The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 338: Holy Shadow in the Cup
According to the imperial tradition, knightly tournaments were conducted in the form of free-for-alls.

One hundred knights fought against each other in the wide arena until only ten riders were left on horseback. The ranking from the 10th to the 2nd place was determined according to the number of riders knocked down.

The first contestant to complete "ten knockdowns" will be named the champion of the Knights' Conference. If someone manages to knock the champion off his horse before the end of the competition, he will become the new champion. Otherwise, the previous champion will be disqualified from the competition.

Luo Yan thinks that this rule is actually very interesting, as it divides the "champion" and "top ten" into two different tracks.

Theoretically, if you are not pursuing the championship, you can still get a ranking as long as you survive to the end.

However, if you challenge for the championship, it is almost impossible for ordinary people to win.

As for the reason——

In a one-on-one fight, a mortal has no chance against a transcendent.

The fierce fight lasted for half an hour amid the cheers of the citizens. The riders, armed like iron cans, fell off their horses one after another. The winner won gloriously, and the loser also showed his bravery.

As the number of riders on the field decreased, the competition at the knights' convention finally came to an end.

The final result was just as Luo Yan expected. Marshal Laco's youngest son, Arthur Eberg, became the champion without any suspense.

The young man with blond hair stood in the center of the arena, his silver armor reflecting dazzling light.

He raised the sword high in his hand, winning the warmest cheers and applause from the audience, as well as flowers thrown onto the field.

There is no doubt about Arthur's strength - at only sixteen years old, he already possesses silver-level strength and is unstoppable in this contest.

Looking at the glittering guy, Frey, who was sitting in the corner of the audience, curled his lips in disdain and muttered.

"Who dares to defeat him? The loser will probably have to leave the Holy City tonight."

"Yes."

"He's the marshal's son. It would be too easy for him to win."

His friends sitting around him echoed him, but in their hearts they disagreed with what Master Devol said.

Marshal Laco is not your father, he will definitely not be so shameless.

only……

Who can beat his son?
Even though the second son usually cannot inherit all of his father's strength, a child born into the Aberg family is definitely not an ordinary soul.

Most adventurers would never reach the silver level in their entire lives, but that person easily reached the silver level just by practicing swordsmanship and the "aura" in his body.

It is no exaggeration to say that even if the remaining nine knights attacked together, Arthur could still beat them down with one hand.

Unless we add another zero to the number, there might be a chance of winning.

This knights' assembly itself was Marshal Laco's gift to his youngest son as a coming-of-age gift, and it may have also been intended as a political attempt to win over Prince Colin.

As for the other contestants, they were just sparring partners from the beginning, and the second to tenth places were the rewards given to them by the Aberg family.

Except for Arthur himself, most of the contestants knew it. Only a few fools who wanted to show off in front of Marshal Laco would rush to Arthur with their lances at the beginning and then be beaten away like a scarecrow...

There were many people in the crowd who were as jealous as Frey, but the vast majority of citizens did not think it was a big deal and the cheers were earth-shaking.

The reputation of the Aberg family has always been good in the eyes of the citizens of the Holy City, and giving powerful power to noble souls is their desire.

On the field, the other nine knights also walked to Arthur's side one after another, dismounted and stood still.

Eight of them were second sons of barons with steel-level strength. Although their strength was not bad, they were still far behind Arthur. At this moment, they were standing humbly behind Arthur with a respectful attitude.

In addition, there is another knight who seems to be the child of an ordinary citizen.

The young man was sweating profusely, his hands and feet were shaking, and his breathing was as rapid as a cow.

It's not because of fatigue, but because of excitement!

He couldn't believe that he was actually standing here and was about to be awarded the title of knight!
Everything before my eyes seemed like a dream...

In the special seat, Prince Colin slowly stood up, and the whole audience suddenly became quiet, with all eyes on the most distinguished guest of the empire.

Seeing everyone's eyes focused on him, Luo Yan smiled slightly, glanced at His Highness the Marshal, then looked at the entire audience and spoke in a loud and clear voice.

"Everyone, I am honored to witness today's wonderful competition. There is no doubt that Arthur Aberg's bravery and strength prove that he fully deserves the honor of the championship."

After a pause, Luo Yan glanced at the other nine young knights and continued with an approving smile:
"And these nine brave knights are equally worthy of our respect. Together with Arthur, they will become the first batch of knights of the newly formed Knights Templar of the Empire!"

The arena suddenly erupted in cheers. Citizens waved their hats and threw flowers into the air again. The scene was extremely warm!
Luo Yan picked up the sword given to him by the marshal, slowly walked down the special seat, and walked along the long stairs to the center of the arena.

He first stood in front of Arthur, gently placed the sword on the shoulder of the young man who was kneeling on one knee, and spoke solemnly.

"Arthur Aberg, in the name of the Colin family, I appoint you as the chief knight of the Knights Templar! May you always be loyal and brave, and protect your beliefs and the honor of the empire!"

Arthur lowered his proud head, his face flushed with excitement.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and then answered solemnly with a serious look.

"I, Arthur Aberg, will defend the honor of the empire to the death and live up to your highness' trust!"

"Very good," Luo Yan smiled gently and said softly, "Your father, Saint Sis, and I will all be watching you. May the sword in your hand always be sharp."

Next, he used the same ceremony to canonize nine other young knights in turn, granting them the title of Knight of the Knights Templar.

Their expressions were the same as Arthur's, their faces flushed with excitement, as if God's grace was bathing on their shoulders.

Especially the young man from a commoner family, his lips were trembling and he could hardly finish his oath, which caused the people in the lowest stands to burst into good-natured laughter.

Luo Yan looked at him nervously and said with a smile.

"May I have your name."

"Ja, Jasper, sir!" the young man stuttered, but forgot to tell him his last name. It was too late to add it. He was so ashamed that he wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"Jasper, very good. I have a feeling that this name will become famous all over the world in the future!"

Luo Yan gave the blushing boy an encouraging smile, then put away the sword in his hand, turned solemnly to the stands, and announced loudly:
"Today, we witnessed a new beginning—"

"May the glory and future of the Knights Templar be like the rising sun on the horizon!"

"May the names of these young men be recorded in the annals of the empire forever!"

The entire arena was suddenly filled with thunderous applause and cheers. Countless young people excitedly blew sharp whistles, and the exciting and warm atmosphere lingered for a long time.

Even Frey, who disdained the title of knight, couldn't help but show a hint of envy on his face.

He also didn't expect that the top leaders of the empire would attach so much importance to this knightly order.

perhaps……

Maybe this is indeed a good way out?

If he had a younger brother, he would probably let him try it.

It's a pity that his father wasn't very good at that either...

……

After the canonization ceremony, the atmosphere in the arena remained as lively as ever. The stands were packed with people, and the citizens of the holy city excitedly talked about what had just happened.

The nine knights who were canonized - especially the young citizen named Jasper - were extremely excited!
Because tonight, they will be invited to attend the celebration banquet held by Marshal Laco for Arthur at the Marshal's Palace!

As the winners of the Knights' Conference, they might meet their other half at the banquet...

It is also a long-standing tradition in the Ottoman Empire to present the glory of winning a knight's conference as a gift to the girl of one's choice.

Jasper's face flushed red, he was both nervous and excited, while the young noblemen beside him were discussing with great interest the important people they might meet at the banquet, as well as the various complicated social etiquette.

Although they had attended many banquets with their father, this was the first time they had attended such a grand banquet.

At this time, Marshal Laco walked up to Prince Colin and extended an invitation with a smile.

"Your Highness, if you don't have any other plans, why don't you come back with me?"

Luo Yan smiled and declined, "Your Highness, Marshal, I appreciate your kindness. But I just returned to the Holy City and haven't had a chance to take a good look at the city. I would like to take this opportunity before the banquet to stroll around and meet you at the banquet. What do you think?"

Marshal Laco immediately showed an expression of understanding, smiled and nodded, saying, "Well, Your Highness has come from afar, so you must be curious about the customs of the Holy City."

Having said that, he suddenly lowered his voice, winked at Prince Colin, and gave the latter an idea.

"How about this, you can get on my carriage first, and after the onlookers disperse, you can change into casual clothes and leave to avoid being noticed."

Luo Yan nodded slightly and said happily.

"That's great. Thank you, Marshal, for your protection."

"Hahaha, it's just a small matter and not worth mentioning!"

The two smiled at each other in a harmonious atmosphere, and left the arena together.

A moment later, the Marshal's Palace's luxurious carriage slowly drove away, carrying the citizens' eager gazes and endless discussions and disappeared at the end of the street.

Near the back door of the arena, two figures quietly walked out of the shadows and disappeared into the street corner behind the arena.

At this time, Luo Yan had changed into casual clothes, with linen replacing silk clothes, and he wore a three-cornered hat with the brim pulled down, which concealed a lot of his prominent aura. He looked not much different from an ordinary citizen.

As for the face, it doesn’t really matter. People’s first impression is actually their clothes, and then their face.

Not only did he change into casual clothes, but Sarah, who followed him, also changed into a simple gray robe and pulled the hood down to cover her overly conspicuous cat ears.

The two walked side by side, completely blending into the crowd, slowly walking through the market near the arena.

Luo Yan has been paying attention to the clothes worn by passers-by on the street and the goods on the shelves, and from them he can infer the living conditions of ordinary people in the holy city and the economic strength of the city.

It can only be said that the Holy City is indeed a city of infinite prosperity. The richness of materials here is far beyond the reach of Thunder City, and even the demons in Hell are much inferior to it.

A wide variety of goods filled the stalls on both sides of the street. Silver jewelry gleamed with an alluring luster under the lights, and brightly colored strips of cloth fluttered in the breeze, dazzling the eyes.

In addition to a variety of handicrafts, the small shops along the street are also filled with a variety of steaming foods. The aroma of barbecue and the sweet aroma of bread are intertwined, making people salivate.

"Hot bread, freshly baked, five copper coins a piece!"

"Cheap cider! Two coppers a cup, ten coppers a bottle! Drink it to warm you up!"

"Special issue of the Holy City Times! Prince Colin and the Marshal's Knight Tournament, two copper coins per copy!"

"Take a look if you pass by! These sturdy leather boots are worth eighty copper coins and will last a year without breaking!"

"Roasted chestnuts, sugar-fried chestnuts, three copper coins for a big bag, hot!"

Not only is the variety of goods here rich, the prices are not expensive either, and are even slightly cheaper than in Thunder City.

Just as Luo Yan was looking around, Sarah's eyes were also full of curiosity.

The pair of cat ears under the hood swayed slightly, especially when she smelled the aroma of barbecue on the street, she was so greedy that she couldn't help swallowing.

Perhaps it was because of this spit that caused her vigilance to be broken, and she did not notice a thin figure squeezing next to the Demon King and "accidentally" bumping into him from behind.

Luo Yan didn't react at all, but his thin body staggered and almost fell.

"Yes, I'm sorry! Sir!" He stood firmly, shrank his shoulders, bowed his head in panic to apologize, and then hurriedly got into the crowd and quickly disappeared in the sea of ​​people.

Sarah narrowed her eyes slightly, and her sharp vision immediately caught the little figure fleeing in a hurry. Her hand unconsciously pressed on the sword at her waist.

But at this moment, her hand on the hilt of the sword was covered by a warm big hand.

"...Your Highness, that man is a pickpocket." Sarah said anxiously, with obvious shame and apology in her eyes.

Of course Luo Yan knew that the boy was a pickpocket, but he just smiled and said casually.

"Never mind, let him take it, it's just some change."

Anyway, this money was "borrowed" from the people of the empire, so there is nothing wrong with returning it.

The really valuable things are all in the storage ring that Professor Lilith gave him.

"But..." Sarah seemed a little unwilling.

As a guard of the Demon King, she also has her own dignity.

If he hadn't been attracted by the smell of barbecued skewers on the roadside, and if there hadn't been so many pedestrians and the child looked so unintimidating, the boy would have had no chance of succeeding.

Sarah became angrier the more she thought about it.

She already hated the humans on the surface so much that the expression on her face was distorted.

Looking at Sarah, who had a strong desire to win, Luo Yan smiled and shook his head.

"Don't take it so seriously. I actually did it on purpose. Otherwise, do you think he would have a chance of succeeding?"

Youyou kept chattering beside him, and he had known for a long time that a pickpocket had set his sights on him.

As for why he didn't stop it, the reason was very simple. During the days he spent in the Holy City, all he saw was the most prosperous and glamorous side of the city, which became a little boring after watching it for a long time.

He wanted to see what the other side of the coin looked like, perhaps he would make some unexpected discoveries.

Sarah's expression moved, and she immediately understood what Luo Yan meant, then relaxed her hand holding the sword.

The two of them strolled on the street for a while. Luo Yan saw that Sarah was staring at the surroundings vigilantly, as if everyone around her was a thief and she could no longer enjoy the fun of shopping. He couldn't help but smile and shook his head.

It seemed that she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight unless she got her wallet back.

"Let's go and see where our bait has drifted to."

With the cat still feeling resentful, Luo Yan leisurely left the busy street, walked through the bustling crowd, and followed the direction where the thin child disappeared.

……

For a platinum-level wizard, tracking an unsuspecting child was a piece of cake.

Luo Yan took Sarah through several winding and deep alleys, and soon they arrived at a place called Kasen Street.

In stark contrast to the prosperous scene of the holy city that he had seen before, Kasen Street looked dilapidated and desolate.

The streets here are full of cracks and sewage, and are surrounded by low and dilapidated houses.

There were holes in the dilapidated roof and the walls were peeling and mottled. From a distance, it looked like dust clinging to the base of the Holy Grail, humble and inconspicuous, just like the underground streets of Thunder City.

Luo Yan and Sarah strolled in the street, observing everything around them calmly. A few ragged pedestrians walked numbly by the roadside, occasionally looking up and glancing at them with doubtful and vigilant eyes, and then hurried away.

Their attire was already quite plain, but it was still somewhat special to the people here.

“…I didn’t expect there is such a place in the Holy City.” Sarah whispered in surprise, with an expression of disbelief on her face.

Luo Yan thought about it and said casually.

"Hell and the Empire are two sides of the same coin. Whatever the devil has, we certainly have here as well."

After crossing half a street, they stopped in front of an even more dilapidated house.

The walls of the house were in a dilapidated state, covered with vines and moss, and the gate was half-open, as if it might collapse at any time.

A wooden plaque was nailed crookedly on the courtyard wall, on which one could barely make out the words written in rough handwriting:

Ding Kayona's Repair Workshop

Luo Yan narrowed his eyes slightly and looked curiously at the plaque and the yard behind it that looked like a garbage dump.

In name, this seems to be a place for repairing machinery, but judging from the patched clothes hanging in the yard, it looks more like a makeshift welfare home.

As for why he knew it so well, it was because the backyard of the temple of Priest Jeffrey in A Nightmare on Elm Street had a similar feeling - he grew up in a welfare institution in hell.

There are similar places in the Holy City.

But this one is probably private.

Just as he was looking at it with interest, two ragged children suddenly rushed out from the yard.

They held two rough wooden sticks, which were obviously larger and seemed extremely heavy in their hands. The sticks were shaking slightly.

One of the older kids bravely shouted, "This is private territory! No one is allowed to come in!"

Another echoed: "Go back quickly! Otherwise we...we won't be polite!"

The two children looked nervous, their tender faces full of fear and vigilance, but the threats they issued were unconvincing and even a bit funny.

If they could read people's expressions, they would know that the two people in front of them were not easy to deal with.

Luo Yan raised a gentle smile and looked at them with interest.

Just when he was about to tease the two nervous little guys, a sound of labored footsteps suddenly came from the yard.

Immediately afterwards, a boy about fifteen or sixteen years old walked out slowly from the yard on crutches.

The young man was thin and pale. His clothes were old but clean, and his expression showed a maturity and steadiness that did not match his age.

He looked at Luo Yan and Sarah calmly, then seemed to understand something, sighed, lowered his head slightly, and shouted helplessly towards the yard.

"Sister, you stole someone's things again. The owner is here to find you. Come out and give them back... Don't cause trouble for Mr. Kayona."

There was no movement behind me for a long time.

The boy sighed, suddenly threw away his crutches, and crawled on the ground in Luo Yan's surprised gaze.

The two children holding sticks were also overwhelmed by this scene and looked at him in surprise.

The boy didn't explain, he just lowered his head and said.

"Sir, for the sake of Saint Sis, please let go of this poor misguided person. She just wants to heal my leg for me, not for her own selfish desires."

"We will return everything you have lost... If that is not enough to make up for your loss, I will work like a slave for you. I only beg you to forgive my sister. If the guards knew that she had offended a noble man like you, they would throw her deep in the dungeon and forget about it."

His voice was full of compassion and earnestness, but there was not much sadness in his heart.

From his perspective, although the man in front of him was dressed simply, he must be of high status.

Although the lady in the cloak next to him is standing shoulder to shoulder with him, she should be his bodyguard, and the bulge under her cloak should be a sword.

In the Holy City, there are only two types of people who can walk around the streets with swords: either soldiers given swords by the Emperor, or guards of nobles.

It would not be a loss for him if he worked like a slave for this big shot. Unfortunately, although he thought so in his heart, the real big shot probably looked down on his leg.

Congenital disabilities cannot be cured by magic, and there is also a view that this is due to a defect in the soul... Some people are born with a soul missing a leg, and the nobles of the Holy City care more about this.

Luo Yan looked at the child with great interest, and found his conversation quite interesting, so he gently waved the magic wand in his sleeve, and a breeze lifted him up from the ground, and let the crutch float back into his hand.

Looking at the boy with a surprised look on his face, Luo Yan continued.

"May I have your name."

"White Cajona," the boy answered honestly.

"Are you Mr. Kayona's son?" Luo Yan asked after looking at the plaque at the door.

The boy shook his head.

"No, we are orphans, but Mr. Kayona said that having a surname will be good for us in the future, if we are lucky enough to be admitted to university like him... Anyway, we appreciate his kindness."

After that, White continued.

"Sir, although I have a lame leg, I am still very confident in my brain, and I have a small appetite, so I can't eat much of your food. But my sister is different. She has a big appetite. Even if you take her away, there will be no benefit-"

"Let him go!" Before he finished speaking, a sharp roar came from not far away.

Luo Yan looked in the direction where the voice came from, and saw a thin figure rushing out of the house, with arms outstretched to block his brother's way, like a lioness protecting her cubs.

Her eyes were ferocious, but her thin shoulders were trembling slightly. Fear was written behind her bluffing eyes, but she did not retreat because of fear.

Because her body was so thin and her eyebrows were so thick and dense, Luo Yan couldn't tell at first glance that she was a girl and thought she was a boy.

Seeing that the noble lord was not looking at her, the girl bit her pale lips and took out a purse from her bosom, her fingers trembling slightly.

"I, I'll return the money to you...I'm sorry, my brother is still a child, if you have any problems, come to me."

White glanced at his sister in surprise.

"Diona, you..."

Luo Yan smiled and said.

"In my eyes, you are all children. I have no interest in children, but it is a wise decision for you to return it to me. I am afraid that this money will be a big trouble for you."

As he spoke, Luo Yan gently waved his wand, the rope of the purse untied, and a string of gold coins flew out of the purse. As soon as they landed in his hand, they were put into the storage ring.

All the children were surprised when they saw it, especially the girl named Diona, whose face turned paler and her eyes looked even more frightened.

She only felt that the purse was very heavy and ran away without even taking a look at it, but she didn't expect that the purse was full of gold coins!
One gold coin is enough to buy a house on this street, and it is even more enough to buy her life which is as light as a feather!
No doubt——

She had no chance of spending the money, and anyone who saw the coin would think she was a thief and take it away without having to worry about the guards coming to her door.

"You can keep the remaining silver and copper coins, but don't steal things next time. After all, people's good luck will eventually run out, and not everyone is as easy to talk to as me."

Looking at the children with alert eyes, Luo Yan smiled and continued in a gentle tone.

"There is still some time before my party starts. In exchange, can you tell me your story? And what exactly is this place? Why do you live in the machine workshop? Are you a child laborer? Are you working for Mr. Dinge Kayona?"

The boy named White was the first to come back to his senses. He gently patted the dust off his clothes and nodded respectfully.

"No sir, Mr. Dingo Kayona is a good man. Without him we would have starved to death."

Luo Yan looked at him and motioned for him to continue.

White paused, glanced at the house behind him, and continued.

"This is his mechanical workshop. He used to tinker with machines at the Imperial Royal Naval Academy, but was driven out by the people there because of his different ideas. Later, a baron took him in... I think his name is Medea?"

Medea?
Hearing this familiar surname, Luo Yan's expression was slightly surprised. He didn't expect that the painter who was obsessed with art actually had a hobby of sponsoring charity. He had never realized it at all.

But it's normal if you think about it, in hell it's actually more the acolytes who take in homeless children.

He was actually more curious about something else.

"Isn't there a welfare organization in the church of the Holy City? I heard that the Hilfen family has taken in a lot of people like you."

White smiled bitterly and sighed.

"Yes, there is such a place, but it requires holy books."

"That is?"

Before White could speak, his sister Diona lowered her head and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"To put it simply, we are locals. Our parents live in the Pierce Province, which is farther away than the Holy City Bailu District. We have to go all the way north along the peninsula and it takes about a week to get there by ox cart."

After a pause, she continued resentfully.

"And it's useless even if we get there. Our father died on the front line, and our mother left us and disappeared. We can't prove where we belong, or even that we are homeless. Those people just hope that we, the troublemakers, will die on the road, and it's best not to bother Saint Sis..."

She doesn't understand.

Their father died for the empire, so why would this city bathed in holy light reject her and her brother, who were born here, simply because her parents were not born in this city?

Is it because of poverty?

They are so rich!

Besides, one drop of this bloody wealth belonged to her father.

She didn't want a lot, she just wanted her only family to live a normal life, just like the ordinary people in this busy and fulfilling city.

"Don't say that, sister. I don't think this is what Saint Sis meant." White secretly glanced at the man of noble status and said anxiously.

He didn't feel anything about his sister's complaints, and his words to ease the atmosphere were only out of practical considerations - rather than complaining that would do nothing, he was more worried that these words would anger the Holy Light nobles and make their already bad situation even worse.

After all, Luo Yan was not a Holy Light noble, so even if he was, he would not be angry. Instead, he looked at the little girl with interest.

Her resentment was not just self-pity, but had a special flavor.

If the extraordinary power was in the hands of a man like Arthur Aberg, Luo Yan had no doubt that he would carry out his beliefs and do his best to make the Holy City better than it was yesterday... because this was his home.

But if she possessed extraordinary power, she would probably use it to burn the entire city to the ground without hesitation, and without asking for anything in return.

If Chaos had set its sights on her, she would be a natural vessel.

It's a pity that Chaos was too busy. There were too many souls in this world that were more worthy of investment waiting for them to sow, so they didn't even notice this young and inconspicuous seed.

Perhaps because she smelled the scent of a fellow creature, even the expressionless Sarah unexpectedly looked at the child twice more with a hint of surprise in her eyes.

She seemed to see herself before she met the Demon King - full of hatred for everything in Thunder City.

It's just that I'm a demon, not a human, so it's understandable that I hate him. But it's still quite unusual for a human to hate other humans so much.

Luo Yan was about to say something when a cough suddenly came from not far behind him.

"Sir, please wait a moment. Can you spare these children for my sake? Their fathers are good men who sacrificed their lives for the empire. It is not their intention to fall to this state. If they have offended you, I am willing to apologize to you on their behalf—"

His voice suddenly stopped, and was filled with surprise for a moment.

"Wait, His Highness Colin?!"

"Why are you here?!"

(End of this chapter)