"Uh... hello..."

Hearing the voice, Roland turned around.

A short, slender figure was timidly reaching out a hand, greeting him.

"If I remember correctly..."

Roland spoke with a faint smile as he pulled the last Short Spear from the target.

"Your name is Hobbit, right?"

The newcomer was indeed Hobbit, the solitary Half-Elf among the trainees.

"Th-That’s right."

Hobbit nodded lightly and awkwardly scratched his messy brown hair, forcing the corners of his mouth into a respectful smile.

"Hello, Mr. Roland."

"Hello, Hobbit."

Roland replied, naturally taking a few steps back.

"Here to train?"

"Y-Yes."

Hobbit nervously took an Iron Sword from the weapon rack, his voice slightly tight and dry.

"I-I’m not disturbing you, am I?"

"Of course not. It’s not like I own the training grounds."

Roland chuckled, exchanged a few more simple words with the shy Half-Elf, and then retreated to a suitable distance on his own.

Then, his gaze sharpened. With a sudden burst of force from his arm, the Short Spear flew from his hand.

"THUD!"

After a dull thud, the Short Spear struck the target precisely.

However, seeing how far it was from the bullseye, Roland frowned slightly and reached for another Short Spear beside him.

For a time, the only sound in the training grounds was the dull thud of Short Spears hitting the target.

’My [Basic Throwing] Level is still too low. It might work as a feint in combat, but it’s too unreliable as a primary attack. As for the Crossbow...’

With this in mind, Roland picked up the Arm Crossbow beside him, drew the string, loaded a bolt, and aimed.

"SWOOSH!"

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air as the Crossbow Arrow embedded itself firmly in the center of the target.

But seeing this result, Roland showed no joy, merely calculating silently.

’It’s simple to use and has enough killing power, but the reload time is too slow... In a real battle, the enemy won’t give me a peaceful opportunity to reload...’

As he pondered, the burning hunger in his stomach grew more intense.

’Forget it... practicing these skills is just to prepare for becoming an [Apprentice Knight]. As for whether I can use them in battle... I’ll just have to adapt when the time comes.’

With that, he glanced at the darkening sky, returned the weapons to the rack, and walked to the edge of the training grounds to sit down.

He took out the food he had prepared from his waist pouch, carefully brought out Qiao, and handed it a piece of bread.

Then, washing it down with water from his waterskin, he began to slowly chew the rest of the food, his gaze naturally falling on the other figure in the training grounds.

’His Swordsmanship isn’t bad...’

Roland swallowed his food and popped a piece of smoked meat into his mouth.

’Looks like the little guy paid close attention to the techniques Master Reggie taught this afternoon. But...’

Looking at the other’s powerless sword swings, Roland shook his head slightly.

’His physical condition is still too poor.’

’No matter how superb the skill, without enough Power and speed to back it up, it’s ultimately just for show...’

Just as Roland was making his silent assessment, Hobbit, who had been swinging his sword with all his might, suddenly stopped, as if sensing his gaze.

The Half-Elf wiped the sweat from his forehead, panting heavily.

After a moment, he scratched his head awkwardly, turned around, and spoke with a hint of unease.

"Mr. Roland, my Swordsmanship... is there something wrong with it?"

"The transitions between your moves are a bit clumsy, and some parts aren’t smooth enough..."

In any case, his goal for coming to the Knight Academy today was already achieved, and his training was done. Seeing Hobbit’s respectful attitude, Roland didn’t mind spending a little time giving him some pointers.

Saying this, he stood up and walked over to Hobbit’s side.

Drawing on his own combat experience, he began to explain the key points of Swordsmanship.

Unlike the formulaic and overly comprehensive teaching style Master Reggie used with his students, Roland’s instruction was different. Having survived several life-or-death battles, he had discarded flashy, impractical moves in favor of techniques that were more practical, concise, and efficient.

However, although these Sword Techniques were more refined and practical, they were also much harder to master than the Basic Swordsmanship taught by Reggie. This was because Roland had modified them to suit his own abilities.

To Roland’s surprise, however, the Half-Elf before him learned at an astonishing speed.

Hobbit absorbed the key points he had just explained in a matter of moments. Moreover, the little guy was even able to make adjustments based on his own condition, evolving the Swordsmanship into a form that better suited his own body type.

"You learn fast..."

Watching the Half-Elf swing the Iron Sword with a semblance of proficiency, Roland asked curiously.

"Did you practice Swordsmanship before coming to the Knight Academy?"

"No, Mr. Roland..."

Hobbit stopped, seemingly recalling some unpleasant memories, and shook his head dejectedly.

"My older brother always said my body was too frail, unsuited for battle..."

’He wasn’t wrong about that...’

Noticing the light in the Half-Elf’s eyes dim even further, Roland’s lips curved into a slight smile. He chuckled softly and patted Hobbit’s shoulder.

"But since you were able to pass the assessment to enter the Knight Academy, it proves you must have some exceptional qualities. Besides, as long as you complete your studies, obtain the Knight’s Breathing Technique, and dedicate yourself to training, won’t you be able to improve your weak Constitution?"

"That’s right!"

These words made the Half-Elf, who had been looking down, snap his head up. He nodded vigorously, his eyes shining brightly.

"I think the same way as you, Mr. Roland! That’s exactly why I ignored my brother’s objections and insisted on coming to the Knight Academy to study!"

The two chatted for a while longer.

Roland was somewhat surprised to find that although it had only been a few days since the Knight Academy started, Hobbit’s grasp of the knowledge was remarkably solid. He even had his own unique insights on many topics.

During their conversation, Roland noticed that Hobbit couldn’t go three sentences without mentioning his older brother, which made him a little curious.

"Hobbit, your brother... what does he do?"

"He’s a ship captain!"

At the mention of his brother, Hobbit’s eyes lit up instantly.

"My brother is incredible! It only took him a little over ten years to go from a regular crewman to a captain! As for his strength..."

The Half-Elf looked up at the tall Roland and scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Uh... he’s probably... just a tiny bit weaker... than you, Mr. Roland..."

"Ha!"

Seeing the little guy’s honest expression, Roland couldn’t help but smile.

’A captain, huh...’

Thinking about the requirements for the [Pirate] class, Roland subconsciously reached up and rubbed his smooth chin.

’Since I’ve finished learning the skills needed for the [Apprentice Knight] class, maybe it’s time to consider mastering the abilities required for the [Pirate] class...’

While Roland was lost in thought, Hobbit watched his pensive expression, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something but didn’t dare.

After a moment, he finally mustered up his courage and spoke, his voice hesitant.

"M-Mr. Roland, will... will you be coming to the training grounds tomorrow?"

"I probably will. Why?"

"I-I want... I want..."

Looking at the kind smile on Roland’s face, Hobbit took a deep breath and said slowly,

"I want to learn other Combat Skills from you. I want to grow stronger faster so I can help my brother. The courses at the Knight Academy..."

At this, the Half-Elf puffed out his chest with a bit of pride, but then shrank back a moment later out of shyness.

"They’re... a bit too simple. The masters keep explaining things over and over that I can grasp in just one go..."

"Heh heh..."

Roland chuckled softly and ruffled the Half-Elf’s messy brown hair.

"I could, but... what do you plan to offer in exchange, little guy?"

His tone was gentle, yet it carried an undertone that brooked no argument.

"There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. You have to understand that."

"O-Of course! I... uh... Mr. Roland, are you short on coin?"

Seeing Roland shake his head, Hobbit frowned, wracking his brain for an idea.

Seeing his expression, Roland chuckled and asked probingly,

"Do you know anything about sailing?"

"Of course I do!"

Hearing the question, Hobbit nodded emphatically, his voice filled with pride.

"To be able to help my brother, I’ve studied all the knowledge related to sailing very thoroughly! When I used to go out to sea with him, even the first mate, Mr. Albert, praised me for having a talent for it!"