Knight and Wand

Chapter 53 Return of the property to its original owner
Seeing Count Trosa standing in the yard with people to greet him, the depressed mood that Elifer had felt when he saw the corpses of his subjects when he entered the village just now was slightly relieved.

"I didn't expect to see you here, General. If I had known you were coming, I would have hosted a banquet in town to entertain you." Baron Elliver bowed.

"Haha, I hope you don't blame us for coming uninvited." Trosa stepped forward and hugged the other party warmly.

The old earl patted the other man's arm, then said apologetically, "We defeated the Redingburg army a while ago, but unfortunately we failed to capture Dawson. I didn't expect him to slip into your territory. I'm ashamed that I came too late. The village under your rule was still harmed by those bastards. Fortunately, the culprit has paid with his life."

Baron Elliver comforted him, "General, don't blame yourself. Since we have started a war with the Kantadars, it is inevitable that we will suffer losses. I will get them back a hundred times on the battlefield."

After saying that, he quickly expressed his doubts: "But General, Lord Adilion said that the Kantardars had been wiped out before you came? What's going on?"

"Oh, I was just going to tell you that."

Trosa turned to look at the young man in the team beside him and said, "Young man, this is the current head of the Thorn Flower Family, Baron Elifuer Farolis. Come and meet the owner of this land."

"Yes, General." Leon responded to the old man as the nobles around him addressed him.

He walked up to the two fully-armed nobles, holding his breastplate as before and bowing: "It is an honor to meet you, Lord."

"Who is this?" Earl looked at the boy with a strange accent.

He had seen the crowd when he came but hadn't paid much attention to it, thinking it was just some young knight or squire brought by Count Trosa.

"This kid's name is Leon. According to him, he fled here from Serian. It was he, along with two companions and a griffin, who destroyed the defeated cavalry led by Doson and saved this place." Trosa said with a smile.

Elifer was somewhat surprised when he heard this, and he re-examined the young man in front of him. He had not realized that this young man had such abilities.

But, a griffin?
He grasped the key point in the general's words. If the young man really had such a ferocious beast as a war beast, it would be reasonable for him to defeat Doson's defeated army.

"You actually own a griffin mount?" Elifer asked in surprise.

"I can't say I own it, sir. That big guy is not my mount. It is a 'friend' I met unexpectedly on my journey. We are not in a master-slave relationship."

Leon did not dare to exaggerate in this regard. After all, he did not have the ability to command the big guy to come and go freely. At the moment, no one knew where it had flown to. If he boasted and was exposed, others would look down on him.

Elifer nodded, narrowing his eyes in thought.

Three young heroes and three little spies from Kantadar.

Two different statements, is it a misunderstanding?
He didn't like this confused feeling. The situation he understood now and what he heard from the people who escaped and reported the news were, if not exactly the same, completely different.

Elifer turned his head and ordered the retainer behind him: "Balf, where is the guy who reported the news yesterday? Bring him here, I want to question him in person."

"Mr. Elliver? What's wrong?" Trosa asked puzzledly.

The baron turned around and explained to the old count: "To be honest, General, yesterday we received a report from the villagers that three Kantadar spies disguised as vagrants were scouting the village of Selva, attracting the enemy army to rob. That's why I gathered my troops and rushed here quickly."

".spy?"

Leon frowned as he listened. This statement sounded a little familiar.

Before he could think about it, the knight of the Farolis family came over, pushing a familiar face.

"My lord, my lord, please go slower. I am almost exhausted from riding on horseback all night."

Boris, whose face was still bruised and swollen, grimaced, endured the pain, and begged for mercy in a low voice.

"Why are you wasting your time when I told you to hurry over? Do you want to keep the adults waiting for you?"

Knight Balf urged impatiently, simply grabbing the boy's collar and dragging him in front of the lord like a chick.

As soon as the knight let go, Boris staggered and almost fell.

This guy is not dead?
Leon looked at Boris with some surprise.

He did not take a close look at the bodies of the villagers piled up in the open space, and thought that the village ruffian had died in the massacre by the Kantadars.

Boris barely managed to stand tremblingly in front of all the important figures, not daring to look directly at so many noble people.

He lowered his head tremblingly, grasped his hands and bowed repeatedly, "I greet all the distinguished masters and knights."

As he didn't dare to raise his eyes, he even bowed respectfully to Leon.

"Look up and look at the child next to me. Do you know him?" Baron Elliver ordered.

"Huh?" Boris followed the instructions in fear and raised his head.

His eyes swept across the luxurious silver armor of the knight. Before he saw the appearance of the person in front of him clearly, he just thought that the child the lord was referring to was a young knight.

But when he recognized the eyes and eyebrows that made him hate, he felt a momentary sense of cognitive confusion in a trance.

Seeing clearly that it was really that damned foreign boy, Boris was furious and blurted out excited words.

"That's him! Sir, this guy is a spy of the Kantardars! Not only him, there are two, two, and two more."

Boris trailed off as the surroundings fell into an eerie silence for a few moments.

Tsk tsk.

Leon looked at the clown with pity. Faced with this ridiculous accusation, he felt no ripple in his heart.

The words were stuck in Boris' throat.

Seeing the cold gazes from the nobles around him, he felt an instinctive fear in his heart.

"Sir?" Boris looked at the lord uneasily, his expression at a loss.

"Are you saying that this Kantadar spy destroyed the Kantadar army that attacked the village?"

Baron Elliver's eyes twitched. Looking at Boris's reaction, he probably realized that this fool had misunderstood the boy, and immediately lost interest in the accusation.

"Okay, take him away." Elifer waved his hand and asked the retainer to take him away.

Those three little bastards wiped out the Kantardar army? How is that possible?! Boris opened his mouth in disbelief.

His poor imagination made it impossible for him to connect the lord's words into real scenes.

You know, that night he saw with his own eyes in the bushes by the roadside at least fifty terrifying cavalrymen rushing towards the village.

Destroy them? Just rely on those three beggar-like runaway slaves?

The knight lifted his collar again, and Boris was startled.

No, there must be something wrong!!
Even if these three outsiders are not Kantadar spies, they are just little liars who are full of lies!
What do you mean by destroying the Kantardar army? There must be something else going on. They made up a lie to deceive all the masters!

Boris would never believe that these three little bastards could fight against an army!
If he really had this ability, how could he have ended up being a destitute beggar?
"My Lord, my Lord! I am telling you the truth! How could the three of them possibly wipe out more than fifty ferocious cavalrymen? This little bastard is full of lies, you must not be fooled by him!
He said at the beginning that he came to Selva by crossing the Nightmare Forest! Listen to me, is this what an honest person can say? It is clearly nonsense that does not know the seriousness of it! Their origins are really suspicious! Even if they are not spies, they must be fugitives! "Boris shouted unwillingly after being dragged up.

"Nightmare Forest?"

Baron Elliver suddenly frowned.

He didn't care much about the noisy guy's questioning.

After all, Boris didn't seem to know that the boy had a giant beast as a companion.

It was easy for a griffin to defeat dozens of unprepared remnants.

Although Elifer himself did not see any trace of the griffin when he came, the general arrived before him. Since he said there was one, he would definitely not lie to him.

But Boris said, the boy claimed that he had passed through the "Nightmare Forest"?
Baron Elliver, who was full of knots in his heart, still began to have doubts.

After hearing Boris's question, Trosa was also slightly stunned.

That terrible forest, at least in the central and western parts of the Kingdom of Orland, everyone, unless they were uneducated, had heard of it.

The old earl was naturally very familiar with this natural border that separated the southern part of Kossos County from the border with Kantadar.

The people of Orlando call it the "Nightmare Forest".

The Kantarians call it the "Panros Forest".

Only some areas on the edge of the forest were safe. Once you went a little deeper, no matter who you were, you would be gone forever. Looking from a distance, there was not even a trace of birds or clouds in the sky above the core area of ​​the Nightmare Forest.

Just like the external features of the legendary cursed land.

Since the history of Orland began, no one has ever been able to enter it and return safely, let alone cross it.

The old count still remembered many related legends.

For example, there was once a brave nobleman in history who refused to believe in evil. He tied a very long rope around his waist and went deep into the Nightmare Forest, trying to use it to identify the direction of his return.

Then, before the tough rope specially made by the warlocks was fully released, there was no movement at all.

The servants who pulled the rope back only saw an extremely smooth cut on the rope.

Trosa looked at Baron Elliver, whose face quickly showed doubt.

In fact, the brave nobleman who refused to believe in evil was an ancestor of the Thorn Flower family.

And if the old earl remembered correctly, as a noble family whose territory was adjacent to the Nightmare Forest, the Thorn Flower Family had more than one ancestor who had attempted to step into the Nightmare Forest in history.

It is full of a fearless spirit of seeking death, as if there is some obsession that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Don’t talk about the far ones, just talk about the near ones.

It is rumored that Lord Elliver's father, the previous Baron Farolis, disappeared after entering the Nightmare Forest twenty years ago.

"Young man, I haven't asked this question yet. This person said that you once claimed to have traveled through the Nightmare Forest. Is this true?"

Trosa looked at Leon seriously.

After that, without waiting for Leon to speak, the old count continued to remind and admonish: "You must tell us the truth about your experience in Orland, and do not lie to us.

If you have other origins, even if the truth is that you are guilty of a serious crime, you do not need to worry about being punished.

I guarantee on my honor that your righteous deeds and military exploits are enough to wash away most of the charges against you in Orland, so just tell me the truth about your past."

Upon hearing this, Leon couldn't help but feel a little grateful to this old nobleman who was called the general by everyone.

In front of so many knights, it was not easy for a noble of this era to go back on his word. He was not stupid, and he could tell that although the old noble had some doubts about his origins, he still wanted to protect him.

The old noble was not afraid that he was a fugitive or a runaway slave, he was just afraid that he would continue to lie about crossing the Nightmare Forest.

What these superiors hate most is being deceived and blinded.

But the conscience of heaven and earth.

I really did cross the Nightmare Forest.

Do I have to make up a lie to deceive you just to make you think I didn't deceive you?
Leon smiled bitterly in his heart.

However, he couldn't help but be full of doubts.

This cursed land in the nightmare forest is indeed very dangerous.

But is it equally terrifying for the big men in these kingdoms?

You know, although I almost lost my life many times in there, once I followed Miss Lola's method and successfully made the guide, the process of getting out was not difficult to the point of being impossible, right?

They were just three young men fleeing.

If the team was replaced by a group of warriors with strong martial arts skills, and equipped with a wizard who knew how to make that kind of spirit lamp guidance ritual, wouldn't it be easier to get out?
Leon recalled Miss Lola's calm attitude when they were in the cursed land.

It seems that for this lady wizard, there is more than one way to escape from the cursed land.

That is to say, Miss Lola is trapped in her own body and has no physical body. Otherwise, it would not be difficult for her to leave the so-called "spiritual field" when she was alive.

These big shots can afford to ask a wizard for help, right?
Or are all the mages in this world really dead?

Not really. The rune crossbow arrow that almost killed the griffin was obviously shot by the wizard.

The rune axe in the hands of the tall knight next to the old noble was glowing on the axe blade. It couldn't be an LED decoration bought from the Yiwu market, right?
Leon sighed, put aside the endless fanciful thoughts in his mind, and after thinking it over again and again, he decided to continue to tell the truth honestly.

It's not that he didn't want to tell a lie to avoid more trouble, but how could he tell a lie? He couldn't make one up.

The original owner of this body was just the son of a Serrian hunter, and he knew nothing about the geography and roads of the northern kingdom of Orland.

The only sporadic locations I know recently are from Olivia's chat. The road to the east is blocked due to the war, and there is a "King's Territory of Kronia" further east.

What else?
Leon didn't even know the name of the nearest town.

How did he make up a "real" experience that was not about traveling through the forest and was well-documented? If he was talking nonsense, these nobles were not ordinary people who had little knowledge of the kingdom's geography.

He even said that if he had made a different choice when facing Boris's provocation by the river and Olivia's questioning, he would not have told the truth but instead made up a lie to cover it up.

At this moment, when faced with doubts, whether he continued to make up lies that the local nobles could see through at a glance, or told the truth, he would appear even more suspicious.

Now, the only thing he can do, the only thing he should do, is to continue to be honest with Olivia and continue to tell the truth.
"Young man, just tell me how you came to Selva. As long as you haven't committed any unforgivable crime, I will also ensure that you will not be held accountable in my territory."

Baron Elliver obviously did not believe that the young man could really cross the Nightmare Forest.

Even if he had a griffin, it would be impossible. In the history of the Farolis family, there were people who tried to ride the precious flying beasts across the forest.

According to records, they all failed, and no one even saw the moment they disappeared.

Leon could only nod in response to the two nobles' warnings.

This time, he raised his right hand and placed his palm on his heart.

This is the etiquette used by the Serians who believe in the Holy Sun Church when they take an oath.

Although he did not believe in Sheng Yang and the Prophet at all, doing so should at least add credibility and solemnity to his words in front of others. After all, in the eyes of outsiders, this body was still a teenager who grew up in the theocratic kingdom.

"Under the witness of Holy Sun and Prophet Ilaril, Leon swears to you all here that every word I said is true. If I tell even a single lie, my soul will fall into the abyss and be excommunicated forever after death." Leon swore without any psychological burden.

I am not afraid of whether there are real gods in this world or not, because I am telling the truth anyway.

"Thanks to luck, or perhaps the favor of God, my companions and I did go through hardships and dangers through the forest in the south to get here. This is absolutely not a lie, but the process is too complicated for me to explain in a few words.

We are not fugitives with suspicious origins. We are just three wanderers who were imprisoned by the Kantardars after the destruction of Rolandar City and our families. We broke free from the shackles and were forced to flee. "

Leon sighed as he spoke the truth amidst the surprised and still unbelieving looks of the nobles around him.

It's impossible to make up a lie that can fool these people without angering them.

And the truth has been told to me sworn in, if you still don't believe it, there's nothing I can do, just do whatever you want.

However, Leon didn't want to be passive all the time when being questioned. As soon as he finished explaining his true origins, he looked at the village ruffian.

I can't choke these nobles, but can I choke a loser like you?
"But you, Boris, coveted the precious sword that I accidentally got during my escape journey when my companions and I first arrived in Selva. You repeatedly made things difficult for me, robbed me on the road, and even used drugs to break into my house to rob me.

Now, you are still accusing me and slandering me in front of all the noble lords. I can't help but ask you, is it us, the outsiders who risked our lives to fight the Kantardars, who are suspicious, or you, who disappeared and ran away alone when the disaster struck? "

When Leon said this, he suddenly had an idea.

Yeah, how did this guy run out to report the news?

He was beaten up by three of his own men late at night, knocked unconscious, and thrown onto the dirt road at the foot of the hillside, which was the only way the Kantadar cavalry had to take!
So Leon once thought that this village ruffian had died at the hands of the enemy long ago.

It was obvious that the cavalrymen would not let go of a fainted local.

Unless he had awakened before the Kantardars came, but did not return to the village.

But he did know that the Kantadars were attacking, otherwise why would he run to the town to report to the lord?
The old blacksmith said that it was only a day's journey to town.
Leon calculated the time it would take to go there and back and the distance the lord's army would take to arrive.
Just by thinking back a little and thinking about the time when the Kantardars approached the windmill tower that night, he understood.

Damn this sword tomb.

He witnessed the arrival of the Kanthadars outside the village.

But he did not take the opportunity to inform the villagers he had known for many years before the enemy attacked the village. Instead, he abandoned his ignorant fellow villagers and ran away! ?
When Leon figured out the key point, the contempt and disgust in his heart were beyond words.

As the person who was trapped on the top of the windmill tower by a large group of Kantadar cavalry that night and witnessed everything, Leon knew it very well.

Before dawn.

Before the Kantardars attacked.

If someone noticed the enemy outside the village and was free, he could quietly return to report the news.

Taking advantage of the night, even if it alarms the enemy villagers, it will still cause a lot of casualties, but under the cover of darkness, a large number of villagers will definitely escape the fate of being slaughtered.

This is not modern times. There are no effective lighting equipment. Relying only on torches, it is impossible for dozens of cavalrymen to catch more than 200 villagers who fled into the pitch-black night in the middle of the night.

After daybreak, the Kantardars were unable to divide their forces to pursue so many fleeing villagers.

Leon's eyes turned cold as he looked at the bastard, as if he was looking at a dead person.

You don’t have to do it yourself.

Just inform the villagers of this fact.

Whether it is the surviving women and children, or the young and strong soldiers who have lost their families and have not yet returned to the village.

Every one of them would want to tear apart the bastard who had the chance to save the village but turned a blind eye.

Boris, who still had no idea of ​​his tragic future, was still immersed in the panic of the moment when he heard Leon's question.

He didn't know what medicine the old man in front of him had taken wrongly, and its origin was so suspicious, but he didn't blame the three little bastards, but forgave them one after another. However, if he didn't quickly clear the criminal accusations in the other party's words, he was afraid that he would be in trouble.

"My Lords, this is a complete false accusation. I did not rob them. I just thought they were suspicious and approached them to question them."

There were too many witnesses to what happened by the river, so Boris dared not deny it and could only argue reluctantly. However, when he thought about the fact that there were no witnesses from the village when he stole the sword from the mill that night, he denied it flatly and said, "As for the drug-induced theft, I never did that!"

Since the sword had been mentioned, Boris thought that there was no chance of getting it now, so he hurried to defend himself: "The sword just looked suspicious to me! Sir, he kept saying that he picked it up. Look at that gorgeous noble sword, could it be something he picked up on the roadside?
I was at the riverside at the time, and I just suspected that they were runaway slaves who had murdered their master and stolen the sword. Heaven and earth can testify that they never thought of stealing money or killing people. "

Hearing the sword mentioned in the conversation between Leon and Boris, Trosa and Elifer instinctively looked towards the sword hanging from Leon's waist.

It was indeed a beautiful half-hand sword with gorgeous appearance. With Count Trosa's vision, he could give it a very extraordinary evaluation, but why did it look a little familiar?

Seeing the gazes of the two nobles, Leon patted the weapon he had taken from the Undead Knight on his waist and clarified: "This is something I obtained during my journey. I picked it up when I was crossing that dangerous forest. I am not lying."

"Young man, can I see your sword?" Baron Elliver asked suddenly from the side.

"Of course, my lord."

Leon nodded without doubt, pushed the sword guard backwards, slowly took out the sword from his waist, and then handed it over respectfully with both hands.

Elipher took the hilt of the sword from the boy with his left hand and raised the sword with the tip of the blade facing the sky.

He looked at the dwarven steel sword that shone with a smooth mirror surface, his eyes swept across the inscriptions on it, and suddenly smiled, feeling relieved and pleased.

Leon looked at the other person's inexplicable smile, somewhat puzzled.

Trosa suddenly understood something and couldn't help but stroke his beard in disbelief.

Baron Elliver said nothing, but drew his sword from his waist with his right hand.

In the sunlight, the silver blades of the two swords shone brightly.

Except for the slight differences in blade length and handle length, their accessories and fittings are almost identical.

The inscriptions on the blade are like replicas.

Leon blinked in surprise. He raised his eyes slightly and then looked over the lord's shoulder and noticed the flags held high by the servants behind his team.

The flag is wrapped with a thorny rose emblem.
The memory of that day came flooding back, and Leon had an epiphany.

Isn't this the pattern on the Ghoul Knight's shoulder shield?!
".I believe you, Leon."

Elifer subtly put away his sentimental smile, sighed, and for the first time actually addressed the boy by his name.

"You are the first group of warriors in the history of Orland to successfully pass through the Nightmare Forest."

A chapter of 6,600 words is updated in one chapter. Go to bed early after reading it. Also, I strongly recommend it in the category. \(^o^)/Yeah, everyone please vote for it.
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(End of this chapter)