Chapter 338 Grandpa's Gift

'Huuu... let's just keep going and see.'

Clearing my mind, I looked at grandpa's letter.

[ Your grandma said everything, so there's nothing much for me to say.

They prepared this very fun game and I should warn you, but Alf and Carla poured all their minds and heart into hiding your gift that they prepared with all their very being.

I know you will find it anyway. This is just a game at the end.

Your grandma's gift is quite extravagant and even I didn't think she will give that precious stone to you.

You're quite lucky, young boy.

Getting the attention, love, and trust of Griz was a heavenly trial for me, but you passed that without any problems.

Just know this means that she adores you as much as your mom does, even if she doesn't show it.

The idea of this game first came from Haze, and then after Alf brought up how he would give you his treasure, El came up with the idea of this treasure hunt.

Your academy has this thing as one of their most famous examination ways, so we even thought to do it on other's birthdays.

But then again... not everyone is as amazing as you that we would need this kind of thing so, we ended up just making this treasure hunt the main event for your birthday every time.

Not that we know you will be here or not but, at least however long we have you, we might just do things like this.

Well, anyway, my gift is nothing grand like others and I don't think a mere knight like me can have any precious things like others.

What I have is... I think you already know by now, right? ]

"Hmm? What did he mean by that...?"

She was confused by how he just ended the letter like that, but, yes... as he said, I already know.

Looking at my confused friend, I smiled warmly. It was cute when she didn't understand things. The face she makes is cute.

"Zahavi Heliox Von Ethan Griffin, the name everyone knows.

Zahavi Zale Mavis, the name he had when he was just a pirate of Mavis.

There's only one thing both of them have in common.

His name.

He is a person who is just himself.

A unique knight that was born in the sea, raised in the sea and had been with the ocean in his early life.

Then he found the reason to be on land with the one he loves for his entire life.

But he didn't abandon his people in any situation.

Neither while he was on water nor when he was on land.

As someone who had nothing, and just the family that he had been with, he put his people before anyone or anything.

He grew strong for others, learned, trained, went through hellish things, and till this day, he has lived for those he cherishes.

He wasn't born a noble, nor he is anything more than a knight.

The best thing that a true knight like him can give to the most precious young child whom he had admired since a long ago... is his selfless trust and people.

...his people."

Grandpa is an awesome person and now that I knew a few more things about him, I admired him even more than before.

He was awesome just from his known stories, but after I listened and read about the things that no one knew about him, I couldn't help feeling blessed to have him as my grandpa.

And this was a really fine gift.

He outright gave me the authority to utilize any person under him. And anyone who knew him reading this letter was enough to understand this fact, most people at least.

There was a calm smile on my face and she also understood what my gift was from my last words.

She was surprised as she heard that, anyone would actually.

My grandpa was a King ranked knight and just this much was a big deal. His full support meant he would help me, even if he had to sacrifice everything.

The same for all of his most trusted aids. His people. The ones he has saved as well as spent his life with.

Well… this was a nice gift.

I can definitely use their help with some things I might require in the future.

Something like a dungeon exploration or daily training. Or maybe even some mecha testing.

They would be good test sub- ahem. I mean, they would be good helping hands.

Anyway... this was it. I was genuinely happy to have such a wonderful gift, and I know I will not use any of his people anytime soon.

And he was my grandpa anyway, so getting his trust as a knight was something I couldn't express at this moment.

It wasn't something I can convey with words, but when the time comes, I will be able to show it... or we will.

But for now...

"But what about the clue? How will you find the next gift now?"

She took her time to sort out her complicated thoughts and though this gift from my grandpa surprised her, it clearly wasn't something physical we had to find.

So, how was I going to get the clue for the next gift?

"Well, it's simple actually."

Smiling with an excited smile, I stored the letter in my storage crack and started walking ahead.

My next destination was the training grounds at the back of this house.

That open area was the place I first saw Chry. Our future best rapier swordsman.

From what I knew, the clue would be there.

And actually... I was right. The clue was here.

In the backyard of the house, in the big training area, which was in the middle of our house, the knight barracks, and the mage facility.

Mages were training at the far back of this place, the knights were training in the front.

This looked just like any other day... well, no. This was nothing like the regular training these knights did.

I have watched them these past few days I had been in this house and I knew how knights trained.

They were knights, and this act was enough to deceive any normal person.

But the most obvious thing about this fake training was their...

"Real weapons? And where are the young apprentice knights and mages?"

"They have a holiday. Obviously."

I chuckled without saying much to this smart friend of mine, who grasped what I was doing here and what was going on in an instant.

And this one definitely surprised her. As it should.

I just walked forward while she was stuck in her place and she better just find some good place to watch the show that will start now.

Even I thought they wouldn't do this moderately but, well, knights of Heliox sure are full of enthusiasm.

Rein was stuck in her place as an observer. I was walking forward in the middle of this training ground where the mage and knight captains, sir Mel and lady Niss, were happily chatting.

They didn't move or even react respectfully as they usually do after seeing me walk toward them and after this one; I knew I will have more work.

Well, it was late morning, and soon it will be afternoon and lunchtime, so this will be a good game.

I walked forward, and from the back, I heard almost unnoticeable footsteps.

There were one hundred and twenty knights as well as fifty-one mages, including the two captains in the middle.

Of them, ten knights have started their futile ambush on me while six mages have already started chanting (tier-3) spells on the other side of the ground.

The conditions of not using magic and skills were for the time I was finding the gifts, but this one was different.

I wasn't finding 'gifts' right now.

At this moment, I was after the clue to the next gift that sir Mel was holding onto right now.

The two of them were making a bet on how I will deal with these knights, mages, and at last with them and I knew I will at least have fun in this fun fight.

Everyone in this place was a close aide of grandpa. Grandpa Zhen was too, but he held a special standing in our little family, so he wasn't here right now.

They were people directly under him and the people grandpa might have asked to swear their loyalty to me.

Well, they definitely respected him and if I was acknowledged by him, then there was nothing to worry about for them.

But... every knight, mage, and even normal human knew this fact in this world:

'Respect, trust, and loyalty... they aren't given. They are some of the most valuable emotions which are earned.'

And every knight in this place, as well as the mages on the other side, as well as the captains, knew what they had to do to test my eligibility for being their master.

Master.

Someone of the same standing as the one they served with their whole heart.

So, well, I will now have to fight these one hundred and twenty knights as well as fifty mages.

It won't be any serious battle to the death, though.

They just wanted to see my qualifications and... I knew how I will show them what they wanted to see.