Rein, who was still basking in the aftermath of the recent battle, couldn’t help but turn his head in confusion upon hearing what Hamilton had said.
Hamilton looked around and said, “Come, let’s go talk about this matter in the office.”
Rein nodded, naturally agreeing to it.
After Hamilton and the other two had left, the entire training ground was like a hot pot that had just had a bucket of cold water poured into it, immediately boiling over!
“Rein has actually become a formal knight at such a young age! Such knightly talent must be rare even in the County Town, right?”
“Yes! Have we ever seen such a young knight like Rein in Flashgold Town before?”
“The last one, Vasiliy, seemed to be eighteen years old!”
“…..”
In the office.
The three men sat facing each other. Connor was still smiling as he sized up Rein, as if looking at a raw gemstone that had just been unearthed.
Hamilton, however, wore a serious expression and said earnestly to Rein, “Rein, you need to start preparing for something in advance, the ennoblement examination of the empire.”
“The ennoblement examination of the empire?” Rein asked, slightly puzzled.
After becoming a Transcendent, isn’t one directly ennobled by the empire as a knight, the lowest level of nobility?
Why is there a need for an examination? Rein thought to himself.
As if understanding the confusion on Rein’s face, Hamilton did not keep him in suspense and continued to explain:
“If you are a legitimate heir of a noble family, you can indeed bypass this step and be directly ennobled by the empire. However, for illegitimate heirs, commoners who are promoted, and outsiders who pledge allegiance, a contribution to the empire must be made before they can have the opportunity to be ennobled.”
Rein nodded; he understood. The empire offers you the treatment of a noble, naturally requiring you to make corresponding contributions. Otherwise, unless your ancestors had earned great merit, where could you find such a good deal that offers benefits without work?
“Of course, some newly-promoted knights with lesser strength choose to pledge loyalty to some great nobles and become knights for noble families, but I think, you will definitely not choose this path,” continued Hamilton.
Rein nodded in agreement.
If one can actively choose the big tree to rely on, it is naturally best to choose the thickest one; after all, no nobility can compare to the mighty empire, the tallest tree.
Be it providing all kinds of rare resources, uncommon combat skills, or secret knowledge, the officialdom of the Dragan Empire is always the strongest within its territory.
“So, Lord Hamilton, do you mean to say that this empire ennoblement examination is difficult or has a threshold?” Rein pondered for a moment and then spoke up.
“Correct!”
“If you are a noble scion, simply becoming a Transcendent is enough to register for the ennoblement examination.”
“But for a commoner, this matter is much more troublesome.”
“First of all, you need to submit an application to the ennoblement examination committee under the Council of Elders, who will review your background and past to confirm that you are not a spy or from some hostile forces.”
“Secondly, you need to hold a position or carry out tasks in the official departments of the empire and gradually accumulate Merit Points. Only when your Merit Points exceed 1000 can you qualify to apply for the examination.”
“As for you, Rein, there’s no need to worry about the application part. If you agree, I will submit your application when the time comes. Additionally, you are already serving with the Night Watchmen. So, from this perspective, you are already half a step ahead of others.”
“Thank you, my lord. What is my current Merit Points total?”
“324 points, which already includes the points for eradicating the secret base of the Black Flame Church,” Hamilton announced the number right away.
Still lacking nearly two-thirds, it appears that gathering 1000 Merit Points is not so simple.
After all, the simpler the tasks, the fewer the Merit Points awarded. And the more dangerous the tasks, although the rewards are much greater, they come with the risk of life and death, whether they are worth it is for one to weigh. Rein mused to himself.
However, there were still a few questions in his mind that Rein felt he needed to clarify.
“My lord, what does the ennoblement examination typically involve? Or rather, what is the exam content?” Rein inquired.
“Generally, it involves completing a certain mission. It could be for several people or for an individual. The performance of every participant in the mission will be recorded and submitted to the ennoblement examination committee for judgment,” explained Hamilton.
After a moment’s thought, Hamilton added, “You can think of the mission where you killed the Black Flame monk and rescued the children as a kind of examination task. Of course, there are differences, with the most important being the evaluation.”
“With a high enough evaluation, you might be directly granted the title of Baron, otherwise that of a knight, which is just above the passing line,” Hamilton explained.
Rein, having listened to the explanation, displayed a contemplative expression, realizing that different performances led to different evaluations.
“That’s not right! Wouldn’t it be better to take the examination later? After all, more time for training means higher strength,” Rein immediately spotted an inconsistency.
“Then why does Lord Hamilton want me to prepare and participate as soon as possible?” Rein questioned the apparent inconsistency.
At this point, Colonel Connor, who had been listening for a while, spoke up with a smile, “Do you find it a bit perplexing why Hamilton is urging you to hurry?”
Rein nodded and said, “Indeed, I do have such a doubt. Isn’t it more appropriate to have greater strength for the evaluation?”
“That is because age is also an important factor affecting the evaluation,” Connor said with a smile.
“Moreover, Hamilton didn’t mention a very important reason. It’s about the invitation to the ‘Sword Bearers’ of the empire, which is only issued to those who obtain the rank of Baron or higher.”
“At this time, the advantage of age becomes very crucial.”
‘Sword Bearer’?
This seemed to touch on yet another blind spot in Rein’s knowledge.
Seeing the somewhat bewildered look on Rein’s face, Colonel Connor added:
“Sword Bearer, Rein, you can understand it as a privileged organization spanning the entire empire with an extremely wide coverage. If you can join, you’ll leap beyond just the Meister County, even beyond Mingster Province.”
“You will come into contact with a far broader world!”
This couldn’t help but stir a slight movement in Rein’s heart. Could he come into contact with a broader world?
Naturally, that would be good.
At that moment, Hamilton continued after Connor, saying:
“Therefore, most newly advanced knights, in the interest of stability, choose to gradually increase their Merit Points. Usually taking two to three years, they’ll amass the 1,000 points needed to participate in the ennoblement assessment, aiming to pass and obtain the knightly title and honor.”
“But Rein, I think with your talent, it would be a true waste to do so!”
“‘Sword Bearer’! When I was young, I too strived and struggled toward this goal, but the gap in talent ultimately led to my defeat,” Hamilton reminisced, unable to help but sigh.
“Of course, Rein, the final decision on this matter has to be your own.”
“Connor and I are merely informing you of this opportunity, and we both feel that it would be a tremendous pity for such great talent not to give it a try.”
Rein nodded, saying, “Thank you both for informing me of such important news.”
After a moment of thought, without much hesitation, Rein stated, “If there’s a chance to experience a broader world, then… I should definitely take a look.”
The moment Rein uttered these words, Hamilton immediately burst into laughter, his eyes showing increasing admiration as he said:
“Alright, if there are any tasks that come up with high merit rewards, I’ll keep an eye out for you. Rein, just wait for my message.”
“Also, I’ll arrange for someone else to take over the Night Watch’s night patrol duties.”
“It’s quite unexpected—no sooner had I appointed you as captain of the Night Watch than you stepped into the Transcendent today!”
“In that case… be my deputy for now. As for your application for the deputy sheriff of Flashgold Town, I will file it with the County Town tomorrow.” Hamilton was clearly in a good mood, offering proactively.
“Then, my thanks to you, Lord Hamilton,” Rein said earnestly.
…
By the time Rein left Hamilton’s office, it was already evening.
Rein took a deep breath and gazed at the small town gradually lighting up with lanterns and lamps.
The nightscape of Flashgold Town had not changed, but he himself was markedly different from when he had arrived.
Or rather, Rein, having stepped into the Transcendent, had taken the first step toward taking control of his own destiny.
When Rein returned home, he was greeted by the tantalizing aroma of food—the scent of dinner being prepared by his mother, Emma.
“Brother, you’re back!” Bo He, who had been playing with their spaniel ‘Cookie,’ ran over happily and hugged Rein enthusiastically upon seeing him enter.
However, seemingly sensing something, Bo He let go and looked up at Rein with a puzzled expression, saying, “Brother, how come you feel different than before?”
“It’s like… you’re glowing all over.”
The child’s keen perception had immediately noticed the strong life force emanating from Rein, though she didn’t know how to articulate it or what it meant.
Hearing the commotion of Rein’s return, Lagaray and Anna came down from upstairs.
Upon hearing Bo He’s remark, they began to size up Rein.
Anna, too, felt that Rein had changed, but she couldn’t pinpoint how.
But Lagaray was different; her eyes suddenly widened with shock as she pointed at Rein and exclaimed, “Rein, you… you’ve become Transcendent?”
At this, the entire family’s attention focused on Rein, even his mother Emma peeked out from the kitchen, looking at him.
Rein touched his head, smiled, and said, “By luck! This afternoon, I took a Magic Potion at Lord Hamilton’s place, and I’ve successfully stepped into the Transcendent!”
“Clang!” Emma’s ladle fell to the ground, her whole body shaking like she had been struck by lightning, a flush creeping over her face as she looked as if she were about to faint from excitement.
Rein quickly stepped forward to steady her.
Original content from M-VL-em|p,yr
Old Rein, with a bottle in hand, was shaking as if he had Parkinson’s, mumbling with his lips, trying to say something but not knowing where to start.
Anna watched Rein with large eyes fluttering, a complex expression on her face.
That night, old Rein drank himself into a stupor!