The serenity of Seraphina's mental library enveloped her as she wandered through the glowing shelves in search of a book relating to the topic she was interested in.
The rows stretched seemingly endlessly around her, faint light emanating from each book's spine, illuminating titles that showed their purpose— the large category of each shelf embroidered atop them.
She needed to understand more about knight training methods— specifically their tiers, limits, and what defined their potential. Without this, she couldn't truly understand or put to use this new ability she found.
Her violet eyes scanned the books she had stored recently.
She sifted through titles, her fingers brushing spines as she searched for anything that might provide the answers she sought, there were dozens of new books added, history of knights, myths, and even some basic overview of knights from different points of view.
Finally, her heart quickened when her gaze landed on a promising title: The Art of Mastery: Knight Training Methods and Their Legacy.
Without hesitation, she pulled the book from its place and opened it— the shimmering text lingering in her eyes as she began to read through it, her curiosity deepening with every word.
The book began with a detailed explanation of what knight training methods were and their importance— something Seraphina already had a rough idea about.
Regardless, her gaze flicked over the words, her mind absorbing the content with precision.
"Knight training methods are the foundation of all who aspire to wield aura and ascend through the ranks of knighthood. Each method is a product of its lineage, refined over generations by those who seek to perfect its teachings. Its tier reflects the highest rank achieved by a practitioner of that method."
She paused, her brows furrowing slightly.
So the tier wasn't just an arbitrary marker— it was a direct measure of the method's proven capability, it wasn't something like a ranking, but more like a rating.
She read on, eager to learn more.
The book explained how knight training methods were ranked into different tiers. These tiers, ranging from Tier-1 to the legendary Tier-10, defined the potential a knight could achieve using the method.
These tiers weren't assigned simply based on the method, but rather the highest rank a knight practicing that method had reached. For example, if the strongest knight practicing a particular method was ranked 3, then that method was a tier-3 method.
A method's tier didn't set an absolute limit but rather reflected the likelihood of progressing beyond a certain rank. As one gets closer to the upper limit of a method, the slower one would be able to train.
The book then went on to explain how rare the different tiers were— something Seraphina found very surprising.
"Tier-1 methods are the most common, yet Tier-2 are drastically less common. That's odd?"
Based on what the book said, Tier-1 methods were the most common, they were sufficient for training the knights in most households, and it was the most common method used by nobles to train their soldiers. But Tier-2 methods, merely one rank higher, were rare enough to be the family treasure of a small noble family.
Most Baron and even Marquess families would treasure a Tier-2 method— even if their effectiveness waned at higher ranks. Tier-3 and Tier-4 methods were far more refined, and often used by high-ranking nobles or elite academies.
Most Count families would treasure a Tier-3 as a family heirloom to never lose, and even a Duke family wouldn't necessarily have a Tier-4 method— showing just how rare they were.
Higher-tier methods, such as Tier-5, were treasures of powerful houses, guarded fiercely and passed down through generations. Let alone practicing them, even just knowing about them would be considered precious knowledge.
Seraphina's fingers tightened on the book as she read further.
Examples of renowned methods were mentioned in the book: the imperial family's Royal Knight Method, a Tier-7 technique that was as legendary as its founder, the Stage 7 Knight who established the Asterion Empire.
Her own family's Willows' Knight Method, a Tier-5 method, was respected as one of the only Duke families in the Empire to have a Tier-5 method. This was because the founder of the method had reached Rank 5 as a knight.
Yet, the text also emphasized that a knight's success wasn't solely dependent on the method's tier.
It described how lower-tier methods could still serve adequately in the early stages, but breaking through the mid-ranks and beyond often became a near-impossible struggle. The closer a knight came to their method's tier limit, the harder each breakthrough became, as the method lacked the refined guidance to support such growth.
Her heart sank slightly as the book elaborated on the challenges of switching methods.
It was manageable for those at the apprentice or early ranks, but for knights who had already formed their life seed, the risks became exponentially greater.
Switching could disrupt the aura flow, resulting in severe backlash or even death. The weight of this information settled heavily on Seraphina— if she hadn't been given the Shinster Method, her path forward might have been blocked before it even began.
Thankfully she believed the Shinster Method to be at least a Tier-2 method, maybe even a Tier-3 based on some of the information she read in it.
As she neared the end of the chapter, Seraphina's thoughts turned inward.
The Shinster Method was respectable for a noble house, but it wasn't enough to match her ambitions. She wanted more— no, she needed more.
Her mental library's ability to merge fragments into something new offered a unique opportunity, but the risks of overextending herself were now painfully clear.
If she could gather more pieces, perhaps she could create a method capable of rivaling the higher tiers, but it would take time, effort, and caution.
She closed the book, her violet eyes shifting as she returned it to the shelf and turned. The incomplete book on the serpent shelf was the first thing that entered her sight.
If her library could create something new from fragments, there was no limit to what she might achieve— Tier-5, Tier-6, or even Tier-7 would be possible as long as she gathered enough information.
Seraphina returned to the waking world as the light of late afternoon streamed through her window— the night was slowly approaching with the hours spent in her mental library.
Tomorrow, she would begin seeking more answers, it was too late now to leave. She also had to return soon to collect the sword she had ordered, as well as meet with the man from the slums once more.