Somehow, Adam and his companions hadn’t been poisoned during the party. They slept within a shared house, each taking turns for their watch, while Zee rested up directly outside the house. Days passed, and they were eventually moved to their own house.

Somehow, Adam and his companions had yet to fall under a scheme from the baron, though they kept on guard at all times. They lost several silvers each day to live peacefully within the village, eating whatever the villagers had brought them, but making sure they were paid for their labour and produce.

Baron Matteas Moonglow, flanked by a pair of knights, approached the house. He was adorned in his armour, and his knights were also dressed head to toe in heavy plate mail, and each carried their weapons at their side. One carried a box.

Adam stepped out first, Wraith at his side, and his shield strapped to his back. ‘No other knights or guards?’

‘No,’ Zee replied.

The baron motioned a hand to the knight beside him, the same knight who was carrying the small box. “I have brought to you your plaques. You are to be knighted at great light.”

The knight opened the box to reveal four plaques, each made of silver, with the baron’s sigil stamped within it, as well as their names. “You may take your plaques,” the knight informed.

Adam reached for the silver plaque first, tensing up as he reached for it, before he lifted it up, holding the heavy plaque within his hand. It was as long as his palm and half as wide. “What do we need to know about this ceremony?”

“You do not need to know much. You merely have to present yourself, and once the rites are completed, you will be considered a knight by my authority.”

“By your authority and not under it, correct?” Adam asked, staring into the baron’s eyes.

“Correct.” The baron then excused himself, returning back to the nearby fort.

“This is going rather well…” Adam threw a look towards his companions. “You think he’ll betray us at the ceremony?”

“It’s the best time for the betrayal,” Jaygak said, slowly nodding her head. “He might be Aldish and betray us when our backs are turned.”

“True.” Adam let out a soft sigh. “Not gonna lie, I hate this place.”

“We just need to survive,” Jaygak said, resting her arm between her blade and her waist. ‘Just a year.’

Once it was high noon, Adam and the others made their way to the town centre, where they found the baron, his grandson, the knights, the guards, and the commoners waiting for them. Adam threw a look to Jurot, before raising his finger towards the sky, waiting to see how Jurot would respond. The Iyrman stared ahead of himself towards the others, and narrowed his eyes, which meant Adam should wait a little longer.

The baron unsheathed his blade, and motioned for Adam to approach. Adam stepped forward towards the baron, and waited. The lord of the town motioned to the ground, and Adam furrowed his brows.

“You must kneel for the knighting ceremony,” the baron stated.

“Oh.” Adam frowned, staring into the lord’s eyes for a moment. He sighed, before dropping to a knee. ‘I guess he is a noble.’

“For the service you have provided for our humble town, it is my honour to knight you,” Baron Matteas Moonglow stated, placing the flat side of his blade against Adam’s shoulder. “May the Sun Father forever watch over you, and for his light to guide you.” He then brought his sword up over the young man’s head, and placed the same flat of his blade against Adam’s other shoulder. “Thus rise, Sir Adam.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Adam stood up, awkwardly, glancing between the knights and the other guards, before furrowing his brows. A knight brought a cup of wine, and suddenly Adam smiled, before sipping the wine. He waited, and waited, but nothing happened.

“I will not kneel,” Jurot said, crossing his arms.

“Can they be knighted if they don’t kneel?” Adam asked.

“No,” the baron replied, his eyes also falling across the women, who made no move to step up towards him.

Adam raised his brows towards them. “You guys don’t want to be knighted?”

“We will accept gems and coin in its stead,” Kitool stated.

“You sure?”

“You can be the only noble between us, Adam,” Jaygak said, patting his back.

Adam narrowed his eyes towards the Iyrman, the gears in his brain turning. “Did you do this on purpose.”

“What need of we to be nobles when you’re a noble?” Jaygak asked, her face far too innocent for her true thoughts.

“I’ll remember this, Jaygak.”

Jaygak smiled, still patting his back. “Of course, Sir Adam.”

“Don’t,” Adam said, shuddering. ‘Damn, that feels awful.’

“If you do not wish to be knighted, then you must return the plaques,” he stated.

“If I’m a knight, can I knight them?” Adam asked.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Only a baron or greater can knight an individual.”

“Why?”

“That is the rule.”

“Who made the rule?”

“Our forefathers.”

“So I just need to become a baron then?” Adam asked.

“One does not simply become a Baron.”

“You said that other people would be coming for you, right?” Adam said, rubbing his chin.

Baron Moonglow remained silent, wondering where the young man was going with such a train of thought. His knights prepared themselves, and the guards gripped their spears tighter in hand.

“So once they come and attack, can’t we just beat them up, and I’ll take the title of baron and then I’ll just knight you?” Adam asked, glancing towards his companions.

‘What?’ Matteas thought. “You wish to become a baron.”

Adam visibly winced in front of the baron, before he let out a soft sigh. “If I must.”

‘…’ Matteas wasn’t sure how much he should allow Adam to make fun of him before he needed to teach the young man a lesson, especially since his own grandson was currently stifling his cackling.

“Yeah, I guess we should do that?” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders. “We’ll figure it out.”

“I will send word that you have been knighted,” the baron said, motioning a hand to his knights, all but two leaving upon horseback to bring word back to their village, and beyond. “You must return the plaques.”

“Alright, let’s hand back the plaques, and then once I knight you, then you can get them back,” Adam said.

The commoners glanced between one another, wondering if that’s how that worked. Someone fighting to become a baron was unheard of, for that was something that was from before, not something which happened in the now.

The day passed by and both Adam and the baron were surprised that the other hadn’t made a move.

However, a knight had returned back to the town the next day, and Adam and his companions were summoned. They stood opposite the baron, who was flanked by his knights and a handful of guards, all armed and armoured.

“We have received word that Lord Kegan Rockcastle was slain by a Night Lord,” the baron said. “They say that the Night Lord was adorned in purple, and was surrounded by three companions.”

Adam turned back to Jurot, furrowing his brows. “What’s a Night Lord?”

“A Night Lord is a dangerous being which is most active in the night,” Jurot replied, thinking carefully. “They are those who are not volar, not mortal, and are creatures, like vampires, dragons, and so on.”

“The last Night Lord who was a dragon was killed centuries ago,” the lord stated. “Regardless, I wish to know if it was you who killed the baron.”

“I mean, I definitely killed him, but I’m no Night Lord,” Adam said.

“I would like to hear of the situation…” Matteas was fairly certain they had no chance against the Night Lord before them, but there was something wrong. No Night Lord travelled in the day, as that was the Law of the World, for the Sun Father would destroy them.

The baron listened intently to Adam’s words, who explained the rough situation. ‘That was not what I heard…’

“That’s how we killed Baron John Firstfield,” Adam stated, before continuing on with the story.

‘They killed… two barons?’

“So that’s why we killed the barons,” Adam said. “Basically, don’t covet our weapons, and don’t try to poison us.”

“…” Matteas blinked. “You know of great magics, but you are not a Night Lord?”

“That’s correct.”

Matteas, though surprised he was so willing to reveal that he had killed two barons previously, was more shocked by the fact the young man knew great magics and wasn’t a Night Lord. As far as he was aware, some of the volar knew minor magic, a spell or two at most, but he hadn’t heard of any half fae who knew such great magic, at least, not one who wasn’t a Night Lord.

The knights beside the baron stood awkwardly, certain they were going to fight, but the baron hadn’t called for them yet.

‘Sun Father, help me.’