Frankly speaking, Laing and the old king did not meet many times. Ever since he came to Brittany, the number of times he met Richard could be counted on one hand.
On the one hand, it was because Leon had a certain degree of compulsion when he was conferred the title of Baron. To put it simply, it was the meaning of the Fairy of the Lake. After Richard was conferred the title of Baron, Leon should have been his vassal. Therefore, there was a reason and basis for him to order Leon.
But that was where the awkward problem lay. Laing was a Grail Knight, while Richard was only an Expedition Knight. The Grail system of the kingdom determined that Expedition Knights could not order Grail Knights around. In addition, Laing had the support of the Goddess and the sacred-level François, so it was difficult for Richard to control Laing. The relationship between the two was very awkward, and they rarely met.
On the other hand, Laing and Richard did not have the same political views. The only tacit understanding between them was that Richard's eldest son, Charles, would not have the chance to ascend the throne. Richard preferred Laing, while Laing obviously wanted to fight for the throne with all his might. Both sides had fought and fought for the position of Knight King many times. In the end, the battle ended with Richard's failure, Laing's defeat in Muxilon, and Laing's recovery of Muxilon. Richard accepted the outcome of his failure, and the grudge between the two sides finally came to an end.
Before Matthew Bad was killed by Laing at the gate of Cullona, Richard had already passed his title of Duke of Le-Angoulin to his nephew Taubert, and sent his grandson William on the Grail expedition. As for his son, Prince Charles, who had waited for more than seventy years but did not get the title of Duke and King, and finally chose to become a vampire?
Who cared?
Every time Laing saw Richard, he could feel that he seemed to have aged a little. When he first came to Brittany, Richard's hair was still gray. When he failed to suppress Laing, his hair had turned gray. Now, it was almost completely white.
"What? Are you surprised? " Richard was standing at the door. He had become a pure old man. The old king who was about to step down stroked his beard. "I think I need to see you."
"Of course." Laing hesitated for a moment, but he still felt that he had to show basic respect to Richard. It was not because Richard was cowardly or timid, but because he had to uphold his legitimacy. Only by giving sufficient respect to the old king would his throne be legitimate. "Uh, excuse me?"
"Are you interested in going out with me? They're nearby. "Richard spread his hands." They didn't bring any weapons. They didn't arrange anyone. "
"Okay, wait a moment. I'll go talk to Suria." Laing nodded. He turned around and entered the room. He said a few words to Suria. The female knight was a little surprised, but she quickly expressed that there was no problem.
A few minutes later, in the dimly lit streets of Culona, the old king and the soon-to-be king strolled down the street, ignoring the curfew. There were no pedestrians on the streets at this time. Under Lauren's rule, the curfew in the capital was strictly enforced. Other than a few nobles who had the right to walk on the streets or merchants who had received special permission, there was no one on the streets.
The street lights were not bright. Culona was Brittany's most populous and largest city. It would cost an astronomical amount of money to keep the lights on at night. Laun only ensured that the city maintained basic lighting, so both Richard and Laing's faces were faintly discernible under the lights.
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" Richard's old voice was calm and relaxed.
"I remember you're the one who's looking for me." Laing was amused.
"Your Majesty," Richard said in a hoarse voice.
"Yes?"
"You have to call me 'Your Majesty' because you're not the king yet." Richard snorted coldly. "Don't you have any basic manners?"
"Alright, Your Majesty. I remember you're the one who came to me first." Laing rolled his eyes. Even at the end of the day, this old man still remembered to take advantage of the situation.
As soon as Laing's voice fell, Richard nodded and did not say anything else. The old king walked in front, and Laing followed behind. The two walked along the streets together. Richard did not say a word, and so did Laing.
In the strange silence, the two gradually approached the Cathedral of the Holy Grail Champions and Warriors. The holy and glorious cathedral shone brightly under the illumination of the magic lamps. The story of the twelve first Knights of the Holy Grail would be told here forever, until the end of the world.
"No one will ever forget Arthur and his companions from the Holy Grail. No one will ever forget the twelve glorious wars they fought to establish the kingdom. Without their sacrifices and victories, there would be no Brittania today, the kingdom of knights." Richard stroked his white goatee. The old king's eyes were already filled with tears. "Laing, as the inheritor of Randuin's will and virtue, you must be able to understand this feeling, right?"
"His Excellency Randuin is worthy of being a perfect knight. He sacrificed himself to save Mu Xilong. Without his sacrifice, there would be no Mu Xilong today." Laing nodded slightly. At this moment, other than endless admiration rising in his heart, there was no other emotion in his heart. Without sacrifice, there would be no victory. In the long history, countless martyrs used their blood and glory to cast the cornerstone of mankind.
"Heh, heh, heh …" Seeing Ryan's expression, Richard laughed sarcastically and self-deprecatingly. He pointed at the rows of stone benches at the entrance of the Holy Grail Cathedral and said, "I'm old. I can't walk so much. Sit with me."
"Okay." Laing did not refuse. He and Richard sat at both ends of the bench.
"Have you ever hated me?" Richard was sitting on the bench. He turned his head and asked Laing, "Since the Battle of Knights in the Arden Forest, I have made things difficult for you more than once. After that, I even wanted to transfer you to the Arabian Crusade. Tell me, Lady's Chosen Champion, have you ever hated me in your heart?"
"No, at most, I'm just annoyed." Laing shook his head calmly. "We just have different standpoints."
"Hmph! Hahahaha! Different standpoints? " Richard laughed loudly when he heard this. His old laughter spread far and wide. A few guards from the Holy Grail Cathedral immediately came out to check the situation. When they saw the old king and the new king sitting together and chatting, they quickly saluted and retreated. The old king looked at the guards and sneered. "You think that we have different standpoints? Laing, do you know that when I was young, I was like you, a reformist? "
“？？？” Laing frowned when he heard this. He tried to figure out the meaning of Richard's words.
This old guy has changed his mind. Has he changed to support me?
Or is he about to abdicate and is trying to please me?
"Why, you don't believe me?" Richard sneered. "Do you know the Le-Angoulan Marine Corps? This army is fully equipped with flintlocks, and it's decades older than your old guards. "
"I didn't expect that army to be created by you." Laing decided to wait and see. He was indeed a little surprised because the Le-Angoulan Duchy did indeed have a gun battalion called the Marine Corps. However, due to its lack of presence (Laing had not seen it since he came to Brittany), he had almost forgotten about it. He did not expect that this army was actually created by Richard. "But I don't think I've seen it before."
"That's because this army is no longer useful." Richard nodded slightly. He seemed to sigh helplessly. "About thirty or forty years ago, when this army was first created, it still had some fighting power. After a long period of lack of battle formation and poor management, the serfs were not willing to fight hard. The army that was built with a large sum of money and the guns bought from the Empire were all useless. I didn't think about this as thoroughly as you did. I once thought that as long as we bought guns and trained them strictly, our army would not be worse than the Empire's.
"… Only the equipment can keep up. The system and management can't keep up. It's useless." Laing said casually. "This kind of temporary army can only fight a full-scale war at most. The soldiers will either earn enough money or die on the battlefield."
"Well, now do you believe that I used to be a reformist?" Richard's turbid eyes glowed faintly. "I realized it long ago, much earlier than you. When I was a duke, John I and John II were on the throne one after another. They were waging war on the outside and madly squeezing the country's power and wealth from the serfs. I was probably the most radical of the dukes back then!"
"… I can't tell." Laing did not know much about Brittany's history and stories.
"You must want to know why I became like this?" Richard chuckled. "When I ascended the throne, the high-spirited and ambitious Duke of Le-Angouland, the Paladin Richard, nicknamed 'Tiger', how did you become this cautious old man today?"
"My Majesty …" Leon let out a sigh of relief. He looked up at the dark night sky. The bright moonlight filled the entire street, shrouding the Holy Grail Cathedral in an unreal light and shadow.
"After I ascended the throne, I thought of many ways," Richard said. "But without exception, they all failed. I spent a few years, and I thought that the dukes would support my decision when they elected me, but they didn't. On the contrary, they only focused on their own interests. I was restrained in every way. What's worse is that I couldn't get the support of Her Highness Morgiana. If Her Highness Morgiana doesn't support me, then the lady will definitely not stand on my side."
"Laing, the power of habit and tradition is terrible. When a country with a thousand years of history gradually declines, many times it can't be saved by the strength of a single person. Laing, do you really think that John the First and John the Second were heinous criminals and tyrants who harmed the country?" Richard turned his head and looked at Laing. "I thought so at first, too. It wasn't until I became king that I realized that John the First and John the Second were not what I thought. They also wanted to save this declining kingdom, but they didn't choose the right way. Especially John the Second, who hoped to have a Holy War of Chivalry, through an expedition to the Evil Land to fight the Green Dwarfs to gain actual control of the kingdom. But in the end, his army of chivalry was wiped out, and he was pulled down from the throne by Her Highness Morgiana."
Laing heard this and sighed softly. He understood. The new king also looked at the old king. "So, after trying many times, you chose to give up. Because John the Second's ending scared you."
"Yes, I'm scared." Richard nodded slightly. "Selflessness is often just a pursuit. I have my family, I have my family, and I have my vassals. I can't let bad luck befall them because of my selfish desires. I can only become what I hated the most. I can only be a rubber stamp and try my best to maintain stability, like an old captain desperately steering a broken ship that is leaking everywhere. I'm tired, and I'm tired, but I can't stop, and I don't dare to stop. Ryan, you have your way of protecting the kingdom, and I have mine."
Speaking of this, Richard's eyes were filled with tears. "When I was three years old, I heard the story of Arthur and the twelve first-generation Knights of the Holy Grail. I used to think that as long as I was like Arthur and his companions in the story, bravely moving forward and not fearing evil, I could have my own great achievements. But after I became king, I realized that I couldn't do anything about the current situation. When I saw your various strange actions and repeated challenges to the existing order, my tired heart and fragile will made me instinctively hostile to you because I knew that this kingdom could no longer withstand any small ordeal."
"My king …" Laing looked up at the black night sky. Who could understand the weight of the crown? Everyone only saw the glory and power symbolized by the crown, but few people knew the weight of the crown. It was enough to turn Richard, a once brave and proud paladin, into what he was today.
Old, conservative, decadent, and stubborn.
"I'm glad that you've found a way." Richard took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. "It's your time now. The future of the kingdom will soon be in your hands. I have a feeling that the Kingdom of the Knight King will either be in chaos or great prosperity under your rule."
"Just wait for my performance." Laing did not know what to say. Until today, he was still not very confident about becoming king. The whole kingdom would be under his rule. He had an indescribable feeling in his heart. It was as if he was excited and worried. In the future, he would have to shoulder the burden of this kingdom by himself.
"Humph, speaking of which, you're still an outsider," Richard said casually. "But what does it matter? Arthur is also an outsider. All the Brittany people migrated from across the Grey Mountains. Since you married Suria, you're a Brittany. "
"So many people don't know. You can't predict yourself." Laing stretched out his index finger and gently rubbed it under his nostrils. Then he spread out his hands. "A person's destiny is, of course, dependent on his own efforts. But you also have to consider the course of history. My Majesty, how can I, the adopted son of the Lord of Nord, become the Knight King?"
"Oh, this isn't the first time. Wasn't the Knight King Tayloff also the illegitimate son of the Duke of the Empire?" Richard was also a little emotional. "I've been on the throne for more than thirty years. If I think about it carefully, I've done about three things."
"First, after decades of chaos and militarism by John I and John II, I presided over the restoration of production, stabilized the political situation, and stopped the civil war between the Dukes."
"Second, I stopped the war of knights for more than twenty years and restored the strength of the kingdom and the number of knights."
"Third, I reached an agreement with the former Emperor of the Empire, Luitpold, to maintain the overall peace between Brittany and the Empire for nearly thirty years."
Richard continued to talk. Laing nodded and smiled. The old king was not talking to Laing, but to himself. In fairness, Richard did have his own contributions to the kingdom.
"If there's anything else I've accomplished, it's that I've tried to import the Empire's technology. Also, Egil's invasion was on a large scale, but these are all secondary. My main accomplishments are three small things. I'm ashamed that I've only done a tiny bit of work."
"The future is yours, Laing. Below heaven is your heaven."
"May the Lady bless you."
After saying this, the old king stood up and ignored Laing. He left alone. His old figure was no longer as strong as it was in the prime of his life, but the pride in his heart and the ease of unloading a heavy burden made him walk quickly. After turning a corner, Richard left. Laing knew that this was probably the last time he would see Richard.
"Very good. Next, it's my turn."
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