Translator: CinderTL
"I've heard the elders of my clan mention it before," Avril said, her brow furrowing slightly as she tapped her chin with a slender finger, her expression thoughtful.
After a moment, she added hesitantly, "That deep-sea monster... I think it's called the Kraken?"
Seeing the grave expression on Roland's face, Avril gently rose onto her tiptoes and patted his shoulder with a delicate hand.
"Don't worry! This creature usually hides in the deep sea, afraid to show its face. Now that it dares to surface..."
She turned to gaze toward the port, her voice filled with unwavering confidence.
"Lord Gondar will definitely not let it escape."
Before she could finish speaking, the sea suddenly churned violently in the distance.
A mountain-sized black silhouette slowly rose from the depths.
Seawater streamed down its deeply furrowed, purplish-black skin. Its massive, solitary eye glowed with an eerie green luminescence in the twilight, like a will-o'-the-wisp in the abyss.
Countless tentacles writhed around its mouth, and each breath exhaled a thick, putrid-smelling mist.
Before Roland could examine it more closely, a dark figure suddenly shot skyward from the port.
The figure moved with lightning speed, carving a sharp arc through the twilight.
The longsword in its hand reflected the setting sun with a blinding, icy glare, visible currents of air swirling around its blade.
Just as the Kraken unleashed a deafening roar...
Whoosh!
The sword's light fell like a shooting star.
The icy blade struck with pinpoint accuracy, piercing the Kraken's single eye and cleaving through its skull from crown to jaw.
Dark green blood gushed out like a waterfall, staining the surrounding seawater a murky, foul color.
The Kraken's massive tentacles convulsed wildly, churning up waves dozens of meters high, before collapsing limply like a puppet with severed strings, crashing back into the sea with a thunderous splash.
The ocean gradually calmed, leaving only floating tentacle fragments as grim reminders of the epic battle.
The shadowy figure landed nimbly on a splintered mast, cloak billowing in the salty sea wind.
"Lord Gondar's power grows more astonishing by the day!" Avril exclaimed, watching the distant figure sheathe his sword.
She turned to Roland, tilting her head playfully. "Alright, the fight's over. Shall we head back to the Sea Pearl Pavilion? Oh, and..." She leaned closer, winking mischievously with her left eye. "Don't forget our little secret."
When they returned to the Sea Pearl Pavilion, the scene before them left Roland momentarily stunned.
The pavilion had been completely restored, showing no trace of the earlier chaos.
The bodies of the guards who had died from the psychic assault were gone, and even the bloodstains had been meticulously cleaned.
If the shattered glass he had crashed through hadn't remained unrepaired, Roland might have dismissed the entire ordeal as a nightmare.
"I am deeply sorry, Mr. Roland!" Colin hurried forward, bowing deeply.
Roland smiled wryly. "It's alright, Mr. Colin. Thank you for your help."
He glanced sideways at the elf girl beside him, who was frantically blinking, and his lips twitched slightly. "I owe my safety to Miss Avril's timely assistance."
Avril immediately straightened her back, feigning composure as she whistled casually, her gaze drifting upward toward the ceiling.
However, her betraying pointed ears, trembling slightly, flushed crimson like maple leaves dyed by the evening sun, betraying her panicked state from the lie.
Colin scrutinized Roland carefully, confirming there were no visible injuries before exhaling in relief and apologizing again. "I'm truly sorry for the scare."
He then turned to Avril, nodding approvingly. "Avril, you performed admirably. I'll commend you for this."
"Thank you so much, Lord Colin!" Avril exclaimed, raising her hands in jubilation, her pointed ears quivering with excitement. "Does this mean I've officially passed the Shadow Veil assessment?"
"Let's wait until you become a full-fledged ranger first."
Colin rubbed his temples wearily, clearly exasperated by the overly energetic elf girl. After a few brief instructions, he dismissed her.
Once Avril had left, Colin turned to Roland, his expression turning serious.
"Mr. Roland, regarding the armor His Majesty Monen bestowed upon you..."
"The armor can wait. Compared to this..." Roland waved goodbye in the direction Avril had departed, then cautiously scanned their surroundings to ensure they were alone before leaning in and lowering his voice. "I'd rather ask about the preparations required to enter a Knight Academy in the River Domain Nations."
"You've already decided?" A flicker of delight flashed in Colin's eyes. He cleared his throat twice to mask his emotion, then gestured to the side. "Mr. Roland, please come this way to discuss this in detail."
Soon, the two men were seated in an elegant, spacious reception room. Dim sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm glow on the dark brown solid wood tea table. Colin gestured for Roland to sit, then personally poured amber-colored liquid from a silver teapot into a bone china teacup. The tea swirled gently, releasing wisps of steam that filled the air with the fragrant aroma of black tea.
Colin gently pushed the teacup toward Roland, his eyes gleaming with undisguised admiration through the swirling tea mist.
Compared to the ancient Golden Valley Kingdom, the River Domain Nations might boast slightly richer natural resources and a more advantageous geographical location, but they paled in every other aspect.
This disparity made the River Domain Nations' hunger for talent particularly acute.
Young prodigies like Roland, who had achieved extraordinary strength at such a young age, were especially coveted by these militarily weak nations.
"Here's the situation," Colin began, settling into his seat. After a moment's pause, he spoke in a deep, resonant voice.
"The River Domain Nations are quite a distance from the Far Ocean Port. Normally, I would arrange for you to travel by ship, but as you've likely seen..."
A hint of awkwardness flickered across his round face as he continued, "Due to the sea monster attacks, nearly all the ships in the port have been destroyed."
A flicker of pain flashed through the merchant's eyes, but he quickly forced a reassuring smile.
"But you needn't worry. The Knight Academy of the River Domain Nations won't open for nearly half a year, so if you're not in a rush, you only need to wait three months. I've already arranged for a new ship to come to Far Ocean Port, and you can board it to reach the River Domain Nations then."
He patted his chest, making a solemn promise.
"As for your accommodation, meals, and other daily expenses, I'll take care of everything. You don't need to worry about any of that. And..."
Listening to Colin's meticulous arrangements, Roland nodded in satisfaction.
Compared to Gondar's invitation, Colin's sincerity was evident.
In short, Roland only needed to travel light to the River Domain Nations; Colin would handle all other arrangements.
Given such generous terms, Roland naturally wanted to clarify what was expected in return.
"Then, Mr. Colin," Roland said, lifting his teacup and taking a sip of black tea, "what exactly would I need to do in exchange for all this?"
Seeing that Roland wasn't blinded by the generous terms, Colin frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on the lingering traces of youthful naivety in the young man's expression.
Is this young man really not even twenty yet? Colin wondered inwardly.
Recalling the information he had gathered from Darco, Colin straightened his expression and spoke solemnly.
"The conditions are simple, Mr. Roland. I merely ask that you renounce your citizenship in the Golden Valley Kingdom, join the River Domain Nations, and after graduating from the Knight Academy and mastering the Knight's Breathing Technique, serve the River Domain Nations."
"Of course, regarding this..."
Perhaps fearing Roland might misunderstand, Colin quickly added, "We would never force you to do anything against your will."
"That's all?"
"That's all."
Observing the resolute expression on Colin's face, Roland gently traced the rim of his teacup with his fingertip, lowering his head in contemplation.
After a moment, he looked up and said, "Mr. Colin, I have no objections to your proposed conditions. However, regarding further studies at the Knight Academy..."
He set down his teacup and met Colin's gaze directly.
"Forgive my bluntness, but given my current level of strength, can I truly expect to gain any substantial improvement at the Knight Academy? You must understand, I have no desire to waste my time."
"Rest assured on that point," Colin replied confidently.
Colin seemed prepared for this, responding confidently.
"At the Knight Academies of the River Domain Nations, besides the standard curriculum, there are alternative paths to graduation. However, the specific requirements..."
He paused meaningfully.
"...will need to be discussed in detail with your assigned mentor at the time."
"I understand."
Hearing this, Roland raised an eyebrow slightly before slowly rising to his feet and extending his right hand.
"Then... let's have a pleasant collaboration, Mr. Colin."
Seeing the matter settled, Colin's face lit up with a satisfied smile as he extended his own right hand.
"The same to you, Mr. Roland. May our collaboration be fruitful."
Just as the two men stood facing each other, a crisp knock suddenly broke the silence of the room.
"Mr. Colin, are you there?"
"Please wait a moment."
Colin gestured for Roland to sit, unhurriedly straightened his lapels, and then calmly replied, "Please come in."
The door swung open, revealing a familiar figure to Roland.
"Mr. Colin, the trial has begun. His Majesty Monen sent me to inform you."
The newcomer paused mid-sentence, his gaze suddenly landing on Roland's face, and his expression immediately shifted to surprise.
"Roland?"
Darco strode forward, scrutinizing Roland's complexion before patting him reassuringly on the shoulder. "It seems your injuries are healing well?"
"So-so," Roland replied with a faint smile, though he immediately noticed the unease in Darco's expression. "The trial you mentioned earlier—what's it about?"
Darco's face darkened instantly. He swallowed hard before forcing out the words, "It's about Uncle Gavin. Baron Gavin."
(End of the Chapter)
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𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝟖.𝟓𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝟏𝟒.𝟑𝐌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]