Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 70 Honors
Rean arrived at the Earl of Lucifer's mansion, or rather, the castle named after the mansion, six hours early.

This Earl's mansion, named after Glory, is a small castle fortress complex built of enchanted white stone. It looks gray and gloomy, but it is actually quite valuable.

As the city lord's private residence, it lacked the luxury expected of a great nobleman, instead resembling a frontline fortress about to go to war.

As Rean walked in, he saw war weapons such as ballistae, engineering hammers, and war golems, as well as many dwarf and gnome craftsmen.

Following the various shouts and sounds of battle, I saw soldiers training under the three layers of city walls, and a large number of superhumans chatting in the inner banquet area.

Those Radiant Guards, who were subtly looking around warily, were all extremely vigilant, as if they could step into the battlefield at any moment.

"It is said that the current 'Glorious Earl' Albert Lucifer is not only a military knight, but also participated in the great war more than a decade ago. He was a comrade-in-arms of the previous hero, Lex. Compared to his status as the city lord, he clearly values ​​his identity as a knight of the kingdom more, as he wears armor all year round."

The information Rean had gathered left him with mixed feelings.

After all, drawing that previous card also means that the previous hero, Rex, should also be a "Lee Eun-suk," and most likely the one closest to him.

So, it seems I'm about to meet my past life. Maybe it was even a comrade-in-arms from a previous life?
"Gah! What are comrades! My daughter! My daughter from my past life!" Kuku was quite excited, though it was unclear what he was excited about.

Rean was suddenly speechless. He had never even been in a relationship before, so how did he suddenly have a daughter from his past life?

He hadn't really figured out how to deal with it.

However, considering the repeated reincarnations of "Li Ensu" and the existence of immortal beings in this world, he should prepare himself as soon as possible, as his entanglements with the past will not be limited to this one time.

“The Li Ensu of the past is not me” This is not shirking responsibility, but a reality he has carefully considered.

A person's upbringing and environment differ, ultimately shaping their personality in completely different ways. Even if many factors and memories are consistent, and even if all memories are eventually recovered, they should not be considered the same person.
“Superficial! Individual! Soul!” What Kuku meant was that the soul is one, and the soul is the essence that distinguishes individuals?

Rean shook his head; he did not agree, even if the other party might be more authoritative or more correct.

"Well, let's just take it one step at a time." It seems that this is the only way Rean can deal with things now.

Entering this fortress-like lord's mansion, Rean carefully observed the surroundings and indeed noticed some uniquely styled furnishings.

For example, like Suliman's mansion, there are clearly some portraits and sculptures of previous heroes, but unlike the sculptures in Suliman's mansion, which are more like works of art, these are more rugged and have a more battlefield style.

They do not specifically depict any one person; the knights on the battlefield are the main theme, and many of the portraits are group portraits of the battlefield.

Various platforms display different battle-damaged weapons, each marked with the name of its former owner.

Underneath some of the specimens and skull artifacts of monsters and demons are the names of the hunters.

The largest mural should depict a hero presiding over a war council in a tent, while the middle-aged knight closest to him, wearing a griffin crest, is likely the city lord himself.

In a sense, it was this experience that made him a staunch supporter of the monarchy even after the kingdom declined.

"Oh, you got here first?"

Rean was led by a servant to a small reception room, where Larry was already waiting and chatting with the two local hosts.

She changed into a set of men's aristocratic attire. The high collar of the attire accentuated her sturdy build, making her appear tall, slender, and very handsome.

A young, handsome knight with an exceptionally youthful face might be particularly attractive to a noblewoman.

She seemed a little uncomfortable, even while sitting, she subconsciously tugged at her white shirt. But considering she might be meeting the royal family, wearing such a formal dress was appropriate.

Rean didn't bother with formal attire; he came as a knight.

If he were to get a formal suit, firstly, there wouldn't be enough time, and secondly, it wouldn't be suitable for him as a "former nobleman." Instead, it would make him seem like he was excessively eager to curry favor with the nobility and royalty, which would make him look bad.

Rean naturally didn't understand any of this. But Suliman explained it all clearly, and even made him a decorative suit of armor.

"Lord Rean!" Upon seeing Rean approaching, she stood up with delight and hurried over.

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

"I'm sorry, I was left at home yesterday and couldn't meet you at the docks." It seems she also knew about Rean's "great achievements" yesterday.

Knowing that Rean had regained his Paladin powers, she was probably even happier than Rean himself.

Rean tiptoed and patted her on the shoulder, both as encouragement and as a gesture for her to stand further away.
"Ha, you must be Rean, not bad, not bad!"

Rean was patted on the shoulder by a large hand again.

Suddenly appearing before me was an elderly man with a full head of white hair. But upon closer inspection, his face did not appear that old; rather, he looked like a prematurely aged middle-aged man.

The canine-type beastman was as strong as a small elephant, with many scars on his cheeks and a white beard, making him look like a warrior who had experienced too much.

He was much taller and stronger than Rean, and he kept knocking Rean backward.

"Lord of the City." Rean recognized who it was and quickly bowed.

"Heroes emerge from among the young, truly remarkable. It reminds me of the brave warrior of yesteryear." His opening line had the air of an old man, constantly reminiscing about the past.

But Rean froze. How should he deal with this? Could he be so unlucky as to be recognized immediately? Had his memories of not being his face been erased?

"Sir Rean, please don't mind him. The Earl is always like this."

The old city lord was actually kicked away.

"You old codger, stop bringing up the hero all the time. How many future heroes are we talking about this year?" The woman behind the city lord tapped her father on the head, stopping his tantrum.

“Grand Knight Claire.” Rean (Sallyman) had done his research beforehand and knew that this captain of the Radiant Guard was the most likely person to receive him and his party.

Albert Lucifer, known as the 'Glorious Earl', has several children, but none of them are particularly famous or talented.

The ones who truly held up the scene and became the backbone of the city were actually his two goddaughters and three godsons.

It is said that most of them were the orphans of his comrades-in-arms. Before the kingdom collapsed, this count had a high reputation in the military.

"Redhead" Claire Frode is the name of the tall woman in front of you wearing a lion's head cape.

She is said to be known for her frenzied blood-drinking on the battlefield, which makes Rean feel uneasy. She must also be a lizardman, or a pseudo-dragon.

But now it seems that she, with her ambiguous reputation, is far more normal than her godfather.

"Ha, this is different. This time it's really similar, too similar." The old knight was still comparing them.

“Sir Rean, don’t mind him. That’s just how my father is. He’s retired, and nobody’s playing with him anymore. He’s always teasing young people.” But this time, his adopted daughter couldn’t be bothered with him at all.

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

This was probably something the master had intentionally created. Although Rean still felt somewhat uncomfortable for some reason, he understood the friendliness and sincerity behind it.

In particular, the lord's enthusiasm for Rean was a bit excessive, even far exceeding his enthusiasm for Larry, who was of noble birth, mostly because they were from the same faction (the royal faction).

From another perspective, inviting Larry to receive the medal, and with Labour's full cooperation and support, subtly reveals the higher-ups' desire to ease the conflict between "liberals" and "conservatives" through this event.

At least, let's just let bygones be bygones the matter of the royal family, along with the count and the city lord, assassinating the finance minister and some nobles.

After a conflict arises, a banquet is often needed to mend things, at least superficially.

The Earl was very busy. He came over for a few words and then left. He came mainly for Sudar (Saliman) rather than Rean himself, since they were political allies.

But it's clear that his appreciation for outstanding knights and warriors is genuine and undisguised.

He even offered Rean the opportunity to join the city guard, with officer-level benefits, and to join the Radiant Guard once Rean had regained some strength.

Judging from Claire's annoyed expression behind her, it was clear that this was yet another instance of a premeditated hunt without any prior consultation.

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

The city lord wasn't annoyed; he simply patted Rean on the shoulder, indicating that the invitation was open to change of mind at any time.

The city lord left, and Larry and Rean both breathed a sigh of relief. What made Rean feel uneasy was that he felt nothing at all.

"As expected, I have absolutely no feelings for Lex's acquaintances."

There was no nostalgia, no extraneous emotions, and no so-called flashbacks; it was as if I were seeing a stranger.

After the city lord left, Claire chatted briefly, showing sufficient sincerity and courtesy, and then departed.

Before long, Talia was also brought there by the servants.
"It's beautiful. It suits you very well."

The elegant black dress perfectly complemented her figure, and her neatly combed hair softened her otherwise fierce demeanor considerably.

At first glance, she transformed from a tomboy into a wealthy young lady.

"Heh." The woman covered her mouth and chuckled, making Rean even more uncomfortable.

"I've learned it, in order to get closer to the goal." The next moment, his face turned cold and calm.

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

Dimon won't be coming; his status isn't suitable for him. Talia, on the other hand, is the one who needs this award the most. Whatever she wants to do, she needs a better starting point.

Now that we finally have some free time, we naturally started chatting about recent events.

The situation in the dock area seems to be going well, while other areas of the city are also busy. The conservatives and liberals have reached a certain consensus and are now chasing after and killing those cultists.

The royal family is overseeing the battle, seemingly determined to wipe those guys out no matter what.

They killed many small fish and small groups, but they didn't see any big fish like the former Vice Minister of Finance.

This awarding of honors was also something that all parties hoped to see—the awarding of honors to members of the Labour family, the backbone of the liberal faction. It also suggests that the royal family is only dealing with the matter at hand and will not go to extremes.

Rean then realized that this matter was truly significant, and that even the princess had apparently come specifically to handle it.

She appeared in the city on the very day of the operation to hunt down the vice-officer.

On the other hand, Labor's attitude towards Rean has also changed significantly, which means that Rean has brought Larry into the world of paladins with a touch of gold.

The status of a classic Oath Knight among paladins: He may not have any official position or great power, but his resume alone is enough to make other knights look at him with respect.

After the royal family intervened in the incident, it was tantamount to officially endorsing Rean's "knightly honor".

Associating with Rean will greatly benefit Larry's future, and indirectly benefit Labour as well.

If Labour were to harm Rean again, it would be a serious blow to Larry's knightly honor, and he might even be branded with the infamous reputation of being "ungrateful" and "betraying his comrades/seniors."

On one side is the "eldest son" who may inherit the family business, and on the other side is a "criminal" with a long criminal record. It goes without saying how the head of the family will choose.

As for the unfortunate third son who was bewitched by the cultists, the fact that he was buried in Labour's name already shows that the current head of the family is quite considerate.

"It's really cruel." Even Rean, the person involved, didn't know how to comment.

Larry gave a wry smile, unsure how to respond.

But he still had some good news to share.

"My spiritual abilities are awakening."

This is probably quite a subtle point.

For a normal professional, awakening soul abilities at the third tier is considered early.

But in this knightly group where everyone was filled with bitterness and resentment, this was already incredibly slow.

Rean and Talia congratulated her, praising her for understanding her own heart, which made her very happy.

When asked about its specific ability, the response was a subtle one: "It should be a defensive ability." It seems that it's still a long way from being fully awakened, and it might have to wait until she advances to the next level.

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

This incident will still be defined as a cult colluding with certain nobles to cause trouble; all that will be done is to say some empty words of loyalty.

Rean learned it, and it wasn't too difficult. Given his status, standard knightly etiquette was sufficient.

Not long after, when the awarding ceremony began and Rean actually saw the person awarding the medal, he completely lost his composure.

"Wait, isn't this Dragon Hunter?! She's my daughter from my past life?!"

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar little girl on the platform, with her cold and serious face, Rean was stunned.

What makes it even more subtle is the thing on her head that moves unconsciously.

"These cat ears and lion ears are so much more realistic than the fake ears on Lana's head. Oh, and there's a fake tail too, and it can even move!"

The man appeared calm, but the thoughts he harbored should have been banished long ago.

(End of this chapter)