Time Travel? Rebirth? I Win This Time!

"Become a knight?" Mike Bai stroked his chin, silently calculating. While he could theoretically knight the young man himself, the current humble surroundings fell far short of the true standards of knighthood. Besides, Mike Bai didn't even have the most basic tool for the knightly ceremony—a sword. It would be ridiculous to even attempt it.

"My family has some connections in Genoa," Mike Bai said thoughtfully, "I could recommend you to a few noble families, but…"

Mike Bai's mind quickly ran through several possible routes, weighing which one the young man might fit.

"Do your ancestors have any noble lineage?" Mike Bai asked, though he doubted it. Sure enough, the young man shook his head.

Not discouraged by the answer, Mike Bai continued, "Then, do you have…"

Mike Bai hesitated. From what he had seen in the cabin, it wasn't so much that the place was bare, but it was close enough to poverty. He quickly stopped himself.

"Looks like trying to buy a knighthood is off the table," Mike Bai muttered, ruling out the simplest solution.

The young man's eager gaze immediately dimmed.

Mike Bai's eyes now appraised the youth, a strange gleam lighting up in his gaze, as if he were a butcher sizing up livestock. The young man began to feel uneasy.

"I won't sell my body!" The youth crossed his arms defensively, taking a cautious step back.

"What are you thinking?" Mike Bai scoffed. "If you wanted to sell yourself, you'd need a noblewoman or a lady of rank first!"

Mike Bai gave the young man a pointed look. "With your pretty-boy looks? It'd be a tough sell."

Mike Bai had noticed that the local sense of beauty favored a more rugged, masculine appearance. Even someone like Patrick, who was a handsome fellow, had sharp features and well-defined muscles. In a war-torn world, noble ladies would likely prefer a strong, capable man to protect themselves and their estates.

Of course, if you had wealth or great wisdom, that could change things. But the young man before him didn't seem to fit either category.

"Can you fight?" Mike Bai asked, considering another possibility. If this young man had some real fighting skill, it might still be possible to find a way for him to rise.

"Well, I'm very strong!" The young man answered cautiously.

Mike Bai looked the youth up and down. While he wasn't exactly scrawny, he was a far cry from the kind of muscle-bound warrior who might be considered knight material. Mike Bai shook his head.

"The six knightly skills: swordsmanship, horsemanship, swimming, archery, chess, and poetry. Are you proficient in any of those?" Mike Bai pressed. If the youth had some talent, he might still find a place at court as a favorite.

The youth's blank expression gave Mike Bai his answer. Clearly, the young man was not versed in any of these.

"Have you attended university?" Mike Bai persisted, wondering if the young man could at least read, write, or do basic math. If so, perhaps he could work as a scribe or a steward for a local lord. Eventually, after years of loyal service, he might even be able to earn a knighthood.

However, when Mike Bai came back to himself, he realized the once-hopeful youth had disappeared. In his place was someone crushed by disappointment.

Mike Bai felt guilty. He had dashed the dreams of a young man with ambition.

"Well, now, there's only one way left to become a knight," Mike Bai said, trying to reignite the spark of hope.

The youth's face brightened, his eyes rekindling with the light of possibility. Mike Bai could easily read the youth's eager anticipation without a word being spoken.

Mike Bai smiled, "I can send you to become a squire. You'll learn from a noble knight for a few years, and then, most likely, you'll be knighted yourself."

The youth looked even more desperate now. "But where would I find a noble knight willing to take me as a squire?"

As he pondered whether his savings would be enough to convince a noble knight to take him on, Mike Bai cleared his throat.

Seeing the nonchalant look in Mike Bai's eyes, the young man instantly realized what he meant.

"You know someone, don't you?" The youth leapt up excitedly, his face full of hope.

"No!" Mike Bai chuckled darkly, watching as the young man's face transformed from hope to despair, then back to a shadow of hope again.

After a pause, Mike Bai added, "It's impossible."

Once again, the glimmer of hope returned to the youth's eyes. It seemed he was going to go through a rollercoaster of emotions that day.

The young man clutched Mike Bai's hand desperately. "Really? Can you introduce me to a noble knight who will take me as a squire?"

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Mike Bai gasped, feeling the young man's grip tightening painfully.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry!" The youth quickly released his hold, his face flushed with embarrassment. But he still stared at Mike Bai, clearly afraid he might change his mind.

"Don't worry," Mike Bai reassured him. "My family is well-acquainted with a knight named Patrick. I'm sure my family's influence will be enough for him to accept you as a squire."

Mike Bai smiled inwardly, already planning. Once they reached Genoa, he could contact Uncle Otto and the others. He could easily send this youth to Patrick as a squire. A few years of training, and with some luck, he'd be knighted—just a way of repaying this young man for saving his life.

"Thank you so much, Enno!" The youth's joy was evident. It was as if a grand future had opened up in front of him.

"You saved my sister and me. It's nothing, really." Mike Bai patted his chest, feeling a bit more at ease. If this young man had been a bad sort, Mike Bai would have been in trouble. But since he was just an idealistic youth with noble aspirations, Mike Bai could afford to help.

A loud growl from Mike Bai's stomach interrupted their conversation.

"You must be hungry. Let me go prepare some porridge for you!" The youth, now in high spirits, skipped back into the cabin to prepare food.

Watching him bustle around, Mike Bai couldn't help but think of the golden retriever a colleague had once owned. He had often fed the dog, and every time the dog saw him, it would wag its tail joyfully and look at him with sad, pleading eyes.

The resemblance between the golden retriever and the golden-haired youth was uncanny.

Mike Bai accepted the carefully made porridge from the youth, which contained some salted fish and dried meat—treasures in the youth's eyes. He tested the temperature, then carefully helped Anna sit up.

"Naan, my dear sister, it's time to eat."

Anna glanced up at Mike Bai with a playful expression. She said nothing, simply sipping the porridge in silence. But Mike Bai noticed the slight frown on her face, and he sighed.

The porridge, which the youth considered a treat, was barely palatable to Mike Bai: gritty barley, overwhelmingly salty fish, and tough dried meat, all slightly burnt from overcooking.

But in this situation, Mike Bai and Anna couldn't afford to be picky.

Looking at the dark, unappetizing porridge in his hand, Mike Bai could only tell himself to endure it until they found Otto and the others. Until then, they would have to make do.