Chapter 586: The Emperor’s Reward
Chapter 586: The Emperor’s Reward
Under Princess Celeste’s suspicious yet curious gaze, Marcus found himself being examined from head to toe. Her eyes, bright as twin moons beneath a clear autumn sky, blinked several times as she studied him. The sight of the formidable, broad-shouldered knight clad in pitch-black armor had clearly caught her attention, and the longer she looked, the more familiar he seemed."Ah! You’re a Golden Wolf Guardian, and you carry the Dragon Dynasty Command Flag..." A startled cry escaped Celeste when she finally noticed the Golden Wolf Badge on Marcus’s chest, as well as the golden emblem of the Dragon Dynasty Command Flag displayed prominently on the pauldron of his armor. Her expression immediately changed from simple curiosity to open surprise.
"You’re the one who retrieved the Divine Artifact, the Dragon-Horse Lyre, and opened Mist Veil Palace..." Her eyes widened as the pieces suddenly fell into place. "So you’re the top-ranked knight on the Experts Leaderboard! Your name is Stonehaven! Which means, aside from the sealed Dreamland Temple, you’re the only Temple Knight on the entire Dreamland Continent..."
Once she started, Princess Celeste could hardly stop talking. What Marcus didn’t know was that the lively young princess had been curious about the knight who occupied the highest position on the Experts Leaderboard for quite some time.
Unfortunately, whenever she had asked her father about him, the Emperor had always hidden behind the excuse of military confidentiality and refused to reveal anything about the mysterious knight.
Now that she had seen the Dragon Dynasty Command Flag, one of the highest honors of the Dragon Dynasty, she had immediately connected Marcus to the anonymous knight she had heard so much about.
Just then, Alana finished her daily work. The green radiance surrounding her gradually faded as she put away the Divine Artifact, Asclepius’ Herbal Staff, and caught the tail end of Princess Celeste’s excited exclamation.
"Yes, that’s my master." There was unmistakable pride in Alana’s voice. She walked over to Marcus with a bright, delighted smile, then slipped her arm around his with the easy obedience of someone completely accustomed to staying at his side.
A fresh, comforting fragrance immediately surrounded him, rich with the scent of a hundred flowers. Alana was especially fragrant at the moment after channeling so much Floral energy.
’Clever girl.’ Marcus couldn’t help remembering something Alana had once told him. The higher his level and the stronger his abilities became, the more the Dreamland Continent would value him, and the greater the rewards he would receive. Judging from how smoothly things were progressing, Alana had clearly already begun using her charm to secure the best possible treatment for him from both princesses.
"It really is the Blood-Fiend Fruit!" Princess Phoenix examined the pale-red fruit she had received from Dr. Harrison, genuine astonishment hidden beneath her composed expression. Her gaze shifted toward Marcus as she considered what she knew about the Experts Leaderboard. It was difficult to believe that a level fifty-three knight had actually managed to obtain such a rare treasure.
He truly was worthy of being the top-ranked knight on the Experts Leaderboard, and worthy of being the genius who had opened the thousand-year-old Mist Veil Palace. Even Princess Phoenix, who was accustomed to being proud of her own abilities and accomplishments, couldn’t help feeling a measure of admiration toward him.
"Princess Phoenix, my master has turned in the Blood-Fiend Fruit. Will there be a generous reward?" Alana continued her campaign without the slightest hesitation. Since Princess Phoenix needed her assistance, Alana saw no reason to be modest, especially when it came to securing the greatest possible benefit for her master.
"Yes." Princess Phoenix nodded. "This is a kingdom-wide quest personally issued by His Majesty. The reward will certainly be either a noble title and official rank, or gold and treasure. Once I’ve restored some of the Phoenixwood Tree’s energy, I’ll personally introduce Knight Stonehaven to His Majesty."
’The reward will certainly be generous.’ Princess Phoenix was confident of that.
Anyone capable of obtaining the Blood-Fiend Fruit was undoubtedly a powerful warrior, and the timing couldn’t have been more significant. With the Demon Lord on the verge of awakening, the Ghost Race and Arcane-Beast Race becoming increasingly active, and the Half-Beasts attempting to unseal their Beast King, another great war was slowly taking shape on the horizon.