Unable to refuse Leoric's invitation, Todd sat down at the chessboard. Looking at the pieces in front of him, he was thinking about the situation in St. Defence City and didn't know how to make a move for a while.

Leoric looked at his opponent, slowly put down the chess piece in his hand, and said softly, "Child, I want to thank you."

Todd looked up in surprise: "Thank me?"

Leoric sighed. "I haven't spoken to my daughter since the day she got married. But this morning, Mary suddenly came to me and said she wanted to see someone... and that person is you."

Todd suddenly realized what was happening and began to explain their relationship: "Me and her..."

Leoric raised his hand to stop him, and said with a smile, "I don't want to know about your business. What I do know is that Mary has a trustworthy friend in Saint Guard City, and that's enough."

Upon hearing the other person's words, Todd abandoned his intention to explain and instead fell silent.

Leoric looked up at the azure sky, tossed the chess piece into the board, and struggled to his feet: "Such beautiful weather is too good to waste on playing chess. Come take this old man for a walk instead."

He had barely taken his first step when his aging joints and weak muscles caused Leoric's legs to buckle and he nearly fell to the ground.

Todd rushed forward, reaching out to help him, but Leoric shoved his hand away, growling, "Don't touch me! I can walk!"

The long-term immersion in the murderous aura of the sand dunes, coupled with the authority that came with being in a high position, caused Todd to have a momentary illusion when he looked at Leoric, as if he were actually seeing a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey.

Seeing the astonishment on Todd's face, Leoric shook his head helplessly and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, my overly cautious nature has long since destroyed my manners. Please forgive this old man's unintentional mistake."

Leoric walked with shaky steps, reminiscing as he spoke: "When I was young, I traveled to the south. I rode my horse all the way to the southernmost part of the parish, where I came to a vast grassland and saw a pride of lions."

“Among the lion pride was a lion king, majestic and arrogant, dominating the most fertile territory of the grasslands. There, he had the right to eat first, the right to choose his mate first, and the right to control the life and death of all living beings.” Leoric, his body hunched over, stretched out his wrinkled hands and gently stroked the flowers blooming in spring: “But, the lion king eventually grew old. His teeth fell out one by one, his claws began to dull, and even his proud roar became hoarse and weak.”

Todd listened to the old king's words, lost in thought.

"The lion king's sons began to challenge his authority time and again. They snatched food from their father's mouth and defied everything he asked. Even the lesser creatures around the pride—hyenas, foxes, and wolves—became restless because of the lion king's weakness. They approached the lion king's sons and began plotting how to seize territory and food. Finally, one day, the lion king fell to the ground, torn apart by his sons and their accomplices. In less than a day, his body was devoured by vultures, and his bones slowly sank into the earth. No animal remembered that there had ever been such a lion king who once dominated the grasslands."

Leoric stopped in front of a sculpture, looking at the magnificent and majestic statue of a king, and sighed, “Child, do you remember what I told you last time? Aging is the most terrible thing in the world. Its horror lies not in the physical pain and torment, but in watching everything slip away before your eyes, bit by bit, and you are powerless to stop it.”

Leoric turned around and looked directly into Todd's eyes: "Saint Guard City is a giant killing field, a place of deceit, intrigue, and plunder, which has long since turned this city into a hell. But there is only one exception, and that is my daughter Mary..."

Leoric took a step toward Todd: "From the moment Mary was born, I kept her away from this filthy world. I forbade her from the wars of power and forcibly kept her away from those treacherous and cunning people with ulterior motives. When she was still young, I married her off to a wealthy place as soon as possible, so that she could leave this place as soon as possible."

“But she didn’t understand my good intentions.” A look of pain flashed in Leoric’s eyes: “She thought I had imprisoned her freedom, arbitrarily decided her life, and pushed her into a pit of fire… But she never understood my true intentions…”

“That child has only ever trusted two people in her life: my sister Tania and my wife Gemma. But both of them have passed away, and I thought she had no one left to rely on in this world… until she came to me this morning and told me about you.”

Todd wondered to himself what Mary had said to her father that morning that made the old king trust him so much.

Leoric took a small brooch from his pocket and placed it in Todd's hand. Lowering his voice, he solemnly said, "This brooch is a talisman to ward off calamities and protect your life. I am now giving it to you. Remember! In a week, the Holy Guard City will hold an election ceremony for the heir. When you attend the ceremony, be sure to wear this talisman!"

Todd glanced down at the brooch in his hand; in both style and weight, it was exactly the same as Mary's.

Leoric waved his hand: "Go, child, may God bless you and me."

As the heavy iron gates turned, Todd stepped out of the back garden. Looking back at the cold castle under the sunlight, a strange chill ran through him.

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