The merchant girl's shrill laughter lingered in the corridor as she slowly disappeared into the distance.
The two Bansia Knight stared at the scene with their mouths agape as the black smoke dissipated into the corridor. Sorcerer Sadr's dark gaze swept over them: "What are you waiting for?" He said coldly: "Clean this place up."
The two knights, one old and one young, hurriedly lowered their heads and acknowledged.
Sadr turned around and looked at Amandina from head to toe. The woman's words before she left made him feel that something was wrong: "Are you the princess of this kingdom?"
Amandina looked into his eyes without fear, her gaze clear and firm, but she did not say a word.
Sadr snorted coldly in his heart when he saw this. He knew that his hypnosis did not work. Even though a wizard's mind control spell was powerful, it had to be built on the premise that the target was not on guard. If the target was familiar with your methods, then the chances were even slimmer.
He was afraid that he would damage the little girl's brain, so he did not continue. With a dark expression, he gestured to Amandina to follow him.
Even though Amandina did not reply, she knew that it was pointless for her to resist, so she followed him silently. The two of them entered a study. Sorcerer Sadr did not speak, and took out a communication ruby from a drawer and rubbed it twice with his fingers.
After about fifteen minutes, there was a knock on the door.
"Mr. Sadr."
Amandina heard the voice and felt all the blood in her body rush to her brain. Even though she had expected it, she could not help but tremble in anger. Sorcerer Sadr knocked on the table, and the door opened by itself. Amandina raised her head and looked at the person outside. Her gaze was like two sharp swords that pierced towards the person.
The person outside the door did not expect to meet such a terrifying gaze, and could not help but take a step back.
But when he saw who the owner of the gaze was, his expression changed: "Why is it you?"
"Who is she?" Before Amandina could say anything, Sadr, who already had a bad premonition, spoke first. He sat motionless in his seat, his face dark and gloomy to the point of being frightening.
The person who came was Makarov.
This was the confidant of the Royal Faction, the cunning fox of Lantonilan, the confidant of the Grand Duke of Carnot.
The traitor was wearing a gray, black fur coat. The hat on his head was covered with dew, rain, and snow, and his boots were covered with half-dried mud. He looked like he had just arrived at Lighthouse not long ago and had not had time to rest after a long journey.
Amandina looked at his pitiful appearance and sneered in her heart. The dignified minister of Erouine's court was acting so carefully, wagging his tail and begging for mercy. Did he look like the leader of the Royal Faction at all?
Was this the lifelong pursuit of this man?
Indeed, he got what he asked for.
"My lord, there's a problem." Makarov knew what Amandina's gaze meant, but he ignored it and answered respectfully: "This is not the princess, she is the mistress of Count Tónigel. She is also a powerful woman."
"I didn't expect you to be such a despicable person, Makarov," Amandina looked at the traitor and said coldly: "You betrayed the princess and slandered the relationship between my lord and myself. Do you think everyone is as filthy as you? How dare you call her princess?"
Makarov was about to retort, but Sorcerer Sadr shouted angrily: "All of you, shut up!"
He suddenly stretched out his hand, and a bolt of lightning shot out from his fingertips and struck Amandina's chest. Amandina screamed in pain as she crashed into a bookshelf. She felt a sharp pain in her back as the bookshelf fell on top of her, and the books fell heavily on top of her, burying her under them.
Blood gushed out from all over her body, and there was a salty taste in her mouth. She coughed weakly and felt like she was about to faint. But she heard Sorcerer Sadr's voice from outside: "You better give me an explanation, Makarov."
"My, my lord …" Makarov suppressed his uneasiness and tried to explain: "… … I don't quite understand."
"My subordinates were the ones who captured her, but the item was given to me. Do you think my subordinates dared to lie to me?" Wizard Sadr sat in his seat, his gloomy face like a dark cloud that was brewing a storm. "Now that we've captured her, you're telling me she's not the princess?"
"My lord … … I understand … …" Makarov gulped and racked his brains to understand the problem: "Can I see it?"
Sorcerer Sadr snorted coldly and tossed a gemstone to Makarov. It was the Gorlin Gemstone that was used to verify Amandina's bloodline when she was captured by the Banxians.
Makarov silently took the gemstone and examined it carefully. This gemstone was originally a part of the Lionheart Sword. It was embedded in the hammer of the Sacred Sword by the first generation of swordsmiths as a symbol of Erouine's authority.
Later, during the Battle of Balta, the jewel was lost from the sword, and the knights only found it a year later. After that, the late King Erik used it to make a crown, which has been the treasure of House Seifer ever since.
After the fall of House Seifer, this crown naturally fell into the hands of House Covardo. Its last owner was King Oberg the Seventh. Before this muddle-headed king died, he entrusted the crown to the Royal Faction for safekeeping. In fact, this crown had always been in the hands of Makarov and Oberwei.
Makarov carefully examined the gemstone that emitted a bright light. He flipped it over and over for a long time, but he could not figure out what was wrong with it. He swore that this gemstone was the real Gorlin Gemstone, but why would there be such a problem?
After a while, the traitor raised his head in confusion while holding the gem. Looking at his expression, Sorcerer Sadr knew that it was a waste of time: "Are you trying to say that I made a mistake?"
"My lord, I … …" Makarov broke out in cold sweat. He might be someone important in Erouine, but he was nothing in front of the people of House Seifer.
Just as he was about to find an excuse to explain himself, a hoarse sneer came from under the overturned bookshelf: "… … Mister Sorcerer, why are you letting him continue to deceive you?"
Makarov subconsciously turned his head around.
He saw the bookshelf being pushed open by a pair of weak arms.
A young girl covered in wounds struggled to get up from below. Books and debris fell from her body like rain, but in the end, the young girl staggered to her feet.
She looked at the two people in the room, and her gaze finally landed on Sorcerer Sadr.
"My lord, she … …" Makarov realized that something was wrong and quickly spoke.
But Sorcerer Sadr was expressionless, and even the anger on his face disappeared: "Let her continue."
Makarov could only obediently shut his mouth, but his expression was one of anger.
"Give me the gemstone," Amandina did not intend to let him go, and coldly looked at the traitor: "The Gorlin Gemstone is Erouine's sacred item, how can it be given to a traitor like you?"
"What are you trying to do?" Makarov felt that something was wrong.
Amandina did not answer him, and only looked at Sorcerer Sadr.
"Give it to her." Sorcerer Sadr replied as expected.
"My lord, be careful, she might break the gemstone … …"
"Give it to her." Sorcerer Sadr emphasized.
Makarov had no choice but to do as he was told.
He was known as the cunning fox of Lantonilan, but even the most cunning fox would not dare to act rashly in front of a real lion. Even though he had a stomach full of tricks, they were useless here.
Amandina took the gemstone, and the seemingly ordinary Gorlin Gemstone immediately bloomed with light the moment it touched her hand.
When the gemstone was stained with her blood, it suddenly shone brightly. It was as if a ball of fire had lit up in the center of the gemstone. It slowly expanded outwards, and finally became bright and flawless, emitting a gentle light in all directions.
The girl held the gemstone with both hands, and it was as if she was holding up the sun.
The dazzling light shone in all directions, and Makarov did not dare to look at it directly. Even Sorcerer Sadr who was not far away could not help but squint his eyes.
"This … …" Makarov was dumbfounded. He covered his eyes with his hands and shouted: "… … How is this possible!"
But Sorcerer Sadr was much calmer, and he only looked at Amandina thoughtfully.
Amandina put down the gemstone, and as if it was her will, the light from the gemstone gradually faded with her movements.
She raised her head, and looked straight into Sorcerer Sadr's eyes. Her expression was calm as she said: "The person you found is not reliable at all. He doesn't even understand the true meaning of the Gorlin Gemstone, and he actually tried to use it to find Princess Gryphine. What a joke."
After saying this, Amandina closed her mouth.
She only waited in silence.
But in her heart, she was extremely nervous. She was gambling, but if she guessed wrong, she would die immediately.
Fortunately, she did not make a mistake on the crucial point.
"Don't try to sow discord," Sadr said coldly: "No matter what you know, little girl, you can only live if you prove your worth."
"What I mean is," Amandina was unmoved, and replied with the same indifference: "You have found the wrong person. Even though the House of Covardo rules Erouine today, they are still usurpers."
At this moment, Makarov finally recovered from his shock.
When he heard this sentence, an almost non-existent possibility flashed through his mind: "Wait, you … … You mean … …"
Amandina looked at him with some disgust. She reached out and pulled out a necklace from her neck. The necklace that had lost its pendant lightly swayed in her hand, and shone under the afternoon sun.
"Do you recognize this, Mr. Cunning Fox?"
"Seifer's Heart!" Makarov almost took a step back: "You, you are the heir to the House of Seifer?!"
"Wait a moment," Sadr suddenly interrupted the two of them impatiently: "What is this? You said that she is also an heir to the House of Covardo. Do you mean that there are more than two heirs to the House of Covardo? But this does not match the information I received."
"My lord, that is not the case." Makarov did not dare to delay and quickly explained the history of Erouine. Only then did he explain why there were two royal bloodlines in this kingdom.
He talked about the Battle of Grey Mountain, the change of the House of Covardo, and the rise of the House of Covardo. Sadr finally stopped him impatiently and waved his hand: "Alright, I am not interested in these trivial matters, and I don't care how many kings were born in this small place. In fact, this is only a question for you. Does this little girl meet the requirements?"
Makarov was stunned for a moment.
He then awkwardly replied: "… My lord, if what she said is true, then I think she should meet the requirements. The Sacred Lionheart Sword was originally wielded by the late King Erik, and he was the ancestor of House Seifer. This girl is a direct descendant of Elkan III. Compared to the current House of Seifer, this branch has more legitimacy to inherit the throne. "
"Get to the point," Sadr said: "In other words, even if we find the princess, it is very likely that it will be a waste of time?"
Makarov could only brace himself and explain: "My lord, I am only saying that there is a possibility."
As one of the leaders of the Silver Confederation, Sadr was not fooled by his words and sneered: "If that's the case, then shouldn't I be thanking you for your lucky shot?"
Makarov broke out in cold sweat and could not say the second half of his sentence.
However, Sadr shook his head. He would not make a mountain out of a molehill over such a small matter. He knew that a truly reliable person would not betray their own beliefs so easily. Only these despicable people would side with them for the slightest benefit. But without these idiots, where would the Saasalds' lackeys come from?
He knew the relationship between the two of them, but he did not show it. He looked at Amandina again and sized her up.
He did not care who she was. She was just a commoner's heir. This kind of status was not worth mentioning in the eyes of the Saasalds. It was fine as long as she could use the sword.
Sadr used the slow and leisurely tone of a magus and said: "You have proven your worth, little girl. Now, tell me about your background."
Amandina looked at the two people in the room and was silent for a moment.
When Makarov told her about the history of Erouine, her heart was filled with disgust. The history of this ancient kingdom was a source of glory to some, but to others, it was just a stepping stone that could be sold at any time.
What these people trampled on was not only their own beliefs and ideals, but also the blood and sacrifice of others.
Perhaps they were not even worthy of such a title.
But she had already come this far. Even if it was her, she could only persevere.
Amandina looked at the necklace in her hand and said softly: "According to the royal family's genealogy, my original name should be Moria Elena de Seifer. My ancestor was the last king of the Seifer Dynasty, Elkan the Third."
"After the Battle of Grey Mountain, my father's grandfather brought them and fled from Seifer. After that, our branch settled down in the south. My father's grandfather had a son and a daughter. The daughter's branch lost contact with the Bloodstaff when they invaded Karsuk, and we are the descendants of the other branch. After the Age of Chaos, we settled down in the area from Randner to Grinoires. We tried our best to maintain our status as nobles until my father's generation fell … …"
"But even though we have lost our status as nobles, according to the oath our clan made, I cannot abandon my ancient name. Even if my name is Amandina today, my other name will follow me for life."
Sorcerer Sadr nodded in satisfaction.
"This is a good story," he said: "I believe you will be grateful for your frankness. Otherwise, I would have turned you into a piece of charcoal a few minutes ago. In this world, only those who can prove their worth can survive. Even the Saasalds are the same."
The leader of the Bugas clapped his hands, his slender and pale fingers overlapping. He seemed to be in a good mood: "After listening to your story, it's time to listen to our story. I hope this story will give you some inspiration."
He raised his hand and chanted an ancient and mysterious incantation.
Several shadows overlapped in the air. Light and shadow weaved together and finally formed a long sword.
Sorcerer Sadr stood up and pointed at the sword with his hand: "I think you should recognize this sword, Miss Amandina. No, I should say Princess Moria."
Of course Amandina recognized the sword.
Because it was the symbol of Erouine.
It was also the symbol of House Seifer.
It was the Lionheart Sword.
… …
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