A normal man wouldn't ever gain the right to enter a King's castle in his entire lifetime. But, there were always rare instances in which one would gain such an opportunity.
If you place yourself in one such person's shoes, it would be possible to imagine the surging emotions. The air of nobility that seemed to permeate every corner of the atmosphere bore down on the soul as though wanting to suppress any ego and pave the path for reverence and respect.
Leonel had never been to the Capital City of Earth before. The best he had seen were images of the Grand Palace. He remembered feeling awe at the sight and currently, he felt no different.
He lacked such experiences in life, how could he not be surprised and even feel somewhat suppressed in such an atmosphere.
The noble air, the well trained guards, the lingering scent of superiority that hung in the air… It all weighed on his soul and it felt like the closer he got to the throne room, the greater the pressure grew.
Leonel didn't even realize it, but he subconsciously took several steps back in his mind.. These weren't physical steps, but rather mental ones. It was like he was making concessions before the talks even began.
Lionus calmly observed Leonel from the side, but once again, didn't say much of anything. This time, it wasn't because he was testing Leonel, but rather because there were too many forces at play this time.
If Lionus had to choose a side to be on, he would choose his father ten out of ten times. He was the man he admired most in his life.
He also admired Leonel and even took him for a friend. But, it was simply impossible for Leonel's relationship with him to trump his relationship with his father.
"Enter."
A dignified voice shook Leonel's heart and the doors to the throne room opened.
Leonel had seen such a place already. The throne room of Pope Margrave wasn't much different aside from the fact this place was much less bright. However, Pope Margrave didn't give Leonel such an oppressive feeling.
Compared to the laid back version of himself at the selection, King Arthur didn't carry the same carefree smile. Rather, his brows held a touch of dignity and his lips were pressed into a relaxed line that hid his emotions to perfection.
Leonel approached the throne and knelt to one knee as a sign of respect. He had read about proper mannerisms within the libraries of both academies. Following them wasn't very difficult thanks to his pristine memory.
However, due to this knowledge, Leonel also knew that he wasn't meant to rise until he gained King Arthur's acceptance. Leonel had thought he would hear something immediately, but he never expected for his show of respect to be greeted with a long drawn out silence.
"Three Star Official Magus Leonel. Born an orphan to the Fiore Barony. Recommended by Three Star Apprentice Knight Heckle."
Another long pause came after King Arthur said these things before he continued.
"Just these three. The information networks of Camelot have been working in full force for over a month, yet this is all they could find out.
"So, I will ask you this question once and once only.
"Who are you?"
The more King Arthur spoke, rather than becoming more and more nervous, Leonel actually felt himself becoming eerily calm.
This feeling of helplessness had been gripping him a lot recently. Whether it was the battle at the fort, his run-in with Hacker Hutch, his battle with Lamorak, and now with this King Arthur who seemed intent on using his position of power to pressure Leonel into breaking down and telling the truth of his origins.
He found that with each time this happened, it felt worst than the last.
Normally, it would make sense that he would get used to it. After someone lowered their head once, it became easier and easier to do it as time went on. Eventually, raising it back up again became an impossible task.
But, for whatever reason, this didn't happen to Leonel.
King Arthur didn't seem to notice anything. But, Lionus who had gained a deep understanding of Leonel over the past months suddenly felt that Leonel's aura was growing more and more stable.
Lionus' expression flickered for just a moment.
Leonel remained silent. However, his lack of a response made King Arthur's gaze narrow.
The throne room didn't have many guards. There was simply no need. The most powerful warrior of Camelot was before them, so how many guards did he really need? But, it was safe to say that those who were here were the cream of the crop.
Seeing Leonel's lack of a response, their auras, too, grew sharper.
What happened next was completely unexpected.
Leonel stood. Without word from King Arthur, on his own accord, he stood and brushed his knees as though there was dirt on them. In such a pristine and well maintained castle, where could there possibly be a speck of dust to find?
At that moment, Leonel suddenly realized that he didn't like kneeling.
"If His Majesty, King Arthur, has something to say, please be frank with me. My history is as you say, there's nothing out of place. There's nothing more I could say about it."
This was Camelot, not Earth. Did this King Arthur think he was a fool?
Commoners didn't receive birth records, least of all orphans. Only nobles had the right to such a thing. On top of that, the Fiore Barony King Arthur mentioned was within the Yellow Mission Ring. Camelot's influence in that region was especially weak.
All this pressure King Arthur was placing on him, pretending as though he had already seen through Leonel, was all useless pretense. Leonel understood enough about Camelot after reading so many books that he could accurately guess that the likelihood he had been seen through was less than 7%. At most, they'd have suspicions.
Therefore, reacting with righteous indignation now was the proper reaction.
That said… The current Leonel truly wasn't acting. He was pissed off. Maybe if it wasn't for his friendship with Lionus, he wouldn't mind exposing Queen Guinevere's extramarital affair right here and now.
Leonel continued without waiting for an inevitably shocked reaction.
"If you would like to side with Sir Lamorak over me and rescind my right to enter the Merlin Trials, just say so."