Chapter 200: Application (35)

Knights' Garrison.

"You mean you wish to apply for solo entry into the Mist Mountains to hunt demons?"

"Yes, I humbly request the Knight Captain's approval."

"…"

Rusted Nail Weizhu squinted at the boy standing proudly before him, his brows slightly furrowed.

He was very satisfied with Herbert.

This boy, in both character and talent, was an exceptional choice—the future core of the Mist Monastery.

Rusted Nail Weizhu held great expectations for Herbert, hoping he would one day take over his position.

Even, perhaps, one day enable the Grand Bishop to retire peacefully behind the scenes… but he knew it was far too difficult.

Only when a new Saint truly emerged would the Grand Bishop feel at ease.

As a fallback, he hoped Herbert could at least convince the Warden to relinquish his duties.

These two had given too much, endured too long—it was time they rested properly.

Unfortunately, neither he nor that bald Bai Chi possessed sufficient strength to make those two feel secure.

But Herbert might.

If previously the Knight Captain and the Inquisitor had expected Herbert to become legendary, after the Frost Crystal incident, their expectations for him had skyrocketed.

With such talent and character, an Epic-tier strength… might not be impossible?

Under such expectations, they largely turned a blind eye to Herbert's minor personal quirks and tried to prevent others from interfering with him.

Otherwise, Herbert's current life might lose much of its freedom.

But that did not mean Rusted Nail Weizhu would tolerate or condone such a dangerous act.

For the Knights, entering the Mist Mountains to hone oneself was no issue—everyone did it regularly, and group expeditions were even organized periodically.

But the problem was, Herbert was applying for solo entry.

That posed a serious problem.

The Mist Mountains were fraught with peril; all below the Legendary rank must travel in pairs, and only those who reached Legendary status were permitted to go alone.

Clearly, Herbert had not yet reached Legendary—still far from it.

If it were anyone else, Rusted Nail Weizhu wouldn't even ask—he'd ignore the request outright and punish the Bai Chi severely.

But this was Herbert, so he didn't refuse at once; instead, after a moment of frowning thought, he asked:

"Why?"

He needed Herbert to give him a reason.

A convincing, rational one.

Herbert had prepared for this. He straightened his posture, locked eyes with the man, and began his prepared speech.

"Knight Captain, let me explain today."

"During the Frost Crystal mission, I deeply felt my own weakness."

"If I possessed sufficient strength, I wouldn't need to rely on the Berserker to spread pressure, wouldn't need her to exert influence on the kingdom, nor would I cause fear among the common folk."

"If I had Legendary strength, I could personally judge every evil noble without relying on the Divine Church to complete the final step."

"And if I had such strength, I could have resolved those problems sooner, sparing the innocent people further suffering."

"This weakness and helplessness fills me with profound shame."

"It is my fault—they suffered because of me."

Herbert clenched his fist and gently placed it over his chest, saying:

"After returning, I thought long and hard, and finally realized I should rely not on others, but on myself."

"More than depending on others, I must strengthen my own power!"

"No blade held by another can ever be sharper than the one held in one's own hand."

"Therefore, I wish to enter the Mist Mountains to forge my strength!"

"I humbly request your approval!"

As Herbert spoke, he channeled all his emotion and invoked the power of the Devil's Tongue—his words were intensely persuasive.

Even Rusted Nail Weizhu, a man of cold disposition, was slightly moved, nodding in agreement.

"You're right. It truly is so… I'm glad you've realized this now."

He was deeply pleased with Herbert's mindset.

Young people are often blindly confident, overestimating their strength.

Confidence is good, but blind confidence only destroys them.

Herbert's current behavior was remarkably surprising.

He didn't attribute all past achievements to himself—he reflected afterward, identifying the problems and shortcomings.

This is good.

Truly good.

It further solidified the Knight Captain's view of Herbert.

His future will not stop at Legendary—he will surely surpass it.

But one thing at a time.

After being moved, the Knight Captain, now calm, ultimately shook his head and denied Herbert's application.

"No."

Ten Moves, Still Refused!

Herbert was not surprised by this outcome; his expression remained unchanged as he bowed respectfully.

"Lord Commander, may I ask whether you could tell me the reason for your refusal?"

Bishop Rusty Nail shook his head and said directly, even somewhat cold-bloodedly:

"The risk of entering the Misty Mountains alone is too great. The others don't matter, but a talent like you should not take such a risk."

His personality itself was just such a coldness, the same inside and out — if he had something to say, he said it straight, never hiding or covering anything.

"Even without entering the Misty Mountains, the Knights have plenty of methods that can help you raise your own strength."

"You're still lacking a great deal of training in the techniques of a Holy Knight right now — this is a perfect time to use to catch up on it."

And Herbert, upon hearing this explanation, pressed his lips together.

The Knight Commander was right.

There were many methods of training; one didn't necessarily have to choose the most dangerous one, and even if one did, the effect wasn't necessarily the best.

He certainly knew this point.

But the problem was… for others it might not be, but entering the Misty Mountains was definitely the best for him.

I'm going in there to kill and kill and kill some more!

Herbert's main purpose in applying to enter the Misty Mountains was to properly unleash his Conquest Power, to savagely grind a wave of levels against the monsters.

I'm going in to grind levels, not to be grinded by others.

Bishop Rusty Nail, seeing Herbert's expression, knew he was dissatisfied, and said with a shake of his head: "You cannot enter alone. If you insist on going, then you must travel with others."

"In a while the Knights will organize a hunting competition — you can form a team with others and take part then."

(End of this chapter)