[ He hadn't totally realized she has a fief, which reads to Gregor that she's the daughter of a District Count, making her higher up the rankings in his estimation than he'd previously assessed.

Knights as heirs is very surprising to him. ] That's totally different, [ he admits ruefully. ] Count's heirs go through the military academy and serve once their schooling is finished, by convention though not law-- and before the academy, their education was through an apprenticeship system more like what you describe, but...

[ Gregor shakes his head. ] That's not what I was expecting. Vor would never become Armsmen; it's an honored position for proles, often veterans or former members of the municipal guard. They're lifetime appointments.