Annan had dreamed of having titles since his days in Breeze City...
Whenever a noble appeared and the servants rattled off a ridiculously long string of titles, he couldn't help feeling envious. But titles he gave himself meant little—Hide-and-Seek King, Uncrowned Rat-Hunting Champion, the Crimson Princess's Knight... So far, only King of the North, Champion Sorcerer, and Lord of Free City could be considered legitimate.
It didn't matter whether Holy Grail Knights still had power. What mattered to Annan was whether he could become one.
Delatorre told him about the Lady of the Lake.
Wilson Lake, where the Lady of the Lake dwelled, was sacred to every Holy Grail Knight.
The Lady of the Lake was just and noble, and the Holy Grail Knights she chose possessed those same virtues.
She was neither the first nor the oldest deity, but her existence was closely bound to the human Empire. Early Saint Laurent Calendar, she appeared at Wilson Lake in Wilhelm and raised her first Holy Grail Knight.
Unlike other gods, who needed to gather believers to gain divine power, the Lady of the Lake had always limited her followers to Holy Grail Knights and Grail Knight Squires. No other believer received a response from her, no matter how fervent their faith.
That let the Lady of the Lake concentrate her power. Once someone became a Holy Grail Knight, whether they were Master Level or Epic, her blessing could grant them strength and longevity comparable to a Legendary.
"You really want to become a Holy Grail Knight?" Delatorre considered it seriously.
Three years ago, Annan would have faced a long period of scrutiny, needed recommendations from three Holy Grail Knights, and only then been allowed to attempt a grueling, fiercely contested Trial. But now... the Lady of the Lake had gone