Chapter 100: Life and Past
It seems that the lord has gained a lot of benefits, but if you think about it carefully, after this series of events, the one who actually benefited the most is the king himself.
The first is the gateway to Sarleon City, the Qicha Fortress.
Secondly, Eldred died in the duel, so the king easily took control of the army of Qicha Fortress, which was more than a thousand elite soldiers.
Finally, Andrew, the commander of the Royal City Guard, was dismissed, but Ulric did not appoint anyone else. The guard, which was composed of hundreds of noble sons, was now led by the king himself. These were hundreds of elite cavalry.
King Ulrich was also obviously aware of the role played by the lord.
Therefore, he approved the territory transaction between Leon and the Countess, and even turned a blind eye to the price of 1 dinar.
Privately trading territory is actually an illegal act.
In order to avoid large-scale annexation of land, any exchange or sale of territory requires the permission of the supreme lords of both parties, which is also an important matter managed by the House of Lords.
Therefore, King Ulrich was actually releasing a "fair" attitude.
The funeral was over, but the lord did not go back immediately.
He was going to accompany Amy to visit Ms. Philina.
Amy's mother, Ms. Philina, has always been in poor health. She suffered a serious illness some time ago and is already weak.
When she heard that her son was accused of treason and murder, she rushed to Sarleon to ask Ulric about the situation, but she fell ill again due to anxiety.
King Ulrich obviously still cared about his sister and sent many court doctors to treat her, but the effect did not seem to be good.
Philina stayed in the king's private residence, the former tower of the Pendor House of Lords.
This was Leon's first time entering the tallest building in the Sarleon Kingdom - although it was only ten stories high.
Contrary to what one might imagine, the interior of this building is extremely simple.
King Ulric, who loved gold, did not seem to have added any magnificent decorations to the building.
It looks like an ordinary private residence of a small noble, except that it has more floors and a larger area.
However, the garden outside the ground floor is extraordinary.
It is mid-January, the coldest time of the year.
But this garden is full of irises of various colors, including golden irises and purple irises - this kind of flower usually blooms from April to June!
Perhaps because they thought that this garden had a unique vitality, the court doctors advised Ms. Philina not to go back and to recuperate here for a while. Doctors of that era were mostly superstitious and attached much more importance to mysticism than medical skills.
Ms. Philina is now lying on the couch in the garden. Even though her face is haggard, she still looks graceful and elegant. She must have been an outstanding beauty when she was young.
"Mother!"
Amy called softly beside the bed.
Firina turned sideways with some effort: "Amy... why are you dressed like this... what the hell is Godric teaching you again!"
Amy was wearing a swordsman's outfit, a light half-body armor, high-top studded boots, a sword on her waist, and a knight's cloak - this was a meeting gift from Leon, a set of light female knight's outfit that could be used in almost all occasions.
"Ah, this... there may be enemies on the road... it's safer to wear this."
In fact, she wears this outfit all the time - she likes this light and flexible yet combat-capable equipment, which makes her feel like a real heroine...
Amy didn't seem to want her mother to know that she was practicing martial arts. Perhaps Philina wanted her to be a lady.
Although this lady had been to the battlefield and shot the enemy with her own hands, she seemed to be worried about being exposed in front of her mother, and subconsciously winked at Li Ang behind her.
Then, Philina also saw the lord behind Amy.
The haggard lady's eyes suddenly widened, as if she had seen something extraordinary, and she looked at Li Ang carefully several times.
"What is your name, young man?"
Philina's voice was trembling a little.
"I am Leon Griffin, Lady Philina, and my fiefdom is next to White Hart Castle."
The lord behaved very politely. After all, Lady Philina certainly wouldn't want her daughter to hang out with gangsters.
"Griffin? Ha... they actually thought of that..."
Philina suddenly laughed, with a complex look in her eyes, as if she was relieved and reminded of memories.
Leon could probably guess that Ms. Philina must know his parents, maybe even better than Godric.
Looking around, I saw that the servants were all standing far away and the palace servants were all very sensible.
Li Ang didn't want to guess all day long, so he asked directly: "Does Ms. Philina know my parents?"
Felina also looked around and made sure that no one except Amy could hear her before she said, "You look exactly like your father. If I'm not mistaken, you should be from Buckley... Are your parents okay ?"
Leon was stunned: "I told Lord Godric that they passed away."
Fiona's eyes dimmed in an instant: "How could it be... Godric didn't tell me... Doesn't he believe me..."
"Ms. Philina, what happened back then?"
The lord's curiosity was completely aroused, and Amy also stepped forward and hugged her mother's arm, looking very expectant.
"This story begins when we were young..."
…
——Thirty years ago, in the 325th year of the Pendor calendar, Lion Lake City.
"Leonardo, you can't do this...that's the king's will!"
"The king's will? Godric, we are the Lion Knights! The Lion Knights will only protect the country, believe in chivalry, respect the common people, and abide by the spirit of chivalry - but we will not serve any king!"
"Come on! Leonardo, don't you want to restore the legitimate status of the Order of the Lion?"
"Legal or illegal, does the king have the final say? Is the will of King Sarleon legal? Why did they massacre that village? Is it legal to kill civilians? Is it legal to rob women and children? Is it legal to rape and plunder? Is this the will of that mad king?"
"Leonardo, it's really hateful that those nobles took advantage of this situation... but you finally got the king to acquiesce in the existence of the Lion Knights... If you do this, the Lion Knights will be completely exiled! You will not be able to stay on this continent!"
"Get out of the way! Godric! You shouldn't be protecting those lunatics! You're my best friend, and I don't want to point a sword at you!"
"But I have my responsibilities... I have a child, Leonardo! You see, Felina is pregnant! I can't accompany you on adventures anymore..."
"Princess Firina! Godric, why did you bring her to Lion Lake City? If she hadn't been fooling around and mobilizing the nobles to seek relief, that village wouldn't have been massacred!"
"It's not Felina's fault, she just wanted to help those villagers!"
"But her help killed thousands of people, Godric! That's more than a thousand lives! I have to kill those bastards! You'd better take Felina and get out of my sight... immediately!"
Filina didn't dare to say a word at the time. She was frightened by her furious friend...
But she also realized from then on that if she wanted to help others, she must first have the right method.
She also knew that those noble knights were not as upright as those in the knight novels, nor were they as chivalrous as her knight friend.
That night, in the banquet hall of Lion Lake City, a total of 145 nobles, 143 of them were killed.
Rivers of blood flowed.
They died at the hands of an elite troop that bore a scarlet lion emblem.
Like blood.
"Alma Houghton? I know you weren't involved in that shit, get out of the way..."
"Leonardo, if the king dies, the Sarleon Kingdom will fall into chaos! I was once a Lion Knight, and you should remember the first tenet of the Lion Knight's oath!"
"I swore to maintain the stability of the country - but the way he is now has affected the stability of the country! Alma, just because of a girl and a rumor, he can order a large-scale arrest and massacre of the village! Let those nobles rape and plunder... thousands of lives! Can such a king still protect this country? Alma, look at him now - he has lost himself in wine and poison... How can he be sober for a minute?"
"Leonardo, the problem is, if the king suddenly dies, what will the other nobles do? What will the Baccus Empire, Firdsvain, and Ravenstern Kingdom do? This is not a simple matter of light and darkness. The spirit of chivalry cannot be used to govern a country! Enough people have died today! I will block the news. You should leave now while the king is still unconscious!"
"Okay...Alma, you'd better not make me regret it!"
Alma Houghton, the only one who survived because she had not done any evil, fled back to Sarleon with the king who was drunk and unconscious.
A few days later, Alma was named Lord of Lion Lake City.
And this tragedy was as if it had never happened.
——Twenty-five years ago, in the 330th year of the Pendor calendar, Sarleon.
"Do you regret it? Leonardo, you are the invincible 'Blood Lion'... You would have become a famous general of the kingdom, an earl, or even a duke..."
"I regret it. I regret not killing that mad king... Are you the captain of the guard of this castle now? These three irises are very beautiful... But, are you still going to stop me? Lord Godric?"
"Are you sure you want to do this? With your skills and reputation, you could have become the leader of the Royal Knights! But now, you will be wanted by the whole country and will be killed without mercy!"
"A group of robbers broke into my house and took away my fiancée. Shouldn't I come to rescue her? What would you do if someone else captured Felina?"
"I will also fight my way in...hahaha..."
"Then why are you still stopping here?"
"Leonardo, I just want to tell you that the Mad King is dead, he died suddenly! Before he died, he cleared all the information related to the Lion Knight! The successor King Ulric is not a madman, and he knows nothing. You don't have to do this."
"Godric... What happens to Ulric is none of my business. The Mad King seemed very wise when he was young, but what happened in the end? I just want to take my fiancée away. This has nothing to do with Ulric."
"Okay... I didn't expect the Mad King to be able to capture her before he died. But, where are your Knights?"
"The Mad King's men were able to snatch her from my station. What do you think will become of my Knights? Do you think I came here to reminisce about the past?"
"...Leonardo, you've already fought everyone out, and now you're injured like this, are you still planning to kill your way through an entire city by yourself?"
"Come on, stop talking. Godric, I know your difficulties, but I have my principles... I am the last Lion Knight, and I can't let the glory of the Lion Knight fall into my hands!"
"Well, with my skills, of course I can't stop the unrivaled Blood Lion Knight - oh, you see, I'm injured... My subordinates can't stop me either... What the hell are you still watching! After talking for so long, you should have rested well, right? Take her away quickly!"
"Godric..."
"Get out of here! I don't know a brainless idiot like you!... Hey, Felina, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to see His Highness Griffin off..."
"My name is not Griffin... Philina, my name is..."
"Your name is Griffin! Remember, from now on you can only be called Griffin! Take this money and go! Go to Barkley and don't come back!"
…
Now, January 20, 355 Pendor, in the gardens of the Court of Lords.
Ms. Philina was still telling the story quietly, her eyes full of nostalgia.
"The day after they left, Godric resigned from the Royal Guard and was sent to White Hart Castle to guard the border. The reason was that he couldn't stop the enemy alone..."
"I actually asked Ulric to give this order. Godric and I both want to stay away from those troublesome things."
"Ulric's father, the Mad King, is my uncle. But if Godric and Ulric hadn't protected me, I would have almost been killed by him... Hum... He is really a madman..."
"This crazy king massacred many people just because of an inexplicable rumor... He has completely lost his mind. Instigated by the nobles around him who only know how to eat, drink, gamble and have sex, he has done anything that is not human."
"In fact, at that time, everyone, including King Ulric himself, hoped that he would die soon."
"But it wasn't until 25 years ago that he died of drunkenness in the palace toilet."
"After Ulric succeeded to the throne, he was ambitious to change the country. Therefore, he encountered great resistance... In the first ten years, he was unable to even establish his own real power."
"It was not until nine years ago that Ulrich rebuilt the Lion Knights and truly took control of the country. But unfortunately, this is a compromise..."
"The new Lion Knights formed with the Royal Guards are not the same as the previous Lion Knights."
"There are no more Lion Knights who are chivalrous and brave for their country and their people. Your father Leonardo is the last true Lion Knight."
"As for Griffin... that's not your mother's name, but the emblem on her sword..."
Ms. Philina finally finished telling this long story. She looked at the emblem on Leon's body and smiled bitterly: "That emblem is golden."
Perhaps because she had talked too much, Philina was obviously a little tired. She helped Amy to stand up and looked at Leon again.
"How did your parents die?"
"I also want to know……"
The lord smiled bitterly.
Ms. Philina looked at Li Ang in silence for a while, and finally sighed: "It's better not to know..."
Li Ang also nodded seriously: "Indeed, it's better not to know."
After saying this, the lord looked at the tall tower of the House of Nobles, let out a long breath, and then bowed respectfully to Philina.
"Thank you for your help, Ms. Felina, but I still want to know one more question... What was my mother's original name?"
Felina was stunned for a moment, then she understood and smiled wistfully: "Since they are dead, I should let you know... Her name is Helen, Helen Pendragon."
Amy's eyes widened and she covered her mouth.
Pendragon... This is the surname of the founder of the Kingdom of Pendor, the former King Kavala.
Li Ang didn't show any surprise, he just wanted to know the name. He could guess the surname.
Of course, the only person who could be captured and brought to the palace by the Mad King was the last Princess Pende.
"Thank you for telling me this. Please rest assured that I have completely forgotten it. Let me introduce myself again - my name is Leon Griffin, Baron of McShane."
The lord knew that both Philina and Amy would understand what he meant by introducing himself again.
Philina looked at Leon's calm face, smiled and nodded: "Very good, Baron Leon Griffin... Actually, you can call me aunt. I used to be as close as a sister to your mother Griffin."
Ms. Felina was indeed quite clear, for she had said 'Griffin'.
"Thank you for your kindness, Ms. Felina...but I can't do that. Lord Godric doesn't want me to call him uncle..."
Leon shook his head seriously, indicating that he didn't want to implicate your family: "By the way, where is Lord Godric?"
Felina smiled and said, "I asked him to take a detour from Lion Lake City back to White Deer Castle. He should still be on the way."
Amy was a little confused: "Why let Dad leave alone?"
Ms. Felina stroked Amy's hair. "Andrew was accused of treason at the time. If Godric didn't return to White Hart Castle to lead the army... the whole family was in Sarleon. Who knows what would have happened?"
Amy understood and frowned slightly: "Are you threatening the king with my father? Is King Ulric no longer willing to listen to you?"
"Everyone is like this... When you are young, you can have pure feelings without any conflicts of interest, but everyone will eventually be different from when they were young. The king is also a human being..."
Felina shook her head gently.
Amy frowned even deeper: "Then it's not safe for you to live here..."
"As long as there are people, there is no absolute stability. My presence here can make the king feel at ease about Godric... and Godric in White Hart Castle can guarantee the safety of Andrew and me..."
"…The army and the castle are the real guarantee."
When she said the last sentence, Ms. Philina was looking at Leon.
The Lord nodded and bowed again: "I understand, Ms. Philina, thank you again."
The army and the castle are the real guarantee.
The Lord deeply agrees with this.
Since he was not a relative of Count Oden, Leon did not go to Kwen Village to attend the funeral. After all, funerals with ten people per table were not held in the Continent of Pendor.
After bidding farewell to Ms. Philina, he took Amy directly back to Maixiangling, intending to build a good army.
