Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

"Can't Marna stop her?" Koval was taken aback.

Fugwald glanced at him and said, "What I meant by stopping them was using words. Marna's was to beat them up and then pick them up and take them home."

It seems I've accidentally overheard a lot of important news.

Roy's mind conjured up an image of little Margaret, wielding a wooden stick, shouting cringeworthy slogans as she charged at Marner, only to be quickly lifted up and spanked while crying. His expression twisted involuntarily.

It seems so embarrassing, but it's also so exciting, haha, Margaret, is this your weakness?

Oh no, I've become a twisted Nearl fan too.

"Ahem! Master, please don't speak ill of my sister!"

Maria coughed lightly, her cheeks flushed, and said, "That's my admired older sister. I...I'm actually quite interested in these kinds of embarrassing stories." But seeing Roy's even more intrigued expression, Maria knew she couldn't let Uncle Fugwald continue.

Koval turned around, nodded in sudden realization, and said:

"Right, right, I almost forgot the important thing. Helping this young man forge a weapon, right? Hmm... it's not impossible, it's just..."

"As for materials, I can provide them if needed. I will also pay for forging and labor costs at market prices, and I will do my best to pay your wages."

Roy said seriously.

Money was something external to Roy; while he didn't consider it worthless, he wasn't overly concerned with it either. Koval, on the other hand, was a true military craftsman, skilled and proficient. Even though he had been retired for many years, experience only grows richer with time. Asking him to forge a weapon, costing a small amount of money and materials, was nothing to him.

This is a genuine military-grade weapon. Even though the Knights of Kazimir's Conquest are already somewhat divided, the Overseer's Council still strictly controls the distribution of weapons. To obtain a custom-made military-grade weapon, even Roy only has two options: first, find Xuan Tie and request it directly from him; second, completely align himself with the Commercial Federation and use the power of capital to forcibly break through the controls and obtain one. Regarding the former, the longbow Roy rarely uses is a precious bow given to him by Xuan Tie. As for the latter, the Commercial Federation isn't stupid; would they so easily give Roy a military weapon without confirming his sincerity?

Not to mention, most people wouldn't get such an opportunity. Only if little Maria asked would Koval agree to help. Roy's suggestion was reasonable; it wouldn't make Koval lose a penny, and he might even make a profit.

But the burly Ursus man remained silent for a long time before finally shaking his head:

"I don't need that."

Money meant little to him. After being discharged from the army, he became a plumber, living a frugal but content life. He had more to ask Roy for than to ask Roy for money.

"Young man, I, Maria, am saying you are her knight mentor, right?"

Roy waved his hand: "I wouldn't say that. To be precise, I'm just a tutor."

Maria has her own knightly mentor. Her knightly beliefs come from her sister, and her fighting skills come from her aunt. No matter how dazzling Roy's current fame is, she has never given up on her original dream. As for her mentor Roy, although he teaches Maria some combat skills on a regular basis, those skills have nothing to do with the word "knight."

In general terms, it includes things like temperament, values, personality, and how to treat others. More specifically, it includes reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance, self-defense (close combat), and Roy's self-created archery skills. These are all within the scope of her teaching.

Maria is a rough gem, Roy believes, her brilliance is no less than that of the Radiant Knight, she just needs more careful polishing.

But Koval didn't care about all that. There were some differences between a tutor and a knight instructor, but the work was basically the same, so he didn't bother to distinguish between them. He simply said:

Do you know what Maria's biggest dream is?

To become a craftsman and provide the best logistical support for Margaret and Marna? Roy recalled Maria's self-narration during the long night before the light.

Koval's voice didn't stop; he continued:

"It means being with family."

Whether she became a craftswoman to provide support, or a knight to protect the Nearl family, Maria's ultimate goal was simply to be with her loved ones. She wasn't a wild Kuranta; on the contrary, she deeply cherished her life among the horses. But this little pony lost her parents when she was an infant, and her grandfather passed away when she was a child. After finally experiencing a happy childhood, just as she was growing into a young woman, her sister was falsely accused and forced into exile.

Maria wants to protect this family; that's her biggest dream.

"So, I hope you can fulfill her wish. Go and help her find Margaret, can you do that?"

Koval looked directly into Roy's eyes and asked seriously. Roy straightened up and answered with the utmost seriousness, "Yes."

Finding Margaret wouldn't be difficult. Roy knew Margaret's future plans perfectly well; even without searching, she would return in four years. But since Koval had asked, Roy would absolutely not refuse the task.

Not only for his own weapons, but also for little Maria and Nearl's family.

"Hahaha, that was a very spirited answer. Remember to be nice to Nearl." Koval dropped his serious expression and winked at Roy.

Roy could only scratch his head with a wry smile: "Margaret and I really didn't know each other when we were kids, and there was no 'little stone' or 'victory banquet monologue'!"

“Of course I know. I watched Margaret grow up, didn’t I, old man?” Koval laughed. “I didn’t say which Nearl.”

Roy paused, then instinctively turned his head. Maria, standing beside him, had her lips tightly pressed together, her face flushed, and her eyes, clear as springs, were staring intently at Roy.

"Thank you, Master Roy."

She bowed with utmost sincerity.

However, there seemed to be more than just gratitude in those eyes.

Volume 1: Chapter 76 Holy crap, you're really going to use a roguelike character?

Kazimir, Kavaleriaki, Zofia's residence.

Marna, who was only temporarily staying here and insisted on paying, put down her newspaper, looked at Zofia pacing back and forth in front of her, and asked helplessly:

"So, what happened, Zofia?"

"It's rare that you actually care about me?" Zofia stopped and crossed her arms, saying in surprise.

Marna rolled his eyes. He wanted to ignore Zofia and focus on his newspaper. But a golden Kuranta had been walking back and forth in front of him for almost an hour. If you were in her shoes, you couldn't just ignore her, especially with the clatter of Zofia's high heels, which sounded like a skinny camel running. It was impossible to ignore her even if you wanted to.

Ignoring Zofia's disgruntled tone, Marna asked again, "So, what's bothering you so much, Zofia?"

Zofia pursed her lips, hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "I'm worried about the next match."

After speaking, Zofia immediately observed Marna's reaction. In the past, Marna's prejudice against knightly competitions was so strong that he would have turned and left immediately after Zofia uttered those words. But this time, although the man still frowned and looked disgusted, he didn't turn away. Instead, he said:

"As a knight, to feel fear and cowardice towards the next battle is a disgrace, Zofia. I have always believed that you should have the determination to fear no one."

Zofia paused, then quickly turned her head away in shame. Just as Marna had said, she should have the will to face any challenge without fear. Only by forging ahead could she be invincible. When did she become so indecisive?

This is foolish. A knight's lance will not break because of an enemy's strong shield, but it will be corroded by her own cowardice. She must pull herself together immediately!

Seeing Zofia start hitting herself again, Marner's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed a little. Before picking up the newspaper again, he casually asked:

"Speaking of which, who will be your opponent in your next battle?"

"Roy."

"Cough cough cough cough cough." Marna choked on his own saliva, wiped his mouth and looked up, nodding earnestly: "Roy, you don't need to worry about Roy at all."

Zofia immediately looked at Marna expectantly and said:

"Oh? Speaking of which, Marna, you've fought alongside Roy before, so you should know his moves and fighting style better, right? Are you saying you're planning to give me special training?"

Zofia had long heard that the star knights under those business associations would have ample pre-match preparations, with specialists analyzing the weaknesses of their opponents, martial artists providing them with intensive training, and even high-tech methods to recreate the enemy's Originium Arts for practical combat training. She never imagined that she would one day have the opportunity to experience such royal treatment!

Marna was a renowned figure in the past, and even Uncle Cyril acknowledged his strength. With his special training, he might actually have a chance to defeat Roy.

"What I mean is, it won't take him long to beat you up, so there's no need to worry, there's no possibility of a long battle."

Marna's nonchalant comment shattered Zofia's sweet dream in an instant.

Zofia stood there, stunned, watching Marna calmly drinking tea and reading the newspaper. She opened her mouth, wanting to curse, but couldn't bring herself to say it.

How dare you talk like that, you wage slave, so shameless!

Although she knew perfectly well that what Marna said was most likely the truth, Zofia still refused to admit defeat. A knight, even if facing a windmill, must have the courage to charge! Roy, who had only defeated the Rusty Copper Left-Handed Candle Knight and narrowly defeated Marna, and knew two moves of Great Wilderness Meteor, was only slightly stronger than her (Fingertip Universe), nothing to fear!

"..."

Zofia was silent for a moment, then took out her phone, opened a search engine, and typed in:

Can you forfeit a spot in the Major Championship main draw?

Answer: "No."

Zofia lowered her head sadly.

She felt she had absolutely no chance of winning. Roy's strength wasn't just in combat power, but also in his insight. How could she possibly compete against someone who saw through her biggest weakness the very first time they met?

Just as Zofia was struggling with her problem, a light voice suddenly came from the sofa: "If you really want to fight him, I can help you."

Zofia looked up in surprise. The source of the voice—Marner—still had his head buried in his newspaper, as if those words had not come from him at all.

But Zofia couldn't have misheard. Her expression turned serious, and she solemnly replied, "I need it!"

Marner finally put down the newspaper. Although his expression remained calm, Zofia seemed to see a deeply hidden fighting spirit in his eyes:

"I can only guarantee that you'll have a chance to spar with him. Your match time is very tight, and it's impossible to train you to defeat him. After a fight, you'll still lose. Can you accept that outcome?"

“Of course. That’s enough,” Zofia nodded.

Fighting a strong opponent is an improvement for oneself. It's not that he can't accept defeat, but he doesn't want to end up like a supporting character.

"Even if I lose, it's okay. I just want to do what every professional rider should do. From the moment I stepped onto that stage, I've only had one goal: to win the championship!"

A laughable ideal, but a commendable will.

Thinking this, Marner stood up and slowly said:

"Find me a sword, and then buy myself some ointment for bruises and sprains. My special training is going to be very tough."

"understand!"

.......

[Ding—Your Unexpected Encounter Quest has been updated: [Zofia's Future] → [Dance of the Light (Fake)]]

The sudden pop-up of a mission notification in his mind left Roy momentarily bewildered. So, it's possible to change a mission once it's been posted?

However, is this "Dance of the Light (fake)" referring to Zofia?

Is this not the Nearl who has chosen her own path? Then why has her mission not only not failed, but has been updated instead?

Could it be that this mission is related to me again?