"Please have a seat, Alstair," Aldwin gestured towards the plush armchair in his luxurious executive room.
As I entered, I noticed there was only the two of us, as Aldwin's special bodyguard had already left and was stationed outside the locked door.
"Apologies for the interruption before your arrival.
My daughter can be quite rebellious at times.
I hope you can understand," Aldwin spoke in a lighthearted tone.
Just minutes before I had arrived, Avyanna had stormed into the room, protesting to her father, who also happened to be a member of the Elite Knight's Association.
She argued that as the leader of the Crystallice Guild, which currently only consisted of myself, she should be allowed in the executive room.
However, Aldwin disagreed and had her escorted out by the guards.
"Perhaps you are right about your daughter's rebellious nature. But I must say, I never expected such a heated argument between father and daughter," I couldn't help but comment.
Aldwin smirked, "One day, when you have a daughter of your own, you will understand and get used to it, Alstair," he said with a small smile. "Speaking of family, I must commend your dedication to providing for your mother and sister," he continued.
I fell silent, the weight of my family's situation always left me feeling a mixture of emotions, often bordering on depression.
"Apologies for bringing up such a sensitive topic. I can only imagine the difficulties you must face," Aldwin poured us each a glass of wine and added a few cubes of ice to mine, "I have heard your story from a few Knights who are familiar with your situation. It takes a strong Knight to risk their life on dangerous missions in order to pay off exorbitant medical bills. You are truly an extraordinary Knight, Alstair, even though you currently hold a low rank." Aldwin's piercing gaze fixed on me, as if he was analyzing me.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of pressure under his scrutiny.
Aldwin took a long sip of his wine before speaking again, his words laced with irritation. "There are Knights with low ranks who can do extraordinary things. It may seem odd, but some of them choose to play their Knight Rank in an unreasonable way."
I couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by unreasonable?"
Aldwin's expression turned dark as he answered, "These low-ranked Knights have their own intentions, and they're not good. They work as assassins or they're just plain psychos during missions. They have no real loyalty to the Knight's code. They're Hunters, focused solely on defeating their prey. They're a disgrace, especially during these difficult times of Monster Invasion." He slammed his wine glass down in frustration.
I understood what Aldwin was talking about.
It reminded me of Winstein and his henchmen.
They were murderers, with no qualms about sacrificing their fellow Knights for their own gain.
Aldwin's next question cut through the tension in the air. "So, Alstair, are you a Knight or a Hunter?" His stare was sharp, filled with suspicion.
I could feel the pressure building, but I refused to back down.
"I am a Knight," I answered firmly. Aldwin's anger seemed to intensify, causing the glass in the room to crack and the floor to shake.
He was testing me, and I knew that an ordinary Knight would crumble under this kind of pressure.
But I held my ground, determined not to show any weakness.
The dialogue between us was tense, but I could sense the underlying danger in Aldwin's words and actions.
It was clear that he was trying to gauge my loyalty and intentions.
But I remained resolute, knowing that my actions would speak louder than words.
Aldwin hesitated before responding, his expression betraying his confusion at my calm demeanor.
"Since you joined the Arcton Fort Dungeon as a carrier, the Knight Association has been keeping a close eye on you," he said.
"But my attention was drawn even more when you teamed up with Winstein. It was a surprise when Winstein and many of his fellow knights died on the hidden dungeon mission. My daughter told me they were killed by a monster, but there was something strange about it," he continued, carefully studying my reaction.
"Winstein and his friend have been under our observation due to the high fatality rate among knights on their missions. We suspected they were up to something, but things became complicated when they were killed in action while on a mission with you," Aldwin explained, his words cautious as he fixed a piercing gaze on me.
"Do you really suspect me?" I countered, finding his conclusion rather strange.
"As I mentioned before, you are an exceptional knight. Your rank may be deceptive, perhaps a B or even an A rank. One thing is certain, you are not an F rank," Aldwin persisted, his murderous instincts bubbling to the surface.
I was ready for his attack, my magical barrier and Gaia Endowment spell already prepared in case he decided to strike at close range.
Several tense minutes passed in silence as we both prepared to face each other in battle.
Though I could easily initiate the fight, I knew it would be a waste of time and energy if I thought it through carefully.
I require the backing of the Knight Association to gain access to the dungeon gate I will need later.
In other words, I need to earn Aldwin's trust.
"I am not what you assume. Even if you try to coerce me with your power, I will not waver from my beliefs," I state firmly.
"The problem is that you are a member of my daughter's guild. You are the main reason Avyanna formed her own guild. Do you think I would take the risk of letting you go freely while you plot against my daughter?!" Aldwin shouts in anger and fear.
He slams his fist on the table between us, destroying it in one powerful punch.
Damn.
Initially, I thought it would be no issue to have a guild with Avyanna.
Now, it has become incredibly complicated.
"I am willing to escalate this into a deadly battle if necessary," Aldwin takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down even though his face remains red with fury.
"But I am the representative of the Knight Association. The world has placed great hope in us. If I were to act rashly, there would be a loss of public trust. I am also a fair individual. Your recent mission has earned enough contributions to elevate your F-rank to a D-rank. I will not interfere with anything that would harm your standing as a Knight," he continues, taking a swig of wine straight from the bottle.
"You are fortunate, Alstair. There are many who have faith in you. However, I cannot afford to take any risks when it concerns my daughter. Even if there is just a slight chance, you could be the Hunter. Whether you like it or not, I must assign you as a Knight Carrier for the next invasion mission," Aldwin declares after downing the entire bottle of wine.
"Next Invasion mission?" I asked.
"An A-rank invasion. We'll be targeting an elven hideout in the depths of Arden forest. The hideout is essentially a cavern brimming with precious Monster Diamonds. I've already handpicked a team to secure the area, which includes my own daughter," Aldwin replied.
He gestured towards me.
"You, on the other hand, will be the Knight Carrier responsible for gathering and transporting all of those valuable Monster Diamonds. No other carrier is willing to take on this risky task, so I have no choice but to assign you as the Knight Carrier." I knew Aldwin still had doubts about my abilities, hence why he wanted to test me as a carrier.
"I will accept under one condition. Once I successfully complete this mission as the carrier, promise me that you will not interfere with my or Avyanna's growth in our Knight rank," I stated firmly.
Aldwin took a moment to process my request before responding.
"If you manage to deliver all the Monster Diamonds to the Association, I will take your request into careful consideration," he finally replied after a long pause.
"Then we have a deal," I concluded without hesitation.
***