Chapter 97: Aurora Knights

“Aurora Knights? Aren’t those just legends?”

In the past, there used be an order of Aurora Knights among the Royal Knights of Mist. They are the rarely seen tier-4 (Gold-rank) human troop. 300 years ago, they should have disappeared along with the Mist Country.

But, as time passed, that legend of that order of Knights was viewed with suspicion. After all, they number only a few and they rarely left the snowy fields of the Southern Lands.

One of the unique traits of humans are their rapid growth. But, on the other hand, due to their short lifespan and the short period in which they are at the pinnacle of their strength, the average battle power of the human kingdoms remain at a bottleneck.

For example, grooming a mature White Wolf Knight would require at least 7 to 10 years, which means a rookie would be around 17 to 18 years old by the time they become a qualified Knight. But, by 40, many aspects of their body will begin to deteriorate so normally, the period when they are able to serve rarely exceeds 20 years. The age in which Knights tend to be of their pinnacle strength is between 28 to 35.

Ignoring the augmentations due to equipment, a large portion of the ace troops are unable to reach tier-3. That’s also where the name Silver Dignity came from. For most of the human kingdoms, a Knight who reaches the Silver-rank is eligible to become the lowest noble.

As for those lucky ones who successfully advances into the Gold-rank, they are given the noble title of Masters, regardless of which race or tribe they come from. This is a level that exceeds where hard work can bring one to and is fated to be the privilege of only a few geniuses.

The God of Fate is fair. The more reliant a Warrior is to their equipment, the harder it is for them to advance on to the next rank.

Comparing it like that, the humans are far too inferior compared to the other races. There is totally no difficulty at all for a mature Elf to reach Silver-rank and through hard work, they can easily achieve the level of a Gold-rank. Although the Beastmen have a slower growth rate, through their outstanding basic stats and Race Talent, as long as their weapons and equipment don’t lack too far behind, they can easily match two humans of the same power rank.

But, humans were still able to suppress the other races to become the dominant power of the continent. Other than their overwhelming population, credit must also be given to their numerous and complex classification of troops as well as their outstanding ability to craft equipment. Special breeds, elites and aces, every single mature troop have their own specialised equipment and role to play in battle.

Through the augmentation of equipment, on average, troops that reach tier-2 (Bronze) can become the backbone military power of each countries. The White Wolf Guards, being a tier-3 troop, plays an important part for the formidable strength of the Auland Empire.

The Missilor Savage Dragon Spear that they made is indestructible after infusing mana into it while the one-time use Savage Javelin that explodes after being thrown has the equal might to a full-strength attack of a Gold-rank. On the other hand, the Savage Sword which has jagged edges with flames enchanted on it serves as a fearsome body shredder. Under the augmentation of these sturdy weapons along with the unbreakable Missilor Light Plate and the hefty investment in these by the Auland Empire without any regards to the cost, this ace tier-3 light cavalry troop is born (The reason why why it is a light cavalry is because the equipment is extremely heavy. Even the specially-bred horse is unable to withstand the additional weight from putting on heavy armor, thus only light armor protecting the vitals can be worn. Despite so, this light cavalry is known to be even slower than heavy cavalry.)

This is already at the level of an ace troop of a powerful Empire, as well as the crystallisation of the progress in alloy smelting technology in the past hundred years. Yet, it is said that 300 years ago, in a country in the frigid snowfields, there is a tier-4 heavy cavalry known as the Aurora Knights. No matter what, people would be doubtful of its existence.

“The difference between an average Gold-rank and an average Silver-rank is as great as the heavens and earth. Exactly what kind of mounts and equipment can forcefully pull a Bronze-rank Warrior all the way up to possess the strength of a Gold-rank. Could they be Dragon Knights? With 100 of such Knights, one could dominate the whole world.”

“However, based on the information and a sample of their equipment that the other party sent over, our primary analysis has shown that the full strength of an Aurora Knight is of tier-4 standard.”

Darsos opens his mouth in incredulity. It is hard to believe that they would send such a top-tier military secret just like that.

During negotiations, Roland had indeed jokingly mentioned that he would use the Aurora Knights to trade for the three great tier-3 troops of the Auland Empire, including the White Wolf Guards in the mix. However, in reality, the existence of the Aurora Knights has been viewed with suspicion all this while. If they really exist, their value would indeed be above that of the three tier-3 troops, so they only treated it as a joke.

Thus, Darsos agreed to it without any hesitation. He even said that if the other party was willing to exchange such information, they would be willing to provide a thousand sets of sample equipment for the three great tier-3 troops each.

This was just a verbal promise made jokingly. After all, even if the Aurora Knights were to really exist, they should have disappeared in the annals of history. If not, the East Mist Communal Country wouldn’t be meeting with defeat after defeat, causing their strength as a country to diminish continuously.

However, they actually really sent the information of the troop along with a sample during their toughest moments. What kind of situation is this? Are they using another method to display their submission to the Auland Empire?

Darsos delightfully questions:

“Where is it? Have you tested it yet?”

Very quickly, when the sample is brought to him, Darsos’s delighted face immediately freezes.

That is indeed an elegant and artistic plate mail. The thickness and bulkiness of it didn’t cause the artistic value of it to lower. The sharp spikes on the armor apparently aren’t just to accentuate the aesthetics of the armor. The frigid air that surrounds the armor smells of magic.

But… That equipment is melting. A puddle of water is already accumulating in its surroundings.

“Isn’t this an ice sculpture? How can it be an equipment!”

“Based on the information that the other party sent over, the armor of the Auroroa Knights is made using a special kind of ice. Based on the tests we conducted, before the special mana infused in it subsides, the hardness of this ice armor is actually 3 times of our Missilor alloy despite being just a quarter of its mass.”

“Also, the mount of the Aurora Knight is an apparition lifeform that is known as the Frigid Nightmare. It is stated very clearly in the information that the Mist Bloodline had made a contract with them for them to provide a batch of its youths every 2 decades to serve as the mounts of the Aurora Knights. This kind of accumulation can be accrued and they should have accumulated quite a sum of their youths throughout the past 300 years. That is to say, the East Mist Communal Country has at least a Knight Order of that level as its trump card.”

At that moment, realisation strikes Darsos.

This can be considered as a friendly gesture as well as a display of might. The frost armor of the Aurora Knights and their spiritual mounts are obviously a unique product of the South. It is very probable that they might be unable to leave the Southern lands but if they were to meet with an invasion…

“No wonder the alliance formed by over a dozen of countries would meet with such heavy losses. Is the frost armor and its blueprint helpful to us?”

“It is extremely helpful. Although there are many flaws in it, it is probably the pinnacle if what a human troop could hope to reach. As long as we are able to digest the theory behind this blueprint, our White Wolf Guards would be able to take one step forward. It is even possible that it might give rise to a new tier-3 troop.”

Nodding his head, Darsos hesitates for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

“Pass the information of the information of our troops with the exception of the White Wolf Guards to her and promise her that we would pass the information of the White Wolf Guards to her after 3 years. Also, to express our good intentions, open our trade channels to them. Right, treat the three fellows better as well. Perhaps, the reappearance of the Twin Stars may cause the East Mist Communal Country to rise once again… Right, ask her whether she is willing to have dinner with me tonight as well.”

Not long later, while rejecting the embarrassing invitation, I am quite satisfied with the ‘presents; that Darsos sent over.

The Aurora Knights indeed exists. In fact, they were the main powerhouse of the previous Royal Knights of the Mist Royalty. But, it is a pity that the Contract Altar with the Frigid Nightmares is in the coldest region of the Southern Lands which is is no longer part of the territory of the Mist Country. It won’t be an easy feat returning it to this world.

The frost armor is actually an imitation from the collaboration of me and the Queen of Banshees. The true Aurora Heavy Armor requires the power of the Frigid Nightmares and it doesn’t melt that easily. In order to prevent the wearer from being frozen into an ice cube, it requires a contract to be established between the wearer and this ice element apparition-like lifeform. The true Aurora Knight is indeed a powerful tier-4 troop but the requirement for such a contract to be established is that the Knight has to be at least tier-3 pinnacle.

To the other races, Silver-rank pinnacle may mean nothing but to the humans, it is already a height which mortals might be unable to reach within their lifespan. This is also the reason why the Aurora Knights are unable to become a standard troop. However, if a war were to really occur, as long as I have a hundred Aurora Knights in my hands, I wouldn’t even lift an eyebrow at the sight of a thousand members of the White Wolf Guards.

Of course, given the rate how a hundred youths of the Frigid Nightmare is supplied to us every 2 decades, the Aurora Knights has never been filled to its capacity before. However, just thinking of how no contract was established in the last 300 years, how there should be at least 1500 Frigid Nightmares waiting for the summons of the Knights in the South, I can’t help but want to rush there to reclaim our stolen land.

As for the information I supplied to the Auland Empire, I don’t believe that he could recreate the Aurora Knights simply through those things. However, the information of the weapons we received in exchange can bring the Alchemy industry of the East Mist, which is lacking behind the current times by 200 years, to greater heights. That is what that is important.

Besides, since I have slapped him soundly on his face, there is a need to provide him with some benefits. Contracts are not omnipotent. Standing on the direct opposite of the Auland Empire isn’t something good. Besides, the type of enemy that are the hardest to deal with is those whose stand isn’t clear. On the contrary, those who stand clearly in the enemy faction are easier to deal with.

At this moment, I didn’t have the attention to deal with these troublesome matters. The Knight lads in front of me are full of strength but obviously, they had been living a pampered life before. They are already complaining despite it not being long since the training started.

“Bite your teeth and hang on. When this final training is finished, you all will get your lunch.”

What is unfolding before me is, without doubt, a scene of a tragedy of the mortal world. Under the assault by a bunch of wild dogs, the young Knights, whose hands were tied up, were squeezing out the final ooze of their stamina to escape from their sharp fangs.

On the other side, Diana is currently supervising Princess Reyne’s swordsmanship training and every single blow of hers has some kind of profoundness to it.

The Frigid Nightmare is indeed a product unique to the Southern Lands. Physically, it is a soul being. When the Knight it is linked with dies in battle, if it doesn’t chose to return back to the great snow mountains, it would slowly descend into a long coma in one of that Knight’s relics.

If a compatible Knight were to meet with such a relic, there is a possibility that he might be able to awaken that soul being and become a new Aurora Knight. If the new generation of Knight has blood ties with the deceased Knight, the possibility of forming a contract would be increased significantly.

This is also the only other way for the Order of Aurora Knights to expand their numbers other than the regular supply of Frigid Nightmares. I still have quite a number of this kind of relics from previous Aurora Knights in my hands. Initially, I didn’t intend to take them out at all but after hearing from Kelly that most of the Royal Knights who escorted Reyne here are descendants of the previous generation of Aurora Knights, the thought pops into my mind.

“5 Silver-rank pinnacle while the rest of you are just Silver-rank primary stage and Bronze-rank pinnacle. This won’t do.”

Even if I really lack fighting power right now, but to become a noble Aurora Knight, having just the right bloodline isn’t sufficient. If they were to want to inherit the honor and strength of their ancestors, they would have to at least show me their determination or at the very least, prove that they have a resilient life force.

Thus, these few days, these Knights were completely unfortunate.

Right after completing the test on the limits of their stamina, the lunch they anticipated didn’t come but instead, a new test appears right before them.

“AH CHOO!!”

“Big Sister, stop splashing water on us! We have all caught the cold, there’s no way to treat a cold in summer!”

But, after receiving my approval, Momo threw another bottle of ice water on them without any hesitation at all. Immediately, the two of the young men’s face turn white. Right before they are about to roll their eyes and faint, someone heads over and ‘pah pah pah’, slaps them awake before throwing them into the ice bath.

Perhaps finding it hard to bear such a sight of harshness, Kelly silently walks over and whispers softly in my ear.

“Meditating on the tip of a sword, walking on burning charcoal, escaping from frenzied dogs and bathing in ice water right after they worked out a sweat. Is such a training method effective? I only see these kids on the verge of dying, I don’t really see them improving. Back then, Feyde didn’t train them like that.”

“No matter how they are trained, the end point is still to force them to overcome their limits. When they find themselves treading the boundaries of death a few more times, they will break through their bottleneck. Rest assured, I received the most traditional Royal Knight Training back then.

Kelly nods her head although it is hard to tell by her expression whether she really believes my words. Turning around, she barely walked a few steps when she seems to recall something and came running back hurriedly.

“I almost got fooled by you. Back then, you went off to become a Holy Knight when you were just 10, so how could you possibly undergo the complete Royal Knight training? At most, you were only taught basic swordsmanship.”

“Don’t worry about it, I am the legendary teacher who taught out a SemiGod. My way of teaching definitely isn’t inferior to the conventional method in any ways. So, just rest assured. Look, didn’t Reyne break through the Bronze-rank after undergoing my trainings?”

Reyne’s unexpected breakthrough is indeed something to rejoice over and that fact made my argument even more persuasive. Kelly didn’t go on about it.

But, what she doesn’t know is that I am full of doubt as well.

“Why aren’t they breaking through? Didn’t that fellow Adam somehow broke through like that back then? Why don’t I try making them meditate under the waterfall, beat them into a half-death state for them to experience the cosmos or tie a ton of weights on them to train their will? Un, let’s try them 1 by 1 then. As long as they don’t die, there would surely be a day that they will break through. Oh right, it is said that bungee-jumping is also a way to stimulate one’s potential. Extreme hunger too, let’s just deprive them of their dinner for 10 days.”

A certain day, Annie asked Adam why Adam didn’t teach him but rather, only imparted basic techniques to her before sending her off to adventure the outside world alone to gain some experience. Back then, Adam hesitated for a long time before coming up with an answer that makes me at a loss of whether to laugh or cry.

“I really don’t know how I can teach you. If I were to use what we did back then, I think that you would most probably die your zodiac isn’t a cockroach. Right, by no means should you ever look for your Uncle Bones to learn martial arts from, definitely don’t do it. Also, when he says that phrase, don’t hesitate, run as far as you can.”

“That phrase?”

“Un, ‘new idea’.”

At this moment, a sudden ingenious inspiration strikes me.

“Ah choo! Who is talking bad about me? Right, lads, I have a new idea. Why don’t we try the racing with the horse game? You tie yourself to the horse and slap the horse on its back, allowing the horse to pull you along on its run. What? You’re afraid that you can’t catch up? If you can’t catch up, you will just get pulled on the ground for a few times. You all should be catch up with it soon enough. Back that, that fool and I used a raptor, you know. Its speed for short distance running is much faster than warhorses. But, raptors are difficult to find here so I can only use warhorses as a replacement.”

“We might die…”

“We will definitely die!”

But, it is a pity that their Princess has already handed them all over to the hands of the devil. No matter what, they can only follow through to the end.

“I have another good idea. It is said that carving a tattoo on one’s chest will awaken one’s potential. Why don’t we give it a try?”

A few years later, when the first generation of Aurora Knight reminisce the past, tears would start flowing down their face. Whenever the word ‘trainer’ is mentioned, they would instinctively start to tremble. Some of them would bring tidbits everywhere. Some of them would shake in fear whenever they see ice and Dark Elves. Some of them would start catching cold when summer comes and be cured of it the moment winter sets…

One of the thing which people found the most incredulous about this group of powerful founding Knights is that each of them has a tattoo on their chest. For some of them, it is a tiger while for the others, it is an elephant. However, for the most of them, they have seven bizarre scars over there.

TL: Fist of North Star, Kenshiro.

“You are already dead! My life is without regrets!”

This is their most despair-inducing war cry to their enemies. The self-confidence and fearlessness of death from the war cry motivated the future generations of Knights to imitate it.

—————-

In this generation where entertainment is sorely lacking, especially for normal peasants, a travelling circus arrives at a town and starts to put up their tent, sound their gongs and distribute flyers. This is like a festival for that little town, bringing great joy to little children.

But, for that circus, moving between cities tend to be unsafe, not to mention that their daily jobs are tough. There are rich merchants and nobles who find circuses low-class and vulgar. Yet, if they were to cater mainly to the normal peasants, they would find it hard to make good money. Thus, it is often difficult for them to retain talents.

This is why the history for typical circuses are short. Many of them disband within 3 to 5 years. Even if they were to occasionally become popular for a moment due to the introduction of a certain interesting and novel program, due to the inflexibility of their management system, they would still meet with difficulties some time in the future and disband eventually.

The Fire Dragon Circus is a long-standing circus with hundred years of history behind it. Just like the other new stars who were radiant for a period of time, they are also undergoing a period of downfall.

Initially, this reputable circus was supposed to perform during the enthronement ceremony. This is a hard-to-come-by opportunity for their big circus. If their name were to spread far and wide from it, they might even be able to hold regular performances at some theater or establish a long-term employment contract with some great nobles. This would release them from their fate of wandering about and anchor them to shore. However, just when the group was happily planning for their future, they met with an accident.

First was the original circus master as well as the trapeze artist Isoro getting injured in the midst of training. Then, a series of training-related accidents follows by, causing them to be unable to operate temporarily. Seeing how the inauguration is just by the corner, their competitor, Fetero Circus and Soaring Wing Musical came to poach their people. Two of their three aces left. What’s more, the Siren Tamer who remained brought big trouble for the circus.

Seeing how they are unable to conduct even regular performances, the circus that was passed down within the family for 3 generations is on the verge of collapsing, the heavily-injured Isoro almost died from anger. But, just before he went fully into a coma, he passed the role of the circus master to the immature little Milor.

But, even though Milor tried his best to sustain this family business, even when the old members were trying their best in the performances and even took the initiative to claim a lower salary, the day of their disbandment still slowly approaches.

But, today is a happy day. A rich investor is actually offering to finance the Fire Dragon Circus. Little Milor is overjoyed.

“Nice to meet you, esteemed lady. May I have the honor of knowing your name? Are you married? Oh, that’s great. Can I have the pleasure of enjoying dinner with you today?”

After walking into the tent with a big pool inside, Milor frowns upon hearing that deep and strong voice.

The Siren Tracy might be one of the pillars propping up the circus, but her own natural charms has also brought countless trouble to the circus.

“This customer here, the circus is currently not in its operational hours, so I beseech you not to disturb our circus members… Ah?”

After walking over to the pool, the sight that unfolds before him left him dumbfounded. The beautiful Siren stands dumbfounded at one side while the ones engaged in a conversation is a Dracon and a seal.

At the same time, a golden-haired Holy Knight walks over with a smile on his face.

“Morning, Lord Milor. I am Rolande. There are some things which I would like to discuss with you about. It involves a large sum of money. Are you interested?”

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