"I’ve heard the elders of my clan mention it..."

Avril frowned slightly, her long, slender fingers tapping her chin as she adopted a thoughtful expression.

After a moment, she added, sounding a bit unsure.

"That Deep Sea monster... I think it’s called a Kraken?"

Seeing the grave look on Roland’s face, Avril rose lightly onto her tiptoes and patted his shoulder with her slender hand.

"Don’t worry! That thing usually hides in the Deep Sea and doesn’t dare show its face. Now that it has the guts to pop up..."

She turned to look toward the harbor, her tone full of conviction.

"Lord Gandar will definitely not let it get away."

Before her words had even faded, the distant sea surface began to churn violently.

A mountain-like black shadow slowly rose from the Deep Sea.

Seawater streamed down its furrowed, purple-black skin. Its enormous single eye glowed with an eerie green fluorescence in the twilight, like a Ghost Fire from the Abyss.

Countless tentacles writhed around its mouth, and every breath spewed a thick fog reeking of decay.

Before Roland could get a closer look, a dark figure suddenly shot up into the sky from the direction of the harbor.

The figure was as fast as lightning, carving a sharp arc through the twilight.

The Longsword in its hand refracted a blindingly cold light under the setting sun, its blade wreathed in a visible current of air.

Just as the Kraken let out a deafening roar.

"SWOOSH!"

The flash of the blade fell like a meteor.

The cold gleam precisely cleaved into the Kraken’s single eye, slicing all the way from the top of its head down to its jaw.

Dark green blood gushed out like a waterfall, staining the nearby seawater a murky color.

Its thick tentacles twitched madly, kicking up giant waves tens of meters high, but they soon went limp like a puppet with its strings cut, crashing heavily back into the sea.

The sea surface gradually returned to calm, with only the floating, severed tentacles left to prove the thrilling battle had ever happened.

The dark figure, meanwhile, landed gracefully on a broken mast, their cape whipping in the salty sea breeze.

"Lord Gandar’s strength is getting more and more astounding!"

Avril couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration as she watched the distant figure sheathe his sword.

Then she turned back to Roland, tilting her head playfully.

"Alright, the fight’s over. Shall we head back to Sea Pearl Hall? Of course..."

She suddenly leaned in close, giving him a sly wink with her left eye.

"Don’t forget our little secret."

......

......

When the two of them returned to Sea Pearl Hall, the scene before them left Roland in a daze.

The hall was completely transformed, showing no trace of the previous chaos.

The bodies of the Guards who died from the Spiritual Attack were gone, and even the bloodstains had been wiped clean.

If not for the pane of glass he had shattered, which had not yet been repaired, Roland might have thought the whole encounter was just a nightmare.

"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Roland!"

Colin hurried forward, bowing deeply and solemnly.

Roland gave a helpless smile.

"It’s alright, Mr. Colin. Thanks to..."

He caught a glimpse of the Elf Maiden beside him blinking furiously, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Thanks to Miss Avril’s timely help, I didn’t run into any danger."

Avril immediately straightened her back and whistled, feigning composure as her gaze drifted up toward the ceiling.

However, her slightly trembling, pointed ears betrayed her, flushing red like two maple leaves tinted by the sunset, revealing the flustered state of her heart for having told a lie.

Colin studied Roland carefully. After confirming he had no obvious injuries, he let out a long sigh of relief and apologized again.

"I am truly sorry you were frightened."

He then turned to Avril at his side and nodded in approval.

"Avril, you did well this time. I will record this as a merit for you."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Colin!"

Avril leaped for joy, raising her hands high, her pointed ears twitching with excitement.

"Does this mean I’ve officially passed the assessment for Shadow Veil?"

"Let’s talk about it after you become an official Ranger."

Colin rubbed his temples helplessly, clearly having a bit of a headache dealing with the overly energetic Elf Maiden.

After a few brief words, he sent her away.

Only after Avril had left did Colin turn back with a serious expression.

"Mr. Roland, about the Armor that His Majesty Morne bestowed upon you..."

"The Armor can wait. Compared to that..."

Roland waved goodbye in the direction Avril had gone, then cautiously glanced around. After confirming no one was paying attention, he leaned in slightly and lowered his voice.

"I’m more interested in asking what preparations are needed to enter the River Domain Knight Academy."

"You’ve decided?"

A flicker of delight crossed Colin’s eyes. He coughed twice to mask his emotions, then turned to the side and gestured.

"Mr. Roland, please, let’s discuss this way."

A short while later, the two arrived in an elegant and spacious reception room.

Dim sunlight filtered through the French windows, falling upon the dark brown, solid wood coffee table.

Colin made a welcoming gesture. After Roland was seated, he personally picked up a silver teapot.

An amber liquid poured from the spout, swirling into the bone china teacup and releasing wisps of white steam. The air was instantly filled with the fragrance of black tea.

Colin gently pushed the teacup toward Roland, his eyes showing unconcealed admiration through the swirling mist of the tea.

Compared to an ancient nation with a long history like the Golden Valley Kingdom, the River Domain was somewhat superior in its abundance of resources and strategic location. In every other aspect, however, it paled in comparison.

For this very reason, the River Domain’s thirst for talent was particularly urgent.

Powerful individuals like Roland, who had achieved extraordinary strength at such a young age, were prime recruitment targets for the militarily weak River Domain.

"It’s like this..."

Colin slowly sat down. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke in a low voice.

"The River Domain is a long way from Distant Harbor. I could have arranged a ship for you, but as you’ve seen..."

As he said this, an awkward smile appeared on his round face.

"Due to the sea monster attack, nearly all the ships in the harbor were destroyed..."

At this, a pained look flashed in the Merchant’s eyes, but he quickly forced a reassuring smile.

"However, you needn’t worry. There are still nearly six months until the River Domain Knight Academy opens. So, if you’re not in a hurry, you only need to wait three months... I have already arranged for a new ship to come to Distant Harbor. You’ll be able to travel to the River Domain then."

He patted his chest and guaranteed solemnly.

"As for room, board, and other daily expenses, I will arrange everything for you. You won’t need to worry about any of it. In addition..."

Listening to Colin’s meticulous arrangements, Roland nodded in satisfaction.

Compared to Gandar’s invitation, Colin was clearly showing far more sincerity.

Simply put, he only needed to travel light to the River Domain; Colin would take care of everything else for him.

But since the other party had offered such generous terms, Roland naturally had to ask what the price would be.

"So, Mr. Colin..."

Roland picked up his teacup and took a light sip of the black tea.

"What would I need to do in return?"

Seeing that Roland hadn’t been swayed by these generous terms, Colin couldn’t help but frown slightly, studying the lingering traces of youth on the young man’s face with a hint of surprise.

’This young man... is he really not even twenty?’

He muttered to himself inwardly.

Recalling the information he had gathered from Dalko, Colin composed his expression and said with great seriousness.

"The terms are very simple, Mr. Roland. I only hope that you will renounce your status as a Free Person of the Golden Valley Kingdom and join the River Domain. Then, after graduating from the Knight Academy and obtaining the Knight’s Breathing Technique, you will serve the River Domain."

"Of course, regarding that point..."

Perhaps worried that Roland might misunderstand, Colin quickly added.

"We will never force you to do anything against your will."

"That’s all?"

"That’s all."

Looking at the confident expression on Colin’s face, Roland’s fingertip traced the rim of his teacup as he lowered his head in thought.

After a moment, he looked up and said.

"Mr. Colin, I have no objection to the terms you’ve proposed. But regarding my studies at the Knight Academy..."

He set down his teacup and looked Colin directly in the eyes.

"Forgive my bluntness, but with my current level of strength, can I really achieve any substantial improvement at the Knight Academy? You should understand, I don’t want to waste my time for nothing."

"You can rest assured on that point."

Colin seemed to have anticipated this and responded with complete confidence.

"At the River Domain Knight Academy, aside from the standard curriculum, there are other ways to graduate. However, the specific requirements..."

He paused meaningfully.

"...will need to be discussed in detail with the mentor assigned to you."

"I understand."

Hearing this, Roland’s eyebrows rose slightly. He then slowly stood up and extended his right hand.

"Well then... a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Colin."

Seeing the matter settled, a satisfied smile bloomed on Colin’s face, and he extended his right hand as well.

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Roland. A pleasure doing business with you."

Just as the two stood facing each other, a crisp knock on the door suddenly broke the silence in the room.

"Mr. Colin, are you in there?"

"One moment, please."

Colin gestured for Roland to sit, leisurely adjusted his collar, and only then responded in a steady voice.

"Come in."

The door opened in response, and a familiar figure appeared in Roland’s line of sight.

"Mr. Colin, the trial has begun. His Majesty Morne sent me to inform you..."

The newcomer stopped mid-sentence as his gaze suddenly fell on Roland’s face, his expression immediately turning to one of surprise.

"Roland?"

Dalko strode forward, carefully studying Roland’s complexion, then patted his shoulder in relief.

"Looks like you’ve recovered well from your injuries?"

"So-so..."

Facing Dalko’s concerned gaze, Roland returned a faint smile, but then keenly noticed something was off about the other man’s expression. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"The trial you just mentioned is for..."

Dalko’s expression instantly darkened. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he struggled to speak.

"It’s Uncle Gav... Baron Gavin..."