Chapter 4 - Knight Of The Realm (Patreon)

"There once lived a man, born to a mortal but blessed with powers divine. Conjuring the Infernos of Flames, he dispelled the darkness plaguing our star. As a reward for his efforts, the gods granted him a Holy Stone—the Crystal, which he was to guard at all costs, for it would become the cornerstone of his divine rule and bane of the scourges of his lands."***Landing with the Warship was rather a fast thing, because they were landing at one of the private landing zones that was exclusively reserved for the military purposes of the Atlesian Dominion.Meaning that there were no other Airships or Aircraft landing within these areas... There were not even anything flying around the landing pads for the Atlesian Military. The security around the landing pad was one of the best in the entire Dominion, especially right now when they were transporting such rare and precious guests.Disembarking from the Warship Ironblood was rather simple, and it was quick when both Ardyn and Maschenny exited from the Warship Ironblood. Maschenny took it on herself to go with Ardyn to the Administration Bureau for the registration and everything.Which was something that he was actually pretty grateful for, because she would solve most of the problems for him. She was already kind enough to order them a car that was already waiting for them when they disembarked from the Warship Ironblood."They probably forgot to send someone."Maschenny said nonchalantly, as they got into the car, which was a pretty luxurious limousine, as they headed directly to the center of the city. The city center of the Atlas was pretty far from the landing zone for the military warships, but fortunately enough, it wasn't that far.The ride would take them around one hour or so, because they were on the edges of the island and were basically heading toward the center of it. Despite everything, the entire island was still pretty big to be traversed by an ordinary limousine.At least the ride was comfortable enough in the luxury car that Maschenny procured for them."Now let me do some things first before we talk about the legal things."Maschenny stated as she took out her Pocket and sent several messages and made two calls. One of the calls was to her family, informing them that she was going to bring him to the Administration Bureau for the legal procedures, and asking for a lawyer and for additional help.Then she attended the Alsius Military Academy and reported the same thing, albeit in a different manner, and requested something to be reported to the Administration Bureau."Now that this is done, we need to go through other things. With the Grimm that you have slayed together with saving my life, it is enough for the Citizenship, and then from the Citizenship to the 2nd-Class Knighthood, perhaps even 3rd-Class Knighthood if we are lucky."Even he was rather surprised... at how high rank this feat would give him, because normally it would be only enough for the Citizenship, but apparently that he saved the life of Khun Princess was more than enough for the Knighthood.Of course, Khuns, as one of the most powerful Great Families of the Atlas, would pay their debts for him saving their most heaven-defying prodigy of the several past centuries. Yet, there were still some rules to follow and some things that could not be skipped under any circumstances."You are really working fast... Thank you very much for the help, Thunder Princess."Ardyn said as Maschenny actually blushed slightly at the sudden praise, before quickly recovering her poise. Even though that title sounded a little bit silly, she actually liked it, but hopefully it wouldn't become her Saint Title when she reached the Titled Saint Level in the future.When one reached Level 90 in the Spiritron Capacity, they would officially become the Titled Saints and could be addressed by the title that they gave to themselves. Sometimes, though, people were already famous enough that their Titles were already chosen for them beforehand.For the members of the Great Families, this was rather common.Even her father, Khun Eduan, was known as Blue Thunderclap long before he became Titled Saint."That's only given for a Princess like me."She immediately returned to her haughtier persona, as he swore that his moods changed faster than the weather. Well, at least the good news was that she wasn't bugging him for a fight, because, as it was shown, the girl was a total battle maniac.Once she had recovered enough, she started bothering him for a spar, because apparently, as he learned, Maschenny was addicted to fighting someone. Obviously, she preferred fighting strong people, but when she was bored, she settled for even less.And she was a bit hyperactive. She was that kind of person who constantly needed to do something and needed to be in motion, otherwise he felt that she would explode."Now then, what benefits do I get by getting the Knighthood?"Ardyn asked because rising in the social hierarchy in a world with an extremely rigid social system was at the top of his priorities. The social hierarchy in the Atlas was extremely rigid and he could see that it was created this way on the purpose so those who were on the top could maintain their position of superiority.Even though this was a more extreme version of what he had seen in his two lives, the principle remained the same, and nothing has changed at all. It seemed that whenever society existed, it was always the same thing everywhere.Well, he managed to do it on Earth as well as on Eos.Here...It wouldn't be any different.As he thought over it, he suddenly stopped in his thoughts.'When did it... damned Gacha... damned Murasaki. It seems that my memories have compeltely merged to the point where I can't distinguish between them. Who am I? Sirius Grey? Ardyn Izuniua? Something middle that was created from the merger between the two of them...'Ardyn was really going through internal turmoil because he noticed something: now that he was sitting here, just listening to Maschenny, who was rather happily reporting everything she had managed to do in a short span of time, she looked like a cat that needed praise after catching a rat.His memories were mushy, and he couldn't distinguish what was from what, as everything was just there together.It seemed that Murasaki was right...'There is no power without the sacrifices.'"A lot, but they mostly depend on the concrete Class of the Knighthood that the person is awarded. Generally speaking, the benefits include equipment that normally any person wouldn't be able to buy, then there are some money and things... we are aiming for the 3rd-Class Knighthood and Title of the Grand Knight, which means that you can establish your Knightly House."Maschenny explained that there were far more benefits to the Knighthood than one could imagine. Even the monetary reward in Lien was actually pretty high, which would allow ordinary people to live for generations without any problems.Then there was equipment... upon being awarded the Knighthood within the Dominion, though this was true only for the 2nd-Class Knighthood and 3rd-Class Knighthood, as they were directly awarded things like Pockets, Inventories, Weapons, and other things.Basically, the things that ordinary people or even Citizens wouldn't be able to buy, no matter how much they paid, because these things were strictly controlled by the Atlesian Government and there was a ban on them."For your information, though, the Knightly Houses in the Atlas are different from those in the Vale... there is no attached power or privileges to that, aside from some benefit if your House cultivates more Knights and Huntsmen for the Dominion."Ardyn just nodded absentmindedly because he already anticipated something like that. He knew that the Dominion was extremely strict with the power of its Nobles because, compared to the other nations, even the Great Families had rather complicated say with the Government of the Dominion.Mostly because they have partially merged with the Government of the Dominion and the State as a whole when the Imperium of Atlas was transformed into the Atlesian Dominion.Atlas was created partially by the random settlers of the continent of Solitas and immigrants from the other continents, which also included two whole Great Families... namely the Po Bidau Family, which originated in the Kingdom of Vale, and the Lo Po Bia Family that originated from the deep forests of the continent of Anima.Due to this, the Great Families and other factions that existed in Solitas had a much deeper and closer relationship with the Imperium of Atlas and its successor state, the Atlesian Dominion.Which was something that wasn't seen in the other kingdoms of the Remnant."Anything else that is interesting?"He asked for more benefits as she actually nodded and provided an answer that actually pleased him pretty much."Every Grand Knight gets a luxurious penthouse located in the Aristocratic District of Atlas."Hearing this surprised him pretty much, because even though he wasn't a long in this world, he was already aware how precious land was in the Atlasian Dominion.The Dominion wasn't like Vale or Mistral.The continent of Sanus had plenty of fertile and free land that was there for taking, which was the main reason why the Sultante had such good feelings towards the Kingdom of Vale, and they were the best neighbors ever.Much less said about the Anima...The continent of Anima was enormous, and it was one big natural wonder that had an environment and nature more beautiful than anything else on Earth and Eos, even if combined into one.Solitas was one enormous hostile land... everything here was frozen, or if it wasn't frozen, it was occupied by the tribes of the Magical Beasts that were so powerful that even the Holy Saints needed to think twice before invading those places.The floating island upon which the Atlas was built was one of the few habitable areas for the humans... and even that was adjusted tremendously with the help of the Magic Engineering and very advanced pieces of Magic."Well, that's rather surprising and rather generous..."Ardyn muttered because he really thought that it was pretty generous.He was rather interested in what the benefits were for becoming a full-fledged Dominion Aristocrat."Mostly... though not many people are using these benefits to their maximum potential. One could say that a lot of Grand Knights are coming from the ranks of the Great Families, Military, and some from the Workshop or even some members of the Astral Septian Church... obviously, neither of these is establishing Knightly Houses or even redeeming properties in the city like apartments or building their own estates."Ardyn listened to Maschenny as he could understand that the members of the Great Families of Transcendent Organizations like the Astral Septian Church wouldn't be interested in something like Aristocratic Titles of this low rank.***Bureaucracy is boring.And it seemed that the bureaucracy was boring no matter where one was located because everywhere it was exactly the same thing.That was the conclusion of all of his memories.And here, even despite all of the Magical and Technological advancements that the Atlesian Dominion made, it wasn't any different. Here, there were, in the center of the Atlas, as there was at the department that was dealing with Immigration.Someone from the Khun Family came to meet them, because Maschenny called for the lawyer, as that was something which Ardyn really needed. It was someone from the Khun Family, Khun Royale Elliot, one of the core members of the Khun Family.Like everyone else in the Khun Family, he had blue hair and blue eyes, with almost permanently closed eyes. He wore a dark blue suit with the crest of the Khun Family as he looked more bored than he was here than anything.But it wasn't like he could say no to the Princess of the Khun Family and the favorite daughter of the Blue Thunderclap Saint, who gave his personal orders. Otherwise, it would be rather impossible for a powerful Titled Saint like him to take on menial tasks like some random attorney.Titled Saints were considered to be the pinnacle powerhouses of the entire Remnant and they were the backbones for the nations.And in fact, seeing even much weaker powerhouses under the Titled Saints like Spiritron Champions or Spiritron Grandmasters, it was rare for people like that to go and take care of things at the bureaus."After obtaining the Immigration Permit, we can go to the Ministry of the State, Department of State Affairs for the National Civilianship Card, from which we would need to go to the Ministry of Citizens and apply for the Citizenship. After that one is complete, we need to head for the Department of the Records to be recorded as Citizen, then to the Council of Heralds and fill an formal application for the Ennoblement Review, pass the review and be issued the Warrant of Aristocracy with what we need to return back to the Department of Records but not before heading to the Department of Atlesian Aristocratic Bloodline Lineages for the Seal of Approval from the State Authorities that would be added to the Warrant of Aristocracy otherwise we would only have incomplete Warrant which isn't the most usable thing in these ends..."Ardyn listened, but he got lost after the third or fourth sentence, which was somewhere near the start of the conversation. He personally didn't know whether this was just the basic state of the Atlesian bureaucracy and that they liked it very much, or whether it was done on purpose so lawyers would have work to do.It was a mystery for him.Nevertheless, there was no doubt that the administration of the Atlesian Buerecracy was enormous and it was as complicated as it was enormous. Ardyn knew that by himself, he wouldn't be able to orient in this mess, so having someone who would do it for him was a good thing.Right now, they were waiting in the lobby of the Department of Immigration, which was under the Ministry of State, but fortunately, the wait wasn't really that long, as there weren't many people here in the first place.With the papers that the Khuns prepared, obtaining the Immigration Permit was pretty easy, and everything was finished within around half an hour. There were plemntly of people immigrating to the Atlas or the ones that wanted to immigrate into the Atlas.Of course, one needed to pass extremely strict reviews during the entire Immigration Process to obtain the permit to enter the Atlas. For the people entering Solitas illegally, they were usually killed on the spot as the Atlesian Dominion was extremely strict with border control.The real fun started at the Ministry of the State, Department of State Affairs, because the entire process was very lengthy, and the review took more than one hour.But in the end, after spending one hour answering pretty rudimentary questions or the things that he could generally answer, he officially became the Atlesian National Civilian after he was given all the necessary documents.Unbeknownst to Ardyn, it was thanks to the influence of the Khun Family that the entire thing took only around one hour."So where are we heading now?"Ardyn asked, and the trio walked out of one of the administrative buildings within the capital of the Dominion, as he still marveled at the sight of the city. The Atlas was a combination of the most advanced technologies one could imagine, combined with Magic, which created a rather fascinating view.From time to time, one could see some Aerodynes flying around the city. An Aerodyne or Aerodyne Vehicle, commonly abbreviated as AV, is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft or VTOL...Basically, a combination of car and jet.In a weird combination.It was one of the countless technological wonders that the Atlas had to offer, and from what Ardyn heard from Maschenny, Aerodynes were common only in the Atlas, while only some pieces were exported to the other countries.Namely, to the Kingdom of Vale, where the Aerodynes were pretty popular as well and were a thing of status. All of these cars were manufactured by the corporation named Rayfield, an Atlesian company that manufactures luxury vehicles, being known for their quality sports cars and limousines.Cutting-edge technologies were also utilized in the production of their vehicles, such as in-built Wards and Magic Barrier Generators, as well as weapon systems.Aside from the Aerondynes that were flying through the panorama of the city, there were also people flying through the city... apparently, once someone reached a certain degree of power in the Spiritron Cultivation, they could fly, or some Magi could fly even before that with the usage of flight spells.This was certainly something he would need to get used to."Ministry of Citizenship. This would be more troublesome than the rest, but fortunately enough, we have several Letters of Recommendation, and Princess Maschenny recorded the number of Grimm that you slayed. Which helps greatly in this case, because within the borders of the Astlesian Dominion, there is military merit in slaying any and all creatures of the Grimm."Khun Royale Elliot stated as he looked at his relative, who was looking bored as hell.Maschenny herself didn't know why she even agreed to come here in the first place, but she also thought that it wouldn't take this long.Apparently, she thought that everything would be done in a flash, but that was a rather severe miscalculation that she had made. She would have preferred other activities compared to this, but now that she had learned to choose this, she needed to bear with it.Ardyn noticed that even though both Khuns were from the same family, there wasn't much familiarity between them. Which wasn't really that surprising, as the Great Families of Remnant numbered in the hundreds, sometimes even in the thousands of members.Due to the longevity of the Remnantians, especially the ones who reached the very high Levels in the Spiritron Cultivation, and especially the ones who were also Magi, it wasn't a problem for them to live for many centuries unless they were killed by powerful Grimm or another kind of enemy.The lifespans of Remnantians were long, way longer than those on Earth or Eos, and it was primarily attributed to the Spiritrons. Ardyn noticed that even people without their Spiritrons awakened were able to live easily for a hundred years, and that diseases were actually pretty rare on the Remnant.The Khuns were one of the more populous Great Families, and Maschenny's status within the family was also very special.As she was the Princess of the Family.Her status was pretty high on the overall hierarchy.Compared to the other nations of Remnant, the Atlesian Dominion was ruled by strict rules and a hierarchical structure. Even the ordinary Atlesians function on these principles as well, because, from what Ardyn could see, everyone was doing what they should do and in the most efficient way.The entire city was also very clean, and people behaved in a strange, disciplined way."Aside from Captain Ironwood, someone else gave me a recommendation?"Obtaining the Citizenship of Atlas was no easy feat, and ironically, they were the only kingdom with such a concept, because other Kingdoms had only Citizenship in the most broad and general sense.Not the strict and rigid version of what was in the Atlesian Dominion."Yes... Apparently, there is also one from the Patriarch and one from the Principal Vandyck of the Alsius Thors Military Sentinel Academy."This time, it was Ardyn's turn to be surprised, but not because of the Khun Eduan writing him the Letter of Recommendation, because he already anticipated that the scheming blue-haired girl had her hands in that.But the second one was more surprising.Juulius Hadrian Vandyck was the current Principal of the Alsius Thors Military Sentinel Academy and one of three Marshals of the Dominion Military."Really? I didn't think that such a bigshot in the Dominion would know of me..."Ardyn muttered because he had some idea about Principal Vandyck of the Alsius Thors.Juulius Hadrian Vandyck was one of the Limit Saints of the Atlesian Dominion and was also an extremely powerful and knowledgeable Magus. Aside from his personal power, which was fearsome, Juulius Vandyck was also a highly respected war veteran and was one of the heroes of the Solitan Great War from more than two hundred years ago.Solitan Great War was the civil war of the Imperium of Atlas, which resulted in the dissolution of the Imperium of Atlas and the establishment of the Atlesian Dominion. Juulius Vandyck was one of the highly decorated Generals of the Trifarix Forces.Many speculated that, if not for his advanced age, the man would have a very good chance of becoming the next Holy Saint of the Atlesian Dominion, but nowadays such chances were unknown."That would be normally true, but Principal Vandyck is known to keep an eye on the news about any geniuses appearing within the territory of the Atlesian Dominion."Khun Royale Elliot answered, because it wasn't that surprising that the old man in the Lius Thors Military Sentinel Academy would know of him."Alright... anything else?"Ardyn was pleasantly surprised because it would basically ease his own way of searching for backround. Right now, even though he had talent, he was without any backround or support, something he needed to remedy as soon as possible."Apparently, it's for enrollment into the Alsius Thors Military Sentinel Academy."Attending the "school" wasn't really something he was keen on, but at the same time, he learned that the Academies functioned very differently. Every nation had its own primary "Huntsman Academy" and several minor ones...They were institutions created many millennia ago to establish a centralized system of education to cultivate a new generation of Huntsmen, Mages, and Warriors to fight the creatures of Grimm.The most famous were:Alsius Thors Military Sentinel Academy was famous for its military culture, extremely rigid hierarchy, and combat orientation. Unlike the other Academies, the Alsius Thors Military Sentinel Academy also taught topics not offered by the others, such as military strategy and tactics, field troop command, and other skills officers needed in the army. The Alsius Thors was primarily focusing on cultivating troops, officers, and professionals for the Atlesian Military.Celestial Haven Academy of Mistral, which was more focused on the Spiritron Cultivation, Aura Skills, Aura Manipulation and Aura-based Martial Arts. Celestial Haven Academy was the oldest one among the Four Great Academies, but it was also in the worst state and in sharp decline due ot the various internal reasons. Initially established by the Imperial House of Qin and supported by the Ancestral Court and the Great Thousand Martial Palace, after worsening relations between the Imperial Clan and two major organizations in the Anima, the Celestial Haven Academy began to decline.Royal Shade Warrior Academy of the Sultanate of Vacuo was probably the best school for anything related to survival in the wilderness and other similar skills. It also made much of their local enviroment a desert, so their courses leaned more toward fighting in the unfriendly environment and using everything at hand for survival.Holy Beacon Academy was the last of the important Academies that he was counting in his head. It was the most comprehensive and basically lacked any specific specialization like the others. On the other hand, it was very famous for its most versatile curriculum and, generally speaking, for having the highest ratio of some of the strongest Professionals as the faculty members.It was generally told that their Aura Knights and Mag were the most skilled in the entire world. The Holy Beacon Academy was arguably the best Academy for the cultivation of the people who had the highest success rate at the Hunter Association, because the success rate of the applicants for the Hunter Certificate was over 95%.Which was a staggeringly high number.Apparently, the only downside was that the Holy Beacon Academy was basically a state within the state in the Kingdom of Vale. One of the reasons was due to its Headmaster, who was one of the Heavenly Monarchs, but also due to the fact that the entire Great Family, the Roselia Family, rose from the ranks of the Holy Beacon Academy, and the Academy itself cultivated several Limit Saints and even one or two Holy Saints.All things considered, Ardyn knew there were many benefits to attending the Academy.Something Maschenny was very vocal about, for whatever reason.Still, he understood the value of attending the Academy and what was another added bonus, the fact that there were also special students with special needs that did not really fit the concept of years.Meaning, even though normally one needed to attend the Academy for four years, there was also a special course for students who could not be classified by usual standards, and those students had much greater freedom than the others.Maschenny was one; most members of the Great Families of the Dominion were also one. In fact, most of the students who attended the General-Class System were actually commoners or people with rather ordinary talent and aptitude.Another form of social hierarchy was shown in the Atlas."We should get going before the clerks at the Ministry of Citizenship go for lunch..."As they went to their destination by car, Ardyn looked at bored Maschenny, who was pondering over something as she looked through the window. Although she wasn't a chatterbox, this kind of silence wasn't something that he was used to from her."Hey, Elliot. Do you think that he will have the chances for the 3rd-Class Knighthood?"Suddenly, she turned around from the window and stared at her family member with that inblinking look that could give even grown Huntsman fright. Even though Khun Royale Elliot was someone who was a fairly powerful Titled Saint and was also a Certified S-Rank Huntsman of the Hunter Association, he still felt very uncomfortable under Maschenny's gaze.The girl learned to be extremely spooky and how to annoy people to get exactly what she wanted. Khun Royale Eliot knew that Maschenny was manipulative, cunning, and too smart for her own good sometimes.Yet her talent was undeniable to the point where even the Patriarch, who was her father, spent no small time personally guiding her. The number that the Patriarch of the Khun Family personally guided through his entire life could be almost counted on one hand.Which was almost unprecedented, considering the size of the Khun family and also the number of children that Khun Eduan sired. Among the heads of the Great Families, Khun Eduan was most hedonistic and had the most wives, many more lovers and concubines, and many children.He was also the reason why, in the past three centuries, the number of Khuns multiplied fivefold because he had many children and those had more and more descendants. This also greatly increased the overall power of the Khun Family, because it gave them high numbers even compared to the other Great Families.Yet it also made the internal competition within the Khun Family far fiercer than it was before. Everyone was competing for the resources and positions within the family, which were limited in the first place, but this also resulted in the collective strengthening of the Atlesian Military.A lot of members of the Khun Family joined the military service directly and were serving in the military of the Atlesian Dominion. The Great Families and their clansmen rarely joined the militaries of their respective nations, as they tended to maintain their autonomy and power above everything else.Till now, only the members of the Arie Family and the Lo Po Bia Family were joining members of the Atlesian Military in greater numbers."Truthfully speaking, I am not sure. With the number of Grimms slain, Merit for the rescue of the Princess, and also the recommendations for the Patriarch, the 2nd-Class Knighthood is basically guaranteed. But obtaining the Aristocratic Title of the Grand Knight would be more complex... considering the fact that he was still a foreigner not long ago, and unless we play it smart or your father gets involved even more, we will have to settle for the 2nd-Class Knighthood."Khun Royale Elliot answered honestly because he knew what the Princess wanted to achieve, and while it would be good... he wasn't really sure if it was possible right now.The Atlesian society was extremely strict and rigid; everything turned around Merit and personal strength here. Still, there was the fact that Ardyn was not just a foreigner who had only obtained the National Civilianship and Citizenship a few hours ago or so...Which was the problem because the 3rd-Class Knighthood brought certain privileges that were rather problematic to explain and give to someone who was a foreigner just a few hours ago.Such a thing would be unprecedented in the history of the Dominion and perhaps even that of the Imperium of Atlas preceding the Dominion. This was something that made a few people in the administration rather reluctant because it would be directly breaching several unspoken rules of the Dominion.Nevertheless, there was the fact that this entire endeavor had the support of one of the Holy Saints of the Dominion, one peak Limit Saint, and parts of the military.So the situation was rather complicated.'Well, if what Patriarch said is true, then if they form a team and manage to fill the rest with at least someone who is not outright deadweight, they have a solid chance at winning the Imperial Smelting Trial next year... still... this generation at the Academy is really filled with monsters... Princess Maschenny, that sword maniac Arie, then the eldest daughter of Gehrman Schnee and granddaughter of Winter Summoner Holy Saint, and then there are those two as well... with this Atlas may even win the Holy Blade Dance Tournament of Six Stars...'As someone from the Khun Family, winning events like this would bring them unprecedented prestige, and the rewards for the 1st place in the Imperial Smelting Trial and especially the Holy Blade Dance Tournament of Six Stars were something that would tempt even powerful Rankers.Especially those of commoner origin would kill even for a spot of participation, much less for winning prizes. Even a prize for the last-Ranked spot within the Holy Blade Dance Tournament of Six Stars was something that could change someone's fate and would tempt even the geniuses of the Great Families.But the difficulty of the Holy Blade Dance Tournament of Six Stars was equally staggering, because it wasn't just the representatives of the Academies around the world, but also the Great Family, organizations backed by Holy Saints, or various reclusive factions, that resurfaced and participated in the Holy Blade Dance Tournament of Six Stars.Everyone was eager for the rewards for winning the Tournament."Can't we bypass it? He has Twin Semblances he has shown, which alone raises his genetic value to the Dominion by a whole degree, as the number of those with such a strong Bloodline Lineage Factor could be almost counted on one hand."Maschenny stated as Ardyn looked at the blue-haired teen with a mildly amused expression that was merging with one of distress. Particularly, he didn't really like that she was talking about him if he wasn't even present, but at the same time, he was also curious where all of this would lead to."Hmm... that could technically work. He awakened his Spiritrons apparently just right now and is already a Level 20 Spiritron Apprentice, which is pretty unusual for someone outside of the Great Families. We can try it, but if we do, then the Council of Heralds would insist on several exclusive missions at a later date."Within the Dominion, the Council of Heralds handled everything regarding the Ennoblement and issuing the Aristocratic Titles to the Citizens. The Atlasian Dominion had rather extremely strict conditions for the Ennoblement of the Citizens and obtaining the Aristocratic Titles of any kind.Under the laws of the Atlesian Dominion, it was extremely hard to create their own Aristocratic Families and even then, if one compared the privileges of the Nobles in the Atlas to those of the Vale, Vacuo, or Mistral, then the result was rather clear.The power of the Aristocrats in the Atlas was the lowest compared to the other nations.This could be especially seen in the position of the Knights, who were often compared to that of the Kingdom of Vale.For the Knights, there was no way that they would be allowed to create their own Noble House, like in Vale, where it was allowed. Only the Grand Knights were allowed to establish their Knightly Houses, but these Houses lacked any real power within the Dominion, and it was more or less only a ceremonial Title.Compared to the Kingdom of Vale, where the Knight Houses were a real deal and pretty numerous, in the Atlasian Dominion, the Knight Houses were considered only as Pseudo-Aristocracies and were not really considered Aristocratic Lineages.Only the Lesser Houses were.Primarily because the Vale was the birthplace of the traditional Nobility in the Remnant, and they had the longest Knight Traditions in the world. And while it was true that the Mistralis, technically speaking, created the concept of the Aura Knight, it never took off in that place as they already had a very strong Martial Art culture, and thus the Vale became the birthplace of the Aura Knights in the Remnant.Which only strengthened the entire Knight Culture in the Vale.Still, Ardyn knew how social status was important in societies like this.Especially in the most rigid ones.One could say that it was everything.He knew that if he gained a higher social status, his time in the Atlas would be much easier, and he would have many rights and privileges that he wouldn't even have with Citizenship.Maschenny mentioned that the nation that was most "liberal", if the word was even right for it, was Vale. Commoners in Vale could actually lead a relatively good life, as long as they were not Faunus.Still, compared to Atlas and Mistral, Vale was a paradise for the Faunus species.Apparently, Empire was the worst place for the faunus because anyone who was found would be immediately enslaved without a second thought and sold to some of the Mistrali Clans.And it was a well-known fact that the Mistralians had a high casualty rate for their slaves, as most perished during training as they served as living targets or were used in some obscure rituals, or even worse.Still, according to what Maschenny told him, Atlas wasn't really much better, as the humans couldn't really get past their hatred toward their kind."Then make it happen."She commanded as she then turned her attention to me with narrowed eyes."Will you care to explain all of this later? It seems that you are far more invested in this than I personally..."Ardyn asked, and seeing her nod her head made him rest easily as he just looked through the window of their car and observed the city. He knew that she was plotting something, but surprisingly, he didn't sense malice from her.Plotting schemes was Ardyn's specialty.Ardyn Izunia could sense anyone's intention toward him just from a single look.That was the combination of being more than two thousand years old, or so he had thought, now that he started considering his merged entity as an entirely new being, and also having the Starscourge in him.When it came to that, he couldn't really use it, but he could sense the thing in his body. He knew it had been turned into that thing they called Noble Arte. He could feel that there was some sort of Innate Magic in his body that he couldn't acess no matter what.***Ardyn and Maschenny waited in the lobby of the Council of Heralds for the final decision regarding the evaluation. Maschenny's clansman, Khun Royale Elliot, who acted as his lawyer, had finished everything, and now the sole thing awaiting them was the verdict.In the end, due to the Letters of Recommendation that he got from Captain Ironwood, Principal Juulius Vandyck, and, surprisingly and shockingly, there was even one from Blue Thunderclap Holy Saint, who also wrote him one, the matters were simple in there.Thanks to these things, the entire procedures at the Ministry of Citizenship went smoothly, and within one hour, Ardyn Izunia was a Citizen of the Atlesian Dominion. He received his Citizenship and several documents confirming his Citizenship of the Atlesian Dominion.Then all three of them headed to the Council of Heralds, which was located in the adjacent building to The Citadel of Atlas, where they submitted the request for Ennoblement and all things that were required for the action by the Council."So, what's this commotion all about, blue-hair?"Ardyn asked with his typical teasing grin as he looked at Khun Maschenny while they were waiting in the lobby of the Council of Heralds. He was rather curious what plot she was cooking, because he could see a kindred spirit in her.The girl's eyebrows twitched in annoyance, and even Khun Royale Eliot looked at the young man with surprise, because nobody really dared to tease Maschenny, considering how violent and vengeful the girl could be."I don't think that you are aware of what the Imperial Smelting Trial is, am I correct?"Maschenny asked as he just nodded toward her question, because he had absolutely no idea. One part of him wanted to say something, because what she asked was pretty stupid considering the fact that he lacked most of the common knowledge, but in the end, he withheld these thoughts for himself.Soon, needing, she proceeded to explain what exactly the Imperial Smelting Trial was and what she was actually scheming on this sunny day."In the past, before the formation of the Atlesian Dominion several centuries ago, there existed it's predecessor nation named Imperium of Atlas. Mighty nation, but full of flaws, and in the end, the incompetence and weakness of its Emperors led the nation to ruin and then to the rebellion. The Imperial Family of the Imperium was, in the past, when the Imperium was established, fairly powerful and produced a good number of Limit Saits and even several Holy Saints.She proceeded to explain that the power of the Imperial Darkwill Family was something to behold in the past, and they were once far more powerful than any individual Great Family or powerful factions.Which was pretty fascinating considering their humble origins and the fact that most of the Solitas were colonized by various dubious elements that escaped from the Anima, Sanus, or other continents."And most of that power was due to the Imperial Smelting Trial. It's basically a sort of competition held in an ancient place called the Tower, an independent plane that operates on its own rules, where the various young Atlesian Adepts would undergo Trials. Most of the Imperial Smelting Trial is fought in teams... the winning team will obtain the right to undergo the Revolution."Ardyn listened attentively because now a lot of things were making sense to him.It seemed that Maschenny realized his value if he was cultivated for some time and wanted to obtain him as a partner for the Imperial Smelting Trial that would take place in the future, so she could increase her chances for winning.Considering his unique talents and the value of the Twin Semblances, God-Level Semblance and Ultimate-Level Semblance that she explained to him previously, he was rather sure that she was eying the first place in the Imperial Smelting Trial.Yet, at the same time, there was something that wasn't sitting with him...For him, the origin of the Imperial Smelting Trial must be pretty extraordinary if none of the Holy Saints or even those far more terrifying entities whom she called Heavenly Monarchs intervened in the Imperial Smelting Trial and seized it for themselves.Unfortunately, he didn't get the opportunity to ask for further information, because as he was about to say something, the doors opened and one of the Envoys of the Council of Heralds entered the lobby."The Council has passed its decree. With this Warrant of Aristocracy, Citizen Ardyn Izunia has been awarded the 3rd-Class Knighthood and Aristocratic Title of Grand Knight for his feats of slaughtering an entire smaller Grimm Horde, rescuing the Princess of the Khun Family, and possessing a tested and confirmed Bloodline Lineage Factor at the God-Level, possessing Twin Semblances at the God-Level and Ultimate Level. With all of these things considered, he is thus named as The Knight of the Realm."The Herald, a middle-aged man with an ordinary-looking face and black hair, passed Ardyn the Warrant of Aristocracy, a huge, hardened parchment made from a very special material that could not be easily destroyed."With this, the Grand Knight Ardyn Izunia is entitled to establish his Knightly House within the territory of the Atlesian Dominion and build his Knight Estate. The Title of the Grand Knight for the Knighthood of Izunia is valid only for one generation, where the subsequent generation would need to renew the Warrant of Aristocracy with the Military Merit or other kind of Merit to the Atlesian Dominion."As the Herald of the Council of the Herelads stated his piece, he took the Warrant of Aristocracy from the Herald's hands as the man had already disappeared into the nothingness."Well, that went better than anticipated... though that the old coots would make a fuss of this..."Maschenny commented from the side with a bit of sarcasm, but overall, she was very satisfied with the outcome. This was already the best outcome that they could hope for, because the 3rd-Class Knighthood of the Grand Knight was the best that they could hope for in the short term.Ardyn, too, was satisfied because in one step, he skipped over decades worth of problems and efforts, straight away into the social status that some people strived for through their entire lives."So what now after this is done?"He asked as the only thing that remained was to go to the Department of Atlesian Aristocratic Bloodline Lineages for the Seal of Approval from the State Authorities that would be added to the Warrant of Aristocracy and then to the Department of Records to be officially recorded within the Dominion's internal databases.But neither of these things required anything, as one would just walk there, present the Warrant of Aristocracy and some documents, and that was it."Well, we'll handle the remaining things, and then we can go somewhere to eat something."Maschenny stated because she had some free time before returning to the Alsius Thors Military Sentinel Academy. Her schedule was already packed enough, but she was making some free time so she could accompany him to these matters."Are you returning back to the Academy?"He knew that she wouldn't be staying in the Atlas for a long time, and he himself would be going to the Alsius Thors only several days later.Alsius Thors Military Sentinel Academy was the whole name of the Great Academy of the Atlesian Dominion. Albeit, for most of the time, it was being called either Alsius Military Academy or Thors Military Academy.The entire campus of the Alsius Thors Military Sentinel Academy was located far from the main city of the Atlas, in the wilderness of the Floating Island. The name of the Floating Island itself, upon which the entire City of Atlas was built, was Ionia.Over time, as time progressed, the Floating Island of Ionia was expanded by many generations of Mages who were using their Magic to actually expand the landmass of the entire island and make it more sturdy and durable.After obtaining the Citizenship and Noble Title, Maschenny informed Ardyn that she would be returning to the Academy. He himself was coming there only a few days later, because he still had some things that he needed to handle."Yeah, I need to report on some things and also handle some things in the aftermath of the mission that we took in there, but were ambushed by a Frost Wyvern that was passing by."Maschenny answered because she should have reported back to the Alsius Thors Military Sentinel Academy some time ago, but as she was basically the high-ranking member of the Khun Family, there were some privileges that others didn't have."Then we will see each other there after I finish some things in the Atlas."Ardyn said that because he still had some things to do, several of them were basically handling the aftermath of being Ennobled into the status of the Grand Knight.One of them was claiming the benefits of being the Grand Knight, especially one at age 17, as it seemed that the biological age of his body was seventeen years old. Technically speaking, he would need to undergo the Special Admission Exams to get into the Alsius Thors Academy.Because of his condition of knowing not much about Remnant, much less having enough knowledge to get admitted into one of the most prestigious institutions in the entirety of the Remnant, he was taking the Special Admission Exam.This was allowed because of his special condition, and the fact that he was Grand Knight at the age of seventeen certainly helped tremendously. He didn't know what the Special Admission Exam would entail, nor was Maschenny actually allowed to say something about it."Well, I am now going to buy some new clothes, are you going with?"Ardyn asked her because, before going to eat something, he needed to buy some new clothes, and then he needed to head to the Department of Atlesian Aristocratic Bloodline Lineages to claim the benefits.There were good rewards at the Department of Atlesian Aristocratic Bloodline Lineages for being ennobled and awarded the 3rd-Class Knighthood and the Title of the Grand Knight."Why not..."Compared to the other young women of her age, Maschenny wasn't that into clothes and other things, as she was far more interested in weapons and fighting powerful opponents.Though she still had some time before she would return back to the Alsius Thors.But before the exam time, which would be in several days, Ardyn now headed directly from the clothing store to the Department of Atlesian Aristocratic Bloodline Lineages to claim the benefits of being a Grand Knight of the Atlesian Dominion.On the Lien Cards that he obtained were several million in Lien, so technically speaking, he was pretty rich. Or rather richer than most commoners or some pretty poor Knights, but it still wasn't really a lot.He was dressed in a black trench coat and pinstripe trousers. He also wore a red scarf and a hooded, gray and white flower-print mantle, because the weather was rather cold in Ionia, but not as much as around the rest of Solitas.Even though there were several Weather Control Wards around the entirety of the island, they were not really actively making the island warmer, because it would seriously harm the enviroment, so the natural inhabitants of the island were still pretty cold.On the top of his head was a stylish black fedora, as he copied the clothes that he wore in his time as the Chancellor of the Niflheim Empire. He had to admit that the clothes looked pretty stylish and were rather eccentric, amid the rather modest and conservative Atlesian fashion."And now you looked like a proper pompous Atlesian Noble..."Maschenny commented as they walked side to side to one of the restaurants in the center of the Atlas, after they were finished with the matters at the Department of Atlesian Aristocratic Bloodline Lineages, and he claimed the benefits of the 3rd-Class Knighthood."Ts... whatever... at least it looks good."He returned because he really liked this set... it was his favorite from the life as Ardyn Izunia on Eos, and it certainly fit the theme and aesthetics of the Atlesian Dominion."Whatever... let's go to the Department of Atlesian Aristocratic Bloodline Lineages and then let's eat something... I am famished already."Fortunately, their trip to the Department of Atlesian Aristocratic Bloodline Lineages took only a very short time because he presented the Warrant of Aristocracy, received his reward, and left the Department with the Princess of the Khun Family to find a place to eat.***Several Hours LaterWhen he arrived at the already familiar, his two Gyrinxes trottled after him lazily as both animals preferred to stay back at the hotel, where he was staying right now. As it seemed, the Dominion Aristocrats could stay in certain hotels for free of charge, which was one of the minor perks of being elevated to the Knight Of The Realm.Another of the privileges that one obtained after being ennobled.On Maschenny's advice, he awakened the Spiritrons of both Maahes and Bastet, so they could grow more powerful and assist him in combat. Not to mention, the Aura would protect his two felines if something went wrong and they were targeted during the combat.He didn't linger long at the Department of Atlesian Aristocratic Bloodline Lineages, as he still had a lot of chores to do. This also reminded him that he really needed servants or someone who would be doing these problematic and odd jobs for him.Sirius Grey was someone who couldn't even leave the house without two servants and oversight of the entire company of bodyguards. Ardyn Izunia, on the other hand, wasn't used to handling such menial tasks by himself, because he always had tons of people who would do that in his place.Being titled as the Grand Knight, he could establish his Knightly House and Knight Estate, which was something that he planned to do, but not right now. He was pitifully weak, and he was aware that he became Grand Knight only thanks to sheer luck and support from the higher-ups of the Dominion.From what he had seen, the average strength of the Grand Knights within the Dominion was at least Spiritron Master, or the people who were at least B-Ranked Huntsmen who passed the Hunter Certification at the Hunter Association.'I obtained a rather lot of things from my Grand Knight Title... the Department of Nobles and Aristocrats was really generous in this one.'Ardyn looked at the things that he obtained; he was pretty satisfied.When it came to the monetary rewards that came up with the 3rd-Class Knighthood of the Atlesian Dominion, a person was awarded with:1st - One-time financial stipend of 25 million Lien2nd - C-Grade Pocket3rd - C-Grade Arms Inventory4th - Workshop Ticket for C-Grade Weapon5th - Luxurious Penthouse Located in the Aristocratic District of AtlasAnd these were just the monetary or material rewards. He was rather surprised by the fact that they even gave him Arms Inventory, because those were pretty precious things... from what he heard from Maschenny, Inventories of any kind were rare.Even she herself obtained only a D-Grade Inventory, and she was rahter vocal about it, but nevertheless, she was also aware that she could get her hands on even a higher Grade Inventory if she wished and showcased some achievements to the family.Inventory was one of the major kinds of "Inventories" that existed in the Remnant. It was a combination of Magical Guidance Engineering and ancient Spells. It was used for storing one's weapons, so the Huntsmen, Aura Knights, Magi or other experts didn't need to carry their weapons with them all the time on their person.It also had greater advantages compared to the standart Dimensional Storage, because when one summoned Inventory, it was instantly ready, and one could choose from the weapons inside.Similar to a Pocket, it has a Visible Mode and an Invisible Mode.And due to this, the Inventories were extremely expensive and not something that ordinary people or even ordinary Huntsmen could afford to buy.'Now I understand why she wanted to recruit me so hard... it seems that if one is already Grand Knight and participates in the Imperial Smelting Trial, they could take two retainers with them to the Trail... basically lawfully breaking the limit of participants in one team, which is 7 Members...'This rule wasn't the rule of the Imperial Smelting Trial per se, but actually the rule of the Atlesian Dominion itself, which created these kinds of rules so the members of the Great Families and the Atlesian Military had an advantage.Most of the members of the Great Families and Atlesian Military who would be entering the Imperial Smelting Trial would already take this into consideration and make necessary contributions and obtain enough Military Merit so they could be ennobled as the Grand Knights.This would give them the right to bring two retainers with them.This then basically bloated the numbers in one team from the original 7 to something between 14 and 21 maximally.He now understood how the rules of Atlas were technically skewed to favor the Atlesian Bloodline Lineage Aristocrats, as it was clear that the Atlesians didn't want the commoners or potential spies from the other nations to enter the Imperial Smelting Trial and obtain some benefits out of the Trial.But also considering how strict the Junker Aristocracy requirements were in the Atlasian Dominion, and he also managed to see several tens of cases of people being stripped of their Title and some even being outright executed.He understood that everything was based on Merit, power, and talent.If someone obtained the Grand Knight Title at such a young age, it meant that their potential was staggeringly high. Such a person was certainly worth cultivating, and thus, they created a rule that benefited those people.These rules were not only created to benefit those people but also to motivate them to work harder and rise in the social ladder, which would also mean that, at the same time, they would become more powerful.For an old fox like Ardyn, he needed only a few days to obtain a complete and relatively deep understanding of the Atlesian society. One could say that everything in the Atlesian Dominion was about Power, Merit, Magic and Bloodline Lineage.He read that it wasn't impossible for one to rise to a point where they could establish a new Great Family.The last case of such a thing happened only a few centuries ago, during the great turmoil, with some of the greatest Grimm incursions happening and Faunus strifes breaking everywhere.The youngest of the Great Families in Atlas, and in truth, among all the Great Families together.The Schnee Family.Established single-handedly by Nicolas Schenne, Titled as the Holy Saint Winter Summoner, as he was known across the Remnant. The man who was a peerless Runemaster, Sorcerer, and Anima to the point where he was a one-man army with his Summons that numbered in tens of thousands, according to the rumors.Then there was also the case of the Great Thousand Martial Palace, which was established several centuries prior to the rise of the Schnee Family by two Holy Saint-Level Martial Artists named Bang and Bomb.Two hermits who spent most of their time training in the Martial Arts were one day forced to leave their mountain and established the Great Thousand Martial Palace and recruited a whole number of powerful Martial Artists and Swordsmen to create their Martial Palace.Such powerful factions rose only rarely.'Even though the social hierarchy in the Atlas is the strictest and life is extremely shitty if people don't contribute, it's also the only nation where one can easily rise to a higher standing without many obstacles... something that cannot be really said bout the other three kingdoms.'In the other kingdoms, the status quo was different.While the commoners enjoyed much greater freedoms than the average Atlesian National Civilian, and overall life was easier there, mostly because of the fewer restrictions imposed on the people and fewer requirements...There was also a downside to this, because at the same time, there was a much smaller chance of ascending through the social hierarchy ladder.Nevertheless, he needed to go and stop by the same bank and create a Bank Account, so he could receive the Lien and also upload the contents of the ownerless Lien Cards that he had in his possession.What was fortunate, though, was that another perk of being an Atlesian Bloodline Lineage Aristocrat in the Atlesian Dominion was that everything was done at the highest speed at any public or private institution.The quality of the services was top-notch... this wasn't true just for the Nobles, but also for the Citizens, as they would get priority and quicker procedures than the ordinary Civilian Nationals.So, fortunately enough, Ardyn managed to get everything at The Imperial Vault-Bank of Atlas, which was a bank older than the entire Atlesian Dominion, but a good several centuries, because it was established during the old Imperial Era.It was the most prominent Banking Institution not only in the Atlas, but also in the entirety of the Remnant. The thing was, they only served five types of clients.Either one needed to be a Certified B-Rank Huntsman or above, or equally powerful Magus, as not every Magus took the certification exam. Then one needed to be either a rich Merchant or Businessman, an Atlesian Bloodline Lineage Aristocrat, Corporation or Company, and lastly fall into the category of "Be Personally Invited by the Bank".Ardyn was rahter lucky, because he had his Aristocratic Title and Warrant of Aristocracy; thus, he could open an account at The Imperial Vault-Bank of Atlas. Their services were top-notch, even faster than average, and within half an hour, his bank account was already connected to his Pocket, and his account now has something above 35 million Lien.Which was certainly a lot of money.Considering the fact that the buying strength of the Lien was high.It was a global curse, and the economies of the four kingdoms were rather... interwinded too much, but such a level of economic and sometimes even industrial cooperation was an absolute necessity for the continual survival of their kingdoms.One needed just one Lien to buy a pack of cigarettes or to get a somewhat decent meal in a very average restaurant.A meal in a fancy one costs around five Lien...Ardyn was a pretty rich man right now,The next thing on his list was returning to the hotel and going through the curriculum of the Alsius Thors Military Sentinel Academy, and also to start training in the Asura-Style Slaughter Swordsmanship, which he obtained from the Karmic Gacha.He suspected that the Special Admission Exam would be a lot of combat, so it was better to prepare for that.All of the Great Academies of the Remnant were heavily combat-oriented, as their purpose was to create and cultivate a new generation of powerhouses that would fight against the Grimm and enemies of Remnant.The initial idea when the concept of the academies was established across the Remnant, it was initially proposed by the Hunter Assocaition ot bolster upp the number of Huntsmen and Hunters that the Hunter Association had.Over time, though, this changed as the academies grew in number and size; many of them were more supported by their respective nations than the Hunter Association, and thus their goals and principles shifted.Alsius Thors was especially notable in that regard, as it also nurtured future soldiers and military officers. Hence, the discipline and order were much greater than at the other Great Academies of Remnant that focused primarily on the cultivation of new Huntsmen.