Changing Styles

"Maria, you need to think this through. From now on, plenty of companies will come looking to sign commercial contracts with you."

"Your value definitely won't be low, so prepare yourself mentally. Some of them will be major corporations with formidable reputations."

Vrogwald turned to Maria as he spoke.

"If your goal is to become a titled knight and preserve the Nearl family's noble knight status, then all you need to do is nod and sign a contract. Everything will be resolved."

"To put it bluntly, even if you're completely useless, as long as you're popular and can make them money, they can elevate you to the rank of titled knight."

After a pause, Old Vrogwald downed a cup of liquor and continued.

"But if you choose to refuse, the matches ahead will become very difficult."

"You'll have to save up for your own equipment, hone your own skills, build your own connections. Like Zofia, you'll be left all alone to fight for your life."

"And those people may even deliberately target you. They won't allow an exceptional, special individual to exist within their rules."

"Think about what happened to your sister."

Having said all that in one breath, Old Vrogwald fell silent. He merely lowered his head and kept drinking.

The fragrant liquor flowed down through his thick beard, tangling the hairs together.

Bang!

Kowal suddenly slammed his hand onto the table.

"Those damned bastards dared to drive Margaret away even when the old Nearl patriarch was still alive. Now that the old man is gone, who knows what those bastards might do!"

"And Zofia... We didn't do anything for her. We could only watch as she was injured and forced to withdraw. What can we even do?"

The old men who had come all the way from the