Promotion and ennoblement

After dismounting, Kanni held his spine with a somewhat stiff expression. His cold eyes swept over O'Connor, who was still sleeping like a pig on horseback, with the chill gleam of a sword beneath a starry sky.

As they walked, Aikimu turned his head and asked, "Is that fellow on the horse the prisoner you brought back?"

Zeng Mu nodded, but Kanni, walking at the rear, cut in. "If he weren't a White-Pattern Leader, I'd have killed him myself."

"A White-Pattern Leader?" A firefly-like glimmer flashed through Aikimu's eyes. He shifted his gaze and studied the man on horseback, confirming his identity from the center of his helmet.

"My instincts tell me there's more to him than just being a White-Pattern Leader. That's why I spared him and brought him back. Perhaps we can use him as a bargaining chip when negotiating with Idiveer," Zeng Mu said, revealing his calculations.

Aikimu and Ma Linya nodded repeatedly. Neither doubted the value of an Elementalist's instincts.

"By the way, this horse..." Aikimu had also noticed how extraordinary the warhorse was.

Ordinarily, after galloping such a long distance without stopping, an average horse would probably have collapsed from exhaustion the moment it entered the city. Yet this horse showed no fatigue in its eyes, and its body had not even reached its hottest temperature. It clearly had strength to spare, and it wasn't wearing any tack, either.

"It's a Thousand-Mile Horse," Zeng Mu told him.

Aikimu's eyes flashed again. He inspected the horse carefully, then stared in a daze for a moment before saying, "A prisoner and a Thousand-Mile Horse. Two birds with one stone indeed." He also understood that Nameless had removed the tack because he wanted to tame this Thousand-Mile Horse. But great undertakings took time. A horse so wild and untamed by nature would not submit after a single ride. At least it showed no signs of resistance. If all went smoothly, taming it completely would only be a matter of time.

This spirited Thousand-Mile Horse will be yours sooner or later, Aikimu thought, looking at Zeng Mu's reflection in his eyes.

Zeng Mu pulled the strange Black-and-White Fruit from inside his clothing and handed it to Ma Linya beside him. "Here, help me figure out what this fruit is."

Ma Linya looked startled as she took it. Feeling its warmth and coolness, she turned it from side to side, examined it closely, and sniffed it. It had a soothing scent, like juice made from a blend of cherries and fragrant pears.

"Where did you get this fruit?"

"That's a long story..." Zeng Mu briefly recounted what had happened after the two of them left.

Both Ma Linya and Aikimu looked shocked when he finished. Her voice wavered slightly. "Dead Python Root and Living Python Root growing together? How strange..."

"Indeed. I've never heard of such a thing. That's even more surprising than a prostitute turning over a new leaf and marrying an honest, middle-aged Baron the very next day," the well-informed Aikimu agreed.

"So that means...?"

She glanced at him and handed the fruit back. "Yes, I can't identify it. You'll have to ask someone else to take a look. In all of Sand City, Uncle Bert is probably the only one with enough experience."

"But he's still fast asleep. You can hear him snoring even from outside the Herbal Medicine Shop. I doubt he'll wake up before tomorrow morning."

After putting the fruit away, Zeng Mu remembered the others and asked her, "Where are Bright and his fellows now? Has Lord Yetos assigned them to the army? Or were they sent to Uncle White the blacksmith?" Although he had never met White Miles, he had taken note of the name when he learned that Ma Linya's Pale-Gold Sword had been made by that master blacksmith. Now, because of Bright, the name had left an even deeper impression.

"Neither. Here, they're still inside." She took the Emerald Bead from inside her clothing and handed it to him.

"Hm? The Knight Commander didn't take the Wood Elemental Artifact back?" Zeng Mu looked surprised and accepted the Emerald Bead after a brief hesitation.

"When Uncle Bert and I returned, that honored guest had just arrived. After confirming that the water supply problem was resolved, the Knight Commander gave me the Elemental Artifact and asked me to pass it on to you. He said it was yours from now on, a gift to mark your new status. So I didn't mention Bright. I thought we could decide what to do after you came back."

Kanni exclaimed, "Good heavens, Nameless, what kind of ridiculous luck do you have? Even the Knight Commander is willing to give you this Wood Elemental Artifact! If this thing were sold on the Black Market, it would cause a frenzy. Anyone without at least ten thousand Livre wouldn't even dare lurk in a corner and watch."

"Tsk, young people really are young people. You're thinking far too simply. This is a Wood Elemental Artifact! Elementalists are one in ten thousand, and among them, only one in ten thousand can refine treasures like this. Even a first-tier Elemental Artifact can't be valued in money. After all, treasures that drive people this wild either have a price but no seller, or a buyer but no price," Aikimu teased, with a hint of instruction in his voice.

Ma Linya and Zeng Mu smiled without speaking. What interested Zeng Mu more than the Wood Elemental Artifact was what she had said at the end.

"New status?" He truly could not understand what other status he might gain. Had the Holy Temple sent someone to raise his rank again because he had completed this mission successfully? But on closer thought, that did not make sense. The honored guest must have received word and set out several days ago.

At that thought, he seemed to glimpse part of the answer. His lips were neither entirely relaxed nor curved into a smile as he continued toward the camp's stone house with steady steps, going to meet the honored guest.

The camp was unusually quiet and tense that night.

It was quiet because none of the usual noise could be heard: no wounded soldiers groaning, no voices singing in unison, no murmured conversations. It was tense because the patrols were unusually dense. They moved back and forth in pairs, rows of four, and squads of eight, their eyes resolute and alert, their steps steady and strong. Viewed from the night sky, it would have been easy to see that they were all circling the luxurious stone house at the center.

There were also two more sentries at the entrance than usual. Both had slightly long beards and were clearly seasoned battlefield veterans.

Seeing all this, Zeng Mu and Kanni grew increasingly curious as they approached. Just what sort of honored guest warranted such arrangements from the Knight Commander?

When they reached the entrance, the four sentries nodded to Aikimu.

"You two go in. We won't join you." Aikimu stepped aside to stand beside the Thousand-Mile Horse and gestured to them.

"All right. Sorry for the trouble, my lord, but please get it some good fodder." Zeng Mu gently stroked the horse's head.

"Don't worry. It'll have plenty."

Zeng Mu took out the Wood Elemental Artifact and put O'Connor inside. After bidding the other two farewell, he and Kanni turned and entered the stone house as a sentry lifted the curtain.

Inside the stone house, two rows of candles burned steadily, while the bright flames of a brazier in the center drove away every trace of darkness.

A wooden table, stools, armchairs, and even such novel items as a teapot and cups were neatly arranged, with two elongated shadows stretching across them.

Although their faces were hidden from this angle, one of them was undoubtedly Yetos. To their surprise, he wore no armor that night, but an elegant black-and-purple formal outfit. Together with his robust build and composed bearing, it made him seem like an entirely different person. He looked less like a legion commander than a prince of noble birth.

The man seated beside him likewise wore formal attire, though his was pale gold. Its ornate, flamboyant collar almost swallowed his neck. At the center of its back was a five-pointed star, with three overlapping swords in its center. The design was exceedingly simple, yet for some reason, looking at it sent a chill down one's spine.

"Knight Commander," the two said respectfully in unison.

"Good, you're back. I knew you could do it." Yetos rose abruptly and turned toward them. As he spoke, the man beside him slowly stood and turned as well, finally revealing his face.

He was nearly forty-five, with regular features, a spirited brow, and deep, powerful eyes that seemed to hold the magic of a dark ocean. Together with his long, graying beard, they gave him an air of effortless authority. Unfortunately, his slightly round, ball-like nose disrupted that impression, making him look somewhat more approachable.

Yetos introduced him. "This is Lord Viscount Soxia, sent by the Holy Temple."

"Our respects, Lord Viscount," the two said, bowing.

Soxia nodded and looked at Zeng Mu. "Are you the Nameless One they've been speaking of?"

Zeng Mu nodded. "Yes, that's me."

"Kneel." His voice rose abruptly, shaking the room.

Zeng Mu glanced at Yetos. After Yetos blinked at him, he stepped forward and lowered himself onto one knee.

Soxia stroked his beard with a practiced hand and reached toward his waist. A moment later, a golden scroll rested in his hands. He unfurled it with those strong, weathered hands, swept his burning gaze across its words, and pronounced each one distinctly:

"Nameless One, elite knight of the Fourth Platoon, Third Battalion, Vanguard Division of the Second Legion: for your meritorious service in defending the city, you are hereby promoted to First-Rank Knight. In recognition of your status as an Elementalist, you are also ennobled as a Baron. Your rewards shall remain as stipulated. By the Lord's decree."

After reading the decree, Soxia placed it in Zeng Mu's hands and helped him to his feet.

"Come in." He turned his head and called toward the door.

Footsteps sounded, and two guards whose attire differed slightly from that of Sand City's knights entered, carrying objects in their hands.

A set of clothes and a sword were presented to Zeng Mu.

The clothes were exceptionally magnificent, far finer than the formal outfit from Cobert's treasured collection that Zeng Mu currently wore. They even rivaled the formal attire worn by Yetos and Viscount Soxia.

The sword was even more extraordinary. The moment Zeng Mu grasped its hilt, his palm felt the gentle coolness found only in exceptional materials.

"Whoosh..." He moved his hand sideways, and the blade slid from its sheath with a sound like wind brushing through leaves. Its surface was densely patterned with overlapping, fingernail-sized scales, without a single flaw. Even the blade's edge had slight curves. At a glance, it resembled an extremely even saw. It would not only save effort when swung, but deliver terrifying cutting power. He could hardly imagine what master craftsman had made it.

"This sword takes its name from the pattern on its blade. It's called the Fish-Scale Sword. Are you satisfied?"