In the Randalorion Kingdom, as well as all the neighboring ones, Knights are placed in respected positions, acquiring honor and glory despite their lack of wealth.
The question is… why?
Why are Knights placed on the same pedestal as Nobles—who are famed for having superior bloodlines—and the Clergy—who rule the spiritual life of the masses?
The reason is quite simple.
Knights are revered because of their strength!
A Knight Household, consequently, is valued because of its accumulation of such strength.
The Household must possess at least two Knights. It must be granted an Estate to be managed by the Kingdom's Royal Family or its High Nobility. It must also possess its own unique Martial Technique passed down within the Household.
… And finally, it must possess at least one Armament!
A Knight Household recognized by the Kingdom is one that fulfills all four of these conditions.
The last one is especially important.
An Armament constitutes the core foundation of a Knight Household. Without it, the Household cannot call itself that.
Low-Rank Knight Households require one D Grade Armament.
Mid-Rank Knight Households, like mine, require one C Grade Armament.
High-Rank Knight Households require one B Grade Armament.
Anything higher is coveted by the Royal Family and High Nobility, making up the overall military might of a Kingdom.
From what I know, only Large-sized Kingdoms possess S Grade Armaments, and Mid-sized Kingdoms like the Randalorion Kingdom only have access to A Grade Armaments. However, since the topic of Armaments is shrouded in secrecy, even I do not know all the details.
What I do know is this: Armaments are powerful!
They are one of the few things that humans have acquired to stand against special beings like Magivores. Without them, humanity could never conquer such a domineering species.
Man is weak.
We hold no special prowess save for our intelligence.
Compared to the cruel strength of nature and the destructive powers of the Magivores, we are nothing special.
But, with Armaments… we can become exceptional.
"Uncle… where is the Armament I had you obtain for me?" The moment I yell those words to Uncle Damon, he sharply nods and hurries back inside the Carriage.
He must have already known my intentions from the moment I decided to confront the Magivore.
After activating an inconspicuous lever in the carriage, he removes the flooring to reveal a hidden layer underneath. Within it is a sheathed blade that emanates a strange gray energy, which shrouds it like thick mist.
I smile once I see the weapon.
That is undoubtedly it—my Armament!
"Here it is, Javier!" Uncle Damon coats his two hands in cloth and brings the blade to me, kneeling over as he hands it over.
I collect it with grace, grabbing the sheathed weapon with my bare hands.
The sleek black design of the sheath repels the sunlight, and the misty energy that shrouds it swirls around my hand like a fog. It isn't harmful in any way, so I ignore the effects and carefully feel the weight of the weapon.
'It's perfect…' I smile to myself and nod.
What else did I expect from a weapon made from Purple Iron Ore, as well as Rank 2 Special Resource gotten from flora?
Purple Iron Ores are found in thunder-struck ground, caves, and mountains, and weapons made from them are significantly lighter and more durable than normal iron. Without the Rank 2 Special Resource supplementing its effects, this would already be an F-Grade Armament. But, thanks to the Rank 2 Special Resource, the Ashfern, its Grade has been elevated to D!
Grade D Armament—Ashen Purple Blade!
"Haha! It's a good sword indeed!" I unsheathe the sword, watching the purple glint echo with lethality, as the gray-colored smoke rises.
I feel the special trace energy leaking into the air, causing my skin to tingle.
'Without sufficient wealth accrued from my business with Uncle Damon, how could I have hoped to obtain something like this so easily?' A smirk escapes my calm facade. 'Even if it isn't a very unique blade, it's still a Grade D Armament.'
I already confirmed from my Uncle that it had been purchased, but seeing it in person now only makes me tremble in realization:
The memories from my past life are truly a blessing!
How else would I be able to secure such wealth? How would I have been able to get my hands on such an Armament so early in life? It defies all logic and common sense, yet here I am wielding an Armament just one Grade lower than the heirloom of our Aditi Household.
A D Grade Armament contains at least one Rank 2 Special Resource, and is considered equivalent to a Cadre 2 Magivore in strength. In essence, by wielding this Armament, even without the use of Martial Techniques, I can be considered equal to this Screech Owlbear.
Adding my combat prowess, however… I absolutely demolish it!
Of course, things aren't always so straightforward in life, and the same applies in the case of Armaments.
While Armaments are indeed powerful, they are restricted to their fixed abilities.
Also, none of these abilities grant superhuman effects or increased prowess to the wielder—such effects belong to the likes of Potions. Armaments are essentially special weapons and armor, and just like them, they can only be used for two major things:
Attack and Defense!
An Armament can either be used to unleash fierce attacks or create an impregnable defense.
Even a blade which belongs to the F Grade, the lowest Grade for Armaments, is many times sharper than an ordinary sword. And a piece of armor of that same grade provides more durability compared to the best of ordinary armor.
In essence, Armaments are meant to be used as tools for the wielder.
No matter how strong an Armament is, its use alone does not guarantee victory. It is how such a weapon or armor is utilized that wins battles.
Still, is it not amazing?
Right now, I am wielding a D Grade Armament, equivalent to the core foundation of a Low-Rank Knight Household. Such a feat is rare, even for members of a Mid-Rank Knight Household.
Most Knights in the Aditi Household do not have such an Armament.
Most of them possess E Grade Armaments, with the weakest—my cousin—having an F Grade Armament. My father is the only one who owns his own D Grade Armament, and he is only allowed to use the C Grade Armament for the sake of the entire Aditi Household.
In essence, I currently wield a weapon of the same Grade as my father.
Such privilege… such freedom… has only been made possible because of the accumulation of knowledge from my past life.
"Do you require a Potion? Maybe to improve your speed or resistance? I didn't purchase any that directly counters that Owlbear's problematic screech, but we can—"
"No need…" I confidently say as I step forward and march towards the Cadre 2 Magivore.
Apart from this Armament, I made my uncle purchase a few Potions for me, just in case I would require them. However, it would be too much of a waste to use valuable things like that when I am sufficient in taking down this adversary.
'It shouldn't be too hard… if I pace myself well and deal with that annoying screech it has.'
Without wasting any more time—
WHOOSH!
—I charge forward.
The Screech Owlbear notices this and instantly gets provoked. It roars once more before rushing towards me in rage.
'It's not using its signature move yet? I guess it isn't that dumb…' A wry smile forms on my face.
The screech is rather limited in range, and its effect diminishes the more distance it has to cross, so using it now would be a rather foolish move by the Owlbear. If it had done so, I probably would have been able to break free before it reached me.
Each use of its special ability also exhausts the creature, so it can't resort to successive usage.
This is usually not a problem for the Screech Owlbear, since it mauls its prey the moment it paralyzes them, leaving no room for resistance.
In essence, it's a one-shot move!
'Having such a move means there's a considerably long cooldown period between each screech!'
In essence, if I overcome the first move, I'll be fine.
The question is… can I?
I don't have a Potion that effectively counters this move, and as I have already established, Armaments possess fixed abilities useful only for offense or defense—rarely both.
They don't affect the body of the wielder in any real way.
They only supplement effort.
'My Ashen Purple Blade doesn't have any ability that can support me either…'
Yes, it is a special weapon.
It is several times stronger and faster than a regular blade, and it gives me no feeling of resistance when I cut my foes. Its special ability is built primarily for offense, as it allows me to cut pretty much anything without any pressure or resistance at all.
Even when facing strong targets, I feel little to no recoil or resistance due to its special properties.
But that's where its specialty ends.
It is specifically designed to deal with large and dense opponents—perfect for slaying Magivores, particularly those with especially tough hides.
As for the gray mist… it doesn't really do anything.
It's simply the Ashen Purple Blade's emission due to its trace energy signature.
Most Armaments have these kinds of visible effects, separating them from regular weapons.
But does this mean I am stranded?
No way!
The Screech Owlbeat stops moving once the distance between us closes to an appropriate degree, and its body convulses unnaturally. It opens its large beak, and its neck begins to swell like a balloon.
The moment I notice all this, my eyes flash with eerie light.
'Chance—!'
I leap forward, nearing the beast at a dangerous pace.
Then, I place all my strength in my arms, strengthening it to the limit as I tightly grip my blade and lean backward before sending the sword flying forward like a javelin.
WHOOSH!
The blade slices through the air and easily crosses the distance in time.
Then… it happens!
"SKRIEEEEEEEKKK—!!!!"
The Screech Owlbear's repulsive screech radiates from its throat, sending my body into a state of instant paralysis. However, right at this exact moment, my blade reaches its target and pierces the swollen throat of the Magivore.
POP!
Like a balloon popping, the round surface bursts with a loud noise.
The abrupt interruption of the Owlbear's screech causes its body to convulse even more violently, and I watch it stagger backwards, choking and shivering in pain.
It opens its beak to let out a sound, but nothing comes out.
Even when it glares at me hatefully, attempting to reach me with its colossal frame, it finds itself unable to move. Its eyes bulge in shock, and I am certain it must be puzzled right now.
This must be the first time it is experiencing such a thing.
'Sucks, doesn't it…?' I chuckle inward, watching the beast's monstrous face contort in a mix of pain and shock. '… Being paralyzed, I mean.'
At this point, the entire body of the Magivore begins to swell unnaturally. Leaking noise rise from its deflated throat as air tries to escape, but my blade currently blocks the wound.
As a result of this… the air continues to accumulate, spreading throughout the Owlbear's body.
My lips slowly curl up in silent expectation.
I know what comes next.
BOOOOM!!
The Screech Owlbear's body erupts in a powerful explosion, sending all manner of body parts flying in multiple directions.
Large, grizzly feathers mix with bloody entrails and splash out in an instant.
They end up scattering all over the grass, tainting them with Magivore blood. The warm glow of sunlight makes the thick liquid glisten, but the horrid stench is enough to make any normal person throw up.
I watch all of this in silence as I rapidly regain control over my body and slowly rise to my feet.
"Haaa…" Sharply exhaling, I casually approach the bloody ground to retrieve my blade.
It was a quick match—if it could even be called that at all.
But I overcame it.
My past life's experiences and memories really are a blessing, after all.
How else could I have dealt with such a monster so easily?
"And now… for my prize…" My eyes twinkle with expectation and a hint of greed once I spot a glimmering item at the center of the bloody explosion. It is shaped like a tongue, but it has the appearance of a feather.
I already know what this is, and I quickly pick it up without any hesitation at all.
"Rank 2 Special Resource… Owlbear's Screech Feather."