The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 347: For Saint Sis! For Colin!

In the evening, Luo Yan was leisurely selecting "local specialties" to bring to old acquaintances at the market in the Holy City, while there was chaos in Dantes' Villa on King Street.

After a busy day, Edmund heard the bad news as soon as he returned home. His lovely little Emily had played a prank on the new tutor again, and this time made the kind girl cry.

She had never realized before that this well-behaved little girl actually had so many bad intentions in her mind. She actually put a paper cup full of water against the door frame, and when the door was pushed open, the girl was soaked with water.

This time it was too much, he couldn't help it, he took off his belt and hit her hard on the sofa, scaring Emily so much that she burst into tears on the spot.

There was chaos in the house.

Seeing his daughter crying loudly, Edmund finally softened his heart. He hugged her, comforted her and apologized. Then he bowed sincerely to Ms. Sylvie, who had changed her clothes, and placed a gold coin in the latter's hand. Only then did the aggrieved expression turn into a tearful smile.

Saint Francis, if only little Emily were this easy to please.

Looking back at the messy living room, Edmund felt even more tired.

At dinner time, his wife Anna also came home. She performed a "justice iron fist beating the bad guys" scene in front of little Emily, which finally coaxed the little ancestor.

By the way, since the funeral that day, the Dantes family officially entered the upper class of the Holy City.

Not only did Edmund himself have many more social engagements, but his wife Anna was also accepted by the noble ladies of the Holy City and attended many tea parties and salons that they had never heard of before as Madame Dantes.

In order not to bring shame to the Dantes family, Anna studied the etiquette of the upper class very carefully and tried to remember every face that greeted her.

As for the other family members, they all have their own things to do.

Sophia is currently preparing for an interview at the Imperial Royal Academy of Arts, and François is too shy. As for Lucien... that idiot is old enough, but unfortunately he doesn't know how to take care of children. Last time he even tried to take little Emily horseback riding!

To be honest, Edmund felt a little guilty towards his little daughter.

She was just at an age where she was just beginning to understand the world, and her life had undergone such earth-shaking changes.

At this critical moment, he and his wife happened to neglect her care... Perhaps this was the real reason why her temperament became strange, and not because of any bad intentions.

He actually thought about sending little Emily back to Notre Dame School to study.

The children there would not make her feel lonely, and Mrs. Agnes's character was also obvious to everyone. Even if the lady could not give her love to every child, she would definitely make little Emily an optimistic, upright and kind person.

However, every time he mentioned this, Anna glared at him and rejected him.

As for the reason, it is nothing more than this sentence - how can the daughter of the Dantes family go to such a place!

In her opinion, Sophia had such a hard time growing up because she did not lay a good foundation when she was young.

But Emily is different. The little girl’s life has just begun, and she must not just “make do”!
Edmund was not so ambitious about his daughter. His ambition was mainly for his two sons. As for little Emily, he just wanted her to be happy.

But he thought about it and realized that King Street was indeed far from Loyalty Street, so far that it seemed like two different worlds. It did not seem realistic to go there and back every day to go to school, and he was even more worried about boarding.

We can only leave it to time.

Finally it was time for dinner. The servants pushed the dining cart into the kitchen and placed a sumptuous dinner on the long table.

Smelling the aroma of the wine, Edmund's brows relaxed slightly.

However, before he could enjoy the moment of peace before the prayers before the meal, his most restless eldest son suddenly blurted out something.

"I've made up my mind, Father."

His eldest son, Lucien, wiped his mouth with a napkin and put down his unused knife and fork.

His movements were more serious than ever before, and his eyes were burning with a blazing flame, like the rising sun.

"Tomorrow morning, I will sign up for the Knights Templar!"

This sentence was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

"what?!"

Anna was the first to exclaim. She looked at her always obedient son in disbelief and said in surprise.

"Lucien, my dear, do you know what that means? That land is even more barbaric than the New World. Don't think that the continent is made of gold just because you heard that there is gold everywhere—"

"I know, mother."

Lucien's tone was extremely firm, and his eyes were shining brightly - that was the light of ideals!

"But that's why I want to go! Because I belong there!"

"No, brother, you belong to the Holy City... You were born here, and that place has nothing to do with you." François reminded in a low voice.

Sophia also nodded slightly and looked at her brother worriedly, not knowing what he was up to.

As if he had guessed that his brother would say such discouraging words, Lucien raised a heroic smile at the corner of his mouth and continued speaking confidently.

"I know, Francois, but the leaves that fall on the roots of the tree are rotten leaves, and only the ones that are scattered far away are seeds!"

He could rarely win an argument with his brother, but this time he managed to silence him.

"This is what His Highness Colin said again..." François whispered.

"It's not important! What's important is that as the people of Saint Sith, we have the obligation to spread the holy light to every corner of the world. This is our innate responsibility!"

His voice rose slightly with excitement, and his face flushed with excitement.

Francois shut up.

He knew that it was impossible to persuade a person in this state, so he could only let him feel the heat of the holy light with his body.

Little Emily bit the spoon, stared with her eyes wide open and smacked her lips, not understanding what was happening.

Looking at the family members who were staring at each other in silence, Lucien smiled slightly and continued.

"And... you have also read the story of Baron Cossia? That gentleman was alone, but he was able to survive in the wilderness for nearly ten years and finally made his own career. I, Lucien Dantès, a healthy and well-educated young man, don't I even have this much courage?"

"I long to be a man as upright as Baron Cosia, and I long to follow in the footsteps of His Highness Colin. I want to prove to him that the descendants of the Dantes family are not cowards who only hide under the shadow of their fathers! I have been thinking about this for a long time. Please stop trying to persuade me!"

Edmund felt a headache when he saw his son's passionate expression.

He put down his glass and advised in a deep voice.

"Lucien, calm down. First of all, His Highness Colin never looked down on us, and you don't need to prove anything to him. Secondly, stories are stories, and reality is reality. You only saw the legend of Baron Cosia, but didn't see the dangers behind him. You may remember every word of His Highness Colin, but don't be so confident that you really understand him. You can't see how complicated the interests behind this are."

"Brother, father is right," Sophia said softly, "You can contribute to the family by staying in the Holy City, and there are far more opportunities here than in the New World. The Knights Templar... that's too dangerous, and it's not a place for someone like you to go."

She spoke cryptically, but every word was true.

Without caring about being angry with her father, little Emily felt that her brother was going to a very far place.

She jumped off the chair, ran to Lucien, pulled his clothes, and said timidly: "Brother, please don't go... I don't want you to go so far."

However, no one could persuade this young man who was already "addicted".

He viewed his family's dissuasion as more of a questioning of his ability.

Yes.

He is not a very powerful person. He is only mediocre in both academics and supernatural powers. He is the kind of person who would be drowned in the crowd in an instant if thrown into the streets of the holy city.

But how can we bow to fate in our lifetime?
He wants to be the white whale surging on the vast ocean, fighting against the evil waves of fate!
Like a true hero!
Lucien stood up, his eyes scanning each family member, finally stopping on the face of his father Edmund.

His voice was no longer passionate, but it carried an unquestionable determination and calmness.

"Father, mother, I have made up my mind. I don't want to live a comfortable life with food and clothes provided for me. I want to use my own hands and sword to win the honor that belongs to me. I want to see the continent of Janna with my own eyes, spread the faith of Saint Sith in that wild land, and let the eagle flag of the empire fly high there. This is my dream and my responsibility... I hope you can understand."

There was a long silence in the dining room.

The candle flames flickered, casting Lucien's resolute figure on the wall, making him appear unusually tall.

After a long time, Edmund and his wife Anna looked at each other and saw helplessness and fatigue in each other's eyes.

Besides that... there is also a hint of pride.

They understood that their son had grown up and had his own will and determination, and any more obstacles would only push him further away.

He has no ability.

But who is born with it?

At least he has the ambition to become stronger and the courage to make changes!

Children in their father's eyes are always naive and sparkling. Edmund sighed, and finally compromised and chose to believe.

"Now that you've decided..."

As he spoke, he called the butler, took a piece of fine writing paper and a quill from the latter, and placed them on the table.

"Then, as your father, the only thing I can do is support you."

He dipped the brush in ink and began writing quickly and vigorously on the paper.

It was a letter of recommendation in which he praised his son's courage, character and faith, and pleaded with the head of the Order to give him a chance to prove himself.

After writing, he took out the family's coat of arms from another small box, melted the wax with a candle, and solemnly stamped the end of the letter with the emblem representing the Dantes family.

This was the most important step, so he took it very seriously and even held his breath.

Thanks to His Highness Collins, the family crest of the Dantes family still has some weight.

"Take it," he handed the letter to Lucien, "and do not bring shame upon our Dantes family."

Lucien's eyes were red. He nodded heavily and took the heavy letter.

Anna looked at this scene, clasped her hands together in front of her chest, closed her eyes silently, and prayed in a voice that was almost like a moan.

"Saint Sith, please... please bless this innocent, kind, and brave child."

Lucien accepted the envelope and complained with a red face.

"Mom, I'm not a child anymore. Can you use a different name when greeting Saint Sis?"

Anna glared at him with bulging eyes.

"Shut up and don't interrupt my prayers!"

……

The next morning, at the Holy City Pier, the sea breeze carried a salty and humid smell and the noisy voices of people.

Newsboys walking around the streets were waving newspapers in their hands, shouting as they ran.

"Take a look at that! News from the New World! Baron Cosia's adventure story has been updated! This time he met a pretty lizard girl in the jungle. Thanks to her help in sucking it out, he was able to save his life! That snake was really poisonous!"

A bunch of gentlemen wearing bowler hats heard that "The Adventures of Baron Cosia" had been updated, and they all stopped and hurried over. "Lizard Man?!"

"Handsome?!"

"This...give me a copy!"

The newsboy was surrounded by a crowd and the newspapers in his bag were quickly snatched away.

Lucien, who was sitting in the carriage, saw this scene at a glance. He felt anxious and wanted to buy a copy to take a look.

However, thinking that he would soon set foot on that continent in person, he calmed down.

Registration is important!

The carriage passed through the bustling streets and stopped outside the port of the holy city.

Following Lucien's steps, Edmund and his wife Anna got out of the car one after another.

Looking at their eldest son, who was dressed in tight clothes and full of energy, their eyes were filled with reluctance and worry.

They had always thought of themselves as young people until this moment, when they realized that they were old.

"Lucian, my child," Anna adjusted her son's collar again, her eyes red and she cried, "You must take good care of yourself when you get there, and remember to write to us on time."

Edmund stared at him and gave him another instruction.

"When you encounter problems, remember to find your Uncle Colin and write to him. Don't feel embarrassed. Also, you should politely accept anything or help he gives you, and express your gratitude from the bottom of your heart... Remember, he gives you things because he thinks highly of you. If you are too arrogant, it would be a disrespect. Finally... don't interact with the Lizardmen!"

"Don't worry, I know everything!" Lucien's face was filled with a confident smile. He gave his mother a tight hug. "I will become a true knight and let the glory of the Dantes family resound throughout the entire continent!"

"That's not important to us. We just hope you are safe, really... Go, kid, we're waiting for you here." Anna said, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"I'll be fine! Besides, it's important to me!"

Lucien smiled confidently, turned around and gave his father another hug.

Edmund didn't say much, just patted him on the back heavily, and all his instructions and expectations were implied.

After saying goodbye to his parents, Lucien turned around, held his head high, and walked towards the makeshift registration office at the port without hesitation.

His back looks like a young soldier rushing to the battlefield, his eyes full of infinite longing for the future.

There are many young men like him. The open space in front of the port is already crowded with people, just like when His Highness Colin first came to this port... It seems as if those people who followed his footsteps have returned here again.

With the support of the Valencia family and the Regent, the office of the Knights Templar was opened in the most conspicuous place in the port.

A flag with a red cross painted on it was hung at the temporary registration office, making its location easily visible.

The line in front of the registration office was even more crowded, with a long line stretching from the door of the wooden house all the way to the pier at the dock.

They were about the same age as Lucien, about seventeen or eighteen, or twenty-one or twenty-two.

And like Lucien, they all had proud expressions on their faces. Some came with their parents, and some carried heavy bags on their backs... They must have come from far away.

Standing in the queue, he could clearly hear the excited discussions of the young men around him.

"Hey! Jimmy! Which group are you assigned to? I'm in Group 3!"

"Haha! I'm lucky, we're in the same group! Our destination is New John's Harbor! I heard it's a fjord, the scenery must be beautiful!"

"Great! From today on, we are all knights!"

Listening to these lively conversations, Lucien felt his blood boiling.

So much so that the only remaining uneasiness and confusion in his heart about the future was diluted a lot by the surging crowd in this fanatical atmosphere.

Of course, not all stories that happened at the port were happy, and some people walked out of the registration office with their heads down.

They were ruthlessly eliminated either because of their substandard physical fitness or for some other reason.

Seeing this scene, Lucien couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

His strength was average, just a Black Iron level who had just awakened his extraordinary powers, slightly stronger than ordinary people, and he practiced the most popular basic martial arts in the Holy City.

If I were a magician, maybe I would have a better chance of being selected... at least I wouldn't have to compete with those adventurers.

The long line moved forward slowly, and finally it was his turn.

Lucien handed over the pre-filled form with trepidation.

The registrar at the dock was a middle-aged man with a face that looked like he had lost his enthusiasm for both work and life.

He took the document without looking up, glanced at it casually, then took out an exquisitely crafted medal from a box beside him and pushed it out together with the document.

"The First Order of the Knights Templar, located in New John's Harbor. When you get there, someone will tell you who your superior is. Take this badge, and you will be a knight from now on."

His tone was as bland as if he was distributing bread, completely different from the enthusiastic clerk next door.

But Lucien didn't care, because at the moment his whole attention was on the badge that symbolized the identity of the Knights.

In the Ottoman Empire, the shield is one of the symbols of knights, and bestowing shields is also a tradition of many imperial knightly orders.

For example, the Royal Knights are like this!
Although this "shield" is a little small...it can still be considered a shield!
His heart beating wildly with joy, Lucien excitedly took the medal engraved with the Holy Grail and the sword, and held it carefully in his palm, as if it was a torch that illuminated his life.

He suppressed his excitement and continued to ask in a trembling voice: "Sir, may I ask... where is my fief? Where is it located in New John Port? How big is it?"

The registrar finally looked up at him, as if he thought the question was a little strange, and also as if he thought the man was strange.

He picked up a thick book of regulations and flipped through it casually. Then he cleared his throat and read out in a scripted tone: "In principle, all the lands of the Knights Templar belong to all members of the Knights Templar. In a nutshell, the entire earldom is your fiefdom. Of course, it is also the fiefdom of all other knights."

Lucien was confused by this sentence and stood there in a daze.

But he was not really stupid after all. At least he was smarter than the people around him, so he asked cautiously.

"So... I don't have a fiefdom that belongs to me alone?"

"Didn't I tell you that the entire earldom belongs to you, young man? What else do you want?"

The registrar replied perfunctorily, somewhat impatiently.

"However, the place is still very barren, and you need to build everything with your own hands. After a while, your leader will naturally discuss the land issue with you."

Having said that, he skipped the subject.

"Listen, here are some things to note. New John Port is located in the fjord area on the coast of central Janna. The climate is humid and rainy. Remember to bring potions to prevent malaria and clothes that dry quickly. The closest tribe to your base is the Lizardmen tribe of the Tide Tribe. You can exchange rum or spices with them for fresh fish and pearls..."

He finished reading it like a text, then pulled out a crudely printed booklet from under the table and threw it to Lucien.

"The details are all written here. Your flight will depart in a week, so go back and make preparations. Okay, stop blocking the people behind you, next one!"

Lucien nodded blankly.

Even though his head was dizzy from these words, he still tried hard to remember every word the registrar said.

Including preparing medicines, rain gear, exchanging rum for food with lizardmen, and maybe bringing his father's fishing rod... Although all this is far from the glorious knighthood he imagined, it brings a strange and real sense of freshness.

Speaking of which, what exactly is this knight order trying to do?

Although he listened to Lord Colin's generous declaration after the funeral word for word, he had little impression of this most important thing. He didn't know whether he missed it or the Lord just glossed over it.

Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly remembered his father's solemn instructions before leaving, and hurriedly took out the letter that was carefully sealed with wax from his arms.

Although he felt it was a little late, he still shamelessly stayed in front of the counter and handed the letter out despite the urging of the person behind him.

"Wait, sir, I have another letter of recommendation... Who should I give this to?"

The registrar was too lazy to deal with him anymore and was waving impatiently at the person behind him.

In his opinion, the resumes of those who could really get in through the back door were already in the drawers of the Duke of Valencia or Marshal Aberg. Who would be stupid enough to come to the dock and queue up in such a long line?

Not to mention the strong wind and cold weather, if you're unlucky you might get thrown a bunch of fish by seagulls.

However, just as he thought this, the corner of his eye suddenly swept across the exquisite and clear wax emblem on the envelope.

In just a moment, the impatience on his face froze, and was replaced by unprecedented seriousness.

Sitting up straight, he took the letter and said nervously, "Wait, let me see your letter... Your... Your last name is Dantes?"

He raised his head and repeatedly compared it with Lucien's young and handsome face... although he had never seen the legendary Sir Dantes, nor did he know what His Highness Colin's distant nephew should look like.

"Yes."

Lucien puffed out his chest.

He didn't think much about the twists and turns, he just remembered what his father said - he must not bring shame to his family.

The registrar talked to his colleague next to him for a few words, checked the family emblem on the envelope again, and after confirming that it was correct, the expression on his face became extremely wonderful.

He leaned forward silently and snatched away the first medal that Lucian had just hung on his chest before it was even warm. Then he quickly took out another medal from another more exquisite box and replaced it for him without saying a word.

"I just made a mistake on the list. You have been reassigned to the Seventh Regiment, and your destination is Deadwood Harbor! You need to prepare... well, there's nothing special to prepare. Bring your own clothes and photos of your family, in case you get homesick."

According to some unconfirmed rumors circulating from the navy, the conditions in Deadwood Harbor are the best among all the bases of the Knights Templar.

At least, there is a real port and a "castle" there. The destinations of other groups mostly only exist on the map.

"Deadwood Port? Is there any difference between it and New John Port?" Lucien asked nervously.

For some reason, he always felt that the word "dead wood" was full of ominous connotations and did not sound as hopeful as "New John's Port".

After learning his last name, the registrar's smile became noticeably warmer, his tone was no longer as cold as before, and even his address was changed.

"I really don't know about that, brother," he grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, "but I heard that it is now the territory of Baron Cosia, the one in 'The Adventures of Baron Cosia'. You should have read that newspaper, right? It is said to be published by the newspaper company invested by His Highness Colin."

Most citizens bought the newspaper just for fun, but those who really knew what was good bought it because of Colin's last name.

At least in the past two years, there has been nothing more important in the holy city than those 700 million square kilometers.

Hearing the familiar name, Lucien's eyes lit up and he was immediately delighted.

"That's Uncle Kosia's territory!? Great!"

"Yes, that's great. I hope everything is going well for you over there! Also, my name is Dochi, and I serve in the Coastal Defense Fleet, which is the fleet commanded by General Castellón! Maybe we will meet again in Janna in the future, and I hope you will remember me then."

The clerk named Doqi solemnly handed him a beautifully printed booklet and said happily at the end.

"Bon voyage, future knight!"

(End of this chapter)