Chapter 326: The Prince from the Depths of the Vast Ocean!

The Empire's Shengcheng is never short of news, but Prince Kelin, who returned from the storm, is definitely the biggest news in the past month!

For no other reason—

Anyone who suddenly learns that their Empire has added seven million square kilometers of land would be excited to have a drink in the tavern.

Even if this seven million square kilometers has nothing to do with him.

Of course, the people of the Empire don't have to be discouraged, after all, this seven million square kilometers doesn't actually have much to do with the Empire, and currently only a small piece of the northern coast of the Gana Continent belongs to His Majesty the Emperor.

However... so what?

A long, long time ago, their colony in the New World was only a small fishing village called Sardo Port, but a thousand years later, it has turned into twenty colonial states, leaving only the rotten land in the middle that is connected to hell and no one cares about.

They believe that as long as time is long enough, their grandchildren's grandchildren's grandchildren... will definitely be able to see the Empire's flag planted all over that barbaric land.

Let's just treat this beer as a celebration in advance!

As the Gana Continent replaced the big storm as the hottest topic in the Shengcheng, the name "Prince Roxey Kelin" also entered the vision of the citizens of the Shengcheng, and spread to every street and alley of the Shengcheng within a week.

A Prince who survived a disaster, drifted to a desert island after encountering a shipwreck, not only was not defeated by the desperate situation, but stood firm on a continent full of heretics with his own strength! He mercifully took in other poor castaways, ignited the fire of civilization in the wilderness, reclaimed the barren land... and continued the family's glory as a disseminator of Saint Xisi's faith, until the Empire's naval fleet arrived!

Believers saw piety, soldiers saw loyalty, farmers saw land, citizens saw wealth... almost everyone could see elements that fit their political spectrum, not to mention that the story itself was full of legendary colors!

Especially—

I heard this person is also very handsome.

Although rumors, true and false, flew all over the alley, the news that "he will arrive in the Shengcheng this weekend" was enough to make the whole city boil.

Purple Moon, Captain's Cabin.

Luo Yan, sitting at the oak table, flipped through the manuscript in his hand at will, the morning light crossing the glass window condensed with water mist, just falling on his clean and tidy collar.

Titch standing in front of the table stood straight, just like a student.

After waiting for a long time without a response, he secretly glanced at the Demon King, only feeling that the Demon King sitting there was like a vivid oil painting.

Is this guy really human?

More than a month has passed since departing from Deadwood Haigang.

Under the pressure of the Demon King, Baron Titch Kosia finally racked his brains and wrote this novel "Kosia's Drifting Chronicles".

Its content is more than sixty pages thick, simply summarized as—

A failed Shengcheng noble went missing for ten years after encountering a shipwreck (actually went to be a pirate), and finally accumulated rich wealth and glory with his own diligent hands under the strict and merciful Prince Kelin, and became a Baron with a rich port as a fief again.

Just when Titch was secretly observing the expression on his face, Luo Yan had already read the whole book from beginning to end and had a general understanding.

Reading through the whole text, although there are many grammatical errors and typos, the flaws do not obscure the virtues, the story is sufficient, and the character design is also quite clever.

As for the others... anyway, the Shengcheng is not short of cultural people, just find someone who writes novels to change it later.

In short, there is no big problem with the content.

On the surface, this is a story about "My Struggle", but in fact, it is—My living father, Prince Kelin.

A person's effort is certainly important, but in the New World, you can't earn a port with effort, and the Old World is even less likely, it's possible to lose the fief.

And the implication—

It can be done in the Gana Continent.

"Not bad."

Hearing the Demon King's evaluation, Titch breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled bitterly and said.

"I don't understand, why write my story? Compared to my little things, obviously your version... uh, is more legendary."

As if guessing he would ask this, Luo Yan smiled faintly and continued unhurriedly.

"An epic can be passed down for generations, not because it tells everything people want to see, but because it leaves just the right amount of regret in just the right place."

Pausing, he said again.

"And... I don't want people to think I'm bragging, so I need to borrow someone else's mouth to write the Prince Kelin in the eyes of Baron Kosia."

Titch admired in his heart and didn't say another word.

At this time, there was a knock on the door, and Lumier walked in and said respectfully.

"My lord, we are arriving."

Luo Yan didn't look up, still looking at the book in his hand, and reminded gently.

"Pay attention to your address."

Lumier was stunned for a moment, then smiled knowingly, nodded and said.

"Yes, Prince."

Luo Yan nodded with a smile, then closed the book and handed it to Titch who was still stunned.

Even though he had seen it many times, Titch was still involuntarily shocked by the Demon King's acting—that lord completed the switch of identity in just an instant.

Standing in front of him at this moment, it seemed to be really a noble of the Empire's royal family, with deep historical heritage and cultivation.

No wonder he could trick the nobles of the Campbell Principality around, and this was also the first time he had the idea that those bumpkins didn't lose unjustly.

"What are you waiting for? It's time to see the Emperor's servants."

Hearing Luo Yan's voice, Titch woke up like a dream and responded hurriedly.

"Yes... Prince."

Early morning, the morning mist had not dispersed, and the sky was still hazy.

The foraging seagulls hadn't woken up yet, and the port was already crowded with curious citizens.

Some stood on the roof of the warehouse, some climbed the fence by the street, and even the terrace of the clock tower was occupied by early risers.

"Have you heard? The Kelin family was the most noble Prince beside the Emperor back then!"

"Bullshit! Why have I never heard of the surname Kelin?"

"That's why they are mysterious, it is said that their ancestors were rich enough to rival a country and owned large tracts of land overseas!"

"Why did I hear that they have been living quite miserably for five hundred years, so poor that they couldn't even eat..."

"Not eating is not the case, isn't their relationship with the Lizardmen quite good? And, I heard he is extraordinarily handsome!"

"I heard from my cousin that he will come riding a dragon!"

"Nonsense, how could a dragon fly so far?! But I heard he brought a whole ship of gold coins back to repair the ancestral home!"

"Ancestral home? Where is it?"

"Don't know... until yesterday, three knights and one Baron had claimed they were collateral branches of the Kelin family, but it seems only one sounds reliable, it seems to match the files at the customs."

People were talking to each other, rumors and fantasies rising like steam in the morning mist.

Just when everyone was standing on tiptoe, looking forward to the prominent person walking out of the legend, a commotion suddenly came from the edge of the crowd.

"Make way! Make way!"

Sir Edmond Dantès squeezed into the crowd, sweating profusely, followed by his whole family. "We are Prince Kelin's relatives, let us pass!"

People turned their heads one after another, not seeing any royal nobles, only seeing a guy putting on airs and pretending to be a big shot, and burst into laughter.

"You are a relative? I am Prince Kelin's cousin!"

"Hahaha, I am Prince Kelin's grandfather!"

"Look, the noble relative is squeezing himself, but I don't see any guards helping him open the way!"

"Hahahaha!"

The atmosphere at the foot of the Imperial City is much more open than that of the vassal state's cities. If it were the Kingdom of Ryan, or some remote small town, no one would dare to tease a guy suspected of being a noble like this.

Laughter came one after another, Edmond's face flushed red, his lips trembled slightly, but he didn't care about these guys who spoke without covering their mouths.

He cursed these short-sighted civilians in his heart, pulled his wife Anna to continue squeezing forward, and protected his cute little daughter Emily.

"I told you we should have left early!" Anna complained and muttered, completely forgetting that she was the one who spent the longest time putting on makeup, even longer than her eldest daughter Sophia.

Sophia hung her head, trying to defend herself in a low voice: "Mom, it's you—"

"Shut up!" Before she finished speaking, Anna stared at her with goldfish-like eyes, and then continued to complain to her husband, "Look now, we can't get close to the front at all!"

"Alright, I know! You say less... remember not to lose face for me later! Damn, I should have come alone!"

Edmond gritted his teeth and squeezed to the position closest to the cordon, only to find that it was already crowded with people.

But he didn't give up, with a diligent and slick smile on his face, he squeezed a space out of the crowd, and stuffed his complaining wife and four troublesome children into it.

The family finally stood in the "special seat" position, although this so-called special seat was still a long distance from the wharf.

They were squeezed between a group of small vendors and porters, and under their feet was the seawater that hadn't dried in the morning and fish scale residues.

"Quick, quick, children, follow, we have to stand closer—your Uncle Kelin came from the colony specifically to see us, we can't let him not find us! Remember, introduce yourselves in the order I told you later... these ancient families are very particular about etiquette, do you hear me, Lucien, I'm talking about you!"

"I know... you've said that so many times already." The eldest son, Lu Xien, complained in a low voice, tucking his sleeves away to avoid getting them stained by the fishy smell of the harbor.

The open space in front of the port was drawn by the Imperial City Defense Army, which was the closest position they could get.

The City Defense Army soldier carrying a smoothbore gun looked at the family that kept squeezing forward, frowned, but didn't pay attention.

Edmond still held his head high, as if someone would call him "Your Excellency" in the next moment and welcome them into the ranks of the powerful.

Although no one looked at him more here.

"Stand still! Emily, don't lick the candy anymore!" Anna Dantès frowned, couldn't help but pat little daughter Emily's hand.

"But Mom, I haven't had breakfast yet..." "Eat, eat, eat! Only know how to eat! Be careful to become that little thing Margery!"

Margery is Emily's classmate at the Saint Mother School, a round little fat girl whose family is in the candy business. Although when they met face to face, Anna praised her for being cute in front of her mother, but behind her back, it was obviously another set.

By the way, the so-called Saint Mother School is a feature of the Austrian Empire and its colonies, mostly run by widows or old women in their own homes, with fewer people, facing preschool children aged 2~6, and the price depends on the identity of the principal.

Generally, relatively wealthy middle-class families who haven't been rich enough to hire private tutors will consider sending their children to such schools. It's not to learn anything, mainly to ensure that their children won't play with wild children outside.

In addition, the identities of some Saint Mother School principals are not simple, especially those expensive schools.

Even if those widows or old women who bring children are already on the edge of the noble circle, their connections are still only something ordinary people can look up to, and opening a school is just to maintain luxurious expenses and the expenses of maintaining the ancestral home.

Emily's school belongs to this category, and there is an interview for admission. Although the Dantès family is just a small sparrow in the Shengcheng, they are absolutely willing to spend money on their children's education.

Even if many of them are unjust money.

"Okay..."

Emily muttered and spat the candy back into the candy paper, secretly tucked it into her pocket, looked up at her mother, and stole a glance at her father's somewhat haggard face—

Her father had a confident smile on the corner of his mouth, his posture was upright, and the whole person was like a straight vine, just like the kind held in her teacher's hand.

He wore a light purple silk dress, the embroidery on the cuffs was a bit yellow, and the metal buttons were silver-plated copper, but they were polished brightly. Besides that, he wore an ancestral brooch with a family crest on his chest—although he wasn't quite sure about the origin of this thing himself.

In short, little Emily hadn't seen this brooch on her father's chest for a long time.

Sophia quietly leaned close to Emily's side and whispered.

"Don't rub the frosting on Brother Kelin's sleeves later... count on me, don't leave him a too bad impression."

"Brother? Isn't it Uncle?" Emily tilted her head, but her sister didn't answer.

At this time, a commotion came from the distance of the wharf, just like the circus that had been waiting for a long time finally opened.

Everyone looked up, only to see a tall-masted sailing ship approaching the shore, the purple flag on the ship fluttering with the white mist spit out by the chimney.

Prince Kelin's family crest was exceptionally eye-catching in the sun.

Little Emily was surprised to find that it was exactly the moon on her father's chest!

"It's here!" Sir Edmond Dantès clenched his fists excitedly, just like a rooster that had sucked enough air and was ready to crow.

A young man in a gorgeous robe walked down the gangway slowly, his temperament calm and composed, not affected by the noise around him at all.

Especially that kind smile like a spring breeze, just like the morning sun rising on the sea.

The girls lying on the railing blushed, and some enthusiastic and spicy big girls whistled, throwing handkerchiefs at him—although most of these handkerchiefs fell into the sea or were taken away by seagulls, or covered the back of the head of a bald sailor.

It wasn't just the girls who were enthusiastic—

The young guys were the same.

They whistled, clapped their hands to welcome, and some put their palms on their noses and shouted loudly, trying to attract the attention of this patriot—

"Welcome home!"

"Holy light always protects you!"

"Prince Kelin! Do you still lack knights? Look at me!"

"Look! Sophia! That is... Prince Kelin! I told you, he is a good family!" Anna held Sophia's hand tightly, the latter's cheeks had turned into ripe apples, because she was nervous and lowered her head to tidy up her skirt, her lips stammering and unable to say a word.

"Calling him here won't be heard, we have to find a way to get in..." Edmond was sweating on his forehead, looking around nervously.

He obviously underestimated the enthusiasm of the citizens of the Shengcheng for this Prince. In this situation, he couldn't get close to the Prince no matter what.

What if the Prince got off the ship but no one picked him up, and could only stand awkwardly at the port... what should he do?!

At this time, someone suddenly fired a salute.

Only heard a "bang", thousands of ribbons like small snakes swimming in the air, dispelling the seagulls dancing by the wharf.

But the scene that Edmond didn't expect followed—

A carriage decorated with golden roses and scroll patterns stopped by the wharf, steadily stopping at the Prince's feet. The carriage door was opened by a servant, and a handsome middle-aged gentleman walked out of the carriage, his golden hair emitting warm light like holy light in the sun.

"It's actually Mr. Casit Silfin!" Edmond's youngest son Francois recognized the man at a glance, and couldn't help but scream.

"Do you know him?" Emily tilted her little head and asked milkily.

Pairs of eyes fell on the youngest son, Francois breathed rapidly and said.

"Know him!? I see his portrait every day! That's the principal of the Imperial Academy of Arts!"

Edmond naturally recognized it too, a layer of sweat oozed from his forehead—Casit Silfin, this big man is not just as simple as the principal of the Academy of Arts.

It is said that he is a favorite beside the Pope, and the leader of the entire Shengcheng's cultural circle!

How did even this big man come?

No, not necessarily, right?!

Edmond was sweating profusely, but his unfilial eldest son Lucien curled his lips and hummed disdainfully, "Isn't it just doing art, what's so great..."

His eyes quietly stared at a team of Royal Knights who appeared at the port at some point, and a trace of anxiety rose in his heart.

If he couldn't pass the probationary knight exam again and missed the selection age of the Royal Boy Scouts, his mother would nag him to be the squire of Uncle Dibis again.

Although Uncle Dibis has decent character and is a relative of their family, and will definitely not let him fight with demons, the squire is a job that only mud-legged people will fight for, how could he do it!

Sophia reminded softly.

"Mr. Silfin is not an ordinary artist... he has built statues for the Emperor. If there is his recommendation, even if you enter the Royal Knights directly, there is no problem."

Lucien closed his mouth instantly.

And at this time, the welcome ceremony at the wharf had come to an end.

The noble Mr. Silfin didn't seem to want to let the guests from afar wait for a long time, and the motorcade soon left the wharf accompanied by the Royal Knights.

The crowd who had seen enough excitement dispersed one after another, like pigeons who were full, with satisfied and leisurely smiles on their faces.

The excitement is over.

Time to go to work.

However—

Edmond was desperate.

"I told you we should have left early and stood in front!" Watching Prince Kelin get into the Silfin family's carriage without even looking at them, Anna complained sharply, "Now it's good, people got directly into the Silfin family's carriage! Didn't even look at us!"

Sophia was also disappointed, her slender hand quietly tucked her hair behind her ears. She had prepared for today for a month, not only specially painted a carefully designed light makeup, but also wore that white dress that looked most like a "noble lady", just to win a glance from Mr. Kelin.

Unfortunately—

They didn't even make eye contact.

"Alright, alright, now is not the time to complain to each other..." Edmond interrupted everyone with a headache. He was also very upset, but he still had to maintain the demeanor of a gentleman on the surface.

Looking at the carriage that went far away and finally didn't remember the people left here, he muttered in disappointment.

"Kelin... heh, as expected of a noble person, how could he remember us poor people..."

He seemed to have forgotten that the relationship between him and Prince Kelin hadn't even been written yet, and the origin of the Dantès family and the Kelin family was just his wishful thinking so far.

Sir Edmond shook his head and prepared to leave, but before he could take a step, a young and clear voice came from behind, interrupting him gently.

"Excuse me, are you... Sir Edmond Dantès?"

Edmond looked up suddenly, only to see a young man standing in front of them. His figure was upright, with a sword at his waist, and he was wearing a purple standard short cloak.

His skin was tanned very dark, looking like a sailor who had been at sea for years, but the purple cloak could not question his nobility.

In the Empire, purple dye is the most expensive, and few nobles are willing to use it on servants.

"You are?" Edmond subconsciously used a cautious tone, taking out the restraint when facing big people.

Lumier smiled gently, polite and neither humble nor arrogant.

"I am Mr. Kelin's servant. He told me—Sir Edmond Dantès is a very important guest, and he specifically ordered me to come here to meet you."

Edmond was stunned for two seconds, until Anna poked him with her elbow, and he suddenly came back to his senses, and that depressed face also dispersed the dark clouds on his eyebrows like rain clearing.

"Prince Kelin ordered you to come personally? Haha! I said it! He certainly remembers us, we are blood-related!"

Edmond looked at his family members in surprise, forgetting himself in his pride, his voice so loud that he wished all the guys who once looked down on him could hear it.

Everyone had different expressions—Anna rolled her eyes, but the drooping corners of her mouth smoothed out. Sophia was a bit embarrassed, signaling to her father, hinting at him to be calm.

Little Emily and Francois were too young to fully understand what this meant for their family, just following their father and laughing foolishly.

Eldest son Lucien's breathing became rapid.

Especially when he thought of what Sophia sister just said—Mr. Silfin is not an ordinary artist, a recommendation letter could send him into the Royal Knights.

With the relationship between Uncle Kelin and Silfin, in other words... his matter of entering the Royal Knights is settled?!

He swallowed his saliva excitedly, wishing he could recognize Kelin as his father!

Looking at the family that left him aside, Lumier was embarrassed but didn't care, and coughed lightly.

"If you don't have anyone else to wait for... can we talk aside?"

Edmond looked at Lumier quickly, his face full of smiles.

"Of course! Please follow me, Mr. Lumier! You are here to pick us up to Mr. Silfin's manor, right? We—"

"We are of course going to your house first."

Lumier interrupted him, politely and irresistibly.

"Prince Kelin has prepared a gift for you, but before that... there are some things I need to confirm first." ===== CHAPTER 327 =====