For the next two quarters of an hour, Edward understood why Greene Turn, who fled as soon as the old man appeared—and apparently he had experienced the same feeling as he did now, as if he had been shackled all over his body and forced to do a second set of radio gymnastics in rhythm, which was unbearable.

Probably because of the tight time, the old man of the court ceremonial official didn't ask too much, but kept emphasizing the "manners" and "postures" and other arguments. Standing in the outer hall of the bathroom, Edward changed into a slightly figure-hugged black gown, with a silver-plated belt buckle and intricate red trim on the cuffs and hem of the gown, symbolizing his aristocratic status - even if it was only the lowest knight.

Seeing that the time was almost up, the old court ceremonial official gave Edward the Ring of the Sacred Tree Knight, but he repeatedly told him which finger the ring should be worn, and that he was not allowed to point the ring at His Majesty and other things. It seems that as long as the black-haired boy is not paying attention for a moment, the reflection of the sapphire ring will pierce His Majesty's eyes.

Although he had been "adjusted" for a long time, the old man still looked Edward up and down with a dissatisfied look, but time did not allow him to continue, and silently led Edward to a quiet hall, which looked like a corridor and rest room next to a palace, where the bright morning sun shone through the window and shone on the red carpet with gold borders.

The court ceremonial officer did not say much, but silently pointed to the end of the corridor, and a door with guards standing on both sides left and went back, and Edward stood alone in the empty corridor, with a little expectant smile, and walked slowly with his hands behind his back, but according to the old man's instructions, without the slightest rudeness.

The improvement of Edward's spiritual perception after rebirth is definitely not a level that ordinary people can think of. But a little clumsiness is also necessary - this is the royal palace of the Kingdom of Turin, the real core of power, a place where countless pairs of eyes are watching, and caution and caution are important.

The knight standing on the left side of the doorway opened the door for Edward - the other party also wore a knight's ring of the sacred tree on his right hand, and his identity was self-evident. Edward smiled at him, bowed slightly with a little junior's humility, and then turned and walked through the door.

The furnishings of the room looked magnificent, with marble columns and carpets underfoot, portraits on the walls, and chandeliers under the ceiling, all of which showed the identity of the owner—but also plain, and although the dark-haired boy understood that it was strange, it was.

Although even the pillows on the soft couch are valuables worth thirty or a hundred Turin gold coins, which can not be bought by any country boy in a lifetime, the atmosphere in the room is not the slightest bit extravagant and extravagant, and if you have to explain, it is a kind of "neatness" from the inside out.

At a dining table by the window of the room sat a well-proportioned man, smiling peacefully stirring the coffee in his cup, the sun shining on his gray-gray hair, which was already almost completely white. If Edward remembers correctly, the man was no more than forty years old at most, but his physical condition seemed to be approaching sixty.

Edward took a deep breath, stood at the doorway with his hands behind his back and with great humility, and made a chivalric salute to the middle-aged man - the identity of the other party and his own identity was worth doing this, and it was also very practical, because arrogance is not the same as arrogance, nor is it rudeness.

Horace Marcherus, the monarch of the Kingdom of Turin, the fourteenth king of the Marcherus dynasty, and a king who was not supposed to be a "king", is said to have been found to be sickly, pale, and depressed by those around him at a young age. According to the tradition of the Marcherus family, His Majesty had also been trained to become a knight, but was soon forced to give up.

It was almost impossible for a prince, who was not even a knight, to take the crown, but Horace succeeded - one by one the high-profile candidates disappeared, and at last he became the only one, and to the cheers of everyone sat down on the chair, and the archbishop brought him a crown symbolizing the blessing of the glorious cross.

This is a man who knows the art of scheming, a formidable and beloved ruler - at least that's what he looks like. Gaio had said that Grand Master Mercer Kane was loyal to him, even to the point of preferring to bear his burden voluntarily rather than reach out to his majesty.

"You've been standing there for almost five minutes, kid. The gray-haired Horace raised his head gently, with some sleepiness in his eyebrows that had just woken up from his sleep: "Are you waiting for the lemon cake for breakfast?"

"No, it's just that your court ceremonial officer has warned me that you must not enter your seat without the will of Your Majesty. Edward looked "distressed": "In this case, I can only choose to stand here." ”

"Heheha...... Indeed, Bernard Sr. was a formidable figure, having been a ceremonial officer in the palace for forty years. At the age of twelve, you stood in your present position, overseeing the dressing of the princes. Hearing Edward's "complaint", Horace laughed a few times: "You are not the first to be reprimanded by him in this palace, and there will be many people who have common topics with you in this matter." ”

"But to-day we were just an ordinary breakfast, and there was no need to be so formal—rest assured, if the ceremonial officer were to stand behind the door and watch me eat or sleep, I would have let him go back to his hometown without saying a word, though I respected him considerably. ”

Edward smiled appropriately, then walked briskly to the table and sat down. Although Horace had already said that there was no need to be restrained, he still meticulously pulled out his chair and sat down after saluting - the other party was His Majesty the King, so he could naturally have no taboos, but he did not have such qualifications, let alone be rude in front of an elder of such noble status.

Breakfast was very simple, except for coffee, just a piece of dry bread and cheese, delicate but not extravagant at all. From beginning to end, Edward sat there and slowly enjoyed the breakfast, browning down. He knew very well that the other party must be constantly looking and observing himself.

"Mercer must have told you why I shouted you here, and of course I have some petty curiosity of my own to save Pipe Town and destroy the Blood Banner Brotherhood. Horace said slowly, "Speaking of the Blood Flag Brotherhood, do you know what the cause of this incident is?"

"Fifteen years ago, in the Northern War, the commanders of that time made mistakes that cannot be ignored. Edward replied in a deep voice, and Leonardo had told him about it: "Those people are here for revenge, and have nothing to do with wizards or heretics. ”

"Yes, but do you know who made this great mistake?" Horace asked, smiling, "who chose that incomparably young and vigorous general to command the army for such a responsible mission?"

Edward couldn't say anything - of course it was personally chosen by Horace fifteen years ago, but how could such a thing be answered face to face? The black-haired boy could only silently raise his head and look at the gray-haired middle-aged man.

"That's right, that's me. The young and vigorous king, eager to show his talents on the battlefield, personally devised the strategy of the war against the barbarians, and sent his most trusted man, his childhood friend, the equally young and vigorous knight. But the result ...... But it was painful to forget to breathe. And fifteen years later, I'm still responsible for that mistake. ”

"Since that day, I have understood many things - it is not that you can trust the other person because you are close, but you have to see what the other person is capable of, what he wants, what his heart is. Horace's expression slowly became heavy, and he became stern.

"Mercer told me that you were a very clever boy, and I thought I would be able to say something more clearly to you—tell me that you were going to go east to serve as the garrison of some castle, or would you rather stay and serve as the squire military attaché for my son, Anson?"

"Here you are a member of the glorious Order of the Sacred Tree, and absolutely obey any orders of the Grand Master and His Majesty. Edward smiled sincerely, and after a moment of reflection on his words, he replied, "If you really believe in it and are willing to entrust me......

"No, no, no, even the Grand Master of the Knights of the Sacred Tree, even I, must and will respect the opinion of every knight," Horace shook his head slightly, "If you can't give me a clear answer, then today's breakfast is just a breakfast, and it won't be given any meaning - a smart boy like you will definitely understand what I'm talking about." ”

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for being stupid. The corners of Edward's mouth began to stiffen a little: "Can a breakfast also be given some special meaning?"

"If I need to, yes. Some withered hands picked up the coffee pot from the corner of the table, and Horace, who was not in a hurry, filled the cup for Edward: "If you are going to the East, this cup of coffee is a send-off for you, and if you are going to stay, then I thank you on behalf of dear Anson, my eldest son." ”

"Now sue me, which one do you choose?"

Cold beads of sweat slid down his forehead, and Edward, whose eyes were still calm, pursed the corners of his mouth tightly, his body was motionless, but he knew very well in his heart that he had been forced to the edge of the cliff by the Horace I Majesty in front of him!