Granted a Knighthood Just Like That?

Li Ang instinctively lowered his head, only then seeing the source of the voice: a petite figure that reached only to his waist.

Li Ang's sleep-deprived brain stalled for a moment. He stared at the somewhat familiar face and tried hard to remember.

A dwarf... pink hair... terrible temper... her name? He only remembered that it seemed to be a long string of complicated, gibberish-like syllables. He could not recall it at all, though it seemed to have something like "Shandra" in it.

While he was struggling to recall her excessively long name, the little pink-haired dwarf had already grown impatient.

As though she were returning to her own home, she naturally squeezed through the gap between Li Ang, still blocking the doorway, and the doorframe.

Once inside, she ignored Li Ang and casually looked around the room before finally choosing his chair.

Her little feet, clad in brown leather boots, deftly stepped onto the crossbar beneath the chair. Then, bracing herself against the seat with her arms, she lightly sprang onto it.

The whole sequence was remarkably smooth. Clearly, this was not her first time doing something like this.

She sat upright in the chair, which was far too large for her frame, her two short legs dangling in midair without even reaching the floor.

Even so, she still tried her best to straighten her back and lift her chin slightly, attempting to create an imposing, condescending air.

Li Ang closed the door and turned around helplessly. Looking at this little thing who had inexplicably barged into his room and acted like the host, he was still rather dazed.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to dispel his drowsiness and confusion. "You...?"

He had barely uttered a word before the girl interrupted him.

She took a deep breath and declared in a deliberately raised voice:

"Human, in view of your rude yet fairly clever performance at the library last time, as well as... hm... your face being reasonably pleasing to the eye, I, Shandrameya Maxwell, Princess of Ironforge, have decided to bestow upon you the highest honor!"

She paused, her emerald eyes fixed intently on Li Ang as if expecting him to look shocked or overjoyed.

After waiting a while and seeing no reaction on his face, she was not disappointed and continued:

"From this moment onward, you are my knight. So now, immediately, kneel on one knee, kiss my ring, and complete this sacred knighting ceremony."

Proudly, she extended a small, fair hand before Li Ang. On one slender finger sat an exquisitely crafted ring set with an enormous sapphire.

But Li Ang had only one thought in his mind: Was there something seriously wrong with this girl?

Ignoring the girl's declaration of knighthood, Li Ang yawned and glanced at the clock on the table. What a sin. It was not even six yet.

"If you like sitting there, then sit there. I can't be bothered to indulge your madness."

Li Ang mumbled vaguely, walked straight to the bed, and lay down without even changing clothes.

He had stayed up too late writing yesterday. Even with the [Acceleration Pocket Watch], he was still unbearably sleepy.

Shandrameya had clearly not expected this reaction. The reverence and delight she had imagined never appeared; instead, she was completely ignored.

She puffed out her cheeks, making her already round little face look even puffier.

Her emerald eyes widened as she stared at the bird's nest of hair on the bed, which seemed ready to fall asleep at once. A sense of indignation at being slighted rose in her heart.

"Hey, rude commoner! Don't you want to hear of the great deeds of the ten knights under Princess Maxwell?" Though she instinctively raised her voice, it carried little force.

Li Ang turned over, presenting his back to her.

The girl grew even more anxious. She jumped down from the chair, stomped over to the bedside, and began chattering at Li Ang's back.

"My ten knights are all incomparably brave, worthy of legend. They will fight beside me, beginning with the frost dragon that has occupied the northern ice plains for a thousand years..."

Li Ang pulled the blanket higher and covered his head.

"In the end, we will defeat the evil gods, safeguard the peace of the continent together, and then..."

Though Li Ang had covered his head with the blanket, that nonstop voice still kept drilling into his ears.

Finally unable to bear it any longer, Li Ang abruptly threw off the blanket and sat up. Helplessly, he looked at the little pink-haired dwarf who was still rattling on without pause.

"Alright, alright, Your Highness. Your knights are amazing. So where are they now? Ironforge? Or waiting for you outside the tower?"

Seeing that Li Ang was finally responding to her, Shandrameya proudly lifted her chin and returned to the chair. "Not yet, but once you join, there will be one."

Li Ang was speechless. So after all that, the whole heap of adventure stories she had been rambling about was just this little girl's fantasy?

What was she so proud of... Could it be that she had developed delusions at such a young age...?

Seeing the expression on Li Ang's face that plainly said, Are you okay?, Shandrameya seemed to have suffered some great humiliation. Her face darkened, and she gave a cold snort.

Then, as if casually, she took a glittering gold coin from her pocket.

"Here." She held the gold coin out to Li Ang, her face full of pride. "This is your reward, loyal knight. Serve this princess well from now on, and there will be plenty of benefits for you."

The gold coin reflected an alluring gleam in the morning sunlight, and Li Ang's drowsiness instantly vanished.

He blinked and looked at the glittering gold coin.

Then he looked at the little rich girl before him, immersed in her own world, and his attitude immediately changed.

She did not seem... quite so annoying anymore?

He cleared his throat, and a perfectly respectful expression instantly appeared on his face. He extended his hand, but did not directly take the coin.

With a solemn expression, Li Ang lifted the hand Shandrameya was using to offer the gold coin, lowered his head, and gently kissed the ring.

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness." Li Ang raised his head, his tone becoming solemn. "To serve the noble princess is my highest honor."

Shandrameya was extremely satisfied with Li Ang's performance. A brilliant smile appeared on her round little face, as though she had truly completed a knighting ceremony.

Li Ang smoothly accepted the weighty gold coin. Its heft put him in an excellent mood. One gold coin was equivalent to a hundred silver coins. He had struck it rich this time.

"Very good!" Shandrameya withdrew her hand, puffed out her chest, and issued her first mission. "I order you to leave the tower with me in two hours and head to the nearby Whispering Forest."

Li Ang put away the gold coin and nodded. "As you wish, Your Highness."

After seeing off the lavishly wealthy dwarf princess, Li Ang returned to his dormitory and began washing up.

"Ironforge... Shandrameya Maxwell..."

He silently repeated her name while recalling the information she had given about their destination.

Whispering Forest. His instructor had mentioned it during class.

That forest lay roughly fifty kilometers northwest of the Wizard Tower. Since it was close to the Wizard Tower and the tower's enforcement squads regularly cleared it out, there were no particularly powerful magical beasts within.