The Empire's reward for the Academy was nothing but fame and a title reserved for the Champions: Champion Sorcerer.
Like Champion Knight, it was the pinnacle of worldly glory. Any Professional granted the title of Champion would be respected wherever human civilization reached.
It was more precious even than "King of the North." If Annan visited a place as the King of the North, the locals might say, "Oh, some important person from somewhere." But as a Champion, he could easily win supporters anywhere.
Some nobles thought giving the title of Champion to a group of young people would cheapen it. Only the truly powerful and well-informed knew what was going on: the Championship Tournament's Champion title had been spoken for from the start.
A young noble who had inherited the title of King of the North had uncovered the McKennan Ratfolk's plot to march north. Though a branch of the Montreal family secretly allied with the Ratfolk had put a price on his head, he had exposed their horrifying murders of two Holy Grail Knights. In the end, he had held back the Rat Tide and saved Snow Mountain Fortress from falling to an assault by both the Demon Tide and the Rat Tide.
He had earned the honor of Champion.
At the investiture ceremony, a Holy Grail Knight crowned Annan. The steadfast, elderly knight placed a ring woven from green wheat stalks on his head.
The Holy Grail Knight leaned close and said, "I know what you've done... Mel and Kleber would be proud of you."
The Eighth Holy Grail Knight and the Fifteenth Holy Grail Knight...
"Is there any chance they can be brought back?" Annan did not want to see humanity's heroes die because of betrayal.
"I don't know, child... Once, we could have done it.