KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

The crisp knocking, though faint, sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet of the night.

Roland frowned, temporarily ignoring the flashing gold text before his eyes as his right hand slowly closed around the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Just as he was about to step forward and investigate, a familiar voice came from outside the door.

"Roland? Are you asleep?"

Hearing the voice, Roland’s tense shoulders instantly relaxed.

He deftly sheathed his Iron Sword, strode forward, and opened the door.

In the dim candlelight, the golden hair still shimmered with a dazzling luster.

Roland sighed helplessly.

"Dalko, what’s so urgent that you’re looking for me this late?"

"Haha! I knew you’d still be awake..."

"Shh!"

Roland pressed his index finger to his lips, stepping aside to clear the doorway. "Keep your voice down," he whispered.

"It doesn’t bother me, but the other guests are already resting."

Dalko quickly covered his mouth and tiptoed into the room.

Roland closed the door, took out a wooden cup, filled it with water, and handed it over.

"So, what’s up? Why come see me so late? Are we setting off tomorrow?"

Dalko took the cup, thanked him, and tilted his head back, draining it in one go. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

After a few loud gulps, the young nobleman finally spoke.

"Roland, have you ever heard of the Sea God Festival?"

"The Sea God Festival?"

Roland raised an eyebrow and sat down on a nearby wooden chair.

"I’ve heard the merchants at the fish market mention it. It’s an annual celebration in Distant Harbor, right?"

"That’s right!"

Dalko snapped his fingers crisply, his eyes flashing with excitement.

"His Majesty Morne just sent out an order summoning all of us nobles to attend the Sea God Festival in two days. After the celebration is over, we can finally set off."

Roland nodded slightly, but then his brow furrowed.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"What do you mean, ’what does it have to do with you’? You have no idea..."

Dalko suddenly realized his voice had gotten loud again. He quickly covered his mouth and continued in a hushed tone.

"You have no idea how lively the Sea God Festival is!"

The young nobleman rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"The entire harbor turns into a massive marketplace! The food section alone has over a hundred stalls. The most famous is the Deep Sea squid skewer—caught and grilled on the spot, coated in a special seaweed powder. It’s unbelievably delicious!"

He swallowed and continued.

"The daytime parade is even more spectacular. Dozens of performance troupes march along the seaside avenue. The most popular is the Seashell Dance Troupe—the girls wear dance skirts adorned with countless pearls and can form all sorts of wave shapes. There are also Fishermen on stilts dressed up as the legendary Sea Giants, towering three men high!"

"Then, when the tide goes out in the evening, everyone gathers on the golden beach for a treasure hunt. The Priests bury all sorts of little trinkets beforehand—some are real pearl necklaces, others are gold-plated commemorative shells..."

Watching the young nobleman, who was practically dancing with excitement, Roland smiled faintly.

"What’s this? You’re not sad anymore?"

Dalko’s expression faltered for a moment, then he waved his hand dismissively.

"I just think... you were right, Roland. My father is so strong, he’ll definitely wake up. Besides..."

He scratched his head, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

"Even if I pace around anxiously right now, it won’t help my father’s condition one bit. So instead of doing that..."

As he said this, Dalko seemed to think of someone and suddenly gritted his teeth.

"It’s better to pull myself together. I absolutely can’t let those bastards laugh at me!"

"That’s the spirit."

Roland patted his shoulder, pleased.

’It seems my guidance these past few days wasn’t in vain.’

"So... you’re asking me to go to the Sea God Festival with you?"

"Not just that..."

Dalko gave an embarrassed laugh and leaned in closer.

"On the day of the Sea God Festival, His Majesty Morne is hosting a banquet at the Sea Pearl Hall. According to the rules, every noble must bring at least one Attendant..."

"So... you want me to be your Attendant?"

"In name only!"

Dalko hurriedly slung an arm around Roland’s shoulders.

"With our friendship, how could I possibly treat you as a real Attendant? It’s just..."

He scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"I’ll feel more at ease with you by my side. After all... I have to meet His Majesty Morne. To be honest, just the thought of meeting that legendary figure makes my heart pound..."

"Hmm..."

After hearing him out, Roland fell into thought.

’This trip to Distant Harbor has been quite fruitful.’

’I successfully completed the Refining of the Spirit Summoning Potion, Awakened my Consciousness Shallows, mastered a Trick, and even smoothly acquired the Upper-tier Profession [Juggler].’

’Right now, aside from continuing to practice Flaming Arrow, I don’t really have anything else urgent to do.’

’And practicing Flaming Arrow requires consistent, long-term effort anyway...’

Confirming that he had nothing pressing to do in the near future, Roland nodded slightly.

"Alright, just let me know in advance. But..."

He glanced down at his plain clothes and added,

"Since I’m posing as an Attendant, you should be the one providing the clothes, right?"

"Leave it to me!"

Seeing that Roland had agreed, Dalko thumped his chest excitedly.

"I’ll get the whole outfit ready. When the time comes, you just need to stay by my side. No need to be nervous at all..."

Listening to Dalko’s incessant instructions, Roland complained inwardly.

’What do I have to be nervous about?’

’I have no criminal record and a clean background.’

’Besides, a banquet hosted by King Morne is bound to have tight security, so there definitely won’t be any safety issues.’

’I’ll just be going through the motions, and I’ll even get to taste some palace cuisine. It’s going to be a relaxing breeze.’

"Alright, Dalko..."

Seeing that the other man was about to launch into another long-winded speech, Roland raised a hand to cut him off.

"Since the Sea God Festival is still a few days away, why don’t we talk about it during the day?"

"Er... alright..."

Caught up in his excitement, Dalko finally realized it was the middle of the night. So, after a few more moments of idle chat, he tiptoed out the door.

"Phew..."

After watching from the window as Dalko left safely under the protection of a few guards, Roland let out a helpless sigh and turned his attention back to his Professional Panel.

[Upper-tier Profession: Blacksmith detected. Professional Resonance can be triggered.]

[Professional Resonance]

[Juggler + Blacksmith]

[Extra Benefit Acquired: Steel Heart Resonance]

[Steel Heart Resonance: Whether it’s steel you’ve forged yourself or a weapon crafted by another, you can grasp its center of gravity, resilience, and balance with just a few simple movements. A heavy War Axe in your hands feels like an extension of your arm, while a light Dagger can deliver a shockingly powerful blow. This isn’t brute force, but an absolute mastery over metal and mechanics—an almost intuitive affinity for weapons.]

"So, the gist of it is..."

Roland summarized, looking at the somewhat lengthy description.

"I can quickly master any weapon and, when using it, achieve the effect of wielding the heavy as if it were light, and the light as if it were heavy?"

With that in mind, Roland casually drew the Iron Sword from his waist.

The blade, which was originally quite heavy, suddenly felt perfectly suited to his hand.

With a casual swing, the normally clumsy chop sliced through the air with the swift, silver glint of a short sword, the sound of its passage as faint as a bee’s hum.

After a slight raise of his eyebrow, Roland then drew the Dagger from his waist.

The blade, which should have been nimble and light, spun in his wrist and came down with the oppressive weight of a War Axe, silently splitting a smooth, diagonal gash in the edge of the wooden table.

"Interesting."

Feeling that marvelous sensation from wielding the two different weapons, Roland nodded slowly.

He once again reviewed the Traits of the [Juggler] and the Extra Benefits gained from the Professional Resonance with the other two Upper-tier Professions, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.

’I didn’t expect that for a Profession with such a mundane-sounding name, the Traits and Extra Benefits it gives are so powerful...’

’If an Upper-tier Profession is already like this, then what about the High Tier Profession [Enchanter]? That’s right...’

Thinking of the High Tier Profession [Enchanter], Roland’s gaze shifted downward to look at its requirements.