The Prophecy

"My warriors..."

"You've returned! You've come back with the smell of gunpowder, the glory of victory, and the hopes and pride of the entire kingdom!"

"For years, you were far from home, fighting bloody battles on unfamiliar fields. You held off powerful enemies with wills of steel and defended the kingdom's lands with your burning blood. You wrote a legend with your fearlessness. Every bloodstained flag bore witness to your loyalty; every scar was your most glorious medal..."

"Today, the entire kingdom cheers for you! Flowers bloom along the streets for you, bells ring for you, and the people's applause rises for you. You are the backbone of the kingdom, the guardians of peace, and the heroes who will live forever in our hearts!"

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

"At the same time, we must also remember the heroes who died in this war..."

"To victory, to our heroes, and to our great kingdom—cheers!"

Listening to King George III's speech, Lucius felt as if he'd gone back to a school assembly. The speech made this "Memorial Service" sound more like a "victory banquet," with "victory" as its purpose rather than "honoring the fallen."

Only the living could enjoy the fruits of victory!

Leif Strauss looked at Lucius and said:

"Lucius, don't be sad..."

"I agree with the term Roselle coined: 'The winners become kings, and the losers are condemned.' But I like this even more: 'Only the living can claim victory.' Only the living can enjoy the fruits of victory."

"Remember, there's hope only as long as you're alive!"

"I'll help you get your father's things back. No one will take them..."

After hearing Leif Strauss's words, Lucius replied calmly:

"I understand, Uncle Leif." What he actually thought was, Of course I understand. I know how this world works, and I'm not some protagonist from a novel with a cheat.

Still curious, he asked, "Uncle Leif, did the Loen Kingdom gain a lot from this campaign in the South Continent?"

Seeing that Lucius was clearly feeling better, Leif casually replied, "The main thing was that we dealt a heavy blow to the Forsak Empire's army in the South Continent, greatly increasing the kingdom's influence over the colonies. In terms of strategic value, it didn't mean much. But you know what relations between our two countries are like. Under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be a banquet like this. But the other side was the Forsak Empire."

"Come on. His Majesty the King has finished up. Let's go congratulate him—and see if we can get your title settled."

Uncle Leif strode off without giving Lucius a chance to refuse. Lucius could only follow along in silence.

Looks like we can't talk about this openly. They'd already reached the private Reception Hall. As they went farther in, Lucius began looking around, his thoughts wandering. Why are we going to the Reception Hall? Are there other guests?

"Your Majesty."

At the sound of Uncle Leif addressing "His Majesty the King," Lucius snapped out of his daze and nearly swore aloud.

But when he saw Leif Strauss give a military salute, Lucius hurriedly copied him, though his own salute was all wrong.

There was no helping it. His consciousness had only just returned, and the soul controlling this body had changed. He had the relevant memories, and the body had its muscle memory, but his instincts still resisted.

Only after hearing someone call "George III" did the king turn toward the source of the voice.

But when he first saw Lucius's salute, the corner of his mouth twitched repeatedly. Whose child is this? His manners are atrocious.

He'd just been about to lose his temper, but when he saw the person beside Lucius, he repeatedly reminded himself that this was a joyous occasion and there was no need to scold the boy. Still, he didn't have to be pleasant about it.

George III said coldly, "Leif, what brings you here this time? I don't recall Charles being on the list of those returning. Given your temperament, why would you show up?"

Leif Strauss stood in front of Lucius, so he hadn't seen the botched salute. Hearing George III's tone, he was baffled. He could only put on a sorrowful expression and say:

"Your Majesty, as you know, many heroes gave their lives in this war, securing the kingdom's victory. My only nephew, Hard Sheffield, also died in battle."

"And now Little Lucius is only fifteen. I came because I was afraid something might go wrong for him at the banquet."

At Leif Strauss's words, George III once again looked at the boy who had saluted so poorly. "Is this Lucius Sheffield? The sole living heir of the Sheffield Family?"

No one knew that, seeing Lucius's appearance, His Majesty the King was thinking, If I didn't know his circumstances, I'd be captivated by him just from his looks. No wonder he's the product of a union with a Demoness. His looks will probably improve even more once he advances along the Assassin pathway.

Seeing George III lost in thought, Leif Strauss immediately sensed an opportunity and spoke up.

"Your Majesty, I'm sure you learned about the Sheffield Family's situation from the battle reports. Hard Sheffield died fighting for the kingdom..."

"So I came to ask you to issue an order early, allowing his title to pass to his heir."

"You also know what happened to the Sheffield Family back then. Because the Royal Family intervened, Hard Sheffield was never officially married. As a result, Lucius's identity was never made public, which could cause problems with the succession of his title later on."

"I beg you to show mercy, Your Majesty."

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

Leif Strauss had no choice but to follow George III to the private Reception Hall. Lucius followed reluctantly. It wasn't until Lucius had closed the door behind them that the king spoke:

"Leif, you should know the restrictions on inheriting a title in the kingdom. Even if I acknowledge his identity, Little Sheffield is still too young. If I let him inherit the title now, many people will object."

At George III's words, Leif Strauss's expression changed. "I can..."

Before Uncle Leif could finish, George III cut him off.

"Leif, I know you could persuade some officers to support this succession. If this had happened a hundred years ago, everyone would have agreed without your even needing to ask me. But you should know that things aren't like they used to be. The nobility is made up of people from different classes, and those classes have left the nobility with conflicting interests. Even if I agreed, those 'politicians' certainly wouldn't."

After hearing George III's words, Leif Strauss could only sigh helplessly. It looks like we'll have to pay a price to reclaim the Sheffield Family's title.

"Your Majesty, you know that only one heir remains in the Lu Sheffield Family. If Lucius doesn't take over the title now, the kingdom will reclaim the estate before long. Give it another couple of years, and once those of us in the know have gradually retired, it'll be even harder to transfer the title."

Watching the two of them negotiate, Lucius thought, No wonder they're still in high positions at their age. If I were in this conversation, I'd lose in the first round.

Still, his "Uncle Leif" was really going all out for him.

"Leif, let me speak with Little Sheffield. You can wait outside."

At George III's words, Leif Strauss's heart sank. He looked stunned. What can you talk about with a child who knows nothing? Is this old man plotting something?

But George III had already spoken, and Leif couldn't argue. As he turned to leave, he kept signaling to Lucius with his eyes and giving a slight shake of his head.

Lucius had been quietly watching the two old foxes negotiate, thinking he wouldn't have to say anything. But now he had to speak with George III alone? What good would talking to him do?

His uncle's expression made him feel something was up, but all he could do was nod slightly to show he understood.

Only after Leif Strauss had left the Reception Hall and closed the door did George III speak:

"Lucius, you should know that your Sheffield Family has served the Loen Kingdom—or, more precisely, the Augustus Family—for more than six hundred years."

Under normal circumstances, your family should have been at least Viscounts by now, or even higher-ranking Earls. Do you know why that never happened?

Lucius could only ponder as he thought, How would I know? Is there some secret behind this? The original story never mentioned a minor noble family like this. I can only play dumb. He shook his head to show that he didn't know.

Seeing Lucius's expression, George III understood that Little Sheffield truly knew nothing. He explained, "In fact, your family could have been promoted to Viscounts more than four hundred years ago, and your great-grandfather could have become an Earl. But because of your ancestor, your family repeatedly refused the kingdom's offers of promotion."

At George III's words, Lucius immediately thought, ??? What kind of person could turn down a higher title?

Before Lucius could finish pondering, George III continued. "Your family once received a prophecy from a high-ranking member of the School of Life: 'When other Pathways begin to emerge, the Sheffield Family's rise will begin.'"

Hearing about a prophecy from the School of Life, Lucius thought, A high-ranking member of the School of Life who could make prophecies must have been from the Monster Pathway! Monster—Little Snake Will? Could he have foreseen my arrival?

"As for who made the prophecy, there's no way to know. Perhaps you can look into it when you get home."