ps: Snake and Rat have been updated, Empire Waste, Baator Man, For Ladies!
May, Old World, Curona, the capital of Britannia, Royal Palace.
The dinner was held in the banquet hall, where the current King of Knights, Richard, hosted a banquet for Lawn-Leo Cornwall, Duke of Connet.
The banquet was very sumptuous. The appetizer was halibut fillet with lobster mousse. The main course was Curona roast venison with Cornish soft cake, truffle sauce, braised red cabbage, roasted potatoes and roasted walnuts, pumpkin and roots.
Celery.
There was only the sound of the clinking of knives and forks on the dining table. This was a private banquet for two people, so the scene was very small. Except for Earl Taubot, the chief of the palace guard, and the two waiters, Richard dismissed everyone.
The wrinkles on the face of the King of Knights became deeper and deeper. Lawn-Leo Cornish felt very uncomfortable looking at his uncle's gray beard.
Richard is almost 120 years old this year. Looking at his aging appearance, the deep wrinkles on his face, and his somewhat stooped body, it is really difficult for Lawn-Leo Cornish to distinguish the old man in front of him from the one who was just now.
He was elected as the King of Knights, a high-spirited young man who joined forces with the high elf Caledor Dragon Prince Imrik to fight against the beastman craze.
Richard, who was only over 80 years old at the time, was elected king at the kingselect after John II was deposed. When he first succeeded to the throne, he was once a brave paladin and personally led the knightly army to fight many times.
front.
Time flies, more than thirty years have passed, and Lao En can't help but feel a little dazed and sad at the same time.
Ever since he failed to suppress Ryan and chose to bear the responsibility for the death of Jules in the subsequent Aegir invasion, Richard has been in a state of semi-retirement. In fact, the power of the kingdom has fallen to the regent Lawn.
As a duke, except for some necessary occasions and ceremonies, Richard rarely engaged in practical activities.
"So, Bo Derek and Ryan recaptured the Poseidon Trident, and also helped the empire fight a war?" The old Knight King was in good spirits. He ate slowly and continued: "What's the result?
Woolen cloth?"
"The result was naturally that the human coalition won. The vampire baron Leopold Haken was killed by the Ryan Formation, and the corpse demon king was directly turned into gold by the empire's great alchemist Belshazer Geert." Raun
Nodding, he put down his knife and fork and said in a brisk tone: "Another one."
A victory, the entire kingdom is currently in the most peaceful era in decades. Mousilon's vampires have been severely frustrated, and whether it is the beastmen, greenskins, undead or the threat of chaos in the north, they have temporarily subsided. We have won a rare victory.
Breathing time and space.”
"Lian Machado, he will be your biggest rival in inheriting the throne." Who knew that Richard didn't look very happy, but frowned even more tightly: "Leon Cole, you are ready to compete with him.
Are you ready?"
"Of course." Lawn nodded. He looked very optimistic about this, even a little excited: "He and I agreed to work hard to see who can defeat Mousilon first."
Richard didn't speak. He ate very seriously. He picked out the fish bones and cut the venison with a knife and fork, then slowly put the meat into his mouth and chewed it.
Lao En stopped talking and waited for his uncle's advice.
Venison is the top meat in Brittany. The laws of the Kingdom of Knights stipulate that only nobles can eat venison. If it is rare for a period of time, only great nobles and Holy Grail Knights are eligible to enjoy venison.
Richard liked to eat venison the most. When the King of Knights was young, he often went into the mountains to hunt. Lawn thought that after decades, his uncle's habit of eating venison had not changed.
"Leon Cole, how many years ago did Ryan become the Knight of the Holy Grail?" Richard said slowly until he was almost done eating.
"Eight and a half years ago...almost nine years." Lawn replied respectfully.
"Where is François?" Richard asked next.
"About thirty years ago."
"Berhemond?"
"More than fifty years ago." Lawn answered one by one.
"What about you?" Richard looked at Lawn, his thoughts unclear in his cloudy eyes.
"Six years." Lao En was a little confused in his heart, but he still answered.
"Where's Calad?" Richard asked next.
"Calard Garament? Didn't he just become a Knight of the Holy Grail and return home a month ago and become Count Garament again?" Raun was confused in his heart. I was talking about the conquest of Mousilon. Why did my uncle ask?
Got this?
"Ryan, François, Berhemond, and Kalad, who among them are not all great knights of the Holy Grail? Each of them has experienced hundreds of battles, has numerous military exploits, and has the highest honor. They are the knights of half the kingdom.
Have fought alongside them, you, the Holy Grail Rider at the pinnacle of legend,
Shi did not first think about how to build a good relationship with them and thank them for their contribution to the peace of the kingdom, but instead he only wanted to beat Mousilon? What respect should you have? When you think you really want to compete with Ryan,
How many of the kingdom’s knights are willing to obey your orders?”
"..." Lao En was speechless. He felt like he had been hit in the head and was dizzy.
"As a lord, the most important thing is nothing more than two things, personnel and financial rights. As a candidate for the Knight King, the most important thing is nothing more than the two things, the support of all the knights and nobles in the entire kingdom, and the approval from the lady." Richard sneered.
: "Do you think you are certain to win? After all, Ryan doesn't even have a duke title?"
"But Mousilon is a cancer in the kingdom! We must get rid of it, no matter what the cost." Raun did not admit his mistake under Richard's verbal attack. He took a serious attitude: "Whether it's me, Ryan or anyone else, we
There is no way around Mousilon, after all, the lady’s oracle has made it very clear, whoever can conquer Mousilon will be the new Duke of Mousilon!”
Richard stroked his goatee, looked at Lawn for a long time, and then nodded: "Well, you are right about insisting on this, Leon Cole, some issues are issues of principle, and the struggle within our kingdom is
One thing, and another to the outside world. You must stick to your position on major issues of right and wrong. If you tell me to give up fighting Mousilon at this time, then I will write to Her Majesty Morgiana tomorrow and tell her
She and I also hope that Ryan will take over as king."
Lao En felt a cold sweat break out on his back.
Yes, although Richard has not handled some things well in recent years, which has caused him to be in semi-retirement, many people have forgotten that he is still the knight king who worked hard to govern after he ascended the throne and enjoyed the country for more than 30 years.
!When John II was deposed and the entire kingdom was in chaos, it was he as king who stabilized the situation and ensured that Britannia did not disintegrate in the civil strife.
Despite the failure to suppress Lane and the unfavorable battles in recent years, with Richard here, the kingdom's court is at least still running stably. Whether it is the assembly of the chivalry army or the restoration of production after the invasion of Chaos, Richard at least supports Laun's affairs.
Came down.
"Leon Cole, if you think about it carefully, if a kings election is held now, how many dukes will support you?" Richard stroked his beard and said seriously: "Think about it carefully, I am one of them.
You count yourself as one, Aldreeld, Duke of Lyonnais, counts as one, Theodoric, Duke of Belion... counts him as one, and what else?"
"..." Lawn wanted to say Montfort, but he immediately realized that Duke Fourcade of Montfort had just been saved by Ryan.
In the same way, Hagen, Duke of Gisoleaux, is not established, and Kasfan, Duke of Palavon is doubtful.
"There is also the attitude of the lady. Don't forget that Her Highness Morgiana is currently stationed in Ryan's territory." Richard sneered: "Lyan is still the lady's chosen champion. Your advantage is not as big as you think.
, Leon Cole.”
After pausing for a while, seeing his nephew thoughtful, Richard nodded and continued: "Despite this, you still have an advantage, that is, you are the heir to the throne in the orthodox sense, and you are also my designated successor.
But you have to understand why you are the person to take over and why we will choose you, so you have to stop taking some actions in moderation!"
"The base under the throne cannot be moved."
The old king's words pricked the deepest worries in Lawn's heart.
When Raun-Leo Cornwall traveled around the human kingdom as an expeditionary knight, he naturally noticed the various shortcomings of the knight kingdom. The country of Britannia, in terms of technological level and social vitality, was already inferior to the empire on the other side of the mountain.
Somewhat behind.
As one of the champions selected by the Fairy of the Lake, Lawn is certainly not a fool. He has many deep thoughts about this, that is, reform of this country is imperative. Therefore, after he took office, the regent of the kingdom presided over
In order to promote tax reduction activities, he even took the initiative to contact the empire and the dwarves of the Gray Mountains.
He also hopes to introduce the Empire's muskets and artillery, as well as the Empire's engineers. To this end, he has had many contacts with the Empire and the dwarf kingdom in the Gray Mountains. He wants to sign a stable firearms purchase contract and even attract some people to Kuro
Set up factory.
Not only did Richard not object to this approach, but he supported Raun's approach. However, when Raun wanted to go further, Richard's attitude immediately made a 180-degree turn. The old king
We firmly oppose him to carry out deeper reforms to the territorial citizen system like Ryan did.
The reason is just as Richard said, the pedestal under the throne cannot be moved. Why can Lawn become the most popular candidate now? As long as he shows any such intention, the nobles who support him may put it at any time.
He discarded it and replaced it with a new one.
This is the biggest problem that Lawn faces.
If he wants to make a difference and fundamentally change the country, he must become a king.
But judging from his representative position and his basic base, if he wants to become king, he cannot take action on the existing system.
"Leon Cole, you are different from Ryan Macado." Richard's cloudy eyes looked at the mango and lemon dark chocolate and fruit desserts that were served, and he continued: "You can say that Ryan's territory was almost like a wasteland.
, he relied on his own efforts to bring the whole
This territory has been built up to what it is now. His territory was built from scratch, and he has the full support of the lady and Her Royal Highness Morgiana, so he can do it. But you are different. Look at your principality, and then look at it.
Look at this royal capital, which family doesn’t have hundreds of years of accumulation?”
"So Francois married Sulia to Ryan, and he used Ryan's territory as a pilot? After Ryan successfully promoted his reforms, Francois slowly followed." Lawn nodded: "
So why can’t we do that?”
"Why not?" Richard shook his head repeatedly: "Lian can trade with the wood elves as soon as he arrives in the territory, can you? Ryan can let the dwarves set up factories in his territory with just a few words, can you? Ryan and the Empire
The relationship is good and the trade is constant, can you? Len can allow the high elf Supreme Mage Teclis to travel across the ocean to attend his wedding ceremony, can you?"
"Ryan is very smart. He will never monopolize the huge trade dividends and land development dividends brought by him as the core. On the contrary, his system will not harm the interests of others." Richard continued: "Exactly.
Because the system he established has brought huge dividends to feed Francois, Bodrick and the nobles who supported him without harming their interests, these people are willing to follow Ryan to reform! This is the essence of you and him
The difference! You don’t have a white space!”
Richard's words rendered Laon Leo Cornwall speechless. The Knight of the Holy Grail and the Duke of Connet turned pale, and he realized what a huge problem he had to face.
"So I didn't have to abdicate before but wanted to, but now I should abdicate but I still insist on it." Richard smiled: "The position of the king is not that you can order the nobles of the kingdom at will once you sit on it, but you
You can persuade the crowd and sit on it to more conveniently give orders to the nobles of the entire kingdom. The throne is given by the lady, but it is the freedom of the nobles whether to obey the king's orders."
"If you want to wear a crown, you must bear its weight." There was endless desolation in Richard's words. He laughed softly: "Before I became the king, I was also full of thoughts of reform, but when I
After I was really selected as the king at the King Selection, I had to do what the dukes expected. Everyone wants to be the king, but few people realize the responsibilities that sit on the throne.
If you don’t even have this courage, you don’t deserve to be a king!”
"So...Uncle, how should I solve this dilemma?" Raun frowned, realizing the difficulty of the problem. The nearly fifty-year-old Holy Grail Knight seriously asked his uncle, who was nearly one hundred and twenty years old, for advice.
"It's still Musilon." Richard closed his eyes and said slowly.
"Or Mou Silon?" Lawn vaguely felt that he had caught something.
"That's right, it's Musilon. If you can completely solve the cancer in this kingdom and recover Musilon that has not been solved for hundreds of years, then you will get the support and trust of the nobles. If you have merit, you will
When you have prestige, you have trust." Richard sighed: "With trust and support, you have the capital to push forward reforms, so you can understand why I beat Musilon several times after taking the throne.
Bar?"
Looking at his old uncle, the Duke of Connet, Lawn-Leo Cornwall, suddenly burst into tears. He could feel that Richard was getting old, and his last bit of vigor had been lost with the failure of suppressing Ryan and the battle with Eules.
Die and vanish into thin air.
"Uncle, if you abdicate, who will support me in advancing the reform?" Lao En's voice was trembling. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and felt that his shoulders were heavy. Those things called expectations and responsibilities were weighing on him.
on his shoulders.
"Everyone will grow old one day, Leon Cole." At this point, Richard smiled freely, and the wrinkles on his face widened: "One day, I have been a lawyer for more than thirty years.
The King of Knights is a very short term among kings in the past, but I think enough is enough, let me stand on the last duty, the future belongs to you...or Ryan Macado."
After coming out of the palace, Lawn-Leo Cornwall felt that there was a layer of fog in his sight. He opened his mouth and looked at the endless night sky, but he could not make a sound.
Britannia, the kingdom of knights, where will it go in the future?
No one knew, but Lawn knew he was going to work hard for it.