Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

[A gas pipeline explosion occurred last night on a side street of Cyril Street in Grand Knightstown. Anbenal Energy Heavy Industries has begun repairs. Residents are advised to avoid the vicinity of the street to prevent further injury. This is a special report from Historis, special correspondent for the Casimir Rose Newspaper.]

Haha, is this how Rose Newspaper reported last night's battle? Gas explosion, do not approach, that's a clever explanation.

Marna took a leisurely sip of the rich, creamy milk, then turned to the next page.

[A security guard at the entrance of the Star Moon Department Store claimed to have seen a shooting star streak across the sky and fall into the Great Knight Territory last night, causing panic among citizens. The Astrologers Association and disaster messenger experts have debunked this claim. This report is brought to you by the Great Knight Territory Commercial Gazette.]

A shooting star streaked across the sky and crashed into the Great Knight's territory? Marna understood immediately; that wasn't a shooting star, but Xuan Tie's special "crossbow bolt." Xuan Tie had finally made his move last night. And judging from today's newspaper reports, that Platinum guy probably didn't survive until dawn.

That's understandable. Holding so many secrets, trying to break the rules by brute force without the strength to protect oneself—it's hard to say whether to call it naivety or stupidity. But regardless, it's none of his business now. He's already gotten what he wanted.

While pondering when she could save up enough vacation time and how to obtain a visa to Letania, Marna took another sip of milk tea and turned to the last page of the newspaper, a wine newspaper that came with the morning newspaper package.

Normally, Marner wouldn't have the patience to waste even a second on the wine newspaper after seeing its flashy headlines and messy layout. But today was different; the layout of the report caught his attention almost instantly.

[Breaking News! Why did Cyrillic Avenue burn down in the middle of the night? How did the department store security guard witness a shooting star? How did members of the Nearl family steal a lover in the street? How did a mysterious expert save his beautiful lover? Please watch today's Wine Gazette special report—The Love Story of the Great Knight's Territory (Special Edition)!]

The accompanying image features Marna with a crudely drawn black line across his face and Roy, looking righteous and serious—clearly a staged photo. Between them are three silhouettes. Of course, anyone with even a basic understanding of the Kazimierz Knights' Tournament can easily identify the three silhouettes: the Three-Time Champion: The Black Knight; the Glimmer of Darkness: The Candle Knight; and his niece, Pegasus Radiance: The Radiant Knight.

"puff!"

A mouthful of milk almost spilled out, spraying onto the newspaper in front of him, instantly creating a smudged mess of ink that made the entire newspaper blurry.

"Uncle, what's wrong?"

Maria, who was frying bacon, poked her head out of the kitchen and asked in confusion.

Marna quickly waved her hand, crumpled the newspaper into a ball, threw it into the trash can, and said, trying to remain calm:

"It's nothing, Maria, I just choked."

"Oh." Maria nodded, somewhat doubtful. In her memory, this was the first time she had ever seen her uncle make such a strange expression.

He was embarrassed, angry, and a little surprised, with a look of utter disbelief. What did that newspaper say?

Maria had also helped her uncle get the newspaper before, so she naturally knew which newspaper package he had ordered. She silently memorized the type of newspaper and pretended that nothing had happened as she returned to the kitchen.

On the other hand, Marna definitely felt like she had seen a ghost.

What is the Unarmored Alliance trying to do? And what is the Business Federation trying to do? Although everyone knows that the Wine Gazette's news is nonsense, by openly and blatantly posting photos of themselves and Roy, are they trying to make this a big deal?

As soon as the idea came to mind, Marner immediately dismissed it: It was impossible; making a big fuss would not benefit them. Moreover, if they really wanted to make a big fuss, they shouldn't have used the Wine Gazette to spread rumors, but rather used the first two newspapers to refute them.

Marner glanced at the newspaper in the trash can and suddenly recalled a detail.

Although it's better than nothing, a black bar was indeed photoshopped onto his face, while Roy actually appeared in the video in real life.

Marna was certain that the photo of Roy in that wine magazine was staged. After all, Roy hadn't shown such a serious and righteous expression when he fought him last night. He didn't look like one of the top assassins of the Unarmored Alliance at all, but rather like a chivalrous knight who would help those in need.

Why did they put Roy, an assassin from the Unarmored Alliance, in the spotlight?

An unbelievable thought popped into Marner's mind: those crazy guys in the Business Federation, they wouldn't be trying to promote Roy, would they?

Let's go back to late last night.

As Roy left the city's quarantine gate at Cavalegliaki and stepped into the forest on the outskirts, he was unusually a little nervous.

Why did Xuan Tie suddenly contact me?

Admittedly, Old Platinum's mission wasn't completed perfectly, but there were reasons for it. Given that even Xuan Tie himself was threatened with a knife to his throat by Uncle Marna, he couldn't be unaware of how difficult it would be for a lapis lazuli like Roy and Monique to kill Hemlock with Marna's protection.

In fact, as far as Roy knows, in the original storyline, it was indeed Xuan Tie who personally took action in the end, nailing Old Bai Jin to the ground with a single arrow, thus completing the mission.

Since the plot has remained largely unchanged, and given that he could even be said to have outperformed his uncle by suppressing him, what reason would Xuan Tie have to suddenly seek him out?

Could it be that his strength was too great, leading to suspicion? Roy thought it unlikely. Firstly, he only displayed his strength for a fleeting moment, in the blink of an eye. Even Marna and Monique, the two witnesses, hadn't figured out what had happened, so there was no reason for Xuan Tie to immediately suspect him. Moreover, he was a Qingjin recruited directly by Xuan Tie and had held this position for so long; there was still a basic level of trust between him and Xuan Tie.

Unable to think of a reason, Roy could only nervously walk to the agreed-upon clearing in the woods and pick up the phone that was clearly visible and had been deliberately placed on the ground.

The phone was on a call, and Roy spoke up, "BOSS?"

It was the same voice changer, and Xuan Tie's voice came from it: "Roy, do you know why I'm looking for you?"

"If I knew, would I need you to tell me?" Roy rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I don't know, Boss."

"Here's a hint: this line isn't being monitored by the Federation," a sharp voice said from the other end of the microphone.

Roy paused, taken aback. The fact that he wasn't being monitored by the Business Federation made it clear that the call was confidential, a "secret operation behind the Business Federation's back." Connecting this to the original story, Roy tentatively asked:

"Are we finally going to go it alone, Boss?"

"Judging from your reaction, you guessed it."

Roy chuckled and blurted out:

"It's not that I guessed it, it's that I knew this day would come. I know BOSS's ambition. A true man should not live a life of mediocrity and subservience! Tell me, BOSS, what do you want me to do?"

Seemingly taken aback by Roy's bluntness, the voice on the other end of the phone remained silent for a moment, not answering Roy's question, but instead changing the subject with a slight smile:

"Roy, are you strong?"

"Ah, this..." Before Roy could answer, Xuan Tie spoke again:

"No need to be modest, I've watched you and Marna spar."

Is it possible that you think I'm very strong just because I'm sparring with Marner?

Roy's lips twitched, and after a quick thought, he said tactfully, "I am not strong, but I become stronger when facing stronger opponents."

To everyone's surprise, Xuan Tie burst into laughter upon hearing this: "Hahaha, good, excellent answer. 'The stronger the opponent, the stronger you become,' that's the effect I wanted." After laughing, his tone changed, and he said seriously:

“Roy, you know the organization’s situation. The Business Federation has always wanted to completely control the Unarmored Alliance. I haven’t met their expectations, and they’ve tried to trip me up in the process. The organization is currently undergoing structural adjustments, venturing into entirely new territories, and facing immense opportunities and challenges on all sides. For the organization’s future, I need someone who can help me divert the Federation’s attention and gain their trust. Roy, you’ve been with me for a while now. You may lack experience, but you have the ability, a sharp mind, and most importantly, strong adaptability. The organization is giving you a mission: go to the arena and act as their eyes.”

Roy was taken aback: "What do you mean? You want me to be the spokesperson?"

"We want you to go up on stage and become a competitive knight."

P.S.: Please vote! Votes will speed up the story updates! An extra chapter will be added if the number of votes exceeds 200!

Volume 1: Chapter 8 The Shura Field

Kavaleriaqui, Split Grand Hotel.

The clock in the hotel lobby had already passed 2 a.m. The click of a key unlocking the door echoed as Roy dragged his weary body into the room. However, the previously empty room was now occupied by two people sitting there, their faces filled with worry. Seeing Hinterlea and Monique, who were clearly unauthorized intruders, Roy paused slightly, took a step back, glanced at the room number, and then asked in confusion:

"What are you doing in my house instead of sleeping?"

Seeing Roy unharmed, Monique's face lit up with a hint of joy, but she quickly suppressed it, stubbornly retorting:

"Let me pack your things. In case you get fired by the boss, your things won't end up being thrown out as trash by the cleaners."

Hinterlea wasn't as awkward as Monique. During the time she spent in the room with Monique, Hinterlea also learned that Roy had recommended her to succeed Platinum. Combined with the fact that Roy was suddenly summoned by the boss, Hinterlea couldn't help but suspect that this was related to Roy's unauthorized actions.

Especially when she learned from Monique that Roy was even willing to give up the credit he had earned to Monique as a bargaining chip to get Monique to recommend him, the frustration and dissatisfaction she had been feeling from the empty promises instantly vanished. At this moment, Hinterlea felt only gratitude and happiness.

A nobody from Kazimierz is discovered by the handsome and dashing Prince of Lapis Lazuli, and from then on, he rises rapidly to become the renowned Platinum Prince. This dreamlike feeling is just like when Hinterlaya first read the story of Cinderella by that famous Sami fairy tale writer.

Upon seeing Roy return unharmed, Hinterlea immediately stepped forward and gave Roy a big, flying hug.

"Thank you so much, Master!" Hinterlea said excitedly, which made Monique behind her freeze for a moment, her gaze and her arms crossed in front of her chest at a loss.

What's wrong with this girl? Didn't she just tell her about Roy's conspiracy?

She took advantage of her slacking off, made empty promises, and even turned the promised Lapis Lazuli into Platinum instead of the real thing. She also planned her growth path in advance. With so many crimes, how come Hinterlea seems completely unconcerned and even more so?

Damn it, could this girl have feelings for Roy?

While Monique hesitated about whether to pull the stray pony off Roy, Hintria spoke up again. She released her grip, pulled out two amusement park tickets from her pocket, and looked at Roy expectantly, asking:

"Master, are you free this weekend? The newest classic knight-themed amusement park in Kavaleria has just opened, and I happen to have two tickets here, how about...?"

Roy blinked, hesitating to speak, "Uh..."

Before he could even speak, Monique strode forward, looking as if she had finally made up her mind. Taking advantage of Hintria's inattention, she swiftly snatched the two amusement park tickets from her hand and said casually:

"Thanks for the suggestion, Little Platinum. What do you think, Roy? Didn't you ask me to spend a day with you? I think the amusement park is a good option, it would suit you perfectly. What do you say?"

Roy's lips twitched. Seeing the inexplicable confrontation between the two and the gradually chilling atmosphere, he raised his hand, awkwardly waving it away, and said:

"Um, can you let me finish?"

"Um, Platinum, I really can't go out with you this weekend."

Upon hearing this, Hinterlea seemed to pout in grievance, her aura even weakening slightly. Conversely, on the other side, Monique's expression became even more proud.

However, Roy quickly added, "But Monique, I can't go to the amusement park with you either."

Visibly, Monique's inflated aura burst like a balloon punctured by a needle. She turned to Roy, her flushed face full of questioning.

"Didn't we agree on this...? Tsk, so what are you going to do?"

Roy scratched his head apologetically and said honestly, "To the Knights' Guild."

Mentioning the Knights Association, Monique and Hinterlea's expressions instantly turned serious, and they said solemnly:

"The boss has given us a new mission? Who are we going to assassinate this time? Do you need my help?"

"It made me join the Knights Guild, to become a competitive knight, and to participate in tournaments," Roy said, shrugging.

In an instant, the entire room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

A moment later, even more intense questions followed!

"What the hell? You want him to be a competitive knight? Roy, are you kidding me? You're a member of the Unarmored Alliance, and our boss is the originator of knight killers. You're saying he wants you to be a competitive knight and fight in those tournaments?"

"That's right, that's right. And, Master, what will happen to the mission if you leave? What will happen to the Azure Gold Seat? What will I do?"