I, the Knight King, wield my sword for my myriad subjects.

Page 112

Then she walked up to Arthur and asked again:

"I can give you another chance. As long as you become my apostle, you can get rid of the calamity of withering and piercing your heart."

Arthur answered with his actions.

That is—to swing the sword!

Just as "Lani" relaxed her guard due to his apparent decline in vitality, he chose to play his last trump card.

"Spend 100 Virtue Points to redeem 'Blessing of Valor'!"

Virtue Points (Updated): 75.

Chapter 113 The Mann Family's Witch Curse

The perspective returns to the battlefield on the main road outside Frostraven Town.

When the last bandit was slain by Lancelot, the massive and fierce battle to defend Blackrock Territory finally came to an end.

Looking at the two high-ranking combatants from the Blackrock Territory side, the butler Leon and the Thunder Badger Knight Lawson.

These two old men had previously fought with almost all their might against two powerful enemies of the same level, two black-armored knights.

At this moment, the life seeds within their hearts had withered away, and coupled with their numerous wounds, their condition was clearly dire.

So, after the battle ended.

These two old comrades-in-arms, who had known each other for many years, sat back to back on the ravaged battlefield, neither of them showing any disdain for the other.

Smelling the heavy stench of blood all around them, they began to practice their respective knightly breathing techniques to heal their injuries.

The logistical tasks of cleaning up the battlefield and treating the wounded were entirely entrusted to a trustworthy junior colleague who was in good condition.

Lancelot, the vice-commander of the Black Rock Legion, who was entrusted with an important task by Arthur.

After stabilizing his injuries somewhat, the butler Leon breathed a sigh of relief and began to speak:

"My old comrade-in-arms, things have come to this."

"You've been hiding some things from me; shouldn't you give me and my young master an explanation?"

At this moment, he was still thinking about his young master, Arthur, who had left the battlefield.

He also carries a heavy responsibility and must face a powerful and unpredictable witch apostle.

After saying this, the butler Leon couldn't help but look in the direction where Arthur had left earlier.

He prided himself on being the most loyal and reliable servant to his young master, but at this critical moment, he was unable to offer him any help and even put him in a dangerous situation.

Thinking of this, a feeling of guilt arose in his heart.

"I'm sorry, Leon."

"I understand that this calamity is entirely my fault."

Lawson, back to back with Leon, also thought of Arthur, who was chasing after the witch apostle.

He lowered his head in shame:

"Now, I only hope that my lord can really save my granddaughter Lani, and then get away from that witch apostle and leave Blackrock Territory."

Butler Leon felt helpless and could only pray that his young master could overcome the current predicament with the same vigor he had shown since taking over.

He sighed and continued to ask Lawson:

"How much do you know about the origins of these bandits?"

"I don't know the origins of those black-armored knights and the demonic demons, I only know the identity and purpose of that thin young man in the blood-red robe."

Lawson answered truthfully.

"A witch apostle? Capturing a 'vessel'?"

Butler Leon, recalling the details of the conversation he overheard during the battle, pressed for details:

"You said their real purpose in invading Blackrock Territory was to kidnap Miss Lani."

Therefore, the girl who is not related to you by blood is the "vessel" for the so-called revival of the witch's existence.

So, what is your purpose in protecting her?

Lawson did not answer immediately after hearing this, but fell into silence.

After a moment of silence.

As if he had made a decision in his heart, he first sighed with relief, and then began to speak eloquently:

"This all started when I left Lord Richard."

Do you remember?

I received a letter from home in the North that year.

Then, I hastily asked Lord Richard for permission to resign from my duties as a Royal Guard knight, leave the bustling capital, and return to my northern homeland.

Butler Leon's thoughts also drifted back to the past:

"Back then?"

Alas, the situation of the "war for the throne" was still unclear that year, and it was in the most critical and turbulent period.

At that time, I wanted to say goodbye to you properly, but I simply didn't have the time.

But things don't always go as planned. The year after you left Lord Richard, the "Battle for the Throne" came to an end.

Lord Richard, once a figure of great promise to the king, suffered a disgraceful downfall, was banished from the royal court, and exiled to the remote north.

"The struggle for royal power is beyond our control. We are ultimately just people who drift with the tide. As long as we follow our hearts and fulfill our duties, that is enough."

Lawson promptly interrupted Leon's sorrowful thoughts and continued the previous topic:

"Let's go back to that letter home."

The letter came from my master, the one who taught me the art of rune forging.

You know, I come from a poor farming family, and survival was extremely difficult in the harsh climate of the North.

When I was a child, my hometown village suffered an irresistible snow disaster.

At that time, I was the only one in the entire village who survived.

After the snow disaster, I began to wander alone.

As the saying goes, those who survive a great calamity are sure to have good fortune in the future.

My good fortune later in life came when I met the master who changed my life.

My master adopted me and taught me the Knight's Breathing Technique and Rune Forging Skills, giving me the ability to survive in this world.

After I grew up, he guided me to go to the royal city to hone my skills and learn the orthodox knightly system if I wanted to go further on the path of knighthood.

I won't go into details about how we met afterward.

Lawson realized he seemed to be straying further and further from the original topic, so he quickly brought it back on track:

“My master told me in a letter from home that he was critically ill and about to die, and hoped that I could go back home.”

So now you can understand why I resigned from my post and left the capital so hastily when I received this news.

After returning to the North, perhaps it was a blessing from heaven that I was able to see my master one last time.

When I saw him, he was lying in bed, and his appearance had aged drastically.

But actually, when Master died, he was only about the same age as we are now.

He also practices the Knight's Breathing Technique and is a Silver-rank Knight.

Their vitality is much stronger than that of ordinary people.

However, I sensed an aura of decay in him that I had never witnessed before.

At this point, Lawson's tone became slightly fearful.

When he recalled this past experience, the images that came to mind touched him deeply, and he was unable to calm down for a long time.

But soon.

Lawson then emerged from his sorrowful thoughts and continued:

"Before my master died, he entrusted me with the task of protecting his descendants and his granddaughter's family."

In addition, he gave me a key, but did not tell me what it was for.

To repay my master's kindness in saving my life and reforming me, I did not hesitate to swear for the rest of my life that I had agreed to my master's entrustment and would cherish the key that was like a token to me.

And so, later on.

I live near his granddaughter's family.

Regarding their family situation, the master's granddaughter married a minor nobleman in a small town in the North.

Their family lived in a manor house built in a remote part of the town.

This family lived a peaceful and harmonious life, free from worldly troubles and worries about food and clothing.

So initially, I didn't disturb their lives.

He simply rented a blacksmith shop in the small town, making a living while quietly watching over his family.

After a few years of peaceful life.

The master's granddaughter gave birth to a child for her family; it was a girl.

I continued to watch over her, watching as she slowly grew up, eight years have passed.

That is, ten years ago, at this point in time.

Lawson paused deliberately at this point in his recollection.

Leon immediately understood and realized that something that happened ten years ago was the root cause of the current situation.

Lawson continued:

"Ten years ago, one night, a sudden fire struck this peaceful family."

At the time, the fire was exceptionally fierce.

When I discovered it and rushed there, it had almost swallowed up their entire courtyard where they lived.

At first, I thought it was a fire-type magical beast of rank three or higher that had invaded the courtyard.

But I was not afraid, and I still plunged into the fire.

In the burning courtyard, I heard the voice of a crying girl.

Following the sound of weeping, I found my master's granddaughter and her family in the center of the courtyard hall.

At that time, I saw the three of them clinging to each other tightly, still clinging to the hope that they were all still alive.

But when I rushed to their side, I found that only the girl crying in their arms was still alive.

The girl's parents had already died from having their backs pierced by the scorching pillar of fire.

finally.

Before the flames completely engulfed the courtyard, I could only take the surviving girl away, unable to care for the bodies of her parents.

I feel incredibly frustrated about this.

Recalling this point, Lawson couldn't help but pound his chest before continuing:

"As you probably already know, this girl's name is Lani."

However, after I rescued her.

I discovered that she seemed to have amnesia, and her perception of her own existence was distorted; she didn't believe she was Lani.

At first, I thought that young Lani was unable to bear the painful experience of losing both her parents, and that the brain's protective amnesia caused her to lose her memory.

So I adopted Lani and treated her like my own granddaughter.

"What is her connection to the witch's 'vessel'?"

The butler, Leon, sensed something was amiss in Lawson's tone and pressed him for an answer.

From the other person's description just now, Leon had already grasped some points worth exploring: