Chapter 216: The Secret Behind a Platinum Knight
"Sir Luke, Diamond Rank beings are existences whose mere presence is enough to threaten an entire Kingdom."
Luke’s expression froze.
A kingdom.
In terms of sheer territory, it was already comparable to—if not even larger than—the countries of his previous world.
Yet Jasper was saying.
A single Diamond Knight could threaten such a force?
Seeing Luke’s disbelief, Jasper smiled bitterly and slowly shook his head.
"Our family has only one Early Diamond Knight."
"And for the past five hundred years..."
"Not a single additional Diamond Knight has been born within our house."
His voice was calm, but the hint of regret hidden within it was impossible to miss.
He didn’t mention the most important fact.
The only reason his family had survived, expanded, and eventually grown into the commercial giant it was today.
Was because that lone Diamond Knight still stood behind them.
Without that supreme powerhouse. Their unimaginable wealth would have become a curse rather than a blessing.
Sooner or later, powerful enemies would have united, launched a full-scale war against them, and seized everything the family had spent centuries building.
In this world.
Wealth alone could never guarantee survival.
Only overwhelming strength could truly protect it.
There’s another reason. Diamond Rank beings are incredibly difficult to kill.
Especially by someone below their own realm. Those beneath the Diamond Rank can hardly even hope to injure one.
But he also didn’t mention this to Luke.
Luke fell silent.
This revelation stunned him even more than the previous one.
Five hundred years. And only a single Diamond Knight?
The thought sent a chill through his heart.
What made it even harder to believe was the identity of Jasper’s family.
They were one of the continent’s greatest merchant unions memebers, possessing huge wealth and access to rare resources. If anyone had the means to nurture powerful experts, it should have been them.
Yet. Even with mountains of resources and with the guidance of an existing Diamond Knight in those five centuries.
They still hadn’t produced a second one.
That fact alone spoke volumes.
It showed just how impossibly rare Diamond Rank powerhouses truly were.
At that moment, Luke realized he had gravely underestimated them.
Earlier, after learning that the Demon Whisper organization possessed Diamond Knights and that Count Magnus himself was one.
He had subconsciously begun treating the realm as something merely difficult to reach.
Now he understood how wrong that assumption had been.
While he didn’t knew, that Magnus hadn’t remained a Count because he lacked the strength to rise higher.
Quite the opposite.
With his cultivation alone, he already possessed the qualifications to contend for the title of Duke.
After all...
Even among the great Ducal Houses, the strongest experts were generally only Peak Diamond Knights.
The title of Count, was far from representing Magnus’s true standing.
Then Jasper’s voice pulled Luke out of his thoughts.
"Even though we can’t bring a Diamond Rank powerhouse..."
He stopped mid-sentence.
Silence filled the room as he looked directly into Luke’s eyes.
Luke met his gaze, waiting patiently for him to continue.
After a brief pause, Jasper spoke.
"I can bring a Platinum Rank powerhouse here." The words landed heavily.
Luke’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He immediately noticed the wording.
Jasper had said "I can," not "we can."
That small difference revealed a great deal.
In reality, Jasper already knew his family would never unanimously approve such a proposal.
After all...
Platinum Knights weren’t also cabbages growing by the roadside.
Even an organization of their size possessed only a handful of them.
Dispatching one to a newly established territory like Blackstone would inevitably face fierce opposition from the higher-ups.
But Jasper chose not to mention any of that.
Instead...
He made the decision himself.
Ever since arriving in Blackstone, everything he had witnessed had exceeded his expectations.
The territory expanded at an unbelievable pace.
Trade flourished day after day.
The mysterious Earth Mage. The inexplicable city walls.
And most importantly those Berserk Greatswordsmen.
Warriors who possessed abilities resembling bloodlines, to found here.
None of it made sense.
Yet all of it had happened under Hero Luke’s rule.
Jasper had long since realized that this young hero possessed far more secrets than anyone imagined.
So...
He decided to gamble.
Not on Blackstone.
But on Luke himself.
’I only hope, When Hero Luke truly rises to stand at the continent’s peak.’
’He won’t forget the people who chose to stand beside him while he was still climbing.’
Jasper let out a long sigh and leaned back against the sofa.
It seemed the difficult part was only beginning.
He would have to convince his mother.
She herself was a Platinum Knight, but Jasper already knew there was almost no chance she would agree to leave the family’s headquarters and come to Blackstone.
So...
His only realistic option was to persuade her to let his grandfather make the trip instead.
If anyone had a chance of accepting this proposal.
It was him.
Across the table, Luke quietly raised an eyebrow.
After Jasper’s earlier explanation, he had assumed that even dispatching a lower-ranked powerhouse would be nearly impossible.
After all...
If Diamond Knights were so unimaginably rare, then Platinum Knights couldn’t be common either.
Yet Jasper had voluntarily offered to bring one.
That was enough to pique Luke’s interest.
Something is better than nothing.
He silently weighed the advantages and disadvantages before relaxing back into the sofa once more.
For the foreseeable future. He had no confidence in closing the gap between himself and a Platinum Knight.
Not anytime soon.
Patrick had once shared a few stories about his father, who was a Platinum Knight.
Those brief descriptions alone had been enough for Luke to realize how terrifying that realm truly was.
In fact...
Despite being his own father, Patrick had rarely even met him.
Powerhouses of that level spent most of their lives cultivating, exploring ruins, or pursuing opportunities to advance further.
Remaining in one place for long periods was exceedingly rare.
That alone was enough to show just how distant the Platinum Rank was from ordinary cultivators.
Luke couldn’t help recalling the conversation he had once had with Patrick.
At the time, Patrick had simply repeated the words of his father.
"Patrick..."
"If hundreds of Silver Knights combine their strength, they can stall or even kill an Early Golden Knight."
Patrick had understood that much.
After all, quantity could sometimes overcome quality.
But Patrick’s expression had turned unusually solemn as he continued.
"However..."
"Even if hundreds of Peak Golden Knights attacked a single Early Platinum Knight..."
"They would all die the moment the Platinum Knight used the power that belongs exclusively to their realm."
Patrick still vividly remembered the shock he had felt upon hearing those words.
Patrick’s father had continued in the same calm tone.
"Once someone reaches the Platinum Rank."
"It’s no longer about how much Aether you possess."
"Nor is it about raw physical strength."
"To a Platinum Knight..."
"Every realm below them is nothing more than moths flying into a flame."
Those words had completely overturned Luke’s understanding of power.
If overwhelming numbers. Vast reserves of Aether and superior physical strength.
None of those could bridge the gap.
Then what exactly separated a Platinum Knight from everyone beneath them?
Unfortunately.
Patrick hadn’t known the answer either.
Or perhaps...
His father simply hadn’t told him.
Luke had remained puzzled ever since.
"Sir Luke?"
Jasper’s voice brought him back to reality.
"So, do you agree?"
Luke looked at Jasper for a brief moment before giving a firm nod.
"I agree."