Chapter 533.1: A Fleeting Warning (1)
Chapter 533.1: A Fleeting Warning (1)
Friedrich Cambonyte.
That was a name that was half-familiar, half-foreign to Roel. While he recognized ‘Cambonyte’ to be the family name of Knight Kingdom Pendor’s royal family, the name ‘Friedrich’ remained relatively foreign to him.
Of course, it was not to say that Roel didn’t know who Friedrich Cambonyte was.
Friedrich Cambonyte was the king of Knight Kingdom Pendor, as well as the father of Wilhelmina Cambonyte. However, he was more well-known by his other title—Sword Saint King.
Knight Kingdom Pendor was an isolated country that steered clear from the politics of the Sia Continent. Its ruler had always been dubbed the Knight King as a representation of his position as the Knight Kingdom’s king. Yet, this tradition was broken in the current generation.
It couldn’t be helped since Friedrich Cambonyte had an uncanny talent as an equestrian. Whenever his war steed accelerated into a charge, there was a hundred percent chance that he would be sent flying from his mount. Top equestrian instructors did everything they could to salvage the situation, but it was like a law that couldn’t be broken.
Friedrich’s failure as an equestrian was a bitter pill to swallow for many of his knights. Putting aside the fact that the Knight Kingdom had a culture that valued physical competency above all things else, which knight would be willing to charge into the enemy’s ranks together with a liege who would suddenly fly off his mount?
If not for Friedrich’s lofty standing, he would have long been kicked out of knight school.
This would have been a simple comedic trait for ordinary mortals, but looking at it from the perspective of transcendents, there was definitely something more to it. Most likely, the problem stemmed from the difficulties Friedrich faced controlling his mana.
A transcendent’s physical ability would be significantly enhanced, be it their strength, speed, or reflexes, when their Degree of Assimilation deepened. This held true, especially for knights who relied heavily on their physical prowess. Even an Origin Level 5 transcendent wouldn’t easily fall off a horse.
If Roel had to find a logical explanation for the phenomenon, it was likely that Friedrich had released an overpowering killing intent during his charge that alarmed the horse, prompting it to shake him off. This was probably a deeply-ingrained habit that he was unable to correct, resulting in his dreadful equestrian skills.
Faced with such a situation, Friedrich chose the most logical solution—giving up.
Since he was unable to become a mounted knight, he decided to convert into a footsoldier instead and specialize in a single task—hacking down his enemies. The results following his conversion proved that he had made the right choice.
In the third war against the deviants, there was a major battle where humankind’s defense line was on the verge of collapsing after a long fight, but the deviants continued to charge at them with unabated aggression. At this critical juncture, Friedrich single-handedly protected one of the key choke points. With the prowess of the Cambonytes’ Swordheart School, he slaughtered the deviants till he deeply etched the fear of his sword into the minds of the survivors.
Having witnessed Friedrich’s splendor, not even the most obstinate spellcaster dared to underestimate the prowess of Knight Kingdom Pendor anymore. Friedrich also forged his name as the Sword Saint King, becoming the only one in his lineage to not inherit the title of Knight King.
This story had been passed down from generation to generation for centuries now, spreading far and wide. Quite a few people in the Theocracy had heard about the story despite how far the two countries were from each other. This showed just how famous Friedrich was.
Most important of all, Sword Saint King Friedrich Cambonyte was a member of the Twilight Sages Assembly. He was likely from the same generation as ‘Guardian’ Antonio. The two of them had braved through dangers on the battlefield and were on close terms with each other.
That was why Wilhelmina and the others were able to transfer into Saint Freya Academy in an attempt to poach Roel over to their side. Anyone else who tried to do the same would have been immediately kicked out by Antonio.
Roel had also heard from Antonio that Friedrich had offered significant help toward rescuing Astrid.
While Roel had long heard about Friedrich and even received his help on several occasions, there had been no direct communication between them. That was also why he was surprised when he saw Friedrich’s name on the letter.
A handwritten letter from the king of a powerful kingdom was one of the greatest honor an individual could receive. Such an item would usually be carefully stowed away and passed down through the generations as a family heirloom.
Roel carefully unfolded the letter to read its content. Moments later, his shock deepened.
This letter was noticeably different from the earlier ones. It had toned down on the flattery, but that didn’t mean that it was perfunctory like the Austine Empire’s letter. On the contrary, it was a very pleasant letter.
Despite Friedrich’s lofty position, he had addressed Roel, not in a regal tone but a respectful one. In the letter, he enquired about Roel’s health and reminded him to be careful of the evil cult’s counterattack. It was the only one of the several letters that expressed concern for him.
Had that only been all to the letter, Roel would have simply thought that Friedrich was a good comrade from the Twilight Sages Assembly and a caring elder. What shocked Roel was the following content in the letter.
Friedrich spent a huge chunk of his letter worrying about Roel’s safety.
As the leader of Rose of Dawn, Roel could request assistance from his members in times of need. He had used this power to aid Lilian in Braytown’s investigation mission and the fight against Flooding Death.
That was also how Friedrich knew that Roel was in a precarious position. To resolve this issue, the Sword Saint King proposed a perfectly reasonable measure—appointing Wilhelmina as his guard.
What?
Roel was utterly flabbergasted. He couldn’t imagine what was going through Friedrich’s mind when he came up with this solution, and he was filled with a strong desire to retort.
While the Cambonytes had served as the guards for the Kingmaker Clan many years ago, things had changed since then. The Cambonytes were now the rulers of the powerful Knight Kingdom Pendor, not to mention that Wilhelmina was the successor to the throne. It sounded absolutely ridiculous to have an esteemed crown princess guard a foreign noble.
The Knight Kingdom might not be as influential as the Theocracy due to its isolationism policies, but in terms of sheer combat power, those muscleheads were a force to be reckoned with.
The Knight Kingdom and its sequestered houses had always been a key force of humankind’s united army in every war against the deviants. On top of that, Friedrich himself was an Origin Level 1 Human Sovereign, bearing the title of a Sword Saint. Be it in terms of military prowess or population, Knight Kingdom Pendor fitted the bill of a powerful nation.
Furthermore, the Cambonytes were in a similar position as the Ascarts, with Wilhelmina being the only descendant in the younger generation. There was no doubt that Wilhelmina was strong, but even if she was willing to guard him, how could Roel dare allow her to risk her life for him?
Should anything happen to Miss Dragon, the Knight Kingdom would suffer huge repercussions. That could prove dangerous to the entirety of humankind during a critical period like this.
Roel shook his head with a bitter smile, thinking that this matter was outright ridiculous. Still, the letter gave him a clear idea of the Knight Kingdom’s attitude toward him.
The Knight Kingdom respected him, for his Kingmaker Clan’s lineage and his accomplishments. It was not just lip service but a sentiment from the bottom of their hearts. At the same time, they were worried about him because they understood the position he was in.
And it felt good.
Roel could hardly believe that the letter was handwritten by King Friedrich. It was a pity that he couldn’t abide by the suggested proposal.
I have to reject him, but I should do it in a subtle manner.
Roel picked up a nearby intelligence report from Rose of Dawn and carefully browsed through content concerning Wilhelmina.
He hadn’t met her ever since her departure from Saint Freya Academy following the Challenger Cup. She had to attend the International Crisis Management Symposium at the start of the semester, and she requested to reinforce the eastern border right after the symposium ended.
She didn’t head there alone. She was accompanied by her distant cousin, Teresa.
On the one hand, the semester would have pretty much ended by the time she arrived at Saint Freya Academy. On the other hand, the Knight Kingdom had a custom where members of the royal family were obliged to join the battlefield.
That resulted in the two of them not meeting for an entire year.