A King’s Journey

Landon observed the scene before him, where ten groups of people, each with at least thirty individuals, sat in a circle around large piles of food. As he walked by, the groups all lowered to one knee, their faces respectful and reverent.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Landon waved a hand with a smile, urging them to rise. “Please, there’s no need for such formalities. Just sit, and enjoy your meal.”

A collective sigh of relief filled the air as they complied, settling back down. Landon continued to follow Lucy, shaking his head in mild amusement. He was still adjusting to the way people treated him, especially in this new life.

Soon, he spotted his mother sitting nearby. She stood up immediately when she saw him, her eyes scanning him with a kind of thorough concern, moving him from left to right and back again. Without warning, she pulled him into a warm hug, her hands brushing his forehead and then his temples, as if checking for any signs of lingering fever.

At the same time, Lucy, her younger sister, took his wrist and gently held it, as though trying to sense his heartbeat. She turned his head from side to side, her brow furrowing in concentration.

Landon, internally exasperated, couldn’t help but think, I’m a king, for heaven’s sake! How much more of this babying can I take? What will my knights think when they see me like this? Are they seriously shaking me like I’m some fragile doll?

“Little Landon, are you feeling any better? You look much better now, but when we reach Baymard, we’ll get a physician to check you over,” his mother said, her voice filled with concern. “Here, eat more food.”

Landon’s eyes widened as his mother brought forth a plate — no, a mountain of food. His plate was larger than any he had ever seen in his life, and he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. How am I supposed to eat all of this? Is she trying to suffocate me with food?

Before he could protest, Lucy chimed in, “Here, Brother Landon, take some of my food too.” She added more onto his already piled-high plate.

Landon sighed inwardly as he glanced at his mother, who was still adding more and more food to his plate. Is she trying to feed an army?

Finally, she held the spoon up to his mouth, as if he were a child. He stared at it, and his face flushed with embarrassment. Is this really happening?

Seeing him hesitate, his mother thought the food must still be too hot. She blew gently on the spoon, her lips making an exaggerated “Whuuuhh, Whuuuhh” sound as she cooled the food. “Here, little Landon, it’s cool now. Hurry, eat up.”

Landon was speechless. He glanced at the men in his group, noticing their attempts to stifle laughter. One of them, with his eyes flickering between red and a violent shade of suppressed mirth, tried to hold it in, but it was clear they were all struggling to keep their composure.

Is this what it feels like to have a mother? he thought, his heart unexpectedly softening. It feels… nice. I’ve never experienced this before.

In his past life, he had been an orphan, unloved and alone. But now, though his father was a distant and cruel figure, his mother was an angel. She cared for him, nurtured him. And Lucy, his sister, was always there by his side — kind, loyal, and strong. It made Landon feel an unfamiliar warmth in his chest.

He took a deep breath and resolved to enjoy this moment. Fine, I’ll let them feed me now. But this is the last time!

Looking at the massive plate of food, Landon thought, Three grown men could eat what’s on this plate, and there would still be leftovers. Is this some kind of joke?

But when he looked into Lucy’s and his mother’s hopeful faces, he sighed and finally relented. Alright, alright. I’ll eat. But I swear, this is the last time...

As he began to eat, he thought about the life he had left behind. When he and his mother had left the capital, they’d been given only three hundred and thirty knights for protection. That number seemed paltry compared to the armies his brothers had at their command. Most Barons and Dukes had thousands of knights — far more than what he had.

In fact, his brothers, when they turned fifteen, were given prosperous cities to govern, each with no less than ten thousand knights under their command. Even his sisters, though they didn’t have cities to rule, had been granted more knights than him — a full three thousand each.

The knights who followed Landon were considered the empire’s rejects — the ones with the lowest prospects, those deemed untalented or troublesome. Despite their reputations, these knights were good people, with hearts full of loyalty, but they’d been unfairly treated by the empire.

Among them, there were five standouts. Lucius, the former Knight Commander, had been one of the empire’s highest-ranking officers before he chose to leave it all behind and follow Landon. His decision had raised eyebrows, but Landon knew better than anyone why Lucius had chosen him. He had raised Landon like a father since his childhood. Lucius’s feelings for his mother were also evident, though his mother, oblivious, hadn’t picked up on his affections.

Maybe I should play matchmaker, Landon thought idly, looking at Lucius with a thoughtful expression. Mom deserves happiness too.

Then his eyes turned to Lucius’s loyal disciples: Josh, Mark, and Gary, each of them now holding the rank of Knight Captain. They were steadfast, hardworking, and had supported Lucius — and by extension, Landon — through thick and thin. They were more like brothers than subordinates.

Finally, Landon’s gaze settled on his personal knight and bodyguard, Trey Parsy. Trey was fiercely loyal, almost obsessively so. At only nineteen, Trey was already a Knight Lieutenant, one of the most trusted members of Landon’s small force. He was always by Landon’s side, cracking jokes and ensuring his safety.

In the empire, knights were ranked based on their achievements, with ranks ranging from Squire to Page, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Commander, Master Commander, and finally Provist, the highest honor.

As the group finished their meal, they resumed their journey toward their new home — Baymard.

Landon had much to think about. His new life as the ruler of Baymard had just begun, and he was determined to make it a prosperous one.

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