Chapter 140: The Show Begins?

Chapter 140: The Show Begins?



"Miss Jennie?" Rain was slightly surprised.

He hadn't expected Jennie to come and pick him up in person.

It seemed that the Crowley family was taking his appointment as their Ward Knight very seriously.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Rain followed Jennie and boarded the carriage.

Soon, the carriage began its slow journey towards the county city, driven by a skilled coachman, ensuring a smooth ride.

"Miss Jennie, have you heard of the 'Bat Market'?" Rain suddenly thought of something.

"The Bat Market? I've never heard of it," Jennie replied, looking a bit lost in thought, then shaking her head.

From his previous encounter, Rain judged that if not for his youth and slightly better stamina, the outcome of their fight could have gone either way.

The sound of clashing metal rang out! Both retreated a step, appearing evenly matched.

Based on their attire, most of these people were likely commoners, mercenaries, and merchants, undergoing inspections and paying the entrance fee.

Indeed, he was just a young lad.

Then, he pretended to be exhausted, leaning on his bronze warhammer and standing in the center of the field, breathing heavily.

"Oh? I thought it was just a rumor. Although a newly promoted knight can become a Crowley family's Ward Knight, as a guardian knight, shouldn't you demonstrate convincing strength?"

The two noble ladies immediately laughed and teased each other.

"I wonder which method you'll choose?"

This area seemed to be the commoner's district, and the sanitation didn't appear to be very good.

"Is that so?" Baroness Crowley glanced at Jennie, noticing her daughter's expression wasn't one of forced comfort.

Why has Rain switched to hammer techniques? And why does it seem like he's holding back?"

After seven or eight minutes, Rain noticed Stein, who had been in an intense battle, showing signs of fatigue, and his movements becoming distorted. He knew that continuing would be too obvious.

"And this is Knight Stein." Baroness Crowley pointed to the knight with the square beard on the right.

"Jennie, your taste is improving. Where did you find this handsome and strong young man? You're so lucky!"

Additionally, the weapons provided by the Crowley family were likely high-quality steel weapons, which honestly didn't meet Rain's combat needs.

Rain hadn't expected that either.

"Greetings, Knight Stein."

"Thank you, Madam. You're too kind." Rain slightly bowed and smiled.

This situation was quite normal.

Despite Rain's slightly tired expression, he seemed like he was just about to lose to Sheldon if he pushed a little harder.

As Rain rode the Crowley family's carriage towards the city gate, he noticed a long line of people entering the city, divided into two queues at the smaller side gates.

Technically, he hadn't passed the nobility ennoblement assessment yet, so he wasn't officially a noble.

"Knight Rain, let's go inside first. It's not appropriate to say such things in public."

"You're going to die, saying that in front of everyone."

Rain nodded.

The knight named Stein seemed to have less patience, and upon seeing this, he couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up:

Stein nodded, holding his sword and shield, and suddenly charged towards Rain.

This was troublesome.

The victory was assured!

If possible, Jennie didn't want Rain to kill or seriously injure them both.

Jennie smiled slightly, "Knight Rain, just as I guessed."

"You know, at my age, my stamina has declined significantly. So, fighting with you now is just right. I'm not trying to take advantage of you."

Chasing would take time!

After Rain presented the badge representing his position as the Deputy Sheriff of Shiny Gold Town, he was allowed to enter. This badge had been given to him during his previous appointment, replacing his original Night Watch Captain badge.

So, he came up with a little plan.

"Miss Jennie, if it's convenient, let's convert it to gold coins instead." Rain suggested after some thought.

Generally speaking, even with exceptional talent, a short promotion time is a significant disadvantage. Logically, the opponent should have more skill proficiency and limit-breaking experience compared to an old-timer like Knight Stein.

Stein glanced at Rain, who was smiling, and stood up angrily, leaving the center of the field.

He wanted to win and stand on the moral high ground, while also gaining some hammer technique experience.

Rain agreed to the Crowley family's request after a brief consideration.

Jennie furrowed her brows and thought for a moment, "Knight Rain, perhaps my mother might know about the 'Bat Market' you mentioned."

On the other hand, Rain felt that even social interactions required a certain level of status and identity to be meaningful.

As the carriage slowly came to a stop, Miss Jennie smiled, "We've arrived, Knight Rain. This is the Crowley family's mansion in the county city."

Through the carriage window, Rain saw an increasing number of pedestrians and carriages, and a tall, dark gray wall loomed in front of him.

"You should be exhausted by now! How can you keep going for so long?"

"Greetings, Knight Rain."

"I believe that as long as it's within Maestor County, the Crowley family can definitely help you find it.

"As Stein stepped aside, he whispered something to Sheldon, the Knight by his side."

The price of a good weapon speaks volumes.

When they were halfway through the journey, Jennie seemed to remember something and said to Rain, "Oh, Lord Rain, according to tradition, after becoming the Crowley Family's Guardian Knight, we will provide you with a set of knight's plate armor, a corresponding weapon, and a warhorse."

No way!

Indeed, with age comes a decline in stamina.

Before the match, Rain had already handed over the sheepskin-wrapped Radiant Greatsword and some other items to Jennie for safekeeping.

Rain raised an eyebrow, as he had promised Lady Crowley, and he had also taken money from the carriage, so he naturally wanted to get things done for them.

His acting skills were so impressive that this Knight Sheldon quickly asked for a sparring match.

It seemed that the 'Bat Market' was quite hidden and not the kind of place that anyone could enter.

Jennie was also looking at the ongoing battle with a puzzled expression.

Since Sheldon had already run out of stamina, Rain naturally didn't plan to continue the 'act' any further.

Lately, he had been a bit tight on funds. The three hundred Imperial Gold he brought to the Habsburg Manor yesterday was almost spent, mainly on the knight's weapons and armor, which were expensive.

Rain suddenly thought that perhaps these two could be excellent experience-gaining NPCs.

The training ground in the Crowley Baron Family's mansion wasn't large, occupying only a few hundred square meters. It didn't have a racetrack, likely due to the mansion's location within the Maestor County City. Land in the city was extremely valuable, and even nobles were reluctant to use it for racetracks.

"I feel, how should I put it... Lord Rain seems to be deliberately showing weakness to the enemy, but I don't know why he's doing this," Jennie said softly to Lady Crowley.

"What do you say, Lord Rain? Would you mind demonstrating your skills on the training ground? I can be your mock enemy," Stein said, seemingly making a reasonable suspicion but with a hint of provocation.

On this trip, Rain had planned to visit the 'Bat Market' to look for wizardry items and ingredients mentioned in the 'Beast Taming Diary.'

It seemed that the recent battle was long enough for the system to reward a significant amount of experience.

The ground was spacious and clean, and the walls of each villa were adorned with carefully cultivated greenery and flowers.

Why was this happening? Shouldn't Rain have defeated Stein decisively to establish his authority?

"I heard that Lord Rain has only recently entered the Extraordinary realm?"

"If even she doesn't know, I can ask my friends."

Lady Crowley, standing beside Rain, tightened her grip on his hand.

However, this Knight Sheldon seemed a bit shameless.

[You have experienced a battle. Knight (Extraordinary) Occupation Experience +22]



After all, the two had served the Crowley Family for many years and had no rebellious thoughts. Instead, they coveted the Crowley Family's beauty and wealth.

The uncensored version is available on 69shu.com! 6=9+shu_bar original novel.

But the longswords suitable for intense combat, like the half-swords used by the Night Watch, were ten times more expensive. Each one required four to five Imperial Gold coins.

"Is that Lady Crowley? I didn't expect her to have a taste for young men. Tsk, tsk."

Apparently, she was annoyed that Stein had so quickly requested a match with Rain. She had expected it to happen in the afternoon or later.

Damn, seeing the young meat, he just had to stick to it? What a slut! And he's acting pure in front of me.

[Your skill, Tokkar Hammer Technique, has improved. Experience +67]



Rain waved his hand, interrupting Lady Crowley's words.

It made sense; the previous battle had drained the stamina of an experienced knight.

Immediately, the two began to spar.

At that moment, many noble ladies watching from the sidelines whispered and chatted among themselves after witnessing Rain's performance.

The system prompt appeared:

Especially Jennie's close friend, Agatha Wiggins, rushed to Jennie's side and said:

This experience gain was even higher than Stein's!

Lady Crowley's chest, white and lofty, brushed against Rain's arm with every step she took.

Rain smiled and said, "Thank you, Miss Jennie."

Rain's agreement made Sheldon's face light up with joy.

This instantly improved Rain's mood.

He hadn't expected the money to arrive even before he officially became the Crowley Family's Guardian Knight.

"That's impossible!"

Upon hearing Rain's direct agreement, Stein couldn't help but feel surprised.

Since it was the case, Rain didn't intend to waste any more time with these two.

Ordinary militia iron swords were available for just a few silver coins, and every blacksmith in the small towns could forge them.

The onlookers weren't fools; after watching two matches, they also noticed something amiss.

Moreover, they were all young and beautiful women in uniforms.

Meanwhile, Rain was delighted to see the system prompt:

This made the two knights standing nearby exchange glances, their eyes filled with resentment and a certain longing.

A simple matter like this fully demonstrated the privileges of nobility.

Fortunately, he wasn't truly exhausted, and his strategy was quite successful, as he had managed to provoke the older, bald-headed knight to take action.

"Knight Sheldon, hello."

In his mind, this newly promoted young knight should be weaker than Stein.

Jennie thought for a long time but couldn't understand why Rain did this.

"Agatha, don't talk nonsense. Rain is our family's new Ward Knight, and it has nothing to do with me. My mother found him," Jennie said, blushing slightly, understanding her best friend's implied meaning.

He just needed to quickly demonstrate his strength and fulfill Baroness Crowley's request.

"If Sir Rain doesn't mind, it would be my honor," Stein said insincerely.

The bald-headed knight Sheldon, drenched in sweat, was already panting heavily, but he realized he still hadn't defeated Rain. He roared in frustration.

After the sparring, Rain asked Baroness Crowley if he could visit the County City's Supply Office.

This delighted Rain.

"Clang!!"

However, there was a hiring ceremony and banquet at the Crowley Family Manor in the evening, which Rain had to attend.

Rain nodded.

As soon as he entered the supply room, Rain noticed that it was several times larger than the one in Shiny Gold Town. There were four or five clerical staff members working inside.

After a moment's thought, Rain remembered that these were probably the two family knights that Baroness Crowley had mentioned earlier.

As soon as he got off the carriage, Rain saw the voluptuous Baroness Crowley, accompanied by two tall knights and five or six servants, waiting inside the manor's entrance. When she saw Rain, a smile appeared on her beautiful face, and she said, "Sir Rain, welcome to the Crowley Family!"

After all, unlike Jennie, she hadn't witnessed Rain's defeat of Andrews and the other Black Flame Adepts.

"Mother, there's no need to worry too much."

As he spoke, he also gave Jennie an ambiguous glance.

Many of the invited guests, including some barons, earls, and their heirs or representatives who were on good terms with the Crowley Family, naturally came to the training ground upon hearing the news of a sparring match between formal knights.

Hmm? Rain looked at Jennie in surprise.

Then, the older bald-headed knight Sheldon slowly walked forward with a smile and said, "Sir Rain, I'd like to join in as well. I hope you don't mind an old man like me."

Although both Jennie and the Baroness wanted Rain to stay at the manor and socialize more with the guests, Rain wasn't interested.

【Your skill, Tokkar Hammer Technique, has improved. Experience Points +79】

"Of course, you can also choose to receive gold coins as compensation."

【You have engaged in a battle. Knight (Extraordinary) Profession Experience Points +26】

Therefore, Jennie hoped that Rain would intimidate the two knights.

"Sir Rain, youth is an advantage. Your stamina is better than mine. Otherwise, it might be difficult to determine the winner of this match," Stein said, clearly dissatisfied despite his defeat.

Baroness Crowley, who was watching from the sidelines, felt a bit anxious when she saw this. She tightened her grip on Jennie's hand, seemingly worried that Rain would agree to the sparring match, Rain had already dismounted and was chatting with Baroness Crowley.

"Hmm! This Rain is quite skilled. He's evenly matched with Stein." The older Sheldon Knight narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking to himself.

Nobles usually equipped such large training grounds with a racetrack in their suburban estates.

However, he keenly sensed that the two knights beside Baroness Crowley didn't seem welcoming and even showed hints of hostility towards his arrival.

He had many questions in his mind!

Especially for high-quality weapons and armor, their value was ten times or even several dozen times that of ordinary weapons.

As for warhorses, Rain, in his current role as Deputy Sheriff, could use the 'Official Chariot'—warhorses kept in the Administrative Hall's stables.

At this moment, the beautiful Baroness Crowley took the initiative and walked forward, holding Rain's left hand and leading him inside.

As the carriage entered the city, Rain saw bustling shops and streets that seemed livelier than Shiny Gold Town.

"Sir Rain, allow me to introduce you to Knight Sheldon of the Crowley Family." Baroness Crowley slightly raised her hand, indicating the bald-headed knight on her left.

After all, even a well-intentioned lie would soon be exposed by the upcoming sparring match.

Rain rode in a carriage arranged by the Crowley Family to the Supply Office in the northern part of the city.

On the training ground.

Because when the first match ended, Rain seemed to have exhausted his stamina, but now, after the second match, Rain was full of energy as he walked off the field, chatting with Baroness Crowley.

"Stein, you're being rude. Sir Rain just arrived," Baroness Crowley scolded angrily.

Rain couldn't possibly tell Jennie that he was 'grinding for experience'.

Jennie had also expressed her thoughts about these two family knights to Rain during the ride.

Jennie made a good point; indeed, he might have underestimated the depth and power of a noble family.

After saying this, Rain struck Sheldon with a hammer, ending the match.

However, Jennie knew that Rain was most likely 'acting', although she didn't understand the purpose of his actions.

The two moved extremely fast. Among the onlookers, only those with a certain level of strength could follow the action; many nobles, especially the ladies, could only hear the sounds of the fight.

This is because as Ryan's mental energy increased and his 'Danger Sense' reached Master Level 3, he could easily discern the obvious hostile gazes.

"Yes, Knight Stein, I've only entered the Extraordinary realm for less than half a month," Ryan nodded and replied casually.

If he were to raise a warhorse himself, one is that there's no stable at home, and the second is that taking care of the horse is actually quite a hassle.

Ryan's carriage headed straight for the main gate, and upon seeing the Crowley family's emblem on the carriage, the spearmen guards at the gate promptly granted passage.

Ryan smiled slightly and didn't pay attention to this defeated subordinate's grumbling, as if he hadn't heard the dissatisfaction in Stein's tone.

As for the refined greatsword Ryan had used before, it was worth two to thirty Imperial Gold coins.

Tsk tsk!

He agreed so quickly to the stimulation.

Soon, the group arrived at the training ground behind the villa.

After all, this was a request made by the Crowley family themselves, and as a Ward Knight, he didn't need to do too much, even if something happened later, it would be the Crowley family's own business.

Upon seeing the two family knights for the first time, Ryan carefully observed them and found that their strength was quite average.

However, Ryan could vaguely sense some strange odors, seemingly a mixture of human excrement and other foul smells, which caused him to frown.

This was his first time coming to the county city, and the city's name was Myester, while the entire Myester County was named after this city, and many counties in the Dragon Empire were like this.

Similarly surprised were Jennie and the bald knight next to her.

This bald knight was at least forty years old, but he had a tall and sturdy figure, still possessing a certain degree of intimidation.

"Being able to exchange combat experiences with Knight Stein is also what I look forward to," Ryan responded with a smile.

They couldn't see the two figures clearly, only hearing the 'ding ding dang' sound of weapons clashing.

They heard Ryan say in the center of the field: "Since Knight Sheldon has this interest, I'll naturally cooperate."

"Greetings, Sir Ryan," Ryan smiled and said.

Ryan smiled and said, "Perhaps, as Knight Stein just said, I'm young, so my stamina is better."

"Sir Ryan, won't you change into a set of knight armor?" Stein narrowed his eyes, looking at Ryan in his plate armor and said.

So fast? The meat scene is coming?

So, Ryan seized one of Stein's unsteady steps and knocked him down with a hammer.

In this case, he could still take the time to go to the County City Supply Office, perhaps, he could also go and inquire about the 'Bat Market'.

As for why gold coins?

The carriage continued to travel for about half an hour, passing through one left turn and two right turns, arriving at a villa district, where the environment was clearly much better than the civilian area they had seen upon entering the city.

Seemingly not wanting to give Ryan time to recover his stamina, as soon as Sheldon entered the field, he charged at Ryan with a hammer and shield, unleashing his full power.

It must be said that this feeling of being valued by others was still quite good.

Therefore, according to reason, Stein defeating his opponent shouldn't have taken too much effort.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the outskirts of Myester County City.

Five minutes later.

Ryan and Stein stood in the center of the field, only this time Ryan held a bronze warhammer instead of the radiant greatsword.

However, after Sheldon's fierce attack, he found Ryan's defense to be as solid as a rock.

This was because Ryan's weapon was basically already taken care of, and the radiant greatsword was currently strapped to his back, while the double-handed warhammer, though not yet forged, had its raw material, bloodstained steel ingots, already prepared.

As a result, the battle turned out to be beyond Sheldon's expectations, becoming a stalemate, seemingly turning into a contest of who had better stamina.

Ryan shook his head slightly, "No need, just this one."

As for armor, Ryan currently did lack a set of knight plate armor, but he had already thought of how to handle it.

"Thank you, Miss Jennie," Ryan immediately stopped declining and thanked her after receiving it.

Thinking of yesterday's harvest at the Habsburg Manor, Ryan couldn't help but smile.

Ryan had a small inner monologue.

As for the most spacious main gate, it was empty, even with several carriages coming and going, they only stopped briefly.

Even now, in the Frost Month, there were still many frost-resistant flowers blooming, very beautiful.

The County City Supply Office was located next to the City Guard camp, responsible for the city's internal defense forces, including the City Guard, Night Watch, and Deputy Sheriffs, handling merit point exchanges.

Additionally, Ryan had previously inquired about the market with Hamilton, and to be honest, the price was higher than he had expected.

"Oh? Is Sir Stein thinking of sparring with me?"

Jennie immediately opened a brown wooden box next to her, taking out a heavy leather purse, "Sir Ryan, this is your annual compensation, 200 Imperial Gold coins."

It gave him a feeling similar to the government offices of his previous life.

Yesterday, on the last day of Frost Month, Donkey Hoof directly harvested nearly 200 monthly votes, which really surprised me.

I'm truly grateful for the support of all the reader lords, so powerful! Also, seeking monthly votes for the first day of March.

(`) Heart!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end