Epilogue

Under the shade of the Old Oak Tree.

"Your esteemed Highness Mingyu, I have a request, I wonder if you would be willing to hear it?"

After clinking his wooden cup with Xian's "Rainbow Cup" a few times, Karen couldn't wait to speak.

"Please, speak."

Looking at the other party's face with a smile as bright as the warm sun of spring, Xian, sensing the goodwill, added a polite "please" to his words.

He had originally considered maintaining a aloof demeanor, but as the saying goes, one doesn't strike a smiling face.

This Viscount Hughes was clearly a tough guy at first glance, and since he was being so friendly with smiles and gifts, it wouldn't be good if he angered the other party and got beaten to death by maintaining a aloof attitude.

"Your Highness, your presence in my territory is my supreme honor, so please allow me to fulfill my duty as a host."

Karen glanced at the simple houses built of Thatch and wood and the dirt paths in the village, and spoke again:

"Although this village in my territory is still peaceful, it is too dilapidated, how could it be worthy of your Highness's noble status!"

"The castle inherited by my Hughes Family is still quite spacious, barely able to serve as your Highness's foothold, please condescend to move there."

"I swear on my honor as a Knight, you will be the most distinguished guest since the construction of this castle, and I will order the servants to serve you with ten times the respect they have for me."

Karen rose from his chair, placed his right hand on his left shoulder, and bowed slightly towards Xian, his voice low and gentle, conveying frankness and sincerity.

Tap tap.

Xian's fingers unconsciously tapped the armrest of the chair.

Looking at Viscount Hughes bowing in front of him, he fell into thought.

To go, or not to go?

Going there obviously carried a certain risk. Medieval castles were not just residences, but more importantly, they served as small military fortresses.

If his identity were exposed there, then he would truly be unable to escape and could only sit and wait for death.

But Xian's eyes gradually became firm.

To survive in this completely unfamiliar world, the most important thing right now was not strength, but knowledge.

He had to understand this world's past, present, and the ethereal future.

Just like everyone on Earth knew that the two strongest countries in the world were the Eagle and the Dragon, one couldn't call a black person a black person in front of them, nor could one discuss business with curry people.

He needed to understand the deeply ingrained common sense of the people, or rather, the nobles, of this world.

For this, he would not hesitate to risk his life!

If he went to the castle, he could quickly acquire this common sense, but if he didn't go, and he continued to stay in this small village of Fruit Basket Village, showing off in front of villagers who had never left the village in their entire lives, then he, who was still ignorant of this world, would sooner or later face a disaster.

So, wasn't the answer obvious? "Viscount Hughes..." Xian said slowly.

Hearing this, Karen raised his head.

"I look forward to your hospitality." Xian said calmly. In an instant, this powerful Knight, who had escaped death many times in the brutal war comparable to a meat grinder, the "Dragon-Lion War," revealed unprecedented ecstasy on his chiseled face.

"My greatest honor."

As dusk approached, Xian, having packed his luggage, bid farewell to the people of Fruit Basket Village under the Old Oak Tree, accompanied by Anlìyà and Berg.

"Your Highness, I will forever remember everything you have done for Fruit Basket Village. May the radiance of the sun and the God of Justice forever shine upon you."

Robert's eyes were filled with tears, his weathered face full of gratitude as he bowed deeply.

The rest of the villagers knelt on one knee.

Looking at the middle-aged man before him, who was not old but already had a head full of white hair from worry, Xian sighed softly.

When he first met this middle-aged man in a sheepskin robe, he thought he was a villain because he was too ingratiating and dressed better than the surrounding villagers.

But now he knew how foolish his thoughts were at the time.

This was a noble man, a respectable elder.

"I only did what was within my duty, and so did you."

Xian gently lifted Robert up by his arms and whispered in his ear.

"May the gods bless you." Xian also did as the Romans do.

The elder was so moved that he was in tears.

Next was Robert's separate instruction to Berg and Anlìyà.

"Berg, you are a good lad. Thanks to you for saving His Highness from the wolves, Fruit Basket Village was saved. Thank you!"

Robert patted Berg on the shoulder and thanked him sincerely.

"Village Chief, you don't need to thank me. The person you need to thank the most is yourself."

The young man shook his head and said calmly.

"If you hadn't insisted on taking me in despite the opposition of others, I would have starved or frozen to death long ago. In that case, His Highness would have become a corpse in the wolves' mouths."

Robert silently raised his fist, and Berg's tone changed instantly.

"My lord is blessed by the gods, and even without me, he will surely turn bad luck into good fortune."

Robert was satisfied and lowered his fist, looking at the slightly immature face of the young man with bruises all over it, he sighed and instructed: "Berg, you must remember, no matter when, no matter where, no matter who asks, even your son, even me, the answer is not that you saved His Highness, but that His Highness saved you from the wolves."

"You must remember that His Highness is a good person, and may treat you as a friend, but he can never be your friend, only your lord. You must engrave this in your soul."

"You must remember to obey all of His Highness's orders, even if they are absolutely wrong. You can make mistakes, but you must never fail to act."

After instructing him with countless words, Robert looked at the determined young man in front of him and suddenly smiled.

"Farewell, may you always walk on the road of pursuing your dreams, may the gods bless you, my... child."

The young man silently gave Robert a hug, then turned and left.

He didn't like farewells, because farewells carried the risk of loss, and he would definitely see his family again.

Next was Anlìyà.

"My daughter, you must remember that although His Highness likes you very much now, a man's love is like a beautiful dream, fleeting, and forgotten when he wakes up. His Highness is a good person, but he is also a man."

Robert earnestly instructed the girl in front of him.

"A noble and handsome prince like Your Highness is like a potent poison to all women. Many, many girls will fall in love with him, and among them, there will definitely be those who are as beautiful as you, or even more so. Therefore, you must never rely on your looks to act spoiled and arrogant, or even have the extremely foolish idea of demanding that Your Highness only love you."

"To Your Highness, you must be obedient, obedient, and always obedient."

"Your Highness may not love you, but you must never not love Your Highness."

"If possible, get pregnant with Your Highness's child as soon as possible. A mother's status comes from her child."

As he was instructing her, Robert seemed to have thought of something and suddenly froze.

Slap! He slapped himself hard and then knelt down in front of Anlìyà.

"If... if you weren't my daughter, that would be good."

Robert's voice was full of sorrow, as was the expression on his face, as if he had done something unforgivable.

Yes, as a father, not being able to give his daughter the right to be born into happiness, isn't that a sin in itself?

"Father..."

The girl gently wiped away the tears from the man's eyes, and then, like when she was a child, gently kissed the man's wrinkled and weathered face.

"Being the daughter of a serf may not be an honor, but being your daughter is the greatest honor of my life."

She smiled, a radiant smile never seen before on her pretty face, along with a hint of tears.

(Village plot comes to a perfect end!)

This is the last chapter of the first part of the plot, so I polished it many times but was still not satisfied, wasting time. I estimate I will still revise it when I look back on it later. Okay, asking for monthly tickets, family~~ Please, thanks (ω)