Chapter 11 - Knights

Time passed as Seraphina was engrossed in reading the details within the book. The content of the book went over knighthood as a whole; each page was thick with words that captivated her with detailed descriptions of knights.

It mainly went over things like their code of honor, ideology, some tales about knights, and the author's own opinion of what a knight should be. A large portion of the book was more opinionated than facts, but they were interesting nonetheless.

Legendary knight figures in history were also written about, such as the founding father of the Asterion Empire. A knight who was able to reach a rank that no other knight on the continent has since been able to rival.

The book also went into detail about the different rankings of a knight, which was very useful for the girl— so she was sure to memorize it.

From what the author explained, knights were divided into ten different levels— not including the apprentice level.

Before one could truly be considered a knight, one was required to train one's body, cleansing it and preparing it for awakening one's aura. This stage was known as the apprentice level, and it was commonly separated into three stages.

Beginner; one would learn basic body enhancement methods and begin training on how to use a sword or weapon of choice. Most knight methods required specific weapons— while others allowed freedom of choice.

Cleansing; this stage requires the person to begin cleansing their body of impurities that could prove dangerous to their training. This included the body as a whole, such as their hearts, muscles, liver, and more. Once the cleansing was complete, they moved on to the final stage.

Condensing; in this stage, the person would begin to condense their aura and begin forming a life seed within their heart. The life seed held and produced the aura for a knight to use their grand powers; without it, a knight would be nothing but a person with a strong body. 

By condensing the life seed, a person's body would undergo great changes and would be awakened to their power. This allows them to freely use aura for their combat— putting them on a stage above others.

Once the life seed was condensed, the person would be considered a Knight.

Afterward, the stages of a knight were much more vaguely explained in the book, as it seemed the author didn't even fully understand them. Knights would usually just go by stages, such as stage one, stage two, and so forth.

Stage Ten was considered the pinnacle of power; at this stage, one would be called a Legendary Knight. Their name would be remembered throughout history forever— however, not a single Legendary Knight was listed in the book.

In fact, there was no mention of a Legendary Knight in the history of the continent at all. This was because the continent had never had a Legendary Knight— leaving it as nothing but a myth.

The highest-ranking Knight to exist in the history of the continent is actually the founding father of the Asterion Empire; he was a stage seven Knight.

As for now, even reaching stage six would be considered a legendary achievement in this day and age. The current Emperor of the Asterion Empire was believed to be at this stage.

'Is it that hard to grow as a knight?'

Seraphina thought as she read the words on the page. Now that she had a clearer image of the power system in this world, she knew just how hard it was going to be for her to thrive through it.

'But this doesn't explain them in detail. Cella was right. I need to get the restricted books.'

Seraphina sighed as she was lost in thought. This book barely covered the details of different stages; it didn't even say what each stage was capable of. 

It barely listed the increase in strength and lifespan for the apprentice stages, with a knight growing stronger and being able to live longer as they grow in power.

Her thoughts were broken, however, as she heard Cella gently clear her throat. Looking up, she realized that it was already afternoon, and the sunlight had begun to dim.

"Miss, perhaps it's time for a break? You haven't eaten since this morning."

Cella suggested with a concerned voice, prompting Seraphina to realize that she was, in fact, beginning to feel lightheaded from hunger.

"You're right, Cella. A break would be good; could you please bring me something to eat?"

Cella bowed slightly and left the room, leaving Seraphina alone with her thoughts. Closing the book, she leaned back on the couch and contemplated the information she had just read.

Knighthood was one of the many paths to power this world offered; it seemed to her like it would be the only path she had access to right now, as books pertaining to the Mages and even cultivation were difficult to find.

However, she would need to acquire a knight's training method to even begin on such a path. Her family's training method was out of the picture; not only was it impossible for her to gain access to it, but the method was also specifically made for males.

Sighing once more, she couldn't help but feel annoyed at how complicated her family was, but she hadn't bothered to dive into it yet.

When Cella returned with a tray of food, Seraphina ate quickly and enjoyed the meal. Once she had finished eating, she simply relaxed on the couch while drinking tea.

The next course of action was already in her mind; books on magic and cultivation.

Of the books Cella had brought to her, only 3 covered the subject of magic at all. Two of those were just stories and tales with no basis for them to believed; calling them history wouldn't even be fair as they were largely made up.

The last one, however, caught her attention as it was written by a wandering scholar. 

"The Art of Magic."

She muttered as she ran her palm along the soft leather-bound cover of the blueish-green book— much thinner than other books she had read.