Chapter 40: Anonymous

Possibly the most enigmatic of the Legendary Knights, nobody knows his name, his appearance, or his origin.

He was known as the Knight of a Thousand Faces and was powerful enough to leave a deep imprint in the hearts of people.

“Fred, who do you think might want to get rid of me?” Levi asked.

“I’d say the Duke of Montenegro.”

“He could have killed me long ago,” Levi replied.

“That was during the war, right when your father died,” Knight Fred explained. “Getting rid of you then would cause unnecessary trouble, but getting rid of you now removes potential unnecessary trouble. However, he probably didn’t expect you to become a fully qualified Knight in just a few years.”

“What about Pastor Abraham?”

“I don’t think so. You would’ve been dead by now if the Church wanted to get rid of you. Plus, you already agreed to pay them, so there’s no reason for him to get rid of you.”

Levi nodded, thinking that his explanation made sense.

Looking at it now, it is very likely that the Duke of Montenegro sent the assassin.

After all, this group of people has occupied the Land of Tulips and the Land of Storms, so they are bound to feel paranoid after a while.

Levi may appear weak, but who’s to say that he won’t come to reclaim the land in, say, 30 years?

And now that it has been six years since the Holy War and the death of the previous Baron of Blackwater Valley, nobody would even care if the little Baron died.

“I kept such a low profile and secluded myself from the outside world, but there are still people wanting to get rid of me,” Levi sighed. “Like an imaginary enemy out to get them.”

There is only one thing Levi could do.

Train, train, and train harder. When he becomes strong enough to make a difference, he should crush everyone who stands in his way and trample on their fragile dignity.

“Master Levi, although you are a very strong Knight, you must know that the Duke himself, the Earl of Blood, the Earl of Silver Shade, and the Seven Hussars of the North are all Knights in their own respect. Do not make any impulsive decisions,” Knight Fred warned.

“Don’t worry; I have my own plans. For now, we will operate as usual, but we will keep half the armour forged every month for our own use. If possible, I would like to buy war horses and train our militia into cavalry,” Levi elaborated.

In this era, cavalry units are practically unstoppable battalions. A qualified knight may be able to deal with ten well-trained soldiers, but they will definitely fall to a ten-man cavalry.

If Levi had a cavalry of fifty men, he would be able to attack more than two-thirds of a baron’s territory; if he had a cavalry of a hundred men, he could attack an Earl.

During the Millennium War, King Jade launched an anti-invasion war against the Tuva Empire, recruiting more than 20,000 men to join his cavalry.

Quantity does determine the outcome of a war.

Levi originally had no intention of expanding and developing his army, but he found that he was wrong.

Due to past events, his thinking has changed. He must develop a strong military so that he can protect himself and his people.

A good defence is a good offence; having a cavalry to defend him is priceless.

Weaponry and armour are no issue to him. What troubled him were the war horses needed by the cavalry.

As far as Levi knows, a high-quality war horse usually costs about 80 gold coins.

If he were to prepare a cavalry of 50 men, the horses themselves would cost thousands of gold coins.

Besides, these horses need to be fed daily. For a small lord of land like him, war horses are just a waste of money and resources.

However, thinking of possible problems that could arise in the future, he felt that it needed to be done, at least in the future.

In the end, he needed more money.

“I agree with the concept of a cavalry,” Knight Fred nodded. “However, I don’t think we are financially capable of supporting a cavalry, so let’s take things slow.”

“Mm.”

“By the way,” Knight Fred paused. “There is something I must tell you.”

“What is it?”

“The Knight you’re trading with? I know who he is.”

“Well? Tell me.”

“He’s the Hog Rider.”