Chapter 519: Investiture and Death

Chapter 519: Chapter 337: Investiture and Death

Just a few real battles would be enough to transform him.

Even his Swordsmanship training hadn’t fallen behind. Back in Kolon, he had asked Liya to find a suitable High Tier Combat Qi Secret Manual for Mier, something called the “Wind and Thunder Secret Manual.” Now, Mier had successfully condensed a Combat Qi Seed and become a Low Tier Combat Qi Knight.

Levi planned to wait until he hit a bottleneck before adding points for him.

The two of them went outside, where the people of High Cliff Castle stood under the bright sun. At the very front was a group of half-grown little brats—Feder children, Jackal and Wolf Pups, Beastman Kids, and Centaur Children.

They all looked at the two of them with excitement on their faces. Levi had been fortunate enough to see this kind of gaze before; it was the look of countless believers piously worshipping the Gods they believed in.

“Lord!” a Beastman Kid with a runny nose, his voice as loud as his father’s, asked excitedly, “Is it true that we’ll get money for calling Chief Steward Tina ‘Duchess’?”

“Yes,” Levi replied with a smile and a nod.

This custom was actually from Tina’s side of the family—though, of course, it was the same in his previous life—so he didn’t omit it.

“We don’t want any money! We want the Lord to have our fathers forge us swords,” the Beastman Kid said, wiping his nose with his hand and shaking his fist fiercely. “We want to fight for the Lord, too!”

“No. Before that, you first have to finish the homework Chief Steward Leiden assigned you!” Levi revealed a wicked smile. “Otherwise, I’ll have your fathers string you up and whip you.”

All the children with expectant eyes looked as if they had been struck a heavy blow. In that moment, they personally experienced the treachery of the human heart.

“However, just having you learn to write isn’t enough. I’ll have to arrange a Martial Arts instructor for you,” the Lord mused, stroking his chin.

These half-grown boys were frighteningly energetic; getting into bloody brawls every day was a common occurrence. Having them systematically learn Martial Arts would not only burn off their energy but also raise the minimum standard for High Cliff Castle’s next generation of Warriors.

However, the only one who seemed perfectly suited for the role of a proper Knight proficient in all kinds of Martial Arts was Si Kai, whom he had tricked into coming to High Cliff Castle.

The group of half-grown boys immediately got excited again. Arranging for a Martial Arts instructor meant they would get to handle weapons too!

“Tina, I’ll leave this to you. If anyone doesn’t call you ‘Duchess,’ tell me later, and I’ll have his father spank his bottom raw!”

The Lord dropped that last sentence, then walked back toward the great hall with his hands behind his back.

The reason for having Tina do this was, in a way, to let these half-grown kids and the people of High Cliff Castle know that from now on, there was a moon beside High Cliff Castle’s sun.

Inside the great hall, both Warriors and chieftains were drinking and boasting. The wedding was over, so naturally, it was time for eating, drinking, bullshitting, and shooting the breeze.

“Ahem.” The Lord cleared his throat.

WHOOSH!

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing, clicked their heels together, and stood up in unison, knocking over a slew of tables and chairs. Mier brought a chair and placed it beneath the Lord.

“Sit.” The Lord plopped down onto the seat.

The men of High Cliff Castle sat down again, but no one continued to gorge themselves. They all knew their boss certainly had something to say, and that it was important.

SHING!

The Lord drew the Holy Sword from his waist. Its silver-white blade glinted. His gaze fell upon Zamanzi. “Zat.”

“Boss.” Zat came before Levi without the slightest hesitation.

“You were one of the first to follow me. Your many contributions go without saying. I have decided to bestow a surname upon you,” Levi said seriously, getting straight to the point.

In this world, being granted a noble surname by a lord was an honor great enough for anyone to strive for their entire life. It was also the simplest and most effective way to deepen the bond between two people.

Of course, his and Zamanzi’s bond no longer needed such simple tricks. This was merely a form of recognition for the other party, a distinct honor.

Zamanzi’s mighty body trembled. He instantly dropped to one knee, a rare look of nervousness and helplessness appearing on his face.

Gods knew how envious he had been back when his boss had granted a name to a Jackal Wolfman. He never expected his turn would come.

“I have decided to grant you my surname. I hope you will not bring dishonor to it.” Levi rose, gently rested the sword on the Beastman’s shoulder before him, and said slowly, “From this day forward, your name is Zat Targaryen.”

In the next moment, Zat’s face flushed as red as if it were engorged with blood, while everyone around, whether chieftain or Warrior, stared at him with eyes full of extreme envy.

To be granted a surname by their boss—and the Lord’s own surname at that—what an incredible honor for a Warrior!

They never would have dared to even dream of such a thing.

Zat was now incredibly grateful that he had met his boss in the Gladiatorial Arena back then, which led to him receiving such an honor today. Even if he were to die on the battlefield in the future, people would remember that there was once a Beastman Warrior named Zat Targaryen.

“G-Gods above, I, Zat…” After calming down, Zat stammered, wanting to swear an oath like those Knights, but he wracked his brain and couldn’t find the words.

At this moment, he bitterly regretted not studying harder back then and insisting on finding people to wrestle with instead.

Just then, he saw Mier’s mouth moving, whispering something. He immediately began to parrot the words, stumbling through them: “I, Zat, swear that no matter what enemy I face, no matter what hardship I encounter, I will always stand by your side and use my flesh and blood to shield you from all schemes and swords.”

“Your honor is my life. Anyone who insults you will taste the edge of my sword. Your enemies are my enemies, and your ambitions are my ambitions…”

“If I break this vow, may I be abandoned by all the Gods… and may my soul fall into the Bottomless Abyss after death.”

Zat recited the oath with extreme care, afraid of making a mistake. Even though it was the dead of winter, sweat was already beading on his forehead. Fortunately, it all ended smoothly.

Levi watched quietly as Zamanzi swore his oath. This ceremony could be treated with leniency, but it could not be skipped. Even if the words were stumbled over, as long as they were spoken, it was enough.

“I believe in your oath. I promise that you will always have a place in High Cliff Castle and eat at the same table as me…”

Levi spoke solemnly, lightly tapping Zat’s shoulders twice with the flat of the blade before withdrawing it.

Zat’s heart felt like a fireplace stuffed with firewood, blazing with a terrifying heat. He slowly rose to his feet, his eyes shining brightly.

The Lord, who had originally intended to employ a little more psychological manipulation, looked at that gaze and abandoned the idea. At this moment, if he were to tell Zat to go chop up a Giant Dragon for soup, the man would do it without a moment’s hesitation. There was no point in adding to it.

“Mier.” The Lord’s gaze then fell upon the burly youth beside him.

“My Lord.” Mier immediately dropped to one knee, and the Holy Sword once again came to rest on his shoulder.

“In my name as Duke Debei and Lord of High Cliff Castle, I dub thee Knight. May you guard justice with your sword, defend the innocent with your shield, and cleanse evil with your courage. May your loyalty be as eternal as the stars, and your honor as flawless as steel.”

“I swear by my life and honor to defend the faith, be loyal to my Lord, protect the weak, uphold justice, and forever follow the code of chivalry, until death!” Mier said, his voice filled with both excitement and solemnity.

Knighting his subordinates en masse was something the Lord had planned for a long time; he had simply moved the ceremony to today, when everyone was gathered together.

Next, nearly all of High Cliff Castle’s chieftains were knighted.

Jackal Wolfman Hogg, Centaur Gus, Beastman Shaman Orak, and Giant Goblin Leiden were not granted surnames, but they were all knighted. They had all followed him and achieved military merit, so knighting them was not a big deal. The only point worthy of criticism was that they were all demi-human races.

However, this was only a minor issue for the Lord.

Next, Sam and Heather were both given the title of High Cliff Castle’s Spellcasting Group Leaders.

However, when it was Old Neil’s turn—the Kobold who had mastered the Soil Fertility Technique—he was nowhere to be found in the great hall.

It wasn’t until someone was sent to find him that a Rabbit People messenger came hopping back, his face a mask of grief, the Long Spear he had been issued now lost somewhere along the way:

“Bad news, my Lord! Group Leader Neil… he’s about to die!”