Opportunity of the Knight Competition

"I'm sorry, Uncle Odin. I was just joking around."

Odin didn't mind Aizen's words. He took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. Even though deep down, he still had doubts about what Aizen said, he still made up his mind to go. That was how desperate he was with his current situation.

Axzec Trading was on the brink of bankruptcy!

Of course, the finances to support his family were still quite abundant. But as the owner of the retail shop, he couldn't bear to see his men and servants suffer because they also needed money to support their respective families.

He was just a lowly merchant. Not a big merchant or aristocrat. He couldn't feed his men if his business didn't thrive.

"Well, forget about that. Even if everything you say is unproven, there's nothing wrong with trying and checking it out.

"I don't know if I was lucky because Milo told you about the conditions of this Axzec Trading or not. If I'm wrong, it's my loss. And if it's true, it's very worrying to face beast-kind."

Aizen chuckled. "Worry though it is, at least the hopes of Uncle Odin's revival venture are wide open with those items." He actually didn't know about Axzec Trading's situation. He just happened to come to his father's friend's business to earn some money.

"Ah, right. We're postponing the third deal. Right? Then how about the fourth offer?"

"That's not necessary. It's just a selfish wish of mine that has nothing to do with Axzec Trading."

"Fine then. That's up to you. I'll have someone update you when my trading expedition group is ready to go."

"Sure."

Aizen then rose from his seat. He turned around to leave the room. To go back to the dormitory.

"Uh? Do you want to go back? Why not have dinner here first?"

"No. It's a bit late for a student now. So I have to get back."

Odin nodded in understanding and stood up from his seat as well. He and Aizen walked together to the first floor.

"Father? What are you guys talking about? It's been quite a while. Even Servant Jude finished accompanying us around the shop a long time ago."

"Master's chat wasn't long. The process of guiding them was fast since there wasn't much to see in the shop either." Servant Jude said, correcting Milo's words.

"You rascal. You're protesting because you want to ask for money, right?"

"Huhu! Father, meet these, my friends. This one is Inkgrit Adler, and this is Nathan Argust, fourth prince of the Aslan Empire."

Odin was slightly surprised to hear Nathan's identity. But he quickly composed himself. He then took a step forward, approached, and bowed slightly in salute.

"Odin Axzec of Axzec Trading presents himself to His Imperial Highness, Fourth Prince."

Odin and Servant Jude showed courtesy to Nathan, while Milo and Inkgrit were shocked by that behavior.

Meanwhile, Aizen didn't care about what Odin was doing or Nathan's grinning face, who was happy to be treated like that. His attention was focused on the steward behind Nathan.

He realized the feeling he had about the assassin's aura and demeanor when walking up the stairs earlier wasn't just a figment of the imagination.

The steward of the fourth prince was indeed an assassin, even though it only felt murky.

Aizen's observation was better than most. It was an observation from experience that the Supreme Knights of his time relied on.

'Eyes that show no emotion. Unspent movement. But still aware of his surroundings. This one is a strong and dangerous assassin. But why?'

To Aizen's knowledge, stewards of the nobles of kingdoms and empires were usually knights at Grand Knight or mages at Arch Mage levels.

Not an assassin because the bloodthirsty aura of such a person was hard to hide, and the habit was also difficult to shake off.

Therefore, the assassin was suitable to be behind the curtain, except if someone deliberately put an assassin beside Nathan.

It could be because the descendants of the nobility usually didn't get to choose their steward in advance.

The one who chose the stewards for the descendants was usually the family lord, or it came from the recommendations of the stewards of the lord.

But why?

Aizen didn't know what the steward's presence and role were about, but he dismissed it immediately. He had never heard of such a thing in his previous life.

Not even when Nathan was framed by Arman or when the Aslan Empire collapsed and Nathan perished in the war.

"Hehe. It's okay, uncle. There's no need to do this. Brother Milo and I are close like real friends, So don't mention it." Nathan said with a spoiled smile.

He was happy when praised or treated as such. Because of that, he was used to acting like a hero and meddling in other people's business as he pleased.

"It is the good fortune of the fourth prince to visit such a place of ours. I am both proud and honored. Hopefully, next time, I can invite you to have a meal together and also show a better side of Axzec Trading."

"Eh, father? Did you kick us out? Why did you invite us to eat next time? Why not now?"

Odin was now even more confused by Milo's question.

"Aizen said it's getting late for you students, and you should go back to the dorms. Is that not true? Or are you thinking of skipping school later by staying here a bit longer?"

"Eh?! It's not like that, father. What Aizen said is true. We really have to go home now."

Milo answered while grumbling because he actually had the intention to ask for money. But, it was not good because his father teased him like that and also in front of his friends.

The five of them returned to their respective places after saying goodbye to Odin.

Aizen and Milo head back to Raven Academy's dormitory. On the way home, he didn't talk about the deal with his friend's father at all.

On the other hand, Inkgrit returned to Raven Academy's dormitory as well but only for girls. It was on the opposite side of Aizen's and Milo's dorms. Meanwhile, Nathan returned to the house that had been provided by his father, the emperor of the Aslan Empire.

The next day, Aizen arrived at the Class 3 Knight Division early in the morning. At that time, he instead heard the news from Ayduin.

"Knight competition festival?"

"Yes. That's right. Yesterday, Instructor Ainkrad announced that the event would take place in the next two weeks. If I'm not mistaken, he also said it coincided with the mage competition festival as well."

Aizen could only smile wryly at the news from Ayduin. It was a far cry from the knowledge he had of Raven Academy's early years.

At that time, Ayduin and the others had advanced to Year Two, whereas he had only just started his first year.

All of the Knight Division's Second Year classes would be sent into a competition between unconventional schools across the continent of humanity. And that was the only competition the knight students participated in.

But now they had to spar with the school's other knight classes by themselves?

The Knight Division was not as popular and grand as the Mage Division.

Such an event would only be met with ridicule from other mage professors and students. Besides, how could the principal allow the event to be held?

Nevertheless, Aizen didn't mind the changing history. It was also a good opportunity for him to hone his now rather dull combat senses.

If he wasn't mistaken, Class 1 and Class 2 had quite a few students who had natural chivalrous talents and had their names written on the list of honored students in that yearly unconventional inter school competition.

Ayduin then talked more with Aizen about the training that could raise his quality as an Apprentice Knight. Before long, the other students also arrived. And without realizing it, they huddled together with Aizen as their axis, listening to everything that was said.

Not long after, Ainkrad came to the training ground class. "Okay, kids. Arrange your seats neatly on the floor. And watch what I say now."

All students immediately move automatically and sit nicely, parallel to their left, right, and front and back.

"I will stop the exercise from now until the day of the event. But I won't forbid you if you still want to do that routine.

"From now on, I will teach you how to fight but not in knightly manners. We have little and short time.

"That means I'm teaching you how to fight in duels but just the basics without any techniques."

Ainkrad stopped speaking while glancing at all of his students, and lastly, his gaze fell on Aizen. He smirked and continued saying,

"I want all of you to do your best, even with these limitations. However, I hope that one of you can enter the top three of the competition. Understand?

"Yes, instructor."

"Yes, teacher."

"Yes, sir."

"Then warm up first! And we'll start sparring right after."

All the students could only put on languid faces and rise from their seats unenthusiastically. Class 3 was basically a collection of children who didn't have the talent of a knight lumped together. Because Class 1 and Class 2 must be filled with students with the best physique and talent first.