The Duke knelt down on one knee before the coffins of the Emperor and Empress, and silently recited the oath in his mouth:

"Ancestor, I have taken away not only your crown, but also the responsibilities that it bears.

I will unify the peninsula, restore the empire you have created, lead the heroes of Valstad, defeat all powerful enemies, and avenge my father and brothers!

I will try to be a diligent monarch for the well-being of the people of Valstad, and I will give everything I have for this great country!

I, Sarantos Midknight, daughter of Easter Midknight, make this sacred vow at your grave! ”

She stood up and bowed deeply, then walked towards the display and respectfully held the crown with both hands.

"Boom!" There was a sound of gears turning and stone squeezing, and something seemed to be activated underneath the display stand.

The boulders above the tomb began to fall slowly, and several gates were opened at the same time, and groundwater poured in.

The duke didn't hesitate to do so, and with the crown in one hand and a torch in the other, he ran all the way back to the entrance of the tomb along the main tomb road.

At this time, there were countless cracks in the stone above the stairs, which was a sign of imminent collapse, and she quickly escaped from the dark underground world before she was buried alive.

Baron Jason was waiting for her outside, and after a while, they both heard a loud noise below, the staircase collapsed, and countless smoke and dirt poured out, and the Duke quickly closed the stone door.

The two walked out of the basement and into the hall on the first floor of the castle.

"Congratulations on receiving the crown, Your Majesty.

Now that the entire tomb has been buried, no one can disturb the peace of the mausoleum, and my mission as the guardian of the Holy Sepulchre has come to an end. ”

The Duke placed the crown in the treasure chest that had been prepared and asked with concern, "Baron Jason, where are you going to go?" ”

"From now on, there will be no more Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre, only Baron Jason Strandhald, your loyal Knight of the Oath.

My family will continue to owe allegiance to the current Lord of Midknight, and it is my honor to fight for you, and I hope you will accept me and my family, His Majesty the Duke. ”

The Duke nodded in acceptance:

"Of course, thank you for your family's dedicated care of the Emperor's Mausoleum for hundreds of years.

To that end, I will allow you to retain the title of Keeper of the Holy Sepulchre. I will help you renovate the castle and provide a special grant and the best craftsmen.

"Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty." Baron Jason looked a little hesitant: "Actually, I have something else to ask for......"

"But it doesn't hurt to say it." The Duke smiled in response.

"I am grateful to you for letting me keep the title of Keeper of the Holy Sepulchre, which is quite precious to me.

I would also like to continue to educate and train the next generation of knights, so that the ancient skills and family traditions will not be lost, but ......

As you can see, the island is closed off and there are few opportunities to learn new things.

I have always felt selfish, and for the sake of my family mission, I have forced my children and grandchildren to live on this island with me, in a cold castle, and they are born free and have the right to see the outside world.

Especially my little grandson Victor. ”

"Your little grandson?" The Duke quickly remembered, "Oh, it's that little boy who is desperate to save you, his name is Victor?" What a brave boy. ”

Baron Jason nodded: "He is a good seedling to be a knight, but I would prefer to let him leave this castle and the island and go to the mainland to see the world." ”

"As you wish, I love this boy too.

I will take him back and let him live in the Golden Lake Palace.

Little Victor will grow up with my children and enjoy the same education and living conditions as princes and princesses.

I will train him to be a good gentleman, a true man, brave, intelligent and polite.

When he grows up, I will take him to the real battlefield and let him fight for the glory of the Stroohard. ”

The old baron was stunned in place, in fact, he only wanted to ask the duke to do some small things, so that his grandson could enter the prestigious school of the Duchy of Valstad.

But the duke's gift was completely beyond his imagination, which was equivalent to directly treating Victor as an adopted son.

His youngest grandson will grow up with the prince and princess, and will surely be treated like a prince when he arrives.

What a glory is this? Throughout the history of the Stronghold family, there has never been such a favor.

Even if he was as resolute and stubborn as the old Baron Jason, he was moved to tears, trembling and speechless.

And the duke's bounty was not over, she continued:

The Stronghold family would also have a vast fiefdom in the affluent part of the peninsula. This includes ownership of state-owned farmsteads and handicraft workshops within the fiefdom and all income.

Of course, with power comes obligation, and you have an obligation to run your fiefdom well.

In order to manage the local tenant farmers, artisans, and clergy, it is necessary to ensure the smooth flow of trade routes and maintain the freedom of trade.

In addition to this, you are also entitled to a special annuity of 10,000 gold coins per year. Of course, all income is taxed to the tax department of the principality.

After your death, your heirs will also inherit the title of Guardian of the Holy Sepulchre and the title of Baron, as well as all the wealth mentioned above. ”

"It's ...... Is...... How can I be virtuous, how can I afford such gifts......"

Baron Jason excitedly pushed away the crutches, and he wanted to kneel down to thank him, but was held back by the Duke.

"You deserve it, take this crutch, Baron Jason, and when you heal from your injuries, I will send a boat to pick you up, take you and your family around the Golden Lake Palace, and visit your little grandson by the way."

Five days later, the Duke led his fleet from the Starfall Islands, returning to the Valstad Peninsula and then overland back to the capital, Fort Midknight.

On the day he returned to Jinhu Palace, the duke introduced his newly adopted son in front of her husband.

"His name is Victor Stronghald, a descendant of the Guardians of the Holy Sepulchre, a brave boy.

I hope you'll treat him as well as you would our child Meyer, husband. ”

"Of course I'm okay with that, dear...... You're the monarch, you're up to ......," said the Earl of Langford with a wry smile.

"Huh? What kind of attitude is this? My dear old Langford, where is your sincerity? You're dealing with me again! It's like I'm always bullying you! The Duke puffed up and said, "I don't think you're a little upset!" ”

The Earl of Langford was indeed a little unhappy in his heart, and he felt that his wife was completely fooling around.

First, he mysteriously went to sea to do some kind of expedition, and when he came back, he even brought a righteous son he had never met, which was really difficult for him to accept.

Although his wife was much more shrewd and capable than her peers, Langford's age and experience made the young and beautiful lady a pampered and willful princess.

She seems quite mature and bold in national affairs, but at the family level, she seems a little naïve, and always likes to play a little temper with him.

is already a mother, but she is always as impulsive as an ignorant and fearless girl...... But think about it...... There's nothing wrong with it, after all, she's still too young, and even if she is mentally mature, she will inevitably be a little childish.

But she is still her own monarch, and she has to let her do everything.

For the Earl of Langford, however, all these troubles could be laughed off.

I can marry a princess who is madly admired by the crown princes of the whole continent, and spend every day in the jealous eyes of countless men, as an old man who is over half a hundred years old, what is there to regret.

(In order to please you, I would rather be a puff bag for the rest of my life!) He thought.