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It is not often that one thinks about the sheer effort that goes into the making of a mounted knight. At first, comes the knight himself; raised from childhood on the training of the martial arts, taught to ride a horse and wield a lance, sword and hammer, and in some countries, the ability to shoot a bow from horseback as well...though in these late years there have been states who have begun to introduce regiments of commoners in the arms of heavy cavalry, and mercenary companies too begin to fill that role; none quite possess the lifelong training of a mounted noble at arms: when one kills a knight, they create a debt of power that shall take a man's lifetime of effort to refill.
And then there is their equipment; their horse, which must be bought from the finest vendors of the steppe lands to bear their armored barding and still maintain a rapid pace and must rather often be replaced multiple times during a war, their weapons, which are built by hand and often made to fit their personal preferences, and finally their armor, which must be made for them and for them alone of the finest steel. Though modern production methods have made this far faster and cheaper than in the times of old, a full suit of 'bullet-proofed' noble plate armor costs far more than most men will see in a lifetime.
So when you see, upon the field of battle, the battered remains of the final stand of the enemy's knights, it is you alone, amidst your men, who truly understands the vastness of wealth that has been lost. Though they had fought bravely, they were far too outnumbered, their numbers too reduced by the skirmishers to be able to fight off the conjoined attack of your hussars and your retinue; they had died to the last, and only took with them a few more of your hussars. By some manner of providence, you can only guess, not a single men amidst your retinue has perished with but a few being wounded lightly such that their survival is most certain; perhaps the first shred of luck you have had today.
