13 Mink Street

Divine Servant? The smile on Levin’s face froze in place. He took the credentials from Karon and lowered his head to read it.

Position: Staff member of Pavaro Inquisition.

Realm: Divine Servant.

He really was a Divine Servant!

After the other students heard his realm, they glanced at one another. Some schooled their expressions, while others lowered their heads slightly and coughed. In short, they all forced themselves to stay serious and not laugh. They were either members of Karon’s own squad, or people who had personally witnessed him lead his squad through the final selection. No one would truly believe that Karon was only a Divine Servant.

But credentials were the sort of thing that would not change after they were initially issued unless one took the initiative to update them. A few days earlier, when the final selection ended, a regulation had been announced, along with others from the Central Church, which required the local branches of the church to conduct a review and update of priests’ credentials. It was just that, to begin with, the order was only recently issued, and second, the initial push was primarily targeted at young people across the various departments, because they were the ones most likely to be negligent about such things.

Someone like Vintral would certainly update his credentials frequently. Although he had only recently been still attending the church school and held no position, he had still been eligible to receive a monthly stipend according to his realm, and there was no way he would give up any increase in his stipend. Those with real family backing, on the other hand, had no interest in such a small stipend, so they usually only updated their credentials when they accepted an official post or transferred to a dedicated role.

So, even though this credential review had been triggered by a cardinal reading Karon’s information, Karon himself had actually been the one who had slipped through the cracks.

He stood there silently. He had earlier taken the initiative to say several times, “There is something I need to report to you first.” Now, he did not say a word.

In truth, if a person truly wants to say something, they can say it, no matter how many times they may be interrupted. They only need to skip the preamble. If someone tried several times, yet repeated the same preamble each time, they probably never had real sincerity to inform the other party.

Analyzing the old man’s mindset and predicting his behavior was actually very simple, because the man himself was quite simple. Compared with other simple people, he had only one extra characteristic: he was personally very powerful.

In any case, Karon had already obtained the best possible result. Was Levin expecting Karon to explain himself again? To offer the old man a way out? To take the initiative and smooth things over?

Sorry, but that was impossible. Besides, Karon could not think of any reason to persuade himself to ease the atmosphere. Why should he ease it? So that he could get beaten up afterward?

“You really are only a Divine Servant?” Levin asked, despite already knowing the answer.

How could a Divine Servant possibly be among this group of people? How could a Divine Servant possibly stand before him?

“Instructor, these credentials are certified by my district. That document clearly states that I am a Divine Servant,” Karon replied.

Levin laughed dryly. “Young people cannot be this lazy. If everyone were like you and failed to update their credentials in time, then when the church needs people, it won’t be able to deploy enough manpower. How would that serve the church? How would that serve the God of Order?”

“You are right to correct me, Instructor. After I go back this time, I will immediately go to the Church Affairs Building and update my document.”

“Mhmm, so you really—”

“But many times, when I see the words ‘Divine Servant’ on my document, I will feel a warning from the bottom of my heart, admonishing me to guard against arrogance and impatience, to devote myself wholeheartedly to being a proper servant of the God of Order and to serving the great God of Order. So now, on my document, it is written very clearly: Divine Servant.”

As Karon spoke, he looked at everyone below and said, “We are forever servants of God. Praise the great God of Order!”

All the members of Karon’s squad immediately crossed their arms before their chests, and Murray’s squad followed along, helping to play along. Everyone said in unison, “Praise the God of Order!”

Levin had no choice but to do the same. “Praise the God of Order.”

At this moment, someone else stepped in to help things along. Murray turned to Ilmar, a member of his squad who was from a Knight Regiment, and asked, “Ilmar, what rank would a Divine Servant count as in the Knight Regiment?”

“First Rank, of course,” Ilmar replied.

“Oh, First Rank?”

Karon glanced at Murray from the corner of his eye and lowered his head slightly in thanks. A hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of Murray’s mouth. The young masters of Teygan Region stood a level above the young masters of other districts. With the Central Church located so close, they had stronger backing no matter what they did.

“Hehehe.” Levin laughed. “Karon, Divine Servant. I will use First Rank strength. That will not change.”

Hearing this, Karon felt relieved. Everyone below also began looking forward to it.

Levin’s gaze swept across the entire field as he continued, “Do you really think that First Rank is so weak? Some things cannot be specifically measured, such as experience and awareness, as well as fine control of one’s strength. Divine Servant, Divine Seeker, Divine Shepherd, and every level upward, even within the same realm, there can be an enormous difference in strength. You should understand this. Today, I will let you see strength that exists beyond the traditional meaning of realms. I hope you can gain something from it.”

Levin waved his hand, and the floor tiles beside him flipped over. A weapon rack rose, holding a set of various standard weapons. In the corner, there were also Arts firearms, but all of them were exquisitely made... low-level items. This courtyard beneath the sea surface was originally used as a teaching ground for close combat, so it was naturally fully equipped with the necessary tools.

“Choose one,” Levin ordered, pointing at the weapon rack.

Karon walked directly to the area where the various Arts firearms were displayed. He picked up a long one and touched it, then picked up a three-barreled one and wiped it. Levin crossed his arms, watching Karon’s actions. Inwardly, his understanding became clear. This was a young man skilled in Arts, so he would be more inclined to use firearms that could directly trigger effects. In truth, there were indeed quite a few priests who used firearms, but they were still a minority within a minority, because firearms merely shortened the time needed to trigger Arts. Apart from that, they seemed rather useless. Priests who used firearms were usually also in supporting roles within their groups.

Karon hesitated in front of the firearm section for a long time, then asked, “Instructor, does this handgun come as a pair?”

“I can allow you to use a pair.”

“Thank you, Instructor.”

Karon bent down, a faint struggle appearing on his face, then stood up and removed a greatsword from the weapon rack. With a clang, as if he had misjudged the greatsword’s weight, Karon lost his grip, and the greatsword fell to the ground. Still, he bent down and picked the greatsword up again, and then slowly walked back.

Pasquio leaned close to Murray’s ear and whispered, “He would have been better off choosing an Arts gun.”

Murray frowned slightly. He felt that things were not this simple. Bringing a weapon had not been allowed during either of the two selections, and even the use of holy relics had been very strictly restricted, as such things would make cheating too easy. Because of this, Karon had never used the Aelius Sword in front of any of the other candidates. The only abilities he had displayed made him seem more of an Arts caster.

Murray tilted his head as he glanced over at Karon’s squad members on the other side of the courtyard, only to see that their expressions were more solemn than before.

Hm? Had they become more solemn, or are they closer to breaking?

Mars whispered, “Even if it’s close combat, the captain shouldn’t choose—”

“Shut up,” Blanche cut him off.

Mars immediately realized something. He looked at the other three people in their squad, and quickly said, “I believe in Captain.”

This sentence was not meant as a cover-up either. Last night, he had not believed in the captain, and as a result, he had brought Blanche with him down the cliff.

Vintral, Ashley, and Bart were having a very hard time holding it in. They had gathered at the funeral home before setting off, and they had personally seen that aside from his suitcase, Karon had also brought a long box along. While riding in the hearse, they had asked for the captain’s permission and had opened the box to take a look, and had found a greatsword. Unfortunately, Teygan Region was too far from York City, and this deputy commander instructor was probably not interested in young people’s gossip. Otherwise, he would have known that in York City, there had been a rumor circulating for a time, claiming that the princess of Darkmoon Island had become pregnant with the child of a Whip of Order squad member, and had gifted him a treasured sword as a token, so that he could later visit the island with that sword and use it as a token to acknowledge their child.

Karon held the sword’s hilt with both hands, keeping the greatsword balanced with its tip pointing downward. He kept taking deep breaths, calming his obvious nerves.

Levin opened a hand, and a long spear rack fell into his grasp from the weapon. His body started to release a faint black glow. This was First Rank strength.

He asked, “Are you ready?”

When Karon heard the question, he immediately started dragging the greatsword back, retreating, stepping back, and then moving farther back. After opening up a large distance, he raised the greatsword again and wedged it into a gap between the floor tiles, replying, “I am ready, Instructor.”

You think pulling open this much distance will be useful? Levin looked at the students below and said, “Watch carefully. Put yourself in Karon’s position.”

After saying this, Levin held his spear parallel with the floor and charged at Karon. The old man nearly produced afterimages as he advanced.

Karon did not move the greatsword. It looked more like he was treating the greatsword as a barrier before him.

“Order—Cage.” A cube appeared beneath Levin’s figure, but he merely flicked the tip of his spear downward and pried the cage aside. His own body was affected by the recoil, and he circled in an oblique direction.

“Order—Protective Wall!” With deafening thuds, three walls fell one after another, but each time, Levin predicted where they would land and circled them in advance. Suppressed, his strength was not enough to break through the walls, but they still could not stop him.

Karon crouched down and slapped a hand against the ground. Instantly, a dense spread of black spikes appeared on the floor tiles before him.

He actually knelt down. Foolish! Levin used his spear as a pole, thrusting himself forward. His entire body flipped upward, and the spear followed his motion, whipping out and stabbing straight down at Karon.

The young man immediately summoned a phantom in front of himself, an Art similar to conjuring a decoy.

Levin’s spear pierced the decoy, but he did not drive it all of the way through. Instead, he allowed momentum to carry the spear downward, the tip scraping a trail of sparks across the phantom’s body. By the time it reached the lowest point, the spear tip was already glowing red.

He then pressed down with his right hand while twisting his left. The upper half of the spear snapped upward and thrust straight at Karon himself, like a venomous snake choosing its prey.

Karon’s gaze sharpened. The power of the Darkmoon Blade and the Sea God’s Armor began circulating within him, but he kept them from manifesting visibly because he did not want to expose either of them. Doing this certainly weakened the effects of both Arts greatly, but one had to remember that the man opposite him was limiting himself to the strength of a Divine Servant!

The greatsword sprang up from the ground with a hum. Karon gripped the sword hilt with his left hand, sweeping it forward. Sword tip and spear tip rapidly clashed in the air, piercing sounds of impacts ringing out in quick succession. Right after that, Karon layered three more Order-type body enhancement Arts over himself, further increasing his strength and speed. When he was able to use the Darkmoon Blade and the Sea God’s Armor openly, such Arts never had a chance to appear, but at this moment, by stacking internal and external enhancements together, Karon’s physical ability rose to a very respectable level.

In Levin’s eyes, however, the increase in Karon’s strength and speed was secondary. What mattered was his technique with the greatsword and the combat experience he was displaying. Everything earlier had been an act. The old man had been played by a student.

After the initial rapid exchange, Levin chose to retreat. The strength he was currently limiting himself to could not sustain a prolonged offensive, and Karon chose this moment to press forward, giving the old man no chance to catch his breath. The greatsword slashed through the air again and again, every strike following the safest rhythm. Karon’s offense was built around stability, showing no intention of taking the slightest risk. Levin’s strength was far below Karon’s, and while Levin’s experience and awareness far surpassed his own, that was not to say that Karon was weak in those areas. If Levin wanted to win, he would have to take a risk and look for an opening. If Karon wanted to win, his best choice would be to not take any risks at all.

As everyone watched, Instructor Levin, who had opened on the offensive, started to be forced back by Karon, step after step.

Several times, Levin’s attacks and the effects he was able to produce with simple Arts drew inward praise from the students watching, but no matter how well he performed, Karon still maintained steady control of the battle.

Once he had completely worn down Levin’s attempts to break through, Karon began increasing the pressure. He met Levin strength against strength, pressing down layer by layer. The exchange became very simple: Karon advanced, and Levin blocked. After two or three exchanges, Levin retreated. Karon advanced again, and Levin blocked again. The cycle repeated over and over. It looked like a series of intermittent exchanges, but each one applied clear pressure, and in the end, that pressure was stacking.

A similar scene had once occurred during the captain’s duel with Ophelia on Snake Island. Nio had used this same method to beat Ophelia down until she had almost closed her eyes and surrendered.

Levin would certainly not surrender, because he wanted honor. Levin would not choose to raise the strength rank he was allowed to use, because he wanted honor. And Levin would never take the initiative to beg for mercy or signal for Karon to pause his offensive, because he wanted honor.

He was not a good instructor, but he truly was a real knight.

Finally, after the accumulated stacking force reached a certain point...

Bang! The long spear in Levin’s hand was smashed and sent flying by Karon’s greatsword.

Having lost his weapon, Levin did not choose to give up. His figure swiftly underwent a change, and the phantom of a black panther pounced from his back.

Karon opened his left hand and flung it to the side. In an instant, dozens of Chains of Order appeared around them and simply trapped the phantom black panther. Clearly, Karon had made preparations long in advance. He knew very well how frightening people like this instructor could be. Even if their strength was restrained to the level of a Divine Servant, the methods and abilities they possessed were simply too extensive.

As for the best moment to turn a fight around? It was when the opponent believed victory was already certain.

Karon was very sensitive to this, because he often liked to employ the same method himself.

The greatsword came crashing down, striking Levin on the shoulder. The old man’s defenses shattered, and he fell to the ground.

Karon raised the greatsword and stabbed downward.

Levin did not move. Not even when the blade sank deep into the floor tiles beside his face. Karon released the sword’s hilt, then stepped back three steps, and bowed. “My apologies, Instructor.”

Levin slowly climbed to his feet and patted the dust from his shoulder. The right side of his cheek was swollen, having been struck by sword energy, and the teeth on that side were loose. Yet when he looked at Karon, there was not the slightest anger in the old man’s eyes.

He reached out and pointed at Karon, as if wanting to say something, but could not organize his words properly. Thus, he could only turn to face the other students and say, “Listen carefully, all of you. Learn from him! Remember, the spirit of a knight is meant to bind your soul, not your conduct on the battlefield. He played his part well; He fooled me, and he knocked me down. Someone like him is the last opponent you want to meet on a battlefield, while at the same time, he is exactly the kind of companion you would want at your side. Do you all understand?”

All the students below stood straight and answered in unison, “Yes, Instructor!”

Since Instructor Levin had lost so openly and without resentment, Karon had no choice but to speak up as well. “Everyone, don’t spread word of what happened in class today. Our instructor did this for the sake of instructing us, and we should be grateful.”

“There’s no need for that. A loss is a loss.” Levin dismissively waved a hand.

Karon protested, “No, we must be responsible for your reputation. This way, in the future, we, as well as more batches of young people after us, can receive better guidance.”

Murray said, “Does everyone understand!”

The members of Murray’s squad and Karon’s squad all said in unison, “Yes, Captain!”

In his heart, Levin let out a long breath, and his teeth no longer hurt quite as much.

***

“Hahahahaha!”

“No, I can’t! I’m going to laugh myself to death! Hahahaha!”

“Damn it, I’m laughing so hard my asthma’s about to act up! Haha!”

A group of old men sat before a mirror, laughing until they doubled over. The mirror showed the underwater training field, and Pierro was sitting among them. This surveillance array was something he had casually set up the night before.

At this moment, Pierro waved a hand while laughing and said, “Haha! Come on, pass it along! Our Deputy Commander Levin just got knocked flat by a Divine Servant!”