"Can I try out your demonized item?" Vivian asked, looking at the Brass Ring in Duke’s hand.
She wanted to test whether her spiritual power was sufficient to use the demonized item after being promoted to Great Knight.
Duke nodded, taking off the Brass Ring and placing it on Vivian’s finger.
Vivian looked at the Brass Ring on her hand, and after a moment, she said, "I can see it, floating text, Amokoyelensa..."
As soon as she spoke, a layer of golden light appeared on her body, similar to what Duke had experienced before.
Vivian rubbed her temples, showing some signs of fatigue, and said, "The Morian Language inscribed on this is written with spiritual power; only those with sufficient spiritual power can see it and directly comprehend its meaning through spiritual power."
"Where is the Morian Language from?" Duke asked, hearing the name of the text on the ring for the first time.
"This is also what my father told me. Morian Language is a common language among wizards. My father has an introductory book on Morian Language, which I learned a long time ago. I’ll teach you later," Vivian said.
After Vivian’s spiritual power aptitude was tested to be good when she was young, Earl Hardy deliberately trained her, teaching her Morian Language early on, just to use it for future opportunities.
Duke and Vivian exercised together for a while afterward, both sweating profusely.
That night, Vivian brought a quaint book, with its cover resembling tree roots and having many tentacles, looking very peculiar.
Duke reached out to touch them and found that the tentacles were alive, automatically brushing against his fingers.
Vivian seemed unfazed by this, smacking the tentacles away before opening the cover.
The text inside was similar to the symbols on the ring, resembling tadpole-like glyphs, which made his head spin a little.
Vivian started from the basics, patiently teaching Duke this language.
Duke realized that mastering this script wasn’t too hard; there were only thirty-two basic letters. Once he learned some fixed combinations and pronunciations, it was quite easy to pick up.
After he grasped some basic grammar, a new branch appeared on his Skill Tree.
[Morian Language: Level 1 (1/100)]
"As long as there’s a progress bar, it’s manageable," Duke thought to himself.
No matter how difficult this language might be, as long as he grinds hard enough, he’ll max out eventually.
Before they knew it, they spent the whole night learning the language, and Vivian’s golden hair hung down like a cascading waterfall.
She only took off her helmet in front of Duke.
"Let’s stop here for today. You keep the book and ask me if you don’t understand anything." Vivian said, looking at Duke with clear and beautiful eyes reflecting the candlelight.
Duke checked the Morian Language progress, which was already halfway through. As long as he stayed in the learning state, he could increase his proficiency quickly.
Vivian, originally ready to leave, suddenly turned around and threw herself into Duke’s arms, hugging him for a moment before leaving.
...
Three days later, at Maple Hill Castle.
Under Vivian’s guidance, Duke met Earl Hardy.
The last time at the ball, they only had a brief encounter with hardly any communication.
Earl Hardy was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a square face, looking very serious. His hair and beard were already graying, and his whole demeanor was imposing.
Duke noticed that Earl Hardy indeed had a Red Glove on his left hand.
The design of this Red Glove was unique, with many embroidered patterns, looking like something a noblewoman would use.
"Father, I want Duke to join us in the Summoning Ceremony," Vivian whispered.
"Hmm." Earl Hardy turned to look at Duke, his gaze seemingly penetrating Duke as he stared at him for a long time.
Eventually, he spoke, "Alright, but you mustn’t speak out of turn without permission. I haven’t seen Wizard Grace in twenty years; it’s essential to show respect, and you mustn’t offend her."
Vivian was not wearing her armor today but dressed in a white gown with golden embroidery, a classical attire for noble maidens.
Her attire today was quite formal, and it was Duke’s first time seeing Vivian like this.
"Rest assured, Earl, I won’t speak out of turn," Duke said respectfully.
Vivian had already informed him about today’s matters before bringing him here.
The so-called Summoning Ceremony was a method left by Wizard Grace for Earl Hardy to contact Grace from afar.
However, this method could only be used once, which is why Earl Hardy had never used it all these years.
He had faced numerous crises and was often in life-and-death situations, yet he never used the Summoning Ceremony for assistance.
Earl Hardy was waiting for this day, for a descendant with wizard aptitude to appear.
It was not until Vivian’s birth that he finally had hope.
For Earl Hardy, neither territory nor wealth mattered.
If a wizard appeared among the family descendants, it would be a great opportunity that could change the destiny of future generations.
In the face of such an opportunity, territory and wealth were insignificant.
Earl Hardy had painstakingly planned for this goal for many years.
His generosity towards his subjects stemmed from his disregard for these material things, not caring about external possessions.
Most nobles were stingy, madly pursuing wealth to the extreme, unable to afford better treatment for their people.
Duke recalled having plenty of wheat cakes in the fields and finally understood.
Because of Earl Hardy’s unique experiences, his vision was different from ordinary nobles, and so were his pursuits.
Originally, Earl Hardy didn’t allow Duke to participate, but because Vivian persistently pleaded, he reluctantly agreed.
As a father, Earl Hardy surely noticed Vivian’s unusual behavior, but he didn’t show it. Instead, he seemed quite satisfied with Duke.
Because Duke was naturally gifted with wizard talent, had excellent knight aptitude, and came from a very clean background, his growth trajectory was clear from a young age.
Such a person made Earl Hardy feel reassured. More importantly, he knew that if both parents had wizard aptitude, their offspring were highly likely to possess wizard aptitude, too.
This was the main reason Earl Hardy didn’t exclude Duke.
The Summoning Ceremony took place in the castle’s basement, with just Earl Hardy, Vivian, and Duke. Above them, several Knight Level guards stood watch.
There was no need for protection underground; with the three of them, no one could really cause trouble.