Heart of the Castle

Chapter 481 Calling on the Grand Duke, Collision of Faith

King Arthur XII's only younger brother, Raul Adams, the "Duke of Strong Breed" known for his lust and pleasure, received Levi and Sir Rodriguez in his extravagantly decorated hall.The Grand Duke himself was seated in a huge and extravagant chair, which was almost like a couch with a back, covered with thick and soft pure white tiger skin and silver winter wolf skin, enough to make his young ninth Ren's wife - Grand Princess Sheila Adams sat on the side.More than a dozen beautiful and colorful maids gathered around the chairs with fresh fruits from the south, fine wine carefully brewed from summer grapes, and various exquisite snacks, sitting or standing, waiting for His Excellency’s call at any time, offering fresh fruit and wine, or incense sticks. kiss.

This hall is the round table meeting hall, which was originally built by Arthur I for his twelve blood knights.The walls of the hall are made of obsidian, with the rough and simple style of the early Arthurian dynasty. The only decoration on the walls is the twelve family coats of arms corresponding to the knights of the twelve bloods.There are narrow and long floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides of the hall, overlooking the scenery in four directions, and in the middle is a huge round table carved from a single piece of wood.

At the beginning of the establishment of the capital in Fermeyer, Arthur I held a military meeting with his blood knights at this table to arrange offensive and defensive strategies, and the plans for brilliant victories were all made in front of this table.The round table represents that they are connected by blood, regardless of high or low. The alias of the knights of the Twelve Blood League - the name of the Knights of the Round Table is derived from this.It made many young knights in the Kingdom of Arthur feel their blood rushing and their passion uncontrollable when talking about this grand event.

During the reign of the deposed King Arthur VII, he once invited palace craftsmen to redecorate the round table, engraving various legends and war scenes of Arthur I's founding of the country, and then painted it with bright varnish to make this table last forever. Fresh.Some scholars and masters who study history insist that the abolished king entrusted his lifelong ambitions and hopes to this round table.However, when Arthur VII suffered a disastrous defeat in the catastrophe, and his younger brother Gonitz succeeded in ascending the Golden Throne, this round table was regarded as an ominous symbol, and it no longer had the splendor of the past.

Now time flies, King Arthur IX moved out of this castle-shaped mansion without hesitation after the completion of the luxurious palace and Ash Fortress, and it became the mansion of other important members of the royal family, and the round table was also accompanied by generations of royal children. growing up.

Li Wei and Sir Rodriguez walked along the long stone steps led by Sir Al Adir, the chief guard of the Grand Duke's residence. After entering the hall, they saw such a huge round table.Then Sir Al Adil kowtowed to the Grand Duke Raul and the Grand Princess Sela, and reported in his unique hoarse voice, "Your Excellency the Grand Duke, Your Excellency the Grand Duchess, Lord Viscount Levi Ston and Sir Rodriguez have already Arrived."

"Oh, that's great, please come here, please come here!" Grand Duke Raul seemed to be in a good mood, smiling and beckoning, while giving the carved silver cup in his hand to a beautiful maid, who immediately took Accepting the reward with a reverent expression, she immediately drank the remaining wine in the cup. The intoxicated expression made people think that what she drank was the nectar of the gods in the sky.

"Griffin lord Li Wei? Ston, it's really you!" When Li Wei walked to the other side of the round table, Grand Duke Raul said to him with a smile, "Adil sent those boys to report to me that you And Sir Rodriguez came to visit me, I thought they had drunk too much wine and made fun of me. Sit down, sit down, would you like something to eat and drink? Please do not Be polite, be casual, be casual."

Grand Duke Raul's enthusiasm remained the same as before, which made Li Wei feel a little comforted. Perhaps the disappearance of Lilizui had nothing to do with this prince, after all, this news came from the mouth of the palace chief Bamilian, and only the heavenly Only the gods can distinguish clearly whether what the eunuch said is true or false.

Levi and Sir Rodriguez sat down across the round table, and the maid then presented a crystal cup filled with vermilion wine, and a silver plate filled with cherries, melons and candied fruit.The sweet smell of fresh fruit and fine wine lingered in the Griffin Lord's nose, but it didn't make him feel at ease, instead he felt an inexplicable sense of irritability.

"Taste it, Lord Li Wei, try these fruits sent by the Yahan sea merchants. They are extremely sweet. When you bite them lightly, the juice seems to explode in your mouth. There is also this one, produced in The fine wine made from the Frostfall grapes in Dirk City is sweeter than Xiarihong and cooler to the bones, as if you can taste the icy wind from the extreme arctic ice sheet.” Grand Duke Raul raised his glass to Li Wei attentively, and then took a sip do.

Li Wei had no choice but to raise his cup, saluted Grand Duke Raul, and then sipped the vermilion liquid in the cup.The wine was mellow, but it was too sweet and too strong, almost like honey, which didn't match Li Wei's anxious mood at all, and he couldn't help frowning slightly.

"Is this wine not bad?" Grand Duke Raul proudly raised the silver cup, motioning for the maid to fill it up for him. "Lord Li Wei, this time the caravan only brought fifty cans, and I bought them all. The rich and noble families in Firmeyer are not lucky enough to taste them."

"Your Excellency, Grand Duke, thank you very much for your hospitality, but this time I came to visit you, not to taste fine wine." Li Wei abruptly interrupted Grand Duke Raul's greetings, but did not wipe the smile from his face go.

"Well, you are right, Lord Li Wei." The Grand Duke nodded, and while putting down the silver cup, he turned his head and bit a purple-red cherries from between the maid's fingers. "Then please, please tell us how great the king's army has won, how brave the knights were on the front lines, and how the devil was beaten to death. Let your words please our ears and comfort our hearts Bar."

"The battle situation on the front line is not going well. The Lightning Knights have been wiped out. Only Earl Leonardo Stilwell and five or six senior generals survived. The king's army in the middle road was frustrated at the city of Nardi, and they were able to escape alive. The number is less than one-tenth; the northern coalition forces also fell into the trap of the dead in Queensland City, and suffered heavy losses." Li Wei said bluntly, he hoped that he could use this method to make Grand Duke Raul feel the seriousness of the situation.

Grand Duke Raul raised his eyebrows, "My merciful father, this is really shocking." He said loudly, but his tone still had a taste of indifference, "The king's army was defeated, and the northern coalition army also? It's too bad, my brother...how is His Majesty the King?"

"Your Majesty the King is seriously injured, but his life is safe." Li Wei replied half-truthfully, "The remnants of the king's army gathered in the Holy White Stone Fort, relying on natural dangers to win a big victory, the dead were completely defeated, and the demon army It also suffered heavy losses, and it should not make a comeback in a short time."

"Sure enough, God the Father showed mercy. Lord Li Wei, I think you must have made a lot of contributions in this glorious victory, right?" Grand Duke Raul twirled his beard and spoke softly to the lion. Lord Eagle said, "And Sir Rodriguez, your great sword must have cut off countless demons and the heads of the dead, and established a great reputation?" With Yan Yan's expression on his face, he raised a silver cup full of fine wine, "To the bravery of Lord Griffin and Sir Rodriguez, here we go!"

Both Sir Al Adil and Sir Rodriguez drank the fine wine in their hands, while Levi just took a shallow sip, trying to endure the cloying sweet aroma. "Your Excellency," he said as he put down his wine glass, "The situation in the capital is very serious now. I hope you can stand up and do something."

"Me?" Grand Duke Raul showed a half-smile expression on his face, "My dear Lord Griffon Li Wei, did you make a mistake?" He spread his hands to both sides, showing a helpless smile, "You should go to the cardinal Enoch Sebasta and the star mentor Satien Hull, they are the assistant ministers appointed by His Majesty before leaving; or simply go to see the regent Queen Lilaya? His Majesty Rebak is also available, although the gate of the Ashes Fortress is closed, but if it is Lord Li Wei who returns with news from the front line, they will definitely welcome him warmly."

"I am going to call on those adults one by one." Li Wei said frankly, "But the first thing I think of is you. You are the younger brother of His Majesty the King. You have a high status and strong influence..."

Grand Duke Raul waved his hand impatiently, as if trying to drive some annoying things away from his ears. "High status?" He interrupted Li Wei's words, with contempt and questioning intertwined in his tone, "It stands to reason that I am the brother of the king and the grand duke, so I should have my own fief and subjects, right? But now I have What? A mansion—the glory of Arthur I, ha, I never wanted to be here! I backed him on the throne, and did my duty as a brother, and I even sacrificed my eldest son for it! But him? What did he give me?"

Li Wei felt a tremor in his heart, and couldn't help standing up from his seat, "Your Excellency, you..."

"I'm fine, ha, sit down and talk, sit down and talk. Although this wine tastes refreshing, it's strong enough. I should have overdosed it." Grand Duke Raul's tone suddenly softened, and he raised his right hand lightly, A beautiful maid beside her immediately bent down and pressed a kiss on the Grand Duke's cheek. "Ah, ah, in fact, the so-called resentment has been dissipated decades ago, and even a lingering aftertaste can only be found when you are drunk. Is there anything wrong with life now? I don't have to sit in the hall and devote my energy and effort, food, wine and beautiful girls are the most wonderful colors in my life...Master Li Wei, do you think it is necessary for me to go to the muddy water outside?"

"Even if it is like this, but, Grand Duke Raul, if the situation in Firmeyer becomes chaotic, what good will it do for you?" Li Wei needed to try his best to restrain the anger that was burning in his chest, pretending The polite tone that came out was so blunt that he couldn't bear it himself. "After the news of the Royal Army's disastrous defeat is reported, Firmeyer will inevitably set off a terrible turmoil, and the Royal Guards may not be able to stop it... Besides, whether they will stop it is still uncertain. Once the riot breaks out, Those people will be drawn into the turmoil regardless of your status or not."

"The guards of the Grand Duke's mansion are capable of fighting against any rioters, as long as there is no Earl with a sword helping the flames, there will be no problem." Sir Al Adil's hoarse voice interjected, with a hint of meaning in the words.

Li Wei ignored Sir Adil's words, because he needed to put all his willpower on restraining his impulses, "Please let me remind you, Your Excellency Grand Duke Raul, the king's capital is about to fall into famine, and there are many people in your mansion. What you need is food and rare treasures." Looking at the rich food and wine in front of him, Li Wei raised his voice and said, "Even if it is to continue to live the current shameless life, please use your influence in times of crisis, Help stabilize the situation!"

Grand Duke Raul put down his wine glass ponderingly, the relaxed expression on his face gradually faded, and the look in his eyes revealed a bit of the determination that a king's younger brother should have. "You are right, Master Li Wei, but I also want to remind you that this matter cannot be done by one or two people."

He stood up from the large seat, waved away the maid's support, and staggered towards Li Wei, "What you want to do now is no different from trying to stop the giant rock rolling from the top of the mountain. , If you are not careful, you will be smashed to pieces. Besides, if there is no will of Brother Wang, your behavior will still be..." When he said this, Grand Duke Raul suddenly paused, then shook his head and laughed. "So that's the case, Brother Wang gave you a will, or you still have the status of an important minister of the kingdom, right?"

Li Wei nodded with a stiff neck. After tearing off the disguise of indulging in pleasure, the wisdom shown by Grand Duke Raul has exceeded his imagination.

"Then I should say congratulations, Lord Levi?" Grand Duke Raul walked to Levi's side and sat on the seat vacated by Sir Adil. "Where is Brother Wang at the moment?"

Li Wei raised his eyes and looked at Archduke Raul, "I don't know, but His Majesty the King should be very safe now." Then he changed the subject and said, "Your Excellency, what is your answer to the proposal just now?"

"Are you talking about the proposal to join forces to stabilize the situation in the capital?" Grand Duke Raul narrowed his eyes, with a disdainful smile on his lips. "That proposal is dangerous and futile. I will not do it."

After hearing this reply, Li Wei's face suddenly became ugly, but before the Griffon Lord could say anything, Grand Duke Raul had already spoken again. "Lord Li Wei, you must have a way to contact His Majesty the King, so let me talk about my proposal, and judge whether this is a more practical approach."

"Your proposal?" Li Wei repeated suspiciously, "Your Excellency, please explain carefully."

"Your thinking is too simple. The current situation in the capital is indeed tense. Once the news of the disastrous defeat ahead arrives, a serious riot may be inevitable. According to what you just said, there is not one out of ten kings from all walks of life, so many The rich and powerful families in the royal capital will lose one or more heirs as a result; and there will inevitably be huge changes in the Nine Pillars family. The Thunder Knights are destroyed, and the Bloody Spear of the Stilwell family will also be overshadowed; The army's defeat, Lord Skinning and the Earl of the Magic Mountain must have important responsibilities that cannot be shirked..."

Seeing Li Wei's expression become more and more tense, Grand Duke Raul leaned back on the chair and let out a long sigh, "Do you think that such a huge change can be calmed down with the efforts of several important officials of the kingdom?" come down?"

"I don't know." Li Wei shook his head with a blank expression, "But if you don't work hard, won't you just watch the kingdom suffer heavy damage?"

"It doesn't matter to me, as long as the kingdom is not overthrown, the powerful Grand Duke can still hide in the mansion and enjoy himself at ease." Grand Duke Raul shrugged, "But for most nobles and commoners, it is indeed very bad." He said With a low voice, he said to Li Wei in a somewhat secretive manner, "My proposal is—to establish a new king!"

Grand Duke Raul's voice was very low, but the meaning in his words was like a steel cone piercing Li Wei's chest, making the young Griffin Lord almost jump from his seat. "Establish a new monarch? His Excellency Grand Duke Raul, you must not have forgotten, right? Although His Majesty the King was injured, he has not yet been summoned by the Instructor of the Eternal Sleep?"

"My brother Wang is still alive, of course I remember that." Grand Duke Raul said lightly, "But his injury should not be that simple, as long as he can ride a horse, wear the Dragon King armor, walk along the green lion If you enter in a dignified way, all the unstable elements of the capital will disappear immediately."

Li Wei's breathing stopped for a moment because of shock and anger. For a long time, he didn't dare to speak easily because he didn't know what kind of words he would say.

The corner of Grand Duke Raul's mouth curled into a smile, but then it turned into a sad drooping, so fast that people thought he was dazzled.Then he said to Li Wei in a heavy tone, "Since Brother Wang's body is no longer able to carry the burden at this critical moment, then we must find someone who can carry the burden. After all, Queen Regent Lilaya is a woman, even if She does have extraordinary beauty, and she is useless at this moment, and if there is a riot, her orders will not be convincing, even if the orders themselves are correct."

"So we need to establish another new king, a king who can at least sit on the golden throne and give orders?" Li Wei felt breathless, staring at Grand Duke Raul's mouth. "Then who is the candidate, Your Excellency the Grand Duke, is it you?"

"Of course...not." Grand Duke Raul paused intentionally, then grinned, "Me? The Grand Duke ascended the throne? This result is probably worse than it is now, maybe the news of the defeat of the king's army Before the news came back, Philmeyer was already in a mess. I only have one candidate, and that is the only heir of my brother, Crown Prince Ken Adams."

"Ken Adams?" Li Wei looked at Grand Duke Raul in surprise, "Your Excellency, with all due respect, Ken Adams is still a teenager, can he bear the burden?"

"That burden is too heavy. Of course, my poor nephew can't carry it alone. He just needs to sit on the golden throne and make the next thing justifiable." Grand Duke Raul replied in a relaxed tone. , "The real burden is up to you, Master Griffin Lord Li Wei. You will become the hero of the kingdom, and your prestige is enough to hold power, and I will support you behind the scenes and become the guardian of the entire Kingdom of Arthur By!"

(End of this chapter)