Award Ceremony

Name: Parr Tianxing

Gender: Male

Race: Human Race

Age: 10 (20)

Realm:

Intermediate Knight Apprentice (0/200)

Elementary Magic Apprentice (0/10)

Stamina: 200/200 Mental Power: 10/10 HP: 100/100 Talents:

Prompt Wake-Up LV3 Clear Eyesight LV2 Danger Prediction LV2 Skills: Wind Wolf Basic Breathing Technique MAX Basic Wind Wolf Swordsmanship MAX Dazzling Light MAX Basic Meditation Technique LV1 Life Energy Points: 72 Mental Energy Points: 111

Other than my realms, I can currently upgrade Talent Bright Eyes, Talent Danger Prediction, and the Basic Meditation Technique. My talent levels are enough for now, and I have no use for the skill at the moment, so I should save them first! With 111 Mental Energy Points, if I run into danger, I can raise my Magic Apprentice realm and gain a few extra lives!

After closing the Status Panel, Parr did not upgrade his talents or skills, because he felt there was no need to improve them yet.

"Little one, hurry up! We're going to be late."

"Late for what?"

"The Award Ceremony!"

"What?"

At noon, John burst out of Kunna's room, grabbed Parr, who was in the middle of eating, and hurried out of the Kunna Merchant Guild's grounds.

At the very center of Azure Stone City stood a vast castle built from massive blocks of Lapis Lazuli. It was the residence of the lord of Azure Stone Viscount Territory, known as Azure Stone Fortress.

Azure Stone Plaza lay in front of Azure Stone Fortress. At noon, the usually quiet plaza became lively. Most of Azure Stone City's residents had gathered there, excitedly discussing something at the tops of their voices.

"Did you hear? Captain George is going to be knighted."

"Isn't that only natural? Captain George already has the strength of a Knight. He just never had any major accomplishments before."

"Exactly! Captain George led people to wipe out all the cultists in the city yesterday. Now that he's earned such a great merit, he deserves to be knighted."

"Yesterday was really dangerous! My neighbor was a cultist. When he fought the City Guards, he nearly ran into my house."

"It really was dangerous."

"..."

The gathered residents were all discussing yesterday's events. The main topic was that Patrol Team Captain George was going to be knighted. Their faces were flushed as they loudly shared their opinions, as though they themselves were about to become Knights.

When Parr arrived, carried along by John, he listened for a while and understood what John meant by the Award Ceremony. It was a celebration of the successful extermination of the cultists within Azure Stone Viscount Territory, where merits would be rewarded.

As one of yesterday's main combatants, John would also receive a reward. Not a knighthood or anything like that, but material rewards.

A wooden platform had already been built in the center of Azure Stone Plaza. Old Larry, the Church's representative, George, representing the City Guards and Patrol Team, and the people who had performed outstandingly yesterday were all standing on it. John carried Parr through the crowd, ran onto the platform, and stood beside Old Larry.

"Little brother, you're finally here."

Ithil was there too. When she saw Parr, she smiled happily, shifted over, and stood beside him.

"You should call me big brother!"

Parr was still hung up on how she addressed him.

"Got it, little brother!"

Ithil smiled with narrowed eyes.

"Big brother!"

"Little brother!"

Parr and Ithil started bickering over the form of address, while John quietly said something to Old Larry.

"..."

More than ten minutes passed like that. When the appointed time arrived, the heavy iron gates of Azure Stone Fortress slowly opened.

Creak...

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A squad of elite soldiers in silver armor emerged, holding long spears and wearing longswords at their waists. Their iron boots struck the ground in neat, thunderous rhythm. The soldiers then split into two lines and stood at the entrance to Azure Stone Fortress.

Thud! Their spears hit the ground. Heads held high and eyes straight ahead, they looked imposing and solemn.

Then a group of people emerged from Azure Stone Fortress. At the front was a beautiful mature woman with a purple veil over her face, dressed in an elegant purple gown. Her long purple hair fell in waves, and she was draped in gold and silver. Her figure was absolutely stunning. Parr even heard John swallow beside him.

Gulp!

Parr shot John a sideways glance and, as expected, saw him staring fixedly at the purple-haired beauty.

"Scumbag."

Curling his lip, Parr turned his gaze toward the people behind her.

Behind the purple-haired beauty followed two rows of maids, each carrying a tray covered with red cloth. The items on those trays were likely the rewards for everyone.

"She's Old Azure Stone Viscount's wife. Don't be disrespectful later," Ithil quietly reminded him. Parr nodded to show that he understood.

The Award Ceremony that followed was simple and went smoothly. The Viscountess spoke briefly onstage, explaining that Old Azure Stone Viscount was ill and unable to leave the fortress, so she would represent him in rewarding those who had rendered meritorious service yesterday.

No one objected. The people of Azure Stone City all knew that Old Azure Stone Viscount's health had been poor these past few years, and he had appeared in public far less often. There were even rumors that, after losing something important not long ago, the already frail Old Azure Stone Viscount had collapsed from anger. He was probably not long for this world, so naturally he could not come out to preside over the Award Ceremony.

Old Azure Stone Viscount had only one son, but that son was not currently in Azure Stone Viscount Territory. He was training in the Western Fortress Cluster. This was something the children of most nobles in the Western Territory of the Wind Wolf Kingdom went through in their youth. Even the children of nobles from the central regions of the Wind Wolf Kingdom went there to train.

Therefore, aside from Old Azure Stone Viscount himself, the most distinguished person currently in Azure Stone Viscount Territory, the Viscountess, was presiding over this Award Ceremony.

"People of the territory, just yesterday, the brave City Guards and Patrol Team of Azure Stone City, together with our friends from the Church, joined forces to eliminate..."

After another brief speech, the Viscountess accepted the reward items from the maids' trays: gold coins and Commemorative Medals made overnight. She handed them out one by one to those receiving rewards.

Parr and Ithil also received rewards for taking down Ma Xi: twenty Wind Wolf Gold Coins each and an Azure Gold Commemorative Medal. In addition, because Parr was small, the Viscountess smiled and patted him on the head.

Soon, only the final maid holding a tray remained on the platform. John and the others tactfully stepped down from the wooden stage.

Only three people remained on the platform: the Viscountess, George, and a maid holding a tray.

"George."

The Viscountess's voice became solemn. She walked up to George and drew the One-Handed Sword hanging at his waist. Then she turned, raised the sword toward everyone, and proclaimed, "George, captain of the Azure Stone Viscount Territory Patrol Team. His strength is beyond doubt. The ability he has consistently demonstrated is beyond doubt. His loyalty to the Azure Stone Family is even more beyond doubt. Therefore, today, I, Mary Azure Stone, wife of the Azure Stone Viscount, shall represent the Azure Stone Viscount in conferring upon him the honorable title of Knight."

After speaking, Viscountess Mary turned to face George, who had already dropped to one knee, and slowly rested the longsword in her hand upon his shoulder.

The Award Ceremony ended, and people dispersed while excitedly discussing it. In the blink of an eye, John had run off without a trace, and no one knew what he had gone to do. Just as Parr was about to return to the Kunna Merchant Guild to continue eating free food, Ithil grabbed his arm.

"I'll take you around Azure Stone City some more!"

For some reason, Ithil's smiling expression made Parr feel a little creeped out. He had the nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen, so he repeatedly shook his head and refused. "No, I still need to go back and eat!"

With that, Parr tried to run, only to sadly discover once again that even after advancing a level, he still could not break free from Ithil's grasp.

"How is that possible?"

"I broke through too!"

Ithil tightly held Parr's arm and dragged him toward Azure Stone City South District.

"I haven't eaten yet!"

Parr continued struggling, but Ithil remained unmoved and kept smiling.

"It's fine. I'll take you somewhere delicious."

It really was somewhere delicious. Ithil knew Azure Stone City well and knew all its specialties, so she took Parr to try the city's most distinctive food: Lapis Lazuli Plate Grilled Meat.

Because of today's Award Ceremony, the people of Azure Stone City had all come out of their homes. Street stalls and restaurants finally had customers, and business was booming. Parr and Ithil struggled to secure a seat, where they finally saw the so-called Lapis Lazuli Plate grilled meat steaks.

When the thin Lapis Lazuli plate was heated to a deep azure color, the prepared meat steaks were placed on it. Then various seasonings and the owner's secret family sauce were sprinkled over them. The fragrance wafted through the air, and Parr was almost drooling. After coming to this other world for so long, it was the first time he had smelled something so similar to the barbecue stalls from his previous life.

So Parr and Ithil spent one Silver Coin to buy ten grilled meat steaks, then sat in the shop and began eating heartily.

"So? Tasty, right?"

As she ate, Ithil squinted at Parr, who was wolfing down his food.

"It's not bad."

Parr nodded when he found the time, then continued stuffing himself. He devoured more than half the meat steaks and ate until his belly was full. He held his stomach with a satisfied expression, but what he said made Ithil roll her eyes.

"It just feels like it's missing something. It's not perfect."

"If it's not perfect, why did you eat so much?"

Ithil looked speechlessly at Parr, who was nearly stuffed to death, then asked, "So tell me, what exactly is it missing?"

"Um..."

Parr thought for a moment. Remembering Ithil's identity as a healer and the books in her room, he figured she should know what plants in this world had a spicy flavor. So he sat up straight and looked at her expectantly. "Ithil, spice. It needs a little more spicy flavor. Do you know which plants are spicy?"

"Spicy flavor?"

Ithil thought for a moment, then nodded. "I do know of a few, but those plants are poisonous. The toxicity is slight, but eating too much of them can still do considerable harm to the body."

"Really?"

Parr propped his arms on the table and asked curiously, "What plants are they? What do they look like?"

"One is called Spicy Leaf. It has slender, slightly reddish leaves and grows deep in dense forests..."

Ithil described them to Parr, but none of them were the chili peppers he remembered. They were all strange-looking plants unique to this world. This disappointed him greatly, and his dream of making Spicy Rabbit could not be realized for the time being.

However, Parr did not give up. He had made a vow. Ithil said that this world had a wide variety of plants, especially in the boundless Primeval Forest south of the Wind Wolf Kingdom, where all kinds of incredible plants existed. Perhaps there were plants there that were spicy but not poisonous.

So...

I'll definitely go to the Primeval Forest someday.

That was what Parr thought.

There were always a few transition chapters after every battle.