The Knight of Light plants the sun in the eternal night.

Chapter 136 Earl Hayden's Plans for Leo (Part 2)

Earl Hayden's meaning was clear: Baron Lenard had oversimplified the issue, always thinking that the Fluorescent Mushroom family should climb to their rightful place step by step.

But the title of earl in the kingdom is so hard to come by, one radish per hole.

Climbing to the rank of earl is not only about expanding one's fiefdom and elevating one's status, but also about taking a slice of the kingdom's pie of power. Even if the king is willing, the former ten earls may not be, not to mention the royal relatives who are eyeing the throne with covetous intent.

"This is indeed—very difficult." Leo had to admit that his father had indeed taken things for granted.

Count Hayden smiled with satisfaction when he saw that Leo understood: "But hard work is never a bad thing. The king will see all of this, and when the real opportunity comes, your father may very well get what he wants."

"I understand, Grandpa."

"So you still want to proceed step by step and wait?" Earl Hayden said meaningfully.

Leo understood immediately: "I don't want to."

"That's right." Earl Hayden gave him a "you're teachable" look. "The Glowing Mushroom family can't help you improve, but your grandfather can, and the Evening Primrose family can."

With his hands behind his back, he said arrogantly, "I have already planned two paths for you to choose from."

"Please enlighten me, Grandfather!"

"First, you must break away from the Glowing Fungus family, return your fiefdom, and come to Moonlight Lake. I will then bestow upon you the title of Lord Knight. You will only need to wait ten years. In any case, I will grant you the title of Baron."

Earl Hayden gestured with his hand, saying, "In the northeastern part of the Moonlight Lake territory lies a vast wilderness, the River Bend Forest, covering an area of ​​tens of thousands of square kilometers, no smaller than the Firefly Wilderness. That is the fiefdom I have prepared for you."

Tens of thousands of square kilometers!

within the capital.

Leo's heart skipped a beat; this was a fortune that allowed him to improve his life while lying down, but he still managed to suppress his excitement.

He asked loudly, "Grandpa, what about the second way?"

"The second one," Earl Hayden smiled, "is many times more difficult than the first one. It requires your swamp estate to be separated from the Firefly Wilderness, to find an opportunity to pledge allegiance to the King, and to become a direct lord-knight under the King."

He looked intently at Leo: "From now on, you will go to the battlefield independently. Don't worry, the Glowing Mushroom Clan and the Evening Primrose Clan will support you. As long as you have the courage and ability, we can help you start your own business!"

If one succeeds in starting a business, one can naturally be granted the title of a noble baron of the kingdom, becoming a true minority shareholder in this kingdom.

"This path is difficult, very difficult, and the kingdom may not even have a major war enough to grant you a baronial title. You might waste your life on this," Earl Hayden said solemnly. "So opportunity always comes with risk."

He paused for a moment.

He still encouraged them, saying, "But the greater the risk, the greater the reward. A true king or baron is one whose existence is intertwined with the nation, free from constraints. Barons below the rank of earl are subject to too many constraints; though they are wealthy, they are also controlled by others."

Perhaps because of his bloodline, Leo in the first generation wouldn't face any prejudice.

But as time went on, the bloodlines became increasingly diluted, and who truly wanted another great nobleman sleeping beside them?

They might take some measures to reclaim the territory.

"If you were granted the title of Baron of the Kingdom, there would be little unclaimed land left in the capital, but there would be plenty of fertile land to cultivate in the border regions, allowing you to live as freely as an independent kingdom," said Earl Hayden.

After saying that, he waited quietly for Leo to make his choice.

Leo nodded slightly, almost without hesitation: "Grandpa, I choose the second path; I want to start my own business!"

"Have you thought it through?" Earl Hayden asked. "Won't you think about it for a few more days? My promise is still valid. Even after I die, your Uncle Hemingway will keep his promise. One is the baronial title that is within your grasp, and the other is the arduous path of entrepreneurship."

Leo said confidently, "Grandpa, even without your promise, I would have chosen the second path."

"Oh, you're that confident?"

"Yes." Leo nodded, but didn't say much, nor did he boast about his courage or confidence.

He simply made his choice calmly.

From the very beginning, he knew that his future could not be limited by the title of baron.

The Baron is just a starting point, a platform.

Save him some time.

It's good that his family provides assistance, and it's equally good that the Evening Primrose family offers support, but even without these resources, with more and more sunflower plants, Leo believes that one day he will be able to reach the pinnacle of his life.

The Countess will help him, Vanessa is his wings, and perhaps even more people will support him in the future.

When he plants the sunflowers and the dragon tears through the night, everything will be within his grasp.

At that time.

With the prestige of a dragon knight, becoming a baron, earl, or duke would be a piece of cake, and even rebuilding a nation would be an easy task.

He is a time traveler who firmly believes he has the script of a savior.

"Ambitious." Earl Hayden admired his grandson more and more. In Leo, he saw all the wonderful qualities he had hoped for in the future generations of the family. "Then go for it. Your grandfather is your strong support."

"Thank you, Grandpa!" Leo said without any formalities.

In the future, whether it's planning for a direct royal lordship or wanting to go to war, Count Hayden will need to operate in the capital.

Having connections in the imperial court makes it easier to become an official.

Leo wanted to start his own business, just like that.

After all, this is no longer the early days of the kingdom, when opportunities abounded everywhere, and every opportunity presents a challenge. Even the Glowing Mushroom Clan needs to engage in strategic maneuvering and networking to seize a single chance if they want to advance.

Moreover, a second son of a family like Leo, without someone to guide him, probably wouldn't even know how to get to the battlefield.

The grandfather and grandson strolled around the large lawn, chatting and laughing as they returned to the castle.

From this point on, the Evening Primrose family will become an important resource for Leo. At least as long as Earl Hayden is alive, this resource will be very stable. After all, the Hemingway couple are just heirs and have no power to interfere.

Moreover.

Hemingway didn't object and supported Leo's business venture, knowing that these connections would benefit the family in the future.

"Brother Leo, Mother said you didn't become a knight until you were sixteen. Is that true?" During tea time after dinner, his cousin Hex asked curiously. "In Moonlight Castle, a sixteen-year-old knight will be eliminated from the team."

Leo's face darkened, thinking that Hextech was mocking him.

But Hex continued, "My talent for fighting spirit is also terrible. It took me three years of training to awaken my sense of qi. I was thinking of giving up, but my mother used you as an example to encourage me not to give up. I don't know what to do."

"Do you have the talent for priesthood?"

"Yes, I'm already a trainee priest and can cast Holy Light four times. Also, after my birthday next month, my family will let me contract with an elf insect."

Comparing yourself to others will only make you miserable.

Hextech, that kid, is already able to contract a Pokémon at just thirteen years old; he's truly won at the starting line.

However, Leo felt much better when he thought about his cheat code, so he smiled and said, "Your talent is already much better than mine, so don't give up. With so many resources from the family to support you, are you still afraid that you can't become a Knight of Light?"

"Yes!" Hextech nodded. "That's right, I have more talent than you, Brother Leo. I'm sure I can become a Knight of Light too!"

Leo's face darkened again.

Does this kid even know how to talk?

He took a sip of tea, caught his breath, and said, "Keep it up, young man. The Knight of Light is just the beginning—we knights have a long and arduous journey ahead, and we must strive to explore it."