Evan had a simple standard when choosing people.
Because these were the kinds of men who would obediently follow the orders of their superiors, even under unfair treatment.
Among them, one figure immediately caught Evan’s eye.
A large, muscular man with brown hair.
What stood out was the massive greatsword strapped across his back.
<Reynold> – Alignment: Good – Race: Human – Gender: Male – Affinity: 0% – Hidden Potential: Monster Butchering – Skills: Butchering Lv.17, Mana Sensitivity Lv.5, Mana Control Lv.20, Super Strength Lv.10.
[*You can access the Soul Memory.*]
His hidden potential was monster butchering.
What really stood out, however, was his mana control.
‘So his mana control improved through butchering monsters… It’s not such an outrageous idea.’
In reality, the core of monster butchering is precise mana control.
A monster’s hide is far tougher than that of ordinary animals, so mana is essential when butchering them.
But just infusing mana isn’t enough.
Too little mana, and the blade won’t cut.
Too much, and the material gets ruined.
‘That’s why he must have trained his technique over and over. That training honed his mana control.’
With proper guidance and development, he could become a skilled swordsman.
‘This is a classic case of someone not making use of their strengths. A little refinement from me should fix that. And besides, butchering skills are essential.’
But before that, a question nagged at him.
‘Why is a butcher working in the 10th-rank knight order?’
He figured it was best to ask directly.
As Evan pondered, he issued a command to Alan.
“Alan. See that big guy with the brown hair?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, I see him.”
“Go bring him here quietly.”
“…Sorry? He looks like someone who’s all brawn and no brains. That kind of build makes it hard to be a knight. He might not even be attuned to mana…”
Evan frowned and cut him off.
“Just do it. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Understood.”
Alan walked off with a puzzled expression, unable to make sense of the order.
Evan watched him go, then turned back to Reynold’s status window.
‘What’s this about accessing the soul’s memory?’
As he scanned the list of details again, his eyes landed on the line mentioning “Soul Memory.”
When he tried to check it, a system window popped up in front of him.
[You may access memories stored within Reynold’s soul.]
[Current Soul Eye Level: F – You can view soul memories up to 10 times.]
[When the Soul Eye level increases, usage count resets.]
[Would you like to access the soul’s memory? (Y/N)]
‘No way… I can actually see someone else’s memories?’
A rush of excitement spread across Evan’s face.
With the right conditions, he could uncover his opponent’s secrets.
It was practically a cheat skill.
‘And it’ll be a powerful weapon to deal with Heres and Hilton.’
The only drawback was the limited number of uses.
‘Still… maybe I should try it once, just to test it.’
Evan decided to view Reynold’s memory.
He wanted to know why this man had joined the knight order.
It also seemed important to understand the mindset of someone who could soon become his subordinate.
As soon as Evan accepted the soul memory access, a holographic screen appeared before him.
<Soul Memory> – A Boy’s Dream (No restriction) – Unfortunate Memories (Requires 50% Affinity) – First Trauma (Requires 90% Affinity)
Evan looked at the list of options and thought.
‘So you can’t just view everything at will. The more important the memory, the harder it is to access.’
He selected the one without restrictions.
[You have accessed Reynold’s memory: A Boy’s Dream. (1/10)]
Suddenly, a part of Reynold’s memory flooded into Evan’s mind.
***
After finishing preparations, Evan was heading toward the southern city gate with Alan and Reynold.
‘So that’s how it happened.’
From Reynold’s memories and their brief conversation, Evan understood why he’d joined the knight order.
Reynold’s family had worked in monster butchering for generations as part of the Adventurer’s Guild.
They had earned a degree of renown in that field.
But Reynold dreamed not of butchering, but of knighthood.
He had admired the praised and honored knights he saw during the triumphant parades as a boy.
He had longed for a life where he could serve a lord as a knight.
However, his family always denied his dream.
That denial fueled his determination.
Deep inside, he swore to become a knight and earn his family’s recognition.
One day, an opportunity presented itself.
He enrolled as a knight cadet in the Kerthen family’s training hall with high hopes.
But reality was cruel.
The academy was filled with noble sons and talented individuals, including even commoners who had once served as soldiers.
Compared to them, Reynold felt utterly insignificant.
Coming from a butcher family, he had never received formal swordsmanship training.
He taught himself swordplay through books and independent practice.
But as expected, his limitations soon became apparent.
He couldn’t keep up with those who had trained properly.
He ended up stuck at the 10th rank, unable to advance.
‘Works in my favor, though.’
In the distance, the city walls came into view.
Evan pointed toward the guards at the entrance and gave Alan an order.
“Go let them know we’ll be stepping out for a while.”
Then he turned to Reynold.
***
“Today’s a simple hunt. I’ll be evaluating you as well, so just follow my instructions. You’ll be fine.”
“Leave it to me, Young Master! I may look like a brute, but no one in the 10th-rank squad is stronger than me!”
Reynold grinned widely, showing all his teeth.
When Evan had first summoned him without explanation, he had seemed confused.
But once Evan laid out his proposal—and mentioned the possibility of becoming a personal escort knight—Reynold accepted the offer without hesitation.
That was partly due to his personality, but his low rank likely played a role as well.
He wasn’t formally recognized as a knight yet.
Only those above 7th rank were officially acknowledged as knights.
They were allowed to stay and aim for further promotions.
If someone failed to reach 7th rank within five years, they had to make a choice.
Return home in defeat…
Or be reassigned to a border territory to serve as a captain under a local knight.
Reynold would surely have chosen to return home if he failed.
He steeled his resolve.
He had endured harsher things before.
Compared to the rough men at the butchering site—and his own father—no noble brat could possibly scare him.
And this was the first person to truly acknowledge him as a knight.
It was worth risking everything.
***
A fox bared its sharp fangs and lunged at Evan.
Kyaoo!
Evan swung his wooden sword at the incoming beast.
Whoosh!
With a clean arc, the blade cut through the air toward the fox.
Thwack!
Crack!
The wooden sword landed squarely on the fox’s face.
Its skull shattered, and the fox dropped dead on the spot.
[You have gained 50 experience points.]
Evan picked up the lifeless fox carcass and handed it to Alan.
“Alan, take care of this.”
“Ah, yes, Young Master.”
Evan immediately dashed off to where the next fox was.
He was hunting in a nearby forest with Alan and Reynold.
So far, Evan had already taken down nine foxes by himself.
Thanks to his swordsmanship talent, the hunt was going smoothly.
Reynold, meanwhile, was butchering each fox Evan killed, at Evan’s request, to harvest byproducts.
Kyarrrgh!
As Evan closed the distance, another fox leapt toward him, baring its teeth.
He twisted his waist and flowed past the attack like water.
Then he brought his wooden sword down hard on the fox’s back.
Crack!
Another clean hit, another shattered spine.
[You have gained 70 experience points.]
The fox died instantly.
Thanks to his enhanced swordsmanship, Evan could easily handle them.
A short while later…
***
[Quest ‘Fox Hunt’ completed.]
The quest was complete after he took down 10 foxes.
Thankfully, side quests didn’t need to be reported to a system mediator—they were settled immediately.
After a brief pause, a new message appeared before him.
[Your level has increased!]
[Your level has increased!]
[Quest rewards have been delivered to your inventory.]
As his level increased, Evan felt power surge through his body.
‘Yeah, there’s nothing like leveling up to feel stronger.’
“Young Master, did you already catch another one while I was gone?”
Alan approached, holding the fox corpse Evan had handed over.
Evan handed his wooden sword to him.
“I don’t need this anymore.”
“Huh? Are you done hunting?”
“No. I’ll be using something else from now on.”
Evan gave a short reply and walked over to Reynold.
Alan tilted his head in confusion and followed behind.
When Evan arrived, he saw that Reynold had cleanly butchered all nine foxes.
Neatly arranged were nine blood-red fox mana crystals, along with unblemished bones, pelts, and meat.
It was the work of a true professional.
‘This would hold up even against the Hunter Shop’s standards.’
Impressed, Evan handed him the final fox.
“Here. This is the last one.”
As Reynold accepted the fox, he looked at Evan and said, “Young Master, didn’t you say you were testing my skills?”
Then he immediately began butchering.