The messenger was none other than Elf, the steward of Oatmead Keep. As the castle's head steward, he oversaw food procurement and financial records, wielding significant authority. Managing the daily operations of the keep's thirty-odd servants, Elf's primary duties involved catering to the baron, his wife, and their children.
Speaking of the baron's wife—technically, she was no longer "new." She was the baron's second wife, having been in that position for some time. After the death of the previous lady, Lilith, barely a month had passed before Baron Klar remarried. His new bride was the only daughter of a wealthy merchant in the territory, a union allegedly forged to secure the merchant's assets.
The merchant, however, wasn't naive. Rumor had it he had already taken several lovers, desperately trying to father a male heir to counter the baron's claim. In the Golden Duchy, inheritance laws allowed daughters to inherit, but a male heir would automatically take precedence. Unfortunately, the merchant was quite old, and his prior children had all perished in military service. Whether he could father another child now was up to fate.
Baron Klar's actions were, frankly, shameless. But his connections were undeniably solid.
The western region of the Golden Duchy was ruled by only two major noble houses: the Moonglow Mushroom family and the Goldrose family. Klar's father, Armand Oatmead, had been a personal guard to Earl Stephen and was renowned for his talent, valor, and generous personality. His reputation as a model noble stretched across the western aristocratic circles.
Even as a baron, Armand had maintained good relations with both earls, a rare feat. Tragically, his life was cut short when he suffered fatal injuries from a magical beast during his attempt to ascend to the rank of Grand Knight. He returned to Deepwater Territory, clinging to life for three days before passing away.
Clobber pushed these chaotic thoughts aside, focusing on the meeting Baron Klar had called. Elf hadn't mentioned the meeting's purpose, but since the baron rarely involved Clobber in administrative matters, it was likely military-related—perhaps a bandit suppression or an escort mission.
In the Golden Duchy, noble families rarely held formal meetings. Most preferred to discuss military or economic matters during social gatherings. However, the Oatmead family, being a relatively poor baronial house with only two generations of history, lacked the resources for such events.
Military meetings had included Clobber ever since he advanced to the rank of a low-tier Apprentice Knight. In Deepwater Territory, even an Apprentice Knight was a significant asset. The barony had only three full-fledged knights: Baron Klar Oatmead, Clobber's older brother Klass Oatmead, who served as a vice-captain in Earl Stephen's forces, and Foster, the loyal knight who had cared for Clobber since his birth.
Baron Klar was an unremarkable knight, still stuck at the initial stages of full-knighthood despite being middle-aged. His lack of charisma and poor governance had earned him little favor among his people.
In contrast, Clobber, young and brimming with talent, was beloved by the locals. This stark difference bred countless rumors and created deep rifts within the family.
As Clobber made his way through the streets, villagers greeted him warmly. Clobber returned their smiles, his handsome features radiating a natural charm that captivated the simple townsfolk. To them, Clobber embodied what a noble should be. This only worsened the reputations of Baron Klar and Kroc, his eldest brother.
After all, it was hard to call a man as corpulent as a pig "handsome," unless he happened to rule over you.
Despite this, Deepwater Territory's people still recognized Baron Klar as their sovereign lord, the embodiment of absolute authority.
Before long, Clobber and his group arrived at their destination—Oatmead Keep.
The keep, built of wood and mud, had three floors. The first housed the servants, the kitchen, and storage rooms. The second floor was split between the living quarters for the baron's children, including Clobber, on the left, and guest rooms on the right. Though few visitors ventured to this remote region, the rooms remained prepared.
The third floor was reserved for the baron himself. It included his bedroom, a study, and two additional rooms—one for storing valuables like the family's breathing techniques and gold, and another serving as an armory. The latter held the Oatmead family's weapons and armor, including the steel plate worn by the first baron.
By the time Clobber entered the hall, the meeting was already underway. His arrival caused little stir. Only Lord Elric, commander of the territory's soldiers, acknowledged him with a subtle nod.
Elric, a 35-year-old knight at the peak of the Apprentice level, had once attempted to ascend to full-knighthood but failed. Though the attempt left him injured, he was now recovered and preparing for another breakthrough.
Initially, Elric had been dismissive of Clobber, like most others in the territory. But as Clobber demonstrated his prowess in bandit-suppression missions, particularly after reaching the upper Apprentice level, Elric's opinion changed. During their sparring sessions, Elric found himself unable to overpower Clobber. This only deepened his respect for the young man and the power of the Goldrose bloodline.
In a world where strength commanded respect, Clobber's abilities had earned him grudging admiration from those who once scorned him.
The title of a lord was not inherited unless one could break through to become a formal knight and pass on the title to their descendants.
But deep down, he knew the odds were slim. He had little hope left, and could only gamble the last bit of his future on a second and final breakthrough.
Yet, something new had come into view—hope, in the form of Klober Oat.
The common folk of the territory had no idea, but as one of the upper-ranking individuals, he knew the truth all too well.
The Golden Rose family had requested to adopt the exceptionally talented young knight, Klober, more than once. Baron Klar had managed to block their request temporarily, but could he really keep them at bay for the rest of his life?
Once Klober left Deepwater Territory, his future would be limitless. With his innate talent, he wouldn't just stop at becoming a Sky Knight—he could rise all the way to a Title Knight, or even a Dragon Knight!
"By the Golden Dragon, Klober might actually become a Dragon Knight!"
That thought left Aerek, who had struggled for so long to break through to a formal knight, feeling a deep sense of frustration.
"Is that… the peak of a trainee knight?"
He had been watching when Klober passed by, and as soon as he sensed the same aura emanating from him, Aerek couldn't help but shout out in astonishment.
The peak of a trainee knight was an odd state. While there was no true aura of fighting energy within their body, there was a unique kind of "force," a life energy condensed to its limits, produced by pushing the body beyond its natural capabilities. Only someone at the same rank as a peak trainee knight—or a formal knight—could feel it.
Aerek's outburst sent the room into chaos.
"What? The peak of a trainee knight? Who? Could it be Young Master Klober?"
"No way! Klober's only fifteen, right? I heard that in the Emerald Kingdom, any genius who breaks through to formal knight by sixteen can join the Dragon Knight selection program!"
"Oh my god, of course, it's Klober! I've always known he'd be something special."
"Yeah, right. Back when you were young, you'd run away the moment you saw him!"
"I challenge you to a duel, you bald-headed old man!"
"Bring it on, you shrimp!"
The meeting room erupted into noise, but Klober barely noticed. He sat quietly in his seat, as though he wasn't the topic of conversation at all.
Seeing the chaos unfolding, Crock, the baron's heir, narrowed his eyes. After casting a dark look at Klober, he slammed his fist on the table.
"Quiet! Quiet! This is a meeting!"
As the future lord of Deepwater Territory, Crock might not have much power, but he knew how to impose order. His authoritative shout quickly subdued the noisy room.
"Let's get back to discussing the battle plans…"
As Klober listened from his seat, he understood that the "Western Crusade Order" was being activated once again.
The Golden Grand Duchy lay in the southeastern part of the Knight's Continent, bordering the Emerald Kingdom to the north, and surrounded on the east and south by the vast Blue Sea. A few small islands dotted these waters, with the largest being no more than the size of a barony.
To the west lay the vast Moiy Forest, home to many magical beasts ranging from low-level monsters to the highest-ranking creatures. Even the weakest monsters could fight against formal knights.
These beasts were called "magical beasts" because they possessed a force akin to fighting energy, but with a completely different nature. After much study, mages decided to call it magic power.
Low-level monsters were equivalent to formal knights, mid-level monsters to great knights, high-level monsters to Earth Knights, and the most powerful—top-level monsters—were matched with Sky Knights. Above the top-level monsters, there were also phantom beasts, which were said to rival Title Knights.
Phantom beasts not only possessed tremendous strength, but also considerable intelligence. They could form contracts with humans, creating a symbiotic relationship. Only Title Knights were powerful enough to handle such a contract, and they were often referred to as Phantom Beast Knights. Their titles were typically named after the traits or strongest skills of the phantom beasts they bonded with.
For example, the ruler of the Oat family's territory, Count Stephen Moonlight, was a peak Earth Knight. He was said to be in seclusion, attempting to break through into the Sky Knight ranks. His neighbor, Baron Byron Frostwolf, was known as the Frostfang Knight. His family no longer used the name of a great elf, but instead took the name of the phantom beast they had contracted with—the Polar Frostwolf. Byron earned his title after using his self-developed technique, "Frostfang Bite," to defeat a rebellious phantom beast during the Western Crusade Order.