Chapter 310: The Gift

"Your Majesty, you are truly generous!"

Watching Rhonin walk out of the grand hall, Broll could not help but let out a sigh of admiration.

Bruno put away the letter and rose from his throne, his eyes still shimmering with a lingering look of satisfaction toward Rhonin.

"An eighteen-year-old Silver Knight—you should know exactly what that signifies."

Broll suppressed his envy and gave a slow nod. "Such talent can only be rivaled by the Crown Prince. The future Wushan Fief might just produce a Meteor Knight under the age of thirty!"

Bruno was in thorough agreement with these words.

"Once a professional knight reaches the Meteor rank, their strength increases exponentially. A powerful Meteor Knight is entirely capable of turning the tide of a war, not to mention the Silver Moon and Radiant Sun ranks that lie beyond!"

Though individuals of such caliber were rare, they possessed the absolute power to shatter the social hierarchy established by the nobility.

It could be said that a Radiant Sun Knight was a noble in their own right, requiring no investiture from anyone.

"Garrett has a great chance of stepping into the Radiant Sun rank, but a single Radiant Sun is not enough. If we wish to annex the Kingdom of Tricia, we will need more high-end combat forces!"

Though Bruno's own cultivation talent was ordinary, his ambition was grand.

Even though Alduin and Tricia were currently in a state of truce, their desires to swallow one another had never died; instead, the embers were burning brighter in the quietude, ensuring a future war.

Bruno hoped that in that ultimate clash, Alduin could crush the enemy and reestablish a new empire upon this continent.

The Alduin Empire!

To this end, he placed his hopes upon his son, Garrett.

Yet relying on Garrett alone was insufficient; Bruno needed to recruit more helpers for him.

Rhonin's performance today had made his eyes light up. The youth's talent was not a whit inferior to Garrett's, and he knew when to advance and when to retreat in his conduct. Moreover, he would soon become his son-in-law.

Once he grew to full maturity in the future, he would undoubtedly become a powerful boon to Garrett.

"Father was shortsighted after all," Bruno could not help but think to himself.

If his father had stepped in to stop the underhanded plots against the Wushan family back then, the Wushan family would be an even greater asset to Alduin now.

However, Klinsmann could not entirely be blamed for that.

In those days, the continent was in an era of chaos and turmoil, and the Alduin royal family possessed no exceptionally gifted talents.

Rulance was already a genius, and then he had an even more brilliant son; who wouldn't keep their guard up?

"According to the news sent by Iben, quite a few young geniuses have emerged in the Kingdom of Tricia recently. Our old rival is silently amassing strength as well!"

Iben, the commander of the Royal Gryphon Knights, a frontier earl of the kingdom, a Silver Moon Knight, and also Bruno's son-in-law.

Broll said, "Your Majesty need not worry too much. The Kingdom of Tricia has experienced quite a bit of internal strife over the past two years. By contrast, though we have our internal struggles, they are relatively peaceful. As long as we maintain this status quo, we will possess a certain advantage when war breaks out again in the future."

Bruno nodded. He actually hoped for more frequent and violent turmoil over there, but it was a bit of a pity that, according to the latest intelligence, the rebellions there had largely been suppressed.

"Go write a letter to Iben. Tell him to gather more information on the unrest in Tricia and see if we can secretly fund those who instigate the rebellions."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

After Rhonin left the palace, he was led to his own courtyard by a receptionist.

It was said that many nobles were accommodated here, all having arrived to attend the birthday banquet a few days from now.

Among these nobles, Rhonin likely only knew Jesus. But given the relationship between the two, there was no need to pay a visit.

By comparison, what he wanted to do most was to find Blanche and have her take him to the grand library.

However, since Bruno had specified tomorrow, he felt too embarrassed to go ahead of schedule.

Early the next morning, while Rhonin was still enjoying his breakfast, a maid brought a command from Blanche, requesting him to first visit the Princess's manor, the Moon Shadow Palace.

Rhonin quickly finished his food, instructed Tom and David to mind their manners and rules during their free time, and then followed the maid toward the Moon Shadow Palace.

Before long, he appeared outside the palace, waiting for his presence to be announced according to protocol.

Compared to the King's magnificent palace, the Princess's residence was somewhat more elegant and understated.

Yet judging its scale from the outside, it was likely not something an ordinary noble could afford to build.

Moments later, a light, brisk patter of footsteps approached.

"Rhonin, you are finally here!" a melodious voice chimed.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Rhonin's eyes could not help but light up, and his inner yearning for combat skills and mages faded significantly for the moment.

Today, Blanche wore a long gown with a purple base, embroidered with intricate gold thread patterns that resembled stars scattered across the night sky.

Her golden-brown hair was skillfully woven into an elegant bun, adorned with shimmering gemstones that looked like a constellation descending upon the mortal world.

What caught Rhonin's attention most was the exquisite ribbon cinching her waist.

It not only made the curve of Blanche's waist exceptionally slender, as supple and graceful as a willow branch, but it also lent her upper body an elegant S-shaped curve, displaying an unparalleled charm.

"Long time no see, Blanche!"

Rhonin stepped forward, and the two shared a polite embrace. He praised, "Compared to last time, you seem to have grown even more beautiful."

A girl changes quickly in her late teens, and the nineteen-year-old Blanche had truly blossomed.

"Your compliment is the happiest thing I have heard today."

Blanche's cheeks flushed slightly as she looked Rhonin up and down, offering her own praise, "You also look stronger and handsomer than last time."

The two exchanged greetings at the door for a brief moment before Blanche took Rhonin's arm and led him into the Moon Shadow Palace.

Only after touring the inside did Rhonin fully comprehend the vastness and luxury of this palace.

He could not help but remark, "This palace of yours is far more luxurious than my castle. If you marry me in the future, I fear you will have to endure a bitter life."

Blanche could not help but feel a wave of embarrassment. Although she inwardly yearned for this marriage alliance to succeed, being openly addressed by Rhonin still made her a bit shy.

Nevertheless, she replied in a volume that only she could hear, "I am willing."

In truth, her residence here was not for the sake of luxury, but rather because she wished to avoid excessive contact with the outside world; a larger living space made it easier to clear her mind.

Once she married into the North Wushan Fief in the future, she would not have to hide from people and could walk about freely. Whether the castle was grand or not did not matter much; it was best to be happy and free of worries.

"I heard from Missy that you encountered pirates at sea. If it weren't a bit against protocol, I would have gone to find you ahead of time."

Mentioning this matter, she still felt a lingering fear.

"They were merely some hidden assassins who cannot face the light. With my current strength, I can handle them, so you don't need to worry."

As he spoke, he took out the birthday gift he had prepared—

A light green silk shawl, which Leah had woven from last year's silkworm cocoons and enhanced with a dyeing process, making it much more beautiful than the scarf given to Rulance;

Additionally, there was a pristine white mug, with the names of Blanche and Rhonin written at the base. This was fired by Jim according to Rhonin's blueprints, and it had taken several kiln runs to select one of such fine quality.

"For you!" Rhonin said with a smile.

Blanche offered a sweet smile, her eyes sparkling with a radiance akin to the brightest stars in the night sky, especially after seeing the lettering at the bottom of the mug; the pleasant surprise in her heart was beyond words.

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a light kiss on Rhonin's cheek. "Thank you, Rhonin, I love it very much!"

In reality, these two gifts were not expensive, at least compared to the gifts sent by other nobles, they were quite cheap. But this manner of giving was bound to bring joy, particularly when the woman fancied the man, which added immense value to the gifts.

"I am glad you like it."

Rhonin smiled as he took the silk shawl. "Come, let me wrap it around you."