Chapter 50: Visit (Part 1)

Outside Tier Town, the Military Camp.

Dean was still preparing in his room—in fact, such preparation had begun after Ike left; after all, wanting Baron Tier to confirm his identity required more than just some ‘smoke bombs’; some substantial things were necessary.

For example: the ring in front of him.

Of course, this was not an ordinary ring.

Or rather, after passing through Dean’s hands, this ordinary ring became extraordinary—on it was a complicated, mysterious Family Crest.

Layers of scale-like Runes rose from both sides of the ring, and in the very center, two small Longsword Runes were engraved upon it.

And on the Inner Ring of the ring, the number ‘7’ was engraved.

The ring, made entirely of Gold, had no other decorations apart from those engravings and Runes; whether Crystals or gems, there was not a single one.

In fact, the original appearance of this ring was just like this.

As for the origin of this ring?

Once, it belonged to a Descendant of one of the hundreds of Knights who followed that ‘Empress’ across the sky—of course, according to real records, that Descendant had been dead for a long time, and at this time, this ring should still be among that Descendant’s burial objects.

It would only be dug up by two grave robbers around the time of the second Blood Moon War.

As for why Dean knew this so clearly?

Because, the person who executed those two grave robbers back then was him, and the person who ultimately obtained that ring was also him; therefore, he was quite familiar with this Knight’s Ring.

However, without that Knight Bloodline, he was obviously unable to awaken the true power belonging to the Knight’s Ring.

Of course, this was not something shameful.

After all, many Descendants of those Knights were also unable to awaken the power of the Knight’s Ring.

But, those who possessed the Knight’s Ring were without exception the Descendants of the Knights who followed the ‘Empress’ back then, and they all held considerable status in the Emerald Kingdom.

Even as times changed, this remained true.

At the very least, a title with a hereditary nobility was unavoidable.

Of course, to cope with Baron Tier’s questioning, Dean had long since thought of a method—the reason of ‘considering the title only after restoring the glory of the Ancestor’ would definitely be accepted by anyone, and it would even bring him a higher reputation.

When the number ‘7’ was also engraved, Dean put down the carving knife and rubbed his sore arms and eyes—even for Dean, such rapid engraving was a bit unbearable.

However, looking at this Knight’s Ring and comparing it with the Knight’s Ring in his memory, Dean picked up the ring and walked towards the fire.

A ring that had existed for a thousand years obviously could not look so brand new.

Therefore, it needed to be aged!

And for Dean, this was not a difficult task; some Honey, wax, and plant ash, plus the right temperature, were enough for him to complete this aging process.

However, even after completing these steps, Dean still felt a bit regretful—

“A fake is a fake after all!”

He placed the ring on the index finger of his left hand, looking at the understated luster under natural light; the aged ring not only lacked the blinding glare of Gold, but on the contrary, it had a gentler feel, as if the owner wiped it constantly.

Undoubtedly, whether in appearance or color, this ring looked very much like that Knight’s Ring.

But, only Dean understood that compared to the real Knight’s Ring, this ring was just a shell.

After all, the Knight’s Ring was a Magic Ring.

Dean, who had once possessed the real Knight’s Ring, although he did not awaken the power within it, he could confirm that it was a special Magic Ring.

It was different from the Fireball Ring inside his bag.

The Knight’s Ring did not need recharging and could be used continuously, without even needing spells or gestures.

Ordinary Magic Items, on the other hand, not only required spells and gestures, but also needed recharging every so often; otherwise, they were just sturdy ordinary items.

Of course, Dean was not afraid that Baron Tier would see through it.

In fact, as a Noble, it was impossible for him to carefully play with the symbol of another Family’s crest; such behavior would not just be impolite, but a provocation.

And Dean could be sure that his ‘Knight’s Ring’, as long as it was not examined closely, would not be discovered as fake.

Afterward, Dean sat quietly in the chair with his eyes closed, waiting for his Militia Captain to bring back good news.

As for failure?

Dean had not thought about such a thing at all.

Or rather… Dean did not think this was something that could fail.

After all, he knew Baron Tier inside out, and he was also quite clear about the other party’s Aide, the one praised endlessly by the Grand Duchess.

And under such premises, every step of his arrangement matched the other party’s guesses; even if it was unexpected, it was within the other party’s acceptable range.

For Dean, who had once worked part-time as a swindler, he knew very well that to make others believe something, you did not need to actively tell them anything, but rather let them take it for granted what it was—in fact, this was a common method used by swindlers, and precisely because it was ‘common’, it proved its effectiveness.

Of course, if possible, Dean would have preferred to have an open and honest talk with the other party.

It was just that, thinking of Baron Tier’s personality, Dean very wisely gave up on this idea.

Dean’s rest time was not long; around noon, Ike had already returned—

“Regiment Commander, this is the invitation from Lord Baron!”

The skinny Militia Captain took out that invitation.

“Mm, Ike, you go notify Theron to select a team of men; tonight, come with me to the banquet!”

Dean nodded and instructed again.

“W-we are going too?”

The skinny Militia Captain asked somewhat stutteringly.

“Why? Don’t you want to go?”

Dean looked with a smile at his Militia Captain, who immediately shook his head rapidly.

“N-no, that’s not it!”

Due to excitement, Ike’s speech became even more stuttering.

“Very well, then you go now and select those Leather Armors and weapons; remember, I want you to show your most glorious side; after all, this time you represent not only yourselves but also me!”

Dean nodded and said with a serious face.

“Yes, Regiment Commander, but…”

The skinny Militia Captain immediately replied loudly, but the next moment, he looked troubled again.

“Worried that some will be dissatisfied because they can’t go?”

Dean chuckled as he looked at his nodding subordinate, his voice becoming even softer: “In my Military Camp, I only need the strong, not the weak—let them fight it out; the winners will follow me to the banquet!”

The skinny Militia Captain quickly left the room.

Just a moment later, Dean heard the noise outside, followed by the sound of fists hitting flesh.

Clearly, his subordinate had fully conveyed his meaning.

And listening to the bursts of cheers, Dean, who had been standing by the window watching, added a few more names to the list in his heart.

As for the rest, who were not on the list?

Naturally, when spring came next year, they would leave the Military Camp and return to their homes.

Perhaps this was a bit cruel, but Dean had no better way; after all, what he needed was a group of soldiers who could truly walk onto the Battlefield—due to regional restrictions, his Knight Order would definitely not have many people, and wanting to rely on not many people to participate in a battle.

The ability, Strength, and discipline of these soldiers were all indispensable.

“At least two thousand people!”

Dean silently reported a number in his heart that he had considered from many angles.

However, such a number was out of reach for him at this moment; after all, the total population of the Tier Territory was only around six thousand.

This was a figure that already included all the elderly and children.

If counting only the able-bodied young men, there were only about twelve hundred to fifteen hundred.

It was still quite short of the number Dean needed at the very least.

Almost subconsciously, Dean’s gaze looked through the window towards that stretch of forest shrouded in white snow—the Snowplains Dense Forest.

In there, he knew of some places to supplement his troops, but clearly, to gain troops there, he still needed layers of planning.

And that was a matter for later.

As for now?

Of course, he needed to attend Baron Tier’s banquet and confirm his identity as the Ferrchelen Knight Order Regiment Commander.

Taking a deep breath, Dean, who had straightened his belongings, pushed the door open, wearing his Central Knight Order uniform.

And outside, apart from the two Militia Captains, the twelve winners were standing there with straight bodies, waiting for Dean’s appearance.