14 Water Fortress Banquet 1 (1/2)

”Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak”.

The Thornfield family had followed this philosophy, and it earned them glory and wealth beyond imagination. It was only a matter of time before the few losses would be recovered by a wave of new knights and acolytes, especially considering the numerous war prisoners who were captured in the war and the huge amount of resources the Thornfield family members would receive from winning the war.

This war had invigorated the whole household. The treasury had never been this full before, and people couldn't be happier. Everyone smiled or grinned, even the apathetic Elder Gale! A banquet had been organized, to share to everyone the good news, the gains and future prospects. It was a tradition that all adept families followed. Winning a war was a mean to strengthen family bonds, and reinforce its members' loyalty.

Despite being injured, Water Dragon made his appearance. As the supreme elder, he had played the biggest part in this war, not only by commanding the acolyte forces, but also intervening in many battlefields. His achievements were unmatched as he had accomplished the amazing feat of beating a Grand Knight.

”Today, I am here as your supreme elder but also as your kin! Today, we earned a glorious victory. As you can guess, looting the Huntingwood's Castle has reinforced our position in the Phuinem Kingdom! Moreover, we have proved that even adept-level powerhouses like Grand Knights can fall, should they ever provoke our family! This will earn us respect, and peace for several years”, he said joyfully, ”And this is why, tonight, we must celebrate! Eat to your fill, enjoy yourselves, and receive your personal rewards! You deserve them! I am proud to be from the Thornfield Family. I am proud to have won this war. On this thought, let us drink for a bountiful future!”

Hearing the charismatic supreme elder issue these words, everyone picked up a gla.s.s and drank. Drodosis was surprised.

[Beep! Elven Moonlight Water ingested! Spirit condensing…Not enough to breakthrough…]

Elven Moonlight Water was a tremendous treasure! For such a resource to be given in a banquet, the victory sure was flawless!

Anyway, maids and servants arrived, with plates full of food, mainly coming from magical beasts. Every single meal was a piece of art to watch. Each mouthful was delightful, as if it gave a sense of fulfilment.

Drodosis received numerous notifications, which made him even more happy:

[Beep! Nutritious ingested! Expected gains: +0.05 strength.]

[Beep! Nutritious ingested! Expected gains: +0.05 agility.]

[Beep! Nutritious ingested! Expected gains: +0.05 physique.]

[Beep! Nutritious ingested! Expected gains: +0.05 strength.]

Elders were summoned in a private room within the core area of the White Fortress, one by one.

Then, meritorious individuals were called. Each one of them were quite apprehensive at first. After all, the elder Water Dragon had become even more G.o.dlike in their eyes after he defeated the Grand Knight Tyler Anderson. To them, mere knights or intermediate acolytes, the supreme elder was a model, an ideal of strength they should strive for!

After a few hours of eating and drinking, Drodosis reached his limit. He knew that a single mouthful would make him puke. Servants and butlers were looking at him with both envy and shock.

How could a human ingest so much food? Where did it all go? Drodosis was akin to a bottomless pit, a voracious gourmet!

Someone interrupted his feast. It was his cousin, Fang. The latter had an exhausted face, but his eyes were surrounded by a strange expression of determination. Compared to the cry-baby he encountered when he came back to the Water Fortress a few months ago, this Fang was totally changed.

His hands seemed to have suffered quite a bit from spear training, and he seemed to have grown some muscles. In just three months, Fang had been transformed. Even Drodosis couldn't believe his eyes!

'd.a.m.n…I just gave him a hint not to give up. Hehe, look at him. He is no kid anymore! He's a man'

Indeed, Fang had matured, not just mentally, but physically as well. He seemed to have grown quite a bit.

”Hi, cousin Drodosis. I heard the heroic tales of the Great Plains Battle, and I wanted to congratulate you”, Fang said honestly.

”Oh? I didn't think you would be interested in wars!”, Drodosis said, obviously proud of himself.

Having a good image of oneself was satisfying, but hearing others recognize your efforts was even better. Drodosis was human. Even though he looked like a robot sometimes, he was still weak to praises. He still had desires. And this sentence made Drodosis really happy.

”In fact, I was wondering whether you would take me and several dozens of preparatory knights with you in the next war campaign. We would swear an oath of loyalty. I am not the only one who knows how difficult it must have been to pull off this tactic.

The way you trained soldiers to defeat an army twice bigger than yours with so few casualties, the way you defeated the elite knight…Bards sing praises of the battle of the Great Plains in the streets. I know you can't have many followers, due to your position as an acolyte and student from the Ivory tower, but please accept us as subordinates.”

Drodosis was quite shocked. He never thought that his actions would be so inspiring that preparatory knights would want to offer their swords to him! It must be known that a knight can only swear an oath of loyalty once in a lifetime. The fact that there were dozens of people willing to do that with him was a novel experience to him.

In the past, he was invisible, and now, here he was! A hero in the eyes of many!

”How many, exactly?”, Drodosis asked out of curiosity.

”More than fifty-six preparatory knights, including me, as well as twelve knights, some of them fought alongside you in the Great Plains battle.”

Drodosis was stuck in a dilemma. However, after thinking about it, accepting their loyalty and forming a new knight order in the family would increase his status as well! Responsibilities and rewards were two sides of the same coin.

After thinking a bit, Drodosis said, ”In two days, when the sun rises, everyone willing to swear a soul oath of loyalty to me shall come to the training grounds. As my cousin, you shall be the first member of the Ironcloud Knight Order. And as your first task, I order you to pa.s.s the words to everyone susceptible to join me!”

Fang seemed elated. His eyes, full of admiration, suddenly seemed to have an outburst of determination. This look of devotion looked like fanatism, as he said, ”I swear a soul oath to forever serve Master Drodosis Thornfield, as his sword, his s.h.i.+eld and his eyes, until my last breath. Only death shall free me from this oath, for I, Fang Thornfield, am his subordinate!”

Drodosis suddenly felt a fragment of Fang's soul entering his spirit. If he wanted to, he could severely affect or even injure Fang mentally. This was the effects of a soul oath. The subordinate would offer a fragment of his soul to his master, as a proof of loyalty.

A few seconds later, Fang stood up and started to spread the words.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Drodosis was summoned by the Supreme Elder, his grandfather. His image and glorious appearance didn't dim one bit, and his injury seemed to have begun to recover as well.

Drodosis didn't treat him as the grandfather who raised him in his childhood though, but as the supreme elder of his family.

”Drodosis, you are an exception in this family. Your talent is average, yet your achievements were unmatched in the younger generations. You beat an elite knight, and killed hundreds of enemies by yourself, with very few casualties within an army you seized from a spy. Tell me, how did you pull it off?”, his grandfather said.

”I studied, father. I learnt records of ancient battles, and studied the tactics of knight wars of old times in the Ivory tower!”, Drodosis said. He didn't lie. After returning to the Water Fortress, he had indeed studied these battles, which inspired him greatly for the battles he went through.

”Mm, knowledge is power. Continue on this path, and it will only be a matter of time before you become a pseudo-adept like me! Haha! I am quite confused though. What should I give you?”, his grandfather asked.

”I want two things, elder”, Drodosis said in a respectful and intelligible voice. Few would be undaunting enough to stand in front of a pseudo-adept like the elder Water Dragon without being stressed out, much less ask for two rewards shamelessly!

He continued, ”I want to have a quick look at the three spells restricted to the Thornfield Household's inner circle, and found my own knight order.”