Months and years passed, eventually I turned 17.

I was sitting by the river. Nearby sat a local girl Risa. She was a year older than me. Although there was nothing unusual about her she was quite attractive.

Gradually, we were able to get along and at times communicated with each other while walking around the neighborhood. Recently, she even came to watch my workouts. Although the old man always chased her away.

- Oh, I'm so tired. I thought I'd die. - said Risa lounging on the grass.

I examined her attractive figure and Risa clearly noticed this.

- Do not say that. Your very existence in this world makes it much more beautiful. - I said looking at her with a serious expression on my face.

Risa rose in surprise opening her hands and looked at me I looked at her in response. Soon I approached and touched her face, after which I slowly lowered my hand to her chest. She didn't resist but only blushed and took a deep breath.

Unfortunately the old stalker soon found out what had happened and began to lecture me with saliva increasing my training and forbidding me to leave the territory of the house.

A month later a hand-to-hand duel was taking place in the yard. On one side was a gray-haired old man. Despite his age, his eyes were still full of strength.

On the other hand there was a young and strong guy with dark hair and brown eyes. An appearance that was quite common among commoners.

During the exchange of blows the old man guessing the moment of my punch took a step forward and grabbed my hand in the shoulder area.

It wasn't the first time Gray had used this technique and usually my body would react instinctively. Because of the terrible pain and for the sake of self-preservation the body itself gave in and moved in the direction the old man wanted which inevitably led to my defeat.

Despite the fact that my second hand remained free there was neither time nor opportunity to use it.

However, this time my trained body remained as still as a rock. Wild pain did not cloud my mind, and even at the risk of dislocating my own arm I punched the old man in the liver with my free hand.

The old man chuckled and releasing my hand took a few steps back. His face remained impassive but I knew perfectly well that he got hard. Unlike me, he did not get any younger.

I immediately regretted hitting with such force but it was one of the few optimal ways to save my hand. I pretended to be very tired and fell to the ground flexing my shoulder and turning away. It bad idea to let the old man lose his face otherwise he would get angry in earnest.

- It's time for you to get out of here - Gray soon responded.

So he actually became angry it seems...

- I was never able to become a Knight and I have no idea what you are missing to awaken your life energy. Maybe you're just mediocre or you lack the experience of real fights. In any case I taught you everything I knew, then it's up to you.

I have already agreed with my friend. Soon they will go to the city of Harin in the north. The city is small and relatively young, there should not be anyone stronger than the Knight's Apprentices.

You will go with them as a guard and settle in this city. What you managed to forge over the years you will take with you. The money from the sale of these weapons will be enough for you at the beginning and then you will figure it out. - having finished the sentence the old man went into the house.

My heart skipped a beat. Of course the old man more than once threatened to drown me in the river or put me on a barbecue but this time he was clearly seriously going to get rid of me.

On the other hand, I was already 17 years old. I myself understood that this could not continue. At such a pace I would drive the poor old man to the grave.

I looked at my hands and body. There was pronounced strength in the arms and the body was strong and muscular.

The Knight's training clearly allowed me to become stronger than an ordinary person and I understood this. But no matter how much I tried I could not feel the so-called vital energy.

Perhaps I really lacked the experience of real battles. But all strong animals had long been killed in the territories of people and it was not easy and even dangerous to find such animals.

War was also not expected. At least in the kingdom of Arun it was pretty calm.

Gray said it was because the kingdom had several True Knights.

The True Knight was a force that even armies had to reckon with. Although they couldn't stand against the enemy's overwhelming fire from bows and crossbows alone, it was extremely difficult to catch a True Knight in such a situation. Otherwise one True Knight could easily cope with entire enemy units.

Therefore, as long as the balance of power of the True Knights among the nearby kingdoms is not disturbed most likely no one will start serious conflicts.

I thought about returning to Rent and seeing the children from my home but Gray strictly forbade me from entering the city of Rent until I will became a Knight's Apprentice.

The old man stated that such gangs are almost always under the patronage of some kind of noble so if I try to intervene my corpse is unlikely to be found.

No matter how often I argued with the old man but he became for me the father I never had. So I always took his instructions very seriously, perhaps even too much. Although he wanted me to become a Knight, at the same time he did not want me to give my life for nothing.

A couple of weeks later I stood before the old man fully armed. I was wearing relatively light and comfortable chain mail the care of which had long been one of my duties.

Under the chain mail was an undershirt. It was not possible to make armor without a full-fledged workshop so the old man had this chain mail with a vest since the war.

On the belt was one of the swords that I made myself. During our fights with Gray swords were often damaged or even broken so I opted for a sword with a wide and relatively thick blade at the base.

From the base it gradually became narrower and thinner leaving the possibility of stabbing. Even if the weak part of the blade is damaged I will still hold the weapon in my hands.

Swords were the main weapon of the nobles and respectively the most common among commoners.

Although I knew how to use a bow and even made a couple I considered it superfluous to carry a bow and arrows. If need be I can get it out of the wagon at any time.

Looking into the eyes of the old man, I felt sadness and unwillingness to part. Who knows when we'll see each other again. However, I understood that if I wanted to thank the old man I had to become a Knight's Apprentice, that was exactly what he wanted. He already informed me that if I dare to return without becoming a Knight, he will kill me with his own hands.

- Thanks. - I said.

The old man frowned, then turned and walked out into the yard I followed him.

Nearby two open carts pulled by horses stopped.

Only the coachman was sitting in the first wagon and there were goods in the wagon itself. But in the second wagon in addition to the coachman there were six people.

I greeted my fellow villagers and dragged the heavy sack onto the first of the wagons. It contained part of the weapon that I managed to make in five years. Gray was like the local blacksmith in the village and used to make weapons for the local lord so he did not asked me to sell any of his own.

There were no full-fledged workshops in the city of Harin and there were not so many blacksmiths so this weapon should have cost a lot.

Sitting in the wagon I continued to look at Gray who gradually became farther and farther away. My heart beat faster.  I was very lucky to meet this old man on my life path.

- I'll definitely do it! Watch me old man! Don't you dare to die until I`ll get back! - I yelled at him.

Finally I could see a slight smile on his face.

It was a couple of weeks to the city of Harin. We were able to pass the territory of the local lord without any problems. One of the passengers was a Squire in the service of a local baron.

Squire is my current strength level. Usually, this is a person who has trained and practiced the Knight technique for a long time becoming stronger than ordinary people but has not yet become a Knight.

Even passing through uninhabited lands, we did not encounter any special problems. Only once on the way we came across a small group of wolves but they did not dare to attack.

There was a chance to meet robbers, but this road to Harin was not very popular for transporting goods. And besides few robbers would almost live on an unpopular trade route.

More often they received inside information about a particular group of merchants their guards and goods and only then prepare an attack. But of course, few people cared about a couple of villagers, there was no question of inside information.

The main problems were related to the rain. It was necessary to cover the wagons and look for shelter.

Thus in less than a month we safely reached the city.

At the entrance to the city there were guards with spears and also a collector. Ordinary travelers paid little but their group had to show all the goods. The collector compiled an inventory of goods and calculated the corresponding tax.

Fortunately I didn't have to worry about it. The old man arranged everything in advance and even gave me some money to pay the tax in favor of the lord to put my goods up for sale.

The first day we rested and then went to the market.

Soon three armed men came up to my counter. One of them began to inspect the weapon and the other asked questions.

- Where did the weapon come from kid? - asked a middle-aged man.

- From the territory of baron Manfred in the south sir. - I answered calmly.