Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 504 - 504 238 Recruitment and the Court Mage

504: Chapter 238: Recruitment and the Court Mage 504: Chapter 238: Recruitment and the Court Mage Putting on a proper ceremonial suit, Leon arrived at the stone fortress guarded heavily by soldiers.

After listening to a brief explanation of courtly etiquette from the palace attendant, Leon followed the instructions and stepped into the carpet-laid hall.

Sunlight poured in through the carved petal-shaped skylight, illuminating Lydwen III, seated at the upper dais in half-armor and ornate robes, surrounded by radiant golden light.

In the throne hall, only the Royal Forbidden Guard positioned at both sides and the King himself were present.

Leon walked to the proper position and performed his ceremonial bow to the Old Dragon who had ruled Orland for over a decade.

Having lost his left hand, he could no longer perform the customary chest salute; instead, he placed his right hand horizontally across his chest as a substitute.

“Your loyal vassal, Baron Avalon, Leon Pendragon, pays his respects.

May the gods grant health and prosperity to His Majesty, and may Orland flourish eternally.”

Lydwen’s face revealed a faint smile.

Looking at the upright posture of the young Knight of Valor, he raised his hand and said, “Raise your head, Snake Slayer of Avalon.

I have heard of your courage in wounding the formidable enemy Valensis.

The kingdom needs warriors like you.”

His piercing blue-green eyes glanced at Leon’s cloaked left shoulder before signaling to the Forbidden Guard: “Seeing as you’re gravely injured and still recovering, there’s no need to adhere strictly to ceremony today…

Someone, provide a seat.”

A Forbidden Guard immediately brought forth a chair and placed it in the hall.

“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty,” Leon replied without hesitation.

Being able to sit was certainly welcomed, allowing him some relief.

Though physicians and magicians had meticulously tended to his wounds, he could still feel the shattered bone fragments within his body merely rejoined through the circulation of Magic Elements—not truly healed.

If not for the robust constitution he’d developed over a lifetime of martial training, which enabled him to endure such pain, his former self on Earth might have been bedridden for a year or more.

Lydwen stroked his beard and asked, “Trosa informs me that you hail from the Seryan Kingdom and crossed the Nightmare Forest to reach Orland’s lands…

I surmise that Eriv’s discovery of the curse lifting in the forest is in no small part due to your involvement.”

“You flatter me, Your Majesty.

It was merely an ordeal I stumbled upon by chance, fortunate enough to be the first to uncover it,” Leon answered without surprise, knowing well that Lydwen’s investigation would reach such depths.

He chose not to dodge or obscure the matter.

The exploits that propelled him into prominence—the spreading of the Galliard ballads, rumors, and his astonishing rise from civilian to officially sealed Baron status—made it a trivial matter for anyone to connect the dots and deduce that he was the one who found the curse’s dissolution in the Cursed Land.

“No need for modesty.

Your fortune tangibly enabled the kingdom to expand its southern territories by a thousand miles.

For a Seryan to contribute so significantly to Orland, it truly makes me marvel at the intertwined fates of our nations.”

Thinking about how vast new lands had been claimed, countless loyal vassals rose under his banner, and how the kingdom seized the rare opportunity of the Southern Kingdom’s extreme vulnerability to shatter their threats entirely, Lydwen found this young man increasingly pleasing.

“Fate?” Leon was unsure what the King meant.

Lydwen nodded.

“As someone from Seryan, have you ever heard of my ancestor—the Dusk Knight who founded the Klonia Kingdom?

The legendary hero Gervin, bearer of the ‘Sun Holy Sword,’ who slew the Demon Dragon, hailed from the region of Seryan.

Thus, the bloodline of the Drakemar Family also flows with a portion of Seryan lineage.”

Lydwen understood this was one of the ancestral ties that had historically sustained amicable relations between Orland’s royal lineage and Seryan for centuries, with minimal conflict despite their disparate religious affiliations.

Gervin was acknowledged as an ancient hero in the Holy Sun Sect’s chronicles.

Leon slightly raised a brow.

He naturally knew where Olivia’s ancestors hailed from, and was even aware that the Dusk Knight was once the Flame Sun Guard Commander, later deposed by Lola.

But now wasn’t the time for Leon to discuss the ancient mysteries of Lydwen’s ancestry.

Instead, he seized the mention of Seryan to bring up a pressing matter.

“Your Majesty, during my previous audience with Lord Eriv, I did not have the opportunity to speak.

Today, I dare to once again offer counsel—you must not underestimate the threats from the east.

We must organize forces swiftly to resist this calamity.

I was born in the Seryan Kingdom, so when I recently heard of Kantadar’s armies retreating, I hurriedly rode a griffin to investigate and witnessed the horrifying scenes in the east firsthand.

Though my voice may carry little weight, I pledge my honor as guarantee—everything I speak is based on personal observation.

The warnings of various lords are not alarmist exaggerations.”

Lydwen did not display impatience but instead waved his hand dismissively.

“That calamity of desecrated dead, I already have some understanding of.

Once matters with Kantadar are settled, I will organize appropriate measures to confront it.

The envoy from the Holy Sun Sect approached me, and I learned that Dinexion’s ‘Prophet’ has dispatched tens of thousands of troops to support Seryan.

They’re also rallying allies from across the continent.

With such gravity, Orland could hardly treat it as trifling.”

Upon hearing Lydwen mention that the Holy Sun Church had already taken action against the Undead Calamity, Leon felt a sense of relief.

Kovis had not returned, and he remained ignorant of the situation on the far western edge of the continent, but it seemed clear that the crisis was not being faced solely by him.

“But today, summoning you here is not for discussing this matter.”

Lydwen shifted the topic back, leaning slightly forward with one arm supported on the chair.

“Although your proposed strategy wasn’t fully realized, Ablo’s army ultimately succumbed due to your water attack plan, making this victory surprisingly easy for me.

I won’t overlook your significant contributions.

You have proven both valor and intellect, and I look forward to you achieving even greater deeds for the kingdom.”

Speaking with deep implications, Lydwen, mindful of his reliance on the support of the Farolis Family, refrained from directly poaching their star figure.

Instead, he presented an alternative recruitment plan that utilized his advantage as King.

“Leon Pendragon, I hope you will join the ‘Dusk Blood Guard’ and serve as my Forbidden Guard Knight.

This is more than an honorary title…” Anticipating the possibility that a youth with roots as a mere hunter might fail to grasp the political weight of such a title, Lydwen patiently elaborated, “It also grants you the role of the Thorny Flower Family’s representative, permitting you to observe court-level council meetings and empowering you to directly offer me advice within the Throne Hall.”

“Of course, I will not skimp on rewards.

Not only will you receive an annual salary of one thousand gold crowns, but within the Klonia Kingdom, I will grant you fifty estates under Royal Family domain as a fief.”

Leon widened his eyes as he listened, clearly intrigued.

Having gained a thorough understanding of Orland’s geography, he realized that royal fiefs, especially those under the direct control of the King, were far removed from his current Baron Domain in Avalon—five hundred square kilometers of sparsely populated semi-autonomous territory.

These were the most densely populated and prosperous regions of the kingdom.

Even if the fifty estates offered by Lydwen covered only one-tenth the area of his current Baron Domain, the manpower and annual revenues alone far eclipsed Avalon’s present productivity.

Even more significant were the political implications of joining the Dusk Blood Guard.

And the offer did not involve betraying his existing allegiance.

Regardless of practicalities, all Orland nobles were at least nominally loyal to the King.

There would be no need for a change of banner—he would remain the vassal of Count Eriv while simultaneously becoming one of the King’s close courtiers.