Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start - Chapter 324 - 321: The Disadvantage of an Ordinary Origin
Chapter 324: Chapter 321: The Disadvantage of an Ordinary Origin
For the next few days, Ronin occasionally took walks with Blanche in the Golden Feather Palace. He spent the rest of his time either making Magic Scrolls or reading the history books he had gotten from her.
Much like Europe on Earth, this world had no historians. The historical records were scattered and unsystematic.
Although he caught words like “cataclysm” and “war” in the books, he couldn’t verify any of it. It all felt like reading a knight’s tale.
「Time flew by, and soon it was September 25th—Blanche’s birthday.」
According to the schedule arranged by the Golden Feather Palace officials, a martial arts tournament would be held at the Martial Arts Arena during the day, followed by a grand gala in Jinyu Hall at night.
Although late September had brought a considerable chill to Golden Feather City’s air, the slowly rising sun warmed the city.
“My lord, you need to have a suit of Armor made for yourself!”
Tom and David were clumsily straightening Ronin’s clothes. Even though he was participating in the tournament, Ronin was still wearing a slightly form-fitting outfit that was also suitable for combat.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to wear Armor; he had simply grown quite a bit recently, and his old Armor no longer fit.
“With our current situation, we have to tighten our belts. Where would we get the money to forge a suit of Armor?”
This was just a joke. He now had both an iron mine and a Master Level Blacksmith, so forging a suit of Armor for himself would be a simple matter.
It was just that he had acquired Chishan Town too recently and hadn’t had the time to get it made.
Ronin fastened his Flame Stream Sword, stretched a little, and said, “Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep the Royal Palace’s Knights waiting.”
Outside his residence, the Royal Palace had already arranged for a carriage to take the three of them to the Martial Arts Arena.
Ronin lifted the carriage curtain, which was embroidered with a golden Griffin, and watched the scenery pass by.
The Golden Feather Palace was especially lively today. On the road to the Martial Arts Arena, one luxurious carriage followed another. Some belonged to nobles like Ronin who were staying in the palace, while others came from their own residences within Golden Feather City.
Of course, besides the carriages, there were also Knights on mighty warhorses in gleaming Armor, and Guards standing sharply at attention along the roadside.
In that moment, the Golden Feather Palace gave Ronin a sense of immense power.
Soon, the carriage arrived at the arena.
Led by a Royal Palace Knight, Ronin was brought to an area where the flag of the Golden Mountain Range flew. This was the seating area prepared specifically for him.
Like him, the other nobles also had their own designated seats. Banners of various colors encircled the Martial Arts Arena.
Watching the crowd mingle and chat cheerfully, then looking at his own cold, isolated section, Ronin couldn’t help but mutter to himself, ’Eighteen at the tournament, just a nobody on the sidelines…’
’A Marquis Clan, second only to a Duke’s, and yet not a single person came over to curry favor.’
“My lord, look over there. Why is there no flag?”
Tom asked, pointing to a corner on the opposite side. A dozen or so people were sitting there, clearly belonging to a single group, yet they had no banner representing their clan.
Ronin shook his head. ’How would I know about that?’
“Count Ronin.”
Just then, a familiar voice called out, and Reis Dennis walked over.
This was the first time Ronin had seen him since they parted ways in Golden Feather City.
Ronin smiled. “I thought you wouldn’t be able to get in.”
Reis’s expression was somewhat indifferent, but the corners of his mouth still held a faint, forced smile. It seemed he was in a decent mood.
“I used my family’s crest, mentioned your name, and leveraged my status as a student at the Royal Knight Academy. That was enough to get me in.”
He must have overheard Tom’s earlier question, as he explained, “Those are the teachers and students from the Royal Knight Academy and the Horn Bay Extraordinary Academy. Since the two schools were seated together, they didn’t put up any flags.”
’So that’s why.’
He glanced around and saw no commoners. ’It seems everyone who managed to get into the arena has some connection to the nobility.’
“Are you participating in today’s tournament?”
Reis nodded without hesitation. “Of course!”
Then, he glanced at Ronin. “I know I can’t win the championship, but it’s an honor just to participate in this tournament!”
Ronin gave him a thumbs-up. “I admire that knightly Spirit of yours!”
Reis’s gaze shifted toward the academies’ section. “Allow me to give you a warning. You may be strong, but there’s someone in this tournament you need to be careful of.”
This caught Ronin’s attention. “Who?”
“That Knight over there with the light purple hair. He’s from Horn Bay Academy, but he’s been a Silver Knight for over two years, and he’s only twenty-five. He has a Thunder Attribute, and his combat power is immense.”
Ronin looked over. The purple-haired Knight Reis had mentioned was currently looking toward the main stands, as if searching for someone.
“Becoming a Silver Knight at twenty-three… how could someone with that kind of talent not have joined the Royal Knight Academy?”
“He comes from a common family. His parents are said to be farmers. His talent is impressive, but without a letter of recommendation, it’s impossible to join the Royal Knight Academy.”
It’s not that the Royal Knight Academy had no commoners, but to get in, you first needed a recommendation letter from a noble.
Without one, it’s like not having the key to a door; you simply can’t get inside.
“What’s his name?” Ronin asked.
“Karda.”
Reis watched Karda, who was looking around. “He’s rumored to be in love with a noble lady. But given his status as a commoner, it’s unlikely to go anywhere.”
Ronin smiled. “For a commoner like him, with so much strength and potential, it shouldn’t be that hard to change his fate.”
But Reis shook his head. “He has a chance, yes, but that takes time. In eight or ten years, the woman he loves will have married someone else. What good would it do even if you became an Honorary Knight by then? Besides, he can’t even get into the Royal Knight Order as it is.”
Ronin gave Reis a suspicious look. ’He’s being unusually talkative today. Did a few days of chatting with his classmates put him in a good mood?’
Still, he had to admit that Reis had a point.
The Royal Knight Order also required a letter of recommendation. If you couldn’t join the Knight Order, how could you ever hope to earn merit?
Ronin couldn’t help but ask, “If he can’t join the Royal Knight Order, he could choose to pledge loyalty to another noble. There must be nobles willing to accept the allegiance of a commoner with a clean background like his.”
If no one else would, Ronin himself was already thinking of recruiting him.
“Reis, can you help me get in touch with him?”
“You want to recruit him?”
Reis was a little surprised, but on second thought, it was easy to understand.
“I’d advise you not to try. The person he’s in love with is in the Royal Knight Order. He would never pledge loyalty to another noble.”
“Ronin.”
As the two were talking, a clear voice called out.
Ronin turned to see a Female Knight with short, golden hair and a valiant air walking over, dressed in Soft Armor.
“You’re… Missy Knight?”
He stood up in surprise. If he hadn’t recognized her voice, he wouldn’t have known who she was.
Missy nodded and smiled faintly. “Her Highness Princess asked me to convey her blessings to you. She hopes you achieve a great victory today!”
“Thank you!”
Ronin looked toward the stands and met Blanche’s gaze.
Today, Blanche was wearing a gorgeous, predominantly green outfit that perfectly matched the green silk shawl Ronin had given her.
They nodded to each other from a distance. Ronin then turned his gaze back and asked, “Will you be participating in today’s tournament as well, Missy Knight?”
“It would be my honor.”
Missy nodded once more, then walked away at a measured pace to make her pre-match preparations.
Reis was a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected Ronin to know Missy.
He glanced back at Karda and saw that, sure enough, the man was now looking in their direction.
