Chapter 24: Magnificent Knight Set
A so-called celebration naturally spared no expense, with delicacies rarely seen on ordinary days now spread out like common fare on the long, thick wooden table: roasted suckling pig, lamb legs, berries, honey bread, and more. But these delicacies seemed to escape the attention of the high nobility, who were too engrossed in conversation and exchanging toasts. When the mood struck, they would flirt with noblewomen and take to the dance floor for an elegant waltz. However, three individuals stood out from this atmosphere.
"Boss, this roasted pig leg is delicious. Have a bite."
"Get lost! You took a bite before offering it to me. I'm not interested."
"This is the best meal I've ever had in my life. It's worth dying for tomorrow."
"You're such a wimp."
...
Indeed, these three were Alexander, Otto, and Viktor. While others were busy socializing, they were busy stuffing themselves with food, to the point where some noblewomen looked at them with disdain and kept their distance. Naturally, it was time for ambitious young nobles eager for fame to step forward.
"Hey!" a young voice rang out. "How did you three manage to sneak into the banquet? Have some decency and get out!"
Alexander turned his head, looking at the skinny young nobleman with an expression as if he were looking at a fool. The young man's words couldn't even rouse his desire for confrontation.
Thanks to winning a battle for Marshal Hex, Alexander had received rewards from the system: +2000 experience points and +2000 system coins. As a result, his attributes had changed to:
[Level]: 8
[Strength]: 11
[Agility]: 10
[Intelligence]: 6
[Charisma]: 7
[Available Attribute Points]: 1
[Experience]: 1600/12800
[System Coins]: 2000
Alexander had now transformed into half a cavalryman, so he didn't particularly need equipment to boost his agility. Thus, he exchanged his Forest Ranger set for a Magnificent Knight set, priced at 2000 system coins. For equipment worth 2000 system coins, the attributes were naturally impressive.
Head Protection +20
Body Protection +20
Leg Protection +20
Strength +5
The key was the Strength +5. With one attribute point still unused, Alexander didn't hesitate to allocate it to Strength. His attributes were now:
[Level]: 8
[Strength]: 12
[Agility]: 10
[Intelligence]: 6
[Charisma]: 7
[Available Attribute Points]: 0
[Experience]: 1600/12800
[System Coins]: 0
Now without any equipment, Alexander's strength reached an impressive 12 points. What did this mean? The strength of an ordinary strong man was around 10 points, but Alexander, clad in the Magnificent Knight set, boasted a whopping 17 points of strength.
He couldn't understand why the skinny blond noble dared to challenge him. He even felt that if he were to stand still and let the guy strike him, he might not even pierce the armor of the Magnificent Knight set, with its super armor protection of 20 for the head, body, and legs. (Don't ask why Alexander attended the banquet wearing armor; the answer is fear of death.)
As for the Forest Ranger set, Alexander had already given it to Viktor, who had a smaller stature and preferred agility.
Before Alexander could even try to dissuade the blond noble, the guy drew his sword. In the Kingdom of Saint Martin, drawing swords against each other meant declaring war. If Alexander didn't draw his sword in response, it would mean surrendering. This would tarnish his reputation and might even come with greater consequences.
Seeing this, no one stepped in to intervene. Instead, they watched with interest, including Marshal Hex and Grand Duke Ferdinand. Otto and Viktor discreetly stepped aside to make room for the duel.
With the atmosphere already tense, it wouldn't be appropriate for Alexander not to draw his sword. He skillfully drew his dual-handed sword from his waist. Since Alexander usually neglected weapon maintenance, the sword still carried a faint scent of blood.
Alexander wasn't sure if the blond noble was truly rash or just pretending. The disdain in his eyes made Alexander feel uncertain, so he quickly raised his sword into a defensive stance.
"Fon Del!" the blond noble called out his name proudly, showing his family's pride. He then performed a series of elegant sword moves, likely from specialized swordsmanship training. Alexander couldn't replicate such graceful moves.
"Alexander Castile," Alexander said his full name plainly. After all, he also had a noble surname.
Upon hearing Alexander's name, the other party visibly hesitated. As a young nobleman who had received a complete aristocratic education, Fon Del naturally knew that Castile belonged to a noble surname. He hadn't expected this seemingly rough guy to also be a noble.
But a noble status couldn't stop Fon Del's courageous sword. He intended to teach this rude guy at the banquet a lesson. Drawing his sword, Fon Del advanced toward Alexander with small, measured steps. His sword mercilessly thrust toward Alexander!
Ping!
Splat~
Just a clash, and a head rolled to the ground. Alexander looked at the head rolling on the ground speechlessly. He had thought the guy was a skilled swordsman, but his standard block and counterattack had swiftly dealt with him. The guy hadn't even managed to defend himself in time.
In fact, even if the guy had reacted in time, he wouldn't have been able to withstand Alexander. With Alexander's current strength, he could probably cut the guy, sword and all, in half.
The surrounding noblewomen exclaimed in shock, and some men cheered excitedly. But no one criticized Alexander. This was the Kingdom of Saint Martin, where both parties had to be prepared to risk their lives when drawing swords against each other.
The banquet continued as if nothing had happened. The servers quickly cleaned up the bloodstains, the music played on, and the noble heroes present continued to chat and laugh. Except for the blond noble's family and friends, no one paid any attention to the incident.
Among those present, everyone remembered the name Alexander Castile. One elderly noble, in particular, remembered it vividly. He watched Alexander's figure with a wise and bright look in his eyes.
His servant approached him, breathing heavily. "My lord, he is from the Castile family..."
The old noble waved his hand, stopping the servant from continuing. He had his own considerations.
Alexander was still unaware that he had attracted someone's attention. He was just feeling happy. The system's voice sounded in his ear again.
[Lord Alexander achieves the achievement - Renowned]
[Charisma +1]
His reputation increased once again. After all, everyone present was a prominent figure, and appearing in such a situation naturally benefited his reputation greatly.
Now Alexander's attributes were:
[Level]: 8
[Strength]: 12
[Agility]: 10
[Intelligence]: 6
[Charisma]: 8
[Available Attribute Points]: 0
[Experience]: 1600/12800
[System Coins]: 0