"Winner! Xia Guang Knight! Exquisite swordsmanship! Unparalleled strong will! Like an abyss, dissolving the opponent's attacks! This is the secret weapon of the Lingguang Family!"
Maria panted. This time, she surprisingly didn't drag the situation into a prolonged battle. Her opponent was also much weaker than expected, and she won with little effort. Compared to her previous difficult victories, Maria now felt a sense of ease. She didn't know if it was just a feeling, but her strength was actually improving much faster than she imagined, especially after receiving Manner's guidance. Her swordsmanship had gained a bit of flexibility and lost some of its rigidity, often allowing her to achieve unexpected victories.
Today's Maria Nearl is a transformed person compared to the past, and she has truly entered the sight of many.
Initially, her identity as the Shining Knight's sister had already attracted a lot of capital looking to invest in Maria Nearl, but she refused them all. Now, she has successfully accumulated a large number of points as an independent knight, forcing many to re-evaluate Maria Nearl's commercial value beyond just being the Shining Knight's younger sister. In other words, in addition to those who wanted to hype up Maria Nearl's identity, others are also starting to take an interest in her.
This is a trend: the more Maria Nearl demonstrates her strength, the more attention she will receive, and the louder the voices hoping for her compromise will become.
It is very difficult to maintain the status of an independent knight, as knight competitions are not always one-on-one; sometimes, they involve melees. In a melee, knights from the same Knight Order will band together for warmth, and for independent knights, such a grouping clearly puts them at a significant disadvantage. Given Maria Nearl's situation, she will soon be participating in melees. To earn as many points as possible and secure a promotion spot, she must carefully consider her next steps.
Or rather, how to continue as an independent knight.
Joining an established Knight Order now is actually the best method, but as soon as one joins a Knight Order, many things must be subject to the Knight Order's arrangements—for example, targeting a certain knight in a melee, sending knights with enough points to higher-level competitions, or even fixing matches. While not every Knight Order does these things, most Knight Orders actually have a so-called first-priority knight slot.
This is an inevitable outcome of the Knight Order system and the ranking point system. Knights with little strength but only a glamorous appearance can often stand out this way, gaining higher exposure. Correspondingly, they can also get more merchandise sales, ride the wave of fan economy, take on advertisements, and display various trademarks on their Knight Order uniforms.
These are all overused tactics; in Kazimierz, as long as you become famous, money will relentlessly flow into your pockets.
Of course, this situation also means that independent knights are at an absolute disadvantage in such circumstances. As the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands, and a hero cannot stand against many. If an independent knight is weak in a melee, it's fine and they won't be targeted. But if they have some strength yet don't belong to a powerful Knight Order, they can easily be ganged up on. Maria Nearl is currently facing a similar situation; if she wants to continue earning points, she absolutely cannot avoid participating in melees.
And as the Shining Knight's sister, she will undoubtedly be the brightest star on the field and the one who will definitely be targeted.
Faced with Zofia's analysis, Maria Nearl's face fell, and she murmured, "But Sister was an independent knight the whole time..."
"Can you compare yourself to your sister?" Zofia rolled her eyes. "I'm not trying to discourage you, but your sister is an unparalleled genius. She's a rare existence in the history of Kazimierz."
"I know... but giving up without trying hard doesn't conform to the family motto, does it?"
"Now you're bringing up the family motto? Come on, recite it?"
"...Uh, fear no bitter darkness."
"Indeed, fear no bitter darkness, but have you considered that you don't have that strength yet?" Zofia smacked the table, frustrated. "Do you think after learning a bit of Manner's swordsmanship and receiving a few praises, your ponytail would just stick up? Let me tell you honestly, you're currently only at a top 16 level."
"Then... Sister, aren't you also top 16?"
"My top 16 back then is not the same as yours!" Zofia glared at Maria Nearl. "And do I look like I had it easy? I told you to consider joining a Knight Order, not to abandon your integrity. There are Knight Orders that don't play dirty, you know. For example, the San Hua Knight Order sponsored by Sister Noah, wouldn't that work?"
"...I don't want to go."
"...Did you not hear a single word I just said?"
"I... I just don't want to go to the San Hua Knight Order..." Maria Nearl said, holding back her frustration. "I want to continue participating in knight competitions as an independent knight."
"Tsk, I can't talk sense into you." Zofia sighed helplessly. "Don't believe those rumors reported in the newspapers; the San Hua Knight Order is not what you imagine."
"I don't believe them... And I also think Candle Knight is indeed a respectable knight." Maria Nearl retorted, "But, she and Sister Noah... aren't they very close?"
"What? Do you think she'll give you special treatment because of that relationship?"
"Even without special treatment, others will think so. I don't want that." Maria Nearl explained, "And, didn't Sister Noah say she wanted to avoid suspicion? Me joining the Knight Order she sponsors wouldn't count as avoiding suspicion, would it?"
"You're just stubborn. Her talk of avoiding suspicion is essentially to protect you. But you joining a Knight Order is also to protect yourself, there's no conflict!" Zofia understood Noah. If Maria Nearl asked to join the San Hua Knight Order, Noah would definitely agree because she also knew that joining a Knight Order would provide strong protection for Maria Nearl. Even if there were no San Hua Knight Order members in a melee, the name of the San Hua Knight Order could protect Maria Nearl from being targeted by most people.
"I don't want that..." But Maria Nearl was stubborn. "I will continue to win with my own strength. Restore the glory of Lingguang Family! It is our generation's inescapable duty!"
"Oh please, that slogan is only good for fooling Manner, are you trying to fool me too?" Zofia immediately gave Maria Nearl a sharp rap on the head. It must be said, after this child started participating in knight competitions, her skills hadn't improved much, but her head had become increasingly hard.
No idea who she takes after...
Zofia looked at the stubborn Maria Nearl and suddenly remembered Manner's figure when he refused to join the Zhengzhan Knight. The person who didn't want to be a knight eventually returned home and took on the heavy responsibility of the family.
Did Manner ever have such... a stubborn period?
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 40 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!