Chapter 352 - Knight

The two demon siblings quieted down at once, Max saw their slightly pale expressions and laughed before he spoke

"This isn't like the two of you at all, I thought you would just laugh it off?"

Magnus nearly popped a vein before he spoke angrily

"Like hell, we would keep calm! That's the highest authority in the entire country, one word from her and 15 War-rigs moves!"

Max nodded as he agreed

"Yeah grandmother is pretty scary when she first is angry, but that's not the point"

Annabel finally spoke as she asked

"What is the point?"

Max ignored the blush that spread on his face as he spoke one of the most embarrassing sentences he ever had spoken

"The point is that you two are my friends and have come to visit my grandmother as my friends"

Magnus paused, this was the normally so proud Max that had just admitted that he thought of them as friends, Magnus burst out laughing, how could he not? Meanwhile, at his side, his sister Annabel got more and more embarrassed over her brothers' laughter until she eventually hit him over the back of the head as she yelled

"Shut it!"

At that moment the door to the carriage was opened by the butler from before, he glanced at the scene inside for a moment before he asked

"Do you require another 5 minutes?"

Max shook his head, so did Magnus and Annabel, then the butler showed a smile and bowed slightly as he spoke

"Then please follow after me, watch your step"

The 3 of them dismounted the carriage and followed the butler into the castle, it wasn't as quiet as it had been in the carriage, the 3 of them chatted a bit, though the two demon siblings were still a little nervous, soon they entered the private estate of the king and queen were an elderly woman sat at a table and drank some tea, her face lit up once she saw Max and she stood up at once and walked over before she gave him a hug as she spoke

"Welcome home Max"

"Yeah, I am back grandmother"

After the queen hugged Max to her satisfaction she turned to the two demon siblings and showed a smile as her eyes sparkled slightly 

"You must be Max's friends, please come take a seat"

The two siblings nodded before they followed after Max and took a seat on either side of him, then Max's grandmother showed a smile as the maids served theme with some tea

"I am Kathrine Grace Juliantia, but you can just call me Kathrine"

Annabel nodded before she began chatting with her, Annabel was obviously doing her best to get on the good side of what would likely (If she had her way) become her grandmother in law, her eyes flashed with a glint as she glanced at Max to her side in between telling stories about their school life, Katrine noticed this and had her smile widened slightly when she looked at Annabel with increased interest the four of them continued chatting for a bit longer before a butler walked in and whispered something to Kathrine that showed a smile and clapped her hands once as she stood up and spoke

"Let's change locations"

The 3 youths nodded and followed after the queen that walked in front, soon they arrived at a courtyard where a small group of knights stood in a very impressive line-up, though when Max saw them he sighed, then Kathrine spoke

"I know you find this tiresome Max, but it has to happen, you need to choose a knight, or I simply won't be at ease"

Max nodded

"I know grandmother… FIne, I'll at least look them over this time…"

While Max went ahead and looked the knights over Annabel asked Kathrine

"Has this happened before?"

Katrine nodded and showed a slightly complicated expression before she spoke

"Max is royalty, that is for sure, he is my grandchild, that is also for sure… But my daughter Julia didn't give birth to him, he was picked up by his father Mercury a few years back"

Annabel nodded before she looked at the lights that were gradually dismissed by Max until only 3 were left, two men and one woman, Max nodded before he walked over to the side and buttoned his jacket open before he took it off and hung it on the weapons rack, then he picked up a sword and swung it a couple of times before he returned to the middle of the courtyard and spoke

"Now then, I'll be evaluating your combat powers"

The knights nodded before they drew their weapons, Magnus and Annabel looked on with slight concern, then Magnus quickly asked

"Isn't that dangerous?"

Kathrine nodded and spoke

"Yeah it is... for the knights"

"Wait, what do you mean Kathrine?"

Kathrine showed a smile and pointed to the field as if that would speak for her and that it did, the 3 knights charged at Max at once and attacked making full use of their teamwork as they attacked Mx with their swords without holding back, Max showed a smile as a red light glinted in his eye as suddenly a pair of red phantom horns appeared on his forehead as his eyes lit up with the same red color, then the next instant he disappeared from view as the 3 attacks from the knights hit empty air they instantly switched to defense, though it was a moment too late for one of them as a male knight was blown off the field as Max appeared in his spot he slashed out at another knight with the sword, she only just managed to block, still, her sword was dented slightly from the impact, then Max disappeared from view again as the stone bricks where he had just been standing dented, Annabel closed her mouth that had been hanging wide open before she muttered

"That's Max?"

Kathrine nodded and turned her eyes back at the ongoing fight as she spoke

"Yeah, that's Max… Are you starting to regret your feelings now, girl?"

Annabel shook her head at once before she spoke

"I would never regret my feelings!"

The fight, if you would call it that, didn't last long the last knight standing was the female knight that had her sword dented by Max, she was also the only one that managed to block a blow from him Max let out a deep sigh as the phantom horns dimmed before they disappeared again, the red light in his eyes also disappeared, then he looked at the female knight and asked

"What's your name?"

The female knight kneeled down and spoke with respect

"My name is Felica, Prince Max"

Max nodded before he asked

"What house are you from Felica?"

Felica hesitated for a few moments before she answered

"I am not from a noble house, I am of common birth"

Max nodded before reached out his hand to Felica and helped her up before he looked her in the eyes and said

"You are my knight now Felica"

Felica knelled down on one knee at once, Max held the sword and touched her first on the left shoulder, then on the right before he grabbed the blade and handed the sword to Felica that received it with honor, as Max and Felica went through the proper knighting ceremony Kathrine showed a smile, then Magnus asked her

"If Max is that strong why does he need to have a knight?"

Kathrine shook her head and spoke

"A grandmother will always worry, but seeing that Max had found himself such good friends my worry is lessened somewhat"

Max walked over followed by Felica and asked Magus

"That reminds me, Magnus, what was it you wanted to talk about today?"

Magnus nodded before he explained

"I wanted to invite you to be part of our team for the yearly examinations"

The yearly examinations were both individual and team-based, having a poor team would negatively affect your grades so one needs to take care to select a good team, still Max simply nodded and spoke

"Sure"

Magnus showed a smile and spoke

"Great"

Annabel also showed a smile before she suddenly looked towards the middle of the courtyard for a few seconds, then she spoke at once

"Careful!"

Magnus was the first to react as he summoned a couple of fireballs and quickly backed off from the point his sister was pointing, then in the next instance 4 people seemed to faze into reality around the queen with weapons drawn, then Max appeared next to Kathrine with the phantom red horns on his forehead, eyes glowing red, just as Kathrine was about to ask what had happened she felt it as a pale sword blade appeared in the middle of the courtyard before it slashed downwards and ripped open a portal, then a person stepped through the portal, he had short black hair and deep blue eyes that seemed to contain the universe within them, he looked over the people present before his eyes stopped on Max and he narrowed his eyes slightly before he pointed with his sword and asked towards the portal

"This your kid?"

In the next moment another person stepped through the portal, he had long brown hair and a tattoo under his right eye, he showed a smile once his eyes rested on Max and nodded before he spoke proudly

"Yeah that's my kid"