Saving the ruined Knights’ Order

Episode 3

Hood Pegasus.

The leader of the Pegasus Knights, the greatest knight order in the Kingdom of Valen.

The strongest knight in the world.

Every knight admired him. He was the role model, the legend.

At the same time, he was the representative of Knight’s Forge, the gathering place of all knights.

Because of that, players who formed their own knight orders often had to deal with him. He was basically the main NPC of the game.

And now, this legend was looking straight at me and saying something ridiculous.

“I’m sorry, Isaac. Not a single knight wants to join your order.”

That damn voice. That calm, firm tone.

“I don’t like jokes like this.”

I clenched my fists and took a deep breath.

I had said it many times before—this game made knight recruitment incredibly important.

The first knight to join was the first button.

And if the first button was wrong, the whole coat would be messed up.

But right now, I have no buttons at all.

Not even one.

I had played this game for over 10,000 hours, and not once had I experienced a situation like this.

“Ha… This is ridiculous.”

But walking away without a fight? That was just pathetic.

I kept my voice steady and asked,

“Sir Hood, what do you mean by that?”

But his answer was the same.

“Knight’s Forge has many lower-rank knights who haven’t joined an order yet. I tried gathering them to see if anyone wanted to join yours, but…”

“But what?”

“There were no volunteers.”

…What?

I stared at him, my head filled with frustration.

“What the hell is this? This doesn’t even make sense.”

Like Hood said, Knight’s Forge had plenty of low-ranking knights.

They were just starting out. They needed a knight order.

Even weak and declining orders usually got recruits because new knights needed support.

So why did no one want to join mine?

There was one possibility.

But no way… Right?

I had called this situation nonsense, but deep down, I had a feeling.

Even though people called this game trash, its world-building and story were surprisingly solid.

There had to be a reason.

I narrowed my eyes and asked,

“Is it because of my family’s reputation?”

The Murd family.

A name cursed with two titles.

“Kinslayer Isaac.”

And his father, the Knight Hunter—a traitor who killed his own allies.

That was the family name I carried.

I had seen it in my character’s backstory when I created him.

And just as I expected, Hood let out a deep sigh and nodded.

“Yes. That seems to be the reason.”

His voice was heavy with sympathy.

I couldn’t even be mad at him.

It wasn’t his fault.

And arguing with him wouldn’t change anything.

I knew this game would be hard when I picked this character.

Even if I had done nothing wrong, my father’s crimes were too heavy to ignore.

Knighthood was built on honor and loyalty.

The fact that his own son executed him didn’t matter.

The stain on the Murd name would never be erased.

And now, instead of being called a knight of honor, I was labeled a Kinslayer.

No one would want to serve under a knight commander known as the Kin Slayer.

“I understand. Thank you for your concern, Sir Hood.”

“I’m sorry I can’t help more,” Hood said, his voice heavy with regret. “But you know as well as I do—a knight order without knights isn’t an order at all. If this keeps up, the Kelterntear Order will be disbanded.”

If that happens…

Hood fell silent, looking at me with a troubled expression. There was guilt in his eyes.

What now? Why that look? Stop making me nervous.

I cleared my throat and met his gaze. His voice was low, uneasy.

“You must already know this… but many knights hold a grudge against you.”

“Because of my father’s crime?”

Hood hesitated, as if trying to avoid saying something painful. But at my blunt response, he let out a sigh and continued.

“Yes. The victims’ families believe your father hasn’t paid the full price for his sins. And some think his son should suffer as well.”

His next words were even harsher.

“Right now, as the knight commander of Knights’ Forge, you’re protected within these walls. But if you lose that position… if you’re no longer under their protection…”

He trailed off, and I knew what he meant.

If I’m removed as commander—

“Some might even march in with an army and take your head.”

I got the message loud and clear.

Lose the title, and I die.

That was the reality of it.

I forced a light tone. “Understood. So I have to recruit more knights, no matter what.”

That was Hood’s point.

If the order falls, I lose my position. If I lose my position, I lose my life.

The only way out was to gather knights and keep the order going.

“It’s all up to your abilities now,” Hood said. “The best thing you can do is build a reputation. If Kelterntear achieves great feats, people’s perception of you will change. In the world of knights, deeds and honor outweigh everything else. No matter how they see you now, if you prove yourself, their judgment will shift.”

He crossed his arms.

“You have one week. Recruit at least three knights. I’ll look into other ways to help, so don’t let this crush you.”

What a garbage situation.

What kind of impossible game is this? Recruit three knights in a week! What do they think this is, a temp job listing?

But there was no point complaining.

I gave a stiff nod. “Understood. Thank you, Sir Hood.”

“Good.”

Hood smiled slightly at my firm response.

With that, our conversation ended. I turned, leaving his office.

***

I wasn’t dead yet. The order wasn’t gone yet.

But it felt like I was living on borrowed time.

If this keeps up, I’ll really die.

No way. No way am I letting this happen.

This isn’t like any other character. This is the worst difficulty yet.

But… there’s still hope.

At least the game hasn’t completely gone off track.

In the original story, after talking to Hood, the player recruits one knight immediately. Then, over the next week, they find two more.

That means the goal is still the same. I just need to recruit one extra knight compared to the original.

The problem is that everything has become way harder.

As I step out of the castle, I take a closer look at the training grounds of Knights’ Forge.

And there they are—the young knights.

Fresh faces.

Knights who haven’t even been here a month.

They have the lowest rank, and they’ve never seen real combat.

At the same time, they need stability. They need a place to belong.

In other words, they need a knight order.

The top knight orders wouldn’t even look at them.

They expect applicants to prove themselves first.

But Kelterntear is different.

Because it’s ruined.

There’s nothing to offer.

No good benefits. No comfort. No honor. No reputation.

All it has is a terrible name—the Kin Slayer’s order—and a crumbling headquarters.

But ironically, to fix those problems, I need members.

If the order gets more knights, it’ll start receiving proper funding.

With that money, I can repair the headquarters, buy weapons, give proper wages.

That’s why the first knight is so important.

Once I recruit one knight with Hood’s recommendation, funding will come in immediately.

And I need that money.

How could they throw me into a game like this without even giving me startup funds?

“Haah…” I let out a deep sigh.

This situation is hopeless.

But if there’s a problem, there’s always a solution.

I clench my fist.

Don’t give up. There’s a way out.

In the original game, if everything went smoothly, the second knight was practically guaranteed.

First, I need to recruit Charlie Wayne.

Charlie Wayne.

Among players, he’s known as a freebie.

Because he’s the easiest knight to recruit.

Right now, he should be at the training grounds.

I head there, recalling what I know about him.

***

Charlie Wayne.

Age: 31. Rank: Low-level knight.

He has a rough look but keeps his face hidden under messy black hair.

He’s thin, not too muscular.

But among the early recruits, he’s one of the strongest.

Of course, considering his age, it makes sense that Charlie Wayne is stronger than the rookie knights.

He’s been a knight for years. It would be embarrassing if a bunch of fresh recruits could beat him.

But later in the game, he starts falling behind. Young knights with natural talent eventually surpass him.

Anyway, Charlie Wayne has one big problem—his nickname: The Officer Slayer.

He’s infamous in Knights’ Forge.

A man feared for killing his superior officer. He was even imprisoned for it.

Skill-wise, he’s strong enough to be a mid-level knight. But because of his past, he’s stuck at the bottom.

There he is.

I spot him right away.

Unlike the other knights training together, Charlie is alone, silently practicing his sword swings.

He radiates a cold, intimidating aura.

Without hesitation, I approach him.

Sensing someone nearby, he lowers his wooden sword and turns to face me.

“Who are you?”

“Nice to meet you, Sir Charlie Wayne. My name is Isaac Hood. I am the commander of the Kelterntear Order.”

Like a wary alley cat, he eyes me suspiciously from head to toe.

I ignore it and get straight to the point.

“I’ll keep this simple. Join my order.”

I already know how this is supposed to go.

He should nod and say something like, Thank you for accepting me. I will serve with loyalty.

Or maybe, I won’t disgrace the honor of the order.

Instead—

“Sorry. I’ll have to refuse.”

…What?

That’s not supposed to happen.

But after dealing with Hood earlier, I expected this game to throw curveballs.

Of course it wouldn’t be easy.

Still, before pushing further, I need to figure out his reason.

Charlie sighs and looks away.

“Isaac Hood. You’re the son of that notorious knight trader, aren’t you? The so-called Kin Slayer.”

He shakes his head.

“With a background like that, why would anyone want to be associated with you?”

Ah.

Says the Officer Slayer like he’s any better.