Cracks ran along in a line from where he stomped his foot down and spread all across the place.
His actions caused the chamber to immediately fall silent. A heavy pressure that made one suffocate descended onto the place.
"Council of elders, choose your words carefully. Need I remind you who you are talking to? I might have fallen ill for the past few years, but it does not mean that I have lost my edge. As the commander and knight sworn to this kingdom, those words are clearly a disrespect to my chivalrous code".
The elders looked like they wanted to say something, but Reinhardt didn't give them any chance.
"Have you all forgotten the feats and achievements that I had accumulated over the years? The countless times I had fought the demons and pushed them back. The cities and the people I protected. Even you, the council of elders, have benefited immensely from my expeditions against the tainted lands"...
"My actions and my code of conduct should be clear to all by now. Yet you accuse me of something this heinous? It clearly touches my reverse scale."
GULP… the elders gulped, visibly shaken by Reinhardt's immense aura. Who was it that spread the rumor that the son of the Arcknight family and the commander of the Order of the Temple of Light had become weak?
This man, his presence was no weaker than what it was three years ago. No, it was even stronger.
"Sir Reinhardt, it is disgraceful of a knight to get so agitated by some words. You need to restrain your aura".
Marques Herman, the commander of the Royal Lion Guards, interjected. His words seemed to have given the elder of the council some backbone as they came down on Reinhardt harshly.
"That's right, this is so unbecoming of a knight of your stature. Do you realise where you are? You are in the presence of the king and queen!!"…
"I do… this is also the reason why your heads are still attached to your necks. Tarnishing a knight's reputation like that is the same as declaring a duel against them. And as the commander of the Temple of light and heir of the family of Arcknight it is a great offence"...
"Even you elders, to spout such words without any basis, it would get you in trouble. Besides, I would like to remind the Council of Elders that your authority might be higher than us Commanders, but we are elected by the king and not the council. As such, accusing me is the same as accusing the king who selected me as the commander."
Sophistry was not a strong point of Reinhardt; however, he was still a high noble. As such, he did receive some teaching about nobles and their society from a young age.
If these elders thought that they could pressure him and his order to do their bidding, then they were solely mistaken.
"As for you, Marquis Herman. Do I need to remind you of the knight's chivalrous code of conduct? It was already a great restraint on my part not to draw my sword on them. Challenging a knight's honor… is not something to be taken lightly."
Thanks to his many Divine Traits, he was instantly able to take the attention from the council and even pressure them into silence.
Marquis Herman was no exception; he knew very well that what Reinhardt said was indeed the truth.
"Haha, as someone who has fought with Reinhardt in many life and death battles, I can vouch that he has not changed even after waking up from his curse" Brutus interjected, flashing a thumbs up at the former.
Conrad nodded too "He is a Divine Paladin whose feats and achievements are to be looked up to. As a fellow commander, he has my utmost respect and trust".
Two commanders stepping up for Reinhardt, even the council of elders could no longer press the issue.
"Hmm~ amusing. Elders, do you have something else to say to Sir Reinhardt?"
While the king was acting incompetent, the queen decided to speak up. Through her veil, she looked at the elders and then at Reinhardt. A smile blossomed on her lips as she crossed her legs in interest.
Those long, smooth legs and light jewellery, every move she made was laced with temptation.
"Since the council has nothing else to say, we will declare this matter settled. Isn't that right, husband?"…
"Eh? Ah… uh… if you believe so, my queen" the king nodded, leaving the decision to her.
The elders from the council could only reluctantly drop the issue. That said, they did not leave Reinhardt alone. Although they could not pressure the latter using the recent event, there was no shortage of pretexts they could use against him.
"If that is the Queen's mandate, then we will drop this issue. However, as things stand, Sir Reinhardt's worthiness to lead a knight order still needs to be brought into question. As one of the commanders of the Seven Great Knight Orders, not only did he fall for a curse, he and his order have been absent from the frontline for more than three years now"...
"They have not carried out any expedition, and their missions have been mostly within the border. A knight orders duty is to serve the kingdom and fight the demons. The order of the Temple of Light had failed to achieve any of that in recent years. Additionally, there are also rumours going on among the masses that Sir Reinhardt has become weaker".
The Council of Elders kept throwing pretexts neatly wrapped as reasons at Reinhardt. They were pressuring him in every way possible.
The latter despite knowing that it was beyond him to do anything during the years he was under the curse, could only stay silent.
Reinhardt glanced at the elders, who flinched at his powerful gaze. It seems that the real objective for the council calling him over to the capital was not to discuss the demons, but to pressure him to relinquish his position or use their power to rein in his actions.