having grown tired of being a monk in the countryside, hector leaves (it’s more complicated than just leaving but he manages it fine) and spends a while roaming the woodland with only a sword and the rags on his back
he’s spent the last? probably hundred or so? years as a monk, researching Christi.anity and how it’s evolved/changed, but extended thought has left him thoroughly disillusioned. he finds religion irritating and simplistic in this period of his life because there’s no WAY hector can exist without god having shown himself to him in some way. hector knows he isn’t some second jesus with a divine purpose, he’d figured that out long ago.
his time with the monks was actually pretty pleasant if you excuse the politics and living arrangements, and he’d given up violence for a long time. however, he finds it painless returning to the life of the sellsword. it’s natural to him. and besides, he’s mad and wants to vent it out somehow.
because of this, he’s short-tempered. he’s still good, but he doesn’t care about anyone else.
decides it’s a good idea to just slay any bandits or baddies he finds just out of the goodness of his heart
he’ll then steal their riches and their armour and go on his merry way. he’ll leave some/most of the stuff in the nearest village but makes no claim to fame
eventually he helps out an injured knight and shows such promise that hector is offered actual training.
he works his way up the ranks quickly, eventually attaining knight status
still feeling pretty rotten but he doesn’t break out of that in the next century so he just puts up with it