The male supporting character was actually myself.

"That's wonderful!" The tavern owner was overjoyed. The fact that the young ranger had taken a liking to his son meant his son might indeed have talent. "But... what about the tuition..."

Jiang Chen waved his hand and laughed, "What tuition? I don't make money by teaching swordsmanship. It's just that kids in towns are too pampered these days and can't endure the hardship of martial arts training. I think this kid is quite down-to-earth and has a good build; he seems like he has the makings of a martial arts student. If you're willing, let him learn the basics from me for a few days."

If he passes the test, I'll officially accept him as my apprentice, not only waiving tuition fees but also giving him a reward!

The lively crowd in the tavern fell silent for a moment, then everyone shouted in unison, afraid of being left behind, "Sir, my child is also quite good, would you like to take a look?"

"Sir, look at my strong young man! He's been as strong as an ox since he was a child, and he's definitely no less capable than him!"

"My son was already setting traps to catch prey in the forest when he was ten years old..."

…………

Chapter Sixteen: What's your name?

More and more villagers volunteered, many wishing their own children would be chosen on the spot and rushing home to drag their sons over. Some even brought four or five children for him to choose from; some, drunk, even held infants who couldn't walk yet, claiming they would raise them from a young age...

After a while of excitement, Jiang Chen waved his hand to signal everyone to calm down.

"I am deeply moved by everyone's enthusiasm and high hopes for the children. Well then, it's really too late today, and I'm tired from my journey, so I need to get some rest."

I will hold the selection process in the village square early tomorrow morning.

Anyone who wants to learn swordsmanship from me, aged five to ten, regardless of gender, can come and gather. I will then select suitable children to teach diligently.

The villagers who had children of the appropriate age were very happy to hear Mr. Youxia's personal promise.

The tavern was bustling until late at night, but Jiang Chen, remaining vigilant, didn't drink too much and used the excuse of travel fatigue to go to the inn to rest. The simple and honest villagers continued to happily discuss tomorrow's selection competition, all hoping that their children would do well and be selected, so that they could also achieve great things in the future.

"Lloyd, the Ranger is selecting apprentices in the square tomorrow morning!" His friend ran over again to deliver the news, excitedly repeating what he had heard. "Don't go hunting tomorrow, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Upon hearing the news, Lloyd's light blue eyes lit up with new hope, but then dimmed completely. He shook his head and refused in a very low voice: "With my physical condition, I definitely can't do it. How can I have the strength to beat others if I'm always hungry?"

Forget it, I'll go hunting instead.

"I hope I'll be luckier tomorrow and catch more prey so I can have a proper birthday celebration for Alice..."

"Tsk tsk tsk, I really don't know how you became a warrior in the original story." The fluffy ball squatted on his shoulder, slowly licking its paws and sighing. "My host almost came to you to create an opportunity for you, but you still didn't want to go. What a troublesome little brat."

Hearing him say that, his friend fell silent.

How could a child from a poor family who is always hungry and cold compare to a tall and strong child raised by a wealthy family like a blacksmith, village chief, or tavern owner?

I imagine the selection of the Master of the Swordsman would also consider fighting skills...

"Alright then, I'll go hunting with you tomorrow morning! Anyway, we don't have much hope." His companion sighed heavily, no longer hoping to become a wandering knight's apprentice, waved goodbye to Lloyd, and walked heavily home.

As Lloyd closed the door to the dilapidated house, he looked at his sleeping younger brother and sister, his eyes slightly red.

If my mother were still alive, I probably could have tried to get selected, right? At least, someone would be there to take care of things at home and turn those wild vegetables into delicious food...

The fire in the shack gradually died down, and the entire village of Niujiao gradually calmed down from the frenzy brought by the wandering knights and fell into a deep sleep.

The fluffy ball squatted on the roof of the small shack, ready to provide its host with firsthand, fresh information to ensure that he could successfully take the protagonist as his apprentice.

"Meow~ Just thinking about the protagonist meeting his mentor at the peak of the final battle makes me so excited, I'm rubbing my paws together!"

After a good night's sleep, as dawn broke in the eastern sky the next morning, everyone got busy.

The age range of five to ten years old is not large. In the traditional Niujiao Village, many families have children of this age, and even those who do not want to go and see the excitement.

Therefore, when Jiang Chen finished washing up and enjoyed the delicious breakfast provided by the innkeeper, he came to the square and saw a huge crowd. At a glance, it seemed that the entire village had arrived.

The village chief smiled as if he had already secured a spot, and chatted with the young ranger for a long time.

After finally getting rid of all the formalities, Jiang Chen went over and looked at each of the children in the line.

Children who are born and spend their time crawling and rolling in the mud are indeed much tougher, but most people are more suited to wielding an axe than to learning martial arts or swordsmanship.

After carefully reviewing them, he finally selected six children who didn't look particularly robust.

“Learning swordsmanship focuses more on agility and quick reflexes. The other children are also great, but they are not suitable for swordsmanship. For example, strong and powerful children are more suitable for heavy weapons, which is something I am not good at.”

Children who weren't chosen shouldn't be discouraged. I've prepared some small gifts as rewards. I'm sure you'll find your niche and excel in it in the future.

While comforting them, Jiang Chen took out silver coins from his money bag and gave one to each child.

He then added, "I will be staying in Niujiao Village for the next period of time. I will be training the selected children on the grassland on the west side of the village. Any children who are interested and not afraid of hardship or fatigue can listen in."

"If I pass the graduation trial, I can still take on apprentices."

The villagers, who were initially extremely disappointed, were filled with renewed hope upon seeing the silver coins and hearing the wanderer's promise.

Even if they don't have talent at first, they still have a chance to succeed as long as they work hard. They secretly decided that they must make sure their little ones learn from others!

Just as the exciting selection process came to an end, Lloyd, who had gone to check the traps before dawn but found nothing, ran through the village square, his face flushed with disappointment.

He peered into the bustling crowd and immediately spotted the dashing, handsome swordsman surrounded by others, a man in a long sword on his back.

"Wow! Even more impressive than the bard's!" Lloyd stared intently at the other man, his face filled with envy. His long-naked, calloused feet involuntarily moved towards the plaza, and by the time he realized it, he was already standing at the very edge of the plaza, only a few meters away from the ranger.

Although he couldn't witness the exciting battle in person, he was still very excited to be able to see the Ranger up close.

"Host, I'm here!" Lloyd was too short, so the fluffy little thing had to stand on his head and hop around, shouting into the crowd, "The protagonist is here! Hurry up and take him in!"

Hearing the white kitten meow, Jiang Chen turned his head and looked through the crowd to see a little boy standing at the edge of the square, dressed in tattered clothes with a dirty face. He was immediately drawn to the boy's bright eyes.

With his dragon-like innate perception, he knew that a tremendous power was hidden within the seemingly weak body of the other!

"What's your name?" Jiang Chen pushed through the crowd, walked to his side, bent down, and asked gently.

Lloyd was somewhat flattered. He took two steps back, opened his mouth, and whispered, "I... I am Lloyd. Hello, respected Ranger."

The fluffy little thing jumped onto its host's shoulder and rubbed its furry cheeks against his face.

The moment seemed to freeze as the dragon and the dragon-slaying hero locked eyes. The sun finally rose above the horizon, casting a brilliant light as a backdrop. At that instant, Lloyd also felt an indescribable emotion, as if he had seen him in a dream before.

Why would I have such a strange thought?

Lloyd was startled by his own sudden thought, then tried to calm his wildly beating heart and forced a smile before asking, "May I learn swordsmanship from you?"

“Of course.” Jiang Chen took out a silver coin from his money bag and handed it to him. “From today onwards, you will learn swordsmanship from me, just like the other students.”

Chapter Seventeen: Taking on Disciples

Wow... there are even silver coins to take?!

Lloyd, whose hands had trembled slightly since childhood and had only ever handled copper coins, stared blankly at the silver coin in his palm for a few seconds before suddenly looking up and saying urgently, "Ranger, I... I have a good friend, he... his name is Xiao Wuzi. He wanted to participate in the selection, but he promised to go hunting with me. He's waiting for me over there in the forest..."

He was so anxious that he became incoherent, secretly regretting that he had been too arbitrary!

If this delays Xiao Wuzi from being chosen by the wandering knight, wouldn't he regret it to death?

“Sir, please wait a moment while I go and fetch him! Little Wu is very clever; perhaps you might take a liking to him…” Lloyd stammered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Jiang Chen smiled and nodded, "No need to rush. Go and call him directly to the grassland on the west side of the village. I will start your first lesson there."

After receiving permission, Lloyd thanked him, clutched the silver coin, and ran towards the forest entrance.

He never expected to be chosen by the wandering knight at first glance and even receive a silver coin! What if... he thought to himself that if Xiao Wuzi wasn't chosen, he could exchange the silver coin for copper coins and give him half.

This is a genuine silver coin!

Lloyd's hands were clenched tightly, his palms sweaty, and he didn't want to loosen them even slightly for fear of losing them. He had already silently planned how to spend the money.

If half is given to Xiao Wuzi, fifty copper coins can be left, enough to buy new clothes and shoes for each of the younger siblings. The remaining money can be used to buy some meat for Alice to have a nice birthday. If we're frugal, we can probably save some for emergencies...

When the two children, panting, ran from the forest to the vast meadow west of the village, they discovered that almost the entire village had gathered there.

Mr. Youxia specially designated a dedicated training ground, a backup training ground, and a viewing area for the villagers.

Children who were not selected or whose age did not match also gathered at the backup training ground, hoping to rely on their own efforts to close the talent gap and eventually win the favor of the ranger to become his formal apprentice.

Xiao Wuzi was born posthumously. His first four children all died of illness, and his mother also passed away soon after he was born. Only the frail Xiao Wuzi and his blind grandmother were left, barely surviving on the help of the villagers.

His similarly impoverished background led him to become good friends with Lloyd, who was about the same age. However, Lloyd was too thin and lacked agility. After looking at him, Jiang Chen handed him a silver coin and offered some words of comfort, telling him to train at the backup training ground first.

No matter what you learn, a solid foundation is the first requirement, and learning swordsmanship is a tedious task that requires a lot of patience. Therefore, on the first day of training, Jiang Chen assigned them a task—to stand at attention under the scorching sun.

The selected children were naturally full of confidence and persevered even though they were very tired;

The training ground wasn't so orderly. For the first ten minutes, all the children stood up straight; after another ten minutes, some started to hunch over and slouch; and after another ten minutes, most of the children whispered among themselves, and some even secretly ran off to play and disappeared.

Jiang Chen coldly observed that he had discovered several promising talents with good endurance. Whether they could pass the initial test and be recruited would depend on their performance in the next few days.

The number of villagers who came to watch on the second day dropped sharply, and less than a third of the children remained at the backup training ground.

By the afternoon, no one came to watch anymore, and only six children remained on the backup training ground, diligently standing at attention. Xiao Wuzi was among them; although he was very thin and his legs wobbled a little from standing for so long, he gritted his teeth and persevered.

As night began to fall, Lloyd approached Jiang Chen timidly and shyly. "Master, it's my sister Alice's birthday today. I've prepared meat pies... I'd like to invite you to my home for dinner to thank you for your guidance and the reward."

For some reason, whenever he gets close to his master, he feels a strange sensation from the bottom of his heart, which makes it difficult for him to speak fluently.

He himself didn't understand what that feeling was like.

It was a mix of fear, shock, and a subtle desire to challenge and defeat the opponent. Lloyd thought for a long time and concluded that it was probably his master's identity as a wandering knight that had ignited his deepest desire for power. He probably wanted to take his master as a benchmark and strive to surpass him.

In addition to receiving silver coin subsidies, Xiao Wuzi ate all three meals a day at the training ground while learning martial arts from his master. The meals included eggs, milk, pies, meat soup, and large chunks of stewed meat. Lloyd would always share his portion with Xiao Wuzi.

For Lloyd, who had been poor since childhood, the silver coins and daily meals quickly transformed his inexplicable emotions into gratitude and respect, and he became increasingly respectful of his master.

"Oh? It's your sister's birthday? That's a great day!" Jiang Chen had already heard from the gossipy little white cat's whispers that he was preparing a birthday party, so he had already prepared a gift.

Just as his training session ended, he asked the hotel owner to pack some smoked venison and a small gift to take to Lloyd's little shack for a memorable birthday celebration for four-year-old Alice.

"Host, as the saying goes, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance. Why don't we just get the protagonist a new house so his standard of living can rise dramatically? Wouldn't he be grateful?" the fluffy dumpling suggested while munching on a dried fish.

Lying on the comfortable bed in the hotel, Jiang Chen put down the book in his hand, shook his head and smiled: "Judging from the current situation, Lloyd is a very typical protagonist who endures hardship and eventually wins the heart of a beauty and becomes king."

I've talked to him; he's a kid with big ideals and ambitions.

The gentry and scholars he had previously considered were not his desired targets. However, this type of protagonist usually has to go through various tragic setbacks to grow so quickly.

maybe……"

The little white cat immediately perked up and its ears twitched. "Tragic setback? Meow~ I'm familiar with this character. Usually, the protagonist is very loyal, but he can only watch helplessly as the people around him die."

He grows with each death, and once all the most important people in his life are gone, he'll be close to success.

Does this mean his younger brother, sister, and even his adorable son are all going to be killed off?

According to the original storyline, at eighteen, one would have no ties and be able to roam the world alone.

“I can’t stay by Lloyd’s side for that long. In two years, Princess Emily will begin her training to be a well-rounded student, and I need to go there to be her teacher.”