"I apologize, Lord Hamilton, does a bounty hunter still need a permit?" Rein asked, puzzled.
"Haha, Rein, it seems I need to explain to you that if you are the offspring of nobility, of course, you don't need this bounty hunter permit. But for a person of common status who aspires to rely on bounties as a source of income, having this permit can be very convenient."
"Firstly, the bounty hunter's permit is universally recognized by the empire. It allows you to carry weapons during the day or at night. Otherwise, according to the Empire's public security regulations, civilians can only keep their weapons at home, except under special circumstances."
"Moreover, if one day the total amount of your accumulated bounties reaches 100 Gold Coins or more, you can apply for intermediate bounty hunter certification, which grants you the privilege of riding a horse."
This immediately left Rein stunned; official recognition of all-day weapon carrying and horse riding?
Were these privileges, normally reserved for the nobility, also available to bounty hunters?
Indeed, in this world military strength was the best pathway to class ascension!
"However.... The empire controls the number of bounty hunter slots quite strictly, but as it happens, I still have one recommendation slot available," Hamilton continued.
Rein appeared pensive, naturally very tempted by the bounty hunter slot—bearing arms, riding, and earning a considerable amount of Gold Coins were crucial elements on his transcendental path.
Because even if he became an estate guard or even a Night Watchman, the basic salary would definitely not suffice for his training.
However, since Hamilton had already mentioned the scarcity of these slots, it was clear there were no pies falling from the sky!
Actually, some things were already quite clear between the lines.
But the issue was that he had already accepted Lady Clayia's kindness, and now to switch to joining the Night Watcher's Army....
After hesitating for a moment, Rein spoke up, "Lord Hamilton, I'm very grateful for your appreciation, but I have already promised someone else.... um.... I might become a follower of a certain noble in the future, so...."
Before Rein could finish, Hamilton laughed heartily,
"So that's what you are worried about! Rest assured, Rein, that is not a conflict at all. No matter whose follower you are, as long as he is a noble of the empire, you will inevitably pledge allegiance to our great Empire Emperor of the Dragan Empire!"
"For example, I am the safety officer of Flashgold Town and at the same time a follower of Marquis Habsburg. My official position within the empire's administration actually counts as a plus in front of Marquis Habsburg."
Rein was suddenly astonished; so there was such a crafty move!
Shouldn't it be, "The vassal's vassal is not my vassal?"
However, Rein quickly realized that the Dragan Empire he was in was not like the medieval Western Europe of his previous life, where kingdoms were fragmented. Instead, the central authority was very strong, and naturally, everyone pledged allegiance to the Empire Emperor.
After Hamilton's explanation, Rein quickly understood that it was very favorable for the empire's nobles to have their followers become administrative officials in the kingdom's power departments.
"By the way, Rein, you haven't undergone the ceremony of swearing allegiance as a follower yet, have you?" Hamilton inquired.
Rein thought, indeed, there had been no form of allegiance ceremony between himself and Lady Cleya.
Her exact words were that he could become her follower if he could step into the role of a formal knight.
"Then you should improve your strength quickly, it would be better to swear allegiance as a Guardian Knight, rather than just as a follower," Hamilton said.
"Lord Hamilton, is there a difference?" Rein asked, somewhat astonished.
Although the amount of information he encountered today was somewhat overwhelming, it also made him feel that his visit was well worth it. A short conversation with Hamilton had enlightened him about many things that he had had no access to before.
That was the barrier to information caused by differing social strata!
"Simply put, it's about having different levels of initiative. You can be the guardian knight for many people, but you can only be a follower to one!" Hamilton thought for a moment, then explained.
"Thank you, Lord Hamilton, for clearing my confusion. As for your gracious offer to join the Night Watchman, I accept."
"However, I am currently still in my page training period. Could I possibly join the Night Watchman after it ends?" Rein inquired.
"Of course you can. The page training at Habsburg Manor is quite exceptional; it's just right for you to also learn archery," Hamilton seemed quite familiar with the page training, knowing that it included archery instruction.
"But... if there's something I need from you, Rein, you'll need to respond immediately," Hamilton added.
"Of course, Lord Hamilton," Rein agreed.
The meeting ended in a harmonious atmosphere.
Rein carefully pocketed the gray pouch containing fifteen Empire gold coins and said farewell to Hamilton, leaving the town hall of Flashgold Town.
With the "fortune" now in his possession, Rein felt an extraordinary sense of joy. However, the threat of the Hyena Gang quickly spoiled his mood.
Who would have thought that the leader of the Hyena Gang, Korr, was actually Black Beard's brother.
Strength, I must quickly increase my strength!
However... previously it was a lack of money, but now with money in hand, Rein naturally thought of slightly improving his family's living conditions.
As for the excuse, he had already worked it out: He would tell them that he received a reward of two Empire gold coins for providing Lord Hamilton, the new sheriff, with crucial clues in a child disappearance case.
Then, he would tell his family that Lord Hamilton had agreed to let him join the Night Watcher's Army after his page training concludes.
With this, his family wouldn't have to worry about his future, and the lifted burden would greatly improve the mood of the entire family, while also allowing himself to fully utilize the two gold coins.
However, it was still early in the day, not yet nine o'clock; Rein decided to continue his work at the blacksmith's shop to gain more professional experience.
Oh! Speaking of the blacksmith's shop, yes!
Now that he had money, he could completely ask the blacksmith Boris to teach him real forging skills.
The barrier before was that he couldn't afford it—no money!
But now, all that was needed was to pay a hefty tuition fee.
Of course, it was worth it. If he could greatly improve the efficiency of gaining experience, it would not only allow his blacksmith apprenticeship Profession Level to rise rapidly but also lay a solid foundation for crafting his own equipment later.
Thinking of this, Rein felt a surge of excitement.
Thus, Rein turned left and right, rushing to the blacksmith's shop!
As soon as he entered the blacksmith shop, the continuous clang of hammering filled the air. The blacksmith apprentices were still busy at their work, and Blacksmith Boris was in the midst of horseshoe forging, which immediately caught Rein's eye.
This horseshoe forging, combined with hoof trimming, was precisely the complete set!