THE KNIGHT RANKING IS FIXED … UNOFFICIALLY
THE KNIGHT RANKING IS FIXED … UNOFFICIALLY
"Argyaos, why do you disturb my secret training?" a princely figure told a minion who came to seek his advice.
"Prince Spiros, we must do something about this new upstart who is messing with our Knight Templar's ranking", Argyaos replied to the prince.
"What is the problem?" Prince Spiros asked him.
"There is this farm boy from Starri city that is beating the knights in our established ranking. He is upsetting the arrangements between the noble families on the knight ranking", Argyaos told the prince.
"Who dares upset the ranking that the House of Nobles negotiated? The positions in the Knight Templar ranking are a compromise by the noble families to ensure peace in the kingdom among the noble families", Prince Spiros told Argyaos and asked.
"He is Viscount Oriese from the Mithridocus family in Eloora city", Argyaos told the prince.
"I don't know of any notable knights coming from the Mithridocus branch in Eloora city. The old Prince only has a daughter, Princess Xene", Prince Spiros told Argyaos.
"Yes, it is the same Princess Xene that refused to be betrothed to your highness", Argyaos said to him.
"Xene, someday she will become mine. It is a matter of time", Prince Spiros told Argyaos.
"It is too late for that. Princess Xene is engaged to Viscount Oriese. That is the reason he is representing the Mithridocus family in Eloora city, as the son-in-law of the family", Argyaos told Spiros.
"What? How can this be?" Prince Spiros replied to him angrily as he threw the cup, he was holding at Argyaos.
"It is true. He is a wild one who completely disregards our tradition. He is already ranked forty-nine in the Knight Templar ranking", Argyaos told the prince.
"Oriese? The name sounds familiar", Prince Spiros told Argyaos and asked.
"He is the same boy that we bullied in Eloora city many years ago. He went crazy after that and was never heard from again until now", Argyaos told the prince.
"Oriese. I remember him now", Spiros said as he smashed and broke his writing table with his palm.
"Your highness, you have received a challenge", someone rushed in to inform the prince.
"Challenge? Who dares challenge our prince, the first rank of the Knight Templar Academy?" Argyaos asked the servant.
"It is Count Oriese of the Mithridocus family in Eloora city. He challenged every one of those in the Knight ranking before him to combat", the servant replied to him.
"Oriese", Prince Spiros screamed.
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[Before the challenge to the forty-eight - The Residence of the Mithridocus family in Eloora city]
"Oriese, I am happy for your progress in the Knight Templar Academy. I never expected that you could graduate so quickly and gain the rank of a Count and rank forty-nine in the knight ranking", Prince Geoffraie said to me.
"Will we be upsetting the other families for taking a high Knight rank without consulting the other families?" Orol asked Geoffraie.
"Why? Why should I need the other families' permission to advance in Knight ranking?" I asked them.
"Son, that you may not know. The Knight Templar ranking is both earned through competition and also negotiation between the noble families through the House of Nobles. Only those with the pre-approval from the House are allowed to challenge another in the Knight ranking. That has always been the tradition", Orol told me.
"Yes, this is something that the noble families unofficially agree to, to prevent unnecessary fighting between the young knights of the families", Prince Geoffraie told me.
"Oriese won his ranking fair and square. The tradition of the noble family is so outdated", Xene said to them on my behalf.
"Yes, it is outdated but it is also the compromise between the families to reduce unnecessary friction between the families due to the ranking", Prince Geoffraie replied to her.
"What is the House of Noble?" I asked them.
"The House of Noble is a society that all the major noble families established in the Knight Templar Academy, to ensure the academy corresponds to the needs of the families and that no unnecessary friction is caused by the nature of competition in the academy between the members of the families", Prince Geoffraie told me.
The Knight Templar ranking of the Knight Templar Academy was designed to be a competition between the brightest graduates in the academy. But politics and deal making between the families have turned the ranking into a farce in order not to upset the pride, interests and hierarchy of the noble families.
"No wonder those I beat after the ninety ranked Iasonia were far weaker than Iasonia. Iasonia is at rank ninety because he is asked by his family not to progress further in the ranking?" I asked them.
"Yes, that is probably the situation", Prince Geoffraie told me.
"How can there be progress if the system is not based on merits but by deal making?" I asked them.
"What are we going to do now? We have angered the House of Nobles and by extension all the noble families", Orol asked worriedly.
"Tell those scums not to challenge me if they don't want to lose their Knight ranking", I told them.
The reason that I progressed in the Knight ranking was because many of those in the ranking challenged me after I defeated Iasonia.
"They will continue to challenge you now that you have beaten every one of them. They will not stop until someone defeats you or kicks you out from the knight ranking. It is for the pride of the noble families", Xene said to me.
"Damn, like I have the time for that", I replied to them.
"Son, you must promise me not to progress anymore on the Knight ranking", Orol asked me.
"Yes, there is no benefit in angering The Noble House now", Prince Geoffraie added and advised me.
"Alright. I will not advance anymore in the ranking but I will make them stop challenging me", I told them.
"How will you do that? Shall we hide back in Eloora city", Princess Xene asked me.
"Hell, no. I'll challenge all forty-eight of those creeps", I replied to them.
"How can you do that without upsetting the approved ranking? Don't cause any more trouble for the family," Orol asked and told me.
"I already upset all the families in the kingdom", I replied to him.
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