"Coreya, you did an excellent job last month," the raspy, strange-sounding voice of Kelson conveyed exciting news that invigorated Coreya. "Your youngest son will be able to study the way of the knight by his side after the next full moon and beco a true Knight Apprentice."
A Knight Apprentice, akin to an apprentice’s status, is a necessary journey for non-nobles to beco knights. In this process, the position is heavily associated with the nobility, unless one seeks to beco a Hired Knight or a Wild Knight. Of course, the Priesthood holds an even stricter monopoly.
"Really? That’s fantastic news," Coreya, having previously felt aggrieved by Kelson’s extortion of Gold Coins, was now bubbling with joy.
While a Knight Apprentice is not a full-fledged Knight, the status is still considerably higher than that of an average person, and becoming a Knight isn’t too difficult.
Of course, being a Knight is rely a social status. What truly excited Coreya was the right to claim new lands that ca with knighthood — the only way for a commoner to beco noble without relying on bloodlines. Otherwise, a commoner would remain so for life, even if Coreya, a great rchant with extensive connections with many nobles, would always be considered less.
"Why would I lie to you? Such a lie would easily be found out. Understand, next month the Honor Battle among the knights will begin, and once our lord seizes the championship and obtains the Sword in the Stone, ’Golden’..." Kelson’s words trailed off, implying they too would rise with the tide.
"Our lord is confident!" Coreya, too, was visibly startled.
To all the nobles, both the Honor Battle and the so-called drawing of the Sword in the Stone, ’Golden,’ were just part of the political ga. The throne of the Calot Kingdom had remained vacant since the death of the previous King, partly due to a lack of heirs, and partly due to mutual checks and balances between the nobles.
Now, as nobles’ squabbles were nearly leading to real conflict, it signaled that an end was drawing near.
"Yes, our lord has already secured the support of many, and all that’s needed is to draw out the Sword in the Stone, ’Golden,’ at the end of the Honor Battle," Kelson took a sip from the glass cup, finding the red wine strangely off-tasting, different from what he’d had before.
However, he swallowed it quickly, not giving it much thought.
"Soon, perhaps we could beco one of the nobility ourselves," Coreya’s voice quivered with shock. For him, if the noble he served did ascend the throne, he wouldn’t need his son to beco a noble, as his loyalty would grant him the rank.
No, if his son beca the vassal of the other side, it ant their family’s direct rise to beco confidants of His Majesty, a great honor indeed.
Then he, too, unconsciously took a sip of red wine, found it peculiar, but his mind, overwheld with joy, completely disregarded this minor issue.
"Yes, I will beco another rlin..." Kelson was cut off as he felt sothing like a fla being swallowed, a searing pain spreading uncontrollably within him.
"You poisoned the wine!" Kelson’s face suddenly contorted, "You dare to betray our lord!!!"
He voiced the last words with a roar.
Coreya was instantly baffled. How could there be poison? He drank it too. As he was about to explain, he felt the fiery sensation in his belly erupting.
His consciousness began to blur, his body convulsed and out of control.
Through the haze, they saw a figure enter.
"We’ve caught a big fish," Gu Shanhai entered with a beaming smile, "I didn’t expect even the church’s Priest to be in cahoots with them. It seems the major nobles behind this intend to turn this whole town into a comrcial hub."
On Gu Shanhai’s way back, using Prophetic Divination, he went to report to the town’s Priest about Coreya’s collusion with Wizards. Instead, he was frad, and the unfavorable divination outco ant a significant risk to his life. So, he took matters into his own hands, and incidentally, he also set the church ablaze. Even though the Prophecy had not actually occurred, the Priest had entertained the thought, so Gu Shanhai could only drop a ring of fla Mana when passing by.
"These two riddlers are so annoying. I listened at the corner for almost half an hour, and they refused to reveal who their lord is. Captain Sha Fulin, perhaps?"
Gu Shanhai searched them thoroughly, found nothing of value, then rifled through their belongings, still to no avail.
"So poor, nothing at all."
Gu Shanhai expressed his disdain. Aside from his Dragon Scale Robe, he also carried several Transcendent items for protection, gifts from Mafas and the others, which were trivial for them to create, needing only pricey materials.
"It seems I’ve touched a level too high..." Gu Shanhai reflected. That Coreya lacked Transcendent equipnt was one thing, but that even the Wizard possessed none confird the severe monopoly in this area.
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