Chapter 326: Winning Over

As Ronin placed the laurel wreath upon Blanche’s head, the tournament's championship match drew to a close, and King Bruno, accompanied by a scattering of nobles, began to make his exit.

Yet the tournament itself was far from finished.

Next came the clash between Frantz and Misch for third place, alongside a series of challenge matches among the younger noble scions that served as exhibition bouts, keeping the arena awash in a lingering, boisterous clamor.

While Blanche invited the assembly of noble ladies to amuse themselves at the Moon Shadow Palace, Ronin stepped down from the grandstand and walked toward the section occupied by the Horn Bay Extraordinary Academy.

"Earl Ronin!"

"The Blazing Knight!"

Upon seeing Ronin approach, the instructors and students of the academy greeted him one after another, and the dean warmly invited him to visit the campus.

Ronin naturally accepted, though his gaze swept through the crowd twice without catching sight of Kalada.

"I wonder where Knight Kalada has gone?"

"Over there," someone said, pointing toward the periphery. "Honorary Baron Philimon is speaking with him."

Another spoke with a tinge of envy: "Though Kalada just lost to you, his performance in the duel surely caught the eye of many."

"He has always wanted to join the Royal Knights. From the looks of it, he has a grand opportunity this time."

"How truly enviable."

Hearing their words, Ronin felt a sudden jolt in his heart—surely not; was the man he intended to recruit about to be snatched away by His Majesty the King?

That would never do.

He nodded in acknowledgment to the crowd from the academy, then strode toward the edge of the grounds where Kalada and Philimon were conversing.

Sensing Ronin's approach, both men turned around.

Philimon offered a smile: "What is this? Is our Blazing Knight here to seek out his opponent for further exchange?"

Kalada, meanwhile, gave Ronin a slight nod.

"My apologies for interrupting your conversation."

Ronin stepped up to the pair with a smile, his eyes fixing on the King's personal guard and Commander of the Royal Knights, a man rumored to be a Golden Knight with one foot already inside the Meteor realm, a strength not to be underestimated.

"You speak truly, Excellency. I have indeed come looking for Kalada."

Philimon was exceedingly courteous to this future royal son-in-law, remarking, "In that case, I shall not trouble you any further."

With that, he turned back to Kalada and added, "Come find me once you have become a Golden Knight!"

Having delivered his piece, he departed.

Watching Philimon's retreating figure, Ronin said, "Should I congratulate you on your smooth entry into the Royal Knights?"

"It is too soon for that."

Kalada dismissed the notion with concise finality: "Only after I become a Golden Knight will I be qualified to submit an application to them."

Fortunately...

Ronin breathed a quiet sigh of relief; he had thought Philimon had already finalized terms with the man.

"The requirements of the Royal Knights are strict indeed, demanding the rank of Golden Knight just to apply. How many men does this order possess, and is every single member a Golden Knight?"

An entire order comprised solely of Golden Knights was a force whose combat prowess Ronin could scarcely fathom.

Even a Meteor Knight might well choose to bypass such a regiment.

"Of course not."

Kalada spread his hands, his tone laced with a touch of helplessness: "That is merely a specific condition set for me personally."

He specified it was personal, rather than a restriction placed upon all those of common birth.

It seemed there were other reasons, unknown to Ronin, why Kalada had remained unable to join the Royal Knights.

"Though the Royal Knights have extended an olive branch, I must still ask."

Ronin paused, looking the other man dead in the eye: "I wonder if the current me possesses the qualification to recruit you to my territory?"

He placed immense value on the man's potential.

If Kalada could join the North Wu Territory, this young knight in his twenties would be the most promising prospect beneath Ridal, possessing a talent that vastly outshone McKen's.

Though the Wushan Territory appeared stable for the moment, conflicts and warfare lay inevitable in the future.

Localized geopolitical skirmishes could perhaps be settled by the five knight orders of Wushan Castle, but if Ronin wished to attain the rank of Marquis of the Kingdom, he required a strength entirely his own.

Moreover, Ronin’s ambitions extended far beyond the title of Marquis.

To take the next step meant the continental situation had to fracture into chaos; only through wide-scale, massive battlefields could the existing matrix of power be reshuffled and rebuilt.

In that hour, Ronin would need more knights, and specifically, stronger knights.

A man like Kalada was undeniably the ideal candidate.

"You misunderstand me."

Kalada explained, "The qualification I speak of does not refer to a superiority in 'strength.' After all, many nobles are not particularly powerful themselves, are they?"

"Oh?"

Ronin expressed surprise: "If not personal strength, then the strength of the fief?"

"Rest assured on that front. Though my territory is only in its infancy, its expanse is vast and its developmental potential immense, offering far more opportunities for the knights who follow me!"

Considering the man’s commoner origins and the likelihood that he prioritized compensation, Ronin continued.

"A Silver Knight under my command receives an annual retainer of 336 gold coins, while a Golden Knight receives 1680 gold coins. Furthermore, stipends are provided based on position, with spoils of war calculated separately."

He spoke with blunt directness: "You need not worry that I cannot afford the retainers of my followers; among them are Golden and Silver ranks, and I have never defaulted on their coin."

With present compensation and future prospects laid bare, the man ought to have a clear understanding by now.

Kalada laughed, yet he still shook his head.

"I have never doubted your financial capability."

He sighed, speaking plainly: "In truth, over these past years, I have considered serving nobles outside the Royal Knights, but in the end, none succeeded."

"Why?"

Kalada said helplessly, "Someone obstructs it. Even if I wished to follow you, you would change your mind because of him."

Such a thing existed?

This left Ronin utterly perplexed; who could interfere with the decisions of other nobles?

His first thought flew to the King, but a closer consideration made that highly improbable.

A sudden realization struck him—could it be that a suitor of Kalada’s unrequited love was exerting pressure on the nobility, leaving this exceptional young genius with nowhere to turn?

"Who is hindering you?" Ronin demanded.

Kalada gave a mysterious smile: "I believe he will seek you out in the coming days. If, after you have met him, you still wish to recruit me, then we may speak of it."

For this commoner knight, his greatest desire was to cross the boundary of class.

Ordinarily, for an professional knight of vast potential and immense strength, such a feat was difficult yet entirely feasible.

But for Kalada, it remained an insurmountable peak—he lacked even the opportunity to draw near the noble circles, let alone gain entry into them.

In his eyes, Luo Ning, though possessing connections, strength, and a promising future, would once have surely graced the list of nobles he was willing to follow—but perhaps after too many cancellations, too many broken promises, he no longer believed Luo Ning would be any different from those nobles who valued only advantage.

Better, then, to choose the Royal Knights’ Order; after all, Knight Filimon had already said that once he became a Golden Knight and applied, his chances of joining would be greatly improved.

Only by faithfully serving a noble could he hope to earn merit, become a Knight of Honor, and eventually ascend to nobility itself.

Otherwise, before he became a force strong enough to command others’ respect, he would remain merely a knight with some wealth and power—yet forever trapped beyond the bounds of class.

Luo Ning watched the commoner knight’s retreating back and could not help asking, “I hear you’re secretly in love with a noble—could you tell me her identity?”

In his view, this humble, courteous commoner knight, so eager to enter noble circles, would hardly dare offend a noble. Thus, the only plausible reason for such targeted hostility from a noble could be this one.

Kalaada’s step paused. He had not expected Luo Ning, who had never even set foot in Goldfeather City, to know of this.

“She was your opponent today.”

Her?

Luo Ning’s mind immediately conjured the image of Knight Misi.

She was the Princess’s close friend, a member of the Royal Griffon Knights—the monarchy’s elite combat force—a rare Silver-rank female knight, born into a noble family…

Compared thus, Kalaada and Misi were indeed mismatched in station. (End of chapter)