Chapter 394

Chapter 394

The news of the beast companion class unsurprisingly caused a storm among the knight academy students. On the very night the notice was posted, all the students at the knight academy learned of this news.

Even those who were training in the Black Forest mountains or attending classes, as long as they could be reached, knew about this news and began rushing back to the school.

For the first time, Lorant stated that all shield knights, regardless of whether they were still in the stage of attending classes, as long as they were still students of the knight academy, must attend the beast companion class.

The students naturally did not dare to disobey and obediently returned to prepare for the class.

This news naturally couldn’t be kept secret, so soon most of Mauplan City’s beast companion enthusiasts knew that the beast companion shop had come up with a new beast companion specifically designed for shield knights.

The city of knights was like a drop of water in a boiling pot of oil, immediately starting to boil.

A beast companion specifically for knights! This had never appeared before!

Shield knights, in the broad category of knights, have always been a crucial part, but they haven’t been highly valued by knights themselves, so relatively speaking, they are a small group of people, especially high-level shield knights, which are quite rare.

On one hand, this is because the profession of a shield knight requires higher physical demands. Those who don’t meet the physical requirements can’t even lift the massive shield, often over two meters tall and heavier than themselves, even if they want to become a shield knight.

On the other hand, sword knights wielding giant swords clearly appear more dashing and heroic than shield knights holding shields, so given the choice, most knights wouldn’t consider becoming a shield knight.

Moreover, at low levels, while their defensive abilities are similar, their offensive capabilities are weaker, making shield knights quite unpopular at low levels.

Even when trying to join an adventurer team, they’d be scrutinized and selected.

But when shield knights grow up, their role in an adventurer team or defending Lopulo Mountain is vital.

To recruit a skilled shield knight, adventurer teams often pay several times more than they would for other practitioners.

This is mainly because the role of shield knights is hard to replace with other professions. Even heavy warriors or orc berserkers can’t replicate the true role of shield knights in battle.

On the other hand, professions like sword knights can be replaced in some aspects by warriors, berserkers, holy warriors of the church, archers, or thieves.

They’re merely ordinary combat professionals.

At higher levels, the importance of shield knights becomes even harder to replace.

Especially when facing those powerful beasts of tens of levels, without shield knights at the front to absorb their initial attacks and drawing their attacks, it’s nearly impossible for the practitioners in the rear to evade those agile creatures and freely use their abilities.

So the development path of this profession seems somewhat unhealthy. Low-level shield knights are not valued, but the higher a shield knight’s level, the more sought-after they become by practitioner organizations.

Even without a very high level, just reaching level six or seven is enough.

This has prompted the knight order to focus heavily on developing shield knights in recent years, wanting to increase their numbers, but a series of subsidies introduced for this purpose have not had much effect.

This time, the new beast companion introduced by the beast companion shop made many far-sighted people in the knight order realize that this might be a good way to effectively increase the number of shield knights and enhance their attractiveness.

......

Lorant did not think so much. At this moment, he was hugging Jiaojiao's neck, sitting on the lawn, letting this big guy stuff his head into his arms, and rubbing the big head of the little guy who was whining and cooing.

And that dreamy-colored horn.

Lorant quite liked the feel of Jiaojiao's horn. It was as smooth as jade, not too cold, and playing with it was like playing with a piece of jade, giving a sense of joy similar to playing with beads.

For Jiaojiao, its horn was like human teeth and nails, without any feeling, but it enjoyed the feeling of Lorant being by its side. No matter what was being touched, it made the Windbreaking Horse full of happiness.

While touching, Lorant suddenly found something on Jiaojiao's furry head, like a small ball, a bit prickly.

He parted Jiaojiao's soft fur and unexpectedly saw a somewhat unfamiliar little white ball.

The white puffball and Lorant exchanged a glance, then shyly lowered their heads, their eight little paws awkwardly stepping on Jiaojiao's soft fur.

Lorant's first instinct was to glance around guiltily.

Then he suddenly remembered that Baby had followed Lancelot to the Blackgold Yew territory this morning and wasn't at the pet shop.

After Lorant obtained Fa Meng, Baby often followed Lancelot's footsteps to wander outside.

Once, in Lorant's eyes, Lancelot was a formidable practitioner who was difficult to rival. But now, as he interacted with more people and his horizons expanded, Lorant realized that Lancelot wasn't such a big deal in the eyes of those formidable warriors.

The reason he could protect Lorant for a while when the pets first emerged was mainly due to his privileged background.

If it weren't for Lindbergh, Diana, and Michael, the world's current strongest, backing him, even though the pets didn't exhibit much power initially, their terrifying potential and future were enough to drive people mad.

For a long time, Lorant felt lucky to have encountered someone as unique as Lancelot.

If it had been anyone else, even if he had encountered William and Jaina, Lorant felt he definitely wouldn't be as at ease as he is now.

Those two formidable warriors indeed held high positions in Mauplan and the Mage Tower, but they weren't sufficient to safeguard the new phenomenon of pets by themselves.

At that time, Lorant would have had to breed pets while fending off various covetous gazes.

Just the thought of it was terrifying.

But Lancelot managed to do all this, not due to his own strength.

He was a genius, indeed, but his talent required time to manifest.

Currently, Lancelot is merely a promising future star with evident talent.

Michael favored him, even took him as his disciple, and personally instructed him for a period, which was sufficient to make outsiders sense Michael's regard for Lancelot.

At the Pokara Pass, there was even a rumor that Michael believed Lancelot could be his successor.

As for the truth, people couldn't discern, but since then, those who were aware of it have treated Lancelot with more caution.

No one dared to challenge Michael's judgment. As long as Lancelot lived, he was likely to attain levels 13 or 14, and possibly become a new legend.

If you offended him, and he had a good memory, he might return to settle scores with you or your descendants after becoming a legend, which wouldn't be ideal.

But this didn't alter the fact that Lancelot was still only a level 7 knight.

So after Lorant had armed his family members to the teeth or instructed them not to leave Fa Meng's domain, Lancelot, who frequently went out, became the most vulnerable link.

As one of the pet shop's people, he was often required by Lorant to take Baby with him when he went out.

With Baby, Lancelot's strength, plus the three light-winged butterflies that could enhance his abilities by another level, made him a formidable warrior.

At least he wouldn't easily encounter life-threatening problems.

Even if he met a level 10 assassin like before, he could still put up a fight.

Since Baby wasn't at the pet shop, the little creature in front of Lorant now must be Silem's ghost spider.

This little one was named Erbao by Silem.

What can I say?

The moment he heard the name, Lorant felt that Silem was truly his own brother.

It's like he's a chip off the old block!

Since Lorant returned, this little one has been staying at the beast shop, and now, under the 'loving iron fists' of the two senior companions, Little Qing and Little Black have accepted the fact that they must coexist peacefully and stay here.

Although the ghost spider's lineage seems to reject its own kind, under the iron fist of reality, Little Black has gradually gotten used to the other's presence.

However, this is truly the first time Lorant has seen Little Black in person.

Not to mention Little Black, even Little Qing rarely appears in the beast shop.

The abilities of the ghost spider inherently mean that as long as Little Qing and Little Black don't want to be seen, no one can see their true forms.

Little Qing is accustomed to its ghost form, and even though it no longer needs to hide in the shadows, the little one still retains this habit.

Little Black, on the other hand, seems to be a very shy little one. Although Fa Meng told Lorant that Little Black often sneaks around near him, seemingly curious about him, it has indeed never truly appeared before.

This is the first time Lorant has seen Little Black actively appear in front of him.

Looking at Little Black, which seemed to have been accidentally discovered, with its proud and aloof demeanor, Lorant couldn't help but smile.

He reached out and cradled Little Black in his hand, rubbing its soft white fur, and seeing it squint its eyes in comfort, he felt very happy.

"Alright, Little Black, I need to go to class. You and Jiaojiao play here," Lorant said, taking out a small snack prepared for Little Qing from his medicine bag and placing a small piece in Little Black's paw. "After eating this, no more snacks for today, understand?"

Little Black held the snack, nodded happily, and its big eyes squinted.

Little Black boldly rubbed against Lorant's fingers, satisfied after doing so, and happily stepped on its little feet, then lay down on the unicorn's head. The two little companions, along with a small golden one swooping down from the sky, ran towards the lake in the beast shop.

Lorant then turned his gaze to the best students gathered on the lawn of the beast shop.

In five minutes, class would begin, and all the best students had already arrived early. The employees had already taken attendance and were off to the side organizing the roster.

Due to time constraints, this beast class temporarily prioritized shield knights, while other knights had to sign up to compete for the remaining spots, so the number of participants was fixed.

Lorant combined several grades, with best students from grades one to three attending two separate classes, and best students from grades four to six attending another class together.

Today's first class was for the best students.

The shield knights from three grades totaled less than a hundred, filling up all the spots for this class, leaving only four spots for sword knights, which the curious best students fiercely competed for.

It's important to note that best students at the Knight Academy do not advance their grades based on the year. If their abilities are insufficient or their talent lacking, they might stay in a certain grade for decades.

Of course, the Knight Academy's patience with best students is not endless. After a certain number of years in school, if they haven't reached a level satisfactory to the academy, these best students with insufficient talent or effort will be abandoned by the academy.

These best students will be dispatched to various places where they are needed to work for free for a period of time, repaying the academy for their training.

Lower-grade best students can choose to compensate the academy for the training costs incurred during their time, but best students in the fourth grade and above do not have this option.

Therefore, the number of best students at the Knight Academy is much higher than people generally imagine. Yet, even in this situation, there are still less than a hundred shield knights, which shows the current situation of shield knights.

Mila, as a senior shield knight, naturally arrived early at the beast shop to prepare for class.

She and her roommate, a fourth-year knight, sat nervously on the grass, fidgeting with their fingers, silently reviewing the previous beast class materials.

"What food must the Blood-Eyed Black Crow absolutely not come into contact with?"

"The Sky-Eye Fruit. This plant beast emits a scent that the Blood-Eyed Black Crow is naturally repelled by, so the crow will not actively eat it in the wild. As long as you don't actively feed it, there won't be a problem," Mila's roommate swallowed nervously and replied after thinking.

"That's incorrect."

"Ah? What's wrong?" The female knight was taken aback and quickly leaned over to check it out.

Mila flipped through the book in her hand and pointed to a sentence in the corner: "There are also jet berries and colorful worms. These two things can be fed to the Blood-Eyed Crow separately, but when combined, they can cause considerable harm to the crow."

The knight smacked her head in frustration: "Damn it, I only thought about single foods, not combinations!"

"We've already reviewed everything about the Blood-Eyed Crow. Do you think Mr. Lorant might test us on earlier beast pets?" Mila closed her book and looked eagerly at her companion, hoping for a reassuring answer.

The textbook she held was compiled just six months ago, with each beast having its own chapter, designed with a loose-leaf format so that new beasts could be easily added later.

The students on the lawn were almost all holding a book, reading intently, at first glance, they seemed very studious...

In reality, it was just some desperate last-minute cramming.

Mila's question did not receive a positive response from her companion, who was also unsure, hesitatingly saying: "Probably not, but if he tests us on earlier material, I really can't recall clearly."

The two students exchanged a glance, silently wiping away tears.

Although attending beast classes is something all knight academy students are eager to do and they all listen very seriously.

But in beast classes, they always feel immense pressure.

Especially worrying about not being able to answer when Lorant asks a question, which not only deducts credits but, more importantly, leaves a bad impression on the shopkeeper.

Knight academy students also need to find jobs.

Now everyone is keenly aware that the Blue Star Pet Shop, which is about to have a brand new Lopulo mountain pass, is undoubtedly the top destination for all practitioners in the next hundred years.

No doubt about it!

As knight academy students, they are very fortunate to have this shopkeeper as their teacher, compared to other practitioners, it's like hitting the jackpot.

So how could they not seize this opportunity?

In Lorant's class, no matter the reason or the thought, each student behaves with utmost respect and is more serious than the next in class.

Striving to put their best foot forward.

"Everyone, gather around," Lorant walked up to the students, clapping his hands and speaking loudly.

As soon as he spoke, all the students stood up swiftly and quickly lined up neatly in front of him.

Their movements were uniform, swift, and without a hint of hesitation.

These students hadn't seen Lorant in a long time, but that doesn't affect their immense respect for him.

After all, it's the Lopulo Mountains! It's the place every practitioner dreams of reaching.

Being able to take charge of a region and become a mountain-guarding practitioner is a dream every young practitioner has silently cherished.

After all, who didn't want to be Hokage when they were young?

Who didn't think about whether to choose Tsinghua or Peking University when they were young?

Of course, on the other hand, Lorant himself is also worthy of their respect.

The breeder of beasts, the founder of the Beast Tamer profession, the principal of Brusda, his achievements are already beyond the reach of ordinary people.

As Lancelot said before, Lorant is destined to be engraved on the pillar of civilization.

Looking at the familiar faces before him, Lorant couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

It had been a long time since he first taught these students, and even the number of beast pets had far exceeded his imagination from back then.

From initially only having the Glassy Ice Flame Dog and the Windbreaking Horse, to now having countless beast pets, whether they are A-level, B-level, C-level, or D-level, the numbers have increased significantly.

Looking back, it felt like a vivid, waking dream.

After silently reflecting for a while, Lorant brought his attention back to the class.

"It’s been a while, how’s everyone doing?" he smiled and chatted with his students for a few moments: "There have been fewer beast classes lately, and I haven’t seen you all for a while. Did you miss me?"

The students looked around, and a bold boy started to joke around.

"Of course, we missed you, teacher!"

"I couldn’t even eat without seeing you for a day!"

"Teacher Lorant, look how thin I’ve become!"

Lorant smiled helplessly, looking at the student who was as tall as two and a half meters, comparable to a double-door refrigerator: "Saying you’ve lost weight isn’t convincing at all!"

The students laughed, and then someone shouted: "Teacher, can we go to the Black Forest next time?"

"It’s been a while since we’ve had a practical beast class!"

"Yes, teacher, I think we’re ready to practice at the Lopulo pass!"

"The new pass would be perfect!!"

Lorant smiled and shook his head, naturally knowing what the students wanted.

The new Lopulo pass was on every student’s mind. Although some lucky students are already taking their 'elective courses' with beast pets on the Black Forest front lines, the overall number is still too small, and most students haven’t had the chance to experience such things.

This naturally made the students eager with anticipation.

"Don’t worry, the Black Forest and the Lopulo Mountains will come," Lorant said, adopting a chatty tone with his students: "Even if you want to go beyond the Lopulo Mountains, there will be opportunities."

Knowing that their teacher’s promises almost always come true, the students immediately erupted in excitement, chattering and crowding around him.

Especially when they heard Lorant mention 'beyond the Lopulo Mountains,' the students became even more excited.

If guarding the mountains is every student’s lifelong dream, then going beyond the Lopulo Mountains is something they hardly dared to dream of.

But now, hearing Lorant speak of it, some quick-witted students immediately caught on.

"Teacher! Have you been beyond the mountains?"

"Have you been beyond the mountains recently? Really?"

"What’s it like there, teacher? I heard that the beasts there are always in a beast tide form, is that true?"

Overwhelmed by the noise, Lorant stepped back and raised his hands to calm them down.

"Calm down, calm down, ladies and gentlemen."

"I have indeed been beyond the Lopulo Mountains recently."

Lorant’s recent travels hadn’t been publicly announced, so although many could guess that he had gone to the Black Forest or some remote place to search for materials related to beast pets, there was no specific location.

His journey was shrouded in mystery.

So when they heard his response, the best students cheered with excitement.

Exploring the Black Forest for over half a year in search of something marvelous was the dream adventure for these young practitioners, who hadn’t yet started their careers as adventurers.

And to go even beyond the Lopulo Mountains?

Their imaginations couldn’t even conjure such a fantasy for these practitioners.

The students’ eyes widened, their curiosity about this journey to Lopulo even surpassing their interest in new beast companions.

Lorant, with a reminiscent expression, said, "It wasn’t a fun journey, I assure you. The whole process was far more tedious than you imagine."

"Especially when you spend months in endless waiting. You don’t even know if you’ll find your target, or how long it’ll take."

"Maybe a month, maybe six, maybe a year," Lorant shook his head. "Endless waiting is painful—it’s not a good experience. If I had the choice, I wouldn’t do it again."

Hearing this, the best students weren’t deterred—they raised their heads with even more interest.

As senior students, they’d already undergone several academy practice exams. Although to practitioners who grew up in the Black Forest, these students were sheltered, like flowers in a greenhouse.

But from their own perspective, the best students felt they’d already weathered enough storms.

Some thought, "I could stay in the Black Forest for a week! There’s nothing I can’t endure!"

Besides, who wouldn’t want to hear a good story!

Half the teachers at the Knight Academy are practitioners, and they’re happy to share their past adventures. But the students have heard those stories so often, their ears are calloused.

Since becoming teachers, they no longer have time for adventures. The excitement of life has faded, and they rely on stories from their earlier days.

Of course, the trade-off is that their pockets have grown heavier.

The teachers at the Knight Academy, especially the practitioners, earn quite substantial salaries.

With safety, leisure, and high pay, the Knight Academy’s long duty hours aren’t too demanding.

Lorant, who teaches when he wants and skips when he doesn’t, is one of a kind in the academy.

So when Lorant told a brand-new story no one had heard, the best students were naturally fascinated.

"Alright, if you’re interested, I’ll share the details in class," Lorant said, glancing at the time and abruptly ending the topic.

Little Fa Meng, floating nearby, perched on Lorant’s shoulder, poking him with her paw. "Lorant, my travelogue is finished!" she whispered.

Her short, plump tail patted Lorant’s back.

Little Fa Meng, the best-selling travelogue writer at Blue Star Bookstore, has several works widely circulated across the human empire.

Of course, this isn’t just due to Fa Meng’s talent for writing engaging, easy-to-read travelogues. Blue Star Bookstore, with the Blue Star platform, has spread to every corner of the empire.

Plus, movable type printing, a major innovation, has dramatically increased book production.

These changes have spread Fa Meng’s travelogues worldwide—not just in the human empire, but also to other intelligent races with compatible languages.

Lorant is collaborating with Princess Daisy to promote Blue Star Bookstore and movable type printing.

Daisy took this matter very seriously. She swiftly pushed through relevant policies via the Imperial Parliament, setting up public schools for basic education in cities nationwide.

Though termed schools, budget limitations meant they were basic, part-time centers barely teaching literacy.

These schools lacked fixed enrollments or set schedules.

Volunteer tutors would occasionally teach literacy to the poor and uneducated. The curriculum was rudimentary, focusing on basics like writing one's name.

Any additional learning was a bonus.

Implementing this project fully demanded significant resources and manpower.

The Imperial Parliament, weakened over years, hadn't pushed such policies in a long while. Even with current full backing, they lacked sufficient funds to execute the plan.

The princess continued to seek funds through speeches to fulfill the plan.

Lorant didn't object, recognizing that partnerships are essential. Even Blue Star couldn't handle everything alone.

Previously, Blue Star Pet Shop had launched Blue Star Bookstore and affordable movable-type books, displacing traditional copyists.

Lorant felt fulfilling his role was sufficient.

After Fa Meng spoke, Lorant addressed the students: "By the way, if you're curious about our trip, grab Fa Meng's third travelogue at Blue Star Bookstore."

"It's a hefty read," Lorant smiled. "Get it at the campus Blue Star Bookstore for student discounts. Full price elsewhere!"

The students chuckled and chatted. As the mood lightened, Lorant began the lesson.

"So, we're here to learn about a new beast pet, right?"

The students nodded, but Lorant shifted gears.

"Let's recap the earlier beast pets first."

Lorant scanned the room, and a murmur spread. Many exchanged knowing glances.

Mila and her friend sat up confidently, having just reviewed.

Noticing their expressions, Lorant smiled. "Last time, it was the Wulu Shell, and before that, the Blood-Eyed Black Crow, right?"

"Exactly!" Mila brightened at the familiar names.

"So, let's start with the Floating Giant Duck."

The lawn went silent the moment Lorant mentioned it.

Only the cold wind's whistle echoed, seeming to mock the students who'd studied the wrong material.

Mila and her friend slumped, heads down, hoping to avoid Lorant's attention.

The Floating Giant Duck, a beast pet more inclined towards daily life, had never been taken seriously in the Knight Academy.

It was also the real knowledge difficulty for these students.

If asked about the Blood-Eyed Black Crow or even the earlier Glassy Ice Flame Dog or Furious Ragdoll Bear, ninety percent of the students could say something about them. Even if they had forgotten, it wouldn't be much.

But if asked about beast pets like the beast pet Slime or the Floating Giant Duck, which are more inclined towards daily life, seventy percent of the students would be like illiterates who had never attended class.

They'd stare blankly, muttering nonsense.

Seeing the students' reactions, Lorant lowered his head and revealed a mischievous grin of victory.

Let these kids show off! He knew they were waiting for his questions, and some even compiled all of Lorant's classroom questions to prepare for the final exam review.

But as a teacher, outsmarting his students was his greatest pleasure!

How could he let these kids easily figure out his routine!

Lorant thought happily as he saw the students' frustration.

Although the majority of the students lowered their heads, there were still some top students in the beast class or those lucky enough to guess the right beast who happily raised their hands, ready to earn their beast class points.

The pre-class questions were just a habit of Lorant's, allowing the students to review previous lessons while giving him time to think about how to start the class.

After the questions were over, Lorant led the students to a Saint Shield Grass recently transplanted near the Knight Academy's Lover's Forest.

"Everyone, come and take a close look at this Saint Shield Grass," Lorant said as he gently touched its leaves and turned to the students. "But be careful not to damage the leaves or accidentally transfer your battle aura to it. Control your power."

The students walked over, holding their breath, lining up to carefully touch the two large green leaves.

After each student touched the leaves, their faces still showed bewilderment.

They had never seen such a strange plant and didn't understand what Lorant wanted them to do.

Especially since...

Weren't they here to learn new beast class content?

This doesn't seem like a beast!

Why are they always dealing with such strange plants! It can't be a beast!

Where's the fluffy, cute look?

The sharp fangs?

At least, shouldn't there be a pair of cute eyes?

Nothing at all, what kind of beast is this!

The students silently complained in their hearts, completely ignoring the existence of the Meat Mountain.

Meat Mountain: ??? Are you polite?

Seeing the confusion in the students' eyes and realizing that almost no student considered the Saint Shield Grass as the new beast they needed to learn about, Lorant didn't say much but subtly lowered his aura.

After all the students had touched the Saint Shield Grass, he called over Mike, who was assisting as a teaching assistant.

At this moment, Mike was holding his Saint Shield Fruit and stood in front of the students.

"Everyone here is a shield knight, so you must have your own shield, right?" Lorant didn't bring the topic back to the students' concerns but instead asked another question. "Do you all understand your own shields?"

The students looked at each other, clearly unsure why Lorant asked this question. Just as they hesitated, Mila blinked and raised her hand.

Lorant pointed and said, "Miss Mila."

"My shield was forged by Master Kelly, a shield maker from Mauplan. It is mainly made of refined copper, mixed with three precious metals, and also fused with the shell of a level six beast, the 'Shadow Beetle,'" Mila said with obvious pride in her shield, her face glowing as she spoke. "So my shield is relatively lighter and more suitable for my use."

Lorant nodded to her, "Very good, Miss Mila knows her shield well, but this is not something to be praised. This is an ability you should have as a knight."

"Frankly, if you can't even determine where your own eating utensils come from, I might have to doubt whether you'd get lost in the school garden."

"How can ordinary folks like me feel safe putting our lives in your hands?"

Hearing Lorant's words, a few students couldn't help but chuckle.

An ordinary person like Lorant? Though they didn't understand why their teacher always considered himself an ordinary person, in the eyes of all the students at the Knight Academy, Lorant had long surpassed most practitioners to become a true formidable warrior.

If someone who breeds so many beast pets is still considered ordinary, then we really need to rethink what 'ordinary' means.

"Alright, although I know everyone has some small doubts about my definition of 'ordinary,' it's not important. What's important is that our new beast pet is related to your shields," Lorant said, making air quotes with his hands.

"Now, please take a look at the shield in Mr. Mike's hand."

"Can anyone spot what's special about it?"