Although His Majesty the King hasn't officially announced it yet, there's already a consensus in the noble circles that the champion is most likely to enter the royal selection circle. All the major families are gearing up; everyone knows Estella is the apple of the King and Queen's eye, which is enough to ensure the prosperity of a family for a century.

The extra significance added to this Honor Battle has made the competition the fiercest in decades.

Families with hidden depths know better how precious the Glory Will Power gathered this time is for those practicing the Knightly Path.

The strongest Knight Academy and Canon Law School from the major cities across Moncalleta will send their top rosters, with age limits between 16 and 25 years old. This breadth implies that there will be many experts.

Aside from Hedan's Canon Law School and Knight Academy, other cities in Moncalleta are the same. The displayed performance will directly determine the city's status and cannot be overlooked.

Seeing everyone's excited and expectant eyes, he knew the members of Saint's Grace were all very diligent and hardworking. Just having the chance to catch such an opportunity was hard by itself. Yet, he knew better how deep this pool was, what kinds of monsters lurked within the Knight Academy, and those emerging from the Secret Castle, inheriting royal and holy power. These people possessed powerful bloodlines and the best resources; effort was probably the least of their concerns.

Precisely because he was so aware, he held no expectations for the Honor Battle, yet didn't want to dampen others' enthusiasm. He smiled, "We can arrange some training matches. Lancer, have a word with the other Canon Law Schools."

"Alright, captain, just waiting on your word. Our brothers are eager to fight!" Lancer and others said. Such a stage might only come once in a lifetime. How could they not be excited? They couldn't maintain the captain's composure.

After the team members left, Celestia didn't go. She looked at her cousin, on whom the family placed great hopes. This wasn't composure and steadiness, but rather a clear lack of fighting spirit.

"My dear cousin, don't you have any thoughts of becoming the Princess's consort?" Celestia chuckled, "The family elders are having heated discussions, saying it's our family's only chance to rise."

"Celestia, do you think I should have ideas?" Simmons smiled wryly, "You know how fierce and dangerous this competition is. Sometimes, I feel there's no need to take everyone on a gamble."

"Do you know why the Grand Scholars support the Canon Law School, and why the King agreed?" Celestia suddenly asked.

"Because of Hex-Tech, I guess. Plus, its model is quite good. I went to Lulong, and the development there is indeed amazing," Simmons said. He chose to enter the Canon Law School, so he wanted to witness the Hex miracle himself.

Celestia shook her head, "Wealth, power, and Hidden Power are concentrating in the hands of a few families and individuals. Without change, there will be problems, and it could also affect royal authority."

…

Simmons stared blankly at his cousin, "Did you think of this?"

Celestia smiled slightly, playfully blinking, "Luthor is a very wise person. His books illuminate many things. Lulong achieved unification this way. Some things apply to Moncalleta too. Simmons, I believe our choice of the Canon Law School is correct. Achieving success there will yield multiplied rewards. According to Luthor, this is called following the will of heaven. You came from the Secret Castle, and we're not fighting for first place. No one requires you to win the championship. Just produce a brilliant performance, prove yourself, and let the King see our value. You will become the exemplar for the Canon Law School line and can soar just the same!"

Simmons was silent. He understood the underlying message. Looking at Celestia, he wasn't lacking courage, just aware he didn't have the strength to win. Now, seeing the chance, no, this Honor Battle would be the greatest reward for his risky choice of the Canon Law School!

Celestia saw things more clearly, "Moreover, now there's talk that Grandmaster Vladimir is about to become a Demigod, so the Canon Law School won't collapse!"

Simmons looked at his keenly independent cousin. She was well-connected with the Princess and had excellent information. She probably wasn't wrong. He saw no need to compare to the Royal Academy; so long as they outperformed the other Canon Law Schools and surpassed several Knight Academies, they might be considered a model.

Often, vision and perspective are more important than effort.

Simmons' heart pounded, but he needed to appear steady, "Do you know how strong the opponents are? Our chances are slim."

"Lord Simmons, like an eagle, isn't building an illustrious career without challenges unthinkable? You are the most visionary in our family, but precisely because of that, sometimes lacking young courage to go all out. Our ancestors also built their estate with their lives. If the enemies are strong, then find a way to become stronger." Celestia said, "Among commoners are strong ones who are often overlooked. I have several candidates here who aren't valued by their Canon Law Schools and can be recruited."

Recruited? Suddenly, while his heart leaped, Simmons remembered someone, "You think highly of me?"

"Dear cousin, it's not that I think highly of you, but because there's no choice. I noticed how your eyebrow twitched, your eyes suddenly lit up. Have you thought of something? Tell me, let me, this young lady, give you some advice?"

"Dear Celestia, I actually have someone in mind who can help us, but his request requires your assistance," Simmons said. His cousin's ambition wasn't small, though she hadn't said much, he could somewhat guess what was on her mind.

"Oh, is there such a person? Then I want to see if he's worth it," Celestia showed a bit of interest, as life needs a bit of challenge to be interesting.

...

In stark contrast to the sunny and pleasant Hedan, on the Mist Continent at Lighthouse No. 108, Batty was engraving a mark on the wall. His movements were slow and meticulous, because now he had more than enough time, and he needed to do everything meticulously, maintaining focus.

Each mark represented a day. Although the Mist World was dim, it still had subtle variations in light, using the transition between thick and thin fog to record time. During this transition, the Mist World would have a brief moment of a twilight fog state. Of course, in the city, there would be more precise clock towers, but in the lighthouse, he needed this method to feel the passage of time.

Under the lighthouse, a mound of earth had appeared. The previous Lightkeeper had turned into a monster, but even after transforming, a thread of his remaining consciousness remembered to guard the torch.

However, the moment he saw Batty, his will collapsed, and he began to attack Batty frantically. Once transformed into a monster, their power becomes terrifying. Batty was confident in his abilities, but still struggled to cope. He had many ways to defeat an irrational monster, but he had to act swiftly, preventing it from damaging the lighthouse, and he couldn't afford to get injured. If seriously injured, it would be akin to death here.

Unexpectedly, in his first battle as a lighthouse guardian, Batty used the divinely gifted Black Saber to slay the fallen Lightkeeper. The latter's body rapidly decayed, his abdomen and chest chewed open by more than a dozen worms. In this lifetime, he didn't atone for his sins; he hoped to do so in the next.

Batty cleaned up all the worms, and as Lord Tishili had foretold, he was in horrific pain for an entire day and night.

After recovering, Batty ate and drank a little, offered prayers for the other Lightkeeper, and made a simple burial mound. This was an extravagant gesture for Roto people, as returning as fertilizer was the norm in the city.

He hoped that if he too met misfortune, his successor might treat him the same way.

Sigh, perhaps he was hoping for too much.

During working hours, Batty needed to patrol around the lighthouse regularly, setting traps to prevent the destruction by mist creatures. Should he encounter them head-on, it likely meant extra food for him.

Batty strived for perfection in every task, which gave him a great sense of accomplishment and honor. After completing these tasks, he spent part of his time cleaning the lighthouse, starting with internal cleaning, then using any remaining time to train his sword skills, maintaining the best condition to face any challenge. Even if there was an attack by Abyssal Creatures, he felt confident he could handle it.

In this way, a day becomes very fulfilling, and he also sets aside time each day to pray for the blessing of the Three-person god, a rule among Lightkeepers, preventing illusions from not speaking for too long.

The Black Saber within him also drew his considerable attention. There was a legend among the Lightkeepers that only special Lightkeepers would be endowed with divine objects, and this Black Saber of his was likely one such blessing. Batty adhered to Lord Tishili's command, refraining from using the Black Saber actively.

The Lightkeeper's life was extremely dull, yet in such a lonely environment, madness was common. Yet Batty was quite exceptional, enduring the solitude, even enjoying the quietness, allowing him to train with full concentration, awaiting the moment he completed his mission.

Only when sleeping was it indeed tough. Although whispers also attacked in the city, the protection of the Three-person god made them relatively mild. But in the wild, it was another matter. He understood the severity of being hit by whispers, as madness beset him from all sides. Enduring the pain was manageable for most Roto people, but controlling one's will wasn't something everyone could achieve.

All Lightkeepers underwent special training, and in such moments, they must keep a righteous heart, pray for the Three-person god's blessing, chant the names of the Three-person god, the all-knowing and omnipotent Trinity of Procreation, Creation, and Destruction. They were not to be explored or doubted, nor was there a need for thought—only belief. Only then could they maintain their sanity.

In fact, most Lightkeepers could hold on early on. Being chosen meant possessing substantial abilities. But time was a frightening concept, especially a monotonous, secluded life away from people. The survival rate of Lightkeepers was only two to three percent. Of course, those who successfully completed their missions would become Sherens, and if they merited it, they'd even allow their family to become Sherens too. This was Batty's motivation. He would complete his mission, living a normal life with his sister.

A person with a goal and a determined will is not easily destroyed.

However, Batty had a question in recent days. The Black Saber vibrates at night, as if something was calling to him, but he didn't dare to respond. On the one hand, Lord Tishili had said it was a Divine Weapon, beyond his control, only to be used when facing Abyssal Creatures, and using it would result in intense pain. On the other hand, he wasn't sure if it was the Divine Weapon or an illusion from whispers.

Every Lightkeeper knew the fear wasn't the whispers, but the inability to distinguish illusion from reality.

The food was already placed by Batty on the tower, bread made from black moss, which wouldn't spoil over a long time. Upon becoming a Lightkeeper, they were also allotted some dried meat and a portion of water. For the rest, he'd collect rainwater or seek black water when it rained.

Ever since the Three-person god bestowed their favor upon them, it would rain over the Mist Continent every so often. Although the rain couldn't dispel the fog, visibility improved. Each rainfall not only provided drinking water but also offered a glimpse of the hazy sky. It was their festival and hope. Someday, they hoped to once again see the legendary sun and moon and the azure sky.

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