Knight and Wand

Chapter 180 Thunder
Sitting in the spacious administrative office study in the main castle, the huge arched glass windows were wiped clean by a rag controlled by Corvis' magic hand.

Leon took advantage of the afternoon sun and wrote on the letter paper, word by word, carefully explaining that as new nobles, the three of them were short of military strength, talent, and management difficulties, so they planned to jointly establish a knight group of up to 500 people in the future to unify the government affairs and defense of various places.
As a lord who is directly loyal to the feudal lord, if he wants to establish a military organization that also plays a political role in his territory, it is naturally not something he can do on a whim.

Regardless of their territory or status, they are all within the ruling system of the Thorn Flower Family. According to the rules, such matters must be authorized by the feudal lord.

Of course, Leon felt that Count Elliver would not reject his application.

If other vassals of the Thorn Flower contacted other retainers to set up such an organization, Elifer might have to think carefully and weigh the hidden dangers.

But if it were me, I wouldn’t have so many concerns.

It's not just because of the trust that has been established between the king and his ministers, but more importantly, the three of them have a truly shallow background and no foundation in Orland.

Among the ten people who were granted the title of baron this time, the subsidiary title that Elifer conferred on his eldest son was not mentioned.

The other eight Lords of the Thorn Flower who were promoted to barons all had more or less family connections and accumulations brought by generations of marriages, and they were related to each other and had a large number of uncles and aunts in the kingdom.

The advantages brought by kinship and clan allow them to immediately gather a group of people to form a team after gaining power and quickly engage in the ruling and management of the territory.

If these forces that have taken root one by one were united by a practical organization, even if Elifer has a broad mind, he would feel uneasy when sleeping.

But when Leon looked at his own family again, not counting Elena who was rescued with great difficulty, the three brothers were almost one step away from being wiped out.

If they don't stick together, let alone the huge barony, even if Azerien and Lohak go back to manage their own territories, they will be too busy to handle them.

Elifer could certainly understand such practical difficulties. After all, he himself was probably experiencing a similar situation of "upgraded version of the Earldom" now.

In fact, if they don't establish an open joint organization, and the three of them continue to rule the territory based on friendship as before, it won't have any impact.

Now the Baron has openly reported the idea of ​​establishing a knightly order to the feudal lord, which is also a proactive and honest act by the Baron to the feudal lord.

If it were some suspicious lord, this action would probably be understood as a test.

Leon shook his head. Fortunately, his usual performance would not cause such suspicion.

After all, he really had no ambition to harm the Farolis family.

In the letter, he frankly explained the difficulties in governing the territory and the obligation of the Knights to give back to the Thornflower Family after the establishment of the Knights. Leon sealed the letter and asked Corvis to take it to the messenger at the military camp in the city.

Looking at Corvis's hurriedly departing back, Leon put down his quill, stretched himself and felt a little expectant.

Not only am I looking forward to the reply, but I am also looking forward to the ceremony activities that will be carried out later.

Leon, who has been promoted to baron, finally has the capital to enthrone his own "knights".

He had been waiting for this day for a long time.
The first to accept the canonization were Olivia and Corvis, who had always been his right-hand men.

Although nominally, according to the ancient Feru tradition, any knight is qualified to knight others.

But in today's era when the aristocratic system is approaching perfection, if a knight without a real title is canonized to others, he will not be included in the list of nobility at all, nor will he be recognized by his country. What's more, the identity of a knight also represents taxes and military obligations that ordinary civilians cannot afford. As time goes by, the ancient tradition has long been in name only.

Thinking about how to repay these two great contributors, Leon stood up, opened the door, and walked towards the "treasure house" in the main castle where important properties were stored.

After going down the stairs and passing the living area, Leon couldn't help but stop for a moment when he passed by a carved door with a sign saying "In Use" on the outside and locked from the inside.

Behind this door is a large bathroom in the main castle.

The city of Avalon is full of sanitary facilities, including magnificent aqueduct bridges, reservoirs, fountains, bathrooms, baths, public baths, toilets, and large sewers. Thanks to the chaotic time characteristics of the spiritual field, the excellent water supply system in this ancient fortress thousands of years ago is still able to function normally.

Leon also confirmed with Laura again and again that the pipes that transport clean water from upstream and underground to the fortress are not made of harmful materials such as lead pipes. The ancient Lorelites in this world do not seem to have made the same mistake as the Romans, which allows him to live a long-lost life with convenient water use without worry.

The main castle where he currently lived was the second most well-equipped building after the Mage Tower, and it also had a large bathroom that was exquisite and luxurious.

It's a pity that originally most of the people living in this main castle were the mage guards led by Garron. The rough men who lived here in ancient times naturally didn't deliberately separate the men's and women's bathing pools. This meant that when everyone in the fortress wanted to enjoy this facility, they had to arrange for men and women to use the bathing pools at different times.

I remember that Olivia couldn't wait to try out that bath yesterday. Now she should be enjoying the luxury of the ancient Lorelit civilization in it.

Leon looked at the closed door, and his ears moved slightly, as if he could hear the sweet voice of his wife inside.

Of course it's an illusion.

The heavy carved door and stone walls blocked out the sounds inside and outside the bathroom, and Leon could hear nothing.

He really wanted to go in and take a bath with Olivia.

Unfortunately, at this time, Miss Treia, who was always with the girl, and even Elena and Ms. Martha might be inside.
Next time, make an appointment with Olivia in advance so you can enjoy it alone together.

Leon regretfully continued walking towards the treasure house.

Arriving at the door of the warehouse which was temporarily guarded by two guards in turn, he opened the door lock and lifted the warning spell set by Corvis. Then Leon walked straight past the treasure chest containing thousands of gold crowns and a wide variety of armor, and came to the sword box on the shelf.

This was a gift he had hidden from Olivia and Corvis for several days, just to give them a surprise at the subsequent enthronement ceremony.

Opening the sword box, two beautiful weapons lay quietly inside.

Both were protected by a brown-red leather-wrapped scabbard with embroidered patterns. Although they were made by the same swordsmith from Farolis, the shapes of the swords were completely different as Leon had specifically instructed.

Just from the appearance, it can be seen that it is a long sword of normal specifications.

The other sword has specifications between a long sword and a great sword.

Picking up the normal length sword, Leon drew the sword from its sheath and admired the beautiful main thorn sword.

The curved wing-shaped sword guard, the fishtail-shaped counterweight pommel, the ridged hilt, and the gray handle rope are tightly wrapped around it.

In the center of the sword guard, you can see a specially reserved groove that is not inlaid with gems. The V-shaped surface of the sword body, which should have been smooth and straight, also has four front and rear grooves in the appropriate position.

On the blade near the guard, there is an inscription written in Lorelian, meaning "friendship".

This was the gift he was going to give to Corvis to make up for the mistake of losing the enchanted rapier in the battle with the wizard Amon.

For this thorn-shaped longsword, Leon specifically asked the swordsmith to follow the blueprint he drew and leave a slot for later inlay processing and enchantment.

With the help of the tools and materials in the Mage Tower workshop, and with his current understanding of "ritual science", he could add small spell effects similar to the other party's rune sword, such as lighting, ignition, and auxiliary control, even if he did it himself.

However, Leon didn't plan to do it himself. If his hands were shaking, he would end up making things worse. It would be safest to ask Laura to help.

After putting away the "Friendship" sword, Leon put it back in its place and picked up another two-handed sword that was obviously heavier, bigger and longer.

The sword has an octagonal carved window-weighted handle, a Gothic-style square carved winged guard, the front handle is carved with ebony, the back handle is wrapped with pure silver wire, and the sword body with a three-sided ridge and double grooves is about three fingers wide.

This is a heavy battlefield sword with plenty of heft.

On the broad sword, the words "Oath and Victory" are engraved in Lorelit.

This is naturally the weapon that will be given to Olivia, although apart from the inscription, the appearance of this sword has no resemblance to the EX curry stick.

Taking into account the girl's special physique, unless she is able to obtain the weapons of the Yanyang Guards, ordinary enchanted weapons are no better than ordinary iron for her. Fragile rune weapons may even be damaged during her use, so Leon did not ask for anything fancy.

He simply asked the swordsmith to forge a heavy sword that was as strong and powerful as possible without worrying about the weight.
Originally, Leon hesitated whether to make a weapon similar to "Excalibur" for Olivia, but he gave up immediately after thinking about it.

After all, this was not a comic convention, and he hoped that the sword he gave the girl for her daily use would be a truly usable weapon.

What's more, the appearance of the curry stick in the previous life, when it was really made into reality, looked like a children's toy, and was far less beautiful than the real weapon.

The same goes for the knight armor that will be customized for Olivia in the future. Like the one that Ines wore before, the aristocratic armor that is comprehensive and exquisite in protection is the most perfect. Leon does not intend to make a set of leaky COSplay props for Olivia and joke with his wife's life.

After admiring the heavy sword of victory in his hand, Leon put it back into the sheath. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a muffled thunder that almost penetrated the solid wall of the main castle.

The rumbling noise was like bursts of thunder.

Leon looked around in confusion. There were naturally no windows in the heavily guarded warehouse.

But this is even more strange. How loud would the thunder have to be to be heard?

Leaving the treasury, Leon walked around the corridor and came to the outside of the main castle.

He looked up and saw that the sky was clear, with no dark clouds and no sign of rain.

While wondering, Leon saw Azerien hurriedly walking up the stairs of the lower area not far away.

"Did you hear the thunder just now?" Leon asked.

Azerien smiled bitterly: "It's not just me who heard it. People inside and outside the city could hear the terrifying thunder. I'm afraid the people outside will cause unrest again in the next two days."

"commotion?"

Azerien nodded. "Yes, the people outside the city were originally poor people who were coaxed and driven by Lord Elliver to move from the Thornflower Territory to the outskirts of Avalon to open up new land. Many of them grew up hearing the curse legend of the Nightmare Forest. If they were not so poor that they could not survive, they would never be willing to come here to open up new land."

He sighed and explained his recent visits and investigations: "As a result, during this period, strange things like thunder and lightning have occurred from time to time in sunny days, and the lightning has even struck directly into the city. I heard from the soldiers of the Thorn Flower Barracks that rumors have begun to spread in the taverns outside the city that the curse will once again cover the forest."

Azerien was somewhat helpless. Although there was no phenomenon of people fleeing because of this incident, the continuous abnormal and strange things still made the people inside and outside the city panic. The problem was that he didn't know what was going on, and he didn't know where to start if he wanted to send people to dispel the rumors and appease the people.

Slashed into the city? Leon suddenly realized something.

"I didn't see it in the main castle just now. You said the lightning struck into the city? Where exactly did it strike?"

Speaking of supernatural oddities in this area, what could be stranger than the Mage's Tower where an ancient Mage lives?
Hearing Leon's question, Azerian turned sideways and looked towards the higher fountain square in the northwest direction. He pointed to the innermost cliff and said, "That's it. Children in the town used to go to the square to play, but now no one dares to get close to there." Sure enough, Leon was relieved. Everything was fine.

It should be Laura who made the noise.

He then realized that up to now, Azerien and Lohak still didn't know about the existence of Lola and the Mage Tower.

"Don't worry, I think I know what's going on." Leon patted his shoulder and continued, "It's better to be lucky than to be early. Where's Lohak? I'll take you two to meet an important person today."

"Big shot? Who?" Azerien was confused.

"My magic mentor is also our savior when we were on the run. Come to think of it, you're really holding it in. You haven't asked me where I learned this magic until today?" Leon laughed.

Azerien was stunned when he heard this, then he remembered the strange way the other party shouted at the air, and couldn't help shaking his head: "I am an ordinary person, not a warlock, there is no point in knowing so much."

"You have to know so much even if you don't want to. If I'm not in the territory in the future, I'll still rely on you, the Grand Steward of Avalon, to take charge of everything." Leon shook his head and took him to find Lohak.

The two spent some time on the parade ground of the Thorn Flower Military Camp and found Lohak who was undergoing wrestling training with the soldiers. Then, under Leon's guidance, the three of them came to the Fountain Square, climbed the stairs, and stood in front of the false cliff where the wizard tower was hidden.

"Listen carefully to my spell and my hand seals. It's okay if you can't remember them. I'll teach you more later."

After Leon finished his preparations, he pulled the two of them through the illusion of the magic curtain.

As expected, the dreamy scene before them startled the two.

However, having had even more spectacular and frightening experiences in the cursed land before, they did not panic.

Pushing open the door, the three entered the luxurious circular hall.

Azerien and Lohak followed Lion onto the smooth floor, turning their heads to look around and marveling at the magnificent dome and columns.

"Look, where is the real lord's throne of this ancient fortress? The main castle we live in now was just the place where the castle's office staff used to work. So there is no throne in the main castle hall, only heraldic totems." Leon pointed to the wizard's throne on the high platform in front.

"Holy Prophet, this pillar, this glass. What kind of gems are inlaid on it? What kind of lamp? So bright? Magic? Is this fence made of pure silver? Could there be a god living here?" Lohak looked around, his eyes were dazzled. If this was not his brother's territory, he would have wanted to find a screwdriver to pry off these gems.

"Leon, you're not going to tell me that the owner of this place is still alive?" Azerien asked in surprise. He remembered that the other party said that this fortress was an ancient city built more than a thousand years ago.

"No, Lady Aphrodite who lived in seclusion here has passed away long ago." Leon looked back at the empty throne and bowed in his heart to the pink-haired lady with eyes as bright as the starry sky, thanking her for the relics and knowledge she left behind and for her help to him.

"That's right. Apart from the great Holy Prophet who was able to protect mankind for thousands of years, no one else could live that long. Even the magic of the sorcerers cannot do that."

Azerien relaxed a little. Even though he had experienced that incredible adventure in the cursed land, it was still too shocking to say that he would meet people from a thousand years ago. That was the era when the Holy Prophet was still alive.

".I am going to take you to see her teacher."

"?" Azerien raised his eyebrows and moved his lips.

He sighed with relief, feeling that nothing would be strange to him when he followed Leon in the future.

"The teacher of the original owner of this place? He's still alive? He must be at least a thousand years old, right?" Lohak gasped, his eyes wide as copper bells.

"She's not completely alive, but she still exists as a spirit. Maybe she lived for at least a thousand years before she died."

Leon wanted to say that the other party might have died of normal lifespan, but when he recalled the religious stories in the original owner's memory, the Holy Prophet did say that he existed for thousands of years before ascending from the mortal world.

Wait a moment.

Looking at Lohak with an astonished expression, Leon suddenly realized something else.

As a non-believer on Earth, although I was shocked by Laura's identity at first, in the final analysis, it was just the novelty of meeting an important person.

But the two of his buddies who were born and raised in Serian were followers of the Holy Sun Cult who grew up worshipping the Holy Prophet Ilaril.
Leon hesitated for a moment and decided not to tell them the truth for the time being.

After all, that identity was not Laura's original wish.

There was no need to so hastily impact Azerien and Lohak's worldview.

Taking the two of them upstairs, Leon went straight to the top floor after passing through several floors without seeing Laura's person or cards.

Climbing up to the workshop, they sensed a huge vortex of energy condensed as if solid above their heads, and at the stairs leading to the top tower, everyone could hear the whistling sound of the wind becoming clearer and clearer.

This was something they had not heard before under the tower, as if the complex sound was completely confined within a certain range.

"Don't go up yet, both of you. Sit here for a while. I'll go see what's going on." Leon turned around and ordered.

The two nodded.

After walking two steps up, Leon suddenly turned back and reminded: "It's okay to look at the other things, but don't touch the statues in the cabinet. They are precious relics of Ms. Aphrodite."

"Oh, don't worry, we are not clumsy little devils who touch things everywhere." Lockhak spread his hands.

Leon was embarrassed by Lohak's unintentional bluntness.
Okay, okay, I’m just a clumsy little kid, okay?

He still remembers how he accidentally discovered how "realistic" the hand-carved puppets were.

I always feel that it would be very unfair to let others know about Ms. Aphrodite's wonderful interests during her lifetime because of these relics.

After all, Leon still prays that his parents on Earth will not check his computer and mobile phone when sorting out his "belongings"
"——Lola!"

He shouted loudly and stepped into the range of the spell where the wind was blowing loudly. Leon's black hair was flying around and the hem of his dress coat was blown behind his legs.

Covering his eyebrows with his hands and squinting his eyes, he walked up the tower against the wind. Only then did he discover that the dome of the top floor of the tower had a huge skylight opened like a spiral hatch.

And right in the air in the center of the venue, there was a round steel sphere floating.

Visible arcs of lightning were jumping all over the sphere, but every time the dissipated energy leaped out for a distance and tried to escape, it was pulled by a strange invisible force and blasted back into the steel ball.

The white Dharma King's robe and the girl's snow-white hair fluttered in the strong wind, and Laura put her hands behind her back.

She turned the wand that was resting leisurely on her back, and brought it back to her normal grip, tapping the floor with the end of the wand.

The complex formations floating in all directions suddenly gathered towards the center.

Leon only felt as if a black and white picture was whistling and flashing before his eyes.

Circles of black and white flashes alternately retracted onto the surface of the steel ball above.

The vortex of strong wind and cyclone dissipated in an instant, and Leon lowered the palm awning that was covering his eyebrows.

"You're here. Are you planning to start classes today?" Laura turned around, a hint of joy in her eyes, without any displeasure at being disturbed.

"There was thunder outside the tower, scaring a lot of people. I came in to see what was going on."

Leon straightened his head which was blown into a mess, and looked at the steel ball behind the wizard lady, which was now covered with layers of magic patterns.

"Are you conducting some kind of magic experiment with this noise?" Leon walked over curiously.

Laura waved the golden staff away and spread her hands, saying, "Of course I'm making a magic wand for you."

"Why is this wand a ball?"

Leon looked up and down at the shiny big steel ball in surprise.

"We are only empowering the material now. It will not be shaped until the final stage. Haven't you carefully read the contents of the alchemy smelting department? The fusion of materials in the high-temperature and high-pressure forge is easy for high-level spellcasters who have fully mastered the elements, even without the assistance of equipment."

Laura shook her hand and said, "Do you really think I'm going to use a hammer to knock out a magic wand for you?"

Leon scratched his head. He was still a beginner in magic. He got started because of the need for combat and conflict, and read more about elemental science and ritual science. He didn't know much about alchemy. Especially the content about alchemy, which made him more drowsy than the previous two.

"Squat down a little." Laura walked up to him and waved.

Leon was used to this now, so he lowered his body as he was told.

Laura's hands climbed up the other person's messy head, and her ten fingers gently brushed it.

The subtle electric current and heat combed Leon's hair neatly one by one.

After helping him restore his handsome hairstyle with her own hands, Laura gently touched Leon's head, nodded with a smile, and stepped back with satisfaction.

Leon touched his hair as if he was aware of something.

Well, it’s not just a walking humanoid industrial machine, the little teacher can also give out glue hands.

But it feels quite comfortable to have my hair stroked by Lola.

Is this how the other person feels when I usually masturbate?
"Let's go, don't you want those two kids to get to know me?" Laura turned and walked towards the stairs. She could naturally sense that there were several visitors here.

"Aren't you going to continue? I saw you were very busy just now. How about we come back another day?" Leon followed and asked.

"It's okay, let's stop here for today. This vein of earth can barely sustain my presence. In order to make this magic wand for you, I've been pushing it to its limit almost every day. It's time to let the land beneath our feet rest." Laura waved her sleeves.

Walking down the stairs, Leon couldn't help but look back at the steel ball floating there quietly.

I wonder what kind of thing Laura is going to make for him. Are wizards always making such a big fuss when making wands?
(End of this chapter)