The steward hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "My esteemed Count, there's something I'm not sure if I should tell you."
"Actually, he came looking for you, just this morning... But our two gatekeepers chased him away..."
Upon hearing this, Count Caspar's cheeks visibly twitched twice, his wide eyes glaring in disbelief.
"His armor was quite new, likely freshly made. But it was an outdated design and of poor quality. The barding of his horse was in the style of several centuries ago, nearly obsolete now. And he almost never lifted his visor. These traits are exceedingly rare, so there shouldn't be any mistake, I believe..."
"Wait!" Caspar suddenly raised his hand. "Are you telling me that this was truly a powerful but unknown knight, without a title, who is seeking to gain one? That he arrived at Salted Fish Port intending to pledge his loyalty to me, but was driven off by my idiotic gatekeepers? And in the end, having no alternative, he defected to that girl Yilin and ruined my plans in passing. Is that what you mean?"
"I'm afraid so, my lord..."
At this moment, Count Caspar was absolutely seething with rage. His face turned as red as liver, and clutching his chest, he struggled for quite some time to catch his breath. Trembling, he barely squeezed out a hoarse sentence: "Go, string those two fools up and give them a beating! No, get me up, I'll do it myself!"
"No need for a charge!"
In the deep of night, the courtyard of the castle echoed with blood-curdling screams.
Gray stretched his neck, watching from a distance.
In the corner of the courtyard, torches were erected, illuminating the scene of two silhouettes being hoisted into the air. Count Caspar, unrestrained, wielded a whip with ferocity, flogging mercilessly in front of Yilin and her knights. With every lash, he let out pig-like roars of fury.
Gray turned to see Yilin and Abi Robbs standing behind him. He quickly stood and gave a courteous bow.
"Greetings, my knight," Yilin said softly. "Your courage and strength have proven to us that you are unquestionably qualified to become a knight of the Beisher Family. The Beisher Family is now prepared to welcome you. However, before the formal pledge, may I ask you to lift your visor? As the one to whom you are swearing allegiance, I must at least recognize you outside of your armor, don't you agree?"
Knights in every direction began discreetly observing them.
"Yes, lift your visor," Yilin repeated with a smile.
"If I refuse to lift my visor, does that mean you will not honor your promise of bestowing me a knight's title?" Gray asked seriously.
The knights nearby turned their heads, disappointed, and Yilin was momentarily stunned.
"Not necessarily. But are you certain you intend to keep your visor on, never removing it for the rest of your life?"
"In fact... yes," Gray replied earnestly.
The surrounding knights exchanged awkward smiles, accompanied by slight helplessness.
Gray's oddity had already etched itself deeply into everyone's impressions, but even so, this answer still took Yilin by surprise.
She had originally planned to inquire about Gray's past after he removed his visor. After all, no lord would accept someone's allegiance without knowing anything about them.
It had its risks. What if he was a fugitive wanted by another kingdom?
Under normal circumstances, Yilin would likely have rejected Gray's pledge outright. But now was not a normal time.
Gray silently gazed at Yilin.
No one could see his expression, but his stance was clear and resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. If Yilin refused to confer the knight's title on the spot, in the next moment, he would turn and leave without hesitation.
Silence. A long, heavy silence ensued, before Yilin raised her head and smiled at Gray. "Very well, I will honor my promise and grant you the title of knight."
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