Thus, the Golden Knights’ tournament ended with Michael being crowned as the sixth Golden Knight of the Golden Kingdom. That very day, the coronation celebrations began across the kingdom. However, despite the grandeur of the event, it was quieter and less intense compared to previous celebrations in the kingdom. This was due to the precautionary measures, such as the guards stationed throughout the districts to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control in case any other monsters broke through. Another issue was the absence of the king from the celebration.


    At that time, in the royal palace at 8 PM, Iliana returned after doing something. She was discussing something with a group of advisors, looking visibly angry as she spoke to them. In the end, they left, and then she came to speak with Garok and Seraphina.


    "It seems that the king won’t be coming. It seems he’s ill, and we’re forbidden from visiting him right now. I got this information forcibly from those vile advisors, and I went to visit him despite their objections to verify their claims."


    Seraphina responded, "What do you mean?"


    Then, Seraphina became agitated again, "These fools planned to cover it up and tried to convince me that he’s busy and has tasks to attend to right now. Did they think we were fools or something?"


    Garok spoke, "Why did they decide to cover it up? Are they planning something?"


    Seraphina replied, "First, the transformed monsters that appeared due to people being poisoned by that strange venom, which we’ve confirmed was deliberately manufactured somehow. And now, the king is sick, and the advisors are trying to cover it up."


    Garok asked, "Do you think the two things are related?"


    Seraphina responded, "Yes, and to make sure, I must examine the king myself."


    Garok said, "But how will you convince the advisors? They’ll tell you that examining the king is prohibited, and only his personal doctors are allowed to do so."


    Iliana spoke, "That’s enough. Don’t worry about what they say. Seraphina will examine the king after the coronation ceremony. If they refuse, I’ll force them, even if I have to cut their heads off. There’s a conspiracy happening here, and we need to stop it quickly."


    An hour passed, and then Michael finally arrived with his palace assistants after finishing his treatment in the special magical healing room. Michael approached and shook hands with the present knights. Garok then spoke to him, "Congratulations, Sir Michael, on your victory and your joining the Golden Knights. We apologize for the absence of all the knights and the king due to some urgent matters in the kingdom."


    Michael replied, "It’s alright, don’t worry about it. I’m happy to join you."


    The coronation ceremony began, and the special shield and honorary weapon were handed over. The official announcement was made, accompanied by applause inside the palace.


    Two hours passed from the celebration, and as it neared its end, Garok approached Michael and spoke to him, "Sir Michael, we have a knights’ meeting tomorrow. Since you’re officially a Golden Knight now, there are some things we need to inform you about."


    "Alright, I understand," Michael responded.


    It was midnight, and after all the celebrations were over, Michael headed to the residence designated for him as a Golden Knight. But he first went to a peaceful, natural place on the outskirts of the kingdom. There, he found Knight V, who turned and spoke.


    "It seems you really came."


    "What did you expect?"


    "Well, even though you’re a killer, you still have a word."


    "It’s fine, it doesn’t matter. But it seems your injuries have disappeared, and your shield has been repaired."


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    "Yes, I was treated in the advanced healing room, and the shield was repaired. But as you can see, it still has some damage due to their lack of sufficient technology."


    "That’s strange."


    "Anyway, you’ll know the reason after I tell you now why I’m looking for that so-called butcher, Morgan."


    Michael nodded in agreement.


    "Years ago, before I became a knight, I suffered from a strange problem, or condition, or illness—call it what you will. I was unable to use or channel magical energy in any way, unlike my brother, who could use it as naturally as any other person. I went to several healers, and he also tried searching for the cause of the problem in his academic books where he studied, but to no avail. Eventually, I visited an advanced magical specialist, and he confirmed that my body had no magical pathways at all. Meaning, I couldn’t channel magic through my hands, release it, or use it without passing through a conduit or pathway. And so, it was impossible for me to use magic at all. But I didn’t stop there. I really wanted to become a true knight, even without magic. I found myself mastering axe combat skills better and continued down that path. My brother helped me get into a special academy for fighters due to his reputation and the respect he received in the academic circles, especially after becoming an engineer in magical energy. I trained in the academy despite my difficulties due to my inability to use magic, but I made up for it with physical strength and came close to my colleagues’ level there. After leaving the academy years later, I started working in monster hunting and completing missions with various guilds and adventurers, eventually forming small teams of warriors. That was the first time I became a leader. The group was called V, and since I used to mockingly refer to myself as a knight with my friends in the group, they started calling me Knight V. They were wonderful people."


    Knight V paused for a moment and seemed lost in thought before continuing, "Anyway, one day my brother came to me and told me that he had found a solution for my magical problem, and that this would elevate me to an entirely new level. Indeed, he designed a super shield and a weapon as well. He crafted them from a special material he obtained from magical material suppliers associated with the academy, who told him they had acquired new metal pieces from a special source. He made the shield with these materials, and it stood out because it could extract magical energy from the center of the body and allow me to use it. In other words, it worked instead of the natural pathways."


    Michael spoke, "That’s why I sensed such a tremendous magical energy from the shield and the ability to cancel out magic. You can’t keep the opposite effect because you’re relying on the power of your magical center, not the shield itself."


    Then Knight V continued, "Exactly. It worked efficiently, and one day, my brother noticed something strange in his lab while studying those metals. He used a special machine that worked with magical circuits to separate the materials, and there he discovered something. The metals weren’t of natural origin; they were manufactured from two substances: naturally strong metals of known origin, and the second strange thing was a glowing blue substance he had never seen before. After some time of research in various places and sources, he discovered that no one talked about this substance in regular places, only in illegal sources. Eventually, he traced it back to its source: blue bone marrow from a special type of elves."


    Michael responded, "They’re the same type as the ones in that cave."


    Knight V continued, "Yes, that’s right. My brother learned about the illegal trade of this material and its various uses: longevity for the rich, combining it with magical elements, and more. When he decided to investigate further, things didn’t end well. He was found dead, along with a group of my team members who had gone with him. I was on a separate mission, hunting a giant Hydra that attacked a village. When I returned, I heard that all my comrades and my brother had been killed on a mission. All of his papers and investigations were disposed of, and the matter was covered up. Even the investigative teams closed the case and declared their deaths to be due to an attack by high-powered magical beasts. From the remaining evidence and papers, I only knew of the one behind all of this: the butcher, Morgan. Since then, I’ve been trying to trace any lead that could bring me to him."


    Michael spoke, "I understand."


    He continued, "The Mist Moon City, the place now under Morgan’s control, has become the largest center of corruption: killings, theft of illegal trades. No one dares enter or even approach it due to the dense fog that covers it all year round, along with the unnatural monsters living there, and the criminals who reside there. Unlike normal criminals, they rely on the powers of the twisted Moon Spirit, which can even be found in the creatures living there. Not to mention Morgan’s high-level followers. This explains the deaths of your brother and your companions. He also has connections with many wealthy individuals and governments that cover up his trades for their own benefit."


    Knight V spoke, "So, the Mist Moon City."


    Michael replied, "That’s not my concern, but I don’t think you’ll be able to get rid of him."


    Knight V said, "But I’ll try anyway. By the way, one of the Golden Knights spoke to me and wanted to give me a high honorary knight position in the kingdom, but I refused."


    Michael responded, "I don’t know about that, but I don’t think the knights can help you anyway, as I’ve explained to you."


    Knight V replied, "But hiring a killer specialist might help?"


    Michael asked, "What do you mean?"


    Knight V responded sarcastically, "You know what I mean. Or now you’re a Golden Knight. Haha. I know you want to get something out of this position."


    Michael replied, "If you want to hire me, I’ll help, but I need some time right now."


    Knight V responded, "I know. I also won’t rush without thinking. I’ll prepare first, and that will take some time."


    "Alright then."


    With that, Knight V left, and Michael returned to the Knights'' headquarters to await tomorrow''s meeting.