Although Roland had successfully guided the Knight breathing method once, the practice that followed did not become easy because of that.

"Hah..."

Roland breathed out at length, glanced at the increasingly harsh sunlight outside the window and the climbing heat, then gave a light shake of his head.

"An entire morning, and I barely completed three guidances of the breathing method... Practicing a Knight breathing method is much harder than expected. Still..."

He rose from the chair.

The process had been full of stumbles, but there was little discouragement on Roland's face.

He could clearly feel that every failed attempt made his grasp of that mysterious "breath sensation" a little more practiced.

As long as he persisted, guiding the Knight breathing method would become more and more natural.

With that thought, he pushed open the door.

When he looked up, he saw Galvez standing outside with one hand raised, still frozen in the posture of someone about to knock.

"Galvez?"

Roland looked at him with a slight frown.

"Did something happen?"

"N-no..."

Galvez scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Isn't it almost noon? My stomach is a little..."

Halfway through his sentence, the bard caught the subtle change in Roland, and his eyes widened.

"Roland! You... you..."

His voice filled with astonishment.

"You successfully guided the Knight breathing method?"

Seeing Roland nod, Galvez's fingers instinctively plucked the harp strings that almost never left his side.

A clear singing voice rose with the melody.

"Oh! Gods above! Praise your guidance! Roland, you truly are the hero destined for me!"

"What?"

Roland's eye twitched at the bard's extravagant performance.

Although he had spent some time with Galvez already, he still had not fully adapted to his companion's occasional theatrical flair.

Roland ignored him and walked straight toward the kitchen.

Perhaps it was only his imagination, but guiding the Knight breathing method even once seemed to consume more energy than practicing the Mithril Body Tempering Method had back then.

He had eaten a hearty breakfast early that morning, yet now, barely at noon, hunger burned in his stomach.

To put it dramatically, Roland felt he could clear an entire banquet by himself.

"Hey, Roland!"

Seeing Roland's calm expression, Galvez stuck close behind him.

"How can you be so calm? Gods above, that is a Knight breathing method!"

"So what?"

Roland answered while deftly handling the ingredients in his hands. The sharp blade struck the cutting board with crisp thuds.

Successfully guiding the breathing method was certainly worth celebrating, but he knew very well that this was only the first light knock against the heavy gate of the Transcendent realm.

There was still a long road ahead before he truly became a Transcendent Knight.

Galvez studied Roland's expression carefully. After confirming that his friend was not merely pretending to be modest, he spoke in a rush.

"My friend! Do you not understand how difficult it is to guide a Knight breathing method?"

"Even if ordinary people are lucky enough to obtain one, most of them lack the talent to guide it successfully! Even those with outstanding talent often spend months of bitter effort going from sensing breath to completing the first guidance! And you! My hero!"

The bard grew so excited that he waved his arms, and his fingers struck the harp strings at random, producing several abrupt, discordant notes.

"You actually used less than half a day! Gods! This is simply... simply a miracle!"

Roland's hands did not pause. He let Galvez's exaggerated praise pass by him, but his brows tightened as he recalled the process of guiding the breathing method himself.

He had indeed run into difficulty, but...

It seemed far from what Galvez described.

"No..."

The blade fell steadily, dividing the ingredients on the cutting board cleanly, but Roland's thoughts kept moving.

In the Golden Valley Kingdom, almost every noble child had received training at a Knight Academy.

Even after removing those who failed the rigorous assessments, the base number was still considerable.

Yet at the noble banquet in Far Harbor, he had carefully examined the nobles present. Not one of them possessed the Transcendent aura of a Knight.

That was clearly unreasonable.

And this fact seemed to silently prove Galvez's words true.

"In that case..."

Roland thought to himself.

"The wounds the Blood Moon Rebellion dealt to the Golden Valley Kingdom back then were probably even deeper than I imagined."

"No wonder that despite having territory surpassing all surrounding nations, the Golden Valley Kingdom has always maintained a defensive posture in external conflicts over the years..."

His thoughts stirred, but Roland did not linger on the matter.

After all, barring some major accident, he would probably never return to the Golden Valley Kingdom to live.

"Then the reason I could guide the Knight breathing method this smoothly..."

Roland slid the prepared ingredients into the pot while considering it.

"It should be due to my basic attributes far surpassing those of ordinary people?"

"After all, even the best graduates of the Knight Academy rarely possess extraordinary strength right after graduation."

"Besides, with my current strength, I should count among the stronger ones even in the Transcendent realm."

While Roland analyzed his own advantages, Galvez's voice continued beside his ear.

"At this rate, Roland, it won't be long before you become a true Knight! A Knight before thirty... tsk, tsk..."

The bard clicked his tongue, envy and excitement showing plainly in his eyes.

"You must know, Knights are the most balanced and powerful Transcendent occupation I have ever seen while traveling the continent! And you, Roland..."

"Galvez..."

Roland shook his head helplessly and cut off the bard's wandering ode.

"I'll accept the praise, but according to ancient records, there are countless Transcendent occupations in this world. Knights are probably far from the strongest."

"Oh, of course!"

Seeming a little dissatisfied that Roland had interrupted his hymn of praise, Galvez raised an eyebrow and immediately argued back.

"There certainly are Transcendent Professionals stronger than Knights in this world, but..."

He deliberately drew out the sentence.

"While obtaining great power, they also bear terrible prices!"

"For example, Barbarians who rely on slaughter to stimulate blood energy turn into frenzied killing machines in battle. Then there are those powerful spellcasters, the ones you humans call wizards. They often become lost in labyrinths of thought and eventually step onto a road of no return filled with unknowns. And then..."

Galvez swung the harp behind his back and began counting on his fingers.

"Have you heard of Warlocks who rely on bloodline power? I once had the fortune... or perhaps misfortune, to meet one. Tsk, tsk..."

He seemed to remember something unpleasant, and rare disgust passed through his eyes.

"Aside from the head still being somewhat intact, their entire bodies were corroded and twisted by bloodline power until they could hardly be recognized as human. Scales, horns, mutated limbs... It was a nightmare!"

"By comparison..."

The bard spread his hands, his voice returning to its earlier passion.

"Among the surviving Transcendent Professionals in the present world, Knights have almost no side effects and are merely limited by lifespan. Can they not be called the most balanced Transcendent occupation?"

Roland fell briefly silent.

It was not because he was astonished by Galvez's broad experience, but because another thought had suddenly taken root in his heart.

"Becoming a Knight requires guiding a Knight breathing method. Becoming a wizard, as far as I currently know, requires mastering a meditation method... Then what are the entry conditions for other Transcendent occupations?"

This was not greed or dissatisfaction.

Rather, Roland knew very well that he possessed the occupation panel.

If the opportunity was right, he did not reject the idea of making himself compatible with other Transcendent paths.

After all, who would refuse a path that could improve their strength?

"Of course..."

Roland quickly gathered his wandering thoughts.

"The most important thing right now is still to focus on becoming a Knight!"

He was about to use Galvez's topic to discuss the mysteries of other Transcendent occupations in more depth when a clear, familiar female voice suddenly came from outside the house, carrying undisguised joy.

"Roland! Roland! Where are you? I brought you something good!"

The moment Avril's voice sounded, Galvez, who had been preparing to continue displaying his broad knowledge, froze in place.

"Ahem, ahem..."

He coughed several times to cover his embarrassment, but his feet shifted toward Roland of their own accord. In the end, he tried to hide his tall, thin body behind Roland's broad back.

Just then, brisk footsteps rapidly approached.

The next instant.

Bang!

The kitchen door was pushed open.

The girl's brown hair danced in the pouring sunlight, flashing with a honey-like luster.

The moment she entered, she narrowed her eyes. Her small, high nose twitched, and she sighed in sincere praise.

"It smells so good, Roland! Your cooking is getting better and better. Looks like I came at just the right time!"

"Welcome, Avril..."

Roland glanced at the bard behind him, who had nearly curled himself into a ball, and had long since grown used to the scene.

His hands kept moving as he said calmly, "The food is almost ready. Please go call Mr. Bronson and wait by the dining table for a moment."

"As you command!"

Avril gave a playful, exaggerated curtsy, then ran out like a gust of wind.

Watching that lively figure disappear, Roland continued tending the food in the pot while lowering his voice.

"She's gone, Galvez."

"I... I know..."

The bard rubbed the harp strings uneasily, his voice stammering.

"Ro... Roland, I suddenly remembered... I still have something urgent to handle. Lunch... I'll skip it for now..."

Before he had even finished speaking, he had already tiptoed to the kitchen door. He clung to the doorframe and nervously peered outside.

Seeing his suspicious behavior, Roland sighed.

"What exactly happened between you and Avril?"

"No... nothing! In short..."

The bard took a deep breath, seeming to make some solemn decision, and his tone became unusually serious.

"Roland, listen to my advice. It would be best to keep some distance from Miss Avril..."

Before his words had fully faded, Avril's clear voice rang out from the courtyard again.

"Roland! Is the food ready yet?"

That voice struck Galvez like a clap of thunder. He shuddered, abandoned whatever else he had meant to say, and staggered toward the kitchen's rear door. In the blink of an eye, he vanished.

Watching the direction in which he had fled, Roland's doubts deepened.

Although he had once suspected Avril and Galvez's motives for approaching him, he had not sensed the slightest malice from either of them during their time together, so he had chosen to accept them.

As for the strange relationship between the two, Roland was curious, but since both of them avoided the subject, he had no intention of digging to the bottom of it.

"I wonder what good thing Avril mentioned..."

Roland withdrew his thoughts, and his hands moved even faster.

Before long, the long wooden dining table was filled with a dazzling array of dishes. Enticing aromas intertwined in the air, and steam filled the room.

Like Galvez, the brown-haired half-elf girl immediately sensed that Roland had successfully practiced the breathing method when she saw him.

Unlike Galvez, however, she only praised him softly a few times. There was not the slightest surprise in her eyes, almost as though she had already been certain Roland would master the Knight breathing method.

The firm belief in her gaze was even stronger than Roland's own.

This stirred a question in Roland's heart, but before he could think further, Avril's exclamation interrupted him.

"Wow!"

Looking at the delicious dishes before her, complete in color, fragrance, and flavor, Avril's already bright eyes shone even more.

Ignoring the heat still rising from the food, she impatiently put a large piece into her mouth.

"Hss... hah!"

Although she was burned enough to stick out her tongue and hiss, she still praised the food indistinctly.

"Delicious... too delicious!"

"Don't rush..."

Watching the girl's reckless behavior, Roland shook his head.

Although he had probed from the side several times, Galvez had always kept his mouth shut and refused to reveal what had happened between him and Avril.

In private, however, the bard had once told Roland with absolute certainty that this bright and youthful-looking half-elf girl was probably already over a hundred years old.

Given Galvez's mixture of respect and fear toward Avril, he probably did not have the courage to fabricate that out of thin air.

Therefore, every time Roland saw Avril's innocent, carefree appearance as she ate with such appetite, then connected it with her long years, a strong sense of incongruity rose in his heart.

Only after the food cooled a little did Roland begin eating in large mouthfuls.

He chewed and swallowed properly. Once the burning hunger in his stomach eased, he asked, "Avril, where is Mr. Bronson?"

"He said his research is at a key point, and told us to eat first without waiting for him."

Avril answered with her mouth stuffed full.

Roland nodded, lifted his cup, and drank some water to help the food go down. Only then did he continue.

"Then, about that good thing you mentioned bringing me..."

"Here, this is it!"

Avril's right hand was still busy stuffing food into her mouth, but her left hand had already taken a brand-new parchment scroll from her chest and offered it over like a treasure, paying no attention to the grease on her fingers.

"Mr. Nielsen asked me to give it to you."

"Thank you."

Roland thanked her softly, took the parchment, and unfolded it for a careful look.

"A letter of introduction from the Blacksmith Guild?"

The contents on the paper were largely the same as the one Hawk had given him before.

A smile appeared at the corner of Roland's mouth.

He had not expected that after he merely mentioned it in passing to Nielsen that morning while discussing the breathing method, the other man would have it delivered by noon.

That efficiency was truly admirable.

He carefully rolled up the parchment and put it into the leather pouch at his waist, while the pace of his eating did not slow at all.

"Avril, do you know where the Blacksmith Guild is in the city?"

"Mm..."

The brown-haired girl nodded hard and spoke only after forcing down the food in her mouth.

"The Blacksmith Guild? It's in the inner city, a little far from here. If you want to go, after we finish eating, I can..."

Halfway through, she suddenly stopped, and her expression turned slightly unnatural.

After a moment, she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Ah, sorry, Roland. I still have something to handle this afternoon, so..."

"It's fine."

Roland waved a hand, unconcerned.

"Just tell me the exact location."

The two talked a little more. After confirming the location of the Blacksmith Guild, lunch came to an end.

Watching the brown-haired girl's energetic figure disappear through the door, Roland greeted Bronson, then left the residence.

His oar lightly tapped the water as he headed toward the more prosperous and noisy inner district of the River Kingdoms' royal capital.

The small boat passed beneath an arched bridge and entered the inner-city waterway.

The buildings on both banks were much the same as before, only denser.

Pedestrians brushed past one another on the stone-paved roads. The hammering of blacksmith shops drifted over, mingling with the wheat fragrance from bakeries.

Clotheslines still stretched across lanes and alleys, though there were fewer patched garments hanging from them.

If not for the additional stone fountains and flower beds at the street corners, it would have been difficult to distinguish the inner city from the outer city.

Following Avril's directions, Roland walked toward the core area of the inner city.

Before he had gone far, a guard suddenly reached out and blocked his path.

"Apologies, sir..."

The guard's tone was stiff at first, but after hearing that Roland was going to the Blacksmith Guild, his attitude immediately softened.

"The buildings ahead are being repaired. If you want to go to the Blacksmith Guild..."

He raised an arm and carefully pointed out the detour.

Roland appeared to listen attentively, but doubt rose in his heart.

Through the layers of guards stationed there, he keenly caught a wisp of Mana Element aura in the wind.

This aura was completely different from what he usually sensed.

It felt calmer and more docile, almost thoroughly tamed.

The feeling was exactly the same as when, after obtaining [Furnace Heart], he had established affinity with fire elements.

Just as Roland was pondering this in silence, a burst of noise suddenly came from the distance, interrupting his thoughts.