- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 149
Thanks to the Dresrosa family’s excellent education, every pioneering knight who managed to establish themselves proved both their capability and strength.
Laton and Moss were both grand knights, albeit only at the early stages and seemingly recent breakthroughs.
Even so, this was impressive.
Both were just over 30 years old, right in the golden period of training.
Although their talent wasn’t on par with Rein’s or Thor’s recently enhanced abilities, they still surpassed the majority of knights.
Even compared to Tono, they weren’t far behind.
And then there was Bern.
Thor’s uncle, Bern, was at the late stage of grand knight, radiating a life force so intense that even Thor couldn’t help but feel a sense of gravity in his presence.
Despite being an uncle, Bern was only 42 years old.
At this pace, he was almost certain to reach the peak of grand knight before turning 50.
Before his physical body began to decline in his 70s, he had a genuine shot at breaking through to Earth Knight.
In the Tulip Kingdom, advancing to apprentice knight was a significant hurdle. Even with knight breathing techniques, not everyone could condense a life seed to become an apprentice knight.
However, those who succeeded in condensing a life seed typically advanced to full knight status, and with sufficient resources, some even reached grand knight.
Breaking through to Earth Knight, though, was an entirely different matter—a monumental challenge.
Out of every ten individuals practicing knight breathing techniques, perhaps one might condense a life seed and become an apprentice knight. Among ten apprentice knights, seven or eight might progress to grand knight with ample resources.
But among 10,000 grand knights, only one might possess the potential to become an Earth Knight.
For most knights, the grand knight stage was the end of their journey.
Even in count families, Earth Knight-level individuals were rare. Otherwise, Earth Knights wouldn’t be considered the backbone of the kingdom’s military might.
Thor was astounded by Bern’s strength, but the three men were equally shocked by Thor.
They couldn’t sense any life force emanating from Thor.
Under normal circumstances, knights could detect each other’s life force if their strengths were comparable.
Even the difference between a full knight and a grand knight could be discerned.
But Thor gave off nothing.
This could only mean one of two things: either Thor was an ordinary person without any life force (an impossibility since they knew he had advanced to grand knight earlier than any of them), or his control over his life force was so precise that no energy leaked.
The latter explanation left the three men speechless with shock.
Such control over life force meant that Thor had reached an unimaginable level among grand knights.
Perhaps even the peak of grand knight.
As they looked at Thor’s youthful face, they could only fall into a heavy silence.
Thor, meanwhile, remained oblivious to their thoughts.
Sensing something unusual, he assumed they were merely curious.
Thus, he continued conversing with them as if nothing were amiss.
—-
During their discussions, Thor gained deeper insights into the Dresrosa family’s current state.
At the same time, he subtly began hinting at his intentions.
Since he had the chance to meet these three first, his goal was to secure their support.
If he could win them over, he’d have a significant advantage during tomorrow’s family council.
Especially Bern—gaining his backing would make subsequent negotiations much smoother.
In the grand hall, the group’s conversation gradually turned more serious.
Thor, after some subtlety, began to reveal his plans.
The room fell silent as Laton and Moss exchanged glances, their eyes filled with excitement.
They hadn’t expected Thor to be willing to “gamble” as well.
Bern, however, furrowed his brow.
Breaking the silence, Bern spoke.
“Thor, the Divine Reckoning isn’t something to joke about. Are you sure you want to stay?”
His gaze was steady, his voice solemn.
“Uncle Bern, I understand. But surely you’ve seen the records related to the Divine Reckoning. This time, the danger may not be as great as feared. Instead, it’s a tremendous opportunity. If we seize it, the Dresrosa family could dominate the entire Northern Province,” Thor said, taking a deep breath.
“Those are just records, Thor. Remember, not everything is written down. If the kingdom fails to suppress the reckoning and the Divine Descent occurs, most of the Northern Province will be reduced to ash.
“I’ve seen the devastation caused by the Divine Descent in the Southern Moon Province—it’s not something we can withstand,” Bern replied, shaking his head.
“Thor, you have a brighter future ahead of you. Even if you lose this opportunity, you can return to the family and start anew. Engel will give you another chance. There’s no need to risk staying here.”
Bern’s tone was firm, genuinely concerned about Thor’s well-being.
While Thor’s assessment of the opportunities in the Northern Province was valid, the risks were enormous.
Yes, strong lords fleeing left abundant opportunities behind, but opportunity and risk often went hand in hand.
If the kingdom’s records were correct, they might suppress the reckoning.
But what if they couldn’t?
Even a partial failure would bring devastation beyond what any count or marquis family could endure.
No one would flee if the risk were minimal.
Laton and Moss’s willingness to take the risk was one thing—they were new pioneers with potential but far less at stake than Thor.
Thor, on the other hand, had the potential to reach Sky Knight.
A Sky Knight!
With even one Sky Knight, the Dresrosa family would undergo a complete transformation.
“Thor, becoming a Sky Knight is far more important than any of this. If you break through, the rewards will be unimaginable!” Bern continued, as if fearing Thor didn’t grasp the gravity of his potential.
His words left Laton and Moss silent.
Even Tono’s emotions wavered as he turned to look at Thor.
Of everyone present, Tono knew Thor’s talent best.
As knights, they understood the significance of a Sky Knight.
Even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of Thor breaking through to Sky Knight made him invaluable.
Thor’s death or failure in the Northern Province would be a devastating loss.
Faced with Bern’s insistence, Thor sighed.
Even though he had anticipated resistance, he hadn’t realized just how difficult it would be to convince them.
This was just one person—there were still many others to persuade.
Convincing them to stay seemed almost impossible.
“Thor,” Tono began, his tone hesitant.
“Brother,” Thor interrupted softly. “You know I’ve already made up my mind. I won’t change it.”
Looking at Tono’s conflicted expression, Thor sighed again.
He hadn’t even succeeded in convincing Bern, and now Tono was starting to waver.
“This isn’t the time for stubbornness, Thor!” Bern said, frowning deeply.
“Thor, it’s fine for us to take the risk, but you should return!”
Laton couldn’t help but chime in, his earlier camaraderie with Thor giving way to a more cautious tone of persuasion.
Moss instinctively opened his mouth to speak but hesitated.
“Uncle Bern, this isn’t an act of recklessness,” Thor said with a calm shake of his head. “I already have Father’s permission.”
“What?”
“Engel wouldn’t agree to this,” Bern said, frowning in surprise.
“The young eagles of the Dresrosa family are meant to soar the skies. Flowers grown in a greenhouse will never truly thrive,” Thor replied earnestly. “And, Uncle Bern, there’s something you may not know yet.”
Thor’s voice lowered slightly as he continued, “Our family no longer lacks a Sky Knight.”
His words hung in the air.
Bern instinctively wanted to respond but froze, his expression suddenly blank.
It wasn’t just him—Laton, Moss, and Tono were equally stunned.
“Thor, what are you saying?”
Tono asked, his voice filled with confusion, as if doubting what he’d just heard.
“A little over a month ago, Father broke through and became a Sky Knight. I assume the news hasn’t yet reached you,” Thor said, taking a deep breath as he spoke with deliberate calm.
Crash.
The sound of a chair tipping over was followed by the shattering of a teacup.
All four men shot to their feet, their eyes filled with disbelief as they stared at Thor.
Tono’s entire body trembled.
“Thor, y-you… what did you just say?” Tono stammered.
No one mocked his stumbling words; the other three were equally shocked, their gazes fixed on Thor.
Bern, Laton, and Moss felt their mouths go dry, their hearts pounding in their chests.
“Father has broken through!”
“He is now a Sky Knight, soaring high above the clouds,” Thor affirmed simply, meeting their astonished gazes.
Boom.
Their minds reeled as if thunder had struck.
Hearing it again, the four could no longer contain their emotions.
“Thor, are you serious?!”
“Yeah, Thor, don’t joke about something like this!”
“By the Goddess of Life, am I dreaming?”
Their voices overlapped, their breathing growing heavier with each passing moment.
Excitement and shock filled their hearts in equal measure.
A Sky Knight—a Sky Knight!
In the kingdom, Sky Knights were among the most revered figures, standing at the pinnacle of power and prestige.
Every Sky Knight was the cornerstone of their family’s prosperity.
Two of the kingdom’s three dukes had risen to power solely because their families produced a Sky Knight.
And now, they had learned that Count Engel of the Dresrosa family had broken through to this exalted rank. The weight of this revelation and the exhilaration it brought were almost unbearable.
“I’m not joking,” Thor said with another nod. “Father told me this personally before I left.”
He exhaled deeply after speaking, feeling the tension leave his chest.
Revealing this information had been a carefully considered decision.
Initially, he had planned to keep it secret, but he hadn’t anticipated how difficult it would be to persuade Bern. Worse, Tono had nearly been swayed by Bern’s arguments.
If things continued this way, Thor saw no point in pursuing his plans further.
If Bern couldn’t be convinced, the remaining lords would be even harder to persuade.
This left him no choice but to reveal his trump card.
As for potential consequences, Thor wasn’t concerned.
In this age of aristocratic republics, family cohesion was stronger than ever.
The Dresrosa family had thrived for 300 years without a single instance of betrayal. Thor had no reason to believe this would change now.
On the contrary, revealing the news could bolster the family’s unity and confidence.
The value of a Sky Knight to a family was immeasurable.
Families with a Sky Knight were on an entirely different level compared to those without one.
With Engel as a Sky Knight, the Dresrosa family now stood above 99% of marquis families.
Even among count families, they had surpassed all others.
The Assad family had once been stronger than the Dresrosa family, but now the two weren’t even in the same league.
Because this was a Sky Knight.
A knight who truly soared above the skies.
(End of Chapter)