The Blood-Drop Stone

After Louis had resolved the problems brought by the fifteen hundred slaves, the Red Tide Fief's development went far more smoothly than he had imagined.

New houses sprang up throughout that short month, and the fallow fields were rapidly brought under cultivation.

Hope finally appeared on people's faces. The barren, desolate land was becoming a true fief.

Louis sat in his office, looking over the intelligence reports Bradley had compiled about the fief, and nodded in satisfaction.

Good. The foundations are in place. It's time to tackle more important matters.

It's time to begin the next phase of the plan.

Louis picked up the Blood-Drop Stone he had brought back from the Southeast Province. It was a deep-red crystal whose surface shimmered with a strange luster, like blood still flowing.

It was a special magical ore that could test whether someone had the aptitude to become a Bloodline Knight.

Only those with knightly blood could make it react.

Louis cut his fingertip with a dagger, letting his blood slowly drip onto the stone.

A moment later, the Blood-Drop Stone trembled slightly and gave off a dark-red glow.

This meant Louis possessed the potential to become a Bloodline Knight.

Of course, the stone could only test whether someone had the potential to become a knight, not how great their talent was.

But Louis was not worried about that, because he had the Daily Intelligence System.

If a particularly talented child appeared, the system would alert him sooner or later, and he could then focus on training that child.

So how many other children in the Red Tide Fief have the talent to become knights?

Louis intended to use this stone to screen the children of the Red Tide Fief and find those with the necessary aptitude.

He would raise Bloodline Knights who truly belonged to him and the Red Tide Fief.

They would not be knights dispatched by his family, but loyal knights he had personally selected, trained, and shaped.

My knights should be fervent believers.

They should trust me, follow me, and remain loyal to me without reservation.

They should do more than pledge allegiance. They should see me as their true leader, even as their faith.

More than two hundred children gathered in the Red Tide Fief's square, most of them under fifteen.

An indefinable excitement filled the air. Every child held their breath in anticipation, their heart quietly quickening.

Their eyes were fixed on Louis at the center of the square.

He wore a black cloak, with the Calvin Family's crest pinned to his chest.

He was like the sun hanging high in the sky, warm and dazzling.

As they looked at Louis, powerful admiration welled up in every child's heart.

Most were the children of refugees and local residents, and Louis had saved their parents from the brink of starvation.

Through their teachers' and parents' words and examples, they had come to deeply respect and love Louis.

In their hearts, Louis was the sun.

"Today, I will select some of you to become knights," the sun said.

As soon as he spoke, a stir swept through the square.

"If we become knights, can we ride horses and carry swords?"

"Can we protect the Red Tide Fief like Lord Louis?"

"Can... can I become a knight?"

The children chattered, their eyes full of surprise and excitement.

These children came from the lowest ranks of society and were still very young. They had no idea what being a knight truly meant.

Their understanding was simple and direct.

Knights were the warriors closest to their great lord, the guards at his side, powerful and exalted figures in everyone's eyes.

Becoming a knight meant fighting alongside the sun and standing in the place of greatest glory.

"Quiet. One at a time."

The testing officially began. The knights and teachers directed the children into lines, ensuring that each came forward in order.

Louis stood on a raised platform in the square, with the Blood-Drop Stone resting on the table before him.

A strange light shimmered across the stone's surface. Its deep-red luster seemed to pulse, drawing every child's gaze.

One after another, the children stepped forward and followed Louis's instructions, making a small cut on a finger and dripping blood onto the Blood-Drop Stone.

At first, all the children were brimming with excitement, waiting for a miracle.

Yet as most of their blood fell onto it, the Blood-Drop Stone remained unchanged, showing no reaction at all.

As time passed, disappointment crept onto the children's faces, and the atmosphere gradually grew subdued.

Louis felt somewhat disappointed too, but he showed no discouragement.

After all, this was inevitable in a selection like this. Only a tiny number of people had the talent to become knights.

A little girl stepped forward and gently let her blood drip onto the stone.

Suddenly, the Blood-Drop Stone lit up faintly, then gave a slight tremble and emitted a dark-red glow.

In that instant, everyone held their breath, their eyes widening.

"It's her! She's going to be a knight!" the children whispered excitedly to one another.

The little girl stood there, staring blankly at the Blood-Drop Stone, seemingly unable to fully grasp what had just happened to her.

Confusion and excitement flickered in her eyes. Her legs trembled slightly as she struggled to comprehend the miracle before her.

Louis gently patted her shoulder. "What's your name?"

The little girl seemed startled and stammered, "I-I'm Lilia."

"Congratulations, Lilia." Louis looked at her. "You are the first knight the Red Tide Fief will train."

At those words, the little girl's legs went weak, barely able to support her, and tears instantly welled in her eyes.

She stood in a daze, her eyes filled with astonishment, unable to believe she could actually become a knight.

All the children in the square watched her and whispered among themselves, their hearts full of envy.

Only after hearing the envious words of her peers did Lilia straighten proudly.

Although her legs were still a little weak, the excitement in her heart made her feel as though she were flying.

"I-I'll become an outstanding knight and protect the Red Tide Fief!" Lilia promised Louis.

Hearing the little girl's earnest, childish words, Louis smiled. "I look forward to that day."

With Lilia successfully passing the Blood-Drop Stone's test, the atmosphere in the square grew even more excited.

Children were always blindly confident, believing they were that one in a hundred who would be chosen to become a knight.

Reality, however, was always cruel.

Nearly half the children had already stepped forward to be tested, but only three had passed and shown the talent to become Bloodline Knights.

Among the crowd was a rather short boy. Anticipation shone in his eyes, tinged with fear.

He hoped to become a knight, yet feared he lacked the talent.

He wanted to become a knight, to stand beside Lord Louis, and to repay his lord's kindness.

His name was Vale.