Prophecy

"My champions..."

"You have returned! Carrying the scent of gunpowder, bearing the glory of victory, with the hopes and pride of the entire kingdom—you have come back!"

"For years, you left your homeland and fought bloodily on foreign battlefields. With wills of steel, you repelled powerful enemies; with scorching blood, you guarded the kingdom's territory; with fearless courage, you wrote legends. Every blood-stained banner is engraved with your loyalty; every scar is your most glorious medal..."

"Today, the whole kingdom cheers for you! The flowers on the streets bloom for you, the bells ring for you, the people's applause rises for you. You are the backbone of the kingdom, the guardians of peace, the eternal heroes in our hearts!"

"Now, lay down your weapons and embrace your loved ones! Enjoy the fruits of victory, feel the warmth of home..."

"At the same time, we must also honor the heroes who fell in this war..."

"For victory, for the heroes, for our great kingdom—cheers!"

Listening to King George III's speech, Lucius felt like he was back in a "school assembly." The entire rhetoric made this "Memorial Service" feel more like a "victory banquet," with the theme being "triumph" rather than "honoring the heroes."

Only the living get to enjoy the rewards!

Leif Strauss, observing Lucius's state, said:

"Lucius, don't grieve..."

"I really agree with that term Rochelle coined: 'The victor is king, the loser a bandit.' But I prefer 'Only the living are victorious'—only the living get to enjoy the victory."

"Remember, only the living have hope!"

"I'll get your father's things back for you; no one will take them."

Hearing Leif Strauss's lesson, Lucius replied calmly:

"I understand, Uncle Leif." In his mind, he thought, Of course I understand—I know the situation in this world, and I'm not some protagonist in a novel with a cheat.

Still, he was curious: "Uncle Leif, did the Kingdom of Ruun gain a lot in the South Continent this time?"

Seeing Lucius's mood visibly improve, Leif said casually: "This time, we mainly dealt a heavy blow to the Forsak Empire's land forces in the South Continent, greatly increasing the kingdom's influence over the colonies. In terms of strategic value, it's meaningless, but you know the relationship between the two countries. Normally, a banquet like this wouldn't happen, but since it's Forsak..."

"Come on. His Majesty the King is done over there; let's go offer our congratulations and see if we can get your title confirmed."

Uncle Leif walked off without giving Lucius a chance to refuse, leaving him to silently follow.

Looks like this can't be said openly—we're heading to a private reception hall, aren't we? As they walked further, Lucius began to look around, his mind wandering. Why come to the reception hall now? Are there other guests?

"Your Majesty."

When Uncle Leif called out "Your Majesty," Lucius was jolted awake, nearly cursing out loud.

But seeing Leif Strauss snap a military salute, Lucius hurriedly followed with an awkward, half-baked salute.

He couldn't help it—his consciousness had just returned, and the soul controlling this body had already changed. Though he had the relevant memories and the body's muscle memory, instinctive resistance remained.

Hearing someone call him "George III," the king turned to look at the source of the voice.

But the first thing he saw was Lucius's sloppy salute, and his mouth twitched. Whose child is this, with such poor etiquette?

He was about to lose his temper, but seeing who was beside him, he kept telling himself it was a good day and not worth scolding. Still, there was no need to be kind.

George III's expression darkened. "Leif, why are you here this time? I remember Charles wasn't on the return list. Given your personality, why would you show up here?"

Since Leif Strauss was standing in front of Lucius, he hadn't seen the flawed salute. Hearing the king's tone, he felt puzzled but put on a sorrowful face:

"Your Majesty, you know this war claimed many heroes who sacrificed themselves for the kingdom's victory. My only nephew, Reinhard Sheffield, also fell in this war."

"And now, little Lucius is only fifteen. I came this time fearing he might make a mistake at the banquet."

Hearing Leif Strauss's words, George III looked again at the boy with the improper salute. "So this is Lucius Sheffield? The sole surviving heir of the Sheffield family?"

No one knew that upon seeing Lucius's appearance, the king thought, If I didn't know his situation, I'd be captivated by his looks alone. No wonder he's the product of a union with a 'Witch'—if he walks the Assassin pathway, his beauty will only grow.

Seeing George III lost in thought, Leif Strauss sensed an opening and said directly:

"Your Majesty, I believe you've seen the battle reports and know the Sheffield family's situation. Hard Sheffield died for the kingdom..."

"So I came this time mainly to request that you issue an early order to complete the title inheritance."

"You are one of the 'insiders' regarding the Sheffield family's past affairs. Back then, the royal family's intervention meant Hard Sheffield never 'married' publicly, so Lucius's identity has never been formally recognized, which hinders the title's succession."

"I beg Your Majesty's mercy."

George III looked at his old general and said, "Follow me."

Leif Strauss had no choice but to follow George III to the private reception hall, with Lucius reluctantly trailing behind. Once inside, after Lucius closed the door, the king finally spoke:

"Leif, you should know the restrictions on the kingdom's title inheritance. Even if I acknowledge his identity, Little Sheffield hasn't reached the required age. If I let him inherit directly now, there will be many objections."

Hearing this, Leif Strauss's face changed. "I can..."

But before Uncle Leif could finish, George III interrupted:

"Leif, I know you can sway some officers to agree to this title inheritance. A hundred years ago, you wouldn't even need to tell me, and no one would oppose it. But you should know times have changed. Now, the 'nobility' is composed of various strata, and because of these strata, the current nobles hold different stances. Even if I agree, those 'politicians' absolutely won't."

Hearing this, Leif Strauss could only sigh helplessly, thinking that reclaiming the Sheffield title would come at a price.

"Your Majesty, you know the Lu Sheffield family now has only this one heir. If he doesn't take the title now, the kingdom will reclaim the territory soon. In two years, when we 'insiders' gradually fade away, completing the title inheritance will become nearly impossible."

Lucius watched the exchange, thinking, No wonder they've held high positions at this age—if I had to speak like that, I'd lose in the first round.

Still, this "Uncle Leif" was truly devoted to him.

"Leif, let me speak with Little Sheffield alone. You may leave."

Hearing "George III's" words, Leif Strauss paused inwardly, then a look of bewilderment crossed his face as he thought, "What can you even talk about with a little kid who knows nothing? That old bastard must be scheming something."

But since "George III" had already spoken, he couldn't argue. He could only turn around while repeatedly signaling Lucius with his eyes and subtly shaking his head.

Lucius, who had been quietly watching the two old foxes spar, thought he wouldn't need to speak. But now, why did he have to have a private conversation with him? What use was talking to him?

Seeing his uncle's expression, he sensed something was off, but he could only nod slightly to show he understood.

After Leif Strauss walked out of the reception hall and closed the room door, "George III" finally spoke:

"Lucius, you should know that your 'Sheffield Family' has been serving the Kingdom of Ruun, or rather the 'Augustus Family,' for over six hundred years."

"Under normal circumstances, your family should at least be 'Viscount' by now, or even higher, like 'Count.' Do you know why that is?"

Lucius could only think as he racked his brain: How would I know? Is there some secret here? The original story never mentioned such a minor noble. So he had to play dumb and shake his head to show ignorance.

Seeing Lucius's reaction, George III understood that this Little Sheffield truly knew nothing. So he said, "Actually, over four hundred years ago, your family could have been promoted to 'Viscount,' and by your great-grandfather's time, to 'Count.' But due to your ancestor's reasons, they kept refusing the kingdom's noble promotions."

Hearing "George III's" words, Lucius's first thought was, "??? What kind of person would turn down a higher title!"

Before Lucius could finish his thought, "George III" continued, "Your family once received a prophecy from a high-ranking member of the 'School of Life': 'When other pathways sprout, that will be the day of Sheffield's rise.'"

Hearing about the School of Life's prophecy, Lucius thought, "A high-ranking member of the School of Life who can prophesy must be from the Monster pathway! Monster... Little Snake Will? Could he have prophesied my arrival?"

"As for which specific person made that prophecy, it's unknown. Perhaps you can look into it when you go back."