Knight and Wand

Chapter 303: Audience at the Royal Palace
".Assassin?" Leon was surprised.

"I scared him secretly, and he overreacted and attacked Prince Rickdo immediately. He is good at martial arts. If I hadn't changed my tactics and made him think that his arms were cut off, Rickdo might have died." Olivia nodded obediently.

On the return carriage, Leon listened in surprise to Olivia's account of her unexpected discovery.

The second prince of Orlando is always accompanied by a servant who is ready to murder his master?
Naturally, he had no doubt about Olivia's ability, and the man's unusual movements clearly revealed his truest reaction.

If the man had taken some defensive counterattack out of fear, Olivia probably wouldn't have been so sure of her suspicion.

Leon frowned and pondered.

The question is, there is an assassin lurking around Prince Orland. Is this a dispute within the royal family? Or is it a conspiracy among the upper echelons of the kingdom? Should I take care of the problems behind this?
Should we send someone to alert Prince Rickdo?

Leon shook his head slightly.

He had no connection with the second prince, and if he directly reported the people around him, not only would he be unable to produce actual evidence, but especially after Olivia's probing, the assassin might have realized that he might have been exposed and had already alerted the enemy.

Then report to Ledwin III?

Leon thought about it and eliminated this option.

After thinking it over, he felt it would be safer to report the matter to Ines.

The little princess who had fought side by side with him in the Undead War had higher trust in him. Moreover, if he did not want to get involved in any royal disputes, it would be better to let the family members within the Hecha royal family handle this matter.

"You'd better carry the emblem and sword with you when you go out in Orlando during this time." Leon touched Olivia's empty waist.

Bringing Olivia to the capital was not for her to participate in the Knights' Tournament. The girl was just here to accompany him on the journey, and at most she would cheer for him in the audience.

This trip was considered their honeymoon, so Olivia changed into clothes that were more suitable for a wife as soon as she entered the city. She did not wear hunting clothes and carry a long sword every day like Avalon did. But now it seemed that the royal city was not so safe.

"Well, I'll be careful, don't worry. Besides, in the whole kingdom, except for powerful knights like Baron Kailan who saved you, there are probably few people who can hurt me easily." Olivia leaned down, resting her head on Leon's thigh and responded softly.

She is no longer the ignorant little village girl. Having seen all kinds of powerful warriors and fought against terrifying spiritual demons, the girl now has a clearer understanding of the power she possesses.

"Haha, yes, yes, my little lion is the most powerful." Leon smiled and lovingly rubbed the cheek of his little wife who was lying on his legs.

The next day, Leon asked Corvis, Lohark and other Avalon knights to bring the Thornflower Family's investiture documents as proof of identity, as well as the heraldry license issued by the Grand Court of Heraldry, to help him register at the Colosseum and submit their competition armor for inspection. He then hurried out of the city to Ines's manor.

However, when he arrived at the manor on the hillside outside the city, he learned from the manor servants that Ines had returned to the palace.

According to the manor housekeeper, the princess had stayed here for several days just to entertain her group.

Leon felt warmed by Ines's enthusiasm, but since he didn't find the real owner, he could only visit the Deathclaw resting comfortably in the shed, and then returned to the royal city.

It seems that I have no choice but to meet Ledwin as soon as possible, and then talk to Ines in the palace about the assassin around her second brother.

Leon's request to enter the palace for an audience was soon responded with a summons.

The next day, early in the morning as the summoner had said, he checked that the magical instrument to be presented to Redwin III was functioning properly, so he set off with Corvis, as well as Filippo and Colinte, who understood aristocratic etiquette, as a limited entourage of three people.

Before leaving, Leon was afraid that Olivia would get bored waiting, so he suggested: "Take some knights as guards and go to the royal city for a walk. I heard that there are many high-end perfumes and gadgets that cannot be bought in the Grey Shirt Valley in the Orlandon market. Let's not come here in vain, let's bring something back for Ms. Elena and Little Lina."

The girl pushed her husband's back with a funny look on her face: "Okay, okay, I'll have a good time shopping by myself, go and do your own thing~"

Leon nodded and led the team to the palace in the upper city.

He certainly wasn't bold enough to take Olivia back to her "ancestral home".

But in a sense, that palace was also the place where his father was usurped and died. Perhaps it would be better to just look at it from afar and not go in.

Although Olivia has no direct conflict with Redwin now, he is the one who killed her biological father after all. Perhaps Olivia will never need to see him in her life.

The group of four rode through the broad and prosperous central avenue of Orlando, crossed the arch bridge over the moat, and arrived at the foot of the magnificent and towering palace walls on the east side of the royal city.

After his identity was verified with the investiture document and the certificate from the College of Heraldry, Leon was allowed to pass by the guards and followed the royal attendants into the center of power of the Northern Kingdom.

The Orlando Palace, which has a history of thousands of years, experienced the devastation of the civil war more than a decade ago, but after so many years of repair and reconstruction, all traces of the blood and fire have long disappeared.

After arriving at the palace, Leon was not taken directly to see Ledwin III by his attendants.

The audience in the palace was not as convenient and direct as in the marching camp. He and his entourage had to bathe and change clothes according to court etiquette, and rehearse the audience etiquette with the etiquette officer before they could officially go to the throne hall.

Following the servants to the bathroom prepared in the palace, Leon thought he would just take a bath.

Unexpectedly, four young palace maids came in, surrounded him and started to attack. Two of them took off their shirts, and two of them pulled down their pants.

Unexpectedly, Leon stepped aside awkwardly and said helplessly: “Don’t bother the ladies with the bathing, I can wash myself.”

The leading maid looked at the unexpectedly shy reaction of the young, tall and handsome nobleman, blinked and smiled, and said pitifully: "Lord Pendragon, please don't embarrass us. We must serve you in bathing to ensure that every part of you is clean. If we don't follow the rules, we will be punished."

Leon thought about it and felt that it was inappropriate for him to cause these girls to be punished because of his pretentiousness, so he had to accept the help of the palace maid.

But after soaking in the exquisite boat-shaped bathtub, he regretted it a little.

Washing your hair, cutting your hair, scrubbing your body, and trimming your nails are nothing special. The professional services are even very comfortable.

But the maids' meticulousness in scrubbing was beyond his imagination. Every inch of his body was checked and cleaned. All the places that should and shouldn't be touched were touched. If he hadn't forcibly stopped them, his back would have been turned over and spread open by the maids and rubbed carefully.

Whether in his previous life on Earth or as a lord in this life, he had never experienced such corrupt service.

After finally finishing washing, Leon couldn't help but feel fortunate that he didn't bring Olivia with him. If he had known that he was naked and being touched by a group of girls, his wife would probably have been jealous.

When he went out and saw Corvis and the two accompanying knights who had also been "refreshed" by the maids, Corvis was used to storms and waves, so he looked naturally calm.

Filippo and Colint were both born as servants of the Thorn Flower Family. They grew up in aristocratic families and were the second sons of aristocratic families. Apart from being slightly surprised by the solemn etiquette of the royal palace, they did not have any reaction.

After all this time, it's just me, a commoner, who is just making a fuss about nothing.

Corvis looked at his master's strange expression and explained with a smile, "I guess this is not only to ensure that the audience is clean before meeting the king, but also to test the audience's etiquette, morality and behavior. If the audience is disrespectful and touches the maids during this stage, according to the rules, he will probably be kicked out of the palace directly."

As expected of a royal family member, Leon was impressed that the young man really understood these rules.

After some trouble, they changed into their formal attire and the etiquette officer confirmed that they understood the audience procedures before they were allowed to go to the throne room.

The four followed the attendant and marched in a line.

Corvis was in the front, holding the sword-wing emblem flag symbolizing Pendragon, Leon was behind, and then followed by Sir Filippo carrying documents, and Sir Colint carrying a wooden box containing instruments.

The team walked slowly past the king's guards wearing heavy armor with feathers and holding long spears, walked through the palace corridors where countless trophies were displayed and hung, and finally arrived at the solemn and huge door of the king's hall.

On the heavy door, there is an exquisite carving of the mythical epic of the ancestor of the Drakmar family, the Dusk Knight Gervin slaying the dragon.

Leon couldn't help but look at the gorgeous two-handed sword held by the blond ancient hero.

He remembered the well-known legend of Orland. He had heard that the ancient holy sword was still embedded in a stone foundation somewhere in the palace. However, thousands of years had passed and no one had ever been able to pull it out or even move it.

I don't know whether it is true or an exaggeration in the story.

This is similar to the ancient European legends of King Arthur in the previous life, such as the sword in the stone, the sword in the tree, and the sword in the lake. Maybe people have some commonalities when making up similar stories? It's quite a coincidence. After waiting for a few minutes, Corvis, holding the coat of arms, shouted: "In the name of Leon Pendragon, Baron Avalon of Glade County, I want to see the honorable Lord of the Northern Kingdom, the Dragon Rider. King Orland, His Majesty Redwin!"

The royal herald officer passed on the message and quickly responded: "Baron Avalon, Lord Pendragon, is allowed to see you!"

The next moment, a loud and long ceremonial horn sounded.

With the pleasant sound of door hinges, the huge door of the hall slowly opened, and a huge palace full of majesty and luxury appeared in Leon's eyes.

The rectangular hall was very spacious. At the end, on a high platform, there was a throne covered with dragon skin. On both sides, rows of huge pillars were hung with tapestries embroidered with royal emblems.

The Dusk Blood Guards wore robes with dragon patterns and stood under the pillars of the hall with their halberds and axes in hand.

The hall was filled with nobles and ministers dressed in gorgeous and solemn clothes.

Obviously, so many dignitaries gathered today to discuss politics, not just to meet with me.

For a "vassal of a vassal", this reception standard broke the convention. Normally, as a non-direct vassal, the king would usually only receive nobles of his status on a wooden chair in the side hall.

The reason why it can be carried out in the main hall is that my current magic academy is considered a royal institution, and I am currently an official in the royal court, so it can be considered a kind of identity change.

Although Leon didn't care about any of this, he naturally didn't feel any fear or flattery. If he hadn't been thinking about the Moon Meteorite Silver in the hands of the royal family and the rice from the old man Ledwin, he would never have taken on this task.

Corvis made way and Leon strode in. Under the gaze of these dignitaries of the kingdom, he walked towards the throne with steady steps.

Leon glanced at the people standing in the hall and saw some people he knew, such as Count Trosa among the people closest to the throne, and Princess Ines on the other side of him.

There were also some great nobles who had only met him a few times, such as Count Duwana War Dog of Westerland, and even Count Ackerman who had evil intentions towards Corvis.

The fat gay man was standing next to a tall, elderly man with an upright figure. The old man was wearing a high-standard crown, clothing cloak, emblem, and cane. He was probably his father, the Duke of Wester of the Sea Dragon family.

Of course, among the crowd of dignitaries there is also his new lord, Count Feodor, the current head of the Thorn Flower Family.

Apart from this, Leon could not recognize anyone.

He stopped more than ten meters away from the throne, knelt on one knee, placed his hand on his heart, and bowed his head to greet the king.

After completing the ceremony, Leon stood up and looked at the "old dragon" on the throne.

Although according to the rules he could not look directly at his face and could only look at the emblem on the king's shoulder, from such a long distance, Leon could see Redwin's current appearance clearly just by relying on his peripheral vision.

Just as Ines said, after Mamor was seriously injured in the battle, although he has recovered, Ledwin III looks much older and is far from being as vigorous as before.

"I have read your letter, Lord Pendragon. Did you bring the instrument that you mentioned that can select people with spellcasting talent from the crowd today?" Ledwin asked in a deep voice with no expression that could tell whether he was sad or happy.

That relaxed tone still contained the majesty of having held the kingdom's power for more than a decade, but there was an imperceptible fatigue in the voice.

As soon as he heard this, Leon instantly felt many gazes on him.

He followed his senses and took a quick glance, and it turned out that there were not only nobles and ministers of the kingdom in the palace hall.

There were also several men and women with surging magical reactions, and they were obviously spellcasters. It was just that they were wearing the same gorgeous dresses and were not holding wands. If you were not a spellcaster with magical perception, it would be difficult to recognize their identities.

Those people looked like people of all ages, ranging from those who were around 20 years old to those who looked to be in their 70s. It was obvious that they were the warlock masters from the Fortress Academy in North County.

It seems that Ledwin intends to display his achievements in public today in order to stimulate the Warlock Association that has monopolized the magic field of the Northern Kingdom for hundreds of years.

Leon felt that he had been at odds with the society because of Mette's affairs, so he was not afraid of attracting hatred. Besides, he was now on the good side of Redwin III. As long as those warlocks wanted to stay safely in Orland, they would not dare to cause trouble for him.

Turning his head and motioning Colint to come forward, Leon opened the wooden box and showed Ledwin the instruments inside.

Many people in the hall looked over curiously.

It would be a lie to say that they were not interested. For thousands of years, the kingdom's upper class had witnessed how convenient and powerful the warlocks' extraordinary magic was.

There has been no major war, no incurable disease, without the intervention and help of the warlocks. Otherwise, the whole kingdom would not be so wary of spellcasters who are long-lived and powerful and are further seizing power.

Fortunately, the extreme innate requirements of the spellcasters limit the number of this group to a handful, and they cannot pose a real threat to the kingdom's ruling class.

If the Warlock Society really attempts to seize power, the lords can destroy it even at a certain price.

Moreover, if it really comes to that, the Northern Kingdom doesn't need to take action. The neighboring country of Serrian and even the more distant Holy Court Kingdom, which is more professional in dealing with spellcasters, and other countries dominated by the Holy Sun Faith will definitely be happy to send people to Orlandon to help. Orland is essentially still the "sanctuary country" of these warlocks. This is also the reason why the warlocks have been very honest for hundreds of years. Various factors make spellcasters and nobles mutually beneficial most of the time, forming a stable relationship balance.

However, many people have gradually heard that His Majesty Redwin seems to have found a way to cultivate magical power on his own without going through the Northern Society, which is a bit subtle.

If given a choice, who wouldn't want to master the power that transcends the mundane? Especially the nobles who enjoy all the power and wealth.

Ledwin remained calm, but was very satisfied with the reactions of his ministers.

If everything goes well, as long as he gains the power to select the court wizard, he will have another bargaining chip that can draw nobles from all over the world closer to him.

He raised his hand slightly and signaled with his eyes.

The court officials at the steps of the throne immediately stepped forward to check whether the strange-looking magical instrument was safe.

Two palace servants then took the box from Sir Collinte and brought it to the king.

Ines got close enough to glance sideways at the instrument being brought before her father.

She still remembered that many years ago, when she went to the north, she had seen the detection equipment of the Warlock Society. At that time, she had some fantasies about whether she had the talent to learn magic.

The northern warlocks at that time naturally welcomed her, the third princess, to come and test her talent. If there was really hope, a member of the royal family joining the warlock association would undoubtedly be a huge breakthrough in the status of spellcasters for many years.

Unfortunately, Ines also remembered that when she stood in the center of the huge instrument inside the fortress with great anticipation, the nested magic pattern rings only turned twice before the light suddenly clicked and went out, and there was no response, which scared the warlocks around her.

but
Ines recalled the size of the huge ancient instrument, and then looked at the instrument that Leon presented to his father.

A helmet is connected to an iron spherical body wrapped in a steel cage by thin steel tubes that are nested in each other. The sizes of the two magical instruments differ by a thousand times.

The girl glanced at the representatives of the Warlock Association in the hall and saw the disbelief and suspicion in their eyes.

"How do I use this device? Why don't you show us how to use it?"

Ledwin looked at Leon with a smile.

Although he did not doubt that this young hero would dare to make a fake thing to tease him, it was still necessary to verify the authenticity of the thing.

Leon bowed slightly and saw the servant bring the things back. He then asked Ledwin for a chair to fix the instrument, and then asked Corvis to sit on it, put on the helmet, and started the test.

Brilliant purple light mixed with wisps of golden light bloomed in the hall, causing the surrounding nobles to murmur in amazement.

First, he demonstrated the reaction of the instrument to qualified persons, and then Leon asked Sir Filippo who was accompanying him to show the control effect. The second son of the Anquila family, who was a normal Muggle knight, only lit up a faint and dim color in the instrument.

Looking at the eager eyes of many nobles in the hall and the frowning brows of the representatives of the Warlock Association, Ledwin felt a little happy under his calm expression.

(End of this chapter)