Chapter 339: Holy Shadow in the Cup

According to the tradition of the Empire, the knight's duel is conducted in a melee manner.

One hundred knights fight in pairs in the wide arena until only the last ten riders remain on horseback in the arena, and the ranking order from 10th to 2nd is determined according to the number of times they are knocked down.

The contestant who completes the "ten knockdowns" first will be the champion of the knight assembly, and if someone can knock the champion off the horse before the end of the competition, they will replace them as the new champion, and the previous champion will lose the competition qualification.

Luo Yan felt that this rule was actually very interesting, it divided the "champion" and the "top ten" into two different tracks.

Theoretically, if you are not pursuing the championship, as long as you survive to the end, you can also get a ranking.

And once you challenge with the championship as the goal, for ordinary people, it is almost a completely impossible victory.

As for the reason—

In a one-on-one battle, mortals have no chance at all in front of transcendents.

The fierce fighting continued for half an hour amidst the cheers of the citizens, riders armed as iron cans fell off their horses one after another, the winners won gloriously, and the losers also showed their bravery.

As there were fewer and fewer riders in the arena, this knight assembly's duel finally came to an end.

The final result was exactly as Luo Yan had expected, Arthur Aiboge became the champion without suspense.

That young man with a head of golden hair stood in the center of the arena, his silver armor reflecting dazzling light.

The sword in his hand was raised high, winning the warmest cheers and applause from the audience, as well as flowers thrown into the arena.

Arthur's strength was unquestionable—at only sixteen, he already possessed Bai Yin-level power, and no one could stop him in this competition.

Looking at that shining guy, Freya, who was sitting in the corner of the auditorium, curled his lips in disdain, muttering.

"Who dares to win him, I'm afraid the loser will have to leave the Shengcheng tonight."

"Yeah."

"That's the Marshal's son, it's too simple for him to win."

The fox friends sitting around him echoed one after another, but they didn't take little Lord Devoe's statement seriously in their hearts.

Marshal Lako is not your old man, and he wouldn't be so shameless.

It's just...

Who can beat his son?

Even if the second son generally cannot inherit the full strength of his father, the children born to the Aiboge family are definitely not ordinary souls.

Ordinary adventurers don't mix to the Bai Yin level after a lifetime of mixing, but that one just practiced sword skills and the "breath" in his body normally, and easily mixed to the Bai Yin level.

It's no exaggeration to say that even if the remaining nine knights went together, Arthur could beat them down even if he let them have one hand.

Unless the number added a zero, maybe there would be a little chance of winning.

This knight assembly itself was a coming-of-age ceremony Marshal Lako prepared for his son, and it might also have the political purpose of winning over Prince Kelin.

As for the other contestants, they were sparring partners from the beginning, and the second to tenth place were the rewards the Aiboge family gave them.

Except for Arthur himself who might not know, most of the people who participated knew it, only a very few silly batches who wanted to perform in front of Marshal Lako would rush to Arthur's face to send their heads at the beginning, and then be beaten away like scarecrows...

There were many people in the crowd who were jealous like Freya, but the vast majority of citizens didn't feel anything, and the cheers shook the sky.

The reputation of the Aiboge family in the hearts of the citizens of the Shengcheng has always been good, and endowing powerful power to noble souls is itself their longing.

On the field, the other nine knights also walked to Arthur's side one after another, dismounted and stood still.

Eight of them were Barons' second sons with Steel-level strength, although their strength was not bad, they were still far behind Arthur, and were standing respectfully behind Arthur at this moment.

Besides that, there was one knight who seemed to be a child from an ordinary citizen's family.

That young man was sweating profusely at this moment, his hands and feet trembling, his breathing as heavy as a cow.

That was not because of fatigue, but because of excitement!

He couldn't believe that he was really standing here, and was about to be conferred the title of knight!

Everything in front of him was like a dream...

Special seats, Prince Kelin stood up slowly, the whole arena was instantly quiet, and all eyes were focused on this most noble guest of the Empire.

Seeing pairs of eyes converging on himself, Luo Yan smiled slightly, glanced at the Marshal, then looked at the whole audience, and opened his mouth with a loud and clear voice.

"Everyone, I am very honored to witness today's wonderful competition. Undoubtedly, the bravery and strength shown by Arthur Aiboge prove that he is fully worthy of the glory of the champion."

After a pause, Luo Yan's gaze swept over the other nine young knights, and continued with an appreciative smile:

"And these nine brave knights are equally worthy of our respect. They will become the first batch of knights of the Templar Order newly established by the Empire together with Arthur!"

The arena instantly erupted in cheers like a tide, citizens waved their hats, and once again sprinkled flowers into the air, the scene was exceptionally warm!

Luo Yan picked up the sword given to him by the Marshal, walked slowly down the long stairs and walked all the way to the center of the arena.

He stood in front of Arthur first, gently placed the treasure sword on the shoulder of the young man kneeling on one knee, and said solemnly.

"Arthur Aiboge, in the name of the Kelin family, I confer you as the chief knight of the Templar Order! May you always be loyal, brave, protect your faith, and protect the honor of the Empire!"

Lowering his proud head, Arthur's excited face was flushed with red.

He took a deep breath, calmed down, then his expression was solemn, and he replied solemnly.

"I, Arthur Aiboge, will defend the honor of the Empire to the death, and will not live up to your Highness's entrustment!"

"Very good," Luo Yan smiled gently and said softly, "Your father and Saint Xisi and I will all watch you, may the sword in your hand always be sharp."

Next, he used the same ceremony to confer the other nine young knights one by one, granting them the title of knight of the Templar Order.

Their expressions were the same as Arthur's, flushed with excitement, as if divine grace had bathed on their shoulders.

Especially that citizen-born teenager, even his mouth was trembling, and he almost couldn't finish the oath, causing the lowest stands to burst into good-natured laughter.

Luo Yan looked at the nervous him, smiled and said.

"What is your name."

"Jas, Jia Sibo, sir!" The teenager stuttered, but forgot to report his surname to him, and it was too late to add it, ashamed to the point of wanting to find a crack in the ground.

"Jia Sibo, very good, I have a premonition that this name will become famous all over the world in the future!"

Luo Yan gave the blushing teenager an encouraging smile, then put away the sword in his hand, turned to face the stands solemnly, and announced loudly:

"Today, we have witnessed a new beginning—"

"May the glory and future of the Templar Order be like the morning sun rising on the horizon!"

"May the names of these young men be recorded in the history of the Empire forever!"

The whole arena was instantly filled with thunderous applause and cheers, cheers came one after another, countless young people blew sharp whistles excitedly, and the exciting warm atmosphere echoed for a long time.

Even Freya, who didn't care about the knight title, couldn't help but have a trace of envy on his face.

He also didn't expect that the high-level officials of the Empire would attach such importance to this knight order.

Perhaps...

This is indeed a good way out?

If he had a younger brother, he would probably let his younger brother try it.

It's just a pity that his old man is not promising in that regard...

After the conferment ceremony, the atmosphere of the arena remained warm, and the stands were crowded, and the citizens of the Shengcheng excitedly discussed everything that had just happened.

And those nine conferred knights—especially the citizen teenager named Jia Sibo, were even more excited!

Because tonight, they will be invited to attend the celebration banquet held by Marshal Lako for Arthur at the Marshal's Mansion!

As the winner of the knight assembly, maybe they will meet the other half of their life at the banquet...

Presenting the glory of winning the knight assembly as a gift to the girl they like is also a long-standing tradition of the Oss Empire.

Jia Sibo's face was flushed red, both nervous and excited, while the noble teenagers beside him were discussing the big shots they might meet at the banquet, as well as various complicated social etiquette.

Although they had attended many banquets with their fathers, such a heavyweight banquet was the first time.

At this time, Marshal Lako walked to Prince Kelin and issued an invitation with a smile.

"Your Highness, if you have no other arrangements, why not go back to the mansion with me?"

Luo Yan smiled slightly and declined: "Marshal, I appreciate your kindness. But I just returned to the Shengcheng and haven't had a chance to look at this city properly. I want to take advantage of the time before the banquet to walk around nearby, and meet you at the banquet, what do you think?"

Marshal Lako instantly showed an understanding expression, nodded with a smile and said: "That's fine, Your Highness has traveled across the ocean, and must be curious about the city customs of the Shengcheng."

Speaking of this, he suddenly lowered his voice, winked at Prince Kelin, and even gave the latter an idea.

"How about this, you can take my carriage first, and after the surrounding citizens disperse, change into casual clothes and leave, so as not to be noticed."

Luo Yan nodded slightly and said happily.

"That would be great, then thank you for the Marshal's cover."

"Hahaha, a small matter, not worth mentioning!"

The two smiled at each other, the atmosphere was harmonious, and they left the arena together.

A moment later, the luxury carriage of the Marshal's Mansion drove away slowly, carrying the eager eyes of the citizens and the endless discussion, disappearing at the end of the street.

And near the back door of the arena, two figures walked out of the shadows quietly, disappearing into the street corner behind the arena—

At this time, Luo Yan had changed into casual clothes, linen fabric replaced the silk clothes, and he also wore a triangular hat with a lowered brim, covering up the prominent aura on his body, looking no different from ordinary citizens.

As for the face, it didn't matter much, people's first impression is actually clothes, and then the face.

Not only did he change into casual clothes, Sarah beside him also changed into a simple gray robe, and used a lowered hood to cover the cat ears that were too eye-catching.

The two walked side by side, completely integrated into the crowd, walking slowly through the market near the arena.

Luo Yan's gaze had been paying attention to the attire of passersby on the street, as well as the goods placed on the shelves, and inferred the life appearance of ordinary people in the Shengcheng and the economic strength of this city.

It can only be said that the Shengcheng is worthy of being a city that gathers infinite prosperity, the richness of materials here is not comparable to Thunder City, and even the Demon City of the Netherworld is much inferior to it.

Dazzling goods are piled up on the small stalls on both sides of the street, silver ornaments flash with tempting luster under the lights, and colorful cloth strips flutter in the breeze, making people dazzled.

In addition to all kinds of handicrafts, the small shops along the street are also full of all kinds of steaming food, the fragrance of roast meat and the sweet fragrance of bread are intertwined, making people drool.

"Hot bread, freshly baked, five copper coins for a big piece!"

"Cheap apple wine! Two copper coins a cup, ten copper coins a bottle! Drink it to warm your body!"

"Shengcheng Times Special! Prince Kelin and the Marshal's Knight Competition, two copper coins a copy!"

"Take a look as you pass by! Sturdy and durable leather boots, buy a pair for eighty copper coins, won't break in a year!"

"Roasted chestnuts, sugar-fried chestnuts, three copper coins for a big bag, hot!"

Not only is the variety of goods rich, but the prices here are not expensive, even slightly cheaper than Thunder City.

Just when Luo Yan was looking at the surroundings, Sarah's eyes were also full of curiosity.

A pair of cat ears under the hood swayed gently, especially when she smelled the fragrance of roast meat on the side of the street, she couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

Maybe it was precisely because of this mouthful of saliva that her vigilance gave birth to a flaw that shouldn't have existed, and she didn't notice a thin figure squeeze to the side of the Demon King, "accidentally" bumping into his back.

Luo Yan didn't react, but that thin little body staggered and almost fell.

"S-sorry! Sir!" After standing firm, he shrank his shoulders, apologized in fear, and then hurried into the crowd, soon disappearing into the sea of people.

Sarah narrowed her eyes slightly, her sharp gaze immediately captured the thin figure fleeing in a hurry, and her hand had already unconsciously pressed on the sword at her waist.

However, at this moment, the hand she pressed on the hilt was covered by a warm, big hand.

"... Your Highness, that person is a pickpocket." Sarah said anxiously, with obvious shame and apology in her eyes.

Luo Yan certainly knew that the kid was a pickpocket, but just smiled lightly and said casually.

"Forget it,

Anyway, this money was "borrowed" from the imperial subjects, so it didn't matter if it was returned.

The truly valuable things were all in the storage ring that Professor Lilisi had given him.

"But..." Sarah seemed somewhat unwilling.

As a guard to the Demon King, she also had her own dignity.

If it weren't for being distracted by the aroma of the roadside skewers, and if it weren't for the fact that there were too many pedestrians here and a mere child looked like he had no deterrent power, that brat wouldn't have had a one-in-ten-thousand chance of succeeding.

The more Sarah thought about it, the angrier she became.

Having always hated surface humans to the extreme, the expression on her face was almost twisted.

Looking at Sarah, who had an incredibly strong desire to win, Luo Yan shook his head with a smile.

"Don't take it so seriously. I was actually doing it on purpose; otherwise, do you think he would have had a chance to succeed?"

Hearing You You had been chattering incessantly beside him, and he had long known that a pickpocket was eyeing him.

As for why he didn't stop it, the reason was also very simple.

Having stayed in the Shengcheng for these days, everything he had seen was the most prosperous and glamorous side of this city, and after watching it for a long time, it was inevitably a bit boring.

He wanted to see what the other side of the coin looked like; perhaps he could make some unexpected discoveries.

Sarah's expression flickered, she immediately understood Luo Yan's meaning, and then relaxed her hand on her sword.

The two strolled around the street for a while. Luo Yan saw Sarah constantly watching the surroundings vigilantly, as if everyone around them was a thief, and she could no longer enjoy the fun of shopping, so he couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

It seemed that if he didn't go and get the wallet back, she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

"Let's go, let's go see where our bait has drifted."

Carrying the still-resentful cat, Luo Yan strolled away from the bustling street, passed through the bustling crowd, and followed in the direction where the thin, small child had disappeared.

For a Platinum-tier mage, tracking an unsuspecting child was truly effortless.

Luo Yan took Sarah through several winding and deep alleys, and before long, they arrived at a place called Kasenjie.

Quite different from the prosperous scene of the Shengcheng seen before, Kasenjie appeared dilapidated and desolate.

The streets here were covered with cracks and sewage, and the surroundings were full of low and dilapidated houses.

The roofs, in disrepair for years, had holes in them, and the walls were peeling and mottled. Looking from afar, it was like dust sticking to the base of the Holy Grail, humble and inconspicuous, much like the underground street of Thunder City.

Luo Yan and Sarah strolled through it, observing everything around them calmly. A few ragged pedestrians walked by numbly, occasionally looking up, scanning the two of them with suspicious and vigilant eyes, and then hurrying away.

Their attire was already very simple, but for the people here, it was still somewhat special.

"... I didn't expect the Shengcheng to have such a place." Sarah said in a low voice, surprised, the expression on her face also somewhat incredulous.

Luo Yan thought for a moment and said casually.

"The Netherworld and the Empire are two sides of the same coin. Whatever the Demon Capital has, this place naturally has too."

After passing through half the street, they stopped in front of an even more dilapidated courtyard.

The walls of this courtyard were mottled and unbearable, covered with vines and moss, and the gate was half-closed, as if it might collapse at any moment.

A wooden plaque was nailed crookedly to the courtyard wall, on which one could barely make out the roughly written handwriting—

【Ding Ge Kayona's Repair Workshop】

Luo Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, curiously examining the plaque and the courtyard behind it, which looked like a garbage dump.

Nominally, this seemed to be a place for repairing machinery, but judging by the patched clothes hanging in the courtyard, it looked more like a temporarily built welfare institution.

As for why he knew this so clearly, it was because the backyard of Priest Jiefu's temple on Ghost Street had a similar feeling—he grew up in a welfare institution in the Netherworld.

The Shengcheng also had similar places.

It's just that this one was probably private.

Just as he was examining it with great interest, two ragged children suddenly rushed out from the courtyard.

They were holding two rough wooden sticks; the sticks were obviously a bit too big and appeared unusually clumsy in their hands, and the sticks were trembling slightly.

The older child among them mustered his courage and shouted: "Private property, no entry!"

The other echoed: "Go back quickly! Otherwise, we... we won't be polite!"

The two children were nervous, their young faces full of fear and vigilance, but the threat they issued had no persuasiveness at all, and even carried a somewhat comical meaning.

If they knew how to read the room, they should have known that the two people in front of them were not to be trifled with.

Luo Yan hooked his lips into a gentle smile, watching them with interest.

Just as he intended to tease these two nervous little fellows, a sound of somewhat laborious footsteps suddenly came from inside the courtyard.

Immediately afterward, a teenager of about fifteen or sixteen years old, leaning on a crutch, walked out slowly from the courtyard.

This teenager was thin and pale; although his clothes were old, they were very clean, and his expression revealed a maturity and steadiness disproportionate to his age.

He looked at Luo Yan and Sarah calmly, then, as if he understood something, sighed, lowered his head slightly, and shouted helplessly toward the courtyard.

"Sister, you stole someone's things again. The owner has come to the door, hurry up and come out to return them to them... Don't cause trouble for Mr. Kayona."

There was no movement behind him for a long time.

The boy sighed, suddenly threw away his crutch, and crawled on the ground in Luo Yan's surprised line of sight.

The two children holding sticks were also at a loss because of this scene, looking at him in surprise.

The boy did not explain, only lowered his head and said.

"Sir, for the sake of Saint Xisi, please let go of a poor person who has gone astray. She just wanted to cure my leg, not for her own selfish desires."

"We will return everything you lost in full... If this is not enough to compensate for your loss, let me be your beast of burden, that will also work. I only beg you to forgive my sister. If the guards know that she has offended such a noble person as you, they will throw her into the depths of the dungeon and then forget about this matter."

"Simply put, he plans to invest in a winery in the Shengcheng, with the location in the suburbs about 50 kilometers away from the Shengcheng. It is not far from the port controlled by the Castellion family, the transportation nearby is convenient, and the land price is relatively not that expensive."

With his discernment, although the man in front of him was dressed simply, his status was definitely not low.

Although the lady in the cloak standing side by side with him was his guard, the bulging shape under the cloak should be a sword.

In the Shengcheng, there were only two types of people who could walk around the street with a sword. Either they were soldiers granted swords by the Emperor, or they were guards of nobles.

If he were to be a beast of burden for this big shot, it wouldn't be a loss for him, but it was a pity that although he thought so in his heart, the real big shot probably wouldn't look down on his leg.

Congenital disabilities could not be cured by magic, and there was another view that this was because of a defect in the soul... Some people were born with a soul missing a leg, and the nobles of the Shengcheng were all quite concerned about this.

Luo Yan watched the child with interest, only feeling that his way of speaking was quite interesting, so he waved his wand in his sleeve gently, and a breeze supported him, helped him up from the ground, and conveniently let the crutch float back into his hand.

Looking at the surprised boy, Luo Yan continued.

"What is your name?"

"White Kayona." The boy answered honestly.

"Are you Mr. Kayona's son?" Luo Yan asked, looking at the plaque at the door.

The boy shook his head.

"No, we are orphans, but Mr. Kayona said that having a surname would be good for us in the future, if we could be lucky enough to get into university like him... In short, we appreciate his kindness."

After finishing, White continued.

"Sir, don't look at me as having a lame leg, but I am very confident in my brain, and my appetite is very small, I can't eat much of your food. But my sister is different, her appetite is very big, even if you take her away, there is no benefit—"

"Let him go!" Before his words had fallen, a sharp roar drifted over from not far away.

Luo Yan looked in the direction from which the sound came, only to see a thin, small figure rush out of the house, spreading her arms to block in front of her brother, just like a mother lion protecting her cub.

Her eyes were fierce, but her thin shoulders were trembling slightly, and behind her bluffing eyes was full of fear, but she did not retreat because of fear.

Because that small body was really too thin, and her eyebrows were thick and dense, so much so that Luo Yan didn't even see that she was a girl at first glance, thinking she was a boy.

Seeing that the noble master didn't look at her, the girl bit her pale lips, took out a purse from her bosom, her fingers trembling slightly.

Clearly, he loved to hear this.

In the center of the arena, young Arthur stopped his horse and slowly took off his helmet, revealing a head of short golden hair.

He looked up and gave a military salute to his father, then pulled out his sword solemnly and held it high above his head.

"For Saint Xisi! For the Emperor!"

That loud voice echoed in the arena, even covering the cheers of the citizens for a time.

That is the slogan of the Imperial knights when they charge.

Although he, who possesses transcendent power, has not been to the front line for the time being, he has longed for this moment countless times.

And this is not just his longing—

The Imperial subjects sitting in the circular arena exploded with thunderous applause and cheers at this moment. People shouted Arthur's name one after another, shouted long live Marshal Aiboge, and the atmosphere reached its peak once again!

Freya looked at Arthur in the field, his heart sour, only feeling that this world was full of injustice.

And Lako, sitting in the special seats, was observing Prince Kelin sitting beside him with a smile.

He believed that the other party must have felt the kindness he showed.

In this competition destined to be won by the military faction, he didn't need the Kelin family to stand on his side with great fanfare, he just needed the balance in the hands of the Kelin family to tilt slightly toward him.

"Prince Kelin, I have a presumptuous request."

Luo Yan said with a smile.

"Please speak."

Lako squinted his eyes, cast his gaze toward the arena, and said heroically.

"I want to add some stakes to today's knight assembly—the top ten riders in this duel will become the first batch of knights to be conferred in the Templar Order, what do you think?"

Luo Yan looked at him in surprise, then smiled and said.

"Then if Arthur wins the championship, are you willing to let him go to the New Continent?"

Lako smiled faintly.

"Opening up territory for the Empire is the long-cherished wish of the Aiboge family... and this is also his ideal."

When he said this, Lako suddenly took off the sword from his waist and placed it on the table.

Looking at the surprised Prince Kelin, he said solemnly.

"If he wins, I want to entrust him and the sword in my hand to you, I hope you can accept it."

This is an entrustment from a demigod-level powerhouse—

Luo Yan was surprised by his decisiveness, and after a moment, he nodded happily and said solemnly.

"This is my honor."

The development of things was a bit beyond his expectation, he never thought that the Marshal would entrust his youngest son to himself.

But the atmosphere was already here, he couldn't say no, right?

Anyway, it's just a knight title.

He can wholesale a bunch of them.

Lako nodded with a smile, then got up from his seat and walked up, announcing the agreement he reached with Prince Kelin just now in a loud voice.

Hearing the stakes added to this knight assembly, the audience in the arena and the riders who were eager to try instantly boiled over.

Not just them—

Even the few young men sitting next to Freya showed a trace of uncontrollable longing on their faces.

Becoming a knight of the Empire doesn't necessarily mean having your own land, but it definitely counts as getting rid of the shackles of land.

For the ordinary people of the Empire, this is almost their only opportunity to change their destiny!

After all, not everyone can receive a good education and get a recommendation letter to study in a "worth reading" university.

Only Freya, the son of a Baron who didn't care about the knight title, curled his lips in disdain.

Although Baron Devoe is just a small shrimp in the Shengcheng, he is not yet to the point of envying a mere knight title, and doesn't think that getting a knight title can change any destiny.

It's the knight order of the New Continent, not the Royal Knight Order, I really don't understand what these poor ghosts are excited about...

Looking at his father and the Prince on the stands, Arthur was flushed with excitement.

Amidst the sound of the horn, he withdrew his gaze, put on his helmet again, straightened his back and rode into the knight team, his eyes firm and confident, waiting for the start of the competition.

The citizens of the Shengcheng will review the bravery of the Aiboge family in the sacred arena!

But at this moment, he didn't know that watching him were not just the children of Saint Xisi and the Emperor, but also His Majesty the Demon King...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 339 =====

It's just that he was a Demon, not a human, so hatred was understandable. But for a human to hate other humans like this, it was still quite unusual.

Luo Yan was just about to say something when a cough suddenly came from not far behind him.

"Sir, please wait a moment. For my sake, can you let these children go? Their fathers were all good people who died for the Empire. Falling to this point is really not their intention. If they have offended you, I am willing to apologize to you on their behalf—"

His voice suddenly stopped, and for a moment, it was full of surprise.

"Wait, Prince Kelin?!"

"Why are you here?!"

(End of chapter)