"Because you are a living legend! The hope of Bretonnia!"
"But I am a fugitive and do not deserve the title of knight... There is no honor to speak of."
"No, no, you are not a fugitive. We have heard about your deeds. The battle in Death Valley. The fact that you came out alive is a legend in itself."
The scene fell into silence, and Hercules' words made Talinnam feel ashamed.
He didn't even have the courage to tell the knight in front of him why he came out alive. It was because the knights of Gray Tree Castle fought desperately to open a way of escape for him.
"So, what are Lord Lyon and the other lords looking for me for? What is the king looking for me for?"
Talinnam remembered Essek's words when he interrogated the assassins that day. According to Essek, those assassins were unlikely to be sent by Lyon. The master behind the assassins was someone else. They confessed to Lyon, but it was just before his death.
It's just a frame-up.
But even so, Tarynham was still wary of Sir Lyon.
"King Victor is not a qualified king. The blessing of the Lake Goddess has not appeared on him for a long time. This cruel king launched the meaningless Battle of Oka Mountain, causing countless knights of the kingdom to die in that dark place.
. It is such a great achievement to launch a chivalrous expedition. The national strength of Bretonnia is not enough to support such a huge expedition. In order to raise military funds, Victor increased the tax rate, making the lords everywhere miserable. You know, the productivity of farmers is limited,
They cannot be exploited indefinitely. If this continues, riots will happen sooner or later."
Herrus said worriedly.
"But you haven't told me yet, what does the king want me to do?"
Tarynham interrupted the knight.
"To kill you."
Hercules answered succinctly.
"Why? Because I am a defector? A coward?"
Talinnam asked rhetorically.
"No! As I said just now, you are not a coward or a defector. On the contrary, you are a living legend and the hope of Bretonnia. King Victor wants to kill you because he confiscated your territory, which is illegal.
Yes, even a king cannot do whatever he wants."
"Indeed, in the battle of Death Valley, the entire expeditionary force was wiped out. Everyone thought you were dead, and the king thought so too. You had no heirs, no heirs, not even blood relatives. So, the king confiscated this
A piece of unclaimed land.”
"However, such behavior has violated the bottom line of many lords."
"Lord Talinnam, you must know that since the founding of Bretonnia, no king has been able to confiscate the territory of the knight lord at will."
"He thought I was dead..."
Talinnam whispered to himself.
"But you're not dead. That makes this matter complicated and suspenseful."
"If you really die unexpectedly and have no heir, the King's confiscation of Gray Tree Castle will be despised by many lords, but they still have no reason to oppose him. But before you die, the King will confiscate your territory. This
The nature of the matter has changed and it has become a one-sided plunder."
"A king confiscated the land of a local lord and took over his castle and people while he was still alive. What is the difference between this and a robber? He betrayed his oath and tore up the contract. He is the real treacherous one.
The Bretonnians should be attacked by everyone."
"So, the king is looking for me to kill me? So that he can confiscate Gray Tree Castle as a reasonable and legal act? At the same time, it also silences the lords everywhere?"
Talinnam asked rhetorically.
"It's not hard to guess, that's it."
Herrus took a deep breath and patted Talinnam on the shoulder——
"Fortunately, I found you first."
"So, those assassins before were really not sent by Sir Lyon..."
Talinnam muttered to himself. He was in a daze. He could not have imagined that so many things had happened during the time he left Bretonnia. Even though he was in faraway Sylvania, Bretonnia was still because of his
Disappearance and turmoil. Is it possible that I will be inseparable from Bretonnia in this life?
"assassin?"
Hearing Talinnam talking about the word assassin, Herrus became furious.
"Yes, along the way, I met many people who wanted to assassinate me. Now it seems that they are not Sir Lyon's people, but sent by the king."
Talinnam sighed softly, his expression looking a little depressed. The person he had always wanted to be loyal to, in the end, was the person who wanted to kill him...
"The despicable villain is just like a beast. The Lady of the Lake will not bless such a treacherous villain. Lord Talinnam, you have made me more determined to crusade against Victor and support Lyon."
Herrus frowned, as if he was thinking about his future and his so-called loyalty to the past.
"So, what do you want me to do?"
Tarynham asked.
"It's not what I want you to do, Lord Talinnam of Gray Tree Castle. I have no right to ask you to do anything. It's Bretonnia that needs you."
"You want me to return to Bretonnia to prove that I am still alive? To prove Victor's absurd and predatory behavior?"
"This is what Sir Lyon hopes for, and what many believing Bretonnian lords hope for."
"Time is precious, Lord Talinnam."
A trace of anxiety flashed across Herlus's eyes.
"Proving the king's absurdity and treachery is one of them. More importantly, your appearance will give new hope to the lords across the land."
"Bratonia needs a new king, and you will lead them to overthrow Victor's brutal rule."
"I don't want to be a leader...and I don't have that quality either."
Talinnam's eyes dimmed. He was timid. Yes, he had never been so timid and unconfident as now.
Even though Herrus was right in front of him, those misunderstandings and rumors were cleared away. However, the shadow left by Death Valley on Talinnam was too heavy, and it could not be resolved with just a few words.
"You need to come forward and prove yourself. Bretonnia needs you. As for the leader, it is up to the Lady of the Lake to decide who leads them. We just need to do what we should do, don't we?"
Herlus stared closely at the legendary lord in front of him.
Lady of the Lake...
When Herrus mentioned the name of the goddess again, Talinnam's heart couldn't help but twitch. He once thought that he was not worthy of the goddess's favor and thought that he should be punished. However, when Herrus mentioned the name of the goddess again,
Even though he was famous, Talinnam still couldn't bear to give up his faith... The Lady of the Lake had given him strength and hope at his most desperate moment. Now, Bretonnia was in danger, how could he stay out of it?
"Okay, I'll go back with you."
"but……"
"Before that, I want to assist Lord Rhodes in finishing this vampire war."
Talinnam hesitated to speak, but turned to stare at his former lord, benefactor, and old friend.
Rhodes instantly understood what this kid meant. Although Talinnam was once Mrs. Kisri, he is now a Bretonnian. The past is past after all, and a new life is waiting for him.
Rhodes originally wanted to stay, but found that there was no way to save him. What happened on the other side of the continent might be much more important than this vampire war, and it seemed that Talinnam had made up his mind.
As for him staying to participate in the decisive battle between the Empire's Kislev coalition forces and the vampires, the more reason may just be to repay a favor...