Gurgle...

After finishing the last sip of hot soup, Ogre took the napkin Macal handed him and wiped his mouth.

Ogre usually didn't need such things, but since it was offered, he couldn't just refuse it.

After all, he was currently living under someone else's roof.

"When are we leaving?" Macal asked while devouring the remaining white bread and fried fish.

Not wasting food was a habit cultivated since childhood, unrelated to wealth.

It was also a virtue a knight should possess.

"What's the rush? Who makes people hit the road right after a meal?" Mima scolded her nephew lightly as she cleared the used dishes and utensils.

"Miss Geling, do you want to read the newspaper?"

Seeing Ogre suddenly reach out, Maggie, who had just picked up the newspaper, asked uncertainly.

"Just give it to her..."

Macal mumbled with his mouth full, having stuffed the last piece of bread and fish into it.

He probably wanted to set off with Ogre as soon as possible.

So Macal sped up his eating efficiency this time—like eating fish without spitting out the bones.

"Mm..." Ogre nodded.

He then took today's Dandelion Daily from Maggie.

"Brother, don't interrupt for no reason." Maggie picked up her own newspaper and sat by the fireplace.

Wherever the wind and freedom reach, there we are—the Dandelion Daily.

Seeing Ogre already engrossed in the newspaper, Macal fell silent.

Otherwise, he would have to retort against his sister's undermining.

'What a studious girl...' Macal felt an inexplicable intellectual beauty emanating from Ogre as he seriously read the newspaper.

It was something he had never felt from other girls.

Ogre, of course, was unaware of Macal's thoughts.

However, he was indeed reading the newspaper seriously, trying to gather some useful information.

The mysterious dean of the Ceres Academy of Magic has returned, announcing plans to establish a new branch in Cross City...

'Isn't this the academy Foucault is planning to attend...?'

Ogre flipped through the news and saw the announcement for recruiting magic teachers at the Cross City branch—

It's said that the mysterious dean will personally welcome new students and teachers at the branch.

'So it's a recruitment promotion, huh? But the exams should be quite strict.'

Ogre skimmed through it and dismissed it—it was just news about the academy's expansion to him.

'Huh... an elf's wanted notice?'

Ogre's slender fingers paused on the wanted notice in this issue.

Wanted individual identity—Muer (Elf) (Family name removed).

Crime: Stealing ancient elf secrets from a forbidden land, destroying a forbidden ancient tree.

Reward: Friendship with the elves, Elf Fruit (consumption grants some elf traits).

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

If the ancient elf secrets are returned, additional rewards include guidance from the Great Elf Sage or the complete knighthood ceremony inheritance of an Elf Grand Knight (silver level knight).

'Those arrogant elves actually issued a bounty through the Church of Truth, interesting... Seems like something significant has leaked.'

Ogre examined the approximate recent location provided by the Word Spirit Prophet (a special branch of Imagists) on the wanted notice—discovering that the wanted individual seemed to be in a nearby district.

This made him instinctively more vigilant.

After all, it was happening close to him.

'Did an elf really run away...? No wonder there have been more foreign professionals in Frontier City recently.'

Even by Ogre's standards, he found the wanted elf Muer extremely ugly, not resembling an elf at all, more like...

A goblin?

'Things are getting more chaotic—wonder if this news was deliberately spread by the borderlands to resist the beast tide.'

Ogre sighed inwardly; he hoped the situation would become chaotic enough for him to escape, but not so chaotic as to harm innocent commoners—tragedies should be minimized.

The news in the Dandelion Daily was mostly old news already revealed.

Meaning, this wanted notice had been around for some time, only recently spreading, exploiting the elves' poor sense of time...

'Forget it, it's not something I can handle.'

Ogre thought that perhaps one of Leidy's (Uncle Foucault's) purposes for coming here was this deformed elf on the wanted notice.

After all, the elves' sincerity was quite substantial, and although they were arrogant, they generally kept their promises.

As for getting involved.

Ogre had even less interest—this involved knighthood inheritance, undoubtedly a tough nut to crack.

For a knight to advance after completing the Circle of Life, there were typically two paths.

The first path was similar to a martial artist's physical accumulation, enhancing Battle Qi strength and physique under the nourishment of Battle Qi, ultimately condensing a Battle Qi core to become a seasoned professional.

This path often reached its end at the seasoned professional level.

Unless you were a legendary born hero.

However, according to the Church of Dawn's records, some knights have reached deeper ends on this path.

That legend is called—the Sky Knight.

A powerful knight capable of leaving the earth's constraints and freely treading the sky with pure physical strength!

The second path is the one knights commonly pursue.

However, this path is equally difficult.

It requires a knight who has completed the Circle of Life to accumulate enough renown, making more people aware of his legend.

When the legend aligns sufficiently with oneself and is widespread enough, these intangible rumors naturally integrate into the knight's Battle Qi, completing the advancement.

(Note: Without sufficient alignment with the legend, no matter how widespread it is, advancement is impossible.)

During this period, the advancing knight will gain an ability aligned with the legend—

For example, a knight who often loses battles might awaken some form of indomitable recovery ability during this process.

For example, a knight who only appears at night might gain night-related abilities.

Knights at this stage become exceptionally formidable in their legendary domain and time frame.

Over time, regional limitations may form.

It might even produce some 'subpar' knights with significant power disparities.

But despite this.

The strength of seasoned professionals is not something ordinary professionals can challenge.

However, compared to other seasoned professionals, this advancement method is somewhat cumbersome and opportunistic.

And also fragile.

And knighthood allows a knight to take a shortcut on this path.

This is why the knight profession has become mainstream, without exception.

Knighthood refers to a ceremony where a seasoned knight transfers his legend to a blood or aura-related individual.

After generations of optimization, it finally formed a stable ceremonial channel.

Knighthood usually occurs between father and son.

It's a ceremony binding the family legend to the family crest and nobility.

The knight and the one being knighted only need to declare the ceremony and complete a blood fusion.

During this process, the one being knighted needs to inherit the knight's name and position.

And continually gain recognition from others.

After the ceremony is completed.

Over time, the knight's power rapidly weakens, while the one being knighted gradually becomes stronger.

During this period, the power of the legend will inevitably be lost for some unknown reason—this is unavoidable.

So with the increase in knighthood occurrences and the dissipation of legends, the power of knighthood becomes weaker.

But fortunately, each generation of the knighted can inject their legendary power and bloodline talent into it, replenishing the ceremony with fuel, making it stronger!

Of course, during this process, the difference in Battle Qi and bloodline cannot be too great, or it will affect the inheritance of power.

In the continuous inheritance process, if a generation of heirs can generate new legends, a new legendary ability will be produced based on the legend.

So the power of knighthood is cumulative; a thriving knight family will only grow stronger, while a declining one will gradually perish, becoming wandering knights.

As for those who haven't completed the alignment of legendary power.

In fact, those powers won't disappear; they will wait for a qualified heir to appear and be awakened again.

And precisely because of the existence of the knighthood ceremony.

Those intangible nobility titles gain immense value.

Some knights are so enthusiastic about expanding territories.

Those long-standing knight families are so strong and stable.

And because of this, a single nobility title often represents a knight's strength—the higher the title, the stronger the power.

So the strongest knight in the Engodo Empire is inevitably the Emperor of the Empire!

And below that, dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, barons...

The strength naturally decreases layer by layer.

This is why knights are so deeply committed to honor.

Because they inherit not only the nobility title but also the entire knight family's power!

These noble knights, relying on the knighthood system, layer by layer, have long bound their country together.

The land beneath their feet, the people behind them, are their source of power!

'A knight is often strongest when defending his territory!'—from Imperial Law, Nobility Inheritance System, last page.

And the Church of Dawn rose under such a system.

After all, there is usually only one knighthood heir!

(Note: Only when the knight's qualifications and alignment are insufficient, and the territory desperately needs this power to be maintained, knights will use another proclamation ceremony to disperse part of the knighthood power, forming branch knight families, a process known as enfeoffment.)

And for those knights clearly unqualified to inherit the family's honor.

The Church of Dawn is the best choice for those second sons and illegitimate children—this is an unspoken rule acknowledged by the nobles.

The Church of Dawn's knighthood does not depend on bloodline but on ideology and its unique Breathing Technique.

After meeting the prerequisites (practicing Dawn or other Dawn series Breathing Techniques), if the alignment with the ancient Paladin sages is sufficient, you are likely to become the next Grand Knight.

During this period, you need to complete trials and gain the Church of Dawn's recognition.

Then you can inherit the Paladin sage's name or title, becoming a seasoned professional or even a high-rank professional!

According to the Church of Dawn's records.

The legendary Dusk and Dawn Knights were the culmination of this model.

Unfortunately, Dusk's true name has been lost.

And no one can inherit the power of the Dawn Knight Wu Bi...

...

'The rest of the content is indeed not very nutritious...'

After flipping through the entire newspaper, Ogre gave it a mental evaluation.

Although he already knew the valuable parts of the newspaper were only at the front.

He couldn't resist reading through those sensational headlines.

'I wonder if the precious knowledge of the Church of Truth can bring me any gains.' Ogre thought to himself.

Then Ogre put down the newspaper he had finished reading, looked up at Macal, and made a slight sound.

"Mm..."

"Miss Geling, are you ready?!"

Macal, who was bored by the fireplace, perked up immediately when he saw Miss Geling, whom he had been longing for, finally put down that damned newspaper.

He had been eager to leave!

"Mm..." Ogre nodded.