The breeze blew through the treetops, and the leaves rustled, like a ditty in the afternoon.
"It all starts from your grandfather's time," Her Royal Highness the Princess's soft voice seemed to be echoing the song, "That was almost sixty years ago, when Anson XI was still on the throne, and the kingdom still had
Sword Master Darus, Lord of Mythril Castle Turaman, it was the Year of Thunder, Eruin had just promulgated the militia training decree, and the Lidenberg-Vanmeer defense line had just begun to be built. It was the first time since the Sifah Dynasty.
This ancient kingdom had its most glorious period, and during that era, your grandfather was one of the most dazzling names."
Brando was silent. He looked in the direction of the fields. The clouds were floating over the Stag Forest. The faint undulating mountain shadows to the south were Yu Song's mountains.
Sword Master Darus is indeed a legend of that era, the strongest sword master in the history of the Kingdom of Eruin, and the only kingdom general who has served as the marshal of the Flame Temple Alliance.
However, the light of this star did not last forever. Shortly after the end of the Holy War, he inexplicably disappeared from history. Some said that he was dead, some said that he was just missing. There were even rumors that when the kingdom once again faced catastrophe,
In times of danger, the Master Sword Master will return to this land to save Eruin from danger. But Brando understands that this is just a good wish after all. In another period of history,
These legends were buried under the dust with the destruction of the kingdom, and perhaps thousands of years later, no one will remember them.
If he hadn't had the experience he had now, he wouldn't have understood that Darus had never left the kingdom. He was born in this land, died in this land, and until the last moment of his life, he remained anonymous on the edge of the kingdom.
City.
No one would have thought that in this inconspicuous mill outside of Prague, on the banks of the Butchi River, the former heroes of the kingdom lived and were buried.
"Princess Griffin," Brando said. These things had nothing to do with his current situation, but he vaguely felt that they were somehow related. "You want to tell me, what is the last thing about my grandfather?"
What exactly happened, what prompted him to leave the center of royal power and live in seclusion here. I know that this must be related to Captain Bunid and their Highland Knights, and maybe it is also related to the Eruin royal family. This is why you are here now.
The reason, right?”
"You always have an unusual sensitivity to the development of things, Mr. Knight, you seem to be able to see the past and the future. I have always admired you in the past, and I still do today," Griffin whispered, but she
He shook his head again: "But, I have never deceived you. I really don't know what happened to your grandfather. I only know that the royal power declined after that, and the kingdom became weaker and weaker day by day. Eruin's glory
As if gone forever, after my father died, my brother and I trekked through a wilderness of darkness and despair until you appeared in front of us, Mr. Knight."
Brando seemed to be able to hear the sound of his own heartbeat. He didn't understand why Her Royal Highness the Princess would suddenly tell him this. He looked at Princess Griffin. At this time, a breeze began to blow in the afternoon, and the late summer wind crossed the fields, gently
The silver hair of the half-elf girl was brushed up, and the hem of her skirt was swaying in the wind. Griffith's slender hands pressed the guard of the long sword, standing tall in the wind, with no expression on his face, as if he was just casually speaking.
Just mentioning these things, no one can guess what she is thinking.
But Brando pursed his lips. He understood that Princess Griffin invited him here with a letter and even wanted to avoid the royal party. Her grandfather's eyes must be telling him something. He was not in a hurry, so
Also calm down and wait.
Sure enough, after a while, Griffin continued: "But you can rest assured, I can at least assure you that in the turmoil that year, the party at fault was not your grandfather, or even anyone in your family.
A person, your grandfather took responsibility for some reasons and chose to live in seclusion with your family until now. Although I don’t know much about what happened at that time, there are secrets in the royal family that have been passed down from generation to generation. I
My father once told me one thing, that is, the Corcova family will always owe a favor to the Cadillozo family."
She glanced at Brando with her silver eyes: "Of course, maybe there are two now..."
Brando was almost dumbfounded.
But this did not prevent his thoughts from spinning rapidly. The information revealed by Her Highness the Princess was quickly assembled in his mind, and gradually pieced together a rough outline. In other words, what happened in the Alkhash Mountains that day
In everything, his grandfather, Sword Master Darus, had no fault at all. It could even be said that he took responsibility for someone or every force. A line gradually became clear in his heart. No wonder the Temple of Flame was
After his grandfather retired into seclusion, he stopped pursuing it. It seems that the Temple of Flame probably understood the inside story at that time, and everything that happened after that was probably just a statement made by the Temple of Flame.
But he is still a little confused about who his grandfather took the responsibility for. From the princess's words, it seems that he took the responsibility for the Eruin royal family, but this is somewhat illogical, because the Eruin royal family did not have any responsibility at that time.
No one participated in that holy war, and it could not have anything to do with the battle in the Alkash Mountains. But if it was someone else, it seems that the Corcova royal family had no need to owe the Cadilloso family a favor. What exactly was it?
No one or force could make his grandfather and the Corcova royal family make such a big sacrifice for him.
Brando knew very well that if his grandfather had not left the center of the royal power at the height of the sun, Eruin's royal power would not have declined so quickly; of course, this ancient kingdom may one day fail, but it will never
It does not begin with the year of flowers and summer leaves.
Is it for the Temple of Fire?
He then shook his head, and the attitude of the Flame Temple would not be what it was later.
"Her Highness the Princess really didn't know anything about everything that happened at that time?"
"Mr. Knight, these things had already become history when I was born. The few words I know are just what my father and my history teacher told me. I am as curious as you about the history of that era."
"No," Griffith gently shook his head: "I am actually more unwilling than you. I don't understand why the late King Anson made such a choice. If not for this, the kingdom would not be as weak as it is today.
Slaughter."
Brando's heart softened slightly when he saw the light flashing in Her Royal Highness's eyes. This was neither his question nor his wish.
May the black pine evergreen, may Eruin last forever; may the faith shine as before, may the sword remain as sharp as ever——
The ancient songs of the kingdom are the hope in the hearts of everyone who is attached to this homeland.
But he stopped and suddenly remembered what the true purpose of Her Royal Highness the Princess was. She invited him here and left him to meet alone. Was it just to tell him this? She said that the Corcova family would always owe
The Cadilloso family is a favor, but she doesn't have to tell him this. If she still misses the relationship between the Corcova family and the Cadilloso family, then there will never be any relationship between the royal family and Tonigel.
Like today. However, Brando actually knew in his heart that Her Royal Highness the Princess had never believed in herself wholeheartedly.
She always carefully maintained the relationship between him, her and her brother, even though she always knew in her heart that she was the grandson of Sword Master Darus.
"Mr. Knight, I still remember what you described to me in your letter about the future of this kingdom. The ideal Eruin, a belief that shined differently from today's, was once the hope I most yearned for,"
Just like the changing wind in the afternoon, Princess Griffin suddenly changed the subject. She said softly: "Now that Count Jean Denel has been defeated and Anlek has died long ago, there is no longer any obstacle in the south.
Your former enemy, now can you tell me the story of the future you described?"
Brando was slightly startled.
He looked at this soft and frail half-elf girl. She was standing there with a sword in both hands. She was as straight and sharp as a sword. She showed her cards to him, as if asking him, had he eaten for lunch? It was so simple.
The problem is the same.
Brando was silent for a moment.
"What do you think, Your Highness the Princess?" he asked.
Griffith didn't speak, and she felt a little uneasy in her heart. She once thought that there were many trustworthy people around her, fighting for that like-minded belief, until the face of this ancient kingdom was completely changed. But she soon discovered that these were just
Her wishful thinking was that this kingdom might have many different futures, but the one she wanted was just one of them.
She looked at Brando, her silver eyes almost emotionless, she just wanted to see through this man.
"A while ago, my brother Wang wrote me a letter. He planned to betroth his sister to you." Princess Griffin said quietly.
Brando seemed to have been hit hard.
At that moment, he understood what the princess was thinking.
Tonigel is now full-fledged. In the battles with Madara and Gendenel, the army from Valhalla showed terrifying strength. Anlek and Gendenel have been destroyed.
There seems to be no army in the south that can stop him, the rising earl. The Lantonilians are his best allies, the Vieros' army is old and vulnerable, and the highland knights of Karasu are even more vulnerable.
Only standing on his side, Princess Griffin looked around and suddenly realized that there was no longer a reliable force around her that could contain Brando.
She tossed and turned every night, as if she suddenly found another Enlek beside her.
Although Brando once promised her to give her an ideal Eruin, what should she trust in him? Maybe the knight gentleman once really had such thoughts, but people will change.
Like Mr. Lee Woods, just like Macaro, when a person is in a high position, his ideas will gradually deviate from the original intention. She was born in the royal family and experienced the betrayal of the royal party, so she is very clear about this.
Everything.
She has only one way now, which is to tie Brando to her chariot.
She lowered her head, with a faint blush on her neck: "In order to repay the favor owed by the Corcova family, the late King Anson once wanted to marry Princess Gloria to your father, but at that time Scott
The gentleman has already been engaged to be your mother. After Anson the Great, his brother Obergu VI succeeded to the throne, and this matter has been put on hold, but there has always been a dispute between the Corcova family and the Cadilloso family.
The marriage contract, until the time of my father Auberge VII - every descendant of the Highland knights had a noble lady from Cadrego to marry on the fingertips, but do you know why you didn't, Brando."
Griffin called Brando's name for the first time, and she whispered: "Because your fiancée is me, and Captain Bunid already knew this."
Brando took a deep breath.
He felt that his mind was in confusion, but he knew very well in his heart that it was impossible to say that he had no admiration for this princess. But what he liked was the strong, independent, and never-giving-up princess, not for the sake of it.
To repay a favor, or to tie him into a chariot, she easily agreed to marry Princess Griffin. What did she think of him, and what did she think of Roman?
He stared closely at Her Royal Highness the Princess's silver eyes, as if trying to discern some clues.
But he was ultimately disappointed.
"I am not Anlek, Your Highness the Princess."
Griffith's face turned red, as if she had been greatly insulted. She clenched her fists angrily and raised her head to look at him: "Mr. Knight, I have never thought of it that way."
"But that's what you did. You knew there was an engagement between you and me, but why did you just say it today? Because you understand that this engagement has no value until today. Before that, it was just a pity.
It's just a dispensable verbal agreement, right?" Brando's heart felt cold, and he felt as if his faith had collapsed. He replied angrily: "You have disappointed me so much, Your Highness, you should understand,
Everything I have done for you before was not for such a superficial purpose."
He took a deep breath and replied incoherently: "Okay, I admit, I have admired you before, but I have admired the princess who has the same ideals and beliefs as me, not a compromise.
woman. Do you still remember the ideal kingdom described in the letter I wrote to you? Your Royal Highness, everything you are doing now is bringing shame to it."
Princess Griffin's face was pale, she almost swayed slightly and looked at Brando in disbelief.
"But you said it so righteously." Tears instantly burst out of the eyes of the half-elf girl. She clenched her fists and almost cried: "But what you did to me in Ampelsel that day, do you still remember?
Lord Knight!"
Brando felt a sharp sword passing through his heart.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no word came out.
He finally understood why Princess Griffin trusted him before Ampelsel, but after that she carefully built a strong wall. He always thought it was because she was wary of her growing wings and endangering her.
Eruin's future royal power. But at this moment, he finally understood how deeply his irrational behavior at the time had cast a deep shadow in the heart of this girl who was only seventeen years old.
Brando just wanted to slap himself hard. What had he done? He stood there, his face as red as a soldering iron.
"sorry……"
"your Highness."
"sorry."
For a moment, it seemed that he could only find this sentence to express his feelings.
Princess Griffin bit her lower lip and looked at him, with tears still hanging on her face. She was so angry that she almost trembled, but finally calmed down. Her Royal Highness the Princess wiped away the tears and looked away, as if she was saying something irrelevant.
: "...Then, can I still trust you, Mr. Knight?"
Brando also calmed down.
The two of them stood in the yard, with the breeze still blowing through the clouds, and only the faint chirping of insects in the countryside. In Brando's eyes, several elk were jumping through the forest in the direction of the Stag Forest.
There seemed to be a moment of silence.
He finally nodded.
"You said before that everything you did for Eruin was not for such a superficial purpose. You are still moving towards that ideal, right, Mr. Knight?" Princess Griffin also looked in the direction of the forest, her face
Some of them were flushed and their voices were pitifully small.
Brando nodded.
Princess Griffith opened her mouth, as if the affirmative answer made her feel a little suffocated: "I'm sorry, I wronged you, Mr. Knight."
Brando replied very embarrassedly: "I am the one who should say I'm sorry, Your Royal Highness."
Griffith turned around, just in time to see the legendary earl showing such an embarrassed expression, and couldn't help bursting into laughter. The smile on her face at this moment was just like that day, warm and bright in the afternoon.
In the bright sunshine, she sat by the arched window and listened to Overwell telling her the story of the young knight. The smile on her face was exactly the same. Because in that story, the flag was so shining, as if she had returned to
The ancient kingdom.
"Mr. Brando, do you remember the story I told you about your grandfather just now?"
"Um?"
"Do you really want to know the truth?"
Brando was slightly startled, and he looked at the Princess in confusion. But Griffith shook his head: "Don't look at me like that, Mr. Knight, I didn't lie to you. But I know, about what happened in Al at that time.
Everything that happened during the Battle of Kashgar Mountain is still alive today."
"Who?" Brando's heart moved, as if he had caught a glimmer of light in the darkness.
"The Silver Queen, the Sylph King, and His Majesty the Pope of Farnzan."