Chapter 238: A Sponsored Student

Chapter 238: A Sponsored Student



However, Jenny and Agatha thought it over and decided to visit Rain.

After all, the Hammer and Rose Merchant Guild, the word 'Hammer' represented 'Baron Rain', although nominally, the Crowley family was the largest shareholder.

But the two were well aware that Rain was actually the biggest shareholder. Therefore, regardless of whether the business venture was successful or not, they should inform Rain.

So, the two women took advantage of the setting sun that had not completely set and rode in a carriage to the majestic Imperial Swordmaster Minster Branch.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance, they were startled by the bustling scene of people and horses. About a dozen luxurious carriages were lined up in an orderly fashion at the gate.

Each time a carriage reached the gate, a butler-like figure would step out, hand over a letter to the guard, exchange a few words, and then quickly return to the carriage and depart.

Naturally, the next carriage would follow suit, repeating the process.

The two women exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and confusion in each other's eyes.

Seeing this, it didn't seem like the examination had just ended. After all, the carriages hadn't picked up anyone.

Only a butler had stepped out to deliver a letter or a few to the guard before leaving.

Jenny, however, noticed the noble emblems on the carriages ahead, each one different, obviously belonging to various noble families.

This couldn't help but pique her curiosity even more! As the carriages moved forward slowly, the two women soon heard the content of the butler's words:

".Please deliver this letter to Baron Rain from Myester, and this one to Miss Evelyn from Rosby County."

"Very well," the guard replied, raising an eyebrow.

But he couldn't help but pause for a moment at the words 'Baron Rain' on the invitation.

The guard was also surprised!

In the past, after the Swordsman Examination concluded, the adults who passed would naturally receive a lot of attention from the nobles in the capital city.

But it was rare to see a situation like this.

The invitations were mostly concentrated on a single adult.

This adult from Myester, Baron Rain, should have received at least thirty invitations in the afternoon, right? He couldn't quite understand what this Baron Rain had done. What had he done to attract so many nobles from the capital city to compete for his attention?

The two women, Jenny and Agatha, overheard the words 'Myester' and 'Rain' and exchanged a surprised glance, almost speaking in unison:

"Jenny (Agatha), did you hear that?"

Both nodded simultaneously! As the butler from the next carriage approached, they heard more clearly.

This time, the butler only left a letter for the guard, specifying that it was an invitation for Baron Rain and no one else. Additionally, this butler was surprisingly from the Plank Family, a count family in the capital city.

A count family, their status likely not beneath that of Baron Habsburg of Myester. The two women couldn't help but marvel!

For a moment, Jenny and Agatha became even more perplexed and curious.

How could there be so many nobles from the capital city vying for Sir Rain's attention as soon as he arrived? Even if he had passed the examination, this was still surprising.

After all, it wasn't just him who had passed, and on their way here, they had heard that about three or four adults had passed the examination.

As the two women were perplexed and confused.

Rain and Veronica were walking along the main street of the city—Levenworth Street.

The two gradually climbed towards the top of the hill.

Two majestic domed buildings came into view, and according to a nearby citizen, one was the Governor's Office, and the other was the Cathedral of the Sea and Wind Goddess.

As the highest administrator of the entire Minster Province, it was only natural that the Duke of Minster's office occupied the best location in the entire city.

Further up was the Griffin Platform, with guards posted every five steps and a sentry every ten steps, making it heavily guarded.

Rain and Veronica, who had come to appreciate the scenery of Minster, naturally didn't reveal their identities as they approached these places.

The two stopped at a viewing platform nearby, where they could overlook the entire plain below, with a superb view.

Finding a secluded spot, Veronica didn't choose to sit on the long bench but instead, with a slight smile, cast a water spell to clean the edge of the platform.

Rain, on the other hand, smiled and instantly understood Veronica's intention. He quietly chanted a spell, casting a scorching touch, and lightly ran his hand over the freshly washed surface.

Instantly, the cleaned surface dried.

So, the two sat down on the floor, their feet dangling outside the platform. Veronica leaned lightly against Rain, and neither spoke but quietly watched the sunset slowly descend over the vast plain, with the winding river stretching into the distance.

Jenny couldn't help but think, Sir Rain, we've been waiting anxiously, and you're still here enjoying the view.

Seeing the two women waiting under the street lamp, Rain asked, "Jenny, Agatha, is there something urgent?"

"There's something I'd like to discuss with Sir Rain."

As Rain entered, the guards at the entrance bowed slightly and addressed him, "Sir Rain, several nobles have delivered invitation letters for you. Please check them."

"Alright, thank you."

However, when Rain saw the thick stack of invitation letters, he was still taken aback.

This...

Since the Swordsman Branch Office prohibited outsiders, Rain pondered for a moment and said, "Jenny, Agatha, let's discuss this in the carriage."

"Rain, then I'll head back first." Veronica glanced at the two girls and said with a smile.

"Okay, get some rest early."

"Mhm."

In the carriage.

"It's probably because I passed the Swordsman Exam so quickly." Rain wasn't sure how to explain to the two girls, who weren't skilled in combat, about how he had knocked down the Obsidian Titan with a single hammer strike.

After all, they had never seen an Obsidian Titan before, and they had no idea about its strength, making a comparison.

"By the way, Jenny, Agatha, perhaps the trade matters aren't as difficult as we thought." Rain pointed inside the carriage, where the invitation letters were piled half a meter high, and continued, "These are all nobles inviting me to their banquets. Have a look and see if there's anyone you'd like to cooperate with. I should be able to introduce you to them."

Although the two girls were still confused by Rain's explanation, they immediately picked up the invitation letters and started searching through them upon hearing his offer to make introductions.

"Agatha, isn't this Viscount Aukett we're looking for?" Jenny exclaimed, "He's the one backing the Golden Chrysanthemum Trading House."

"Yes, Jenny," Agatha nodded in agreement after glancing at the invitation letter in Jenny's hand.

"Hmm? Jenny, isn't this Earl Owens the supporter of the massive Nikolin Trading House?"

After returning to the room, Rain suddenly remembered that he hadn't checked the system prompt from defeating the Obsidian Titan earlier in the day:

[Your skill 'Tokkar Hammer Technique' has improved. Experience +981]



(Note: The above skill experience has benefited from the exclusive talent 'Basic Extraordinary Insight', with a 30% increase.)



[You have experienced a battle. 'Legendary Weapon Master' experience +338]



Looking at the system prompt, Rain couldn't help but nod.

Although he had only executed a single strike, the experience reward from the system was quite substantial.

Upon further thought, Rain realized that this was probably because it was the first time he had fully utilized his Intermediate Technique.

The feeling of swinging the hammer in one fluid motion, executing it perfectly, was exhilarating, and even now, just thinking about it made his blood pump faster, and he felt a bit excited.

Of course, if he hadn't possessed the Intermediate Talent and mastered the Intermediate Technique, it would have been impossible to unleash such a powerful strike!

Unfortunately, upgrading the Intermediate Technique required Gold Skill Points, and enhancing talents required even rarer Talent Points.

Putting his thoughts aside, Rain recalled the situation during the preliminary test earlier in the day.

Among those who passed the exam, the majority were Peak Knights, numbering nearly twenty.

As for the others, there were some who were both Senior Knights and Level 2 Wizard Apprentices, as well as those who were purely Level 3 Wizard Apprentices taking the exam, but their numbers were fewer.

Additionally, there were eight Great Knights among those who passed the exam, which made Rain marvel at the abundance of talents across the entire province.

Two individuals left a deep impression on him.

One was a burly man named Angus, a Great Knight, who was around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. He was said to have been serving in the Imperial Navy before.

When facing the stone attacks from the Obsidian Titan, he managed to block them with his shield, giving off a solid and unyielding aura. His strength was impressive.

The other was a young man named Nereon, who had a graceful demeanor. He was said to be the son of a Marquis in Minster, and he was a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice. He effortlessly passed the exam by simply tearing open a Wizardry Scroll of 'Spider Web Technique' and slowing down the Obsidian Titan.

According to bystanders, this young man was a rare Scroll Master, and using scrolls was not considered a violation of the rules.

"After three days, when the formal Swordsman procedures are complete, I wonder if I can directly inquire about the requirements for exchanging Metal Element Witchcraft."

"Secondly, I'm waiting for Blackie to complete his mutation and evolve into a Ferocious Beast, so I can change my job to Beastmaster. It shouldn't be long now."

"Legendary Weapon Master is my core combat profession. I can't slack off in improving my Extraordinary Battle Techniques. If I can master Locke's Axe and Shield Combat Skills, I'll have more options in combat."

Rain, lying on the bed, was deep in thought.

Soon after, he fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Rain arrived at the training room of the Swordsman Branch Office.

The Swordsman Branch Office naturally had an outdoor training ground, but only a few people were training there. They were all muscular young men with slightly tanned skin, and Rain recognized them as former soldiers.

When Rain entered, the men immediately looked up, their gazes fixed on him.

They couldn't help but focus their attention on him!

It would be a lie to say they weren't interested in the young man who had knocked down the Obsidian Titan with a single hammer strike and was undoubtedly the top candidate.

Rain paid no mind to the attention he was receiving and walked over to select a training weapon. But in a flash, a spark of inspiration crossed his mind.

That's right!

These young men, brimming with the vigor of Dragon Essence Tigers, would be perfect for his experiential learning.

Rain immediately turned to look back, but to his slight disappointment, they all lowered their heads and whispered among themselves.

Hmm. He thought they would challenge him, but instead, they seemed nervous.

If only he could get an 'Experience NPC' like this.

What a pity!

Although they were skilled soldiers of the Empire, they didn't seem rash.

Just as Rain was hesitating about which combat skill to practice, a robust young man took the initiative and approached him, saying, "Your Excellency Rain, I'm Vieri from Vieri County. I admire your remarkable performance during the assessment. May I have the honor to seek your guidance?"

Hearing his words, Rain's smile gradually brightened.

Rain had assumed that he would avoid his hammer's might, but he never expected someone to willingly challenge him.

Seems like he underestimated their enthusiasm for a friendly spar.

However, the only pity was that this young man wasn't the strongest among them, the sword and shield expert Angus.

"Of course, it's my honor too!" Rain politely replied.

Vieri hadn't expected Rain to be so approachable, and the tense atmosphere relaxed.

The other young men standing at a distance smiled and gathered around them.

"Your Excellency Rain, you'll have to give it your all!"

"Your Excellency Rain, please hold back. Otherwise, Vieri might not be able to withstand your hammer!" they joked.

"Don't worry, I won't use my hammer today." Rain said with a smile as he picked up an axe and shield from the weapon rack.

Vieri, whose name was mentioned, looked puzzled and asked, "Your Excellency Rain, aren't you proficient in using a two-handed warhammer? Why..."

"Idiot! Your Excellency Rain, you're afraid of getting hurt," a young man next to Vieri patted his shoulder.

"Your Excellency Vieri, regarding the axe and shield, I'd like to seek your guidance."

"Alright." Vieri still seemed unconvinced but nodded.

Rain could guess what the young man was thinking.

He must have believed that Rain wasn't taking him seriously, so he took up a weapon to fight.

But Rain had no choice; he needed to practice with the Pig Head Hammer to level up. His Stone Roll Hammer Technique was already at level 14.

Soon, the two stood in the center of the training ground, Rain holding his axe and shield, while Vieri wielded a two-handed greatsword.

"Your Excellency Rain, please guide me!"

In the next moment, Vieri swiftly stepped forward, and his greatsword flashed, drawing a semi-circular arc at a forty-five-degree angle, as he heavily slashed downward towards Rain!

Facing Vieri's attack, Rain secretly praised his skill; he was quite skilled.

Rain's reaction was swift, and he immediately blocked with his shield.

"Clang!"

The piercing sound of metal clashing filled the air.

Rain firmly held off Vieri's greatsword slash.

Rain felt that Vieri was slightly inferior in terms of strength and agility, but his greatsword skills were proficient, clearly reaching the level of mastery.

Rain's leading level 4.

"Ding ding clang clang!"

The two fought faster and faster, and the sound of clashing weapons filled the air.

"Clang!"

Rain and Vieri fought without holding back, but it was a friendly spar after all.

After a few minutes, Vieri's stamina waned, and Rain seized the opportunity to strike with his shield, sending Vieri flying several meters away.

"Your Excellency Rain, thank you for holding back," Vieri said.

Seeing Vieri's eventual defeat due to exhaustion, the other young men exchanged glances, all of them thinking that Rain had intentionally gone easy on him.

After all, in their eyes, the young Your Excellency Rain had unexpectedly been so approachable!

There was no arrogance or condescension.

There was no quick defeat of Vieri, no boasting with weapons pointed at him. Instead, Rain kept giving him openings, allowing Vieri to fight to his heart's content, until he was thoroughly exhausted and defeated.

Where could one find such a friendly and approachable top-tier sparring partners are hard to come by.

Even before Vieri officially stepped down, the robust young men spoke up, "Your Excellency Rain, I'd like the opportunity to seek your guidance."

"Chris, hold on, let me consult with Lord Ren first."

"You two, wait, let me..."

".

Seeing the eager crowd, Lord Ren's heart was filled with joy. He knew they wanted to spar with him, and he was more than happy to oblige.

"Don't rush! Everyone, line up, and I'll take you all on!" Lord Ren smiled.

"Everyone, no need to rush, one by one, I want to spar with each of you!" Lord Ren's words calmed the crowd, and they immediately elected one to go first, eager to learn from Lord Ren.

Ten minutes passed, and the first one stepped forward.

"Lord Ren, do you need a break?" Instructor Kurman asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Lord Ren, I also admire your skills..." Jonas added.

Lord Ren's heart leapt with joy!

"I've been waiting for you!"

After the eager crowd calmed down, an instructor stepped forward, revealing a tray covered in black cloth. "These are your Swordsman Badges. Please handle them with care. They are your proof as Swordsmen, and also serve as access to various departments and special item exchanges."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end