Bronze Knight

Bronze Knight

Ryan had never expected such an answer.

Thirty years ago, the Clayton Family had been among those who prevented Grand Duke Mayers from obtaining the authority and status to rule Northwind Province. It had even resulted in not a single Mayers Family descendant being granted a title in Northwind Province.

For that reason, the nobles who followed Grand Duke Mayers had naturally failed to receive all the merit and wealth they deserved.

So Viscount Miles's hostility toward Ryan had perfectly valid grounds.

"If that's the case, then when they sent me to Northwind Province to become a baron with a fief, they never intended for me to survive."

At that moment, Ryan felt as though he had finally caught hold of a clue about the assassins who had tried to kill him back then.

Although Grand Duke Mayers had not obtained a single piece of land in Northwind Province, which noble in Northwind Province now had no connection to Grand Duke Mayers?

Most Pioneer Knights had even once been Grand Duke Mayers's soldiers.

Could I have been pushed out by those Imperial nobles to quell Grand Duke Mayers's anger?

Ryan thought grimly. Right now, he felt that every corner of Zero Crossing City was filled with troublemakers plotting to kill him.

What noble could have remained completely unharmed? If the original owner of this body had not died back then, would he have transmigrated here?

Others were safe, but as a baron of the Clayton Family, he was already absolutely incapable of integrating into the circles of Northwind Province.

Everyone looked like the mastermind behind the assassins from back then.

Even Viscount Miles, the closest one to him, was highly suspect.

He had the influence to arrange assassins in the Mountain Forest on the way to Frozen Earth Territory.

With that in mind, Ryan found Irina and asked whether she could speed up the preparations.

Running away was the safest choice.

Even in their haste, it still took two and a half days. Ryan even spent Gold Coins to buy another batch of oxen and horses to pull the carts before the group of several hundred finally set off on their return journey.

This time, however, Ryan and the soldiers had all mounted warhorses, completely separating themselves from everyone else.

"How are these warhorses?"

Ryan asked Brandt and the remaining Knight Retainers.

"Far better than those packhorses."

Brandt happily stroked his warhorse. After obtaining these mounts, Ryan had immediately rewarded his Guardian Knight. This finest warhorse now belonged wholly and completely to him alone.

As for the others, ownership of the warhorses beneath them still belonged to Ryan. They would only truly own them after receiving them as rewards in the future. For now, they merely had the right to use them, but that was enough to make them ecstatic.

Could a knight without a mount still be called a knight?

There was even a saying on the continent that a knight with a mount had a greater chance of making a breakthrough.

That saying... was entirely correct. On the third day, when the group reached the frozen Swampland, Brandt's aura became far deeper.

"Are you sure you're ready?"

Ryan looked solemnly at Brandt. "You only get one chance."

"My lord, Brandt will certainly not disappoint your expectations."

Brandt knelt on one knee before Ryan. The soldiers standing around them were equally solemn. They remained alert to their surroundings while watching Ryan.

Ryan extended a finger. Three hundred points of spirituality vanished, replaced by a tiny blood-colored deer that entered Brandt's brow.

At the same time, Brandt began stirring the blood and vitality within his body. The aura around him became especially terrifying.

For the second blessing, he could have used one hundred points of spirituality or three hundred. Ryan chose the highest tier without hesitation.

Spirituality Blessing could not directly allow Brandt to break through to Bronze Knight. He had to take that step himself.

However, the effect of Spirituality Blessing was comparable to the Life Potion Knight Walter had taken back then. No, it could even be said to be better than a Life Potion.

In Ryan's view, such a Deer Spirit's Blessing was equivalent to the finest potion a Formal Knight needed to break through to Bronze Knight. At this stage, there was no more valuable method than this blessing.

Combined with Brandt's compatibility with the Deer Spirit Breathing Technique, Ryan did not think failure was possible.

Sure enough, half an hour later, rings of blood-red airflow swirled around Brandt, and fine cracks appeared across the frozen ground.

Knight Aura—the mark of a Bronze Knight. At this point, Brandt was no longer limited to simple techniques. He would be able to use aura to drive powerful combat skills.

For example...

"Fearless Guard!"

Faint threads of blood-red airflow appeared around Ryan's body. It was not just him—the soldiers around him were the same. At the same time, they could all feel their blood and vitality gathering toward Brandt.

Yet the ones truly giving without reservation were the warhorses. The blood and vitality of warhorses were far more abundant than those of human knights.

This might originally have been a combat skill with enormous consumption, but with the warhorses' help, Brandt actually maintained it with ease.

"Agile Steps."

Afterimages appeared beneath Brandt's feet. Ryan even saw him leap by borrowing force from leaves that had not yet fallen to the ground.

Boom!!!

In the end, the Knight's Greatsword struck the rigid ground, leaving behind a crater roughly one meter in diameter.

The frozen ground of the northern Swampland in Northwind Province was extremely hard during winter. The surrounding soldiers and slaves could not imagine how they would die if such power landed on them.

"My lord, I have fulfilled my mission."

Brandt knelt on one knee before Ryan, his gaze resolute.

"Good! Hahahaha! My territory finally has a Bronze Knight too."

Ryan was delighted as well and immediately declared that the first suit of armor forged after their return would be bestowed upon Brandt.

In his view, as a baron, having at least one Bronze Knight under his command was only proper. Silver Knights were considered the true elite.

After spending so long around Barons like Baron Hatton, he had nearly forgotten the strength a baron ought to possess.

Thinking of this, Ryan looked toward the soldiers.

"Whichever one of you is the first to break through to Formal Knight, I will also grant you armor, a longsword, and a Knight's Lance."

"In Frozen Earth Territory, the first ten knights to break through will all receive armor, as well as houses and fields of their own."

"Long live the lord!"

The soldiers' cheers also stirred the slaves. Perhaps going to Frozen Earth Territory was not such a terrible outcome?

After crossing mountains and passing through forests once more, Ryan finally decided that he had to build a road next year. Otherwise, setting aside everything else, Irina from Blade Rose—the one with the very large breasts—would definitely not bring her merchant association into Frozen Earth Territory.

As for this year? They could talk about it next year.