Looking at all the attributes, Rein's strength had genuinely stepped into the realm of a Level 3 Knight Attendant.
And with the secret technique "roaring strike" and the core skill "Strength Burst," Rein should have no rivals below the rank of a formal Knight.
However, speaking of rivals,
Rein immediately thought of that guy Endri.
According to Hamilton's description, Endri seemed to be a Level 1 Wizard Apprentice. His pure combat strength was not strong, but he had many tricky methods.
"If I encounter him unawares, I'll definitely suffer a huge loss."
"If his strength isn't enough, he resorts to using poison!"
Rein didn't think there was anything wrong with that.
After all, history is written by the victors.
As for Hamilton's kind reminder, Rein naturally understood that the other party wanted him to focus his limited energy on the transcendent path of a Knight.
To sum it up, it was just two words: 'specialization.'
But Rein was specializing now too!
He was just specializing in three things: Blacksmith, Night Watchman, and Dog Trainer.
This didn't contradict what Hamilton had said.
It seemed that Rein remembered he had yet to sort his loot. He laid out several of Endri's items in a row on the table in his room.
First was the weapon that looked like a staff but concealed a thin sword inside it. After pondering for a moment, Rein hid it under his bed.
He didn't need it on a regular basis.
He had his Fine Steel Greatsword and the Bastard Sword issued by the Night Watchman. The staff with the concealed sword could be used for surprise attacks in the future.
Next was the leather coin pouch. Rein emptied all the coins out of it.
"Not bad at all, actually over sixty Gold Coins and quite a few Silver Coins."
Rein thought to himself, indeed, 'wizards' are much richer than 'assassins.'
Three bottles, two of which he didn't know the use for yet. Rein planned to find time to ask Abel about them.
Additionally, Rein weighed the ring that released hallucinogenic poison gas in his hand.
The exterior was an Emerald Ring, but there was a small trigger the size of a needle's head on one side of the emerald; it seemed that the poison gas could be silently released with a press.
"Why does it feel even more assassin-like than the last assassin?"
Rein criticized in his heart.
Lastly, Rein picked up the somewhat aged diary with a sheepskin cover.
After flipping through a few pages, Rein discovered that it was indeed Endri's diary.
It detailed his travels and various scandalous secrets. Perhaps, the order of these two terms should be reversed.
The most recent page recorded events from two days ago when he received an invitation from Schmidt and planned to join the investigation mission at Elim Mine.
As Rein read through the diary carefully,
he suddenly felt as if he was searching for knowledge in a saucy novel.
"Damn it, who keeps a diary if they're decent!"
"The indecent ones, they all bloody love to keep diaries!"
For example, there was a long description that read:
"In the month of Green Grass, I came to Yorkshire. Through Viscount Charles's introduction, I met the wife of Earl York. The lady was tall and curvy, with skin as pale as milk. The pink nails on her delicate feet shimmered with a mesmerizing glow... It took me a great deal of effort to find the love charm herb, and eventually, I got her...(300 words omitted)"
"...When passing by Emerald Bay, we went to the Emerald Pub. The striptease dancer there was really too spicy, wearing virtually nothing. For three consecutive days, I didn't leave the inn..."
These descriptions had Rein's young blood boiling and his imagination running wild.
However, when he flipped to the last page, his expression became solemn.
"...Damn wizard's talent, my basic meditation method has hardly made any progress, and the potions to increase spiritual power are insanely expensive! How wonderful it would be if I could find a treasure of immeasurable value..."
"...Considering the investigation mission tomorrow, I went to the bat market in Meist County City and bought a small bottle of hallucinogenic poison gas to fill the ring with..."
Basic meditation method?
Suddenly, Rein's pupils constricted!
Immediately, he flipped through Endri's diary over and over again, seven or eight times, but in the end, he still found no trace of the basic meditation method, much to his disappointment.
The so-called basic meditation method wasn't recorded in the diary.
After calming his emotions, Rein continued to read carefully.
An hour later, Rein closed Endri's diary that he had come from, deep in thought.
The basic meditation method was crucial, and maybe he could find out more about it at the bat market.
'Bat market' must be what these wizard apprentices referred to when buying or trading goods.
Based on the description in the diary, this bat market was likely located somewhere in the County Town.
Unfortunately, since he had already come to the attention of Alonso, the Baron and eldest son of the Earl, going to the County Town was still a bit too risky.
Moreover, if all these wizard apprentices were as cunning and ruthless as Endri, going there now, he could easily capsize in the gutter.
After some thought, Rein decided to wait until he was officially knighted and stepped into the transcendent before looking for this so-called bat market.
Afterward, Rein sorted through the things he needed to complete next.
First was to raise the Giant Bear Sword Technique to lv5.
Next, when he had the chance, was to visit the quartermaster and exchange for some shield defense combat skills.
The rest could proceed as planned.
A knock on the door interrupted Rein's musings.
"Rein, may I come in?" Anna's gentle voice came from outside the door.
Rein turned around and saw Anna walking in with her head down, seemingly too shy to look him directly in the eye.
But the next second, Anna's slightly heaving chest took a deep breath as if mustering courage, and soon, she looked up at Rein and said:
"Rein, I heard this afternoon that several Night Watchmen had been sacrificed. You... you must be careful when you go out."
Rein suddenly realized!
It was naturally a bit embarrassing for a girl to express such concern, especially someone with a personality like Anna's.
"Thank you, Anna, I'll be careful."
"Ri... Right, you aren't hurt, are you? Do you need me to use an amulet...."
"I'm really not, look," Rein lifted his sleeve and then raised his shirt as a sign.
"Brother, it's time for dinner," Bo He's crisp voice came.
At that moment, a cute little head peeked around the door, and it was Bo He.
Seeing her brother Rein lifting his shirt, and then looking at Sister Anna, Bo He's mouth hung open in a perfect circle, her surprise clear to see.
"Bo He, it's not what you think," Anna immediately blushed and waved her hands in denial.
"Little clever one, what are you thinking about? Brother is just letting Anna help see if there is a wound!" Rein said with a laugh as he patted Bo He's head.
When Rein went downstairs, he saw that his mother Emma had prepared a lavish dinner.
Three marinated herrings, a large portion of pickled pork, a whole roast chicken bought from the market, a big bowl of mashed potatoes, five large one-pound loaves of white bread, and a bottle of milk.
A month before, such an extravagant dinner would have been unthinkable.
But now, as long as Rein was at home, it had become a normal part of daily life.
And as Rein's appetite grew bigger and bigger, the food prepared by mother Emma got better and better, of course, nearly half of it went into Rein's stomach.
The family of four plus Anna sat warmly around a simple wooden table, sharing dinner.
Since Rein and a group of Night Watchmen had participated in the battle at the Elim Mine during the day, Hamilton specially granted them two days' leave.
But the Whippet 'Cookie' was used to wandering around at night and, after circling Rein's feet a few times, barked twice at the door.
Immediately, Rein understood 'Cookie's meaning; it wanted him to take it for a night patrol!
So, amidst Bo He's giggling and under Anna's serene smile, Rein could only take 'Cookie' out for a walk.
In a short while, Rein encountered three other Night Watchmen colleagues on night patrol.
As they passed by each other, Rein greeted them with a smile.
"Eh! Is that the Greatsword Rein?"
"Yeah! Don't you know him? They say he slew a five-meter-tall monster with a greatsword today, right in the Elim Mine."
Although Rein had walked away, in the quiet of the night, he could clearly hear the three Night Watchmen colleagues talking about him.
Rein touched the Fine Steel Greatsword on his back, thinking to himself, okay! This nickname doesn't seem so bad.
But hearing the part about a five-meter-tall monster??
What had that to do with anything? He wondered which Night Watchman who went on the investigative mission during the day had gossiped; a three-meter-tall monster had become five meters....
Suddenly, 'Cookie' started barking furiously at the side of the road towards the woods.
This made Rein immediately alert.
Could it be that there's some wild beast?
But acting on the principle that less is often better than more, Rein didn't intend to enter the woods at night to check things out.
But the next second, 'Cookie' trotted around Rein a few times and then tugged at the hem of Rein's trousers with its mouth, seemingly urging Rein to go look urgently.
This made Rein a bit puzzled.
"It doesn't seem to be a wild beast, 'Cookie' doesn't have the emotion of fear."
"Alright! Let's go have a look then."
Rein couldn't help being curious.
'Cookie' took the lead, quickly darting into the woods. Thanks to Rein's greatly enhanced physical condition, and his Dark Vision, even in the night forest, he could keep pace right behind the Whippet.
However, Rein's right hand was already resting on the hilt of the Fine Steel Greatsword on his back.
If something seemed amiss, he could react immediately.
"Eh! Something's not right, there seems to be a scent of blood!" Rein's nostrils twitched.
"No wonder 'Cookie' wanted me to come over."
Ahead of them, 'Cookie' suddenly stopped and then turned its head, barking at Rein a few times as if to say, this is the place.
Rein immediately used his Dark Vision to focus in that direction, only to see in the dappled moonlight of the woodland, a woman he recognized well lying diagonally on the ground, with her characteristic shield by her side.
"This.... this is that barbarian shield-maiden?" Rein couldn't help but exclaim softly.
The iconic shield of the barbarian girl was already missing almost a small half, and judging from the spikes and serrated cracks on the broken edge, it seemed to have been smashed by some kind of heavy hammer or similar heavy weapon.
The girl's curvaceous body bore no obvious wounds, but the arm that held the shield was twisted strangely, most likely dislocated or broken.
Eh! Something's wrong!
Rein suddenly noticed black vapors billowing from the twisted arm of the other party, exhaling an unsettling aura.