Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 688: 322: Spiral of Fate

Chapter 688: Chapter 322: Spiral of Fate

Using a stick to poke the campfire surrounded by stone railings, Leon said calmly, “No need to let your thoughts wander, Your Highness. If I wanted to harm you, why would I have saved you at the Royal Palace back then? We are friends.”

Ines looked at the flickering campfire, staring at the sparks that occasionally danced upwards.

“But now I know your secret, Miss Olivia’s secret.”

Leon gently tossed the stick into the burning fireball, “So? After knowing this, do you plan to harm Olivia?”

“Even if I say I won’t, can you trust my words?” Ines looked at his calm profile, “…I am Lydwen’s daughter, the daughter of the enemy who killed Miss Olivia’s parents.”

“No need to burden yourself with such baggage.” Leon turned his head to look at the girl, “When your father won the civil war and successfully usurped the throne, it was still a year before you were born. What relation does the war between Lydwen and Viren have with you?… As long as you promise to keep this secret from others and not harm Olivia, we remain friends.”

Leon sighed as he continued, “Besides, even though I don’t know what this parallel world Olivia has gone through, what fate led her to this path now…

But our Olivia, the one beside me… has never thought of seeking revenge against your father.”

He paused, looking directly into Ines’ eyes, “Your Highness, do you know what Olivia once told me?”

The girl looked up, listening silently.

Leon recalled the noble character of his little lion, showing a mixture of pride and nostalgia on his face.

“…Olivia said, sacrificing those brave and fearless soldiers, sacrificing thousands of innocent people, to ignite a civil war for personal reasons, is meaningless.

Unless your father becomes a tyrant unworthy of the throne, she won’t start a civil war doomed to devastate countless lives just for personal matters.”

Upon hearing this grand sense of justice, Ines’ eyes flickered, remaining silent for a long time.

Leon looked up at the dazzling starry sky, speaking calmly again, “The choice is now in your hands, Princess Ines. My Olivia doesn’t want to be caught in this spiral of hatred; so I repeat my question from before.

What about you?… Will you harm her?”

Ines curled up in the blanket, hugged her knees, and said softly, “No… I don’t want to harm Miss Olivia. I also don’t wish to be your enemy. But are you willing to trust me based on just a few words?”

“It’s not just based on a few words.” Leon withdrew his gaze, looked at Ines, and showed a gentle smile, “Remember the battle at Kilmerton Fortress?”

Ines recalled that terrifying bloodshed from years ago and nodded slightly.

Leon’s smile remained gentle, “Your Highness had many chances to retreat that night to ensure your safety… yet you fought to the death just to hold the fortress, enabling my army to withdraw without it falling and cutting off the retreat… that situation was uncertain, you wouldn’t have predicted that I might face the dwarf reinforcements?

The hope was so slim, yet you bet your life believing that I could return, helping my comrades and companions avoid isolation and doom amidst the undead siege; for that alone… I won’t betray our friendship.”

“Friendship.”

Ines looked up at the bright moon, her eyes shining as if reflecting the starlight.

“…Thank you, Mr. Leon, being your friend truly puts my mind at ease.”

As she spoke, the girl lowered her head, pulled the blanket to cover her face, and gazed at Leon, “Especially…..when I have nothing right now.”

“No need to thank me, but you are not without anything.”

Leon pointed at himself, laughing heartily, “You still have me as a friend, don’t you?”

Under the moonlight… The girl’s eyes sparkled, a smile of reassurance appearing at the corner of her mouth hidden beneath the blanket.

“…Yes, I still… have you…”

…

The night wind gently blew over the campfire.

The weary Ines finally let go of the restless thoughts in her mind and fell into a deep sleep…

The next day, the warm rising sun caressed Ines’ face.

The girl beneath the tree had her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

Awakened from dreams, for a moment, seeing the morning light illuminating the countryside, she thought she’d had another absurd dream.

Her gaze swept over the extinguished campfire, not seeing the tall figure, her heart slightly panicked, her body instantly tensed.

But soon, a familiar voice reached her ears.

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

Leon leaned against a tree trunk nearby, casually looking at the awakened Ines, “Do you need to rest a bit more? Or head out immediately?”

The girl turned her head sideways and looked up.

Seeing the comforting face, she relaxed from the slight panic in her heart.

Rubbing her eyes, Ines pulled back the blanket covering her, “No need, let’s go find our way home as soon as possible.”

Leon nodded, briskly rising to his feet.

With these few days of rest and recovery, camping for a night without sleep wouldn’t exhaust him by far.

Ines tried to stand up, but after a night of camping, her whole body was sore and weak, causing the girl to frown with frustration.

“…Uh… Give me a hand, my legs are numb~”

Ines showed Leon a pitiful smile.

Seeing Leon approach to help her, Ines’ brows relaxed as she gripped his large hand tightly, smiling brightly.

Leon, intending to support her by the shoulder, couldn’t help but twitch his eyebrows.

Daring not to overthink the delicate touch in his palm, he gently helped Ines up.

The girl stood up, releasing his hand with a hint of regret, and lowered her head to adjust her clothes.

…For a moment, the girl felt a strange impulse.

Like…

Even if returning was impossible…

It wouldn’t be so bad…

…

Leon swiftly packed the travel gear, untied the horse reins, and took Ines to lead the horses to a nearby creek for a final drink before departure.

The two took advantage of the clear mountain spring to wash up.

The toothbrush design bought from Rolannar Market was more similar to Earth’s past than the common toothbrush in Orland Kingdom.

Listening to the shopkeeper brag, this was a very old traditional style that existed even before the Holy Sun Church was established.

Leon figured it might be an inheritance from ancient civilization, thinking some efficient design, even in a different world, would have some resemblance as long as environmental conditions were similar.

After cleaning up their appearance, the two remounted their horses and rode back near the great oak tree.

As they prepared to embark on the road, they joined the merchant Basank and his son, who also started their journey.

By coincidence, Leon and Ines traveled with the merchant father and son.

Meanwhile, Leon inquired about the situation in Mamor County from the merchant, taking a short break in a western border town of Holy Eagle County, before continuing their journey together for two full days, finally parting ways near the intersection approaching Dragon Claw Fortress at the Orland border.

After discussing with Ines, Leon decided to change the previous plan of returning to Orland via “Deyatuk County.”

Olivia of this world had already successfully rebelled against the Hecha Dynasty of Lydwen III, restoring the lineage.

Hence, Princess Ines beside him would be too sensitive an identity to the “Golden Lion Queen” seated in the Royal Palace.

Without sufficient preparation, taking Ines back to the Royal Capital Oran hurriedly would be unwise.

Moreover, Leon couldn’t gamble on what attitude Olivia of this timeline would have towards him.