Leo blinked. He had no idea how to answer Corvin’s question.
He thought about it for a long time. Then he gave a blank look and shook his head.
A rare smile crossed Corvin’s face.
"You’re honest. You don’t give me a made-up answer just to please me. Forget you. Even the Knight Temple itself can’t answer that question easily.
"That one question is why the Knight Temple split its Genuine Knights into two branches. Retribution Knights and Guardian Knights.
"Retribution Knights focus on attack. They fight with two weapons and blend their speed with their offensive arts. Their fighting power is huge. On the battlefield, they’re stronger than soldiers and assassins of the same rank.
"Guardian Knights put defense first. One hand holds a weapon, the other holds a shield. They are the core of a team. They’re masters of support and healing arts. Their fighting power may be lower than a Retribution Knight’s. But when fighting together, a Guardian Knight is far more useful."
Corvin paused. He looked at Leo.
"Which do you think there are more of? Retribution Knights or Guardian Knights?"
Leo thought. Then he said,
"Retribution Knights, Master. You just said their attack power is better."
Corvin shook his head.
"It’s the exact opposite. In the Knight Temple, the ratio of Guardian Knights to Retribution Knights is ten to one."
"What? That big a gap? But why?"
Leo was stunned.
"Because we are part of the Temple Alliance," Corvin said. "Among the six great Temples, the Knight Temple can’t only look at its own strength. We must care about our teammates’ strength too.
"That’s why it’s called the Temple Alliance. When people from these six paths fight together, that’s when their power reaches the top.
"And as the center of the team, a knight must care not only about his own attack and defense, but also about his teammates’ safety. That’s why there are far more Guardian Knights than Retribution Knights."
Leo understood some of it.
"Then Master, should I become a Guardian Knight or a Retribution Knight in the future?"
Corvin answered quietly.
"Only you can make the right choice. I can’t help you with this. Judging by your nature, becoming a Guardian Knight would suit you better. But I myself am a Retribution Knight. Most of what I can give you comes from the skills and arts of a Retribution Knight."
"Master, I..."
"Don’t rush to answer."
Corvin stopped him at once.
"You have one year to think about this deeply. A year from now, give me your answer."
"Yes, Master!"
One year later, in Moonhaven City.
Walking down a wide street in Moonhaven City, Leo’s eyes were full of curiosity and wonder.
*It’s so big!*
The crowds here couldn’t compare to Eldrin Town. It was like heaven and earth.
In the southern part of the Temple Alliance, Moonhaven was only a mid-sized city. But for Leo, who grew up in Eldrin, it was his first time seeing a city this large.
As curious as Leo was about Moonhaven, the people on the street seemed just as curious about him.
He wore plain clothes. But his face looked like a beautiful porcelain doll.
A year later, Leo’s face no longer looked sickly. He had also grown a lot taller. He still looked like a child, but his body was slim and firm.
The most surprising thing was that such a beautiful boy walked around with two long swords strapped to his back in an X.
They were clearly two swords with Refined Iron handles. One meter long, one decimeter wide, and over three centimeters thick.
They didn’t look razor sharp. But they definitely didn’t look light either! They looked like smaller versions of a knight’s heavy sword.
*Can a kid that small really swing swords like that?*
People had no idea. If he didn’t want to attract attention, Leo could have easily lifted two Genuine Knight heavy swords and walked around with them. It would have been no problem at all.
One year of brutal training had changed him in unbelievable ways. It was like being born again.
On the eighty-third day in the Owl-Ants’ nest, he could finally block every attack from all four directions using only his Bamboo Swords.
But he still had to train in the nest. The only difference was that he changed the weapons he carried in.
From the lightest Bamboo Swords to Wooden Swords. Then iron swords. Then Refined Iron swords. And finally, heavy swords.
He had to adapt himself to every weight.
After getting used to the knight’s heavy swords, he had to go back for a month, from heavy swords to Refined Iron swords, then iron swords, Wooden Swords, and finally Bamboo Swords. That finished one full circle.
By the time it was all done, a year had passed.
This time, Leo had come to Moonhaven City because Corvin had given him two tasks to test his year of hard training.
Once inside the city, Leo asked a few people where the Knight Temple of Moonhaven was.
After crossing several wide roads, he reached the center of the city. He recognized his destination by the shield-and-sword mark.
The Knight Hall of Moonhaven was nothing like Eldrin Hall. From the outside, it already looked at least five stories tall. Huge buildings spread across a massive area.
Two young knights in armor stood at the gate.
The moment Leo reached the Knight Temple’s door, one of them smiled and asked,
"Little friend, who are you looking for?"
He had no choice but to answer. Leo stepped forward.
"Hello, brother. I’d like to see Hall Master Rowan Voss."
He spoke very politely to both knights. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
"You’re looking for the Hall Master?"
Both guards stared at him.
"What do you need from him?"
"My master told me to find Hall Master Rowan Voss and give him a letter."
"Then give the letter to me."
The guard on the left said.
Leo shook his head.
"My master said I must hand this letter to Hall Master Rowan Voss myself."
The young knight hesitated.
"Then I can’t let you in. This is the Knight Temple Hall of Moonhaven City. Only people from our Temple can go inside."
Leo got a little upset.
"But I’m from the Knight Temple too! I came from Eldrin Hall!"
"It still won’t work, little brother. The thing is, kids from those halls can only come in for the test held every three years. Give me the letter and I’ll deliver it. If the Hall Master wants to see you, then you can go in."
Leo frowned.
Corvin had warned him many times. This letter had to be handed to Rowan Voss personally.
Just then, a sweet voice rang out.
"What are you two doing? Why are you bothering a little kid?"
The voice came from inside the hall.
It was a teenage girl in light clothes. Her pink hair was tied neatly into a ponytail. Big, beautiful blue eyes studied Leo carefully.
She looked eighteen or nineteen. She walked gracefully. And behind each of her shoulders, a sword handle peeked out.
"Senior Knight!"
The two guards had only just become knights themselves. They bowed to her with respect.
The girl stopped in front of Leo. She looked at his face with curiosity. Then she turned to the two guards.
"I heard everything you said. But remember, every general rule has an exception. And this little brother comes from a sub-hall of our own Knight Temple. I’ll take him to see Uncle Rowan."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Or do you think this kid is here to cause trouble?"
The two guards swallowed hard. Neither one said a word.
Leo looked at the girl, and for some reason, his heart skipped.
Her blue eyes were the exact same shade as his own.