CHAPTER 176: CHAPTER 167 BIG POT LITTLE POT, ONE BITE PER PERSON

In the blink of an eye, the Silver Law activated Bruh’s core ability at the Second Order—the "Oathsworn Spirit"—through the anchor chain hanging on the second layer.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG...

Amid the ringing sound of steel, one after another, towering knights clad in heavy armor and mounted on horses began to materialize in the depths of Bruh’s heart. There were a total of twelve.

Around them, a solemn epic seemed to be recited: "The Iris Knights from across the sea: Lancelot, the "Lake Light Knight" blessed by the Lady of the Lake. Morgan Le Fay’s child, heir of Orkney in the north: Gawain, the "Sun Knight" bestowed with the sun’s blessing. The son of the Duke of Cornwall, the tragic prince: Tristan, the "Sorrowful Knight" representing the romantic era. Then there were the brave and combative Lamorak; the stubborn Percival; the skilled Kay; and the loyal Bedivere..."

Bruh immediately realized that he had unexpectedly broken through to the Second Order once again while taking the blame for his lord.

Without any hesitation, guided by the instinct of his spirituality, he decisively commanded in his heart, "I choose the Sun Knight, Gawain!"

The other knights who had not fully materialized instantly vanished. Only one valiant knight, shining like the sun, leaped downward from the depths of the Silver Law and violently rushed into his body.

A sun emblem also promptly appeared on the back of Bruh’s spiritual body’s hand.

In a mere instant, he had completed his promotion. He didn’t need to grope for his new abilities one by one like those Transcendents without a legacy.

The Oath Knight’s core ability at the Professional Level, the "Oathsworn Spirit," can be understood as a kind of "Spirit Descending": "It allows the summoning of famous heroic figures from one’s own national history to possess and assist in battle, sharing the corresponding hero’s special abilities. Its realm is countless times higher than that of "Black Sorcery: Spirit Behind.""

The twelve knights that had just manifested were indeed the very ancient Twelve Knights of the Round Table from the land of the Kingdom of Hightins. They were also The King’s Right Hand, twelve of them, to the first King who united the Black Hinge Strait Islands before the Silver Era, the one who held the Kingly Title: "Knight King."

Each of them had extraordinary special abilities and their own battle creed: one must battle for survival; one must fight those stronger than oneself; the fight must be one-on-one...

The more resonance one has with these Heroic Spirits, the stronger the power one can wield.

As the Oath Knight Class advances, the number of Heroic Spirits they can resonate with will increase, and their methods will become more diverse.

However, there’s an absolute taboo among the Twelve Knights of the Round Table: "Never in history has a Guardian Knight formed an oath with the most powerful First Knight, "Lake Light Knight" Lancelot. Even if an Oath Knight were to resonate passively due to extreme compatibility, they would most likely not survive until the Middle Sequence, instead perishing due to various accidents!"

As for why this was so? Presumably, only the successive royal families of Hightins knew this secret.

Regarding the "Sun Knight" Gawain among the twelve knights, his credo was: always support and endorse all the King’s decisions. Knights like this, who didn’t have many thoughts of their own and would simply say, "His Majesty is right," unconditionally upholding royal authority, were naturally the favorite of all lords. They were also the most valued among all Guardian Knights.

"I’ve made it."

When Bruh, outwardly dazed, returned to his senses, he had already successfully mastered the "Sun Knight’s" ability, "Sun Holy Sword." He could now turn a will as tough and resilient as steel into the Fierce Sun Holy Sword, using willpower to interfere with reality, even to enhance weapons, armor, and shields, smashing steel and arrows with ease.

The stronger the willpower, the stronger the "Sun Holy Sword"!

With the shaman mask’s abilities "Concealing Barrier" and "Soul Protective Armor," General Newman, standing opposite Bruh, completely failed to notice his recent transformation. All he saw was Bruh looking a bit lost in thought, and annoyance momentarily appeared on his face. "What’s the matter, Mr. Bill? You don’t seem very happy. Don’t you want to marry my daughter?"

Bruh immediately set aside the joy of advancing to the Second Order and forced a slightly rigid smile, uttering the most insincere words of his life, "How could that be? Miss Tilly is as beautiful as a flower, clearly a person favored by the Lord. I could hardly be happier. I was just astounded by the young lady’s beauty, which left me a little distracted."

Pushed into this by Byron Tudor, he had passed the point of no return. He could only temporarily sacrifice his dignity and play along, looking to reap the benefits from the Newman Family before considering anything else.

In his mind, though, he was already contemplating how to find an opportunity to completely shed "Bill’s" identity and recover his true appearance. During this period, "Sea Hunter" Byron Tudor’s reputation both inside and outside the Pioneer Guiding Colonial Trading Company has been rising. Bill, on the other hand, would never show himself unless absolutely necessary. Many pirates knew only of Byron and not Bill, let alone King Edward IV, who was far away. These men were nominally a Privateer Fleet under the command of the Navy, loyal to the Kingdom, but in reality, they were nothing more than a private army for their lord. Whoever feeds them, their loyalty belongs to him; that is the natural order. Now, his lord had secured the position of Pirate General. Furthermore, due to his previous excellent performance, he had also been taken as an apprentice by the Grand Wizard "Swarm." Consequently, the identity of Bill was no longer indispensable.

General Newman, oblivious to the two men’s plans, immediately switched from annoyance to pleasure upon hearing Bruh’s explanation. Not because of the praise, but because this young man named Bill had already learned the noble’s introductory skill—acting according to the situation.

How repulsive is my daughter? Don’t I know that better than anyone? The fact that you can say such insincere things to her face already shows you have what it takes to be a noble. I am very pleased!

Laughing, he patted Bruh on the shoulder. "That’s good to hear. Once this turmoil in the Bantaan Archipelago passes, I will invite the distinguished gentlemen from various countries in the colonies to hold a grand engagement ceremony for you and Tilly. Despite the bloodshed in the Old Continent, our relationships in the Bantaan Archipelago are still quite good, thanks to our common enemy, Castilia."

Turning his head, he nodded at Byron Tudor nearby, teasing with a smile, "I’ve heard that your relationship with that Countess is progressing rather nicely. You’ve gotten the upper hand in the competition with that Royal Hound Vincent and even secured the position of Governor for yourself? In the future, we’ll all truly be on the same side. If you need any help from me, just let me know."

In fact, compared to Byron Tudor, he was more partial to "Executioner" Bill, who, like Royal Hound Vincent, came from declining nobility. Both were part of the Tribunal Sequence, inherently representing a specific class. Of course, besides considering that these declining nobles were, after all, once part of the nobility, he also had some ulterior motives.

On the voyage to Banta’an with the Long-range Fleet, Newman had felt that "Sea Hunter" Byron Tudor seemed to have some interest in the "Flower of the North." Instead of stopping him, he had even seemed to encourage the relationship after Byron Tudor became his Black Gloves (Chapter 118). He was clearly eyeing Catherine and her hereditary Earl title. Letting the rootless Byron Tudor win over the Countess was far better than letting Vincent, with his court noble background, do so. He had a hundred ways to ensure the prize ended up in his own mouth. If he really married his daughter to Byron Tudor, it would make it difficult to sever ties cleanly in the future.

I really am a qualified noble, Newman thought.

But regardless of how dark his ulterior motives were, General Newman, on the surface, showed increasingly great esteem for Byron Tudor.

The two men exchanged a smile—one clearly hiding a knife behind his smile, the other honey-tongued but with a heart of daggers.

Hearing him offer help, Byron Tudor naturally did not stand on ceremony. "Your Excellency, General—"

But he was stopped by the other party raising his hand, who feigned reproach with a stern face. "I already said we’ll all be family from now on. Just call me Uncle Newman. If you keep acting like an outsider and don’t treat me as one of your own, I’ll get angry."

Byron Tudor, with his usual thick-skinned audacity, immediately took the hint and played along. "Haha, my apologies, Uncle Newman. I just so happen to have something I’d like to ask for your help with. Please look at this chart!"

Saying that, he took out a nautical chart from his coat and spread it out on a nearby rock. He gestured, drawing an imaginary circle on it. The Tayman Archipelago; Havana, the colony of the People of Castilia to the north; and the closest part of the Taya Empire to them on Yucatan were all enclosed within it. In particular, he drew an additional east-west shipping route from Chichen Itza City, passing through the Tayman Archipelago to reach the eastern islands.

He explained excitedly, "Uncle Newman, by now everyone knows that Yucatan Island is a plump piece of meat with its fangs pulled. All the powers are eager to pounce on it and take a big bite. But aside from the People of Castilia, who have Havana close at hand to provide ample logistical support to their troops, the only other significant option is our Tayman Archipelago. Even a blind man could see that. Whether we go to Yucatan ourselves to grab land and do business, or serve as a logistical base supporting others to fight for it, it’s a surefire profitable deal. We can serve clients from all countries and forces besides the People of Castilia. But there’s one critical issue..."

Seeing the very clear nautical chart, General Newman’s eyes also started to brighten as he took up the conversation. "However, to make this big deal happen, you need connections throughout the colonies of various countries, capable of attracting reliable partners. You must rely on "Silver Law" to sign contracts to prevent being double-crossed. There needs to be a relatively strong military presence for security, possibly even mercenary services. And there must be enough supplies and ammunition to support long-term warfare, colonization, or simply the arms trade..."

Byron Tudor immediately showed an expression of admiration, lavishing praise, "Brilliant, simply brilliant! Uncle Newman, it’s no wonder you’re a General; you truly are an expert in warfare. You’ve thought of everything I haven’t. What do you suggest we do next?"

"What to do?" Seeing the young man before him, who was not just humble and polite but also eagerly offering him money, General Newman laughed heartily. "Byron, Byron, sometimes you are very astute and capable, and other times so naive. When faced with a problem, why look far afield when the solution is close at hand? This grand... cough, tricky matter... I can handle it for you!"