30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 7

"Oh, it's already this late," Ihan muttered.

Just as comparing knights to Major League players suggested, when there was no "game" (battle), knights had a lot of free time.

Unless there was a war, rebellion, or the need to support allied nations, they didn't really have work to do.

Their main responsibility was simply to train and hone their skills in preparation for emergencies—that was their duty.

Thus, even showing up for work was more of a performance, a demonstration of loyalty to the king rather than a necessity.

In other words...

"I'm off for the day."

"Already?"

"I’ve got things to do."

"Ah, heading to the construction site?"

"Yeah. Unlike the nobles who have plenty of money and time, us commoners need to work two jobs to get by."

"Haha..."

The only real difference between the knights and the Major League was perhaps that the knights’ pay was slightly higher than that of regular soldiers.

If those with strength wanted to make real money, they could have become mercenaries, but knights chose to pursue "honor" and "authority" instead.

The salary was just enough to maintain their dignity, but for a commoner, it was barely enough.

However...

"You don’t really need to go to the construction site for money, though."

"That’s a misunderstanding."

Ihan turned and walked off, waving his hand lazily as a form of farewell.

"...A guy who can make money whenever he wants," Jake muttered under his breath, shrugging.

At that moment...

"Senior Lihan, where are you headed?"

"Hmm?"

The new recruit, Yord, who had just been defeated by Ihan, approached him, greeting him politely.

"Sir Parman, apologies for speaking to you first."

"Hmm."

Ihan was so used to talking casually, especially after spending so much time with commoners, that he found formal greetings awkward.

Especially in the Third Division, where many knights came from minor families.

"...Just speak comfortably. All this formality feels strange."

"But..."

"It’s fine. And instead of calling me 'Sir,' you can just call me a senior, like you do with Ihan. That sounds better to me."

"Ah, understood, Senior Jake."

"Whew, much better."

"......"

"Haha, you must have spent too much time around Ihan."

Jake Parman chuckled and Yord gave an awkward smile, playing along.

But even as they talked, Yord couldn’t help glancing in the direction where Ihan had disappeared, his hand twitching as if eager to pursue him.

Seeing this, Jake’s eyes glinted with interest.

"Your competitive spirit hasn’t died down at all."

"...I may not be able to surpass him now, but I’ll make sure I do in the future. Not that I’m asking for another match right away—I’ve already been thoroughly beaten. I just wanted to have a conversation with him."

"...That’s a rare case."

It was uncommon for a noble-born knight to take a liking to Ihan.

Had today’s duel been that impressive?

'Not bad.'

Jake personally found it unfortunate that his friend had so many enemies, so seeing a junior knight taking an interest in Ihan was a welcome sight.

Jake had no reason to withhold his kindness from someone who wanted to get closer to his friend.

"Ihan went to his side job. He calls it his second job."

"Side job? Does he not have a sponsor?"

Yord tilted his head, clearly puzzled by what he had just heard.

Even though Ihan was a commoner, he was still a knight.

Not just any knight, but one from the White Lion Knights, the kingdom’s strongest and directly under the royal family.

For someone like that, wealthy merchants would be lining up to offer sponsorship deals.

Even Yord, despite his modest background, had secured a sponsorship from a merchant.

While it was mostly just a ceremonial arrangement—allowing the merchant to use his name—it was still something important for them.

It seemed strange that a knight of Ihan's status would have to take on a side job for money.

"...That is odd, indeed."

Jake nodded, understanding Yord's confusion, but he quickly explained.

"That guy refuses to take on sponsors. Even though plenty of merchants have offered."

"Is that even possible?"

"With him, it is. He said something like, 'If I take a sponsorship deal, it’ll feel awkward when I retire.'"

"...What?"

"Haha, don’t try to understand it. It’s normal not to."

In a prestigious order like the White Lion Knights, it wasn’t unheard of for knights to retire dishonorably, but retiring voluntarily was rare.

Crash!

Crack!