"Are you alright, Janet?" Siegel asked, frowning.

"Okay, okay?" the raven rested on his master's shoulder, tilting his head in discourse.

"You've asked me for the seventh time, and I'm fine. Janet still had the same smile. But she lied, so she covered it up with the exact same expression. Although Janet was the one with the least blood drawn, she was already the weakest, so she had the most trouble recovering and needed to take a lot of drugs. In addition to feeling hungry and lacking in nutrition, Janet always felt her demonic blood start to kick - she often felt her little hands turn into claws and her teeth sharpened. She needed to touch her teeth with her hand to make sure it was just an illusion. But this illusion is so realistic.

"How are you, Siegel. The kitten immediately changed the subject.

Siegel frowned again: "I was almost possessed by the blood mage, and I almost killed you, what else?" he stroked the raven's feathers and fed it walnuts. He found that such an action would not only make the demon pet happy, but also calm his mood. He couldn't tell Janet about Jazz's opposition to their union, so there was constant pressure in his heart. "I won't let you set foot in such a dangerous place next time. He said.

"Is it true that His Royal Highness the Prince will make you a knight?"

"Yes. I think it should be soon. Dr. Reese's medical skills are so good that His Royal Highness is able to walk with a cane. Siegel paused for a moment, then said, "Maybe I should have Dr. Rees take another look at you and prescribe your medicine himself." ”

"Don't. I don't want him to know that I'm a demon, just plain blood-tonic medicine is enough. Janet shook her head, looking very determined. "Don't worry about me. If it's really bad, I'll tell you. ”

"Well, okay, you're right. "It's not Janet's injury that's bothering Siegel, it's something else. He had not told Sir until now that he would be canonized by the Prince, and the two had not said a word since they had separated. Siegel stayed in the tent to take care of Janet, taking the opportunity to avoid the trivial matters in the camp and just in time to avoid Sir Bill's sight.

Still, the events in the camp reached his ears. Three mercenary knights fled, taking with them three horses and a bag of coins. However, they did not steal enough supplies from the place where the food was kept, and only took a few sausages and a bag of bread with them. It's snowing season again, and the others curse that they will die of starvation or be killed by the snow demons that infest the mountains. Siegel thought of what he had seen through the eyes of the pets, and knew that they weren't riding horses—maybe someone else, Siegel guessed. No one knows when the three men left or what their motives were.

The return of the prince means that the mission is over, and at least it is possible to go down the mountain. Mercenaries are inspecting sleds, collecting firewood for fires on the road, and trying to stock up on food. Sir Bill is constantly busy, he needs to be in the middle of the way to coordinate matters big and small, and his ability to keep things in order is appreciated by Earl Todd. "The city along the river will prosper more in your hands. The Count said to the Baron. Bill knelt down on one knee and vowed to never fail this trust and honor, and to use his life to be just and merciful. "Baron Riverside", this is Sir Bill's new title.

The Count fulfilled his promise, and it should be the Prince's turn next. Siegel thought about it and decided to go and see Sir Bill, or at least tell him the news. He walked through the camp and found Sir Bill behind a table in the middle of a pile of crates, as he was taking a final count of supplies. Seeing Siegel walking over, Sir looked up. Even though exhaustion was written on his face, he could still feel the love and concern in his eyes.

Siegel coughed, and then said, "Sir Sir., I think I ought to tell you something. In the cave, Count Todd promised to secure the knighthood of His Royal Highness the Prince for me. This is the reason why I didn't accept to be your heir before. ”

"Actually, Janet is the reason for you. Sir Bill was very direct and at the same time very sincere, "but I don't want to quarrel with you again about it. You're going to be a knight and you can make your own choices, and I respect that, even if it's something I'm very much against. ”

"Thank you. ”

"After becoming a knight of His Highness, what are you going to do next?"

"I think I'll follow the prince's actions, and maybe get involved in recruiting the orcs, but the most important thing is to continue to improve my strength. Siegel brought in a wooden box and made it across from Sir Bill's table. Baron the raven poked his head out of his sleeve and jumped onto the table, staring at everything around him with black eyes. "Sir, this is my pet, and now I'm a full-fledged mage. You also praised my swordsmanship, and I was secretly glad. But during this adventure, I was in danger and almost died. I have seen higher and stronger strength, and I feel that I am inadequate, and if I want to do something big, I have to improve my strength and make the right choices. I had to choose between sword and magic, and I chose magic. ”

"There has never been a knight who is a magician. Sir Bill said, "The path you have chosen is too difficult." I admit that many mages are powerful, but I also know that this path requires too much energy and time. A magician is okay as an advisor, but what can he do as a knight? Does he know how to sow and reap? Does he have time to manage his territory? Can he command armies and boost morale?"

"Mr. Sir, there are too many enemies that cannot be solved by the sword alone, only magic. ”

"You're wrong, kid. If you want to be strong, you must remember that friends are your solution to your enemies, and the sword is only your last option, and so is magic. For thousands of years, the aristocracy has formed an intricate relationship, you have me, I have you. It is precisely in this way that the stability and development of the Kingdom of Stars are maintained. Because of this, mages never built a state, and the temple could not be in charge of mundane affairs, not by sword and magic. ”

"But......" Siegel was interrupted before he could finish his sentence. An attendant dressed in a starry costume came over at this time, saluted the baron, and said, "His Royal Highness the Prince will soon preside over the canonization ceremony of Mr. Siegel, and I invite you to come and witness it." Mr. Siegel, please dress appropriately and appear at once. ”

"Siegel, this time you must go in armor and put away the mage's robes. Sir Bill said very solemnly, "This is necessary courtesy." ”

Siegel nodded, asked the attendant to follow him, and hurried back to change clothes.

The prince's tent was usually only accessible to three people, himself, Count Todd, and Evan. The Dawn Guard, as bodyguards, was allowed to follow the prince in and out of the place, but no one else had ever entered. The space is comparable to the hall of a hotel, and all the amenities are comfortable and luxurious: soft and warm feather mattresses, thick silk quilts, smokeless charcoal stoves that burn all year round. Fur-covered circular seats, desks with inkwells and quills. In the middle of the tent hangs a magic dinner basket, so the room is full of refined food. In this windy and snowy early winter, deep in the mountains, you can still see ruddy apples, plump pears, and crystal grapes. The wine jug is always full, and there are always fine cheese and ham slices on the silver platter next to it. There was only one corner of the room that wasn't meant to be enjoyed, and there was a pile of carefully crafted weapons, including swords, greatswords, longbows, and axes. Several pieces of brand new armor sit on the shelves, each of which is spare gear for Aaron, Todd, and Evan.

His Royal Highness the Prince is tasting wine, which always energizes his weak body. After learning that he had been saved by Evan's blood, His Royal Highness became more closely related to his father's illegitimate child, and remained inseparable all day. He took out the best potion of the palace and shared it with Evan, and the two of them ate the salted bread together, and then feasted on the delicious little fish fried in boiling salt and the turkey filled with onions and mushrooms. However, these foods were obviously not suitable for His Royal Highness the Prince, who was recovering from a serious illness, causing him to vomit and diarrhea. So now he can only eat some porridge made with pumpkin, peas and ham, and then wine.

"Siegel squid, what a strange name, is he an illegitimate child, and shouldn't I give him a certificate of pedigree to get him out of this status?" asked Count Todd, his Royal Highness was much more refreshed under the influence of red wine.

"Siegel was not an illegitimate child, he was born on a ship and did not know who his parents were. Earl Todd carefully arranged the prince's clothes, and powdered his face to hide his tired expression. "He's just an orphan and he's going to be the first person by his name. ”

"Good. A knight who is not dragged down by the family is able to serve the royal family better. Prince Aaron said with a flushed face, and then took another sip of wine. "Lord Earl, how do I remember that the royal family can't canonize magicians?"

"There is such a decree, Your Royal Highness, your memory is really good. "Count Todd took the prince's sword, the lightest and shortest of all weapons, and carefully hung it on the prince's belt. "More than two hundred years ago, during the Hundred Days Rebellion, the leader of the rebels, Cregang, was the mage viscount. When he found out that the rebellion was bound to fail, he abandoned his title and hid in the Mage's Guild, declaring that he would never leave the tower, thus escaping the beheading penalty he deserved for treason. The mages were very tough and simply handed over the traitor's armor and robes. The king was very angry, so he issued a ban that mages were not allowed to be canonized and had fiefs in the starry country. As far as I know, Siegel was an apprentice mage who was limited to simple spells, mainly for the purpose of learning various knowledge. He was a skilled swordsman, studied under Baron Bill, and was always a qualified knight. ”

"Well, that's good. Prince Aaron put on his gloves, put down his glass, and said to the earl, "Bring my new knight to the front of the tent." ”