Above The Sky
Chapter 365 - 365 337 Survival Factor Too Tough to Die 13

365: Chapter 337: Survival Factor: Too Tough to Die (1/3) 365: Chapter 337: Survival Factor: Too Tough to Die (1/3) Inspector Knight…

Not until the Viscount had finished his speech, and the remains of the guard squadron were buried by Ian and the Viscount in the public cemetery.

Not until the boy returned home after a long absence, lying in bed, staring at his little fish by the windowsill, now barely alive, struggling to survive.

The term was still flashing in his mind.

Inspector Knights, to put it plainly, were an independent armed force that answered directly to the Emperor, with a plethora of varied duties.

At the high end, they delivered the Emperor’s secret orders, executed court punishments, and captured nobles and ministers who had been sentenced.

At the lower end, they managed the Imperial Secret Archive (commonly known as the Empire’s Book of Grudges), had general criminal investigation and interrogation powers, and formal knights even had the privilege to arrest and adjudicate on the spot.

Their duties extended to monitoring the actions of nobles across the land, purging corrupt and rebellious nobles and ministers, secretly apprehending spies and traitors, and so on.

It is evident from this that even the most ordinary privilege of an Inspector Knight was a privilege among privileges for a common knight.

This organization was not originally organized by the Former Emperor Inega II, but it was under his reign that it flourished and became a swift sword to control nobles and ministers.

Even now, among the harshest curses spoken by nobles, “May the Inspector Knights come to seal your ancestral tombs!” remains a very common phrase, which shows the authority and past arrogance of the Inspector Knights.

After the death of Inega II, the Knight Order of Inspectorate was briefly purged and disbanded, denounced as an evil organization of persecution and espionage.

Inside, there was even a sensational claim that “the Knight Order of Inspectorate secretly kidnapped the bloodlines of nobles from various regions for bio-alchemy experiments.”

Nobody spoke clearly about the truth of the matter, but Ian thought that sounded like something the Lingzhi Academy might do, probably unrelated to the Knight Order of Inspectorate.

In fact, because of the First Knight, the elite of the Knight Order of Inspectorate were also responsible for the safety of the Emperor when he travelled, but this was actually solely the responsibility of Hiliard alone; other emperors all had their own royal guards and knight orders for protection

Theoretically, the Knight Order of Inspectorate had been disbanded once.

But as Protector Axer gradually secured his position, the Knight Order of Inspectorate swiftly reassembled.

And this time, it became a true special forces organization, directly subordinated and accountable only to the Emperor.

Compared to the reign of Inega II, the actual power of Axer’s Inspector Knights had increased even further—regardless of the severity of the internal corruption, they represented the Emperor’s face, and minor nobility faced Inspector Knights with fear.

And the problem lies there.

“Does Viscount Grant also know of my identity as a disciple of Hiliard?”

Lying in bed, Ian furrowed his brows: “Although it seems a bit far-fetched, why would he recommend me to become an Inspector Knight?”

According to the Viscount, he could only refer himself to the Southern Ridge Marquis and whether it could work out still depended on his own efforts.

But for a noble, the ability to make such a recommendation meant there was a seventy percent chance of success.

Thinks highly of me?

Wants to cultivate his own trusted followers within the Knight Order of Inspectorate?

It’s not impossible, and in fact, this should be the expectation of major nobility—but if Viscount Grant had this power, he shouldn’t just be a Second Energy Level trapped in South Ridge!

“No, that’s not right.”

Ian sat up, muttering thoughtfully to himself: “Although I don’t know the exact time, the Viscount indeed reached the Third Energy Level within six years.”

“Could it be that I have underestimated the Viscount all this time?”

That’s not necessarily the case.

Ian thought for a moment and felt it was likely due to the dual factors of the ‘South Sea Great Labyrinth’ and the ‘pacification of South Ridge.’

The appearance of the South Sea Great Labyrinth would definitely attract substantial investment and adventurers, and once the Natives lost their main fighting force and spiritual pillar, they would naturally completely submit.

With that, Harrison Port and the entire southern region of Nanling truly became Viscount’s backyard.

Whether it was obtaining Magic Potion ingredients or political status, Viscount Grant would see a significant rise in the coming years…

and once he reached the Third Energy Level, he would be on equal footing with the Southern Ridge Marquis Barton, the Governor of Nanling Province.

Even now, with the credits of opening the Great Labyrinth, pacifying the Natives, and driving out the fleets of the other Three Kingdoms, the Viscount could easily be recommended to the Knight Order of Inspectorate as an Apprentice, based on his father’s and ancestors’ connections…

“It’s not impossible after all—it’s me who will be troubled; he just needs to give a mention, and that will be enough,”

Upon realizing this, Ian nodded and acknowledged, “Classic power play.

It wouldn’t take him much effort if I fail, and should I succeed, it would be his achievement, and I would even need to thank him.”

As for becoming an Inspector Knight…

Nonsense, of course!

If his demon-possessed Senior Brother Weges could become an Inspector Knight, why couldn’t he?

Moreover, it’s just as an Apprentice, through which he could internally observe the current state of The Empire.

It would undoubtedly be the most convenient and quickest way to gather information and collect data for the future.

Not to mention, being recommended by Viscount Grant inherently allowed him to avoid much scrutiny – a situation often referred to as being ‘invisible in the spotlight.’

The knighting ceremony had become unimportant following Viscount Grant’s public announcement, as Ian’s name had already been recorded in the register.

All that was needed was to send it to Nauman City, and from there to the Imperial Capital for final confirmation and stamping to make it official.

Now, Ian just needed to wait for the Viscount to prepare his deserved ‘Knight’s Armor’ and ‘Side Sword,’ and then he could depart.

The Inspector Knight matter, too, required a trip to Nauman City to report to Marquis Barton.

Marquis Barton had been the personal guard whom Axer brought with him from the Eastern Frontier Iron Cavalry and later became the Inspector Knight who executed the emperor’s orders against the disobedient.

After being seriously injured in a guard mission, Axer, appreciating his deep merits, allowed him to retire from the frontline and take up the position of Governor of South Ridge.

In fact, it was somewhat overreaching for a Third Energy Level fighter without much background to hold a Marquis title; no matter how meritorious, he wasn’t quite qualified to be the Governor of a province.

But since it was Nanling Province, it wasn’t a big issue.

Clearly, Marquis Barton was not someone who cared for luxuries and was a typical noble of military merit.

Under his control, the Mountain People and various Natives of Nanling couldn’t cause any trouble, and Viscount Grant was there to help him with the toughest Great Redwood Forest Natives, making his life quite comfortable.

Leveraging this connection, Viscount Grant then recommended Ian to him.

“In some sense, this will probably be my first voyage since becoming a Knight,”

Getting up from the bed, Ian looked towards the little fish by the window.

He gazed at the fish he had used to predict the future, the one that refused to die despite four days without food, and then he sighed, “You, you really cling to life.”

“Theoretically, it should survive no more than two or three days, but it held on for four—this greatly affected the accuracy of my detection, though it made no difference to the outcome.”

After pouring some prepared fish food into the tank, Ian shook his head slightly, “I’ll release you tomorrow; after all, I now have the Frost Butterfly.”

The reason for living: Tough luck.

After feeding the fish, Ian turned his attention to the top of his head.

There, a Primal Fairy was still gently flapping its wings.