"My warriors..."
"You have returned! You have returned with the scent of gunpowder, with the glory of victory, and with the expectations and pride of the entire kingdom!"
"For years, you have been far from your homeland, fighting bloody battles on unfamiliar battlefields. You have resisted powerful enemies with your iron Will, guarded the kingdom's territory with your hot blood, and written legends with your fearless courage. Every blood-stained flag is engraved with your loyalty; every scar is your most glorious medal..."
"Today, the entire kingdom cheers for you! Flowers bloom for you on the streets, the bells toll for you, and the people's applause rings out for you. You are the backbone of the kingdom, the Guardians of peace, and the eternal heroes in our hearts!"
"Now, lay down your weapons and embrace your loved ones! Enjoy the fruits of victory and feel the warmth of home..."
"At the same time, we must also commemorate the heroes who perished in this war..."
"To victory, to the heroes, and to our great kingdom—cheers!"
Listening to King George III's speech, Lucius felt as if he had returned to a'school assembly'. Furthermore, the rhetoric of the entire speech made this 'memorial service' seem more like a 'victory banquet', with the main theme being 'victory' rather than 'commemorating heroes'.
Only the living can enjoy the results!
Leif Strauss looked at Lucius's state and said:
"Lucius, there is no need for sorrow..."
"I strongly agree with the term Roselle created: 'The winner takes all'. But I prefer 'Only living is victory.' Only the living can enjoy victory."
"You must remember, only while alive is there hope!"
"I Will help you get back your father's things; no one Will snatch them away..."
After hearing Leif Strauss's lecture, Lucius replied calmly:
"I understand, Maternal Great-Uncle." What he was actually thinking was, of course I understand. After all, he knew the situation of this world, and he didn't seem to be a novel protagonist with a cheat.
But he still asked curiously, "Maternal Great-Uncle, were the Loen Kingdom's gains in the Southern Continent very good this time?"
Seeing that Lucius's mood had clearly improved, Lev said offhandedly, "This time, we mainly dealt a heavy blow to the Feysac Empire's army in the Southern Continent, which greatly increased the Kingdom's influence over the colonies. From a strategic value perspective, it's not very meaningful, but you know the relationship between the two countries. Normally, such a banquet would be impossible, but what can you do when the opponent is Foussac?"
"Let's go. His Majesty the King has finished his duties there. We'll go offer our congratulations and see if we can get your title finalized while we're at it."
Uncle-Grandfather Leif left as soon as he finished speaking, giving Lucius no chance to refuse, so he could only follow silently behind.
It seemed this matter couldn't be discussed openly; they had already walked to the private reception room. As they walked further, Lucius began to look around, his mind wandering. Why come to the reception room at this time? Are there other guests?... "Your Majesty the King."
Lucius was startled awake by Uncle-Grandfather Leif's address of 'Your Majesty the King,' nearly blurting out a curse.
But seeing Leif Strauss give a direct military salute, Lucius hurriedly followed suit with a clumsy, awkward military salute.
It couldn't be helped; his consciousness had only just returned, and the soul controlling this body had changed. Although he had the relevant memories and the body had muscle memory, he still couldn't change his instinctive resistance.
Only upon hearing someone call him 'George III' did he turn around to look at the source of the voice.
But when he first saw Lucius's military salute, his mouth couldn't help but twitch, wondering whose child had such poor etiquette training.
He was about to lose his temper, but after seeing the person next to him, he kept telling himself that today was a great day and there was no need for a reprimand, though there was no need to give a warm welcome either.
George III said with an unfriendly expression, "Lev, why are you here this time? I remember Charles wasn't on the return list. Knowing your personality, why would you show up here?"
Because Leif Strauss was standing in front of Lucius, he didn't see the incorrect military salute. Hearing George III's tone, he felt it was quite strange and could only begin to say with a sorrowful expression:
"Your Majesty, you know that many heroes sacrificed themselves in this war in exchange for the Kingdom's victory. My only nephew, Reinhard Sheffield, also unfortunately perished in this war."
"And now little Lucius is only fifteen years old. I came this time for fear that he might make some mistake during the banquet."
Hearing Leif Strauss's words, George III once again turned his gaze toward the child with the improper salute. He said, "This is Lucius Sheffield? The only living heir of the Sheffield Family?"
No one knew that when His Majesty the King saw Lucius's appearance, he thought to himself: If I didn't know his situation, I would be captivated by him based on looks alone. Truly a product of a union with a Demoness. If he takes the Assassin Pathway later, his looks Will likely be even higher.
Seeing George III fall into thought, Leif Strauss immediately felt there was a chance and said directly:
"Your Majesty, I believe you also know the situation of the Sheffield Family through the battle reports. Reinhard Sheffield unfortunately died in battle for the Kingdom... So I came this time mainly to request that you issue an order early to complete the inheritance of the title."
"You are also an 'insider' regarding the Sheffield Family's affairs back then. Because of the Royal Family's intervention, Reinhard Sheffield never 'married' on the surface, so Lucius's identity has never been made public, which is disadvantageous for the future inheritance of the title."
"I hope Your Majesty Will show mercy."
George III looked at his old general and said, "Follow me."
Leif Strauss could only follow George III to the private reception room, with Lucius following helplessly. After they entered and Lucius closed the door, the King finally spoke:
"Lev, you should be clear about the Kingdom's restrictions on title inheritance. Even if I recognize his identity, little Sheffield is not of age yet. If I let him inherit the title directly now, many people Will object."
Upon hearing George III's words, Leif Strauss's expression changed as he said, "I can..."
But before Uncle-Grandfather Leif could finish, George III interrupted him:
"Lev, I know you can persuade some officers to agree to this title inheritance. If this were over a hundred years ago, no one—you wouldn't even have to tell me—would ever object. But you should also be clear that things are different now. Today's nobility is composed of various classes, and because of their backgrounds, the current nobility has different stances. Even if I agree, those politicians definitely won't."
Hearing George III's words, Leif Strauss could only sigh helplessly, thinking that it seemed a price would have to be paid to get back the title belonging to the Sheffield Family.
"Your Majesty, you know that the Sheffield Family now has only this one heir left. If he doesn't take over the title now, the Kingdom Will reclaim the territory after a while. In another two years, as we 'insiders' gradually retire, it Will be very difficult to complete the inheritance."
Lucius watched the clash between the two, thinking that they truly deserved to be in high positions at their age. If it were me, I would have lost in the first round with such expressive skills.
However, his Maternal Great-Uncle was truly pouring his heart out for him.
"Lev, let me talk to little Sheffield now. You go out first."
Hearing George III's words, Leif Strauss's heart skipped a beat, and his expression became bewildered. What can you talk about with a child who knows nothing? This old man couldn't be plotting something, could he?
But since George III had spoken, he had no way to object. He could only keep winking and slightly shaking his head at Lucius as he turned to leave.
Lucius had been quietly watching the two old foxes clash, thinking he wouldn't have to speak. But why does he want to talk to me alone now! What's the point of talking to me?
Seeing his Maternal Great-Uncle's look, he felt something was up, but he could only nod slightly to indicate he understood.
As Leif Strauss walked out of the reception room and closed the door, George III finally spoke:
"Lucius, you should also know that your Sheffield Family has been serving the Loen Kingdom, or rather, the Augustus Family, since over 600 years ago."
"Under normal circumstances, your family should at least be Viscounts or even higher, Earls, by now. Do you know why that is?"
Lucius could only think to himself while pondering: How could I possibly know? Is there some secret in this? The original novel didn't mention such a minor noble family. So he could only play dumb and shake his head, indicating he didn't know.
Seeing Lucius's reaction, George III realized that little Sheffield indeed knew nothing. He said, "In fact, as early as 400 years ago, your family could have been promoted to Viscount, and by your great-grandfather's time, to Earl. However, because of your ancestor, your family has always refused the Kingdom's promotions."
Hearing George III's words, Lucius's immediate thought was:??? Who would refuse a higher title!
Before Lucius could finish his thought, George III continued, "Your family once received a prophecy from a high-ranking member of the Life School of Thought: 'When other Pathways sprout, that shall be the day the Sheffields rise.'"
Hearing the prophecy from the Life School of Thought, Lucius thought: A high-ranking member of the Life School of Thought who can prophesy should only be from the Monster Pathway! Monster... Little Snake Will? Could he have even prophesied my arrival?
"As for which specific person made the prophecy, it is unknown. Perhaps you can go back and look into it."