Capítulo 16: To Capital
"Lionel is not a bad person," Lilith softly spoke.
"So, I am the bad one?" Leo raised his head, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Of course, you are," Lilith nodded without hesitation.
Leo's smile remained unchanged as he looked down, cutting his medium-rare steak with a fork and knife, his tone indifferent,
"The first step to becoming a loyal knight is to follow my orders unconditionally. If you feel guilty about killing someone, keep it to yourself. Don't let me know it."
"A person like you, even a real demon would despise," Lilith's voice was icy.
"Heh!" Leo smirked, looking ahead.
If his predictions were correct, his older brother would already know about the events here.
...
"Snap!" The emerald ring on Horn's thumb shattered.
His gaze was icy as he looked ahead, his expression darkening.
"Are you suggesting that his maid is at least an intermediate knight?" Horn asked coldly.
"Maybe..." the knight kneeling on the ground hesitated.
"Smash!" Horn slammed the cup on his table to the ground, standing up abruptly, no longer hiding his anger,
"Either she is or she isn't, what do you mean by 'maybe'? Have you ever thought about how many female knights there have been since the founding of Lionara, let alone an intermediate knight?"
The kneeling knight trembled, unsure of how to respond to Horn.
He obviously did not know Lilith's exact level, but it was a fact that Reno had been defeated and seriously injured by her.
"Your Highness, I... we could gather more information!" the knight said in a panic.
Horn paid no further attention to the knight kneeling on the ground.
He lifted his head, gazing into the distance, as if he could see his good-for-nothing brother, see that perpetually mischievous smile on his face.
"Leo, you know what I detest the most are things beyond my control," Horn said.
"These recent times, you and Rain have truly given me quite the surprise!" Horn slightly curled his lips, a cold smile appearing on his face.
"Your Highness..." the knight on the ground carefully raised his head.
Hearing this, Horn lowered his gaze again, looking back at his subordinate.
"Prepare some herbs to be sent to Reno's estate, to express my concern to Mr. Reno," Horn said indifferently.
"Yes," the knight immediately nodded.
Horn gestured with his hand, signaling that he could leave.
After the knight had left, Horn slowly sat down.
Narrowing his eyes, Horn spoke in a hoarse voice, "It seems I should meet with my dear brothers."
...
At the end of the month, Leo and Lilith boarded a carriage headed for the capital.
The journey from the small town to the capital would take about two days, so they had set off a bit early.
During the trip, Leo and Lilith didn't engage in much conversation.
The convoy smoothly made its way to the capital.
"Do you see that? That's Everglow Academy of Magic," Leo said, pulling back the curtain and pointing in a direction.
Lilith followed the direction of Leo's finger.
Across the broad road, amidst the bloom of cherry blossoms, several towering buildings stood in view.
Their white exteriors, ingenious designs, and exquisite reliefs all marked their distinction.
Lively elemental sprites danced above the academy, creating a dreamlike scene with different sprites adorning various buildings.
"Everglow..." Lilith murmured to herself.
She had heard of Everglow, knowing that this academy had produced many great magi.
"Lionara has about three thousand magi. Of these, there are over two hundred and fifty basic magi, around four hundred intermediate magi, and perhaps only about ten true advanced magi," Leo explained.
"Any magus is a scarce resource in any country. If one becomes an advanced magus, even a king's king would respect him," Frett, sitting outside the carriage, said with a smile.
He too had once aspired to attend Everglow Academy, but sadly, he lacked magical talent.
Magical talent is something one is born with; without it, no matter how hard one tries, becoming a magus is impossible.
Fortunately, his father was also a steward, and he could inherit his father's profession.
"And what about knights?" Lilith asked instinctively.
She wanted to know her worth.
"Lionara has ten thousand registered knights, of which over eight thousand are basic knights, around one thousand intermediate knights, about a hundred advanced knights, and divine knights... just five, including my beloved elder brother," Leo said lightly.
"A divine knight is already considered a top warrior. Our nation's current commander is a divine knight. Prince Horn, being the youngest divine knight in our country, truly commands respect," Frett added.
"Eight thousand basic knights?" Lilith murmured to herself.
It seemed that only by becoming an advanced knight, or even a divine knight, could she be considered a true warrior.
"The path to becoming a strong warrior is long and arduous, and it won't happen overnight," Leo said, looking at Lilith.
"Of course, I know that," Lilith replied coolly.
"But sometimes, surprises can come earlier for some," Leo said, smiling to himself as he looked outside the carriage.
Lilith watched Leo.
In this world, no one knew Leo's secret better than her, so she could guess what kind of surprise Leo was thinking of giving.
...
Leo once had a manor in the capital, and now that he was back, he was arranged to temporarily stay there.
Compared to the pomp and grandeur often associated with royal or noble travels, Leo brought very few things, even less in terms of attendants.
After a simple settlement, Leo instructed Frett to close the iron gate outside.
"Your Highness, Prince Rain has arrived," Frett approached the manor's entrance, pausing briefly before informing Leo.
Leo turned to see Rain's carriage stopped at the gate of his manor.
Then, Rain, along with his attendants, approached the manor's main door.
"My dear brother, do you not welcome me?" Rain raised his hand, a radiant smile on his face.
"Wow~! My dear elder brother, my manor always welcomes your arrival!" Leo's face also lit up with a brilliant smile.
He walked to the manor's entrance and gave Rain a big hug.
Then, linking arms with Rain, they walked together towards the manor's banquet hall.
The two seemed very close, yet there was little to talk about, not even basic pleasantries.
As they reached the entrance of the banquet hall, Rain turned to his attendants: "Stay here, don't let anyone in."
Hearing this, Leo's eyes narrowed, sensing that his brother must have something important to discuss.
He glanced at Frett and nodded.
Frett quickly understood his intention and positioned himself at the door.
Leo and Rain entered the banquet hall together.
After sitting down, Rain began, "You must know, Horn has also arrived in the capital."
"It's only natural for our elder brother to come since we're here, isn't it?" Leo said with a smile.
"Natural, yet not quite," Rain shook his head. He narrowed his eyes, speaking in a low voice,
"I have a feeling that our illustrious father might be about to make a decision."
"What decision?" Leo asked, feigning ignorance.
Rain was momentarily stunned, his face showing a flash of annoyance.
He thought Leo was playing dumb; anyone with a normal intellect should understand his meaning.
Seeing the irritation on Rain's face, Leo then said with a smile,
"Do you think you can outmatch our brother? He's a divine knight, has earned numerous accolades over the years, and countless nobles and power brokers have already sided with him."
"It would be difficult for our father to go against the tide, wouldn't it?"
"But Father loves me the most," Rain said with a laugh.
His confidence wasn't unfounded; the old king had always been openly affectionate and even biased towards him.
"So what?" Leo raised an eyebrow lightly.
"My dear brother, have you forgotten the help you've given me?" Rain asked with a smile.
"Ha!" Leo couldn't help but grin, laughing out loud.
Of course, he remembered, and if his senses were correct, Rain was now a basic magus.
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