Breakthrough at the Training Ground

With every word Karl spoke, the Earl Rochefort's teasing expression faded a little more, replaced by growing surprise and scrutiny.

When he heard "the complete annihilation of a goblin tribe" and "the discovery and mining of an ore vein," he even unconsciously straightened up.

He knew Karl might have some ability, but he had not expected him to act so quickly or achieve such remarkable results!

This had completely exceeded the normal script for a fallen noble's son being exiled to the frontier!

"...It seems I really did underestimate you, boy." The Count was silent for several seconds before slowly speaking, his tone carrying a hint of complicated emotion. "You're far more capable than that face of yours suggests. So, what exactly do you want to purchase this time?"

"Food, Your Excellency," Karl said frankly. "The territory's grain reserves are about to run out. The spring harvest won't arrive in time to solve our immediate crisis. I need to purchase at least fifty thousand jin of grain, along with some salt and medicine."

"Fifty thousand jin?" The Count frowned slightly. "That's a considerable sum of money. Did you bring enough gold coins? This isn't a charity."

Karl patted the heavy moneybag on his back. The gold coins inside clinked together with a crisp, pleasant rattle. "Please rest assured, my lord. I gained a little from exterminating the goblin nest—enough to pay for the goods."

Hearing that solid sound of money, Earl Rochefort finally revealed a genuine smile.

He liked this kind of down-to-earth transaction.

"Very good." He nodded in satisfaction and instructed the clerk, "Clerk, take Lord Karl to the market. Find Old John's Grain Shop and tell him I sent you. Have him offer a fair price. After all, Lord Karl is now an indispensable 'frontier shield' for the Northern Territory. He's an old friend of ours."

"Yes, Your Excellency." The clerk bowed and accepted the order.

"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Karl sincerely expressed his gratitude. With a clerk from the Governor's Office personally handling the matter, the purchasing process would undoubtedly go much more smoothly, and he could get a better price.

After leaving the Governor's Office, Karl soon arrived at Fran City's largest grain market under the clerk's guidance. There, they found the "Old John's Grain Shop" designated by the Count.

The grain shop's owner, Old John, was a shrewd merchant. When he saw a clerk from the Governor's Office personally accompanying a young nobleman, he immediately realized that a major customer had arrived and became extremely warm and deferential.

The clerk briefly explained their purpose and requirements. Old John naturally did not dare to be negligent, and the price he offered was indeed about ten percent lower than the market price.

Karl did not agree immediately. Instead, he insisted on inspecting the goods himself.

Under Old John's guidance, he carefully examined the grain in several warehouses.

He grabbed wheat grains and held them beneath his nose, checking whether they were moldy or spoiled. He carefully inspected whether the grain was dry and how much impurity it contained, and even demanded that several bags be opened at random to check their contents.

In the end, he selected a batch of the finest, driest, and plumpest rye and wheat.

After some intense haggling, they settled on a price both sides found acceptable: forty thousand jin of grain, with rye making up seventy percent and wheat thirty percent, along with ten thousand jin of beans and smoked meat.

Finally, he made a bulk purchase of five hundred jin of salt, as well as a batch of commonly used healing medicines and herbal medicines.

After paying nearly three hundred gold coins, Karl additionally hired Old John's transport team—ten large carriages, along with the necessary drivers and guards. They agreed to load the goods and set out first thing the next morning, transporting everything to Carnford.

After bidding farewell to the clerk at the entrance to the grain market, the expected notification rang out in Karl's mind:

[Quest]: Go to Fran City and purchase ten thousand jin of grain. (Completed)

[Reward information issued]:

[Information]: Charlotte Rochefort is currently at the inner-city training ground in Fran City, undergoing high-intensity combat training with Battle Master Andre Stein. She has reached a critical stage and is about to attempt a breakthrough to become a Second-Order Knight.

This information left Karl somewhat speechless. Although he had indeed harbored a faint hope deep down that he might see Charlotte again after returning to Fran City, he had not expected the system to be so "thoughtful" as to directly provide her exact location and condition.

He walked calmly in the direction of the inn for a while. Once he confirmed that the clerk's carriage had gone far away and there were no familiar faces around, he immediately turned and hurried toward the inner-city training ground he remembered.

Fran City's training ground had been built beneath the drawbridge between the inner-city and outer-city walls, making use of a natural small basin.

The light here was somewhat dimmer than in the city, especially in the evening, but the area had the advantage of being secluded and undisturbed.

The entrance to the training ground was an inconspicuous side gate guarded by a fully armed soldier.

When Karl reached the gate, the guard was about to stop him, but after taking a closer look, he recognized Karl as the young nobleman whom the Governor had personally seen off on the day the City Defense Army departed.

Karl took the opportunity to say, "I'm here under the Governor's orders."

The guard had no doubts and immediately stepped aside respectfully.

Karl pushed open the door and walked in. The scene inside the training ground instantly came into view.

At the center of the grounds, two knights covered from head to toe in heavy plate armor, their visors lowered, were engaged in a fierce clash.

Their heavy longswords collided violently in midair, unleashing an unbroken series of metallic clangs and sending strings of dazzling sparks flying.

Their movements were swift and precise, their footwork steady. Every slash, parry, and thrust was filled with power. Clearly, both were highly skilled.

Although he could not see their faces, Karl recognized almost at a glance the knight with the relatively slender build yet exceptionally agile and fierce movements. It was Charlotte Rochefort.

Her opponent was a middle-aged knight who was more heavily built, with seasoned and steady techniques. He was undoubtedly Battle Master Andre Stein, the man mentioned in the information.

At that moment, Charlotte was clearly at a disadvantage.

Master Stein's attacks were like heavy waves, one after another, packed with force. They drove Charlotte backward constantly, forcing her to parry and making her look somewhat strained. Even through her visor, her hurried breathing could be heard clearly.

But her resilience was extraordinary. Though she was on the defensive, her footwork remained orderly, and she always managed to narrowly defuse her opponent's lethal attacks.

Karl made no sound. He quietly moved to the shadows at the edge of the grounds and watched with bated breath.

This was the first time he had seen Charlotte fight with all her strength. Her battle stance, brimming with power and wildness, was completely different from her beauty, and it made his heart stir intensely.

Gradually, the situation on the field began to change subtly.

Charlotte seemed to be gradually adapting to Master Stein's rhythm and strength. Her counterattacks became more frequent, and her sword flashed like a venomous snake, always darting out from an unexpected angle and forcing the master to defend.

Her advantage in speed began to show. She circled the master continuously, searching for an opening.

Suddenly, Charlotte seized a tiny gap as the master retracted his sword. She lunged forward, skillfully knocking aside his defense, and precisely stabbed the tip of her sword into a joint in his breastplate.

Although the training sword had no edge and the armor prevented any actual injury, according to the rules, this was undoubtedly a successful scoring hit!

After landing the blow, Charlotte's momentum grew even stronger. She pressed her advantage, immediately stepping forward to pursue it and unleashing a continuous offensive!

However, at that moment, Master Stein suddenly leaped backward, deliberately opening up the distance. At the same time, he flipped up his visor and shouted, "Stop! That's it, Charlotte! Don't pursue! Guard your mind, immediately circulate your breathing technique, guide your Battle Qi, and use this peak momentum to break through your bottleneck!"

The shout struck Charlotte like a burst of enlightenment, and her advancing step abruptly halted.

She instantly understood the master's intention as well. The high-intensity clash and her successful counterattack at the end had pushed both her mental and physical states to their optimal threshold. This was the best possible moment for a breakthrough!

Without hesitation, she threw aside the training longsword in her hand, producing a crisp clang as it hit the ground.

Then she reverently knelt down. Without even having time to remove her heavy plate armor, she clasped her hands before her chest and closed her eyes.

In an instant, an invisible aura began gathering around her.

The air around her seemed to grow viscous. Her body could be seen trembling faintly, while the exposed skin of her neck and wrists began to glow with a faint silver light. It was a sign that her magic had been driven to its fullest, surging through her body and battering against the barrier.

She was doing everything she could to break through the barrier to becoming a Second-Order Knight.

Master Stein stood nearby, his expression solemn as he guarded her breakthrough.

In the shadows, Karl also unconsciously clenched his fists, unable to stop himself from growing nervous for her.

The entire training ground was left with only Charlotte's rhythmic breathing and the increasingly intense fluctuations of energy.