Cycle of Destiny

Chapter 59 The Marquis Stripped of His Title

The story finally came to his teacher, Odell. Harry unconsciously slowed his breathing.

"At that time, the Grand Master of the Knights was extremely skilled in martial arts. Although he was only a ninth-level knight, I believe no one could be better than him in teaching knightly combat techniques."

The goddess spoke with certainty, "He was of commoner origin and was only a third-level knight at the age of twenty. After receiving the goddess's favor, he grew into a ninth-level knight in just three years. After that, he rose through the ranks from an ordinary knight, becoming a squad leader, company commander, and vice-commander, until at the age of thirty, when he defeated eight competitors to become the commander of the Holy Knights. Later, he also made significant contributions to the catastrophe in the southeastern part of the empire and the 'Crimson Invasion'."

She emphasized the most crucial point: "Most importantly, he is a true powerhouse who climbed up from the bottom. Before the age of twenty, he relied entirely on his own exploration, but once he received systematic guidance, he progressed rapidly. Such a person knows best how to help others break through bottlenecks. Under his leadership, the overall strength of the Knights Order is much stronger than before, and knights are constantly achieving breakthroughs under his guidance."

"For Odell, who was in a difficult situation at the time, there was no more suitable mentor than him."

"The commander was also aware of the Odell couple's contributions to the Church. He was happy to accept the task I 'imposed' on him. Allowing a nobleman to break through the limitations of his strength with the Church's help and ultimately win that originally hopeless succession duel would undoubtedly greatly enhance the Church's prestige and influence. This was exactly the result he hoped to see."

"After that, Odel changed into the knight's casual clothes and appeared at the Holy Knights' training ground as an unofficial member."

The goddess's voice pulled the scene back to that place filled with sweat and the clanging of metal, "That respectable commander personally oversaw his training."

"However, not long after training began, the experienced captain noticed something was wrong. Odel trained very hard, never slacked off, and his understanding and mastery of sword techniques were quite good; he wasn't the kind of person who was stupid. But the problem was... his physical reactions always seemed to be separated by an invisible wall."

Harry listened more attentively, leaning forward slightly.

"His initial generation of battle qi was normal. But once he tried to increase the intensity, prolong the duration, or perform more precise control, it would immediately become sluggish and lack sustainability. It's as if the channels for storing and converting energy in his body are naturally narrower than those of ordinary people, and there is an upper limit that is very difficult to break through."

"Secondly, there's the body's capacity and response," she continued, her grey-blue eyes fixed on Harry to make sure he could follow the slightly technical description. "When the captain guided him to channel his battle aura into his arms for heavy strike tests, or into his legs to try explosive sprints, his strength and speed did improve, but the improvement... was far below what a martial artist of the same level should have."

Her brows furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion and regret in her expression.

"More importantly, his muscles and bones would prematurely exhibit uncontrollable tremors and dull pains when subjected to the aura enhancement. This was a clear signal that his body was approaching its limit—and this limit came far too early for him. It was as if... his body material was unable to conduct and bear higher intensity energy well."

"After about a month of systematic observation and testing," her voice lowered, "the commander reached a regrettable but undeniable conclusion. He frankly told me this conclusion."

Harry felt his palms getting sweaty, and he had a premonition that what followed wouldn't be good news.

"He said that Knight Odel's will and character were impeccable, but his body... had an innate limitation." The goddess repeated, each word clear and slow. "He told me that this was not an injury, but a limitation in his talent. From the most basic strength of his bones and muscles, to his internal energy circulation system, everything was at a 'decent' but 'ordinary' level."

She made a harsh analogy: "It's like a suit of armor that's well-made but made of ordinary materials. It can provide basic protection, but it absolutely cannot withstand a full-force attack from a top-tier expert."

"The commander judged that, given his condition and rate of progress at the time, it was possible for him to break through to level five or even level six warriors through hard training and excellent guidance. But level seven is a huge watershed, requiring an almost instinctive fusion and control of the body and energy that far surpasses that of ordinary people. With Odel's physical talent, there was almost no hope of breaking through to level seven. His path of martial prowess... would probably end at the mid-to-high level of level six, which is almost the theoretical limit that his talent can support."

After she finished speaking, she remained silent for a moment, as if giving Harry some time to process this cruel conclusion. The lamplight made the lines of her face appear somewhat serious.

"When I heard this conclusion, I remained silent for a long time. I trusted the captain's judgment, but this concerned Laura's hopes, and I demanded confirmation from a more authoritative body."

"So I asked one of the most senior cardinals in the church, who was also known for his expertise in divine arts and the mysteries of the human body, to give Odel a full physical examination. He may not be as good as the captain in terms of martial arts instruction, but no one in the church knows better than him when it comes to understanding the potential and limitations of the human body."

"That old and wise archbishop spent a long time. He used a variety of gentle probing spells, and even combined them with some ancient secret techniques."

"After the inspection, the archbishop's conclusion..." She paused, her tone complex, "was strikingly consistent with the Grand Master's judgment."

"If the Grand Master of the Knights pronounced Odel's death sentence, then this Archbishop's conclusion was to read out in detail the reasons for his crimes." She used a somber metaphor.

"He told me that all the problems Odel had—the sluggish flow of his battle aura, the premature overload of his body, and the insufficient improvement—stemmed from the fact that his body lacked the most essential thing to become a high-level warrior."

Harry held his breath; this touched upon the mystery of the very nature of power.

"That's not strength or toughness in the usual sense, but an innate endowment that allows the body and fighting spirit to resonate and merge deeply. We can call it 'resilience,' a life essence that enables the flesh and blood body and energy to evolve together and constantly break through inherent limits."

She tried to help Harry understand that mysterious realm:

"Those warriors who eventually reach the seventh level or even higher seem to be born knowing how to breathe battle aura. For them, battle aura is not only a driving force, but also an extended, living limb. Energy can flow and explode within their bodies without hindrance, and in every high-intensity application, it gently tempers and expands the strength and capacity of their bodies. The body and battle aura are a symbiotic relationship that is perfectly integrated and mutually nourishing."

Her tone shifted to regret, "And Odel's body is more like a well-made container, but one whose volume and materials are fixed. It can hold and use battle qi, but battle qi is always like a foreign object that needs to be carefully contained in his body, with an insurmountable barrier between them. His body cannot achieve its own tempering and sublimation through deep integration with high-density battle qi; on the contrary, when the energy intensity exceeds a certain mild threshold, his body will issue a warning that it cannot withstand it. This fundamentally limits his ability to control power at a higher level."

"Simply put, he has all the acquired conditions to become proficient in martial arts through hard work, but deep down he lacks the original potential necessary to transcend the ordinary, to dance with energy and evolve accordingly."

"He is destined not to become a high-level samurai. Level six is ​​the end of his path of martial prowess. And his inheritance duel will require him to challenge a standard level eight samurai."

The flame of the oil lamp flickered gently, as if it too were sighing at the limitations of this talent.

"Two powerful figures standing at the pinnacle of their respective fields have jointly confirmed the limits of Odel's path as a warrior." The goddess's voice returned to calm, but beneath that calm lay deep regret. "This news is undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for Laura and Odel themselves."

As she recalled the scene, her eyes dimmed: "I tactfully relayed the conclusion to Laura. This usually strong and optimistic woman couldn't stop crying in front of me after hearing the news... My heart clenched too. Afterwards, she told Odell the truth."

The study was quiet, with only the sorrow in my memory flowing silently.

"Both of them are heartbroken. They know better than anyone that some things are destined to remain unchanged." The goddess sighed softly. "But Odel... he still goes to training regularly. Even though he knows there's no hope of inheriting the title, perhaps a faint, unrealistic expectation still lingers in his heart. And even if he wants to obtain the title through political donations or other means in the future, according to the rules, he will still need to defeat a standard warrior of the corresponding rank. Training, at least, allows him to struggle closer to the finish line of rank six."

"I can only offer the couple as much support as I can, outside of the dire situation they are facing."

She adjusted her posture, her gaze falling on the deep shadows between the bookshelves, and her tone became more formal.

"I requested an audience with His Majesty King Arcanos XIV, who was on the throne at the time, hoping that the royal family would be more lenient towards Odell. His Majesty has always been cautious about requests from the Church and rarely gives a positive response. But this time... the situation is different. His Majesty XIV had a deep friendship with Odell's grandmother, Margaret Fairchild, the 'Queen of Thorns.' He also did not want to see the only bloodline of his deceased friend end up being stripped of her title."

"But," she changed the subject, her tone tinged with helplessness, "even if the royal family and the church wanted to help Odell, they couldn't break the ironclad rule of 'succession by duel.' All we could do was try to buy ourselves a little breathing time in the cracks of the rules."

"After much discussion and negotiation, the Council of Elders finally made a concession: they agreed to postpone the age at which Odell had to fight for succession from twenty-five to thirty."

This result sounds like a glimmer of hope, yet it is shrouded in an inevitable bleak ending.

"Although the final outcome remains uncertain, at least the title of marquis can remain before his name for another five years."

"When he turned thirty, the result... was as expected. He lost that crucial duel, and his marquis title was subsequently revoked. Afterward, he used his astonishing wealth to buy himself a viscount title through political donations. With his strength as a sixth-level warrior at the time, he defeated the corresponding sixth-level standard warrior, and ultimately... became a viscount."