After the celebration, Alaric sent Galanar to give William the fifteen stalks he had promised.

"Lord Alaric asked me to give this to you." Galanar handed a wooden box to William.

An Elite Knight! When did House Silversword get another warrior at this level?

Anthony stared at Galanar in shock.

Although the latter suppressed his power, Anthony still sensed the overwhelming mana he possessed.

William took the wooden box. "Thank you. I'll speak with Lord Alaric soon and personally give him my thanks."

This was Alaric's goodwill so he didn't reject it this time.

"If you want to use the items inside the box, you are free to use the empty rooms in the mansion." Galanar reminded.

"There's no hurry," William replied.

There were still plenty of guests in the venue. Using the herbs might attract unwanted attention so he didn't want to absorb them for the time being.

"Alright. My job here is done." Galanar gave them a fist-palm salute before he turned around and left.

"Sir, that guy is an Elite Knight!" Anthony exclaimed as soon as Galanar left.

William nodded. "I know. And he is not an ordinary Elite Knight either. He is probably stronger than the current commander of Vale's armed forces."

"That powerful?" Anthony was surprised by his words.

"I don't know how it happened, but he works for Lord Alaric now. The young man, if given enough time, would definitely become a renowned figure like his father, Lord Lucas." William spoke with a serious voice.

"Enough about that. Let's see if he really gave the real thing." Anthony turned his attention to the wooden box.

William looked around.

When he noticed that there was no one nearby, he slowly opened the lid of the box, revealing mature Dragon Tail Ferns.

William immediately closed the box after seeing what was inside.

"It's the real deal! He really gave you fifteen stalks just like that. Unbelievable." Anthony was stunned.

William carefully kept the wooden box and stared in a certain direction.

I will remember this favor, Lord Alaric…

***

Meanwhile, in a small pavilion beside the venue, Alaric was having a serious conversation with Arthur.

"Sir Arthur, you already know my intentions so I won't beat around the bush. Please work for me." Alaric stared deeply at the old mercenary.

Arthur furrowed his eyebrows. "Why did you choose me, my lord? I'm already old and I have already used up my potential. I don't think there is anything special about me."

"Yes, you're right. You are already past the best age for mana training, but who said that you no longer have any potential?" Alaric chuckled.

To him, potential was just secondary. The one thing he liked about Arthur was his loyalty and skills.

"Potential can be supplemented with enough resources and House Silversword can give you enough to advance to higher realms. Sir Arthur, tell me your lifelong wish."

"My lifelong wish…" Arthur's eyes spaced out as he entered into deep thought.

"I-I… want my name to be etched on the Astanian Dragon Leaderboard!" The mercenary was embarrassed when he muttered those words.

He thought that Alaric would laugh at his ridiculous wish, but the latter only nodded calmly.

"What a coincidence! I also wish to one day have my name etched on the leaderboard. Sir Arthur, if you had enough resources, do you think you can fulfill your wish?" Alaric smiled.

Arthur didn't expect him to say such a thing, but considering the potential he had shown, there was a high chance for Alaric to have his place in the leaderboard.

"I'm not sure, my lord, but if I had the resources, I would definitely give it my all to realize my dream no matter how difficult the road may be!"

"Since you have confidence in me, I am willing to serve you! Whether you want me to be your sword or your shield, I, Arthur Valkan, will follow your commands!" The old mercenary bent his knee as he solemnly uttered the knight's oath.

Alaric smiled and placed his hand on the mercenary's shoulder. "You will not regret this choice, Sir Arthur."

And that was how Alaric managed to get an experienced Knight to serve him.

…

Two months later, on the 16th of November in the Astanian Calendar.

Alaric had just completed his daily mission.

Alaric Silversword [Knight] EXP: 129/500

Potential: B

Traits: Horseback Riding (C), Swordsmanship (SSS), Close Combat (D), Archery (F), Hunting (E), Tracking (F), Sixth Sense (F)

Strength: 38+

Stamina: 28+

Agility: 35+

Vitality: 27+

Endurance: 42+

Mana: 13+

Battle Points: 1290

Stat Points: 68

(Requirements for next advancement: 500 EXP, 100 in all attributes, and 5000 Battle Points)

After training for two months, I realized that I could no longer increase my mana and my physical abilities through normal methods.

The only way for me to increase them is by adding stat points. I have only collected 68 stat points after two months of doing the daily missions. This progress is too slow.

I wish there was another mission for me.

Alaric sighed while shaking his head.

I'll slowly increase my stats. Let's start by pushing my strength to 100.

Alaric used 62 unallocated stat points to his strength which immediately elevated it to 100. Now, he was only left with 6 stat points.

He tried adding more stat points to his strength, but he found out that he couldn't add more points to it.

So at my current level, 100 is the limit.

Without hesitation, he added the remaining 6 stat points to his stamina, pushing it to 34.

Alaric could sense the changes in his body. Without even checking it, he could tell that his muscles and bones had undergone massive changes.

So this is how it feels like to max out my strength. I think I can even smash through a thick wall with a single punch.

Alaric thought as he looked at his clenched fist.

Suddenly, he noticed a servant running towards him with an urgent look. "My lord!"

Alaric raised his eyebrows. "What is it?"

The servant took a moment to catch his breath before he responded. "Our soldiers discovered something in the Evergreen Forest!"

Alaric narrowed his eyes. "Have you told the baron about this?"

"Yes, my lord. His lordship is already on his way to the Evergreen Forest." The servant replied cautiously.