In the Name of the Queen

Why let Sif wait and see?

Because Roland only had a general idea, but no specific measures, and he had to go back to check more information.

Some people are born to fight, but he is not one of them.

As we all know, let alone fighting, a novice who can organize hundreds of people to go out for an outing without any problems is already a powerful person with explosive ability.

Roland can retrieve all military works from Sun Tzu's Art of War to Qi Jiguang's Training Methods to modern Western military theories from his memory bank, but it does not mean that he understands military affairs.

The limit of his command ability is that he organized a campus football league as the president of the university student union.

Looking at Roland's confident expression, Sif felt a little relieved.

She believed that Roland could create miracles, just like when he faced difficulties before.

The only regret is that there are too few people in the Knights.

Looking at Sif's trusting eyes full of reassurance, the fire in Roland's heart was also ignited.

Of course he believed that he could do it, just like when he faced difficulties before.

Fortunately, there are very few people in the Knights.

There are only a few big cats and a few small cats, so there are not many things to consider.

Roland did not ask the camp leader questions.

He had not officially taken office yet, so he was not in the right position.

Instead of asking the old knight who had run out of energy, it was better to chat with the children.

After saying something to Sif, Roland put on a sunny smile and walked towards the place where the children were playing.

He found a place to sit next to the children and chatted with them casually.

In the slums, he often helped neighbors to coax children, and he was very familiar with this matter.

Sif looked at Roland in astonishment, and hesitated whether to follow him.

These children were having a lot of fun, and their bodies were covered with dust and mud. She really didn't want to get close, but she wanted to hear what Roland said to the little guys, so she finally gritted her teeth and moved over.

Fortunately, she didn't wear a long skirt today, but casual clothes, which made it convenient to move.

The way she walked on tiptoe quickly attracted the attention of the children.

"Look, big brother, it's a beautiful noble lady."

Roland smiled and nodded. The little guy had good eyesight.

Not only a noble, but even a royal family.

Roland took off his coat and put it on the wooden stool, motioning Sif to sit here.

It was unrealistic to expect the delicate royal girl to get along with the children. It was good enough that she came to listen.

The approach to the people must be taken step by step, and there was no rush.

After Sif sat down, the children who were talking and laughing just now were a little restrained, and even dared not laugh casually.

After sitting for a while, she realized that she was redundant with some frustration, so she planned to leave.

Fortunately, Roland helped her find a way out.

"Sif, the little ones like to listen to stories, can you tell them one?"

Sif was a little confused, how could she tell any stories?

Roland reminded softly: "Tell them the story of Her Royal Highness the Princess."

What is there to say about the Princess?

Sif didn't want to say this, but this was a good way to get closer to the children, so she didn't refuse.

"Then I'll tell you casually."

Seeing that the beautiful noble sister was going to tell a story, the children were flattered and quickly sat around her.

Sif cleared her throat and began to talk about the daily life of the princess.

To be fair, what she said was a bit boring.

At least Roland thought so.

He suppressed the urge to yawn and looked around the room, but saw the children holding their cheeks, their eyes flashing with longing, listening with relish.

Hey, what's wrong with you little guys?

Isn't it just the daily life of a royal princess? Back and forth, it's nothing more than the strictness of the teacher, the alienation of parents and brothers, the luxury of life, and the complexity of rules.

But he reacted quickly.

He had read books online, but children didn't have such channels.

Their understanding of the royal family basically came from the bards and the misleading of their parents.

Although they didn't know Sif's true identity, the children had a unique keen judgment. They could tell at a glance that Sif was of noble birth, so of course they believed what she said.

Roland thought about it and thought that the children might not be interested in the story itself, but Sif.

It was a rare experience to listen to a beautiful noble lady telling a story in a gentle and cold voice.

Children are all real.

They may not like stories, but like to be around beautiful noble ladies.

Glancing at Sif's delicate profile like a statue, Roland suddenly realized that he still had a childlike heart.

After the boring story was over, the children were still not satisfied. Someone asked boldly:

"Sif, I heard the story of the Princess and the Pea by the bard Adam. He said that a real princess can feel the pea even through twenty layers of mattresses. Is it true?"

"It's not that exaggerated."

Sif smiled and continued: "The velvet bedding specially provided by the court of most countries is very thin, and some princesses take hot milk baths every day, so their skin is naturally very delicate, but it's not that exaggerated."

She used her white finger to draw the approximate thickness, thought for a moment, and slowly said: "The thinnest mattress can be felt through three or five layers, and it won't work if it's more than that."

With such a convincing explanation, the children certainly wouldn't doubt it.

They all showed envious expressions.

I don't know if they envy the princess who can sleep on five layers of velvet every night, but Roland envied the velvet bedding.

Sif's story is very good, but the children still feel a little disappointed.

"Is the story of the Princess and the Pea fake?"

Seeing that the children were a little disappointed, Sif thought for a while and said softly:

"In the ancient Kingdom of Delan, there was a princess who lived a luxurious life. She ordered that the velvet bedding be made as thin as a handkerchief. She could indeed feel the peas underneath through twenty layers of bedding."

"What happened next?" the children asked anxiously.

Sif sighed and said softly: "Twenty layers of ultra-thin velvet are just a microcosm of the princess's luxurious life. Her luxurious life is far more than that."

"What happened next?" the children were even more curious.

Sif said calmly: "The princess is so luxurious, and the luxury of the king and queen can be imagined. Other nobles will naturally not lag behind. Before the princess succeeded to the throne, the Kingdom of Delan was destroyed."

I didn't expect this ending, and the children were a little confused.

Sif put down her airs and used stories to get closer. After all, the children were not adults. Although they felt a sense of distance from the nobles, it was not so exaggerated. They chatted with Miss Sif and left Roland aside.

The big brother who can tell stories can be seen every night in the King's Square. He tells stories better than Roland.

But I have never seen a noble lady telling stories.

The children only play with reality, so of course they have to revolve around Sif.

This is the first time Sif is surrounded by so many children. After a little surprise and restraint, she gradually gets used to the feeling of being surrounded by the little ones.

She asked about the Knights in a casual way.

In the children's stories, she gradually sorted out some threads.

The Knights have only paid three months' salary every year for three consecutive years, and the few remaining knights have gone out to make a living.

The people playing here are the families of the remaining knights.

Not every knight can go out to work and earn money.

They have been learning knight skills since childhood and university, and suddenly they can only work in professions related to combat.

Most of these professions are contrary to the code of conduct of knights, and many people cannot accept it.

In short, most of the less than 300 remaining knights are not on duty, and their lives are difficult.

Roland and Sif looked at each other, their expressions were a little solemn.

Although they had already estimated the situation of the Knights to be bad enough, they found out that it was far worse than they imagined when they arrived at the scene.

As the sun gradually set in the west, the children smelled the aroma of food coming from the direction of the camp. They reluctantly said goodbye to Sif and ran away following the smell of home.

Watching them leave, Sif's expression was particularly solemn, and she said in a deep voice:

"Roland, I plan to sell some things that are not needed for the time being to pay these loyal knights back wages. Her Majesty the Queen should also be generous."

"Pay back wages? In whose name?" Roland asked casually.

Some true words are always spoken inadvertently.

If Sif casually said that she would pay in her name, he could probably guess what she was thinking.

If she said that she would pay in the name of the Queen, her loyalty would still prevail.

However, Sif's answer made him slip his waist on the spot.

"Of course it's you, you are the leader of the Knights!"