Chapter 278: Dragon Banner, Fire of the Prairie

Chapter 278: Chapter 278: Dragon Banner, Fire of the Prairie

Lance immediately schooled his expression, his brow furrowing slightly as his guard went up.

"Collect Leonel’s remains and handle them properly."

Felix instructed the team members behind him.

"His honor will forever remain on this dueling ground. Don’t let his family be shamed by such trivial matters afterward."

This single, understated sentence directly set the tone for Leonel’s death.

This was a sacred duel to the death, witnessed by the will of the Underground City.

To die on the battlefield, outmatched in skill, is the fate of a Knight.

This statement preserved the last shred of dignity for the deceased’s family. It also logically used a greater principle to suppress any simmering desires for revenge within the Golden Lion Cross that might have arisen from vested interests.

Felix continued to walk forward.

He stopped with great restraint at a safe distance of five paces from Lance.

Then, the Knight actually placed his right hand over his chest and gave Lance a standard knightly salute.

"Mr. Lance, in this battle, neither you nor Leonel did anything wrong."

Felix’s voice was steady and sincere.

"It was merely a gladiatorial match, forcibly arranged by the will of the Underground City to please that Heroic Spirit."

He raised his head, his gaze meeting Lance’s directly.

"Whether here in this Underground City, or after we all return to the Material Realm."

"Our Valentine Clan is willing to act as your guarantor."

"Absolutely no one will dare to lay the blame for this grudge at your feet."

Felix had deliberately specified the "Valentine Clan," not the "Golden Lion Cross," which represented the entire team.

This was, in fact, a strong signal to Lance: he was willing to use his own family’s private power to shield Lance from any retribution from the forces behind Leonel.

At the same time, this was a carefully designed probe by Felix.

He was observing whether Lance would show any particular micro-expressions upon hearing the name "Valentine."

After all, during the great purge of the Royal Family over a hundred years ago, his Valentine Clan had been suppressed by those in power and had fallen from grace precisely because they sided with the exiled branch of the Red Dragon Bloodline.

Lance, of course, understood the hidden meaning in the other man’s words.

One could even say that Felix was using this opportunity to issue a public declaration to the tens of thousands of Adventurers present: the Golden Lion Cross had completely abandoned any notion of revenge against Lance.

If anyone still wanted to provoke this monster under the banner of avenging Leonel, they would not only be crossing Lance, but also slapping the Valentine Clan in the face!

However, ’Why would a nobleman he’s never met be willing to pay such a high price to protect a common Adventurer like me?’

Though Lance was filled with confusion, his face remained impassive.

"Thank you."

He just gave a faint nod and uttered two words.

Faced with Lance’s coldness, Felix was not discouraged.

He chose his words carefully, his tone shifting to that of someone casually chatting with an old friend.

"Mr. Lance, the Talent you just displayed couldn’t help but remind me of the grandest event in the Royal Capital each winter, the ’Winter Festival.’"

Felix’s voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried far across the quiet square.

"Long ago, to display their benevolence, the Royal Family spent a fortune laying a massive heating Technique under the entire Royal Capital, covering the whole city."

"And the central hub of that vast ’Melting Furnace’ is hidden inside the statue of the Founding Monarch in the Royal Capital’s central square."

"Whenever the coldest days of the year arrive, the Royal Family sends people to activate the Melting Furnace."

"The immense heat instantly melts all the packed snow throughout the city. It’s the day all the common folk in the Royal Capital look forward to the most."

Felix paused, observing Lance’s eyes.

"But the most stunning part is that, at that moment, the Energy core inside the monarch’s statue operates at full Power."

"The overflowing crimson light forms a burning, flame-colored crown atop the statue’s head, upholding the monarch’s majesty like a miracle."

"And you remind me of that blaze of fire."

Hearing this vivid story, a low murmur of discussion arose from the surrounding crowd.

He was using the Royal Capital’s most dazzling monarch’s crown to highlight the sublime combat Talent Lance had just displayed.

"With praise like that, is he trying to extend an olive branch in public? To recruit this monster into the Golden Lion Cross?"

"Isn’t that a little too reckless? After all, the guy just killed one of their core members a few minutes ago."

The people around them broke into discussion.

And upon hearing their captain’s words, many members of the Golden Lion Cross team frowned, clearly displeased with this approach.

However, Felix completely ignored his team members’ reactions, pushing his probe even deeper.

"I always thought that a crown representing such nobility would only ever shine within the high walls of the Royal Capital."

He lowered his head slightly, his tone carrying a trace of reverence.

"But I never imagined that, occasionally, one or two precious embers might be inadvertently lost."

"In the remote frontiers beyond the Royal Capital, amidst the wind and snow where no one pays attention, they instead bloom with a light far more brilliant than anything in the Royal Family’s greenhouse."

Felix looked up.

"What do you think, Mr. Lance?"

This was Felix’s most direct probe yet.

He was taking a gamble, believing that if the young man before him truly was a monarch’s illegitimate son left among the common folk, he would definitely understand this talk of "lost embers."

’If I still don’t get what he’s implying after all that, then I must have been an idiot in my past life.’

’So, after all that beating around the bush, he suspects I have the blood of the Pandragon Red Dragon Royal Family?’

Lance calculated silently in his mind.

He replayed the recent battle in his head.

He hadn’t activated the costly "Dragon Form" today.

So the only slip-up must have been the mouthful of Dragon Breath he’d spat out when he defeated Leonel.

’Could this special breath ability be a signature Skill unique to the Red Dragon Bloodline?’

’If that’s the case, why haven’t I ever seen Elvira use it? Is she not strong enough, or is it an ability that only a rare few can awaken?’

Countless questions flashed through Lance’s mind.

Just as he was hesitating on how to respond to this probe...

The sound of steady footsteps approached, and Julius strode to Lance’s side, Longsword in hand.

"My apologies, Captain Felix."

Julius stood between them like a wall, his tone firm.

"Mr. Lance is already a prospective core member of our Silver Hand Guild. He won’t be joining your Golden Lion Cross, so don’t waste your time trying to recruit him."

As a proper guardian, Julius naturally had to step in at this moment to help his ’brother-in-law’ out of a jam.

However, Felix paid no mind to Julius’s interruption.

He didn’t even shift his gaze, continuing to look over Julius’s shoulder at Lance with that same expectant expression.

Faced with this situation, Lance’s mind raced.

Finally, he made a bold decision.

He would play along with the misconception.

Since the other party wanted to fill in the blanks with his own imagination, Lance would let him.

He would neither confirm nor deny anything.

After all, the final right to explain everything would always be in his own hands.

"Where the ember was once lost is not important, Captain Felix."

Lance spoke past Julius, giving an ambiguous answer.

"As long as the ember can find fertile soil to take root, whether within high walls or in the barren wilderness, it will one day ignite a Fire of the Prairie that can sweep across the entire world."

After speaking, Lance proactively extended his right hand with a smile, as if to thank him for the praise.

A flash of joy appeared in Felix’s eyes. He immediately removed his Metal Hand Guard and firmly grasped Lance’s hand.

"It’s a pity we cannot travel together for now."

"But I will look forward to that day," Felix said in a low voice.

After letting go, Lance didn’t linger.

He turned, casually grabbing Nieve—who was about to cling to him like a koala again—and followed Julius, striding toward the Silver Hand’s encampment.

Felix remained standing in place, maintaining his elegant smile until the backs of Lance and the others had completely disappeared into the Silver Hand crowd.

’A Fire of the Prairie...’

He looked down at the right hand that had just shaken Lance’s and murmured to himself.

His thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to his family.

To that Dragon Banner.

It was the Crimson Dragon banner, a symbol of supreme glory, personally bestowed upon the Valentine ancestors by Emperor Clovis hundreds of years ago to commend their family’s loyalty.

However, after the great Royal Family purge over a hundred years ago, the reigning Royal Family had completely erased the Dragon Head insignia that represented the true Red Dragon line from the banner.

Now, that Dragon Banner, which had once struck fear into the hearts of countless enemies, was nothing more than a bare, tattered piece of crimson cloth.

’I wonder if that banner will ever have the chance to fly in the sun again.’

Felix prayed silently in his heart.