Chapter 118: A Pleasant Surprise
Chapter 118: A Pleasant Surprise
"Sir Rain, if you are interested in me, I wouldn't object," said the beautiful noblewoman, her fair skin blushing slightly as she spoke, adding a touch of allure to her already captivating appearance.
This statement immediately shocked Rain, who felt a surge of heat rising from his lower abdomen, leaving him with a dry mouth and parched throat.
At this moment, Rain truly felt the openness of the nobility regarding sexual matters. As long as the interests were aligned, many previously unimaginable things could become a reality. Rain, being a normal man, couldn't deny that he felt a certain temptation.
If Rain hadn't known about the existence of the 'Swordbearer' and the details of the Imperial Knight's examination, he might have seriously considered the offer. However, he was certain that he wouldn't choose the path of becoming a son-in-law.
Suppressing the restlessness within, Rain calmed his emotions and said, "Madam, it's impossible for me to become your son-in-law. However, your kindness has overwhelmed me. If the Crowley family encounters any difficulties that are within my capabilities, I will not hesitate to lend my assistance."
Upon hearing this, Madam Crowley couldn't hide her disappointment. She had heard such flattering words countless times at noble gatherings, and no one would take them seriously.
Ever since her husband passed away due to an unusual illness, the Crowley family had been without a direct bloodline knight. The two middle-aged knight retainers, in their forties and fifties, had harbored ill intentions towards her and her daughter after the death of Baron Crowley. Therefore, she was in dire need of finding a capable official knight.
The newly knighted Rain, with his commoner background and exceptional talent, was one of her best choices. This was the reason why Madam Crowley had rushed over from the county city early in the morning.
In the entire Minster County, newly knighted commoners were indeed rare, but it was unlikely that he was the only one in a month.
Most newly knighted commoners had mediocre abilities, making Rain's exceptional talent truly rare.
"This is truly regrettable."
"Sir Rain, would you consider becoming the Crowley family's Guardian Knight? We are willing to provide annual funds for the maintenance and procurement of your armor, weapons, and horses."
Fearing that Rain might refuse again, Madam Crowley quickly added, "Sir Rain, you would only need to lend a hand when the Crowley family faces danger. During the rest of the time, we wouldn't disturb your cultivation."
Seeing Madam Crowley's expectant gaze, Rain pondered for a moment and chose his words carefully, "But there are some dangers that the Crowley family might encounter that I may not be able to resolve, so..."
"Of course, if we require Sir Rain's assistance, it would only be when the Crowley family faces a crisis. We wouldn't bother you otherwise."
Rain, now a knight with exceptional strength, had not yet received an Imperial Knight's examination, so he wasn't officially a noble. However, the fact that a baroness was addressing him with such respect allowed him to experience the changes that came with his newfound strength.
After some thought, Rain nodded and said, "Alright, Madam, your sincerity has moved me. I am willing to become the Crowley family's Guardian Knight. How about we set the term for two years?"
Rain was familiar with the concept of Guardian Knights, as Sheriff Hamilton had explained it to him before. When a knight possessed exceptional strength, many families would seek to have that knight become their Guardian Knight.
Sometimes, the mere presence of a powerful Guardian Knight could serve as a deterrent, ensuring a small family's long-term stability.
Similarly, during this process, the Guardian Knight would receive support from the family in various aspects.
Whether this arrangement was beneficial or not depended on one's perspective.
"Of course, Sir Rain. This is truly wonderful news!" Madam Crowley said with delight.
"In that case, Sir Rain, when are you available? Please allow the Crowley family to hold a small ceremony to celebrate your decision."
"Hmm? A ceremony isn't necessary," Rain frowned slightly, not wanting to waste time on social gatherings or ceremonies.
"Please, we insist. After all, becoming the Crowley family's Guardian Knight is not a trivial matter. Moreover, we need your presence to deter those who harbor ill intentions towards the Crowley family."
"Alright, but not today. Let's set it for next week," Rain decided, thinking that since he had agreed, he might as well go through with the formalities.
"Great, then it's settled for next week," Madam Crowley breathed for next week." Hearing Rain's next week," Madam Crowley sighed in relief upon hearing Rain's agreement. Just having Rain make an appearance would be a powerful deterrent to the two knights with ulterior motives.
"By the way, Sir Rain, if you have any needs, please don't hesitate to contact the Crowley family," Madam Crowley added, clearly in high spirits.
Just as Rain was about to take his leave, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"By the way, Madam, I have a small favor to ask. I wonder if you could help me with it."
"Of course, Sir Rain, please go ahead."
"Upon hearing that Rain had a request for her, the Lady couldn't help but eagerly say, "I was hoping you'd have something for me to help with. This way, I can deepen my connection and maintain a good relationship with a young knight like you, who has a promising future."
Rain took out a piece of paper he had prepared earlier and handed it to the Baroness Crowley.
The Lady took it and curiously examined it, but her blank expression revealed that she didn't recognize the script.
Just as Rain was about to speak, Miss Jenny, who had been silent beside the Lady, leaned over to look at the paper and exclaimed, "Is this Spirit Script?"
"Oh! Miss Jenny, do you know this script?" Rain asked, his heart skipping a beat.
"Well, Rain, I haven't specifically studied this script, but I have a basic understanding. There's a book in our family library that introduces it, so I was able to recognize it," Miss Jenny explained.
"Oh, there's a book? Can I borrow it?" Rain asked, his eyes lighting up with hope.
"Of course. I'll help you find it when we get back," Miss Jenny agreed with a nod.
Rain nodded, surprised by this unexpected turn of events. He hadn't anticipated finding the solution right outside his doorstep. They agreed to have the book delivered in two days, and Rain bid farewell to the Baroness Crowley and Miss Jenny before leaving the carriage.
After getting off the carriage, Rain continued on his way to the town's administrative hall.
Upon arriving at the hall, Rain, having already found a way to learn the unknown script, didn't rush to Sheriff Hamilton's office. Instead, he took a detour to the training ground.
The first thing Rain noticed was that the wall of the training ground, which had a large hole from the previous day's incident, had already been repaired. The efficiency of the town's administrative hall was indeed commendable.
As Rain approached, several Night Watch members who were training stopped what they were doing and gathered around him. Rain was known for his easygoing nature, making him approachable, but more importantly, he had reached the Extraordinary rank.
Rain could be said to have risen through the ranks after joining the Night Watch, witnessed by his fellow members. This naturally fostered a sense of camaraderie among them.
"Rain, you're here! I thought you might not come back," one of them said.
"Yes, now that you're a knight, we should address you as Sir Rain. Haha," Mateo, the short one, laughed.
Rain looked at his colleagues' smiling faces. While there might have been some flattery, it was human nature to admire strength, so he couldn't fault them.
After greeting everyone, Rain asked for their help, explaining that he wanted to test his reactions. He requested that several colleagues shoot arrows at him simultaneously.
In truth, Rain had a different motive. He wanted to confirm his suspicion from the previous day.
After seeing the knight profession experience gained from the system prompt after the battle, Rain had a hunch that upon reaching the Extraordinary rank, he would no longer gain experience from non-Extraordinary opponents.
"All four of you, shoot at me with all your might! Use combat arrows, and don't stop unless I tell you to," Rain instructed.
The others hesitated for a moment but then nodded.
"Now that you're a knight and wearing armor, combat arrows won't be a problem. But be careful; if you get injured by our arrows, it would be embarrassing," Mateo joked.
"Yes, remember to give it your all! If you manage to injure me, I'll treat everyone to a glass of tequila at the Oak Tavern tonight," Rain laughed.
"Haha, great! Let's not disappoint our knight," Mateo, the short one, chuckled.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
As soon as Rain stood in the center of the training ground, arrows flew towards him like a barrage of bullets.
After becoming a knight and gaining attribute boosts, Rain didn't need to activate his Limit Break. He effortlessly dodged most of the arrows, and used his Plate Gauntlets to deflect the few that came his way.
After several tests, Rain waved his hand, signaling Mateo and the others to stop.
As expected, the test results confirmed Rain's suspicions. When fighting against Mateo and the others, he had gained some experience before, but now, as a knight, he no longer triggered experience gain prompts.
After several tests, he only occasionally gained +1 experience points twice.
Clearly, if Rain wanted to efficiently earn knight profession experience, he would need to find Extraordinary-level opponents.
With this in mind, Rain's face lit up with a smile. It seemed he had no choice but to seek help from Sheriff Hamilton.
However, as soon as Rain entered Sheriff Hamilton's office, Hamilton looked up and said, "Rain, you've come at the right time. I was just about to send someone to find you."
Before Rain could ask any questions, Hamilton handed him a thin parchment bounty order.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
