"[Splendorous Cooking]. A non-combat talent. When you joined, you were still C-Rank and hadn't unlocked it yet. But when you did unlock it, I noticed you were transferred to different squads frequently for over a year."
Duncan sighed. "I remember. Nobody wanted me at the time. I kept getting transferred so much I thought about quitting then and there."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because being a knight has been my dream since I was a young boy. When I enlisted, I was just happy doing my job and keeping my country safe, but I still wanted the opportunity to rise higher and do more than what I was currently doing. Even after gaining my third talent, I didn't give up and trained hard. With fewer skills than other knights, I focused on making the few I had much stronger, beating quantity with quality. Eventually, I became strong enough to stand beside them despite my third talent. Everything finally lined up for my promotion and then…"
"About that…"
This next part was a little hard for Sol to say. He didn't want to be the one to break the news to Duncan, but if he didn't, no one else would have. He would have continued believing he had an opportunity to move up in the ranks and continued fighting for what was a lie.
"The list of available knights for transfer I got… it only includes knights that their captains don't consider essential. You were the only member of your team on that list. In other words…"
Duncan's body tensed up as he clenched hard onto the reins, accidentally giving the hornsteads the command to go faster. All the people on board the carriage felt the strong jostle from the hornsteads accelerating, but their high stats rendered them unaffected by it.
"I wasn't even considered for the promotion…"
"No, you weren't."
The two sat in silence as the hornsteads pulled their carriage on the bumpy road. This revelation felt like a punch in the gut to Duncan as he realized that once again he would be stuck as a regular knight for his entire career.
"I never got to the true reason why I chose you. Initially, like I said, it was because you had the experience to help me where I'm lacking. But after delving into your history, I wanted to give you a chance. A real one."
"A real chance?"
Duncan turned his head in confusion.
"I honestly find it ludicrous that you have not been promoted yet. Your record is flawless and you have more experience than most. It simply doesn't make sense to leave you at the lowest rank."
"Are you sure? Maybe I'm not worthy to be captain."
While Duncan himself knew that he was worthy to become captain, his confidence took a hit when he found out he wasn't even considered for the promotion.
"You should know from experience that while power is the main deciding factor, it's not always the smartest. Just because they are stronger doesn't mean they would make better decisions than a seasoned veteran. I can understand giving opportunities to young people like me, but to completely disregard your ability because of one talent is crazy. I'm sure if Commander Zaman knew of your case, he would have already intervened."
Commander Zaman only managed the promotion to Grand Knight, which was a step below him. He could also directly intervene with lower knight ranks, but he refrained from doing so unless it was absolutely necessary. There were over four thousand knights; if he had to manage them on a case-by-case basis, he would never get any work done. In other words, he was completely unaware of Duncan's plight.
When Sol requested Duncan's addition to the squad, Zaman approved it because of his good record and years of experience. He had no idea Sol was already considering his replacement.
Duncan usually kept his emotions in check, but these past few moments had been a rollercoaster. From anger to despair to immense gratitude, tears began to flow down his face as he spoke with a huge smile.
"Thank you. For giving me a chance."
Sol patted the much older man on the back. "I should be the one thanking you. You've helped me more than once already."
Throughout the journey, Duncan intervened multiple times to prevent Sol from making a bad call or to suggest better alternatives. Even though he was angry at Sol at the time, he still put it aside to make sure the mission wouldn't end in failure or stumble into unnecessary difficulties. Before they even set off, Duncan made sure to verify the supplies to ensure they were all there and of good quality. According to Duncan, at times, workers would sometimes misjudge the life expectancy of some perishables or not properly check the condition of the tools.
As the moment passed, Duncan wiped his tears and suddenly had a question about something Sol mentioned.
"You said the knights you could choose were only those that their captains don't consider essential. Why was Rex not essential? I know for a fact he is one of our best scouts."
"Oh, Rex?" Sol chuckled. "He broke up with his girlfriend. Apparently, it was a pretty ugly breakup, and they were both in the same squad."
"Sheesh. That's why you should never date another member of your squad."
"I'm sure he learned that lesson the hard way."
"Hahaha!"
The two men enjoyed some small talk as they continued traveling north until Nataly reminded Sol that he still had the noise barrier active. He deactivated it and joined the rest in the back, sharing stories of their adventures.