Crown of Glory

After seeing off the elderly steward and his retinue, Xilutaiya and Lining returned to the manor. Looking at the small white chess piece on the table, the young girl felt a touch of curiosity. "Lining, do you know the value of this chess piece?" "I do not know, Miss Tiya," the maid replied calmly. "However, compared to those useless twenty gold coins, this chess piece is visibly far rarer." Gold coins, or money in general, was something Madame Falan did not lack in the slightest. As for this chess piece, there were very few in her inventory. Given Madame Falan's usual style, she would certainly prefer the chess piece. "I see." The girl gave a slight nod, then reached out to pick up the small white chess piece, sensing the attribute power of the 'Castle' solidified within it. "Can all nobles make this kind of chess piece?" This was the first time she had ever seen one. "Only landed nobles—that is, nobles with their own fiefs—can," Lining replied. "Ordinary nobles, though possessing the standing granted by their territory, are not adept at such extraordinary mystical arts. They require the assistance of scholars beside them to condense and craft such a piece. However, most of the time, nobles do not do this. Usually, they bestow titles in person to confer the attribute power of the 'Castle' directly. That is much simpler and also establishes a covenant of fealty with their subordinate. Therefore, such chess pieces are rarely seen on the market." "In that case, doesn't that mean nobles can mass-produce soldiers or knights possessing the Castle attribute rank?" Xilutaiya asked. "They can mass-produce them, provided their territory is vast and their own standing is sufficiently powerful," Lining continued. "For example, a baron can confer at most the rank of 'second-order Castle' upon their guards, while a viscount can confer at most 'third-order Castle' upon their knights. With every conferment, a portion of their own standing is permanently consumed. Currently, Viscount Xuefeng has three knights under his command. That is his limit, and there is even a risk of decline. If a noble is stripped of their title or loses their territory, the knights and soldiers under their command will also gradually lose the blessing of the 'Castle' attribute." Hearing this, Xilutaiya could not help but think of Iona, the daughter of the former Viscount Karen. "No wonder nobles in history were so passionate about land and population." Xilutaiya recalled the books she had read previously. "So to speak, if a completely ordinary, mediocre person were to ascend the throne, wouldn't they also reach the heavens in a single bound and obtain an attribute of high standing?" "Yes. Several such incidents have occurred in history. In fact, such an ascension process is itself a kind of 'ritual.'" [Royal Ritual: Crown of Glory] (Castle · Secret Words · Blood Law) 'In the Eighth Era, as the descendants of dragons and fae dwindled, they gradually withdrew from the mortal continent, opening new courts across the heavens far from the foul Twilight Sea. Meanwhile, various weaker races steadily expanded across the continent, contending for supremacy. During this era, humanity's eldest son, the "Swan King" Molansa, pioneered the Royalty School and promulgated the first mortal legal code, shaping the embryonic form of a nation. The process of his ascension, holding the legal code in hand, was recorded in countless poems and histories, becoming the origin of the "Castle" attribute.' - Conditions: This ritual requires the crowned individual to have a sufficient population swear fealty (Blood Law); to have stone towers, high walls, and castles erected across their territory symbolizing control over the land (Castle); and to declare and enact the laws and rules of the domain (Secret Words). If you are well versed in the legendary deeds of the 'Swan King' Molansa, the more the arrangements synchronize with the ancient legends, the stronger the ritual's effect will be. - Summary: This ritual requires territory and vows of loyalty, which serve as the cornerstone for building standing. As the ritual takes place, the name of the crowned must be inscribed upon the stone towers, high walls, and castles throughout the land, while a sufficient number of subjects swear fealty. The legal code proclaimed during the ritual will take effect; thereafter, the more residents within the territory who acknowledge and obey the law, the more powerful the royal destiny will become. - Effects: Grants the crowned individual the blessing of royal authority, elevating their 'Castle' attribute rank and granting them the power to bestow and strip the 'Castle' class upon those who have sworn fealty. (The larger the territory and the more people who swear allegiance, the more potent the blessing.) After putting away the chess piece and placing it in the manor's underground storage room, Xilutaiya returned to the backyard to rest and read. ... The next day, she arrived at Scholar Haide's manor and met the friends she had not seen for several days. "Oh, Tiya advanced too!" Several of them happily congratulated her. They had long expected Xilutaiya's advancement; they had only wondered why the girl herself never seemed in a rush. But now she had finally advanced. "Yes." The girl smiled as she accepted everyone's congratulations. Then, curiosity took hold of them. "How is advancing in the 'Emerald Honey' attribute different from 'Blood Law'?" "Well..." The girl lightly tapped her chin with a finger, recalling the feeling. "It probably doesn't emphasize individual physique and combat prowess as much as 'Blood Law' does; it leans more toward nurturing and support." Not all classes focused on combat, but that did not mean they were weak. For instance, for Viscount Xuefeng, having a 'third-order Mist Shadow' wizard under his command would be of far greater utility and practical help than two 'third-order Castle' knights. This was because a wizard possessed diverse methods and mastered various forms of esoteric knowledge, allowing them to assist the viscount across multiple fields, whereas what a knight could do was relatively limited, especially in times of peace. Following Suolin, Mick, and Lei, Xilutaiya was the fourth in the class to advance. Not long after, Baron, Kemiya, and others also stepped into the first order. However, Baron chose 'first-order Castle', while Kemiya chose 'first-order Mist Shadow'. The successive breakthroughs of the students brought great satisfaction to Viscount Xuefeng, the lord of the domain, who invited them to dine together at the castle. That evening, Scholar Haide and the numerous students enjoyed a sumptuous banquet. Furthermore, Viscount Xuefeng generously had tailors sew a set of winter clothes for each person as an early gift for the approaching winter. Compared to lightweight summer clothing, winter clothes used more fabric and were usually far more durable, lasting for many years. To some of the commoner students, this gift was truly timely help. Night fell, and once the banquet ended, the students dispersed, leaving only a few who already resided within the castle. Iona rose from her seat. Her golden hair caught and refracted faint glints of light in the candlelight. Dressed in a red gown tonight, she looked quite beautiful. "I'm heading back to rest, Uncle." She was related to Viscount Xuefeng. "All right, go ahead and rest, Iona." Having had some wine, Viscount Xuefeng didn't mind, continuing his conversation with Scholar Haide beside him about recent events. Leaving the brightly candlelit dining hall, Iona walked alone along the castle's long corridor. Because parts of it were unlit, it felt rather chilly under the moonlight. "Have they all advanced?" she murmured under her breath. Her gaze turned outside the castle, watching the students departing down below as countless thoughts churned in her mind. Originally, when she first came to Scholar Haide's place, as a former student of the Royal Academy who had already stepped into 'first-order Blazing Sun', she had held a massive advantage over her classmates. That had also soothed her fragile and distressed state of mind. However, as those green students gradually grasped knowledge one by one and caught up, her advantage was no longer prominent. It even made people feel that her progress was sluggish. Now, she had just turned seventeen. Her extraordinary rank was 'first-order Blazing Sun', and she had mastered two tier-three abilities: [Breathing Method Lv.3] (Blood Law) and [Golden Needle Piercing Blade Lv.3] (Blazing Sun). Even at the Royal Academy, she had been an accomplished student. Unfortunately, she had ultimately fallen behind schedule. If her father were still around to provide her with abundant cultivation resources, she likely would have long since completed the [Golden Thorn Apprentice] class. Her even more distant goal was the 'third-order Blazing Sun' class, [Golden Sun Swordsman]—a class of the 'Blazing Sun School', extraordinarily powerful and often preeminent among peers of the same rank. If she could step into 'third-order Blazing Sun' before turning thirty, she would be called a genius. Only then could she return to the upper echelons of the kingdom's aristocratic circles and gain a certain degree of social standing; otherwise, those grand nobles would not pay her any heed, and rescuing her father and restoring the family's glory would be out of the question. Must she continue waiting like this? She felt that if she kept treading water, she would have no chance of winning the competition a few months from now and securing the spot to enter the Hidden Woodland. It was true that Viscount Xuefeng was her uncle, but when faced with students who were more outstanding and had greater potential, would he truly choose her unswervingly and reserve that spot for her? Iona was not certain, nor dared she guarantee it. Iona's steps grew slower and slower, finally halting atop one of the castle's watchtowers as she gazed out into the night sky. The silver moon hung high, yet trailing clouds and mist pursued it, causing the lunar disk to occasionally plunge into darkness, dim and devoid of light.