================================
Chapter 329: Sir Knight Rex Kingsley
================================
Aarun.
This was his starting point.
Back when he first entered the game, he chose this city because this was the newest city to be discovered by the players.
“But now, it’s just like any other normal city.”
At the entrance, there were the usual players. So many of them were now flocking the area just outside the four gates of the city that’s filled with the lowest kinds of monsters.
Siva arrived with little to no fanfare from the direction of the OZ Forest… although it was only for the first few minutes before a crowd began to form around their path.
Right now, he wasn’t wearing his Black Knight Set with its fluttering red cape. No. He was wearing a different set of armor.
His armor was, in short, the complete opposite of his Black Knight Armor Set.
It has gold-to-white sheen and a fluttering red cape —the rest of his party all had red capes.
With him were Thorn, Volt, Scion, FlowerLord, Loni, Samara, Kathleen Brew, Hawkeye, Pitou, Niobe, Otus, Heller, Cramer, and then Eleanor and her escorts with the few names of Warjillis… they were all in this group that numbered 40.
This composition of members in a party is enough to cause everyone else in Terroa to cringe in fear.
Good thing their faces were covered by hoods.
The rest were left in Asgard to either do their own thing or try to accomplish the mission(s) given to them by Siva after giving out their S-Ranked Equipment rewards:
.
.
.
.
[Hunt a B-Ranked Monster alone = 3 seconds to the Dragon Blood Pool (MAX 5x per member)]
[Hunt an A-Ranked Monster alone = 6 seconds to the Dragon Blood Pool (MAX 10x per member)]
[Hunt S-Ranked Monster alone = 15 seconds to the Dragon Blood Pool (MAX 16x per member)]
.
.
.
.
Everybody knows the craze that erupted in the Walled City of Alexandria about the Dragon Blood.
Siva used this chance to strengthen his Company and so he issued a reward system that may not only improve the members, but would also create a drive to strive and improve themselves.
Not only that, with the help of Cortana, he also re-established a more thorough promotion system that he had once promised to the Acolytes, only, it wasn’t exclusive to the Acolytes anymore but to the entire organization.
B-Ranked Monster = 10 points (dead), 20 (alive)
A-Ranked Monster = 30 points (dead), 50 (alive)
S-Ranked Monster = 60 points (dead), 90 (alive)
*300 points = buy low-grade S-Ranked Item or be promoted to Acolytes
*1000 points = buy mid-grade S-Ranked Item or be promoted to Priest
*2000 points = buy high-grade S-Ranked Item or be promoted to Archbishop
*4000 points = buy top-grade S-Ranked Item or be promoted to Apostle
Right now, aside from the (original) Acolytes, all other members were only considered as having the very basic of grades in their membership in the entire organization.
All rewards and privileges are exclusive only to the members of The Company.
Of course, aside from the core members of the Acolytes, almost every member of The Company believed that Siva is indeed just a member of this behemoth of an organization.
I mean, who would give away Dragon Blood as a form of reward anyways?
If The Company could give it away like this, then it meant that the core members of The Company in a place somewhere in Terroa are already given their full supply by Siva.
And Siva, being the supplier, was given full control to the dissemination of this limited supply.
Perhaps Siva’s branch was the biggest in the big picture of the entire organization.
Will all these given, the members felt pride on the choice they made that day. Signing that contract, despite being forced to, was a good choice.
Despite the mountainous height of requirements to be allowed to bathe in the Dragon Blood, the promotional system was also a chocolate candy.
The [Asgard Fortress] is not an ordinary small-scale city. On hindsight, it can support itself even without any contact to the outside world or even trading with other cities.
It was completely an independent state; complete with a Water Source, two Monster Warehouses, a market area, a separate monster processing plant where the members deliver their hauls, an arena to settle scores and issue challenges or hold the same competition like earlier, Item Shops to trade their points for rewards, a (soon to be finished) theme park, a grassy field, three Monster Barns, five Hangar Bays for string Warships, Factory for producing Cyclones and Warships, farmlands for raising crops and livestock, a Guild Hall for posting the members’ requests and complaints, residential areas for the Users and NPCs, and then there’re the two exclusive training areas… the Sword-God District to train one’s self, and the Oz Mountain below the city, filled with monsters that could earn them their keep.
Of course, for security, they had Akhenaton and the Guardians that occupied and protected their immediate 200km ranged in four directions from the castle.
This is indeed a fortress… the Asgard Fortress!
Looking at it from afar, the now perpetually cloud-covered peak of the Oz Mountain Range gave the feeling of a place where a True Immortal is living.
No one without permission is allowed to enter or even as much as get a glimpse of this place.
Thus, after having set things up, Siva decided to leave and head out to meet Pistareen.
*****
Having exited from the direction of a low-grade monster-infested forest, the people, especially all the noobs, were all naturally surprised.
Theirs was a large group and the air and might of their movements signified the strength they carry.
It is a large movement to go unnoticed and while they are a large group, they all wore the same set of clothes… ocean blue-themed in color.
Although everybody on his party retained their own style of clothing and weapons, it was still true that Siva’s ‘rewards’ to them were al themed in the same color: ocean blue items and clothes (armor) with red capes.
These were 95% monster materials and 5% Black Ironwood Alloy: Premium-grade Equipment Items he ‘modified’ himself from their original one.
And the reason why ‘everybody’ —and not one eye less— cannot take their sights off of them is because they all saw that none of these guys’ feet were touching the ground as they moved along.
They were floating —and they were being led by an odd white-armored individual.
“Is there an event in Aarun?”
“For some reason, I feel spooked.”
“Are they NPCs or Players?”
“Look, they’ve entered the city!”
The crowds parted as they went along quietly on their way. Like baby ghosts being led inside by a mother ghost, the group whose feet were two inches from the ground entered the walled city.
“Did anyone notice? Their movements were fast!”
“I felt the wind passing by me!”
“But why are all of them wearing hoods?”
Siva’s group went straight towards the production district where the local Enchantment Temple had been located.
Only when they were in front of the temple did Siva slowed down their floating and hovered right in front of its gates.
Of course, such fanfare from the spooked crowd gathered the attention of the citizens and even of the players; some of them even have all began to take videos with their apps and camera drones.
A moment later, the doors of The Mansion opens with a force and a fat robe-wearing Mage walked off to the edge of the temple’s stairs to look down on Siva’s company.
“Who are you to dare to attract a crowd in front of me?”
Siva didn’t waste time talking trash with this fatty and pulled a piece of paper —an envelope— from his inventory, courtesy of Cortana’s assistance, so Siva didn’t have to manually pull up his inventory.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
The sight surprised the crowd and the Fat Mage.
Everybody knows that only consumable items are allowed to be set on the three slots of the Quick Item Pockets.
So, how did this guy summon this item out of thin air? One word answered them, Magic.
It’s either this is a Magical Item or that the white-armored leader of the group is a high-level Mage.
The sight made the Fatty’s face twitch.
Not because of the feat but because of the faint magical pulse coming from the stamp on that tiny piece of paper.
Every member of The Mansion who paraded the emblem of the Enchantment Temple on their robe is familiar with it.
“I apologize for intruding to your territory, High Mage, but I am in a rush. The Grand Elder Mage had summoned me while I am in the middle of an important mission and had made a stop in this city to ask help from you. May we talk inside?”
The crowd gasped at it.
Majority thought that they are indeed NPCs since one, they look unique and strong to be lingering in a place filled with weak monsters; second, they named an individual, Grand Elder Mage, which the city’s most renowned arrogant NPC to cringe and sweat profusely. Meaning, whoever is that person he mentioned surely has a higher position than this fatty.
True enough, Siva’s play made the High Mage change his arrogance and bowed to the man that held the piece of paper.
“S-Sir Knight… p-please, come in. I apologize for my earlier conduct… I-I didn’t know you were on your way here… please follow me and let your legion have a rest.”
Siva raised a hand, “Thanks for your hospitality.”
He glanced behind, especially at Volt and Thorn who were exchanging panel windows and flicking it towards Siva’s direction with reluctance.
Those eyes of his spoke one thing: “I won the bet bitches.”
In the group, Loni and Samara were blushing with a tinge of shame and apology to the Mage who had just been duped; Cassiopeia and Niobe were wriggling; Scion behind him was just there, silent; while Cramer and the rest were grinning from ear to ear to the result of this audacious farce.
Eleanor was even nodding in agreement as if it is something only “Lord Siva” could do.
Four escort: *face palm*
With Siva at the prow, the group was led inside.
*****
As usual, the reason why The Temples are called The Mansion outside boomed into their eyes.
While the rest, especially Heller, were already used to the sight of this, Siva had only been to this ‘particular place’ three times.
The first and second time were before he went to the East; the third time was when he was in Battle City where he stole —borrowed, ehem— the List of Records (or just The Record) from the Temple.
It was also in that Temple in “Battle City” Warjillis that he met the little pepper, Coralline.
The sheer extravagance of the furniture’s, the still quietness, and the space inside… these were all reasons why this place is popular as a tourist spot.
Because the modern world of the real world now lacked the classical aesthetic design of the earlier centuries, The Temples in Terroa had become a place where these cultural sight-seeing ‘Users’ visit the game.
Siva’s group was led into an inner sanctum where a group of old men and women in the Temple’s robe uniform were lined up to greet them.
One particular old man walked in and presented a bow before talking to Siva: “Envoy, I am the High Magistrate of this Temple, Barzun Cellini. It is our honour to be in your presence.”
Siva, honestly, have no idea what he was talking about. With the information he knew regarding this place, he thought that the fatty was the High Magistrate of this temple. As it turns out, there was someone else above his head.
And Envoy?
He turned back at Eleanor whose unmoving hood showed no signs of moving. It was clear the High Magistrate was walking about him.
“I’m sorry, but I am no Envoy. I am merely a knight c-captain (what?!!) that is under instructions from Pis —the Grand Elder Mage to carry on a mission on his personal stead.”
While everyone else on his party was surprised at his sudden declaration of identity, the Magistrates of the Temple issued amazed “oohs” and “aahs” as soon as Siva finished.
High Mage Barzun Cellini didn’t waste time to pick a stick and check the letter.
If the fatty already confirmed it earlier with one look, then it’s enough and doesn’t have to further checked. There is only one person in the world that could emit such unique reaction on all of their robes’ emblems.
Checking it further is tantamount to disrespecting their Grand Elder Mage’s vassal.
“Sir Knight is humble. In the entirety of all of The Temples in Terroa, only the Grand Elder had all and every right to ask a Knight Commander of an Order to do a job on his stead… which makes you his envoy and also our esteemed guest.”
Hearing this, Siva felt that his [memories] had just triggered a few buried memories.
In it, he saw himself entering castles, palaces, and temples of other grand civilizations, portraying a different character and face each and every time.
—what?!!
—this isn’t the first time I’m doing this?
“Boss, I never knew you were such a conman in your other life in this world…”
—SHUT UP!!
Everyone else in his party began sweating. It was supposed to be just a simple request of having them be teleported to Jeremiah using the letter as a bargaining chip.
Of course, if the first step in the temple entrance failed, they would just have to wing it and run away… thus the bet between the three of them.
Who would have thought that there was this kind of twist into it?
Siva, on the other hand, took note of that detail as the bargaining chip in his mind added another clause into it that included this aspect of the Grand Elder’s position’s powers.
“Well then,” Siva chuckled, “A Knight Commander (when did you get promoted?!!) cannot say no the graciousness of your hospitality. But do forgive me if I am unable to enjoy it this time for not only I am in a secret mission, the summons I have just received from him foretold of an urgent matter.”
The High Magistrate nodded and he wore a very serious expression, “It may perhaps something to do with the latest events in Terroa.”
Siva slightly inclined his head, “Is there anything that happened lately”
This play of ignorance prompted a reaction from the High Magistrate.
“Are you perhaps not aware of it?”
“Not aware of what? I’m sorry, I was in a dungeon investigating a lead and wasn’t able to be aware of the latest events in Terroa.”
The old man nodded with an “I see” expression.
“It is indeed, Sir Knight. In the recent events, Siva had made a blunder. He just chipped the moon and fought Devil Gods —existences we all knew are but legends— in Alexandria. Not only that, he also fought and looted an entire dragon’s corpse!”
Siva gave a nod, “So that’s it.”
“You might have been away for a long time, Sir Knight, and for the Grand Elder Mage personally sending you a missive while you’re still in the midst of your mission might mean that his urgency might be real.”
“That’s what I thought as well. Although I am very sorry to impose on you but could you please help me meet the Grand Elder as soon as possible?”
“It is only a minor matter, Sir Knight.” The High Mage bowed at him and then turned his head at the side, nodding at the other old people of the temple.
With this, they formed a large circle in the inner sanctum and Siva’s group walked in inside of it.
“I will be teleporting you, sir, in the square closest to the Grand Enchantment Temple.”
“Much appreciated.”
The old people held either wands and staves, a few held orbs, a few had scepters, while there are a few who wore weird looking hand-held items.
Even the fatty was holding into a dried sick that served as his wand to help cast the magic spell.
As they channeled their Mana towards a Magic Circle cast by the High Mage, the old man looked at Siva as they met eye to eye.
Siva spoke before the old man did, “I hope that you will keep this matter a secret… I cannot let the other factions become aware of the Grand Elder’s activities.”
He was full throttle with his identity as someone who was in a secret mission by Pistareen.
The old man smiled at him a warm, amiable smile.
When the light intensified, it only meant that they were moments away from being transported.
Then, Siva spoke, “In the future, I will repay you for your help, Magister Barzun.”
“Thank you for considering it, Sir Knight.” The old man hesitated and just before the light of the spell fully unleashes, he asked, “May I ask for your noble name, Sir Knight?”
Siva met him eye to eye, he was smiling, “It’s Rex Kingsley.”
FLASH!
When the group vanished, everyone else who’d been holding their breaths let it all out from their chests… especially the fatty.
High Magistrate Barzun Cellini also let out a long sigh as he faced his constituents.
“It is my first time meeting someone like him.”
The fatty and the rest all heaved long sighs as their eyes stared at the spot where Siva had just once been standing.
“Fwaaaahhhh…. I thought I’m gonna die…”
“Such a frightening presence…”
“He wasn’t emitting any Mana but his physical body’s presence alone is enough to totally suppress us.”
“This is someone who had been through a great deal of danger and lived through it.”
“I never knew the Knight Orders in the Capital is capable of rearing such a monster.”
Everyone stated their own impression of ‘Rex’ as they gathered their strength and their breaths. As it turns out, because Siva had tempered his body and has been baptized by the Dragon’s Blood, his mere presence alone was enough to deter beings with weaker [constitution] such as these Mages.
—perhaps, except Barzun.
“High Mage?” called the fatty, his second seat.
Although Barzun had been talking to Siva the whole time, right now, his gaze was actually in a switching manner between two places.
“I don’t think they are from any Knight Faction in the Capital.” He said calmly with a gentle voice.
This statement surprised the old bones off them.
“High Mage, what do you mean by that?”
He answered the fatty, “Because two of them have monstrous amounts of Mana encircling their bodies; most especially the one behind ‘Rex’. In my years of living, such a talent should have been recruited by our Temple from the moment she is born... but seeing that it wasn’t, then perhaps, she is one of those Immortals…”
Everyone gasped in surprise.
There was no reason for the High Mage to lie to them. He wasn’t being an alarmist. He was just stating the truth.
“Do you mean that they might be…”
“There have only been rumours of them, nothing more. But seeing this group, perhaps there might have been some truth with these claims.”
Speaking of rumors, there have been rumors that Grand Elder Mage Pistareen is going to support a King Candidate in the upcoming Annual King Test.
For as much as the fatty, or anyone else who had limited access to insider news, know, Grand Elder Mage Pistareen had never once dipped his nose into muddy waters of the Kingdom’s Politics.
—or at least, not until the recent rumors spread.
Pistareen is going to be supporting his own ace in the game of thrones.
As the fatty talked, the High Mage held his chin and stroked the short beard as he walk back towards his office.
The rest of his subordinates only watched.
“Rex Kingsley, eh? What an interesting fellow to be able to lead such a powerful bunch… I may be an old bones, Siva, but you cannot trick them off yet with shallow lies… hohoho…”
The rumours stated that Pistareen is going to be supporting someone named Volt, an adventurer, in the scuffle called the King Test.
Further research told that one of Siva’s ‘friends’ from the events in Dragona was named as such and with the sudden appearance of someone this powerful in Aarun… given the data that the Castle Base, Apus Epirus, had, his old bones was able to tell that Rex was Siva.
“High Mage, shouldn’t we be reporting them to the Magistrate Council? Even if the rumors about Volt being the Grand Elder’s ace are true… i-it-it’s just…”
The High Mage turned to the fatty and then to the rest of his subordinates, “Report who? Report what to the Council? What are you talking about? I was just taking a walk here, nothing else. Hoho...”
His innocent smile hid an old fox’s sneaky bones.
Of course, the fatty knew what the High Mage is talking about. Rex Kingsley—no, Siva—had made a request and right now, he was granting it.
The fatty had no choice but to shut his mouth.
“You owe me one, Siva, you owe me one.”
*****
SSSSSSSHHHHFOOOOHH…!!
A flash of light.
Siva’s group of 40 people appeared in the square close to the Central Region of the Castle City of Jeremiah.
And as soon as they appeared, Siva immediately saw the large castle that stood in the distance.
“Whoa!” Everyone had the same impression.
Castle City Jeremiah, famous for two things: one is that in the center of the city is the Castle that is built in honor of the late Queen Lunette Astarte; second, it’s that the castle is big.
He turned around and saw the long and very wide brick-laden straight avenue that went on to the far distance. Siva explored his memories regarding this place and learned of it immediately.
This city is more than 300km across and there are eight such large avenues like this that divides the city into eight parts.
Each part is controlled by a Faction and each of the factions had their faces… the so called Knight Orders of Jeremiah.
“So this is Jeremiah.” Siva murmured.
.
.
================================
Finally arrived at the biggest city in Terroa...!!
================================