"This event isn’t anything too serious, just a welcome for the New Blood. To be honest, this ceremony should have been held a few weeks ago, but some people were tied up."

Edwin explained as they walked.

Colin and Kase followed close behind him.

The trio exited one courtyard, crossed into another, then entered a long corridor and passed through a garden.

Only then did Colin realize that Horn Castle was much larger than he had imagined.

And perhaps because it was rarely under threat of attack, the interior of Horn Castle was filled with decorative structures. He could even see things like fountains and flowerbeds.

The soldiers patrolling here were mostly burly men clad in full Plate Armor.

Just looking at their equipment, engraved with all sorts of Magic Runes, was enough to dazzle Colin’s eyes.

It went without saying that the price for such gear was leagues beyond the second-hand Plate Armor Chest Guards found in the slums.

After winding their way through several passages, they entered a medium-sized room.

The room was filled with tables and chairs laden with fruit. In the corner stood several beer barrels fitted with spigots.

Edwin pulled out a chair. "You two wait here for a while. The welcome ceremony will begin once everyone has arrived."

Colin looked at the smooth floor tiles and the magnificent hall.

’If it weren’t for the not-so-bright-looking Half-Orc beside me, I’d almost think I’d transmigrated again and was sitting in some high-end restaurant.’

"So, what’s the agenda?" Colin asked, carefully plucking a grape and popping it into his mouth.

Kase also asked, "How long will this take? We’ve still got debts to pay."

"It’s a sort of inspection. The New Blood will stand in formation in the square to be reviewed by representatives of the citizenry and the nobility," Edwin said. "Oh, right. After the ceremony, you two should receive a bonus of five Gold Coins in recognition of your recent contributions."

At the mention of a bonus, Kase fell silent.

Colin relaxed as well. He grabbed a beer from the side and started to single-mindedly demolish the fruit on the table.

As he and Kase made small talk, more and more people arrived.

The hall was soon filled with over a hundred people, among whom he spotted a few familiar faces from Silverpine Village.

From what these people were saying, the welcome ceremonies for field personnel were held in batches, so those in the hall were just one group among many.

Once most everyone had gathered, dozens of maids entered with surcoats and began handing them out.

Colin and Kase each received one as well.

The surcoat was made of woven wool. It bore the crest of the City Watchers on the chest and was edged with a golden trim.

"Something feels a bit off," Colin muttered in a low voice.

He looked around and saw that the surcoats given to the people near him all had white trim.

Kase casually slipped the surcoat on. "Who cares? Even if it’s the wrong one, it’s not our fault."

Once everyone was wearing their surcoats, the maids guided them outside. They ended up in yet another courtyard, this one much larger and more ornately decorated than the previous ones.

Just as Colin and Kase were about to stand with the others, a maid came over and said, "Please come this way, Mr. Colin and Mr. Kase."

"Oh, of course."

The two of them hurried after her and were placed at the very front of the formation.

Nine other teams were also standing at the front.

Colin took a closer look. The other nine teams were mostly composed of four to six people each. They too wore the golden-trimmed surcoats, and he could spot Magic Equipment on at least one or two members of each team.

Since he and Kase were a team of only two, he could feel many eyes on them, sizing them up as if they were some kind of rare species.

After some time had passed, a horn suddenly blared from the surrounding castle walls.

Immediately after, with a great rumbling sound, the massive double doors in front of the formation slowly swung open.

Beyond the gates stood over a hundred people.

A few dozen people in the center of the crowd were uniformly dressed in purple robes and golden masks. Their height and build were identical, making them completely indistinguishable from one another.

The others were a varied lot, from members of prominent merchant families in silk to commoners in linen. The steward who had previously discussed the plan with them was also among the crowd.

The moment this group appeared, everyone’s gaze fell in unison upon Colin and Kase.

After all, Kase was the only Half-Orc standing at the front, and theirs was the only two-person team.

Colin finally understood what the Guard had meant by "one of the main attractions."

’So it seems the New Blood who performed exceptionally well have to be put on display at the front. But isn’t this way too conspicuous?’

’I could slack off a bit back in the crowd,’ Colin thought. ’Up here, I don’t even dare to twitch.’

Kase, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered, as if nothing out of the ordinary were happening.

A man with a thick beard and a Plate Armor Chest Guard stepped out from the crowd.

"These are the newly recruited field personnel for the City Watchers! As you can all see, their spirit is..."

The man’s speech was no different from any other.

The vapid speech made Colin drowsy.

For appearance’s sake, however, he forced himself to stay alert and look as if he were listening intently.

"...At the front of the formation are the teams who stepped forward during the recent disaster! They are true heroes. Though they are but New Blood, they answered the call, fighting alone or playing a key part in resolving calamities that threatened entire regions. A salute to them!"

Suddenly, the cry of an eagle echoed from overhead.

Colin looked up.

A great flock of massive creatures with the heads of eagles and the bodies of lions soared overhead, their great wings creating a powerful whoosh of air. Ropes adorned with pennants were tied to their lion-like tails. Atop each beast sat a knight in Half-plate Armor, a Riding Lance in hand.

’Are those Griffins? Griffin Knights?!’

He was wide awake in an instant.

From a distance, the massive creature’s wingspan looked to be over seven meters, like a small airplane.

And right now, there were at least forty such Griffins in the sky!

"That’s almost as big as a small dragon..." Kase murmured in awe.

Before the two could recover from the shock of seeing the Griffin Knight Order, thirty Plate Armor Warriors wielding Two-Handed Giant Swords marched in from both sides of the courtyard.

The blades of their Great Swords had a dark luster, and one could faintly discern an intricate, fine-lined pattern on the surface. It looked like Damascus Steel, yet also like the tracks of a flowing liquid.

Colin and Kase took one look and couldn’t tear their eyes away.

"A thousand masts cleave the waves! Will of steel!"

The Plate Armor Warriors roared in unison, and the Great Swords in their hands immediately erupted in scorching flames.

Colin stared intently at the nearest blade.

The weapon’s Panel promptly appeared before his eyes.

[Flame Tongue Greatsword / Rare-level Magic Weapon]

[Damage: 3-13 (Enchanted State: 5-25)]

[Flame Enchantment: Upon speaking the Command Language, the blade will ignite, dealing an additional 2-12 points of Flame Damage on hit. Duration: At will.]

Seeing this Panel, Colin silently gulped.