Chapter 235: Observations

Chapter 235: Observations



Ren looked up and saw a group of Temple Knights surrounding Archdeacon Rudolf, who was about to arrive at the estate's entrance.

Without hesitation, Ren stepped forward and said with a smile, "Archdeacon Rudolf, why go through the trouble of coming here in person?"

Archdeacon Rudolf smiled warmly at the young man before him, secretly thinking to himself that he hadn't expected Ren's progress to be so rapid in just a few months. Now, even he couldn't fathom the depths of Ren's abilities.

"Baron Ren, I've been entrusted by Bishop Shane to come and see you off. I hope you can successfully join the Imperial Swordmasters this time and bring glory to Maister County."

"Oh, and Baron Ren, here's a personal letter from Bishop Shane. It's addressed to Sir Brandon, the Templar Knight of Minster Cathedral."

"Sir Brandon is a long-time friend of Bishop Shane. If you encounter any difficulties in Minster, you can seek help from Sir Brandon with this letter."

"Also, Sir Brandon is a renowned warhammer master within the Church. As the 'Baron Hammer' of Maister County, you should have a lot in common with him."

There were two groups of people; one group, judging by their attire, seemed similar to Ren's group, either wearing robes or knight plate armor, likely a noble or a noble's heir. The other group, after fetching water, was now preparing to set off again.

The young man was a thousand imperial gold coins, an amount that was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Standing nearby was a brightly dressed minstrel, introducing a group of youngsters, "This is the first Grand Duke of the Bavaria family over two thousand years ago, and he was also a close friend of the Imperial Emperor at the time."

"Oh, as a best friend, I have to warn you! If you're really not interested in Sir Ren, then I'm in trouble." Agatha said, her face slightly flushed.

Soon, the caravan set up camp by the lakeside.

Through the carriage window, seeing Veronica entering Sir Ren's carriage, Agatha couldn't help but nudge Janine beside her, saying, "My young lady! Your competitor has entered Sir Ren's carriage, and you don't seem to have any reaction at all?"

"So, the biggest competitors we face in the examination are not the young people who received invitations through the ennoblement examination, but the elites from the military. They have been honed in actual combat, and their extraordinary battle techniques or sorcery skills are extremely refined."

After entering the plain region, Sir Ren's group had not encountered any bandits for three consecutive days, nor had they come across any fierce wild beasts that occasionally emerged from the forest.

As Agatha climbed into the carriage, Sir Ren smiled slightly and said, "Miss Agatha, if you don't mind, I'll have Janine come over as well. She's quite bored by herself."

This time, Sir Ren was not riding his black horse but was seated in a luxurious carriage specially arranged by the beautiful lady, Jennifer.

Of course, the nobles naturally had the privilege of cutting in line.

So, the caravan quickly entered the city.

The farmers of Wales County had already started preparing for spring plowing.

At this moment, they also learned from the conversations of nearby travelers that this lake was called Calm Lake, one of the famous lakes in the provincial capital, Minster.

Half an hour later, the caravan arrived at the city gate.

The twin-tailed maiden gazed at the scene with bright eyes, thinking to herself that Sir Ren seemed to have a deep connection with the Goddess Church.

The group's gaze fell upon Sir Ren, then paused on the three women. One of the women, clad in leather armor, muttered, "Who do they think they are, coming here for the examination? They must be the offspring of some high noble."

"I heard from the grapevine that there's a young man with exceptional strength in this ennoblement examination. It's said that he's pulled far ahead of the second-place candidate in terms of scores."

In terms of security, it seemed that the closer one got to Minster, the better the conditions became.

Sir Ren's gaze shifted to the massive city gate, which had one large gate and two smaller ones, totaling three gates.

After all, Agatha had once helped him collect spirit texts, and the Vigen family was currently a shareholder of the Iron Hammer and Rose Commerce.

"What do you mean?" Janine's beautiful eyes widened as she stared at her best friend in bewilderment.

"If you have any needs, you can find us at the Horizon Inn." Janine bowed slightly.

Therefore, unless it was a special situation, Sir Ren practiced the meditation technique and breathing technique every day.

Before them was a vast plain, a winding river cutting through its center, and farmers diligently tilling the land.

Although Agatha's timing was less than ideal, he couldn't very well turn her away.

Since the official roads connecting the counties were well-maintained, the road conditions were relatively better.

This immediately caught the attention of the four people in the carriage.

However, the three girls of similar age were chatting happily, so Veronica ended up joining Janine in her carriage.

After expressing their awe, the three girls were soon captivated by the vast azure lake in the distance.

He wasn't particularly worried about the preliminary examination.

Hearing Agatha's sudden decision to join Sir Ren in his carriage, although Veronica was deeply engrossed in her sorcery research, her feminine instincts quickly grasped the situation.

Starting today, until the last day of the Month of Vitality, there were twelve full days left, and Sir Ren had set aside two extra days.

Three days later, Sir Ren's group was about to leave the outskirts of Wales County and enter the territory of Minster.

"I can assure you that if Sir Ren doesn't go to Minster this time, he'll have countless noble ladies lining up to visit him every day!"

Hearing this offer, many people nearby couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

What a poor excuse. "Come in," Sir Ren thought for a moment before speaking.

Her best friend's words were a bit exaggerated, but they weren't wrong.

As the side roads merged into the main road, the traffic increased. There were both lone riders and mounted travelers, as well as caravans like Sir Ren's group.

This secret was one she had to keep buried deep within her heart.

The clear weather caused the lake surface to reflect the sky at certain angles, mirroring the deep blue sky and white clouds, creating a sense of a sky mirror.

Indeed, it was a recovery of 1 point in his constitution, bringing it back up to 29.

A knock sounded on the carriage door, followed by a familiar, crisp female voice:

A few minutes later, a noble young man strolled over with graceful strides and a smile, saying:

"Sir Ren, let's go and rest by the lake for a while." Janine was the first to speak up.

Since there were only Sir Ren and Veronica in the carriage, Sir Ren took the opportunity to voice his question.

In his previous life, there was a saying, 'Practice your punches and your words.'

"Thump, thump, thump!"

At that moment, the Bloodfeather Eagle in the air also spotted the Griffin and let out a loud cry, seemingly unafraid and eager to try its luck against the majestic creature.

Veronica's words from earlier still lingered in the air, but Ren understood her meaning clearly.

As he gazed into the distance, he noticed that the smaller paths converging onto the highway were becoming more and more numerous.

As for Miss Veronica, well, she was a formidable opponent, but the issue was that until their romantic relationship was confirmed, she still had a chance, didn't she?

"The age limit for the Imperial Swordmaster Examination is twenty-eight years old. But you may not know that for those serving the Empire, this age limit can be extended to thirty-five."

At these words, Veronica's eyes widened slightly, and her watery eyes turned to Ren, saying, "Of course."

After all, his current mental power had reached an impressive 36 points.

After the caravan passed a giant boundary marker, the road widened from its original width of about six to seven meters to over ten meters.

"I see."

"Please forgive my boldness, Your Excellency, but this hound must be a mutated ferocious beast from an ordinary Spirit Hound, right? It's so rare. Would you be willing to part with it? I'm willing to offer one thousand imperial gold coins."

"Of course, it's just to obtain the qualification for the examination. Whether or not I can enter still depends on my performance during the test. However, I'm quite confident about that," Veronica said, waving her small, fair fist with confidence.

Upon hearing Janine's words, Agatha rolled her eyes dramatically.

However, women's intuition in certain matters was very sensitive.

After a while, a middle-aged man dressed as a guard approached, holding a dark bottle in his hands, seemingly filled with fine wine.

Matteo couldn't help but recall Ren's frail figure from half a year ago when he first joined the Night Watch in Flashgold Town. Now, looking at Ren again, he felt like he was seeing a completely different person.

The lake was right next to the road, not far from the caravan.

Janine's beautiful eyes glanced at her friend, thinking, "What reaction can I have? Baron Ren is already my mother's boyfriend. What reaction should I have? But this secret, I can't reveal it, not even to my best friend."

Seeing her friend's dreamy expression, Janine placed her delicate hand on her smooth forehead and said with a hint of exasperation, "If you want to go, then go. Don't get all lovestruck here!"

Ren even sensed it several times—a couple of Wizard Apprentices riding their fast horses and swiftly passing by his carriage, their faint mental power fluctuations were not hidden from his perception.

"For the stability of Minster Province, you have made an outstanding contribution."

If most of Maister County's territory was located in the hilly region, then as they approached the central area of Wales County, the surroundings began to transform into a plain.

Archdeacon Rudolf smiled as he pulled out a book sealed with red wax from his bosom and handed it to Ren.

"What I mean is, do you need to arrive earlier?"

"Also, Baron Ren is so tall and handsome. Sometimes, just looking at him makes me feel..." Agatha's face flushed as she spoke, and her fair, round legs under her skirt couldn't help but squeeze together.

The group set off immediately.

Noticing Ren's puzzled look, Agatha smiled and explained, "The Templar Knight is a specialized title within the Church for combat-oriented Grand Knights."

At this moment, there were three luxurious carriages in the entire caravan—one for Janine and Agatha, one for Ren, and the other for Veronica, which she had brought from Rosby County.

"Janine, don't you know how popular your Baron Ren is in the county town lately?"

Hearing Ren's words, Agatha glanced at Veronica and felt a bit down, but she had no choice but to nod and say, "Of course, Baron Ren."

By the campfire, another group of young people heard that Ren was also participating in the Imperial Swordmaster Examination and couldn't help but look over in surprise.

Has and the others exchanged hearty pats and waved goodbye to Jennifer.

After listening to Agatha's explanation, Janine nodded woodenly.

According to the map, Maister County and the provincial capital of Minster were separated by Wales County. In other words, Ren and his group only needed to cross Wales County to reach the territory of the provincial capital, Minster.

"Tsk, tsk, Baron Ren's strength is getting stronger, and even the strength of the hound and eagle by his side has surpassed mine!"

As the group gradually approached the massive city built against the mountain, Ren could see the gigantic raptor soaring high in the sky.

Hearing Janine's outright refusal, Agatha looked at her friend, studied her carefully, and said, "Janine, I think something's not right with you."

The sound seemed to convey surprise rather than an attack.

The noble hunter, dressed in hunting attire, looked at Ren and his group with a rather surprised expression.

In the afternoon, Veronica came to Ren's carriage, ostensibly to discuss the examination details.

Ren smiled, shook his head, and said, "I'm sorry, 'Cookie' is my partner."

"Thank you, but no need!"

"Alas!"

Soon, it was time to depart. Ren bid farewell to his teary-eyed mother, Emma, his father, Old Ren, and his sister, Mint.

This was more or less what he had expected.

"A Templar Knight?"

"My mentor wanted me to join the Imperial Navy's Tide Riders after a while. But last time I heard that you were going to take the Imperial Swordmaster Examination, so..."

Hearing Ren's question, Veronica couldn't help but giggle.

Six days later, Ren noticed that the surroundings along the road gradually began to change.

"There was a time when you were quite smitten with Sir Ren, weren't you? But lately, you seem rather distant."

Occasionally, there were also noble knights passing by.

"That's... a griffin?" Veronica, standing beside him, also spotted the raptor in the sky. As an expert on birds, she immediately recognized it as a griffin.

"Yes," Ren nodded. This was the second time he had seen a griffin.

A Level 3 Wizard Apprentice from the Ubreck Academy? Interesting. After a brief rest, the caravan continued on its journey.

"Honorable sirs and ladies, this is a gift from my father for all of you, a vintage Bordeaux wine from Wales County."

"Although the invitation for Swordbearers is more challenging, Master Einious still managed to secure one for me."

Seeing the joy and longing on the three ladies' faces, Ren immediately agreed.

The small side doors were likely for pedestrians or single riders, while the caravan entered through the main gate, which was arched and approximately fifteen meters high and seven or eight meters wide.

Since it was a rest stop, Ren naturally allowed Matteo to let Cookie, the Spirit Hound, out to enjoy the fresh air.

The majestic city before them must have been built with the intervention of extraordinary power.

The company of the three noble ladies made Ren's originally dull journey more lively and interesting.

Obviously, this was the provincial capital, Minster! Despite hearing various stories about Minster before, Ren was still amazed by the sight.

"It's possible, but looking at their emblem, a hammer and a sword? It doesn't seem like a major noble family." A young man looked puzzled.

Ren didn't mind being alone, as he had some things to ponder.

"Alas! It seems like a slim chance, but may the Goddess of Fortune bless me and grant me a smooth examination!"

When the tall Lynx Battlehound, as big as a small pony, descended from another carriage, a group of people dressed in noble attire seemed to be restless, frequently glancing at Ren and the others.

Using his powerful perception, Ren almost overheard their entire conversation.

As the saying goes, 'One can run to death chasing a mountain.'

The dense forest gradually thinned out, replaced by well-arranged fields.

Previously, through the carriage window, they could occasionally see traces of snow on the tops of the hills on both sides of the road. But now, the surroundings were mostly covered in newly sprouted green grass.

This piqued Ren's and the three ladies' curiosity, prompting them to lift the curtain and look outside.

A minute later, Janine, looking a bit dazed, was helped onto the carriage by Matteo, and the three ladies joined Ren in the same carriage.

Among that group, a handsome young man in a tailored noble hunting outfit raised his wine glass and gestured towards Ren and the others.

"Sir Ren, don't you know? As a medium-sized wizard academy friendly to the Empire, Ubreck Academy receives a certain number of invitations for examinations from various special departments of the Empire every year."

What was even more astonishing was that beneath the main peak of the majestic mountain range, there was a massive city built with white stone blocks, seemingly carved out of the mountain itself.

There were also larger caravans than Ren's, with as many as twenty carriages, escorted by dozens of elite teams wearing swordsmen's light armor or archers' leather armor.

"It won't affect it. The examination is tomorrow." Ren smiled and shook his head.

Military elite?

At the tall city gate stood a thirty-meter-tall obsidian statue of a fully armed human knight holding a sword and shield.

"But you agreed to it! I'm going now." Agatha heard Janine wave her hand and immediately happily lifted her skirt and walked down from the carriage without looking back.

Ren nodded slightly, indicating to Matteo to accept the fine wine.

"Hmm? Is there something special about this?"

After all this time, could it be that his best friend was also interested in Sir Ren?

Traveling from Maister to the provincial capital, Minster, would normally take ten days at the caravan's pace.

"Noble Ennoblement Examination? No, Steve, you might not know this, but in the Swordmaster Examination, the strongest group of people usually comes from the military."

[Congratulations! Your strength has increased!]



Additionally, during their camping stops, Ren would take the time to practice his axe and shield skills. After seven days, his Lockeon Axe Shield Technique had improved to level 4.

"Okay, Miss Janine, Miss Agatha, see you later." Ren smiled and nodded.

Once Janine had settled her business affairs, she would rent or purchase a residence, and Matteo would temporarily stay at the Horizon Inn.

The Spirit Hound and Bloodfeather Eagle Beast were also left in Matteo's care.

After bidding farewell to Janine and Agatha, Ren and Veronica hurried to the address indicated on the invitation.

Minster, Avenue of Trees, Number 1!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end