After bidding farewell to Pierre and Vera's party, Ranch, accompanied by Sophia, entered the city, which bustled with activity unseen in the City of Crimson.
"Let's go, to the Knight Hall first," Ranch said, leading Sophia away.
The two made their way to the Knight Hall.
Located in the southeastern part of Mapleleaf, the Hall was already lined with seven or eight people waiting for the Paladin Blessing by the time Ranch and Sophia arrived.
Soon, it was their turn.
The old priest responsible for the Paladin Blessing glanced at Ranch and Sophia, seeming a bit puzzled but still allowed them in, while reminding, "The longer you withstand the blessing, the more profound the grace you will receive."
"Thank you, Father," Ranch gratefully responded.
Back when he was still with the Muir family, before being expelled, Ranch had heard of the Paladin Blessing.
It was said to be a boon sought from the divine by the first generation of paladins, allowing knights to gain extraordinary powers during their ascension.
After all, compared to magi, knights were somewhat limited in versatility; once unable to close in, the knight would likely meet their end.
Led by the priest, Ranch entered the solemn hall, where a statue of a knight stood at the center.
The priest bowed to the statue and prayed reverently, "Oh great God of the Radiant Light, your faithful servant seeks the descent of the holy light, to bless all beings!"
The priest's prayer was answered.
Golden rays emanated from the eyes of the knight statue, shining upon Ranch, who immediately felt a warm sensation enveloping him, his consciousness drifting into a haze.
Then, he closed his eyes.
"Where am I?" Ranch felt as though he had entered another realm, surrounded by the clamor of battle, an overwhelming urge to fight rising within him.
He looked around and finally saw a figure, also a knight, wielding a massive sword, engaging a fearsome spellbeast, shouting, "Holy Light Judgement!"
A colossal phantom of the holy sword descended from the heavens, vanquishing the spellbeast.
"What is this?"
Ranch's eyes widened, realizing that his mind was now imbued with the knowledge of the knightly technique, memories of how to execute the Holy Light Judgement.
This was an additional effect of the Paladin Blessing, an unexpected but thrilling development.
Ranch was overjoyed.
As the blessing concluded, Ranch opened his eyes and saw the elderly priest looking at him with eyes full of wonder, earnestly asking, "Young knight, are you interested in joining the Knight Hall?"
"I'm sorry, but I prefer not to join for now," Ranch declined.
The regulations within the Knight Hall were numerous, and Ranch wished to remain a wandering merchant, focusing on earning gold coins, without being bound by the Knight Hall's strictures.
Hearing Ranch's refusal, the priest sighed.
Next, it was Sophia's turn to receive the blessing.
Although she was an elf, the Knight Hall evidently did not discriminate; anyone practicing the knight's path, regardless of race, was considered a knight.
Sophia too gained an extra ability — Holy Light Blessing, capable of enhancing her own or her companion's strength for a brief duration.
That both individuals received additional powers during their advancement astonished the old priest, leaving him baffled.
Consequently, the priest, unwilling to let Ranch and Sophia leave without further acknowledgment, retrieved a token.
The token, crafted from a special metal, bore the emblem of a medallion and a longsword on one side and the inscription "Knights Order" on the other.
"This is the Knights Order, originating from the knightly fellowship formed by the first paladin. It doesn't belong to the temple, but it holds authority not lesser than the temple's punitive forces. You possess such remarkable knightly talent; it would be a regret for the temple if you just left like this." Persuaded by the priest's earnest entreaties, Ranch accepted the Knights Order token.
Afterward, Ranch and Sophia left the Knight Hall.
On their way to the Dark Night Tribunal, Sophia expressed her puzzlement, "Ranch, I feel something was off about that priest at the temple; he seemed to give you special attention."
"Indeed," Ranch confirmed her suspicion, adding, "Mr. Priest seemed to have many stories he didn't wish to share. His actions, both during and after the blessing, were somewhat abrupt."
Sophia nodded, but they didn't delve further into the topic.
...
The Dark Night Tribunal was not far, just a few hundred meters from the Knight Hall.
However, the atmosphere here was entirely different from that of the Knight Hall.
Just as Ranch was about to step into the Mapleleaf Magic Tribunal branch, they were stopped by the Tribunal guards, who barked, "Entry to the Tribunal requires a fee of two thousand gold coins!"
"A fee?" Ranch was taken aback, retorting, "Isn't receiving a blessing supposed to be free?"
"Free? There's no such thing," the guard scoffed, waving his hand dismissively as if shooing away flies, "If you're looking for freebies, go to some other city. Here in Mapleleaf, seeking a magical blessing or consulting on magic matters comes with a fee, that's the rule of Mapleleaf!"
"Whose rule is that?" Sophia stepped forward to inquire.
The guard glanced at Sophia, especially noticing her elven identity and the revealing outfit showcasing her fair skin, which ignited a lecherous spark in his eyes.
He smirked, "If the elf miss wants to know, just spend a night with me."
His comment drew raucous laughter from the other guards.
"Court death!" Likewise, his words infuriated Sophia immensely.
Drawing her longsword, a golden glow enveloped her, and she thrust the sword directly through the guard's heart.
The guard had not expected Sophia to actually resort to killing.
The other guards were momentarily stunned, then snapped to their senses, preparing to seize Sophia. Just then, a voice commanded, "Stop!"
"Lord Dis!" The guards quickly bowed their heads.
Ranch and Sophia turned to see a man in noble attire approaching.
"My apologies, beautiful elf miss, that our guards dared to offend you. If you don't mind, I will handle this matter and ensure they pay a sufficient price," Dis said with a smile.
"No need," Sophia declined.
Although Dis appeared gentlemanly, Sophia clearly sensed something off in his gaze; the gentleman before her was no different from the deceased guard.
Sensing Dis's intentions, Sophia clutched Ranch's arm and said, "Lord Ranch, let's go inside."
Following that, the two entered the Mapleleaf Tribunal branch.
Regrettably, Ranch found no magus within the Tribunal, not even the magus statue meant for blessings — it was covered in a thick layer of dust, evidently long neglected.
"What's going on here?" Ranch was perplexed.
"The magi here responsible for blessings angered the divine, and all were stripped of their magic. Hence, there's no one in Mapleleaf who can bless you now," Dis entered, explaining with a smile.
His eyes clearly held hostility towards Ranch.
Ranch pressed, "Angered the divine, stripped of magic? Mr. Dis, could you elaborate?"
"Of course," Dis chuckled, then added, "But not now. If you really wish to know the truth, come to the Corvette estate tomorrow noon. I'll be hosting a banquet there, and you can bring your lovely companion."
After saying this, Dis Corvette departed.
Since they couldn't receive the blessing, Ranch and Sophia left the Tribunal branch.
However, as they descended the steps, they noticed the bloodstains — remnants from the deceased guard.
A question arose in Ranch's mind: if the Tribunal branch could no longer offer blessings, why were the guards still stationed there? What were they guarding against?
Ranch had a nagging feeling that something was amiss in Mapleleaf, but being new to the city, he didn't have enough information.
"Perhaps Pierre might shed some light on these matters," Ranch thought to himself, wandering around the city with Sophia before eventually settling into a suitable inn for the night.
...
Elsewhere, in a luxurious villa in Mapleleaf, Pierre was busily working on his lucrative scheme.
Inside, the corpulent Make lounged on a sofa, casting a skeptical look at Pierre, "Pierre, is this Energy Reagent you speak of truly that miraculous?"
"Try it and see for yourself, Make," Pierre handed over a bottle of the Energy Reagent.