After becoming a Paladin, Henwell not only receives his appointment papers and tokens but also a full set of weapons and armor.
Though Henwellâs gear was personally crafted by Newwood with rare materials, the new armorâs only extraordinary traits are its incredible durability and self-repair capabilities.
If you donât fight Henwell up close and personal, itâs hard to appreciate just how damn good his armor really is.
But from Ashiburnâs perspective, Henwellâs weapons and armor are pretty average.
So he specifically picks out an exceptional Paladin set from the Churchâs armory.
This armor and weapon set is truly made for Paladins.
It boasts solid defense and excellent extraordinary energy conduction.
Inside the armor, thereâs an inscribed magical array for arrow protection and deflection.
The entire suit resists harsh conditions like extreme heat and even offers some protection against magic.
The chainmail lining carries a Church healing spell that can patch up wounds to some extent.
The cloak has extraordinary properties too, providing warmth and cold resistance.
It even has a weight reduction spell inscribed inside so if Henwell falls into water, the cloak doubles as a life jacket.
The boots come with terrain-adaptation magicâno walking on water, but they handle swamps and rough ground well.
The Knight Commanderâs sword is enchanted with sharpness and armor-piercing spells, while the lance carries magic for dispelling, shattering armor, and penetration.
Even the helmet has anti-dizziness and poison gas protection abilities.
This whole disciplinary armor set comes all the way from the Abundant Continent.
Itâs as luxurious as it gets, but Henwell doesnât like any of it.
To him, itâs all flashy nonsense.
Weapons and armor exist for just two reasons: to kill and not get killed.
Thatâs it. Nothing else matters.
Armor just needs to be tough enough.
If youâre going to add magic, donât make it so fancy.
Put poison smoke on the cloak, a dazzling light spell on the helmet to blind enemies in battle.
The boots? Throw in armor-breaking or strength-penetrating magic, thatâd be perfect.
Henwellâs fought his way up with real steel and blood.
In a life-or-death brawl, no tactic is too dirty.
Now that heâs an Iron Knight with some reputation, he canât afford to look unprofessional.
But back in the day, Henwell always carried a pouch of quicklime on him!
Even though Henwell thinks the Paladin armor set is a bit flashy and impractical, he still really likes the style.
Itâs a solemn black overall, heavy but refined.
Thanks to its clever design, the armor doesnât restrict movement at all when worn.
Because of his build, the armor needs some adjustments.
Today, a senior craftsman from the Church comes to measure Henwell.
In just a couple of days, the whole set will be perfectly tailored.
The next afternoon, Henwell meets with the key members of his Penitence Squad.
The two Grand Knights in the squad are McComb and Sosie.
McComb is fifty-one, became a Grand Knight seven years ago, and was trained by Archbishop Ashiburn.
Sosie is forty-nine, earned Grand Knight status three years ago, officially under Guardian Cityâs Lord Graham, but also one of Ashiburnâs trusted men.
Henwell, seemingly unaware that these two are there to keep him in check, chats warmly with them.
He also takes time to talk with every squad member, showing no airs of a commander.
This wins over many of the soldiers who donât know the full story, they start to like Henwell.
Even McComb and Sosie breathe a sigh of relief, thinking Henwell isnât hard to get along with.
After all, Henwell is now a Paladin, their official superior.
He also has the strength of a Grand Knight, and they hear heâs not even twenty-four yet.
That kind of talent blows them all away; none of them have seen someone so gifted.
Theyâve heard some of the Churchâs strongest Iron Knights broke through to Grand Knight before thirty, but those breakthroughs happened in Guardian City, where extraordinary elements and resources are abundant.
Henwell, on the other hand, climbed to Grand Knight rank in the barren eastern lands.
To them, thatâs downright insane talent.
A prodigy like him, trusted by the Churchâs top brass and already a Paladin.
Being a Grand Knight at such a young age, with the Churchâs backing, means an unstoppable future.
Everyone thought a young hotshot like Henwell would be arrogant or weird.
Basically, they expected him to be hard to deal with.
But Henwellâs behavior surprises them all.
Heâs humble, polite, and speaks with impressive poise.
No wonder the Church suddenly promoted a guy like this to Paladin, itâs definitely not a random move!
Tonightâs banquet is both a celebration of Henwellâs promotion to Paladin and a farewell party.
Henwell is leaving Guardian City tomorrow, and the squad members need to settle their affairs at home. They plan to set out in about two months.
The goal is to arrive at Peace Haven before Henwellâs wedding.
Since Henwell is showing them respect, no oneâs going to be rude, theyâll definitely show up to support their bossâs big day.
Everyoneâs an adult here; they know whatâs expected.
The next morning, Henwell dons his freshly tailored Paladin armor and goes to meet Orak.
Now decked out in full Paladin gear and wearing the Holy Cross Star medal, even the Iron Knights of the Churchâs knight order nod respectfully when they see him.
Henwellâs visit is meant to back Orak up. With Henwell making such a strong appearance, Orakâs treatment is bound to improve.
After all, Paladins are like the Churchâs elite enforcers. No one inside the Church dares to act cocky in front of a Paladin.
Henwell also has another purpose here: to brief Barnett on some important points.
Heâs left a stash of gold here, only taking two thousand coins with him.
After leaving Guardian City, Henwell doesnât head north but goes straight south, planning to pass through the Groias Empireâs territory.
Henwell rides two horses alone. Besides Night Charger, Archbishop Ashiburn gifts him an excellent warhorse.
The red warhorse Henwell now rides is called Windchaser. Itâs smaller than Night Charger but carries extraordinary bloodlines, far surpassing typical warhorses.
Henwell equips Night Charger with the Night Wind set.
Wearing his Paladin armor and riding Windchaser, Henwell leaves the city and immediately picks up speed.
Traveling solo with two divine steeds, covering two to three hundred kilometers a day isnât a problem at all.