The other nobles present in the ballroom stared at Kairos wordlessly, with wide eyes filled with shock.

Then, noise came all at once. Many of the nobles here are family heads, not because they are honouring Kairos who is their host, but because the Steel Rose family and the Devilheart family that attended.

And these family heads spoke all at the same time.

"Does this boy knows who he had just messed with?"

"He is only an Earl! Just a small fry... but he is challenging one of the Three Great Nobles? This is hilarious. It's history in the making, my friends."

"Even one of their executives could crush this boy with his rank."

"Don't say that, when we were his age, which among us had not done something foolish? I see that he, at least, has the courage."

"Courage? It is pure folly... and it is already far too late for this boy. He had destroyed his future with his words tonight."

When someone said that, quite a few looks of pity were directed at Kairos. But the boy himself did not even bat an eye.

"To think that he would dare to challenge us together with Lord Calculus and the Steel Rose family. He certainly has a death wish."

"Do not forget the Hope family. They might not be nobles, but their trade routes are used by nearly half of all nobles."

"I wouldn't say that he has a death wish. He is just a new-born calf that does not know fear in front of the lions. From his common background, I guess it couldn't be helped that things ended up this way," Almost everyone agreed with the portly noble that said this.

He is one of the wisest of the nobles who had never allowed anyone to make him suffer a loss, and they trusted his opinions.

However, the ones that know Kairos, even the villagers who did not go on an adventure with him, had to stifle their laughter that almost erupted because of their disagreement.

Instead, they silently looked with pity at the nobles and the three families. Which of those that had crossed swords with Kairos had not suffered grievously?

If the nobles had known that the Silent Lambs Empire had paid for messing with a brother of Kairos with a Princess, their treasury, 500 SS rankers, and one of their 3 top practitioners, they would not have mocked him.

It was one catastrophe after another. Even the least of the damage incurred, the death of a Princess is significant enough to stir an Empire.

After all, she was talented enough to be entrusted with setting up the defences of the national Treasury. Yet, not only did Kairos see through her traps in the treasure room, he cut her destiny short.

It is no wonder that Vouno and the guys believed that just one of the Three Great Nobles is still far from enough to match Kairos.

Vouno proudly thought, "Hah. You need at least two Guardians of the Realm to match my son!"

The ball became awkwardly silent when the ridicule by the nobles was answered with silence. Soon, quite a few guests decided to excuse themselves, with those from the three families leading the others to storm out of the manor.

Of course, Kairos did not attempt to cajole anyone to stay.

Spending the entire day trying to listen to conversations, and smile at everyone, had drained him much more than a battle against the Guardian. He even wished that Calculus had spoken earlier, so that this dreadful party could be cut even shorter.

He did not know that for the nobles that had frequented such balls, instead felt that Kairos had been a disgraceful, and incompetent host. But, even if he knew, it would be insignificant to him.

The next day.

The Official Conferrer sent by Emperor Galahad arrived at Kairos' manor, with a line of royal waggons filled with treasures.

He announced for Kairos, Vouno, and the boys to step forward. Giving each of them their title, land deed and tokens of power.

Besides these standard items that come with one's title, the Emperor had additionally bestowed a red coloured Imperial Robe and an Emperor's Dress Sword upon Kairos.

The sword is unsuitable for battle, nor does it grants the receiver with any privilege. Its sole purpose is merely a medal of honour from the crown, to show the favour that the Emperor has upon Kairos.

But it is the difficulty to receive this item that made it treasured.

Just because of this edgeless sword, the nobles who had ridiculed him the day wished they could swallow their words.

The majority of them felt an enormous burden press down upon their shoulders, knowing that only a man of great valour and talent, could receive such a token. If the Emperor recognize Kairos as one, then it is most likely that they had offended a dangerous opponent.

Most nobles quickly withdrew the prejudice they felt towards Kairos. They will need to see the situation for a longer time, before they could pass judgement on what sort of person Kairos is.

But the portly nobleman who gave his insult last, wanted to slap his own face. If doing so could turn back time, he did not mind turning himself into a swollen pig-head, so that he may avoid this battle between the Snowdrifts and the three families.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

When the gods clash, the mortals tremble.

There was a reason why the other nobles trusted his opinions. The portly noble had an acclaimed reputation of good judgement, and he thought it was an excellent opportunity to flatter those above his station. He had never considered, even in his wildest dream, that the boy could receive an Emperor's Dress Sword.

And he knows fully, what are the kind of people that can receive such recognition from the Emperor.

Compared to the dress sword, the red robe's identity is only more significant. The Emperor himself protects all possessors of Imperial Robes, and except the crown itself, no one in the Empire are allowed to take the life of one. Those that did so will be subjected to the cruellest of tortures without given the right to die, along with the rest of their kin.

The Emperor himself wears a golden Imperial Robe embroidered with red dragons, the hue is the recognized symbol of a monarch, and no one else dares to use the same colour. Anyone, from commoner to Princes* that is in possession of any clothing that is golden in colour is punishable by death.

Beneath the golden robe that signify absolute power, is the yellow Imperial Robes. The colour yellow is the closest colour to gold and these robes are worn only by Princes who has a claim to the throne. Upon their robes, red phoenixes are embroidered on, the number of those mythical creatures signify the closeness to the throne.

The next Imperial Robes are silver in colour, with tigers embroidered on. Worn by those that are most valued by the Emperor, and therefore signifies the importance of their person. Anyone who attempt to harm a wearer, is already punishable by death, unless one also has an Imperial Robe of the same rank or above.

The black robes with Black Turtles sewed on, come next. Given to those who had done great services to the crown. Then, the red robes with Golden Cranes for those who are valued highly, but had not proven their loyalty to the Emperor yet.

Following that are the blue robes with Qilin, the brown robes with the Peng bird and lastly the white robes with Dragon Horses.

Each a Robe is a symbol of favour from the Crown, and each comes with a benefit worthy of their station.

In fact, all the houses belonging to the 100-nobles are in possession of a Black Imperial Robe, while the Three Great Nobles each has a Silver Robe.

Though Kairos is only bestowed the Red Robe, he has suddenly gained a possibility to fight against the Three families. Of course, it is only a small possibility in the eyes of the old nobles. The boy's level is still far beneath his opponents at this time, but at the least he is safe because the Emperor forbids robe possessors from being killed.

The Devilheart family possesses a Black Robe, and the Steel Rose family has a Silver Robe, therefore as long as they do not take Kairos' life, everything else falls in the grey zone.

However, because of what Kairos received, quite a few people now suspect that the young Lord of the Astroire house might have a powerful background, which gave him the courage to challenge the High Nobles.

In addition to the robes, the dress sword and things that comes with his new titles, a large sum of spirit stones has been assigned to the boy. 20,000 in total. Along with 1 Platinum.

Each Platinum is worth a hundred White Gold, ten thousand Blue Silvers or a million Green Coppers. Adding on the 20,000 spirit stones that are worth another platinum, it is already a significant amount for any Earl.

But in Kairos' eyes, this amount of money is rather small.

Compared to him, his father Vouno did not receive as great a bestowment, only ten white gold in total. Whereas his brothers each received a single white gold for their Barony.

Each of them was awarded a jade ring to symbolise their nobility, and they can select a small parcel of land. They unrolled a map provided by the conferrer, and saw that the locations they could choose from is just beside Kairos' territory.

Vouno was the first to select, enlarging the Astroire family's lands. Then each of his brothers chose their area to touch the border of Kairos' lands until the group now own the vast grasslands, the countless hills, and the winding rivers near Rutea village.

In respond to the Emperor's favour, Kairos publicly announced that he would like to thank Emperor Galahad.

The very next day, the boy reached Saint City, and he went to the greatest training hall in the capital that is for the public's use. An area that is no smaller than his own manor.

In this training hall, there are teachers and sparring areas provided by the crown for all practitioners above F ranks. And the use of this place is not free, just entering the facility would cost ten green coppers.

However, the equipment available is nothing spectacular. Suitable only for commoners who did not have their own training areas.

Before the others, Kairos began to lay down a diagram on the ground, drawing symbol after symbol on the floor with beast blood. At first, the practitioners wanted to stop him, but noticing his jade ring which indicates he is an Earl, they stepped back respectfully.

A few hours later, Kairos has completed drawing runic symbols across the entire place. Then he took out several demon cores and a few other items from his bag.

"I..isn't that a rank four earth demon core? And that is a rank five wind elemental demon core!" A sharp-eyed practitioner observed.

"My goodness, you're right! That's a C, and a B ranked enlightened beast's core! What kind of teams are needed to hunt one down?"

"It's not just about hunting one down. Do you know how rare enlightened beasts are? It's said to be only one in a hundred."

"Haha, you got your information wrong. It is one in a thousand at least!"

An older practitioner shook his head, and with a loud voice corrected them, "You younglings never hunted for an enlightened beast before. Perhaps a thousand years ago there was one in a thousand, but now it is only in ten thousand or even hundred thousand beasts that you can find one."

With the continual progress of human civilisation, the wild beasts dwindle in number, and even enlightened beasts that are intelligent enough to avoid man-made traps could not survive with their food supply disappearing.

Next, before everyone's eyes, Kairos took out a strange artefact. A tiny twig that most could not recognize. But eventually, one of the more knowledgeable practitioner finally identified the treasure and he exclaimed aloud, "That's a time oak! A tree that grows a hundred years within a year! Because it actually exists in warped time, it dies easily before anyone could administer aid to it and it is rare to be sown. But a single twig would be as effective as a Ranked 1 time elemental demon core!"

The other gasps in wonder, they have already understood that Kairos is making a stratagem, but what kind of array requires a time demon core?

Or in this case, a time oak's twig?

With a wide smile on his lips, Kairos activated the Stratagem, and instantly large amounts of Heavenly Energy began to pool within the training hall.

Then without a second word, he left.

The practitioners in the hall marvelled at the changes to the hall. Though everything appears familiar to them, the atmosphere had changed.

There was a respectful quietness in the place, as the practitioners silently thanked Kairos in their hearts. The stratagem he created costed a great deal of money to create in the eyes of these people, but the value it has to them is even more so. None of them thought to steal the crystal core for their own, and if anyone tried, the others would probably beat that person to death.

The entire hall was in absolute silence, until one of the more excited cultivators suddenly exclaimed, "M..my my.. my goodness! My cultivation speed DOUBLED!"

His cry was like the opening of floodgates at a dam and set the other practitioners running to try the training array on their own.

A few days later, the Emperor who had heard of this, summoned Kairos into his palace once again.