70: Chapter 54 Knight_3 70: Chapter 54 Knight_3 Leon looked over there.
He saw a middle-aged man, holding a peculiar hammer-headed staff and dressed in half robe armor, staring intently at him.
“This is my Magician advisor, Hilgard, who comes from the Northern Society,” Trosa introduced to Leon.
This was also the first Spellcaster from the Otherworld Leon had met, aside from Miss Lora.
However, looking at that burly figure, draped in thick armor, carrying an all-steel Nail Head Hammer staff, and with a face full of tough flesh,
Leon felt there was quite a gap between this image and that of the popes he had in mind.
Without being told, he would have thought this hulk was a warrior who swung a War Hammer at people’s heads.
“Unfortunately, my lord, that little wooden cage fell apart as soon as it left the forest,” Leon shook his head.
This wasn’t entirely true.
The structure of the Spirit Lamp was indeed not sturdy, but it wasn’t broken; it was just temporarily useless without a soul as its wick.
Leon had an unexplainable fondness for hamsters and was not willing to lose such a Magical Artifact that, in his eyes, possessed supernatural power.
Who knows when it might be needed?
And lying now was for that same reason; he did not want, nor should he, show her creation to outsiders without Miss Lora’s permission.
Hearing the response, Hilgard was greatly disappointed; however, he continued to inquire, “Then, according to your earlier account, the Crossbow Arrow that injured the Griffin must still be there, right?
That thing didn’t matter much.
Miss Lora had shown a disdainful and dismissive attitude at the time, so it probably wasn’t anything rare.
“Do you need me to retrieve it now, Mr.
Hilgard?” Leon asked him.
“No need, we’ll talk about it later,” Hilgard shook his head.
Waiting for his old friend to finish speaking, Trosa was about to speak when he suddenly heard Baron Eriv from a nearby seat ask Leon, “What are your plans after this?”
Trosa glanced at Baron Thorny Flower and immediately discerned his intentions.
The Old Earl stroked his beard, feeling pity but still wisely dropped his original thought.
After all, it was found on someone else’s land, and it was only right to give in gracefully.
Leon, hearing the question, turned to look at the local lord.
He detected that this noble seemed inclined to help.
After a moment’s thought, Leon organized his words and responded to Eriv, “As you can see, my friend has been injured in battle and temporarily cannot move well; we may need to rest in your territory for a while.”
“And after the recovery?” Baron Eriv asked.
Leon continued, “Initially, our plan was to find some suitable jobs in town to settle down and accumulate wealth and then help Lokhak find her sister and rescue her from the hands of the Kantadar people.
Perhaps we’ll return to our hometown, or maybe one day, we will attempt to find those who killed our family and make them pay for their blood debt.”
Whether it’s searching for a companion’s relative or seeking revenge on enemies, that all requires power…” Baron Eriv said meaningfully, turning his head towards General Trosa.
The Old Earl smiled and gestured for him to proceed.
Seeing this, the Baron expressed his gratitude towards him.
Then he turned to Leon to declare his decision.
“In recognition of your acts of saving this village and returning the Thorny Blade to me, as a token of my gratitude, I offer you two choices.
If you wish to return to your homeland, I will bestow upon you two thousand gold crowns as a reward, and purchase any spoils of war you cannot carry with you at market price, then dispatch knights to safely escort you back to the Seryan Kingdom…”
Leon and his companions listened, their eyes beginning to sparkle.
Two thousand gold crowns!
Had they not heard about the ransom money for Kantadar meat tickets before, their reaction might have been even more shocked.
Do not think that because a Kantadar knight could offer a thousand gold crowns as ransom to a villager, that this amount was insignificant.
In order to save his life, the captive knight noble had almost drained his family’s savings of several generations; any more, and even if they killed him, he couldn’t have produced it.
And now, disregarding those spoils of war, just this hefty sum coupled with the scavenged Kantadar Gold Coins, carrying such a fortune back home, they, even as mere unknown soldiers, could become esteemed guests among countless officials and nobles.
Leon took a deep breath, trying to calm his excited heart, continuing to listen to the Baron’s following choice; generally, the highlight is saved for last.
Or, you can choose to swear allegiance to the Orland Kingdom, become my knights, and become vassals of the Thorny Flower family,” Baron Eriv calmly finished with a smile.
Compared to the first choice, which could bring a smile even to the most expressionless faces,
the second option he voiced seemed so casually light.
Is there even a choice to make?
Leon and his peers exchanged glances, their excitement quickly cooling down.
For them, who had undergone severe hardships, in this world, power that could protect themselves and their wealth was the truly priceless treasure.
And to be able to present this choice to three teenagers aged about fifteen or sixteen,
the appreciation of the giver was evident beyond words.
Even Count Trosa raised his eyebrows in surprise; even though he highly appreciated these three youth, he had intended only to take them in first as personal attendants for cultivation.
To directly knight these almost-grown children was generally a treatment reserved only for royal heirs.