Chapter 64: Ferdinand’s Appearance
Outside Dark Night Manor, not long after the carriage of the Hand of Justice left the manor gates, another carriage in the style of a common noble appeared on the road ahead. Both drivers were young warriors wearing long swords at their waists. From the perspective of the five members of the Hand of Justice, it was clear that these two young warriors were highly skilled, at least at the peak of Black Iron rank.
Clearly, the people inside those carriages were not ordinary nobles.
As the two carriages passed each other, a powerful yet concealed mental force was sent from one carriage to probe into the other noble carriage. It was as if a sharp sword had pierced through it. A muffled groan came from the simpler-looking carriage, after which it left silently.
The noble carriage then headed in the direction of Dark Night Manor.
After that brief confrontation, the atmosphere inside the carriage became tense, and all five members of the Hand of Justice had grim expressions. Priest Wayne’s pale face even turned an unusually red.
The older Holy Warrior Braun analyzed seriously, “At least they are warriors of the Silver rank. Judging by their appearance, they seem to be swordsmen in the early Silver stage. Their sword intent isn’t yet stable, but it’s very resilient and sharp—so they must come from a prominent background!”
Wayne said slowly, “You must have all sensed the presence in that manor just now. It’s at least a mage at the peak of Bronze rank. Though they aren’t hostile, they certainly aren’t friendly either. This road leads only to that young mage’s manor. The people in that carriage must also be going there, which is why I deliberately tried to probe them. I never expected there to be a Silver-ranked powerhouse inside!”
The impulsive young Holy Warrior Dodge spoke up, “I say, Wayne, why did you suddenly change your attitude? It seems you had concerns. But who exactly is this little mage? Why is there not only a powerful mage at the peak of Bronze rank in that manor, but it seems that Silver-ranked swordsmen are also connected to him?”
“Shut up, Dodge! Can’t you see that Wayne is mentally shaken?”
Braun snapped at him. Seeing his angry expression, the young Holy Warrior wisely fell silent.
As the captain who had trained them all, Braun had always admired Dodge—a young man who never adhered to rules and was different from the other serious and rigid Holy Warriors. Even though Dodge was impulsive and outspoken, Braun would often defend him when he made mistakes and rarely scolded him so angrily.
But this time, with Wayne leading the team, it was a test for the three young people. The originally simple task turned out to be unexpectedly complicated, with months of pursuit causing his usually steady mood to become impatient. Now, seeing his old friend injured, he could no longer stay calm. “It seems this mission is a tough challenge for you. If you’re lucky enough to complete it, you’ll receive high praise and be admitted to Justice Hand as a true member of the Divine Hand. But there’s a high chance you won’t succeed. At best, the Judgment Council might consider the variables and difficulty of the task and give you another chance to draw a trial mission!” Among the three young people, the other two young holy warriors looked somewhat disheartened, while only the silver-armored knight Samuel remained firm and unmoved. He spoke slowly in a steady voice, “One or two peak bronze mages can be dealt with with our strength. If that silver swordsman is added, even if all five of us attack together, our chances of winning are only 50%. And no matter whether we win or lose, if they want to leave, they can escape the encirclement with their formidable strength! Without peers of our rank, we can’t hold back a silver-level combat expert.” It turned out he had been calculating the odds of defeating their opponent. In the eyes of this Judgment Knight, those mages and unbelievers were heretics, and killing them was in accordance with divine will. Disappointed, Dodge glanced at his companion and thought to himself, “As expected of someone from the Judgment Knights—everyone is so strange and gloomy. If mages were that easy to kill, wouldn’t Polin and Gaudry and the other mages have been wiped out long ago? Wouldn’t the Five Great Kingdoms have become realms of worship for the Three Great Gods?” Yet the knight’s words reignited the fighting spirit of those present, and silence fell back over the carriage, broken only by the sound of hooves. As for the noble carriage, after the two carriages passed each other and drove for a while, the trace of the one behind disappeared. Suddenly, a voice came from inside. “Stop!” The two young warriors halted their horses and saw a young noble open the door and step out. It was Ferdinand, the young heir of the Ansel family and the young leader of the Holy Sword Legion. Seeing Ferdinand’s pale face, the two warriors immediately exclaimed, “Young master, what’s wrong?” “It’s nothing! I just fought against someone in that other carriage. They were only at peak bronze level. My swordmanship isn’t as stable as that of a true silver-level expert, but it was enough to deal with them!”
A samurai asked hesitantly, “Young master, should we inform the family members?”
“No need. I’ll know who they are once we arrive. Let’s keep moving!”
Sword intent, similar to a mage’s mental power, is a unique spiritual force of swordsmen. It can produce effects akin to mental attacks and is more flexible in activation. Sword intent is more resilient and concentrated than ordinary mental power, incorporating a swordsman’s understanding of the sword—it is not purely mental energy but a mixture of mental will and conceptual imagery at the soul level.
Generally, only those with silver-tier strength can cultivate their own martial will. A swordsman’s sword intent focuses on attacking, while an assassin’s focuses on assassination, often appearing sinister and mysterious. As for a knight’s will, rooted in virtues such as bravery, determination, and loyalty, it emphasizes charging and defense, making it better suited for battlefield combat. Legend has it that some powerful beings can condense their will into a tangible form, even attaching it to other objects to exist for a long time. However, such beings are usually strong figures in the realm of gods, and for most people, they remain legends.
At such a young age, with bronze-tier strength, Ferdinand had already reached a preliminary stage of cultivating sword intent. Besides his natural talent, the main reason was the ancient Sword Saint legacy of the Ansel family.
Unlike ordinary swordsmen who must train step by step through hard work, the Ansel family’s legacy was already extremely powerful even during the era of the Ancient Magic Empire. As long as descendants received systematic training to reach black-iron tier, they could use the swords left by their ancestors as a medium to merge their consciousness with them and experience the sword intent imprinted by their forebears.
Through this inherited sword intent, later generations could quickly break through to bronze-tier strength and grasp their own sword intent at this stage, even reaching silver or gold tiers. This allowed the descendants of the Ansel family to surpass other swordsmen from the very beginning of their training, enabling them to aim higher and go further on the path of swordsmanship.
It’s like a water container—while others are still filling it bowl by bowl, he has already switched from a bucket to a tank, making it much easier to add more water.
Less than half an hour after the five members of Justice Hand left the manor, an unexpected visitor arrived at the gates of Dark Night Manor. Someone was sent to deliver a visiting card.
“Young master…”
The butler rushed into the room in a panic, even more nervous than when he welcomed the royal envoy before.
“Who is it?”
Taking the business card, Donald was stunned by the Bauhinia family crest on it. The visitor was none other than the supreme commander of the Holy Sword Fortress on the northwest border, a young general of the Holy Sword Legion. It was said that he was the next generation heir of the Ansel family, the eldest son of the Sword Saint. The Ansel family was renowned among the Celt nobility for its small population; the current marquis was an only child in his generation, and most previous generations also had only one child each. It was only with this marquis heir that they finally had a sister, a development that delighted many noble families seeking to form alliances with the Ansel family. Why would such an important person visit him suddenly? Even if they had intended to become friends during their time at the Holy Sword Fortress, would they come all the way to the North County just for him? Though he couldn’t figure out the visitor’s intentions, Donald didn’t dare neglect the matter and led his people to greet them. “I’m sorry for coming unannounced. I hope you won’t mind, Donald! By the way, I should address you as Baron now, right?” Donald quickly replied with a smile, “How could that be? It’s a great honor for the Merlin family that you could spare your time to visit my humble estate. My baronship was only granted thanks to your help and that of Prince Duri!” After inviting the guest into the villa, the young general didn’t rush to get to the point. Instead, he let the host show him around the estate and villa, which he found very interesting. Since the visitor hadn’t made his intentions clear, Donald couldn’t say much and could only accompany him. After the tour, the two sat down in the villa’s hall. The marquis heir praised Donald’s estate and villa highly. “Stop praising me. My humble estate can’t compare to the Ansel family’s properties that have been passed down for thousands of years, let alone Fairwater Manor, one of the three great manors under your family!” “Fairwater Manor just benefits from its natural advantages. The design of your estate and villa is entirely man-made. Especially that fountain—it’s something I’ve never heard of before. Truly worthy of being called the greatest genius mage in the North County. Your creativity is truly admirable!” “It’s just some minor applications of alchemy. It’s nothing compared to the greatness of magic!” “Donald, you don’t need to be so modest. Your skills in alchemy are likely on par with those of an intermediate alchemist! Actually, I came here today with a request.” Seeing that the visitor had finally gotten to the point, Donald said generously, “Whatever it is, if I can do it, I certainly won’t disappoint you, General!”
“There’s no need for formality between us. I’ve had few friends over the years in the military, especially among young nobles like us.” “It’s an honor for me!” “Then I’ll be direct. I’ve come here to ask if the two types of wine you produce contain any undiluted essence that could aid my father’s cultivation. That’s why I’ve taken the liberty to visit!”
Fearing Donald might misunderstand, the heir to the marquis added quickly, “Of course, if a deal can be struck, our Ansel family will offer equal compensation in return. You may also make your own requests—anything that isn’t too difficult, I’ll do my best to fulfill!”
Donald was both shocked and delighted. He was shocked that someone had figured out the secret behind Moonlight Wine so quickly—could this attract the attention of other powerful forces on the continent and pose a threat to him? He was delighted because, in the Kingdom of Celt, having the Ansel family as a backing was even more powerful than relying on the royal family. Though he didn’t intend to become their vassal, completing this deal and gaining their friendship would be extremely beneficial for him, whose foundation was still weak.
So Donald thought quickly before finally saying, “Ferdinand, you’re really putting me in a tough spot. You see, the recipe for Moonlight Wine is a secret I’ve guarded closely. If some malicious powerful beings find out, my small Night Manor won’t be able to protect me from their scrutiny!”
Then he changed his tone:
“But if it’s the Ansel family, I can make an exception and provide some to you—though I can’t guarantee the quantity!”
Hearing this, Ferdinand exclaimed in joy, “Really? That’s great! Donald, on behalf of my family, I thank you!”