Knight Rank System

Each tier has three star sub-grades. Lorist enters the Dawn Academy as a Black Iron third star and climbs the ladder through the early arcs. Silver Rank knights routinely command companies; Gold Rank knights are kingdom-tier combatants.

A knight's rank is set by the level of his Battle Power. There are three base tiers, each with three star sub-grades (first through third): Black Iron, Silver, and Gold. At Black Iron one is entitled only to the title of knight-apprentice; on reaching Silver a fighter becomes a knight candidate and may become a wandering, free, or family knight. Silver knights typically command companies; Gold knights are kingdom-tier combatants.

Above Gold stands the Master of the Sword — a high swordsman rank divided into four tiers (first through fourth). Above that is the Sword Saint, the legendary highest rank. These are two DISTINCT ranks and must not be conflated: a Master of the Sword is not yet a Sword Saint, even when one close to ascending is called a 'half-step Sword Saint'.

Masters of the Sword are rare and few: in all the Iblia Kingdom there were only five. Among them were the Second Prince's tutor Galinan (a Master of the Sword obsessed with rising to Sword Saint) and his junior fellow-disciple Luins, who died absurdly to a shot from the Nortons' heavy steel ballista. Grand Duke Fisabrun and Viscount Kristoff are Masters of the Sword as well.

A Sword Saint is incomparably rarer: one such can protect an entire nation single-handed. Sword Saints are so rare that the Trade Union had to lure the 'Storm Sword Saint' from the Kingdom of Kelia, and Lorist himself rises to Sword Saint only late in the story. Reaching the rank of Master of the Sword, the characters say, adds about thirty years to a knight's life.