the echo of the warrior challenging the dragon...

A fierce battle lasted for most of the night. At dawn, everyone heard the mournful cry of the dragon and the terrifying sound of a huge object falling into a deep ravine.

As dawn broke in the east, everything fell silent.

The people immediately ran out of their homes and climbed onto rooftops and city walls to look out. They saw that the mountains of Shenshuijian were burned black and many rocks had fallen, making it a tragic and spectacular sight.

A tall, strong, and handsome young warrior, his armor badly damaged, walked out slowly and steadily, dragging a piece of dragon bone more than two meters long that had been washed clean by the water and was still stained with water.

"Dragon Slayer Warrior!"

"My God! He actually did it!"

"It was absolutely terrifying. The sounds of that horrific battle last night were truly chilling..."

…………

People lined the streets to welcome the young man, who had fought a bloody battle, with awe in their eyes. Countless young girls were secretly moved and threw roses at him, hoping to be seen by the young dragon-slaying hero and perhaps witness a legendary love story unfold.

Jiang Chen didn't linger. After returning to the academy and exchanging the dragon bone for the Dragon Slayer Medal, he used the excuse of exploring and traveling to escape, leaving behind an unbreakable legend.

Thousands of miles away from Warrior Academy lies a small country called Vaticania. The script briefly mentions it, and the protagonist, Lloyd, was born in a remote mountain village in this small country.

Jiang Chen wanted to see what kind of person this chosen one, whose life had been arranged by the script team, really was.

"Host, I can only try my best. After all, according to the timeline described in the script, the protagonist Lloyd is four years older than Princess Emily. The princess is two years old now, which means he's only six. It's still unclear whether he can have the protagonist's halo yet." The fluffy little ball of fur scratched its feet a little embarrassedly and whispered a reminder.

As Jiang Chen rode his horse slowly along the mountain village path, he asked curiously, "If he weren't surrounded by the protagonist's halo, you wouldn't be able to tell that we can only find people by their names."

You said...could we try to give the protagonist a path he wants to take?

"Huh? What do you mean?" The little white cat was confused. "Does the host mean you want the protagonist to deviate from the script?"

He nodded and explained, "Look at this poor, remote place. The protagonist, having grown up in such an environment, might have other ideals. Perhaps he would want to become a wealthy country gentleman, or maybe he would want to go to a big city to study."

The path to becoming a Warrior is incredibly difficult. For a child from a poor mountain village to travel such a long distance to register and compete at the Warrior Academy is arduous enough on its own.

The fluffy ball poked its chin with its paw, thought seriously for a moment, and nodded in agreement. "I understand. The host wants to take care of the protagonist and change his fate, thereby completely thwarting the script team's plot to wipe us out!"

Jiang Chen: O_O

The general meaning is correct, but the term "sugar baby" is a bit... inappropriate, isn't it?

Ahead lies the fourth eligible mountain village we've investigated. From afar, it's nestled amidst a vast expanse of green grassland, with its distinctive little houses clustered together, larger than the villages we've passed before.

"Niujiao Village? What a simple and honest village name." The fluffy little girl tiptoed and glanced at the stone at the entrance of the village, muttering to herself.

There is only one inn and one tavern in the medium-sized village.

Perhaps because there were few outsiders, Jiang Chen attracted the curious gazes of the villagers as soon as he entered the village on his tall horse.

"A wandering swordsman? No wonder you carry such a beautiful sword." Half an hour later, as night was just beginning to fall, the tavern owner had managed to extract as much information as possible about this visitor from afar.

He chuckled as he wiped the wine glasses, the dim light of the fire illuminating the hearth. "To be honest, our little village has never had a wandering knight-errant before. Those are characters that only exist in the stories of poets. Come on, young man, tell us about the interesting things you've seen and heard along your journey!"

In order to establish a persona, Jiang Chen picked out some lighthearted, interesting, and engaging experiences from random places.

Soon, the news that a wandering knight had passed through the village tavern spread throughout the entire Bullhorn Village. Whether it was the elderly, young men and women, or curious children, everyone was incredibly curious about the outside world.

As a result, the tavern was packed with customers, who surrounded the dashing swordsman, asking him all sorts of questions.

Chapter Fifteen: Lloyd at Six Years Old

"Lloyd!" A thin figure called out in the darkness, trying to keep a low voice, as he hurried along.

Near the outskirts of Niujiao Village, there is a dilapidated thatched hut. Calling it a hut is a bit of a stretch; it's really just a small shack made of a few wooden planks supporting a trading frame, covered with a tattered felt and thatch.

In the center of the thatched hut, there was a fire pit surrounded by stones. Some dry tree roots were slowly burning to provide light, and the flickering firelight gave everything in the simple hut a warm glow.

"Lloyd!" The little boy, dressed in dirty and somewhat tattered clothes, excitedly waved for him to come out and talk, and cautiously glanced into the house to make sure he hadn't woken the two little ones on the bark-covered bed.

Six-year-old Lloyd stopped whittling wood, tiptoed out, and left the dilapidated wooden door ajar before asking in a low voice, "What's wrong? Has the hunting plan for tomorrow changed?"

"No, no, no, I came to call you to the tavern to see what's going on!" The friend was so excited that his tongue almost tied itself. "A wandering swordsman is passing through our village, and he's in the tavern right now!"

The true knight-errant Lloyd is not a singing poet, but a true knight-errant!

He gestured excitedly, "He's so tall and strong, and he has a super cool longsword on his back! I heard from the tavern owner that that sharp sword could easily buy the entire Bull Horn Village! The wanderer is wearing clothes that we've never seen before, and they look incredibly expensive!"

And then there's his story of what he saw and heard along the way—it was so interesting!

Go on, Lloyd! The blacksmith's hands are itching to spar with the ranger. You know, the blacksmith's the best guy in our village. Their duel would be amazing!

Aren't you most envious of wandering knights and warriors? Hurry and go see them! This is a rare opportunity; you might not see them again if you miss it!

His friend's enthusiastic tone was so persuasive that Lloyd felt like a bunch of kittens were scratching at his heart. He glanced hesitantly at the shack, a maturity beyond his years appearing on his youthful face. "You go ahead. I have to look after my younger siblings and make wooden spears; we'll need them for hunting tomorrow."

You know, my sister's birthday is the day after tomorrow, and I'm thinking of getting her a rabbit as a pet; and also getting some meat for everyone so we can make meat soup and have a nice meal..."

Unable to suppress his longing and excitement, he glanced deeply at the tavern from afar, then quickly looked away, afraid of wavering, and said insincerely, "You should go! Their martial arts competition must be very exciting! You can tell me about it tomorrow, it'll be just as good!"

"But... that's definitely different." The friend peeked into the room and urged in a low voice, "It's just a little while, it won't be long, they're all asleep, it'll be fine."

Lloyd shook his head firmly. "No, last time I threw them down to watch the trap and little Alice almost rolled into the fire pit. I can't be so careless again. The clothes I need to wear tomorrow are drying on the fire, and it can't go out. If a spark comes out, it's no joke."

"Alright then, I'll go take a look and tell you tomorrow." Seeing this, the friend sighed and disappeared into the darkness in a flash.

Feeling utterly disappointed, Lloyd glanced deeply towards the tavern one last time before quietly slipping back into the house. He sat down by the fire and continued whittling his wooden spear, but he was clearly distracted.

He could hear again the stirring voices of the poets in the tavern, playing their instruments and singing praises to the warriors who fought the evil dragon and saved the poor people.

“Warrior… Ranger…” Lloyd murmured to himself, a hint of sadness showing in his gaze as he looked at the crudely made wooden spear in his hand.

My mother passed away six months ago, and my father, whom I remember as a tall and strong "nomad," is still nowhere to be found.

Kind people in the village helped with the funeral arrangements, leaving him, as the eldest brother, to take care of his four-year-old sister and two-year-old brother. Fortunately, they are both healthy and often go hungry, but as long as it is not the cold winter, they can always find something to eat.

He sighed, thinking about his hopeless dream, and listlessly whittled wood by the fire.

Cheers erupted in the tavern. Jiang Chen won the battle with remarkable grace, without even drawing his sword, and gave the blacksmith face. He then smiled and said, "I've felt that our village has a beautiful environment and a wonderful atmosphere. I'd like to stay a few more days to enjoy the rural scenery. Does anyone have any good suggestions?"

"Then you've chosen the right place! Our Niujiao Village is a harmonious place with mountains, water, and forests all around. Respected wanderer, you can try fishing in the lake. There are some very plump trout this season."

"Rangers must love hunting! You can catch plump deer and hares in the forest to the east."

"Since I'm staying a few more days, I'd really like to ask you some questions. Young wandering knight, please don't find it troublesome..."

…………

The villagers chatted with him warmly, making the atmosphere in the tavern even more lively.

"Host, I've found the protagonist!" The fluffy little dumpling quickly bounced back, squatted on his shoulder, and whispered in his ear about what she had just seen and heard.

Are the conditions really that harsh?

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. Although this is a special era in which children take on family responsibilities at a young age, the difficulties faced by a six-year-old child in taking care of his younger siblings alone are unimaginable.

The script doesn't mention anything about the protagonist's life before he became a warrior. Given his difficult family circumstances, how could he possibly walk to the Warrior Academy to register for the selection at the age of eighteen?

Could it be... that there was no one left who needed his care at that time?

After a few drinks, Jiang Chen's face became slightly flushed. He looked at the tavern owner's youngest son, who was helping to serve drinks and water, and suggested, "I've noticed that this kid has a good physique. How about he try learning swordsmanship from me? Maybe he can become a wandering knight or take the exam to become a warrior at the Warrior Academy when he grows up."

A wanderer? A warrior?!

The tavern owner's eyes lit up immediately. Either way, it was much better than staying in Bullhorn Village and working hard all his life without earning much money!

Didn't you notice how this young knight-errant can afford such beautiful clothes and ride such a fine horse? His longsword alone must be quite valuable. Clearly, being a knight-errant can be very lucrative.

As for the Warriors...

Even a novice warrior can easily earn an unimaginable amount of gold coins!