Chapter 50 The Knights of Castile; Marriage

In the dimly lit room, Xu Lingzhao lay on a rickety bed, her eyes tightly closed. Sweat streamed down her face and onto her collar. The sweltering air enveloped her, especially with the buzzing of cicadas outside the window. She pounded the bed with her fist and then sat up. "Tsk, it's so hot." She grabbed a dry towel from the side and wiped the sweat from her face and neck.

Her gaze fell on the clock hanging on the door; it was 12:00, an hour before the Knight Selection Tournament. Since she couldn't sleep anyway, Xu Lingzhao got up and headed towards the competition venue. The streets were bustling but not lively. She had only taken a few steps when the old lady from next door caught up with her. "It's so hot today, here's an ice pack and some biscuits, don't go hungry." A little girl being led by the old lady handed her a water bottle. "Yes, Sister Xu, take this too, don't get thirsty."

Xu Lingzhao accepted the things they offered, nodding her lips into a straight line. Finally, she said, "Thank you." For someone as powerless and without influence, the only way to rise above others was to join the Knights and become a knight. The old woman watched Xu Lingzhao's departing figure, thinking, "This child, though a bit cold, has helped me a lot. She's already tall and strong at 16; she'll definitely be able to join the Knights."

Xu Lingzhao munched on a biscuit as she walked. She needed to do her best in the Knights' competition later, and she also hoped that her mental strength wouldn't be too bad. A mental strength test cost 1000 euros, which she didn't have the money for, so she could only get it done at the Knights' organization after the competition. But it shouldn't be too bad. She looked at her reflection in the shop window. At 16 years old, she was already 188cm tall, muscular but not bulky, a standard Alpha physique.

"Did you know that people from the royal palace are coming to the Knights Selection Tournament later? I heard there's an Omega princess too!!"

"Really? I haven't seen an Omega in ages! Omegas are protected these days, and they're only set up on blind dates when they reach marriageable age. But for commoners like us, forget about it. Seeing an Omega today is quite a treat."

"Of course, hehehe."

The conversation reached Xu Lingzhao's ears word for word. Her face remained expressionless, but she felt that her hearing was too good. She could still hear it even after walking for a while. Xu Lingzhao subconsciously touched her glands. She had differentiated into an Alpha at the age of 10, and her development was too good. Since the age of 15, she had a fixed period of susceptibility every month. However, she could not afford inhibitors, so she could only go to the forest to kill insectoids and exchange their crystal cores for money.

Well, it's a win-win situation. Alphas in their vulnerable period who randomly hit or harass Betas and Omegas will go to jail. Xu Lingzhao slowly walked to the waiting area for the competition. As soon as she sat down, she noticed someone looking at her. She subconsciously looked back and saw it was the opposite stands.

The grandstand was extremely ornate, a stark contrast to the unadorned stands next to it. This must have been a place specially prepared for members of the royal family. A male Omgea dressed in a gorgeous dress was staring straight at her, slowly fanning himself with a small lace fan beside him.

Xu Lingzhao felt the gaze was incredibly sticky, like someone staring at prey, but she didn't move. After that initial glance, she didn't look up again and focused on eating. Half an hour later, the contestants arrived one after another. Xu Lingzhao received her number—8. So far ahead? Directly in front of her was a male Alpha who was even taller and more muscular than her, like a butterfly half-showing off its muscles to the person opposite her.

If nothing unexpected happens, she should be playing against him. Xu Lingzhao clipped the number tag to her waist, and her indifferent expression surprised the person sitting next to her.

That contestant number 7 is a hot contender this year. The Knights' selection criteria are extremely strict, with only 100 out of 1,000 people being selected. Furthermore, the level of mental strength is also very important, and the body must not have any defects. The facial features must be regular. Xu Lingzhao estimated the number of participants in this year's competition, estimating that there are as many as 2,000 contestants present, and this is only one of the venues.

Becoming a knight also serves to prevent oneself from becoming a plaything of the nobles. However, Xu Lingzhao looked at Number 7, and those like him who wanted to rely on the nobles to rise to power were excluded. However, everyone wants to live a better life, and there is no right or wrong in this.

But today, Xu Lingzhao will definitely defeat him.

The first match started quickly, and all eyes were instantly drawn to the ring. It was a pure hand-to-hand combat match, with every punch landing hard, making it extremely entertaining. This is why royalty and nobility come here.

Soon applause erupted as contestant number 1 knocked down contestant number 2. The referee squatted beside him and counted down ten seconds. If he didn't get up after ten seconds, it would mean contestant number 1 had won. Even as the countdown ended, contestant number 2 still hadn't gotten up. Just when everyone thought the match was about to end, contestant number 1 suddenly kicked contestant number 2 in the stomach.

He arrogantly walked off the stage with his hands raised above his head. Xu Lingzhao narrowed his eyes slightly. He was provoking the other contestants present. If they met him in the next round, he would go all out and continue attacking even if they fell down.

Shameless! Not all participants are Alphas; there are also Betas. They are naturally inferior to Alphas in size and physical ability, and the judges do not stop this behavior, so many people have withdrawn from the competition.

People from the lower classes like them struggle to even get enough to eat, so how could they possibly develop strong muscles?

Xu Lingzhao was called to have her body searched for any hidden weapons and to prepare to go on stage backstage. Just as she entered backstage, contestant number 1 came out from inside. He looked at Xu Lingzhao provocatively and made a throat-slitting gesture towards her.

She followed the attendant expressionlessly, as if she hadn't seen anything. After the check-up, Xu Lingzhao tied up her long golden hair in front of the not-so-clear mirror. At that moment, someone pushed her shoulder with considerable force. She slightly raised her eyes and saw contestant number 7. He smiled at her, his snow-white teeth perfectly curved, as if he were a very friendly person.

If we ignore the fact that he just pushed someone.

Xu Lingzhao walked directly in front of him this time. The two were about the same height, but contestant number 7 was slightly shorter than him. So, in the few seconds of eye contact, Xu Lingzhao's aura was stronger. "I hope you can be just as arrogant as you are now, you little butterfly." After saying that, he took a step back to create some distance between them and continued tying his hair.

Number 7's face turned as red as a pig's liver. He clenched his fists secretly. Number 8 was the best-looking among the contestants and a considerable threat. So he vowed to ruin her face. He was quite confident in his strength.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring kingdom of Lorraine, Castile was in complete chaos. An envoy from Castile stood arrogantly in the palace, her tone cold: "The Castile army is already waiting at the border between our two countries."

Queen Lorraine sat on her throne, her face grim, her fingers gripping her scepter tightly. Lorraine, once a rival to Castile, had gradually lost its power. Her gaze was fixed on the arrogant envoy. After a few seconds, a perfectly timed smile appeared on her face. "Envoy, you have come a long way. It must be arduous. For Castile, cooperating with Lorraine is currently the best option. After all, under the oppression of the Zerg, with constant warfare, many nations choose to cooperate for self-preservation." She paused. "Lorraine is willing to send a male Omega prince and two male Omega lords of dukedoms to Castile to become consorts of the Queen of Castile."

The envoy smiled. Their intention was to reach a cooperation agreement. Queen Lorraine got straight to the point without beating around the bush, which made her feel a little better. "In that case, please give me the names and portraits of the three of you. We will set off for Castile in three days."

The Lorraine woman nodded jokingly. After the messenger left, she immediately ordered that two male Omegas be selected from among the dukes to go to Castile. The queen narrowed her eyes slightly. Using Omegas to achieve cooperation was a method she used to despise, but now she had no choice but to sacrifice them.

Inside the Chu family castle, Duke Chu sat in the main seat, his face as grim as ever. Since the family's decline, nothing good ever came his way, only bad things. Now, the need for an Omega to become a partner in Castile had also fallen on his head. However, his family only needed one Omega.

Inside the family meeting, ostensibly discussing potential partners, everyone harbored their own ulterior motives. The so-called "partners" were actually just concubines. Castile already had a legitimate Omega Queen, and the atmosphere was tense. Someone couldn't sit still any longer and stood up to speak, "The Queen of Castile is 45 years old now. Although she's in her prime, her health doesn't seem very good. If she was previously out of favor and... then she'll have to be buried alive with us. Aside from that, the journey is long, there are constant insectoid threats, and there are bandits and other factors... it's really... sigh!"

He didn't continue. These were all very real problems, but the most urgent thing was to send someone out. No one wanted to push their child into a fire pit, unless...

Another person stood up and spoke, addressing the Duke, "I heard that after your first wife passed away, she left behind a child, a male Omega, right?" He paused, "His name is Chu Jingze? Never mind, that's not important. What's important is that his appearance seems quite outstanding among the younger generation of the Chu family."

Duke Chu looked puzzled. He would have forgotten about this son if no one else mentioned him. What did it matter if he was handsome or not? Since his first wife passed away, the child had been raised in the countryside. But at present, he was indeed the best choice. The puzzlement on his face flashed by, and Duke Chu immediately made the decision to send Chu Jing to Castile.

Upon hearing this, everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.

We'll depart in three days, and it will take another day and a half to bring him from the countryside. But that doesn't matter, as long as he's the Duke's child. If it's not him, the person has to come from another collateral branch. Which Omega isn't pampered and spoiled? Besides, there are more Alphas than Omegas, so Omegas are a good tool for political marriages.

Nobody wants to lose.

-----------------------

Author's Note: [Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]