Dylan Golden Rose was nearly thirty years old. He had officially become a knight at the age of twenty-five—right on the dot—though his talent wasn't extraordinary. Still, with his dazzling golden hair, a gift of the Golden Rose family, he managed to smoothly join the Dragon Breath Knights as a full knight.
After more than four years of supplementing his training with magical potions, Dylan had reached the rank of a high-level formal knight. He was just a step away from solidifying his foundation and preparing to break through into the rank of Grand Knight.
But with age, Dylan's once youthful appearance had begun to fade. Though he had used countless skincare potions to maintain his looks, he couldn't escape the ravages of time, and his face had started to show signs of roughness.
However, this roughness was relative. After all, when you're surrounded by a bunch of handsome knights, even the slightest flaw in your appearance gets noticed.
This was one of the reasons the Dragon Breath Knights were often referred to as a parade guard or even as the Duke's pretty boys. Some of the knights were so obsessed with their appearance that they spent more money on skincare than on their martial arts training. They didn't consider it shameful at all—in fact, they were quite proud of it.
Dylan had been influenced by them at first, but luckily, with the help of other family members, he came to his senses and started using most of his funds for training resources instead.
Well, a small portion of his funds still went toward skincare.
As time passed, Dylan noticed that fewer and fewer of his family members remained in the knight order. Now, aside from Clobber, the vast Dragon Breath Knight Order had only two active knights. If it hadn't been for another family member who had worked hard to become the Third Knight Commander, the Golden Rose family would have been invisible in the Duke's eyes.
Although the Duke was wise, it was essential for those close to him to have people who could speak on behalf of their families—people who could relay important information and show loyalty.
Dylan led Clobber down the main road toward Saint Golden Fortress, casually chatting as they walked.
"Once we enter the castle, your attendants won't be allowed into the inner keep. They'll have to stay in the outer keep with the other servants."
Clobber nodded. Since he was new, following the rules of Saint Golden Fortress was his top priority.
Perhaps it was the sight of Clobber's familiar golden hair that made Dylan feel more at ease, or maybe it was just his nature to talk, but he couldn't stop sharing details about the castle.
"The Duke has said that only those with golden battle qi—like us knights—can live in the inner keep. The Golden Dragon likes the aura of gold, so the Duke made it a rule that only knights with the golden attribute can live there. Being surrounded by familiar energy helps keep the Golden Dragon in a good mood."
Clobber understood now. Not only was he the Duke's little pretty boy, but he was also a "Dragon Tamer," tasked with keeping the Golden Dragon happy.
Well, maybe "Dragon Tamer" wasn't the right term. Dragon Mint might fit better, though it wasn't as powerful as catnip from his past life.
With that thought, Clobber's curiosity grew, and since Dylan was an old hand at the Dragon Breath Knights, it seemed like the perfect time to ask a few questions.
"Uncle Dylan… I mean, it should be Uncle, but since I was adopted, it's okay to just say cousin," Clobber joked, trying to ease the mood. "Since the Golden Dragon only likes the scent of golden battle qi, why does it matter if we're under twenty-five and good-looking?"
Dylan waved his hand dismissively at the question.
"You're new, so you don't know yet, but you'll understand soon enough."
"The Golden Dragon is very proud. It despises lowly bloodlines hanging around it. That's why only noble bloodlines—especially those of the great families—are allowed to serve."
"As for the requirement to be young and handsome..." Dylan paused and flashed a mischievous smile.
"Well, that has to do with the Golden Dragon's and the Duke's tastes."
As Dylan explained, Clobber began to understand the absurd standards for joining the Dragon Breath Knights.
The Golden Dragon, though good-natured, was one of the proudest dragons in existence. It loved and sought out the beauty and grandeur of the world, which was reflected in its golden nature—beautiful and noble.
The Duke's castle, naturally, required maintenance from both soldiers and servants. So, the Duke and the Golden Dragon had struck a deal, agreeing that the most beautiful and noble humans would be the ones allowed to live in the castle and serve.
Thus, this ridiculous requirement was born.
Clobber couldn't help but shake his head. "That's a lot to live up to just to keep a dragon happy."
Dylan chuckled. "It's all about image and status, my friend. You'll get used to it."
It had to be golden battle qi, because the Golden Dragon preferred the aura of gold.
It had to be good-looking and in peak physical condition, because the Golden Dragon loved everything beautiful.
It had to be of noble blood, because, in this world, nobles genuinely possessed magical power in their bloodlines. This was the reason why the Golden Rose family had generations of golden battle qi and why they had those dazzlingly bright golden locks.
As for why it had to be young, that was because the Duke liked young men, or rather, the Duke liked handsome young men who still had that youthful look about them.
"Okay, I get it now… but what's the test for joining the knight order? Is there some kind of combat challenge?" Clobber asked, rubbing his forehead. He couldn't help but feel that the so-called Dragon Breath Knight Order had little strategic value. It seemed more like a ceremonial force and a group of pretty faces to put on display.
Wow, so true about the "parade guard" and "pretty boy" nicknames. The people really know how to call it as it is—sharp-eyed, no doubt.
Fine, let them call it a flower vase if they want! Clobber had already prepared himself mentally for this before coming here.
The castle sat at the highest peak of the entire mountain range, and the temperature here was several degrees cooler than the city below.
It took about two hours to walk from the foot of the mountain to the castle's outer gate, where Dylan led Clobber to the entrance of the outer keep.
The outer keep of Saint Golden Fortress was where the servants and knight attendants lived. It mainly consisted of kitchens, training fields, warehouses, and living quarters.
Most of the knights spent their training hours in the outer keep's training fields. In fact, most Dragon Breath Knights preferred to live in the outer keep. The inner keep was more like a place where they clocked in for work—guard duty and patrols with little excitement to be found.
The inner keep was almost exclusively for the Duke and the knights, and it was so quiet that it almost felt like a ghost town. The outer keep, however, was much livelier and more welcoming to the knights.
On the way here, Dylan had already explained the requirements for the knight order's entry test to Clobber.
It was simple. To become a direct knight under the Duke's command, the first thing Clobber needed to do was visit the inner keep with Dylan as his sponsor. There, in front of the Duke and the Golden Dragon, he would swear an oath of loyalty, and that would be it.
Sounds simple, right? But the difficulty came when it was time to actually do it.
Getting into the castle wasn't hard—just present the letter and prove your identity, and you're in.
The real challenge was the "interview."
On the surface, it seemed easy enough—just swear your loyalty to the Duke and the Golden Dragon. But if it were that simple, why would there be examples of people failing the test?
Clobber had intended to ask Dylan more about the process, but Dylan, who had been chatting non-stop earlier, had suddenly gone silent. He was now wearing his helmet and standing up straighter, exuding an air of authority and discipline.
Seeing Dylan like this, Clobber knew that it would be pointless to try and extract any more information from him. From here on, he would just have to take it one step at a time.