Knight Lords: Infinite Simulation and the Path of Light

Chapter 147 The Bloodstained Road 2
“Frederick, I know you’re very sad. If you really can’t take it, just cry. There’s no one else here.”

After learning what had caused his friend's condition, Kevin wanted to comfort him, but in just a few days, his father died, followed by his childhood friends, brothers and sisters, who had died one after another. Finally, on the day before he was to return to the capital, his mother was also murdered.

Although the bond between siblings in the royal family may not be as deep, it is still painful to learn of each other's death, let alone the loss of their mother who has been their only family since childhood. No one can cope with such a situation.

After a very long silence, just as Anduette was about to go out and make arrangements for the White Lion soldiers who had been teleported with him, Frederick, who had been sitting silently in his chair, slowly raised his head. His crimson eyes held no anger as he looked at the three people in the tent and slowly said:
"So what is Lord Cavendish's opinion on this matter? I want to know his attitude towards me."

Upon hearing Frederick IV's composed words, Anduette's face revealed a strange expression. His father was right after all. This tenth prince was indeed not like his usual self. Faced with such a series of blows, he quickly regained his composure. It was no wonder that his father chose him in such a chaotic situation.

Of course, besides this reason, Anduette turned his thoughts to Kevin standing to the side. As the current leader of the White Lion Legion of the North, his powerful strength, outstanding talent, and the armed forces that could change the situation were all so important.

Of course, more importantly, his relationship with his sister was not like that of those completely unreliable aristocratic alliances, and it was precisely for these reasons that the Cavendish family's influence on the upper house and the Senate had grown increasingly stronger in recent years.

Therefore, although this crisis seems to have had a very large impact, it has also changed the fate of many people. Opportunity and risk are always intertwined.

“Your Highness Frederick, the answer you seek depends entirely on your response. Before I answer your question, I would like to ask you something first.”

Seeing the earnest look in her brother Frederick's eyes, Louise, feeling a little worried, put her hand on Kevin's arm. Feeling the touch on his arm, Kevin looked down and smiled slightly at the somewhat nervous Louise.

"What do you want to do by returning to the capital this time, or to put it another way, what do you want to achieve?"

Upon hearing Anduette's words, Frederick pondered for a moment, then stared intently at the other man, his innate aura of superiority immediately overwhelming him.

But faced with Frederick's aggressive demeanor, Anduette did not show any unusual behavior. He looked back at Frederick with the same firm gaze, as if both of them wanted to see through each other's thoughts.

"Hehehe~ What do I want to do?"

Of the two who had been solemn, Frederick suddenly laughed. This somewhat strange laugh made Kevin, who was standing next to him, frown. He felt that his friend seemed to have changed at some point.

"That's an interesting question. If I said that Kevin and I came back this time just to see if there's anything I can do to help, what would your answer be?"

In response to Frederick's question, Anduette chuckled, exuding the aura of an elite nobleman.

"If that's the case, we would be happy to offer Your Highness any assistance within our capabilities."

Watching the two begin their extreme struggle, Kevin, standing to the side, finally realized what that familiar yet strange feeling was. It turned out that a creature called politics had appeared in his friend.

“My father was absolutely right. In some places, you nobles are even more detestable than those bloodsuckers of the church.”

Despite Frederick's slightly mocking tone, Andouette remained remarkably calm, as if he hadn't heard a word, and said with a smile:
“It’s still different, Your Highness Frederick. Compared to those churches that want to turn the empire into a subservient place or a pasture, we nobles will always stand on the same side as His Majesty the Emperor. The empire’s unparalleled prosperity is our ideal.”

Upon hearing Anduette's words, Frederick did not laugh mockingly this time. After all, Anduette was right about one thing: if anyone in the entire empire wanted the empire to prosper forever, it would undoubtedly be the noble families, who were as ancient as the empire itself.

As long as the empire exists, the rulers of the empire will live on forever, enjoying wealth and glory. Although many old families will decline for various reasons throughout history, many new families will also emerge.

Ultimately, however, the empire was jointly ruled by noble lords and the royal family, unlike the Duchy of Parra, where nobles and commoners were like sheep kept in a pen by the church, with the only difference being that nobles might be the last to be consumed.

"What if I said that I came back to rescue the empire from chaos and sever the Church's entangled tentacles?"

Hearing Frederick's pointed words, Anduette's eyes gleamed.

“Ah, is that so? That’s wonderful. We are all waiting for a leader who can guide us on the right path, and my father, Marquis Cavendish, has long said that His Highness Frederick is the one who can lead us on the right path.”

Seeing the unusually agitated Anduette, Frederick IV's expression shifted between light and dark. He vaguely recalled his conversation with his father, with whom he had a strained relationship, when he left the palace for the north.

"George~ George, come here~ let me take a good look at you. After this departure, I don't know when we, father and son, will see each other again."

The younger, more immature Frederick looked at his father, the emperor, sitting on the throne.

Frederick was a child who was not loved from birth, and in the words of some of his brothers, he should not have been born at all.

After enduring countless scornful looks, slander, and insults for no reason, young Frederick blamed all the blame on his father, which made their meetings always so awkward.

"Father, tomorrow I will be leaving King's Landing for the North. Before I leave, I have a question I'd like to ask you. Did my existence bring you more joy or more regret?"

The now-white-haired Sleeping King Gene did not directly answer young Frederick's question, but instead waved to him.

As Frederick approached, Keane placed his hand on his son's already quite strong shoulder and looked intently at Frederick, as if trying to imprint the latter's face deeply into his mind.

'George, you are of course a source of pride for me. It is because of your presence that I no longer feel so ashamed when facing Luxman.'

Take good care of yourself when you go to the North. Your mother and I will be waiting for you to come back.

Under his father's burning gaze, Frederick experienced something different for the first time in his life, and it seemed to be quite a good feeling.

'George~'

Frederick, who was about to walk out the door, turned back and realized that the man he had always disliked had aged considerably.

In the blink of an eye, the man who had been so difficult for her to face was dead, and her mother had left with her father. At that moment, the things that had been troubling and bothering her didn't seem so important anymore. Most father-son relationships are actually this strange: absolute pampering in childhood, a ruler-subject relationship in youth, complete estrangement in adulthood, barely exchanging a word, then an attempt at understanding in middle age, and finally, when one of them is bedridden, their relationship returns to that of father and son.

At this moment, Frederick, having put aside his resentment, slowly recalled the details of his daily conversations with his father.

"George, as the masters of the empire, we must be extremely careful in making every decision. Every decision you make affects the fate of tens of thousands of ordinary people."

'George, sometimes compromise isn't a bad thing. Compared to dignity, enabling everyone to live prosperously is a great thing.'

'George, one day you'll understand how difficult some seemingly easy decisions are when you actually decide to carry them out.'

'George, calm down. Some seemingly helpless choices are actually the best choices.'

'George~~~~~~~~~~~'

Frederick shook his head, clearing the noise from his mind, and looked intently at Anduette again, then extended his right hand.

"It seems we have a common goal, and hopefully we can achieve our mutual wishes through hard work."

When Frederick extended his hand, the emotional Andouette grasped it with both hands.

"Of course, the Cavendish family is willing to do anything for you, and of course, many other families are equally willing to go through fire and water for you."

Seeing her older brother suddenly become so close to Prince Frederick, Louise looked at Kevin with a strange expression, puzzled.

"Kevin, what's going on with them?"

Faced with his lover's question, Kevin gently shook his head and remained silent, but the sense of loss rising deep within him lingered, and he couldn't help but recall the advice that Mori had given him before he left.

"Kevin, now that you've gone back with Frederick, it's like you've chosen sides. You know we Northerners never get involved in these succession disputes. By doing this, you're dragging the entire North into it."

Kevin ran his hand through his hair, trying to clear his mind of distractions, before heading out for some fresh air.

"Kevin~"

When Kevin heard Frederick call his name, he turned around and looked over. The unfamiliar aura of the latter still made him feel a little uncomfortable.

"What's wrong, Frederick? I'm going to check on the soldiers. There's nothing for me to do here. You can talk to Anduette about the rest."

Clearly sensing his friend's unusual state, Frederick paused before speaking:
"Okay, Kevin, go ahead and do your thing. The scenery in my eyes hasn't changed. You'll walk with me all the way, right?"

Looking at Frederick's weary yet pleading eyes, Kevin hesitated for a few seconds before smiling and replying:
"Yes, Frederick, whatever you want to do, I will be with you."

Hefeng Avenue
A well-equipped, densely packed cavalry unit galloped steadily along the road. Under the sunlight, the magic runes on the surface of the white lion suits shone brightly. The newcomers were Frederick and his entourage, who were traveling from Roteslo to the capital.

"So, you're guessing that this whole thing was orchestrated by the Eighth Prince Sangor and the Church?"

Frederick, protected by the White Lion Knights in the middle of the group, was loudly asking Anduette, who was also galloping beside him.

"Based on what has happened so far, it is basically His Highness Sanggor's doing. With the support of the Church, and if no one stands up against him, it is not a problem for His Highness Sanggor to ascend the throne and become the next monarch of the empire."

As the warhorse lurched, Frederick, who wasn't wearing a helmet, had his short, light red hair fluttering in the wind. To be honest, he really hadn't expected that it would be Sengorg and his gang who orchestrated this huge conspiracy and upheaval.

"Besides the Second Royal Construct Knights being wiped out by the Tower of Platinum, what about the other garrison forces in the capital? The First and Third Construct Knights, the Fifth Swordsman Construct Knights, the Royal Griffin Knights, and the White Horse Guards—what are they all doing?"

When Frederick asked him, Anduette thought for a moment and finally found a suitable description to give.

"Well, how should I put it? The things that are happening now, in general, don't fall into the category of a rebellion. All the major legions can do is stand by and wait for orders. However, because military orders can't go through the full process right now, the legion commanders can't carry out any orders, whether they are from other princes or from the Upper House or the Senate."

Reminded by Anduette, Frederick did recall this rule, which was originally intended to prevent false orders, rebellions, or infighting. After all, seven or eight hundred years ago, the highest leaders of the empire's major legions were all members of the royal family, which provided the conditions for the emergence of the 'Battle of King's Landing'.

Fortunately, Kevin and he returned, along with six hundred elite White Lion construct knights, which made his appearance the biggest variable.

Just as Frederick was pondering, a roar interrupted his thoughts.

"What happened."

Frederick shouted as he watched his friend leap from his horse and float in mid-air.

"Anduette, it seems that what you said is not entirely accurate. It seems that some troops do not intend to abide by this regulation."

Frederick, take good care of yourself!

White Lion!!! Prepare for battle!!!

Under a cloud of smoke and dust, a heavily armored knight regiment of about three thousand men charged toward the group.

(End of this chapter)