Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 686: 321: King and King

Chapter 686: Chapter 321: King and King

Without lingering in Rolannar City, Leon had no interest in the celebrations that followed. Early the next morning, he gathered all the necessary food and drink for the journey and set off with Ines.

Passing through the grand and ancient outer city walls and drawbridge, they left the urban area of Rolannar. Leon and Ines were finally able to ride horses.

With a gentle nudge to the horses, the two of them rode along the countryside roads, moving through the wheat fields as the autumn wind greeted them.

Watching the farmers busy in the fields outside the city, memories of the hunter boy that belonged to the original owner slowly surfaced in Leon’s mind.

“…..You pinched too hard, Mr. Leon, I really can’t take a joke~ I still feel a bit sore…”

Next to him, Ines was holding the saddle, her small hand still rubbing her face, where last night’s faint pain had not subsided, muttering quietly.

Ever since she was young, no one had ever “disciplined” her like this.

Leon glanced sideways and raised an eyebrow, recalling how he had pinched the girl’s pretty face in revenge yesterday, molding Ines’s expression into a funny frog-like mouth; he couldn’t help but curl his lips in satisfaction.

“It was the joke of Your Highness that was too much, if you were a prince, I would’ve pinched your cheeks until they’d ripen like peaches yesterday.”

“…Only Mr. Leon would dare to be so impolite to the royal family.” Ines snorted lightly, turning her head to murmur.

Yet, as she secretly glanced at the tall figure leading them, she didn’t actually feel angry at all…

Her cheeks felt slightly warm with the seeming lingering temperature, and the heartbeat that had sped up with that bold contact yesterday seemed to echo in the depths of her heart.

However, seeing Leon suddenly steer his horse onto a country path leading west, Ines was somewhat puzzled.

She lifted the veil hanging on one side of her ear back over her face to avoid trouble, then urged her horse closer, asking curiously, “Where are we going? Shouldn’t we continue north along the main road?”

Leon looked around at the familiar yet strange surroundings according to his memory, then replied, “I want to take a detour to visit my ‘home’ from the past. Maybe the version of me in this world still lives there.”

The so-called “home”…was not his real home, but rather the village in the forest outskirts where the son of the original hunter once lived.

Yesterday, while gathering intelligence in Holy Land City, no one had heard of Orland’s “Leon Pendragon.”

This could be because, unlike himself in this world, he hadn’t re-conquered Rolannar, and his fame hadn’t reached widespread local acclaim.

But Ines’s joking reminder yesterday also gave him a wake-up call.

It’s possible that the fate of the hunter’s son in this parallel world had undergone a dramatic change.

Maybe the hunter’s family survived?

Or perhaps in this parallel world, he had never traversed here?

After all, he knew quite well that he came from Earth, and who knows if the “parallel space-time” of this otherworld matched Earth’s different plane space-time?

Hearing that Leon wanted to return to his former residence, Ines recalled his experiences, assuming that Leon couldn’t let go of the past involving his parents’ tragedy, so she quietly stopped asking questions.

The two rode on horseback, and it wasn’t long before Leon followed his memories through a forest path, arriving at the place where the original owner was born and raised.

What met his eyes was a small settlement of just over a dozen households next to a creek in the forest.

The scenery and people had changed, sparking childhood memories in Leon’s mind that didn’t belong to him.

A few women were washing clothes by the river, while some young people in the clearing were busy tanning leather, chopping wood, and smoking meat.

As Leon and Ines rode into this small settlement, they immediately drew the attention of the villagers.

Leon reined in his horse, looking around, but didn’t see a single familiar face.

Not to mention the original hunter’s family in the parallel world; none of the people in this small settlement were the familiar townsfolk from before.

Yet the wooden house where the hunter boy lived for over a decade still indicated that this indeed was “Leon” of the original’s memory homeland.

He dismounted and walked towards the wooden house where the original hunter’s family once lived. He asked the villagers, who were curiously watching him from the doorway, whether they had heard of the original owner’s hunter family.

As expected, the answer was a confused shake of heads.

They were all new residents who had moved in a few years after Seryan recaptured the Lumansor Territory.

When they settled here years ago, there were only empty, ransacked wooden houses in this small settlement, with none of the original residents present.

Feeling neither disappointment nor surprise, Leon turned around and mounted his horse, leaving without further delay.

No matter what fate “Leon” of this world had, it seemed that the original owner’s family and the former townsfolk faced the same misfortune as in the original time-space, during Kantadar’s eastern invasion six years ago.

…Upon returning to the main road, they continued north, stopping and going.

Before nightfall, they found a village tavern near the road to rest for the night. The next day, they crossed the Lumansor Territory border. Judging by the roadside signs, they finally arrived within the Holy Eagle County of Vilan Valley Territory.

Villagers here said it was the westernmost end of the Seryan Griffin Mountain Range, and occasionally, people reported sightings of the sacred griffin soaring in the sky.

Local legends claimed that those fortunate enough to spot the griffin would receive the Holy Prophet’s blessings and a string of good luck.

Leon couldn’t help but chuckle at that. If witnessing a griffin could bring such luck, wouldn’t he be maxed out with fortune considering he’d been sticking close to Gryphons in Avalon every day?

Unfortunately, in this time-space, without Death Claw by his side, riding a griffin would make flying back to Avalon Castle or Oran City a matter of minutes.

Riding through the countryside, Leon gazed at the silhouette of the Griffin Mountains in the distance.

He wondered whether Death Claw of this world had fallen prey to the Kantadar people and Mage Athias, or if it had been rescued.

…After a day of riding, they reached the northwest border of Seryan.

As dusk settled in, with no villages or shops in sight, Leon looked for a suitable place to camp overnight, quickly spotting a great oak tree on the side of the road that seemed ideal. He tied the horses and started to set up camp with Ines.

Although the little princess wasn’t spoiled, she truly had no experience cooking outdoors, forcing her to just sit cross-legged under the shade of the oak tree, watching Leon busy cooking a porridge and meat stew.

After finishing their preparations, they were about to eat when Leon spotted a wagon laden with goods leaving the main road and heading their way.

From the wagon came a middle-aged man with a bushy mustache and a young man, dressed like traveling merchants.

The middle-aged man grumbled at the younger one, unbuckled his sword, tossed it to the younger man to guard the wagon, and hurried over to the oak tree.

Ines cautiously hid behind Leon as he eyed the man vigilantly.

However, Leon quickly relaxed.

Judging by his posture and step, the man seemed strong but was merely an ordinary person without the signs of long-term martial training.

The mustached middle-aged merchant reached the tree, removed his hat to reveal a shining bald spot, and bowed slightly to Leon.

“May the Holy Sun and the Prophet protect your journey. I am Basank from Nayou Town, quite unlucky today to have my schedule delayed, not making it to Border Town in time. Could you allow me to park my wagon under this oak tree? My son and I can camp elsewhere, but with the current weather, I’m worried it might rain tonight, soaking the goods on the wagon, which would be troublesome.”