Ordovis!
Upon hearing that na, a chill swept through Lucia's heart. In the bloody tapestry of the Lands Between, few nas carried such illustrious, terrifying weight.
Legend spoke of the sixteen Crucible Knights who followed Godfrey, the First Elden Lord. They were the bedrock of the Golden Dynasty, their tree-and-axe armor representing the twin foundations of the era: the infinite grace of the Erdtree and the peerless brutality of the Warlord. Even as the order expanded, their numbers never crossed fifty. They remained the absolute peak of martial power beneath the demigods—rivaled only, perhaps, by the Carian Knights of the Full Moon.
And the man before him—Ordovis, one of the two legendary Forge Chiefs—was a powerhouse who sat comfortably within the top tier of the capital's elite.
Lucia knew that Ordovis did not bow to him, the boy, but to the Ancient Dragon Prince. He did not act with arrogance. Instead, Lucia returned the salute with the disciplined etiquette of a junior knight. "Even in the halls of Farum Azula, the Elders speak of Chief Ordovis's legend. To et you in person is a true honor."
"Your Highness overpraises ," Ordovis replied, bowing slightly again. "The past is ash. Before you stands nothing more than a crumbling old man."
His expression sharpened as he turned to Lansseax. "Priestess, the Queen is aware of the... incident at Dectus. She has identified Baron Sethyr Vince and Baron Cory Torrell as the architects of that chaos. Two hours ago, they were stripped of their titles and executed. All related parties will face justice shortly."
The old knight lowered his gaze. "Her Majesty offers her sincerest apologies to you and Prince Lucia. She hopes the friendship between our nations will not suffer for the madness of two n."
Lansseax did not catch the olive branch imdiately. She offered a faint, cryptic smile. "It was not they offended, but Prince Lucia. Whether this matter ends here is his decision, not mine."
Ordovis hesitated, a flicker of surprise crossing his weathered face before he turned back to Lucia. "Then... what is Your Highness's will?"
"I believe in Her Majesty's sincerity," Lucia said, his voice calm and asured. "And I value the bond between the Erdtree and Farum Azula. Since the usurpers have been answered with blood, let the matter end here."
The tension in the air vanished instantly. Ordovis nodded. "Then please, enter the city. Their Majesties have prepared a banquet in the Eternal Palace to welco you."
Ordovis gestured to the youth behind him. "Kristoff, see the Prince and the Priestess to their carriage."
The youth, Kristoff, stepped forward with a stiff bow. "Prince Lucia, Teacher Lansseax... please follow ."
They were led to two carriages carved from Golden Silk Nanmu, encrusted with gems and patterned with complex filigree. They were more luxurious than anything Lucia had seen in Farum Azula. But it was the "horses" that caught his eye: four Mountain Demons, clad in gold armor, their abdons pierced by heavy anchor chains. Beneath the weight of those chains and the glow of suppression runes, the violent giants knelt on one knee like docile livestock.
"One carriage will suffice," Lansseax instructed. "The Prince and I have matters to discuss."
Inside the carriage, the air was scented with rare perfus, but as soon as they sat, Lansseax raised a Divine Power Barrier to isolate their voices. Outside, the suburbs of Leyndell rolled past—lush vegetation and gilded church roofs visible through the glass.
"Sister," Lucia began, "that youth, Kristoff... he called you 'Teacher'?"
He rembered the na from his past life—the legendary hero who would one day capture Godefroy the Grafted. Seeing him here, as an apprentice to both Lansseax and Ordovis, sent a jolt of realization through him.
"I took him in three years ago," Lansseax smiled. "He's a good lad, if a bit dull. He isn't part of the standard Rodel apprentice system; he was baptized by my own hand. His loyalty is beyond question."
Lucia nodded, filing the information away.
"By the way," Lansseax's eyes twinkled with a sharp, mischievous light. "Those two Barons Ordovis ntioned... do you know them? Care to guess their backgrounds?"
"I haven't heard of them," Lucia replied without hesitation. "But they were New Faction, weren't they?"
He assud the Queen had simply executed two of Radagon's pawns to appease the dragons. But Lansseax's smile grew cold.
"One was a Knight Commander of the Leyndell Knights. The other was the Dectus Defense Commander—effectively the number three power in the Deeproot Depths Garrison. This morning, the two n above him 'happened' to be away. Baron Cory was the highest authority on-site."
Lucia went still. The "coincidence" was too perfect.
He had thought so noble had acted in a mont of madness. But these were high-ranking officials in strategic positions. Could the Queen really have been "unaware" of a troop movent that size?
"Do you rember how I told you I found out you were blocked?" Lansseax asked softly.
"You found a letter... on the table in the temple," Lucia whispered. He had assud the Queen sent it. But now...
"It was a test of my attitude," Lansseax concluded.
Lucia couldn't speak.
He had entered this world thinking he was a player on a chessboard, ard with the ta-knowledge of a speedrunner. But between the Gloam-Eyed Queen and now the Eternal Queen, he realized a terrifying truth:
In their eyes, he wasn't a player. He was a chess piece.
"Don't think too much," Lansseax's voice softened, and she reached out to rub his hair. "Marika was a world-renowned hegemon before you were even a thought. To compete with her, wit is not enough. In the gamble of power, strength is the only true currency."
She smiled, a fierce, encouraging light in her eyes. "Don't lose heart. One day, you will walk ahead of all of them."
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