Reincarnated as a Lousy Knight

3. Different Lives

"YOUR Highness, we have received a report of massive plague victims in this certain village that happened overnight."

Leonidas came to handle the report as he read it himself. "What's the cause of the plague? List me down the victims." He bestowed the report to one of the imperial knights. "Then report it to me and to Second Brother."

"As you wish, Your Highness." The knight bowed his head before he turned to leave.

Leonidas went straight to the dining hall to grab a morning meal along with his father and his nine brothers. He was with his assistant named Hugh.

Hugh opened the door for him as soon as he arrived.

"Greetings, Father," he said politely, bowing his head.

"Have a seat, Leonidas. I am glad you are here." His father, Galafe, said with a wide smile. His eyes sparkled every time he laid his eyes on his third son, Leonidas.

"Hello to you, too, third brother."

Leonidas turned his head to his second brother named Percival. He bowed his head a little. "Greetings, second brother, Percival." He sat beside him in between Percival and his fourth brother, Benjamin. The food was served the moment he settled down.

While they were quietly enjoying their meal, Lycan Emperor Galafe's assistant, Philip, came forth to whisper some news to their father. Leonidas watched his father having a creasing forehead before he looked at his assistant in disbelief.

"So, you received the report, too?"

He glanced at his side where Percival was leaning forward to him to whisper. Leonidas nodded his head quietly. Then he mind linked his second brother telling him that he already asked for more details for that.

"Leonidas, Percival, investigate the incident that happened in Everlyn," their father ordered.

"Yes, Father," Percival and Leonidas said in unison.

"What happened at that village, Father?" Alfonce asked in curiosity as his assistant, Siege helped him to bestow his glass of water.

Galafe glanced at Leonidas and nodded his head. Leonidas sighed and forced himself to stand up.

"We received a report coming from one of our intels that the village named Everlyn located at the outside of the capital has been attacked by massive plagues," he reported.

"Plague? Would that be contagious and will affect the whole empire, third brother?" Mitxel asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I don't know yet. We are still conducting investigations," he answered as he sat down to return to eat.

"Oh! Oh! Are you going to that village, second and third brother?" Crispian asked, grinning. "You will never know, you might need my sense of smell." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Percival chuckled. "Fifth brother, you forgot that we can also use our sense of smell. We, lycans, have a ten times stronger sense of smell than the average werewolf." He shrugged.

Crispian shrugged. "I have nothing else to do after this." Then he looked at their father. "Father, I would like to go with them. Please allow me."

Galafe glanced at Leonidas. "You decide Leonidas. You are leading the investigation troops after all."

And I am the one who will decide... He nodded. "Bring your own knight squad, Crispian." With that, he finished eating while all of his brothers were exchanging meaningful glances.

Whenever his brothers did this, it could mean that they were mind linking to each other. It could either be they were scoffing, they were annoyed at his attitude, or... Leonidas simply didn't want to care about it.

Hugh pulled the chair as soon as Leonidas was finished eating. "I am leaving," he announced and bowed his head to his father.

Galafe smiled and nodded. "Yes, son. I am hoping for your investigation."

At that moment, everyone who was here in the dining hall, regardless if they were butlers, maidservants, or assistants, knew that Galafe, the lycan emperor of Oriana Empire favored his third son, Leonidas.

Having the royal blood of a lycan, once an Alpha prince became an emperor, he could have more than five mates depending if he could find them and build a harem. Only the first mate was considered the empress.

Regardless if the first mate died from illness or from an unfortunate event, the rest of a lycan emperor's mates couldn't be considered as the next empress. They were only considered consorts or concubines. It would depend on the emperor himself what title he should bestow to his mates.

Since the first mate of Galafe, Empress Farrah was assassinated by the group of bandits when she was out of town to pay her pack a visit, Leonidas' mother named Averie had taken over the role of the empress by being granted the title of Primary Queen and ever since Leonidas was born, Galafe already expressed how he favored him, regardless if he had sons from Galafe's other mates.

It was why some of his brothers envy him but they never expressed how much they didn't like Leonidas whenever their father was around. Some of his brothers supported him and would never be surprised if he became the Crown Prince because of how prodigy Leonidas was.

He accelerated so many times from his lessons than his first and second brother.

Leonidas always had to put all of his guards because unless he became the crown prince, his brothers would dare to kill him. He already experienced assassinations when he was little.

With his sharp eyes and ears and with great skills when it comes to wielding a sword, he had already killed some of the perpetrators who dared to kill him.

His father had no idea what he had been through. It wouldn't be like this if only Galafe didn't favor him.

"Hugh, gather the Fifth Order of the Knights to conduct an investigation," Leonidas ordered as soon as he went to his study room.

Hugh bowed his head. "Yes, Your Highness. Your wish is my command."

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"WHERE did you all get these luxurious things, Cerise?" Savvy asked when her eyes sparkled seeing a box of expensive jewelry.

Aishia giggled, copying the attitude of Cerise. "Someone gifted that to me, Mother! They are grateful that a rookie like me managed to pass the tournament!" she exclaimed.

"Really?" Aishia nodded. "I know that they will recognize your skills!" Savvy hugged her all of a sudden which made Aishia stiffen.

Right... I am not used to this kind of affection... She secretly rolled her eyes but let Savvy hug her.

She managed to get away from her as soon as she made an excuse that she would train on her sword. One thing that Aishia noticed was that Cerise is wolfless. Being in a twenty-four-year-old body of a woman should be able to transform to her wolf form when she reaches eighteen.

She wanted to mind it but she remembered that she had no wolf inside her which was why she didn't know how to find her mate. She smiled as Felix was the one who found her. He expressed that he finally found his mate.

Even though Aishia was hesitant to other people as she was being cast away by her people, she had never bestowed any doubt to Felix as soon as he proclaimed himself that he was her mate.

But there was another man who wanted her before regardless if that person isn't her fated mate.

Galafe... That bastard... I will never forget how you made fun of my life and even murdered Felix, she said in her mind, expressing how she loathed Galafe Oriana. I should have killed him when I had the chance before. She tsked, shaking her head. She was so disappointed in her past life.

She was a powerful sorcerer yet she let herself be played under Galafe's hands. She should have been smart that her role didn't give a big contribution to the war. She was just a mere toy by the empire and only wanted her because of how powerful she was.

I will never make the same mistake again. This time... This time I am sure I will grant my revenge.

She clenched her hands. Her anger exploded as she swung her sword the way Felix had taught her. She wanted to cry but there were no tears falling down from her eyes. She was wrapped with coldness and pretensions. She needed to kill Galafe and commit treason against the imperial lycan family.

Now that she had done one of the accords she needed to fulfill, the next thing she needed to focus on was to become the strongest knight in the Galafean era. To do that, she needs to beat the one who had the title of the strongest knight in this era.

It was the third son of Galafe, Leonidas Oriana, the Scorched Flaming Prince.

Aishia scoffed. "Scorched Flaming Prince? What an odd knight title..." She smirked.

She wanted to meet that third prince and test his sword skills. She believed that they would cross paths someday. That is why she needed to prepare so she could ask him to fight her.

Since she already had the basic knowledge of how to wield a sword thanks to Felix, she would try her best to enhance it along with the help of her grimoire, Asperse.

While she was under the cascaded falls, sitting on top of the big stone and feeling the water fall from top to her back, she practiced meditation to enhance her powers as well.

While she was in her training, she wondered why Alpha Prince Leonidas was being called Scorched Flaming Prince. She didn't read the details her grimoire bestowed to her.

She thought that it was unworthy to add more knowledge about that prince. But then, Felix told her before that if she needs to win, she must know who her opponent was. That she mustn't move hastily and planned everything.

"Leonidas, the Scorched Flaming Prince..." she murmured his name along with his Imperial Knight title. "Felix, the Crimson Furnace..." she murmured her deceased lover's first name and his former Imperial Knight title back in the Durandian era.

She stroked her chin, finding an almost similar pattern of their imperial knight title.

Both of my Felix and that bastard Alpha prince symbolize... fire, she wondered.

She made a protective barrier to avoid people that may see her the moment she appeared Asperse Grimoire. "Show me the information about Leonidas Oriana."

As Asperse skimmed through pages, it halted to a certain page where the information about his Imperial Knight title was being written. Aishia furrowed her eyebrows, reading them. As soon as she was finished, her eyes widened from the information she read.

"What?!" she exclaimed, shocked by it.