Before they set off, Derek personally changed Simon into his new equipment in front of all the soldiers. For these young men from farming backgrounds, this represented a leap across half a social class. Therefore, their eyes were filled with envy and jealousy.

"In the name of Feng Derek, I grant you the status of knight attendant and bestow upon you the name Simon. I hope one day you will have your own glorious surname."

Simon knelt on one knee, mimicking the ceremony of a knight being bestowed. However, he was clearly awkward and nervous, appearing out of place. But the others didn’t notice his clumsiness; instead, they felt envious.

"For you, I shall serve… Knight Derek, I, Simon, swear to dedicate my life and loyalty to you." The honest country boy excitedly accepted the longsword. Derek helped him up so he could hang the sword at his waist. After this small change, he no longer resembled a mere spearman.

His subsequent treatment would also be different. Seizing the moment, Derek turned to face the three rows of spearmen, rallying them: "I hope Simon’s today can become your tomorrow. Train hard and fight bravely, and I will grant you money, status, and honor."

"To serve Lord Derek!" The morale soared.

Making grand promises was a skill, and it was clear that Derek was more adept at this than many in this world.

With the newly invigorated soldiers, Derek headed to meet the Goat Trading Company. The Goat Trading Company had its own guards and employees; hiring a group of soldiers was merely a temporary measure. After all, maintaining a group of soldiers was a considerable expense each year, and since the trading company was in the business of making money, it had to consider profit maximization. Instead of exhausting resources to save a few coins, it was better to make more trips on the trade route.

In Derek's view, those guards were inadequate. They looked spirited enough, but they were significantly weaker. Their weapons were a mishmash—some wielded knives, others swords, and some carried spears; it was all very haphazard. There was even a bow, but it was unclear how skilled its user was.

The merchant convoy consisted of only thirty or so people, but there were more than twenty wagons. Before Derek could examine the goods in detail, Vincent, the manager of the caravan, approached.

"Knight Derek, are these your family’s private soldiers?"

It was no wonder he thought so. After three months of training, coupled with ample food and, most importantly, the boost from the data panel, these soldiers had become robust, as if inflated like balloons. High-level soldiers could not genuinely appear as frail as weaklings. Even though their equipment was slightly lacking—Derek himself rode an ordinary horse and wore primarily leather armor with iron plating—it was clear they were well-equipped and strong. Compared to the Goat Trading Company’s guards, the contrast was especially striking.

No wonder Derek dared to demand a high price; he was profiting. Vincent’s smile became genuinely sincere, as respect was earned through strength.

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Derek didn’t answer the question directly; of course, he wouldn’t miss the chance to boast. "Manager Vincent, I mentioned that I’m worth a higher price. Next time, the price will go up."

"Of course, of course," Vincent agreed repeatedly.

But next time, he would likely hire someone else. A gold coin was still money, and he could find a passable group of mercenaries; the chances of something going wrong were low.

With the guards and mercenaries numbering around thirty, along with over thirty servants, they were generally sufficient to deal with common bandit attacks. Expecting merchants to pay more money would only happen if a knife was at their throats.

Once the caravan was ready, they set off quickly. Although it was Derek’s first time doing this independently, it wasn’t unfamiliar. During his apprenticeship as a knight, he had done similar tasks countless times: escorting merchant convoys, armed combat, long-distance travel, and battle command. These were all parts of a complete knight’s curriculum, which was why training a knight was so costly.

They were never meant to be used as mere cannon fodder. In a knightly order, unless they were heavy cavalry charged into battle, most soldiers served as mid-level officers. Especially for noble knights, a regular knight would lead a flag unit or a hundred-man squad in battle. During peacetime, armed skirmishes among nobles were sufficient, but in life-and-death situations, they could quickly muster a temporary army, ensuring basic combat effectiveness.

Thus, relying on his training in this life, along with his memories from the previous one, Derek felt relatively calm. He organized the march, occasionally inspecting the ranks, looking quite the part. The only drawback was the poor quality of their equipment. Even the horse he rode was very ordinary. During his service, he had ridden the count's warhorse. If he went home, his family would provide equipment. But now that he was on his own, he had to make do.

Knight attendant Simon was even worse off, riding a shabby nag. As they traveled, Derek trained Simon. He even conducted training sessions for the spearmen. From the data panel, it seemed many had stagnant stats for a long time, occasionally fluctuating once or twice. However, most of the growth came from their experience pools.

A few days ago, they were near Watchtower City, where the merchant convoy wasn't a target for trade. However, once they entered Count Perez’s territory, the Goat Trading Company had a pre-planned route. Though it took a detour, they passed more estates and villages. Derek was familiar with these places since he had served here. Although he had never dealt with the Goat Trading Company, it was likely they weren’t noteworthy enough to attract the count’s attention.

Real trading companies had military escorts once they entered the count’s territory, and Derek had accumulated his experience during those times. As he spent more time with Vincent, they became more familiar with each other, exchanging a lot of information.

The Goat Trading Company primarily engaged in peasant commerce, seemingly connected to someone from the count’s household. The convoy carried linen, farming tools, and a few jars that could fetch good prices. Then, they would fill the empty wagons with furs and grains to sell on their return trip. This back-and-forth trade was quite profitable, though the exact profit details were naturally kept from Derek.

The journey was smooth, and they even encountered a knightly order on duty, with Derek greeting several familiar knight attendants. The noble knights were surprised by his choice to become a wandering knight.

As they left Count Perez’s territory, the atmosphere in the caravan grew slightly tense.

"We are getting close to the mountainous region. Occasionally, some wild men cross the mountains, but the biggest threat is the roving bandits," Vincent warned Derek in advance.

However, Derek was far more familiar with the area, having even participated in battles against bandits. Recalling the surrounding conditions, he curiously asked, "There should only be a few scattered villages and strongholds here, none belonging to any noble’s territory. Why does the convoy come this way?"