Old John

The company commander's voice was quite loud.

When he knelt on one knee before Saine with Knight salute, not only Saine was stunned, but even the passersby and commoners around him made a commotion.

In the eyes of commoners, nobles are ultimately mysterious and prestigious.

Bauhinia Flower Earl enjoys a considerable reputation within his territory and even throughout the entire Lisia Alliance.

But very few ordinary people have actually seen him.

Since this is Grant City, if it really is the Earl standing before us...

The nearby civilians also knelt down, both knees on the ground.

And as the word "Earl" spread among the people, more and more commoners began to kneel down.

Centered on the city gate where Saine stood, the people of Grant City knelt down in a fan shape before him.

The civilians further away didn't see Saine's side was happening, but seeing so many civilians and even soldiers on duty kneeling down, this situation gradually affected other areas of Grant City.

An incident, which may or may not be categorized as a riot, occurred in the East District of Grant City.

Of course, not everyone was affected; there were always some clear-headed people in the crowd, especially those who had actually seen the Bauhinia Flower Earl.

A middle-aged man wearing steel chainmail, who was rushing down from the city wall, was startled when he saw Saine's face.

His expression showed a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, but more so a sense of trepidation and a kind of indescribable excitement.

This middle-aged man was not as young as the company commander; he was a veteran who had followed Earl Grant in many battles over the years.

Calling him middle-aged is not quite right; he's already old.

However, because his physique is enhanced by Battle Qi and he looks quite strong, he gives the impression of being a middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man in chainmail is the garrison captain of this East District.

After he appeared, he first kicked the company commander who was kneeling on one knee to the ground, muttered something under his breath, and then walked up to Saine.

This middle-aged man couldn't mistake him for someone else; he had personally seen the Earl and his entourage leave Grant City three months ago.

Even if he were a real count, it would be difficult for him to travel to and from the center of the Lisia Alliance — Squaerway City— in such a short time.

Moreover, Saine is not the Earl!

Although he knew the man before him was not the Earl, the captain did not lose his respect. Instead, he walked up to Saine and politely asked, "And you are?"

For some reason, when Saine saw the captain in front of him, he felt a sense of familiarity.

But Saine had no recollection of who the other person was. Faced with the captain's question, Saine hesitated briefly before replying, "My name is Saine."

Saine is his real name, and like Grant's surname, it is a name that Saine could never forget after being abducted to the Underdark in his childhood.

Saine's answer caused the captain in front of him to visibly tremble.

Saine saw disbelief and a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Restore order to the East District immediately. I need to take this gentleman to the castle!" the captain ordered the platoon leader he had just kicked over, then turned his gaze to Saine.

Saine nodded and said to the captain, "Lead the way."

The incident in the East District not only caused a great deal of discussion among the residents of Grant City for some time to come, but also left Saine's coachman and some members of the magic organization who had come to Grant City dumbfounded.

"It seems that the Advanced Apprentice's identity is quite extraordinary. Is he related to Earl Grant?"

A Advanced Apprentice from the Fire Crest Chapter organization watched the departing figures of Saine and the garrison captain, muttering to himself.

Earl Grant's power and status within the Lichia Alliance meant that even Advanced Apprentice like himself had to be careful around him.

In response to the muttering of the Advanced Apprentice, another Intermediate Apprentice who was with him said, "Elder Domvol is on his way. This time, with the elder personally involved, the chances of him being recruited into the organization are much higher."

"If that Advanced Apprentice is really only in his twenties and has mastered considerable alchemy skills, it's no wonder the organization values him so much."

Sitting in the carriage, led by the garrison captain on horseback, Saine headed north of the City North.

Grant City has four gates, but usually only three are open, with the north gate remaining closed year-round.

Because the North Gate connects to the inner city of Grant City, a city that was built with enormous manpower and resources.

A large castle was built.

The Bauhinia Flower Earl and his noble relatives lived in the castle year-round.

Living in the castle were also many maids and servants who served the Grant Family, as well as an elite private army that was loyal only to the Grant Family.

Therefore, although the castle is just a city within a city, there are four or five thousand people living inside.

Upon arriving at the enormous stone castle, one sees the majestic city walls before them and the huge stone lion standing atop the castle.

Suddenly, Saine, inside the carriage, spoke up, "Hmm, that stone lion, I seem to remember it."

The enormous stone lion carved atop the castle appears to be a rather rare mythical beast.

The lion has a white feather on each side of its flanks and a single horn on its forehead.

Judging from its appearance alone, it doesn't look like an ordinary magical beast.

"That is the guardian beast of our Grant Territory, sir," the garrison captain said respectfully.

He didn't call Saine by his name directly, nor did he give Saine any special title; he simply addressed Saine respectfully as "Sir."

Inside the carriage, Saine remained silent for a moment.

Then, Saine said, "You don't need to be so respectful to me. I can tell you're an elder of the Grant Family."

"Although I don't remember exactly who you are, I do remember hearing this passage."

Saine paused, then mimicked the scene from his memory. "Keep your legs straight, keep your breathing steady, look straight ahead, and try to use the strength in your left hand..."

Before Saine could finish speaking, the garrison captain riding outside on his warhorse let out a sob.

He was clearly an incredibly strong man, and his strength seemed to have reached the level of Advanced Squire, yet he was crying at this moment?

"Yes, young master, I am Old John. I taught you the Initial Breathing Technique back then." The garrison captain jumped off his horse, knelt on one knee in front of Saine's carriage, and choked up as he spoke.

Tears streamed down the garrison captain's cheeks, and it was at this moment that the wrinkles on his face became unusually pronounced.

This is definitely not a middle-aged man; he is old.

Considering his many years of service to the Grant Family, the Bauhinia Flower Earl did not allow him to continue serving in the army, but instead gave him a sinecure as a garrison captain so that he could live out his old age in peace.