Book 3: Chapter 256: The Truth of the Nameless Knight

After two days of travel, Sylutia and her companions arrived at Collin City, the former royal capital.

The city was built against a mountain, and the rear mountain was once the royal family's garden, now an official beast-breeding park used to raise and observe rare creatures.

"The city walls are quite tall." Sylutia gazed through the carriage window at the imposing city, its gray-white walls standing like weathered stones under the sunlight.

"Because this was the former royal capital, successive royal dynasties reinforced it, placing great importance on it." Brielle explained briefly.

A few minutes later, the group entered the city, and Sylutia stepped down from the carriage to stroll through the broad streets with Brielle.

The roads here were clean, lined with wide-canopied shade trees, so even at noon, walking through the streets didn't feel too hot.

The locals favored a looser style of robe, and the goods in the shops were quite abundant, though slightly inferior to the main districts of Perika.

But what impressed Sylutia the most were the young cavalrymen seen everywhere. They were mostly around eighteen years old, full of vigor and vitality, wearing headbands and carrying spears made of pine wood. They patrolled the city in formation, maintaining public order, and occasionally served as messengers or escorts, carrying out various duties and missions.

"Youth cavalrymen?" Sylutia recalled the youth cavalry system that had originated from the Tirayan Plains.

Hearing Sylutia's question, Brielle thought for a moment before answering.

"The Tirayan Plains? I've heard of them. There seems to be some connection."

"The Wind Chime Grass Plains have always had a strong knight culture, because the area is well-suited for raising horses and training cavalrymen is easy. As Lady Hedra said, in the past, the royal family held a knight selection tournament every two years, and the champion would be granted honor and rewards."

"The story of the Pine Branch Knight also describes a great deal of knightly content, because it was truly popular in this region. Many people aspired to become knights."

As they spoke, the two walked into a local shop that sold various honeys, beeswax, olive oil, and some candied fruits and jams.

[Wildflower Honey - 80 copper coins/jar]

[Chrysanthemum Honey - 2 silver coins/jar]

[Wind Chime Flower Honey - 5 silver coins/jar]

[Beeswax - 1 silver coin/box]

[Olive Oil - 90 copper coins/pot]

"Two young ladies, is there anything you'd like to buy?" The shopkeeper, an older woman, approached warmly.

Sylutia looked around, then picked a jar of the clearer "Wind Chime Flower Honey."

"Alright, I'll wrap it up for you." With that, the older woman took down the jar of honey, wiped the bottle with a cloth, tied it with a linen cord, and placed it carefully into a bag.

Seeing how practiced she was, she must have wrapped packages many times. This kind of packaging also appealed to certain distinguished customers.

After buying the local honey, Sylutia asked a few questions.

"Where does this honey come from?"

"Some of it is purchased from beekeepers in the villages and towns, then we filter and refine it again for better quality. As for the jar of Wind Chime Flower Honey you bought, it's produced at Duran Manor, where they specially cultivate wind chime flowers. The honey is actually a byproduct of the flowers."

"Oh, is there a skilled gardener there?" Sylutia grew curious.

"Yes, the owner of that manor is Lady Edeline, the wife of the late Count Duran. Since her husband passed away, she has lived there for twenty or thirty years."

"Twenty or thirty years? So how old is she now?"

"Lady Brielle, you look not a day over... well, they say she doesn't appear very aged, but she always wears white dresses and carries a perpetual air of sorrow."

"Originally, she had several children, but unfortunately, none of them are around now."

"And why is that?"

"Her eldest son was said to be talented and healthy, becoming a Second Tier knight apprentice at seventeen. At that time, the Mage Alliance hadn't taken over this place yet, and he was quite popular among young ladies in the noble circles. I caught a distant glimpse of him in my childhood; he was very handsome."

"Unfortunately, when he was eighteen, during a knight tournament, an accident occurred. He was struck off his warhorse by a lance and couldn't be saved, dying on the spot. This dealt a tremendous blow to Count and Lady Duran."

"As for the second son, he didn't have his elder brother's talent. He originally pursued the path of a scholar, with a somewhat timid and shy disposition. In his early years, it was said Lady Edeline didn't favor him, often comparing him to his elder brother."

"After the eldest son's death, Lady Edeline had no choice but to shift her attention and energy to her second son, hoping he too would take up the spear and become a valiant knight. Because the rule of the Wind Chime Grass Plains is that if you wish to inherit the title, you must fight on horseback. Only then would the warriors under your command be convinced to follow you. Otherwise, they would consider it a great shame to pledge loyalty to a coward who only hides behind others."

"Unfortunately, the second son couldn't adapt to this change. He tried to give up several times, but Lady Edeline forced him every time, compelling him to undergo knight training. However, his constitution had never been strong, and his foundation was insufficient."

"This led to him being frequently defeated by his peers during training, subjected to all sorts of ridicule and mockery. In the end, unable to bear the immense pressure, the second son took his own life in his room."

"..."

"And what about the other children?"

"In the end, only a daughter remained. After witnessing the successive deaths of her two elder brothers, the daughter's relationship with Lady Edeline gradually deteriorated. But Lady Edeline, after her grief, became strong again. To pass down the Duran family title, she had to recruit a son-in-law with decent talent and acceptable birth, which made her shift her focus to cultivating her daughter."

"Lady Edeline was an unyielding woman. She firmly believed that hard work would always be rewarded and that resilience was the greatest virtue. She strove to teach these principles to her daughter, hoping she would fulfill the family's mission and carry on the glory of the Duran name."

"To achieve this goal, she spared no expense in hiring the finest instructors of the kingdom at that time to teach her daughter, covering etiquette, secret history, dance, grooming, and even gardening, which she excelled at herself."

"And so, the youngest daughter grew up day by day, becoming exceptionally beautiful, with a lady-like demeanor and dignified bearing. She could arrange flowers, tend plants, and more."

"Lady Edeline regarded her as her pride, claiming that all of this was the result of her teachings. Many noble ladies envied her, and marriage proposals gradually increased. Even the royal family considered it at one point, but Lady Edeline thought that if her daughter married into the royal household, the Duran family would cease to exist, so she politely declined the royal marriage alliance."

"At that time, Lady Edeline had already set her sights on a few young men from prominent families and was preparing to discuss marriage arrangements. But suddenly, one day, the youngest daughter disappeared as well, leaving only a letter saying she didn't like her mother or anything about her."

"Lady Edeline was furious to the point of madness and ordered people to find her daughter no matter what. Unfortunately, years passed, and no one ever found her. Later, Count Duran passed away, leaving only Lady Edeline alone in the household."

"Afterward, the Mage Alliance took over the country, and the former nobles all lost their titles. After receiving substantial compensation, they moved elsewhere. Nowadays, few people pay attention to those once-great noble families."

After listening to this story, Sylutia was silent for a moment, then thanked the older woman for telling her about these past events.

"By the way, could you tell me how to get to Duran Manor?" She wanted to meet this Lady Edeline.

"Oh, for that, the simplest way is to go to the guild and find a coachman to lead the way. We travel far and wide and know the roads and places very well."

"Alright, thank you." Sylutia thought for a moment, then took out another gold coin from her pocket and placed it on the counter.

"Please keep it, consider it a personal token of thanks." Then, before the older woman could say any pleasantries, Sylutia led Hedra out of the shop.

Seeing that Sylutia seemed a bit quiet, Hedra sensed something was off and didn't dare ask, simply accompanying the young woman as they walked down the street.

After a while, Sylutia stopped, then looked at Hedra beside her and gave a reassuring smile.

"Aren't you curious why I've been so silent for so long?"

"It's because the story of the Duran family reminded me of something from a long, long time ago." She looked at the distant sky and shook her head slightly.

Unfortunately, this was no longer Earth. No matter how many thoughts, emotions, or feelings she had, there was no one to vent to or confide in.

"Come on, let's explore the city for now. In a couple of days, we'll go visit that Duran Manor." Since she'd come all this way, she might as well take some time to enjoy the sights.

That night, upon hearing of Sylutia's arrival, the stationed mage of Xi Lu City warmly invited the young woman to a grand banquet prepared especially for her. Because of the earnest invitation, Sylutia thought it over and decided not to decline, attending the banquet together with Hedra.

The venue was the Mage Guild in the city, but it had a more fitting name, the former royal palace. Within the resplendent, golden hall, ancient noble murals and decorations were still visible.

Wearing a black dress, her silken hair adorned with the Seven Blossoms Hairpin, gems glittering under the lights with dazzling brilliance, the moment Sylutia stepped into the hall that evening, the entire venue's noise diminished. The guests and attendants present couldn't help but focus their gazes on this young woman, as if she were the only light of the night, the center of every whirlpool, every subtle movement making hearts flutter.

With Sylutia's entrance as the dividing point, the banquet entered its latter half. The orchestra changed its repertoire, and one local socialite and gentleman after another approached, trying to strike up conversations and get closer, surrounding her at the center of the crowd. This scene only dispersed when the stationed mage of Collin City arrived.

"Forgive me for the delay, Miss Hedra." The other party raised a glass and offered a respectful toast.

"It's fine. I've actually grown used to it by now."

Sylutia recalled that after she became the stationed mage of Mishil District, it was just like this. Whenever she attended a banquet, she would be surrounded and mobbed by people, leaving little time for quiet solitude. So every time she attended such events, she never stayed too long. Once she felt enough time had passed, she would take her leave early. Eventually, the upper echelons of Mishil District grew accustomed to this habit of hers.

Since she had met the local stationed mage, Sylutia was also curious to ask about Collin City's past and how the Mage Alliance had taken over the region.

"Ah, about that..." The other party thought for a moment, then invited Sylutia to a small table on the second floor of the banquet hall, where they sat down and slowly began to recount.

"I happened to participate in that event and followed my instructor to handle many matters."

"Originally, the Wind Chime Grass Plains were ruled by the Duchy of Collin, a small country whose ruler was Grand Duke Collin. The 'Castle' Aspect condensed from his title was only Fifth Tier at best."

"Although he was already a powerful figure locally, to the Alliance, he was inconsequential."

"The Wind Chime Grass Plains, apart from animal husbandry and agriculture, had no extraordinary resources or materials that mages needed. So in the past, the Alliance never really interfered with the region. That remained the case until twenty years ago."

"At that time, the Alliance Council issued a series of directives requiring countries that had been under loose governance to be gradually integrated into the Alliance system, converting nations into 'districts.' The Duchy of Collin was on that list."

"Five powerful Fifth Tier mages led the expedition, commanding a group of elite mages as they arrived at the Duchy of Collin. My instructor was one of them, and I was only Fourth Tier at the time, also a member of the team."

"Upon reaching the Duchy of Collin, my instructor and the others directly entered Collin Royal City with an imposing attitude, which is the royal palace we are in now."

"When Grand Duke Collin learned of the Alliance Council's directive, he was extremely displeased and even declared that the duchy's thousands of knights were on standby, ready for battle."

"But that tone lasted less than an hour."

"Inside the palace, the duchy's First Knight was slain by the lead mage, and the forty-two knights stationed in the palace were all beheaded. This gruesome sight instantly terrified Grand Duke Collin into submission. He quickly knelt down, declaring he would accept all directives."

"And so, the handover process of the duchy began. For the sake of its reputation, the Alliance gave these nobles who surrendered their territories and power a substantial sum of money as compensation, but with the condition that they stay away from this region, and for fifty years, their descendants were not allowed to return for extended stays."

"If Miss Hedra is interested in the history of the Duchy of Collin, I can show you the collections in the palace. Quite a number of artifacts from the former royal family have been preserved here."

"Then I thank you in advance."

The next day, Sylutia was invited to tour the treasures within the palace. There were crowns of successive Grand Dukes of Collin, portraits, and the armor, lances, and the heirloom sword of the kingdom passed down from former Champion Knights, among other things.

While touring these collections, Sylutia stopped before a glass display case. Inside lay a pine branch that looked utterly ordinary, except its tip was stained with dark brown blood and it emitted a faint aura of "Slumbering Winter."

"This is the prototype of the 'Pine Branch Knight' from the local legend, the pine branch used by that nameless knight." The stationed mage introduced it to Sylutia.

"Did the Pine Branch Knight really exist?" The young woman was curious.

"That's right. After we took over this place, some scholars were intrigued and came to investigate the history, studying the collections and records of the local nobles. They discovered that the Pine Branch Knight did indeed exist, and deep within the palace, this legendary pine branch was preserved." He recounted the history.

"The events took place about five hundred years ago. At that time, the Hours brought down calamity, and Winter Beasts appeared on the Wind Chime Grass Plains. Wherever they passed, vegetation withered, frost spread, and under hunger and cold, many people died. Some noble families were completely wiped out."

"The one who dealt with the Winter Beast was a passing knight. According to scholars' research on the residual aura on the pine branch, that Winter Beast was around Sixth Tier in strength and had the blessing of the Hours, making it only slightly weaker than a True Dragon of the same tier. To be able to defeat such a calamity beast, that knight was indeed extraordinarily powerful."

"But this also left a point of doubt, because most knights belong to the system of the 'School of Royal Authority.' Even if they advanced through other means, such as Mosende, the founder of the 'Iron Knight' path, who gained recognition by driving away Twilight Beasts, those who advanced through either method would not remain unknown. They either had territories and fiefs to support them, or they achieved great deeds that earned widespread admiration and recognition."

"Yet that knight's origins remained untraceable. Scholars later speculated that he might not have been a 'knight' at all, but rather a powerful warrior who happened to ride a horse. Since the Wind Chime Grass Plains had an ancient culture of venerating knights, he was romanticized into a 'model knight.'"

"If that's the truth, then many things make sense."

"For a warrior, the local throne, fiefs, territories, and power wouldn't directly enhance his strength. And in that era, not just the Wind Chime Grass Plains, calamity beasts were ravaging the continent everywhere. Many warrior professions had rituals for advancing by defeating powerful opponents, and some could even absorb a portion of the defeated's power. In that age, such a powerful warrior certainly wouldn't be content to stay in a small country for long. It would be perfectly natural for him to leave later."

After listening to the explanation, the mist shrouding the legendary tale gradually dispersed, and a clear yet unexpected historical truth emerged before Sylutia's eyes.