After two hours on the road, Henwell arrives at a small town, pnning to stay the night. Although he's close to his first destination, the castle, it's already too te to make a visit. Dropping by unannounced at this hour wouldn't be proper etiquette for someone of noble standing. Whether anyone believes it or not, Henwell is now Arius, carrying the Phoenix family name.

  At the tavern, he orders a beer and a simple meal, settling into a corner to eat quietly. There are no bothersome drunkards seeking trouble—this isn't a game or a movie.

  Most patrons are common folk with a bit of money. They're not foolish; they can easily see that Henwell's clothing is of exceptional fabric and craftsmanship. His coat bears a silver wolf paw emblem—only nobles adorn their garments with such symbols. Moreover, his sword is far beyond the means of ordinary folk.

  All these signs mark Henwell as someone of importance, and the tavern patrons wisely avoid causing any trouble. Provoking a noble is a serious offense, allowing the noble to kill the offender on the spot without any repercussions. No one is foolish enough to take that risk. If any drunk fool did try, other patrons and the tavern owner would step in to prevent it.

  Henwell's horse is well cared for, and he enjoys a restful night's sleep. This is only the first day of the Path of Honor; even those who wish to eliminate Arius wouldn't choose to act so soon. Moreover, in this region, most nobles have friendly ties with the Phoenix family and wouldn't trouble Henwell. They wouldn't allow any harm to come to him within their domains.

  Thus, the early stages of the Path of Honor are retively safe, akin to the overly long animations in computer games.

  The next day, Henwell heads to the baron's castle and presents his Path of Honor parchment. As a formality, the baron arranges for Henwell to spar with one of his knights.

  Throughout the match, Henwell is cautious, wary of accidentally injuring the knight. After all, holding the title of a knight doesn't necessarily mean one possesses knightly prowess. Some hereditary knight titles don't guarantee that every generation reaches the knight's rank. In the duchy, there's a rule that if a family fails to produce a knight within three generations, their title is revoked.

  However, if they ter produce a knight, regaining the title is easier.

  The knight Henwell faces today cks true knightly strength. Although his swordsmanship is decent, without the backing of a knight's power, he struggles to withstand even a few moves from Henwell. This is the baron's way of showing respect to the Phoenix family by arranging a less formidable opponent with an appropriate status for Henwell. Henwell, in turn, must not overpower his opponent too quickly; both parties need to save face.

  After a 'grueling' ten-minute match, with the baron nodding in approval, Henwell narrowly cims victory with a single move. The baron praises Henwell for his youthful promise, ensuring the Phoenix family has a bright future. Henwell returns the compliment, admiring the baron's skilled and experienced retinue, ciming he learned much from the bout. With mutual fttery exchanged, everyone leaves satisfied.

  The baron hosts a banquet in Henwell's honor, and upon his departure, gifts him a finely crafted set of armor. This armor isn't a spontaneous gift from the baron but rather something Baron Jansen had arranged to be ready and waiting there.

  After leaving the baron's castle, Henwell gains an extra horse carrying his new armor and other belongings. Typically, one doesn't wear armor on long rides as the metal can be quite uncomfortable. Over the next two weeks, Henwell visits three more barons and two viscounts, all pre-arranged stops. He acquires a longbow, a round shield, a two-and-a-half-meter nce, and two attendants—all prepared by Baron Jansen.

  These two attendants are squires trained by Baron Jansen, nearly ready to reach knight status themselves. Now fully equipped, Henwell is set to visit the final noble ally in this faction.

  The viscount doesn't hold back, sending a guard close to knight rank to spar with Henwell. After a 'challenging' battle, Henwell finally triumphs, earning the viscount's emblem of honor. This involves the viscount stamping his family crest onto Henwell's Path of Honor parchment.

  Next, Henwell faces the nobles of the moderate neutral faction. These individuals won't extend any special favors to the Phoenix family, nor will they be unnecessarily harsh. Everything is handled by the book. If Henwell proves his worth, they won't stand in his way. However, if he falls short, they won't offer any leniency.

  From this point on, Henwell's journey is no longer guaranteed to be safe. These nobles aren't concerned if Henwell meets his end here, marking the beginning of real danger. Henwell is prepared, ready for the first wave of assassins.

  Henwell arrives in Iris City, a medium-to-rge city in the duchy's south. It boasts city walls for protection and houses a garrison of the duchy's troops.

  With a popution of around fifty thousand, the city is known for its honey production and nearby Sugar Maple-like trees, supporting a thriving sugar industry. As a key resource hub, Iris City supplies a third of the duchy's sugar products, making it quite prosperous. The city is directly governed by the duchy, with only a few small territories nearby.

  Henwell has two nobles to visit here: a baron and a viscount. After three days of travel, he arrives weary and dusty. He pns to rest and freshen up before visiting the nobles. His attendants have already booked the best inn in the city for his stay.

  As Henwell steps into the inn, he notices several patrons enjoying their drinks. After scanning the room, he strides over to a table of guests and asks, "Why aren't you looking at me?" The people in the tavern are puzzled by this question. Why should they be looking at him?

  At the table are four individuals—three men and a woman—all dressed like merchants. One of the men chuckles and replies, "Young master, we've had a few too many drinks and didn't notice anyone coming in."

  Henwell nods, then suddenly thrusts the pommel of his sword forward, striking the man at the temple with tremendous force, shattering his skull. The woman across from him draws a dagger and lunges at Henwell's lower back. Henwell steps back, his sword halfway out of its sheath. The bde rests against her neck, and with a swift pull, he cuts her throat.

  Henwell then kicks downwards, his boot hitting the edge of the table. The force flips the table, knocking the curved bdes from the hands of the two men who had just drawn them. His sword fully emerges, fshing coldly as it sweeps across their necks. The sharp bde slices through most of their necks.

  Henwell picks up a napkin from the neighboring table, gently wipes the blood from his sword, and slowly sheathes it. With the room full of stunned and horrified faces, he calmly walks toward the inn's rear lodging area.