Mystery: But the Witch's Path

"My warriors..."

"You've returned! You've returned, carrying the scent of gunpowder, the glory of victory, and the hopes and pride of the entire kingdom!"

"For years, you have been far from your homeland, fighting bloody battles on unfamiliar battlefields. With an iron will, you resisted powerful enemies; with your burning blood, you protected the kingdom's territory; with your fearless courage, you wrote a legend. Every blood-stained flag is etched with your loyalty; every scar is your most glorious medal..."

"Today, the entire kingdom cheers for you! Flowers bloom in the streets for you, bells toll for you, and the people applaud for you. You are the backbone of the kingdom, the guardians of peace, and our eternal heroes!"

"Now, lay down your weapons, embrace your loved ones! Enjoy the fruits of victory, 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, to our great kingdom, cheers!"

Listening to King George III's speech, Lucius felt as if he had returned to a "school assembly," and the entire speech made it seem like this "memorial service" was a "victory celebration" with the main purpose of "victory" rather than "commemorating heroes."

Only the living can enjoy the fruits of their labor!

Rafe Strauss, observing Lucius's condition, said:

"Lucius, there's no need to be sad..."

"I agree with Russell's coined phrase 'the victor is king, the loser is villain.' But I prefer 'only living is victory.' Only those who live can enjoy victory."

Remember, there is hope only in living!

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

After hearing Rafe Strauss's teachings, Lucius calmly replied:

"I understand, Uncle." What I truly thought was, "Of course I understand. After all, I know the situation in this world, and I'm not like a protagonist in a novel with some kind of cheat code."

But she still asked curiously, "Uncle, did the Kingdom of Rune have a good harvest in the Southern Continent this time?"

Seeing that Lucius's mood had clearly improved, Rafe casually remarked, "This time, the main purpose was to severely damage the 'Fusak Empire's' army in the southern continent, greatly increasing the kingdom's influence over the colonies. From a strategic point of view, it doesn't have much significance, but as you know, there's no way this kind of banquet would be possible under normal circumstances, but who can blame them when the other side is 'Fusak'?"

"Let's go. His Majesty has finished his business. Let's go and offer our congratulations, and while we're at it, could we perhaps finalize your title?"

Uncle Rafe left as soon as he finished speaking, giving Lucius no chance to refuse, so he could only follow silently behind him.

It seems this matter can't be discussed openly; we've already entered the private reception room. As Lucius walked further, he began to look around, his mind racing with questions: Why are we in the reception room at this hour? Are there other guests? ...

Your Majesty

Lucius was startled awake by Uncle Rafe's cry of "Your Majesty," and almost blurted out a curse.

But seeing Rafe Strauss give a military salute, Lucius hurriedly followed suit with an awkward, inappropriate salute.

There was nothing that could be done. Consciousness had just returned and the soul controlling this body had changed. Although people have relevant memories and the body has muscle memory, it still couldn't change the instinctive resistance.

He only turned around to look at the source of the voice when he heard someone call him "George III".

But the first thing I noticed when I saw Lucius's military salute made my lips twitch. I thought to myself, whose child has such poor manners?

I was about to get angry, but when I saw the person next to me, I kept telling myself that today was a great day and there was no need to scold them, but there was also no need to give them a nice look.

King George III said with an unfriendly expression, "Rafe, what brings you here this time? I remember Charles wasn't on the list of those returning. Given your personality, why are you here?"

Because Rafe Strauss was standing in front of Lucius, he didn't see the incorrect salute. Hearing the tone of "George III's" voice, he was also bewildered and could only begin to express his sorrow:

"Your Majesty, as you know, many heroes sacrificed their lives in this war to bring about the kingdom's victory, and my only nephew, Rhine 'Hard Sheffield,' also tragically perished in this war."

"And now Lucius is only 15 years old, so I came here today because I was afraid that he might make a mistake at the banquet."

Upon hearing Rafe Strauss's words, King George III once again turned his gaze to the child whose bowing was improper. He said, "This is Lucius Sheffield? The only living heir of Sheffield?"

No one knew that it was this king who, upon seeing Lucius's appearance, thought, "If I didn't know his background, I would be captivated by his looks alone. He is indeed the product of a union with a 'witch.' If he had taken the path of an assassin, his appearance would have been even more striking."

Seeing that George III was deep in thought, Rafe Strauss immediately sensed an opportunity and spoke up.

"Your Majesty, I believe you also learned of the Sheffield family's situation through this battle report. 'Hard Sheffield' tragically died fighting for the kingdom..."

"Therefore, the main reason I have come here is to request that you issue an order to complete the succession of the title ahead of schedule."

"You are also an 'insider' of what happened to the 'Sheffield' family back then, and the royal family's intervention meant that 'Hard Sheffield' never officially married, which is why Lucius's identity was never made public, which was not conducive to the succession of the title."

"We hope Your Majesty will show mercy."

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

Rafe Strauss could only accompany George III to the private drawing room, with Lucius following reluctantly. Only after Lucius closed the door did the king speak:

"Rafe, you should be aware of the restrictions on the inheritance of the kingdom's titles. Even if I acknowledge his status, young Sheffield is not old enough yet. If I allow him to inherit the title now, many people will object."

Upon hearing "King George III's" words, Rafe Strauss's expression changed, and he said, "I can..."

Before Uncle Rafe could finish speaking, King George III interrupted him, saying...

"Rafe, I know you can persuade some officers to agree to this succession of the title. If this were over 100 years ago, no one would have objected without even me asking. But you should also understand that things are different now. The 'nobility' is now composed of various classes, and because of these classes, the nobles have different stances. Even if I agree, those 'politicians' would absolutely not agree."

Upon hearing George III's words, Rafe Strauss could only sigh helplessly, thinking that it seemed a price would have to be paid to reclaim the title that belonged to the Sheffield family.

"Your Majesty, as you know, the Lushfield family now only has this one heir left. If the title is not passed on now, the kingdom will take back the territory in a while. In another two years, we 'insiders' will gradually retire, and it will be very difficult to complete the succession of the title."

Watching the exchange between the two, Lucius thought to himself, "No wonder they hold such high positions at their age. If I were in their shoes, I would have been defeated in the first round."

However, this "uncle" of his had been very devoted to him.

"Rafe, let me talk to Little Sheffield now. You can go out first."

Upon hearing the words "George III," Rafe Strauss paused, then looked astonished, thinking, "What can you talk about with a kid who knows nothing? Is this old man up to something?"

But since George III had already spoken, there was no way to refute him. All he could do was wink at Lucius and shake his head slightly as he turned away.

Lucius had been quietly watching the two old foxes clash, thinking he wouldn't have to speak, but now why did they want to talk to him alone? What good is talking to me anyway?

Looking at his uncle's expression, he sensed something was wrong, but he could only nod slightly to indicate that he understood.

As Rafe Strauss left the drawing room and closed the door behind him, George III spoke:

Lucius, you should also know that your "Sheffield family" has been serving the Kingdom of Loen, or rather, the "Augustus family," for over 600 years.

Under normal circumstances, your family should be at least a 'Viscount' or even a higher 'Earl' by now. Do you know why?

Lucius could only ponder this, thinking to himself: How could I possibly know there isn't some secret involved? The original story didn't mention such a minor nobleman, so he could only pretend to be clueless and shake his head to indicate he didn't know.

Seeing Lucius's expression, George III realized that this young Sheffield knew nothing, so he said, "Actually, your family could have been promoted to 'Viscount' more than 400 years ago, and your great-grandfather could have been promoted to 'Earl,' but because of your ancestors, you have always refused the kingdom's title promotion."

Upon hearing the words "George III," Lucius's immediate thought was, "??? Who could possibly obtain a higher title?!"

Before Lucius could finish thinking about "George III," he continued, "Your family once received a prophecy from a high-ranking member of the 'School of Life,' that the day Sheffield would rise would be the day other avenues sprouted."

Upon hearing the language of the Life School, Lucius immediately thought: 'The higher-ups of the Life School can only prophesy through the monster pathway! Monster, Little Snake Will? Could he even foresee my arrival?'

"As for who made the prophecy, we have no way of knowing. Perhaps you can go back and check."