"Yu...Ember, what did they just call you?"
"If I heard correctly, it should be...it should be King?"
Just as Ember was considering how to introduce the Crucible Knight to Childe as a warning, Washizu, who had been silent, patted his shoulder.
Ember turned his head and saw Washizu looking utterly shocked.
It wasn't surprising that Washizu was shocked. In his impression, Ember was just a mysterious and powerful Adventurer.
While that was already enough to command respect, compared to a status like "King," there was still a "tiny bit" of a gap.
Moreover, Washizu couldn't see anything about Ember that suggested he was a King—was there a King who dug the ground with more enthusiasm than they did?
"Oh, that? Don't worry about it. You just need to cultivate your abilities well, and then give the Shogunate a lesson. That's enough!"
Ember waved his hand, dismissing Washizu's question with a laugh. His title of King was indeed not very convincing.
Although he was called King, he had no kingdom, no subordinates, and could only barely smuggle a few people through the cooperation of the Golden Tree and The Lands Between.
"Al...alright." Seeing that Ember was unwilling to elaborate on his identity, Washizu wisely stopped pressing the issue.
He looked up at the thirteen dark figures standing before him, and the faint aura they exuded made him swallow hard.
Each of the heavily armored Knights before him possessed strength that Washizu had never seen surpassed, except by Ember himself.
Normally, seeing even one would be extraordinary, but now thirteen had appeared at once. How could Washizu not be surprised?
One must know that the current Washizu was no longer the ordinary warrior he once was. When the tatarigami erupted, Washizu, in his search for a way to suppress the tatarigami, experimented with various remedies on himself multiple times.
The method currently used by the people of Higi Village—grinding Golden Tree bark into powder to suppress the tatarigami—was devised by Washizu and Yasumoto.
Yasumoto, as one of the few doctors in the village, was responsible for the theory, and Washizu served as the test subject. Together, they found the optimal dosage needed to suppress the tatarigami.
Consequently, the changes in Washizu were the most significant in Higi Village. His strength improved the most, and his inhuman characteristics also increased the most.
His samurai armor was never removed, and it was hard to say that he didn't intend to conceal the abnormalities of his body.
"Cultivation?" Siluria heard Ember's words, lowered her gaze, and noticed the two small figures behind Ember.
For the Crucible Knights, let alone Washizu and Dan Oni Roku, even Ember, who was wearing armor and a size larger than others, barely reached the Crucible Knights' chests.
So, in their eyes, ordinary-sized humans really were like midgets.
"You...you have the power of the Crucible within you." Siluria briefly observed Washizu and Dan Oni Roku and immediately noticed the power within them, which was almost identical in origin to her own.
That was the power of the Crucible of Life, the power that caused life to differentiate.
"It seems these are all the King's doing." Ordovis turned to look at the Golden Tree behind him and nodded.
Then he calmed his mind, subtly sensed the surrounding environment, and said with a sudden realization:
"I see. There's something very persistent here, forcibly invading life. To avoid corrosion, one must let one's vitality spread out like thorns, firmly resisting the external elements."
"Correct. As expected of the chief of the Crucible Knights." Ember immediately applauded when he saw Ordovis and Siluria figure out the changes in Washizu so quickly.
Ignoring the continuous applause, Ordovis cast his gaze over the entire Higi Village and then asked Ember:
"So, the King sent us here to deal with the things pervading the air? Or to deal with the people causing these things?"
As Ordovis spoke, the crimson greatsword in his hand swung uncontrollably, indicating his eagerness.
"More or less, but before that, you have to teach them how to use the power that has appeared within them."
"On this point, I don't think anyone is more familiar than you."
Ember pushed Washizu and Dan Oni Roku, who were standing behind him, forward and said to the two:
"Don't just stand there dumbfounded! These are the Instructors I called for you. Hurry up and say hello!"
Seeing no escape, Washizu and Dan Oni Roku braced themselves and looked up to meet the gaze of the Crucible Knights.
The thirteen Crucible Knights were divided into two distinct categories. Those behind Ordovis were Sword-and-Shield Knights, just like him, wielding a greatsword in one hand and a horn shield in the other.
Those behind Siluria, however, were Greatspear Knights, wearing tree helmets and wielding tree spears.
Regardless of the type of Crucible Knight, their armor was covered in crimson patterns. These patterns sometimes resembled the roots of a great tree, and at other times, spewing flames.
Among them, the Crucible formed by interwoven patterns on the chest of the armor was the most clearly visible.
The patterns converged at a point in the center of the breastplate, and this point seemed to be the core of the Crucible, refining the body beneath the armor.
The heavy armor of the Crucible Knights appeared to be cast as a single piece, with no visible seams even between the shoulders and chest.
Standing there, they were like insurmountable peaks.
But peaks do not mean no one dares to climb. Behind the Crucible Knights' armor, faded and worn capes silently declared the countless battles the Crucible Knights had endured.
"Ins...Instructor, hello."
Washizu and Dan Oni Roku stiffly nodded at the group of iron statues before them. The aura emanating from the Crucible Knights made it a little hard for them to breathe.
"Ha, I didn't expect that even coming here, I couldn't escape the fate of being a teacher." Ordovis said with great emotion as he heavily plunged his greatshield and greatsword into the mud.
He had followed Godfrey on campaigns in the north and south in his early years, enduring countless fierce battles, yet who would have thought that in his retirement, he would end up as a teacher?
"As the King wills." Siluria also plunged her tree spear into the ground and nodded at Ember and Washizu.
Ember saw Ordovis and Siluria agree without the slightest hesitation. He earnestly patted Washizu and Dan Oni Roku's shoulders and said:
"Alright! Their teaching methods are quite effective. If you learn from them, you'll quickly master the power within you."
"I hope to see a new you when I return!"
Ember approved of the Crucible Knights' teaching standards. In his mind, the only parry teachers comparable to Gundyr were the Crucible Knights.
Besides helping Ember review parries, the Crucible Knights also taught Ember not to use the holy grail bottle or holy grail bottle in front of enemies.
It could be said that the Crucible Knights' teaching level was even superior to Gundyr's.
Ember believed that under the diligent guidance of the Crucible Knights, Washizu and the others would quickly improve their strength, and when they eventually beat up the Shogunate, they would be able to hit even harder.
"Wait! You said 'when I return,' what are you going to do?" Washizu keenly caught the key point in Ember's words and immediately asked.
This Ember guy wouldn't be trying to abandon them after tricking them onto a pirate ship, would he?
"What am I going to do?" Ember clearly saw the question in Washizu's eyes, and he spoke rapidly, like a machine gun:
"There's too much for me to do. I ask you, how are you going to get such a large group of people to Inazuma City? How will you hide once you're in Inazuma City? Where are the specific locations of your targets during the operation?"
"Don't tell me you plan to fight your way directly from Higi Village to Inazuma City, cutting through everyone. I'd get tired just thinking about it."
Ember's words successfully confused Washizu, who quickly nodded at Ember, as if begging for mercy, and said:
"Stop, stop! I know I shouldn't have asked! Time is urgent, instead of lecturing me, you should hurry up and leave!"
"You're right about that. Goodbye!" Ember saw Washizu's hands clasped together, constantly swaying up and down, and stopped his lecture.
He looked up, briefly identified his direction, and then quickly left Higi Village.
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