Chapter 70: Conferment of Honors

Li En arrived at the Count Luciford's mansion—or rather, the castle bearing the mansion's name—six hours early.

This mansion, named for its radiance, is a small castle fortress complex built from enchanted white stone; it looks gray and dull, yet is actually priceless.

As the private residence of the city lord, it lacks the luxury befitting a great noble, resembling instead a frontline fortress about to march into battle.

As Li En walked in, he saw war machines such as crossbow ballistae, engineering hammers, and war puppets, along with numerous dwarf and gnome craftsmen.

Following the various shouts and sounds of combat, he saw soldiers training beneath the three-tiered walls and a large number of transcendent beings chatting in the inner banquet area.

Those Radiant Guards, who glanced around with vague vigilance, were each fully alert, as if ready to step onto the battlefield at any moment.

"It is said that the current 'Count of Radiance,' Albert Luciford, is not only a military knight but even participated in the Great War over a decade ago; he was a comrade-in-arms of the previous Heroine Laina. Compared to his identity as city lord, the man who constantly wears armor clearly values his status as a Kingdom Knight more."

The news Li En had heard left him with a somewhat subtle mood.

After all, drawing that card earlier also meant that the previous Heroine Laina should have been a "Li Ensu," and very likely the one closest to him.

Come to think of it, he was about to meet a comrade-in-arms from his past life—and possibly even his life before that?

"Gah! What are comrades-in-arms! A daughter! A daughter from a past life!" Lord Lord Lord Kuku was quite excited, though no one knew what exactly he was excited about.

Li En was suddenly silenced; he hadn't even been in a relationship, yet suddenly he had a daughter from a past life.

He had actually never considered how to face this.

But considering the repeated reincarnations of "Li Ensu" and the fact that long-lived races truly exist in this world, he should prepare himself as soon as possible; entanglements with past fates would not end with just this one encounter.

"The Li Ensu of the past is not me." This was not shirking responsibility, but the reality after his serious reflection.

A person's growth experiences and environment differ, ultimately shaping a completely different personality; even if too many factors and memories are consistent, and even if all memories are restored in the end, one still should not be considered the same person, right?

"Superficial! Individual! Soul!" And Lord Lord Lord Kuku's meaning was that the soul is one, and the soul is the essence that distinguishes individuals?

Li En shook his head; he did not agree, even if the other party might be more authoritative and perhaps more correct.

"Forget it, let's take it one step at a time." It seemed that the current Li En had no choice but to respond this way.

Entering this fortress-like city lord's mansion and observing carefully along the way, Li En indeed saw some furnishings of a special style.

For instance, just like Miss Shaliman's large mansion, there were clearly portraits and sculptures of previous Heroines, but unlike the statues on Miss Shaliman's side, which were more like artistic decorations, these ones were rougher and had a stronger battlefield style.

They did not specifically depict any single person; knights of the battlefield were the theme, and many portraits were group scenes from the battlefield.

Tables displaying various battle-damaged weapons were also marked with the names of their former owners.

Beneath some specimens and skull products of monsters and demons were the names of the hunters.

The largest piece, a mural depicting a Heroine presiding over a war meeting in a tent, showed a middle-aged knight closest to the viewer bearing a griffin family crest; he was likely the city lord himself.

In a sense, perhaps it was this experience that made him, after the kingdom's decline, remain a firm supporter of royal authority.

"Yo, you're here first?"

Li En was led by a servant into a small reception hall, where Laina was already waiting, chatting with two local hosts.

She had changed into a set of male noble formal wear; the high-collared garment was stiff, yet she looked tall, slender, and very handsome.

A young, beautiful boy-knight paired with an exceptionally handsome young face might be especially charming to noble ladies.

Yet she seemed quite uncomfortable; even while sitting, she subconsciously tugged at the white shirt on her body—but considering she might meet royalty, wearing such formal attire was appropriate.

Li En did not bother with formal wear; he had come in the capacity of a knight.

If he really had to get formal wear, first, there was no time, and second, as a "former noble," it would be unsuitable for him, making him appear overly eager to curry favor with nobles and royalty, causing others to look down on him.

Li En naturally did not understand these things, but Miss Shaliman explained them clearly and even helped him obtain a decorative suit of armor.

"Lord Li En!" Seeing Li En approach, she jumped up with delight and hurried over.

This scene made Li En feel subtle; if he had a tail, it would probably be wagging wildly by now.

"I apologize; I was kept at home yesterday and could not meet you in the dock district." It seemed she also knew about Li En's "great achievements" from yesterday.

And knowing that Li En had restored his Paladin power once again, she was probably happier than Li En himself.

Li En stood on tiptoe and patted her shoulder, both as encouragement and as a signal for her to stand back.

"Ha, you must be Li En, not bad, not bad!"

Li En was patted on the shoulder again by a large hand.

Suddenly appearing before him was an old man with a full head of silver hair; but upon closer inspection of his face, he was not so old, looking more like a prematurely aged middle-aged man.

As a canine beastman, he was as sturdy as a small elephant; his cheeks bore many scars, and with his gray-white beard, he looked like a warrior who had experienced too much.

He was much taller than Li En and possessed great strength, causing Li En to lean backward repeatedly from the pat.

"My Lord City Lord." Li En recognized who it was and immediately bowed.

"Heroes emerge from youth; truly not bad. It reminds me of the Heroine of those days..." The moment he spoke, there was an old man's flavor to it, constantly nostalgic for the past.

But Li En froze instantly; how should he respond? Was it not so unlucky that his facial memories had already been erased?

"Knight Li En, do not mind; the Count is always like this."

The old city lord was actually kicked aside.

"Stinky old man, don't keep dragging the Heroine into everything; how many future Heroines is this one this year?" The woman behind the city lord tapped her father's head in annoyance, stopping his sudden burst of enthusiasm.

"Grand Knight Claire." Li En (Miss Shaliman) had done her homework beforehand and knew that this captain of the Radiant Guards was the most likely one to receive their party.

'Count of Radiance' Albert Luciford had several children, but none were well-known, and their abilities were average.

Those who truly held up the stage and became the backbone of this city were actually his two adopted daughters and three adopted sons.

It is said that most of them were orphans of his comrades-in-arms; this Count had considerable prestige in the military before the kingdom collapsed.

"Red-Haired Demon" Claire Flood was the name of the tall woman before him, draped in a lion-head cloak.

It is said she was famous for her battlefield madness and blood-drinking; what made Li En feel subtle was that she should also be a lizardfolk, and even a pseudo-dragon.

But now it seemed that she, with her subtle reputation, was far more normal than her adoptive father.

"Ha, it's different; this time it really looks like him, too much like him..." The old knight was still comparing and contrasting.

"Knight Li En, do not mind; my father is just like this. He retired, and no one plays with him, so he always teases the young." But this time, even the adopted daughter was too lazy to pay him any attention.

The meeting atmosphere in the small hall was good, maintaining the style of "knights meeting, comrades chatting."

This, too, should have been deliberately orchestrated by the master.

Although Li En, for certain reasons, still did not feel entirely at ease, he did appreciate this friendliness and sincerity.

Especially the city lord's enthusiasm toward Li En was a bit excessive, even far surpassing that toward Lari, who was of noble birth—likely because they belonged to the same faction (the Wangshi Sect).

From another angle, inviting Lari over for the knighting, while Labor here fully cooperated and supported, also subtly hinted that those in power hoped to use this event to ease the conflicts between the "Liberal Faction" and the "Conservative Faction."

At the very least, the matter of the royal family, together with the count-city lord, assassinating the vice minister of finance and some nobles, would be swept under the rug just like that.

After conflicts arise, a banquet is often needed to mend some things—at least, to mend things on the surface.

The Count my lord was very busy; he came over, exchanged a few words, and left. His main purpose in coming was for Sudar (Miss Shaliman), not Li En himself—after all, they were politically allied families.

But it was evident that his appreciation for outstanding knights and warriors was also sincere and undisguised.

He even proposed on the spot that Li En join the City Guard, receive officer treatment, and once he recovered a certain amount of strength, directly join the Radiant Guard.

Judging from Claire's annoyed expression behind him, this was clearly yet another spur-of-the-moment decision made without any prior consultation.

After pretending to think for a while, Li En still politely declined.

The city lord wasn't annoyed either; he just patted Li En on the shoulder, saying the invitation remained open and he was welcome to change his mind anytime.

The city lord left, and both Lari and Li En breathed a sigh of relief. What made Li En feel subtly strange was that he felt absolutely nothing.

"As expected, toward acquaintances of Lex, I feel absolutely nothing."

No nostalgia, no extra emotions, no so-called flashbacks of memory—just like looking at a stranger.

The city lord left, and after Claire chatted briefly—her sincerity and etiquette were sufficient—she also departed.

Before long, Talia was also led over by a servant.

"Very pretty, it suits you well."

An elegant black dress complemented her excellent figure, her neatly combed beautiful hair, and greatly softened her overly fierce temperament.

At first glance, she had transformed from a tomboy into a Young Lady of a noble house.

"Heh." The woman even covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, making Li En increasingly uncomfortable.

"I've practiced this, in order to get close to the target." The next instant, her expression became cold and calm.

After experiencing the bloody battle, the few who had become comrades-in-arms naturally grew much closer.

The last person, Demon, would not come; his identity was also unsuitable for attending. And Talia was the one who needed this knighting the most—no matter what she wanted to do, she needed a better starting identity.

Now that they had rare leisure time, they naturally chatted about recent events.

The situation in the dock area seemed not bad, and other districts of the city weren't idle either. The Conservative Faction and the Liberal Faction had reached a certain consensus and were now hunting down those cultists.

The royal family was overseeing the battle, seemingly determined to wipe those fellows out completely.

Only small fry and small organizations had been killed in considerable numbers; big fish like the former vice minister of finance had not been seen.

And this knighting was also what all parties had hoped to see—a core member of the Liberal Faction's Labor family being knighted, also hinting that the royal family was only addressing the matter at hand and would not pursue a thorough purge.

Li En only now learned that this matter was truly no small thing; even the Princess was suspected to have come specifically to handle this incident.

She appeared in this city on the very day of the operation to hunt down that vice minister.

On the other hand, Labor's attitude toward Li En had also clearly changed. This matter was equivalent to Li En having gilded Lari's reputation in the world of holy knights.

The status of a classical oath knight among holy knights—he might not hold any official post, might not possess any particularly strong power, but this mere resume alone would make other knights look at you with greater respect.

After the royal family intervened in this incident, it was also equivalent to an official endorsement of Li En's "knightly honor."

Associating with Li En would be very helpful for Lari's future, and indirectly very helpful for Labor as well.

If Labor were to harm Li En again, it would be equivalent to serious damage to Lari's knightly honor, and might even earn him the vile reputation of being "ungrateful" and "betraying comrades-in-arms/elders."

On one side, the "eldest son" who might inherit the family business; on the other, a "criminal" with a long list of offenses. How the family head would choose goes without saying.

As for that unlucky third son who had been bewitched by the cultists—being able to have him buried under Labor's name was already the current family head showing enough regard for old ties.

"How truly cruel." As the person involved, Li En didn't know how to evaluate it either.

"..." Lari gave a bitter smile, also not knowing how to respond.

But he still shared a piece of good news.

"My Soul Heart ability, I feel it's awakening."

This, was rather subtle.

For a normal professional, awakening a Soul Heart ability at the third tier was considered early.

But in this knightly squad where everyone harbored deep grievances, this was already terribly slow.

But Li En and Talia still congratulated her, more so praising her for gaining self-awareness, which made her very happy.

When asked what specific ability it was, the response received was the subtle "it should be a protective ability." It seemed it was still far from complete awakening and might have to wait until she advanced.

The three chatted idly for a while, then an etiquette teacher came over to instruct them on what to do and say during the ceremony.

This incident was still defined as a cult colluding with certain nobles in a rebellion; they just needed to say some empty words of loyalty at the time.

Li En practiced for a bit; it wasn't difficult. His identity positioning meant standard knightly etiquette was sufficient.

And before long, when the knighting ceremony began and Li En actually saw the person conferring the knighthood, he completely lost his composure.

"Wait, isn't this the Dragon Hunt?! She... is my daughter from my previous life?!"

Looking at that familiar yet strange little girl on the platform, that cold and solemn expression, Li En was stunned for a moment.

What made it even more subtle was the thing swaying unconsciously on her head.

"These cat ears, lion ears—they're far more real than Miss Lana's fake ears. Oh, there's a fake tail too, and it can actually move!"

This man's face was perfectly composed, but the things running through his mind should have been kicked out long ago.

(End of this chapter)