[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty":3,"chapter-knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-129":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1847943,2453,"Chapter 129 - 119: A Worthwhile Deal","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-129",129,"\u003Cp>Roland raised his eyebrows at these words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confirming that the leader of the Merchant Guild before him was not joking, he gave a slight bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you, Mr. Derek.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s no need for such formalities, Mr. Roland,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am merely fulfilling the promise Colin made.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Roland did not show any signs of ecstasy upon hearing the news, Derek’s estimation of him quietly rose a little higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well then... please continue to enjoy the banquet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek gave a slight nod and turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland narrowed his eyes as he watched Derek’s back disappear into the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before they had met, he’d assumed that a man with such power and status in the River Domain would be a stern and ruthless figure. He hadn’t expected him to be so approachable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Either way, I can finally put the matter of subduing the Wolf King behind me... The Knight’s Breathing Technique...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought of the Secret Technique imbued with Extraordinary Power, soon to be in his grasp, made Roland take a deep breath, trying to suppress the excitement churning in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, Roland!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, a hand clapped him on the shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland turned his head and saw Galvis leaning in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Minstrel’s gaze followed the direction Derek had gone, and he asked in a low, curious voice,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did that big shot say to you just now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then lowered his voice, his tone cautionary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Be careful. He’s not someone to be trifled with. What do the people of the River Domain call him again? A cunning old fox! Who knows what’s hiding behind that friendly face...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was nothing important.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland took Galvis’s warning to heart and shook his head gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come on, it’s time for us to leave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leave?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Galvis looked surprised, glancing at the lavishly dressed guests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t you need me to introduce you to a few lords and gather some information?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That won’t be necessary.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he was getting the Knight’s Breathing Technique, there was no need to waste any more time among these nobles who only cared about balls and idle chatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh? But...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Galvis’s gaze drifted involuntarily toward the long table in the center of the hall, laden with delicacies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing his look, the corner of Roland’s mouth curled into a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry, there’s no fish for dinner tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Galvis’s eyes instantly lit up, and his face broke into a wide grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that he had a problem with Roland’s Culinary Skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the contrary, he greatly admired Roland’s skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In most of the banquets the Minstrel had attended, the chefs’ skills couldn’t compare to Roland’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was simply sick of eating fish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well... how about we buy a few bottles of wine on the way?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Galvis suggested enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No problem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the matter of the Knight’s Breathing Technique settled, a great weight was lifted from Roland’s shoulders, so he had no reason to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I want chicken and beef, too!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Galvis’s eyes shone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Elf Race has a few unique cooking methods. I’ll teach you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two chatted and laughed as their figures gradually disappeared through the banquet hall’s entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Roland leave, Nelson, who had accompanied Derek, frowned deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned closer to Derek and spoke in a low voice. The friendly tone he had used when he first met Roland was gone, and his shrewd eyes glinted with the calculation and doubt peculiar to a Merchant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Derek...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it really wise to so easily bestow the Breathing Technique upon... such an unfamiliar young man?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then added cautiously,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, I’m not questioning your decision, it’s just...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nelson tilted his head slightly, his voice even lower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After all, he hasn’t undergone any kind of assessment, and Mr. Colin’s judgment...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t finish his sentence, but the hesitation in his eyes clearly showed his distrust of Colin’s ability to judge character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nelson...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek dealt with the fawning compliments from the surrounding Merchants while replying in a low voice to the old friend who had followed him for many years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t just distrust Colin’s judgment...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek turned his head, his sharp gaze catching the faint trace of arrogance in Nelson’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t believe that such a young man could truly possess the kind of Power Colin described at his age, do you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nelson met this with silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The head of the Merchant Faction took a small sip of the pale gold liquid in his cup and sighed helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Setting aside whether Colin’s description was an exaggeration... didn’t you witness his ability for yourself at the Knight Academy that day?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A man who has never practiced the Knight’s Breathing Technique, yet he actually took a blow from Graham...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Derek himself had not been there in person, recalling Nelson’s report from that time, the worldly Merchant still felt a hint of astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if Graham wasn’t using his full strength, that’s enough to prove this young man’s value...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My apologies, Mr. Derek...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nelson’s voice was tinged with apology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not blaming you, Nelson...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek set down his wine glass, nodded to the nearby Merchants, and then led Nelson toward a corner of the banquet hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept over Marston, who was forcing a smile in the crowd, then flickered to Graham, who stood silently by a table, focused only on downing his drink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Merchant leader sighed softly, a fleeting look of reminiscence in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just want to remind you to think carefully about how far we’ve come...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek’s voice was low and clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When this land was still mired in the chaos of war, I was just a Fisherman, Graham was just a mercenary living on the edge of a blade, and as for Marston, hah...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek let out a soft laugh. As he spoke of the past, the formulaic smile on his face softened for a rare moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He was nothing more than a down-and-out young noble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But who would have thought...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek’s voice held a strange, wistful tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...that three nobodies like us would end up joining forces to create the River Domain? So...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clapped Nelson gently on the shoulder, his gaze turning sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t pick up Marston’s bad habit. Weakness and ignorance are not obstacles to survival. Arrogance is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When fortune smiles upon us, even ordinary people like ourselves can build a nation. So what of a young man who has already shown talent far beyond the ordinary at such a young age?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if he never becomes a subject of the River Domain in the future...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek turned to leave, but his words carried clearly to Nelson’s ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...he won’t forget that he received our goodwill when he was still a nobody. Compared to that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Derek’s steps never faltered, and his final words rang with conviction even against the boisterous backdrop of the banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...it’s just a mere copy of the Knight’s Breathing Technique. This deal... is an absolute bargain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1156,"2026-06-09T07:01:39.614Z",1,"novelbin.me","3768dfff2eaa6e8f938c0b87c0d799f1ff15cc28e0a3dcf0622fd3122c0fefb1","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-130","knight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-chapter-128",216,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fknight-from-apprentice-to-the-almighty-cover.jpg"]