Chapter 59 : Eve Sova’s Decision! The Assessment Begins!
Chapter 59: Eve Sova’s Decision! The Assessment Begins!
“Have you thought it through?” Laforin looked steadily at Eve Sova across from him.
“I have.” Eve Sova’s expression was equally resolute.
Laforin let out a sigh and closed his eyes briefly. He hadn’t expected his daughter to be this determined. In a deep tone, he said, “This is a path with no turning back.”
“I want to give myself a chance.” Eve Sova gave her answer.
“But you’ve already become a knight. You don’t need to prove yourself anymore.” Laforin looked at her, a rare trace of warmth appearing in his eyes.
“Father, but I’m only eighteen.”
Laforin fell silent for a long while.
An hour earlier, Eve Sova had told him of a decision.
She wanted to follow in her younger sister’s footsteps and participate in the selection for the Golden Knight Order in half a year.
Originally, Laforin’s plan had been for Eve Sova to gradually take over Blackstone City after becoming a knight.
But he hadn’t expected that she would also want to go to the Danlun Kingdom and participate in the selection for the Golden Knight Order.
At first, he would never have agreed.
But considering Blackstone City’s current situation within the kingdom, Laforin found himself hesitating.
On one hand, with political instability, Blackstone City’s position could be shaken at any time.
Taking over Blackstone City might not necessarily be a safer path.
On the other hand, if Eve Sova went to participate in the Golden Knight Order selection, it meant she would bid farewell to stability for the rest of her life.
Even his younger daughter, with such outstanding talent, found every step difficult within the Golden Knight Order.
Eve Sova’s talent was actually rather ordinary. If she went there,
where everyone was either a genius or of noble birth, the road ahead would be extremely difficult.
However, Laforin asked himself—what knight didn’t want to see the limits of their own potential?
At least, he had once given himself that chance.
He couldn’t erase his daughter’s opportunity just because he was her father.
That was a far more brilliant world.
One that could never be reached within a corner like Blackstone City.
“…Alright.” After a long silence, Laforin finally uttered that single word.
He picked up Leo’s register sheet from the table. “How is your student? I heard that during the last Beast Calamity, he performed quite bravely.
If you stay in Blackstone City, he would be a good candidate as an attendant. But if you plan to bring someone to the Danlun Kingdom, you may need someone with better talent.”
“He has already mastered the Breathing Technique.” Eve Sova revealed slightly.
“What did you say?!” The register sheet in Laforin’s hand nearly slipped.
……
After lunch, all the Knight’s Squires arrived early in the Training Room.
After Clarsen returned to the city, the strict time regulations for the Knight’s Squires had been reinstated.
However, Leo only arrived ten minutes earlier than the required time.
Even on assessment day, he did not relax his training.
But today, Leo saw several familiar yet long-unseen faces.
Some Knight’s Squires had stopped appearing in the Training Room about a month ago, around the time the Hunt of Deep Winter began.
They had spent money to find Quasi-Knights for one-on-one training.
Among them was Eddie, whom Leo hadn’t seen for quite a while.
As Leo was observing, a trembling voice came from behind him.
“Leo… how is it, are you nervous?” Arthur immediately came over as soon as he saw Leo.
Leo looked at Arthur, who was fidgeting and swallowing repeatedly.
It seemed this kid was far too nervous.
“Are you… very nervous?” Leo patted Arthur’s shoulder.
“A… a little.” Arthur swallowed.
This was his first time participating in an assessment.
Leo knew Arthur’s family was strict—if he performed poorly, they would impose financial restrictions on him.
But Leo instead asked, “What do you have to be nervous about? Have you mastered the Breathing Technique?”
“Breathing Technique? I’ve only just started learning it. How could I have mastered it so quickly?”
“Then can your swordsmanship beat mine?” Leo asked another question.
“No.” Arthur shook his head like a rattle drum.
“You don’t know the Breathing Technique, and you can’t even beat me—so what are you nervous about? You’ve only been here a few months. Just take it easy.”
Arthur froze for a moment, then suddenly had a realization. “That’s true!”
As the two were talking, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure appeared before them.
“Leo, I heard you’ve been noticed by Knight Laforin. We came in the same batch—please take care of me.” Eddie spoke with a smile, appearing harmless.
Although his words were polite, Leo felt that Eddie had changed significantly compared to a month ago—even his tone carried more confidence.
“You brat, it’s been so long and you didn’t even come say hello. Are you really that petty over that small matter before?” Arthur stepped forward, intending to pat Eddie on the shoulder.
But Eddie slightly shifted his body and avoided it effortlessly.
He didn’t even glance at Arthur, his eyes fixed entirely on Leo. “Leo. Good luck.”
“This guy!” Arthur gritted his teeth as he watched Eddie leave. “I’ll definitely teach him a lesson later.”
Leo, however, was already mentally prepared.
He knew that during this time, Eddie had been learning a very ruthless sword technique from Zoro.
It seemed that Eddie now had great confidence in himself.
But Leo wasn’t too concerned.
After his combat experience with Eve Sova and the Thunder Lizard, Leo now had absolute confidence in his own strength.
At this moment, he noticed several people in the distance.
Some Knight’s Squires were greeting him—after the last Beast Calamity, Leo had gained a bit of fame.
Not far away, a squire named Jason looked puzzled seeing so many people greeting Leo. “Who is that guy? He looks pretty arrogant.”
Jason had been training in isolation with a Quasi-Knight for over a month.
“Keep your voice down. That’s Leo. Don’t let him hear you—he’s a ruthless one.”
“Leo? The one who slaughtered Goblins?” Although Jason hadn’t met Leo before, he had heard the name. His voice immediately lowered.
Then, the chatter abruptly stopped.
With a creak,
the doors of the Training Room slowly opened, and the Five Great Knights entered one after another.
Since Eve Sova had not yet been formally invested, she did not appear.
Many of the Knight’s Squires had never seen the Five Great Knights at such close range.
With all five gathered, the atmosphere instantly became tense.
The vast Training Room fell completely silent. Clarsen began announcing the rules of the first round.
With his hands behind his back, Clarsen spoke concisely, “Only one rule—one-on-one only. Choose any opponent. Losers stand by the wall.”
The swordsmanship assessment method was extremely simple.
Chaotic battle.
Those who lost were eliminated.
Until only one remained.
The rule sounded simple and direct, yet it was the fastest method.
In fact, for these Knight’s Squires, as long as they made a single move, the knights could clearly judge their level.
After the rules were announced, everyone picked up an Iron Sword, and the assessment began immediately.
The Knight’s Squires quickly selected their first opponents.
In an instant, blades flashed, and the sound of clashing filled the air chaotically.
Certain patterns could be seen within the chaotic battle.
Confident and strong individuals took the initiative.
They actively chose their opponents, as they believed courage would earn them extra points in the knights’ evaluation.
As for the weaker ones, they were quickly chosen by the strong.
Once selected, they could not refuse to fight—
because that would be seen as cowardice.
Thus, as the duels unfolded, victories and defeats quickly began to emerge.