A golden knight is absolutely no joke.
The hierarchy of knights starts from the lowest rank, which is the knight attendant. A knight attendant is essentially a well-trained ordinary human, capable of battle but still not nearly as powerful as a third-grade mage apprentice. Despite this, in times of war, knight attendants are incredibly valuable due to their skills and physical prowess. Only a select few, with natural talent and dedication, can reach the level of a knight attendant. Most people, no matter how hard they try, will never achieve the same level of skill or physical strength as these attendants in their entire lives. In military forces, knight attendants often hold important roles, such as being appointed as field commanders and leading groups of soldiers into battle.
The next rank above a knight attendant is the junior knight. Junior knights are as strong as third-grade mage apprentices, and their strength is substantial enough to sway the outcome of a small-scale battle. A single junior knight can defeat approximately 20 ordinary soldiers by themselves. Their strength and combat abilities make them valuable assets in battle. Typically, junior knights are given command over hundreds of soldiers or are stationed as personal bodyguards for higher-ranking commanders. Nobles of the baron rank often struggle to train or hire even one junior knight, as they are both expensive to maintain and challenging to find.
Moving up the ranks, the next level is the intermediate knight. Intermediate knights are as strong as second-grade mage apprentices and can take on around 30 soldiers on their own. Only nobles of viscount rank or higher generally have the resources to train or hire intermediate knights. These knights are considered treasures on the battlefield, as their presence can easily turn the tide of a war. Their immense strength and combat expertise make them highly sought-after by the nobility.
Following the intermediate knight is the senior knight, a figure whose strength is on par with that of a first-grade mage apprentice. A senior knight can defeat around 50 ordinary soldiers by themselves. Their presence on the battlefield is enough to shake the morale of the enemy forces. Although they can defeat fewer than 100 soldiers at once, their true value lies in much more than sheer numbers. Some say that a single senior knight is worth 1,000 ordinary soldiers due to their skill and influence in battle.
The ranks of junior, intermediate, and senior knights are impressive enough on their own, but the rank of great knight surpasses them all. At this level, mortal troops start to become nearly insignificant. A single great knight can, by themselves, defeat 1,000 soldiers, and even after such an exhausting feat, they have the stamina to retreat, recover, and rejoin the battle with renewed vigor. Ordinary soldiers pose no threat to a great knight. Not even hundreds of thousands of ordinary soldiers could hope to kill a great knight. In essence, the difference between those who have great knights among their ranks and those who do is incomparable. Nobles of duke rank and kings must have at least one great knight, either trained in-house or hired as a mercenary, to remain competitive in warfare. Great knights are as strong as rank 1 official mages.
The next rank is the silver knight. At this level, not even kings or dukes of small countries can afford to hire a silver knight full-time. It's not that they can't; technically, according to the rules of the knight association, silver knights can be hired full-time, but the minimum wage for such a knight is 10,000 gold coins per day. This wage is simply too high, even for royalty, so silver knights are typically only hired during emergencies. During times of peace, kings and dukes rely on great knights instead. Of course, if a ruler is fortunate enough to train a silver knight within their ranks, it's considered an immense advantage, akin to gaining wings and soaring into the skies.
The Knight Association is a supranational organization that oversees the rules and regulations regarding knights. Every knight, upon reaching their rank, must register with their local knight association within 10 days of promotion to be officially recognized. Knights must also pay membership dues to enjoy the privileges and protections offered by the association. The knight association can be thought of as a union for knights, setting minimum wages for each knight rank and ensuring that certain standards are met, such as guaranteeing mercenary knights are not forced to fight to the death. The association has an impressive history, and even the kingdoms dare not violate its rules.
The minimum wage for a junior knight is set at 2 gold coins per day. While they can be paid more, they cannot be paid less. The only exception to this rule applies to knights who have been trained natively by a noble, which places them outside the rule's application. No other exception exists, even if a knight willingly consents to a lower wage. The association ensures that all knights, whether mercenary or otherwise, are treated fairly.
A silver knight is as strong as a rank 2 wizard, while the next rank, the golden knight, reaches even more extraordinary heights. At the level of a golden knight, normal battles are almost meaningless. Facing a golden knight, even kings can only bow in deference. The minimum wage for hiring a golden knight is a staggering 1 million gold coins per day, or the equivalent in mana stones or other valuable resources. However, even with such an immense payment, no golden knight would fight another golden knight for such money; they are typically used only as deterrents against other golden knights. If someone truly wants to hire a golden knight to face another golden knight, the price would far exceed the minimum wage. A king would only hire a golden knight if the situation were extremely dire. Golden knights possess the strength of rank 3 mages.
Above the golden knight is the heavenly knight. The minimum wage at this level is an astronomical 500 million gold coins or the equivalent. To put this into perspective, the yearly budget of most kingdoms doesn't even reach that amount, making the hiring of a heavenly knight nearly impossible for smaller kingdoms. Those who wish to hire a heavenly knight usually pay with valuable resources like mana crystals or spirit coins. While gold coins never entirely lose their value, at this level, the price in gold would be so absurd that nobody would consider it unless someone discovered a gold mine or something. A heavenly knight is equivalent to a rank 4 mage.
Lastly, there is the rank of legendary knight. No confirmed case of a legendary knight has ever been documented, so their existence remains a matter of speculation. For all intents and purposes, they exist only in legends. Nobody knows their true combat power, and no minimum wage has been set for them. Even the leader of the knight association, who is a heavenly knight, wouldn't dare to set a minimum wage for a legendary knight. If such a knight were to appear, it is believed that they could do whatever they pleased. A legendary knight is theorized to be as strong as a rank 5 mage.
...
With a loyal golden knight by his side, Leo's ambitions grew. Now, he no longer feared the kingdom.
"Sir Caelan, I have a mission for you," Leo said.
"My lord," Caelan bowed deeply.
"Follow me to the bandit camp with Sir Aldric. We will stay there and wait for the right time. When the opportunity arises, you will capture a mage apprentice for me," Leo instructed. With the golden knight in his service, Leo's sense of security had increased dramatically. However, even golden knights have their limitations. If he were to send the golden knight far away and the king decided to hire a silver knight in retaliation, the golden knight might not arrive in time to protect him.
Thus, Leo abandoned any thought of sending the golden knight far afield in search of a mage apprentice. The golden knight had to remain close, always watching over him to ensure his safety. Leo even decided that Caelan would stand guard inside his bedroom while he enjoyed the company of his maids, just in case an assassin attempted to strike while he was engaged in the art of yin and yang.
With the system at his side, Leo was destined to dominate the world, but his personal weakness remained his greatest vulnerability. He knew he had to be cautious.
"Yes, my lord!" Caelan bowed once more.
...
Soon after, Leo brought seven of his harem members, including Isabella, to the bandit camp. This time, Leo planned to stay in the camp until he managed to capture an apprentice knight, which could take months. As a result, he decided to bring a few of his 'maids' with him to make the stay more comfortable.
The Silver Leaf Road was a major trade route, and there were often caravans with mage apprentices traveling along it. The safest way to capture one was to simply wait for a caravan to pass and snatch the apprentice. Leo hadn't dared to do this before because he lacked the necessary power. But now, with a golden knight by his side, he no longer felt fear. Very few mages could rival the strength of a golden knight, and those who could were usually the leaders of large mage academies, who wouldn't bother themselves with the kidnapping of a lowly apprentice.
...
The journey to the bandit camp took several days, mainly because they traveled with five carriages, which moved at a slow pace. For the golden knight, the same journey would have only taken a few minutes to cover on foot.
After three days, the group finally arrived at the main bandit camp. It had expanded significantly since Leo's last visit. Now, there were three camps in total: the main camp and two temporary ones. The main camp served as the central hub, where stolen goods were temporarily stored before being transported back to the city.
...
Aldric bowed in awe as he gazed at the man with the golden shield. He felt an overwhelming aura radiating from the knight, so heavy and powerful that Aldric was certain a single touch from the man's golden shield would be enough to crush a hundred of him.
"A golden knight! As expected of the lord!" Aldric thought excitedly. With a golden knight in his service, the lord's future seemed bright, guaranteed even.