"Fruitvale Village is a great place. You could bring your mother here," said Aven as he looked at his secretary.
He knew the recent development of Fruitvale Village was largely thanks to him. As the lord, he felt he should do something in return.
Fessen was taken aback and quickly declined, "Lord Aven, maybe next time. I don't want to trouble you."
"But you've already waited so long, haven't you?" Aven shook his head and continued, "And honestly, I don't feel troubled at all."
"See? I told you Lord Aven would definitely help you," Sutter added.
But the next moment, Sutter was stunned. Fessen suddenly roared at him, furious, "What do you know?!"
Lowering his head, Fessen repeated, "You don't understand. You really don't."
"To the Cass family, I'm just an illegitimate child—a shameful existence."
"My very existence is like announcing to the world that the noble Baron Cass fathered a child with a maid. For nobles, that's a disgrace!"
"If Lord Aven were to bring me to their doorstep, it would be like ripping open an old wound. The Cass family would never accept that."
Fessen turned his gaze to Aven and said seriously, "You are a kind lord, and I don't want to cause you any trouble."
At that moment, Sutter was completely speechless. He wasn't a noble and didn't understand their complicated rules.
His thinking was simple: his mother was waiting for him, living a hard life, and he had to bring her out as soon as possible.
"…Yeah, I really don't understand." Aven started.
"I was born a commoner—how could I understand nobles?"
"And I don't want to understand. Even if I'm about to become a noble, I'll always be a commoner at heart."
"So no, I don't understand, and I don't want to. I only know one thing—my knight wants to see his mother, and as his lord, I must help him."
The wind blew gently over the grass. In that moment, the whole world seemed to fall silent, as if frozen in time. The expressions on the two knights' faces remained still.
Aven's voice was soft, brushing over the hearts of the two knights like a gentle breeze—warm, comforting, like rain nourishing the earth, bringing tears to the eyes of the knight.
"Do you miss your mother?"
Aven sighed quietly. His gaze drifted to the distant sky, as if trying to pierce through the heavens to see his own mother.
With his eyes closed briefly, Aven stepped in front of Fessen. His voice trembled slightly: "I miss her a lot… but I can't see her anymore."
…
The next day, the knight order departed from Fruitvale Village.
At the village entrance, the villagers gathered to see the carriage off.
"Lord Aven, thank you—truly," said Sutter, standing at the front of the group. Even the steel-hearted knight's eyes were soft.
Thinking back to the events of yesterday, he felt his eyes stinging again. He wanted to say, I really want to see my mother too.
"And you, Fessen, you bastard—you better see your mother."
The knight convoy gradually disappeared into the horizon.
At the front of the convoy, Aven sat atop the Rhydon, holding Petilil in his arms, with Sakura lying quietly on his shoulder.
In Aven's eyes, for once, there was a flicker of determination—like he had found a purpose worth fighting for.
Until now, he simply wanted to live a good life in this world.
Whether it was developing Fruitvale Village or becoming a noble, his goals hadn't changed. He had little interest in conquest or power.
But now, Aven wanted to try.
Could he reach the top of this world through his own strength? Only by reaching the summit could he live freely—and change this world into one he wanted to see.
A world with no division between nobles and commoners, no gap between rich and poor, where everyone could live freely—just like the League from his previous life.
Even if there would still be gaps in power, even if perfect fairness wasn't possible, under the framework of the Pokémon League, relative fairness could be achieved.
So, from the southeast corner of Aspiration City, let's build the Pokémon League from scratch.
Hope filled Aven's heart.
Fessen sat atop an Rhyhorn, following closely by his lord's side. Looking at Aven, his eyes were filled with admiration.
Thinking back to yesterday, he felt a surge of motivation. For Lord Aven and for his domain, he would give everything—even his life!
Inside the carriage, Johnson lifted a corner of the window curtain.
He looked at Aven sitting atop the Rhydon and felt something was different about him today… but couldn't quite say what it was.
…
As the convoy advanced, they soon reached the gates of Aspiration City.
It was a festive day—the city was celebrating the end of winter and the passing of hardship. Large festivals were taking place throughout.
When the convoy from Fruitvale Village entered the city, they immediately drew everyone's attention.
Especially the Rhydon leading the way—such an advanced-tier magical beast was rarely seen in Aspiration City.
With gray armor covering its massive frame, thick legs, a powerful tail, and a dinosaur-like body, it made both the beast and Aven the center of attention.
The townsfolk whispered among themselves:
"That's Master Aven—he's here!"
"It's really him! That familiar white coat—I could never mistake it!"
"What do you think he'll be awarded? He was definitely the biggest hero of the battle!"
"He'll probably be granted a noble title. With what he did, there's no doubt!"
"That's amazing… If he becomes a noble, Fruitvale Village will officially become his fief! I envy the people living there—they've got such a good lord!"
Even the soldiers and knights maintaining order in the city were talking about him.
Most of them had been at the Battle of the Abyss, since nearly all forces had been mobilized back then.
Many had been saved by Aven's potions. In the army, his reputation was immense.
The convoy moved swiftly through the outer and inner districts and soon arrived at the castle district.
The castle square was already filled with noble carriages—nobles attending the ennoblement ceremony.
Besides Aven, other nobles would also be promoted today. Though Aven had the highest merit, many others had also performed admirably.
Knights like Sir Berrin might have advanced too, had they not failed in Fruitvale Village.
Many knights with enough merit would be granted the lowest noble rank—Knight of Honor. This would mark their official entry into nobility, though without any land.
Noble groups chatted in clusters across the square.
This ceremony was also an excellent opportunity to socialize and form Leagues.
Some nobles had even brought their marriageable daughters, hoping for strategic matches.
Many of the girls were dressed in stunning gowns, clearly prepared for the occasion.
Although everyone present would be honored today, all eyes were on one man: Aven.
"I wonder what this new Earl Aven is like?" some noble ladies whispered.
"I heard he was born a commoner?" one girl asked softly, sounding slightly concerned. A commoner background might mean poor manners.
Another noble lady didn't seem to mind: "Who cares? From today, he's a Earl—higher than my father! That's all that matters."
She had already begun to fantasize: if she could marry this border Earl, they'd have children—and their children would inherit the title.
"He's here!"
Someone whispered excitedly.
At the castle gates, Aven appeared.
With black hair and eyes, he wore simple linen clothes and a familiar white coat over them.
Behind him followed the Rhydon, with a white ribbon tied on its head, its large eyes curiously observing the surroundings.
The nobles were stunned. His attire was far too plain—he looked completely out of place among the richly dressed nobles.
If not for the massive beast following him, they might've mistaken him for a random commoner.
But the knights had a very different reaction.
Same clothes. Same beast in his arms. Same beast by his side.
Seeing this familiar figure, they recalled scene after scene from the battlefield.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Suddenly, the sound of metal rang out.
One by one, the knights dismounted from their Rhyhorns, stood tall, and—under the stunned gazes of the nobles—performed a formal knight's salute.
(End of Chapter)