Lin Ke wanted to see if the system's meaning was ambiguous, or if it could only be completed in one way.
[Task Completed]
[You have proclaimed yourself as the King of Azanen before the bloodline awakening]
[Reward: Pending Collection]
...
Goodness!
Lin Ke's eyes showed a hint of joy.
Just as expected!
The system's meaning wasn't actually telling him to overthrow his father right now.
Just like the previous task, which was his first task as well.
At that time, the system asked him to exhaust the last ounce of life from the King of Gods outside a castle using ventriloquism.
The reward was still "unknown."
Back then, he was indeed resistant to it.
Goodness, that was the King of Gods! The Divine King!
Is this system crazy?
However, out of curiosity about what the Divine King looked like, Lin Ke managed to shake off his following servants and went over for a look.
The result was seeing a barely alive King of Gods...
So it seems that the system doesn't give him tasks that are impossible to complete, and the way to complete tasks is ambiguous.
This task is also like that.
With this in mind, Lin Ke would know what to do when new tasks appear in the future.
As for the task reward, the so-called followers, Lin Ke planned to claim it when he had some free time.
While Lin Ke was contemplating, the grande dame at the dining table took a gentle sip of fruit pulp from her silver goblet and lightly coughed: "By the way, there's something I need to say."
The people who were savoring Lin Ke's words now shifted their attention back to the grande dame.
The grande dame's eyes were half-open, half-closed, appearing lazy and regal:
"Tomorrow the purchasing team is going to the city to buy some things, and this time the team can bring two additional people, who wants to go?"
As she spoke, the grande dame glanced at Lin Ke, her eyes filled with a hint of a smile.
The implication was that she was the one who truly called the shots at Azaenn Castle.
Is that what it meant? A challenge?
Lin Ke found it amusing.
After all, right now, a lot of matters are still being reported to him by Butler Billy, though it's just a report and not asking for instructions.
However...
Isn't going to the city something decided privately? Why ask it out loud?
Lin Ke was puzzled, and usually, the extra people the purchasing team brings are chosen by the Purchasing Captain.
The purchasing team has their purchasing needs, and the extra people basically just go to the city to have fun, visiting the city for two or three days before returning, it's usually only the little girls who like that...
Wait a minute.
No, little girls?!
Lin Ke slightly tilted his head to look at his mother.
Sure enough! A thick look of expectation flashed in his mother's eyes, mixed with a bit of struggle.
Staying in the castle surely provides a lavish life, but the new things in the city are truly the interesting ones.
Obviously, the grande dame brought this up at the dining table to get Lin Ke's mother out!
And conveniently there are exactly two additional spots, as if by coincidence...
Lin Ke took a big gulp of juice, in a hearty manner that seemed like he was downing a glass of 70-degree pure alcohol Maotai from 1982.
So then... does the grande dame have some intention or conspiracy in wanting to send us mother and son away...
Could it be to use this opportunity to eliminate my personal servant Little John?
A few minutes ago, the grande dame mentioned her servant gossiping, who knows if after he and his mother leave, they might chew off John's tongue?
Thinking of this, he was about to think of an excuse to speak up.
But seeing his mother's hopeful gaze, the words took a turn: "My mother, my servant John, and I will go together."
Including John, or else his mother would surely suggest just the two of them going.
At this moment, his mother was about to speak, opened her mouth but didn't say anything, looked at Lin Ke, and then nodded: "Mm-hmm, the three of us will go."
Lin Ke knew that his mother, a girl from a commoner family, didn't have much assertiveness and was often easy to lead in conversation.
Although he also wondered, the innocent and lively nature of his mother seemed like something only a great noble could cultivate.
His mother is a great noble? Don't be ridiculous.
How could the daughter of a great noble become the second wife of a Viscount, equivalent to a concubine?
And at this moment, hearing Lin Ke's words, the grande dame frowned: "There are only two extra spots, more people isn't good."
As expected!
Lin Ke felt that he had guessed correctly, the lady was probably trying to mess with Little John.
Maybe after messing with him, she could even insert someone of her own by Lin Ke's side.
That's how palace dramas usually go.
"Auntie and my mom are like sisters, having one more person won't affect it, right?" Lin Ke said in a childish voice.
Who would have thought the lady did not make things difficult, but instead put down her finished juice and waved her hand: "Alright then."
"Great!" Lin Ke's mother happily pumped her fist and then pinched Lin Ke's little cheek.
Clearly, just being able to go out and have fun was delightful enough.
Lin Ke looked at his mother's immature behavior and felt quite helpless.
Such a woman was indeed no threat to the lady, no wonder the lady hadn't bothered with his mother for so many years.
Seeing Lin Ke's mother's playfulness, even the lady across the table pinched the bridge of her nose and said: "Sister, in the future, you must mind your noble demeanor."
Lin Ke's mother also realized she had gotten carried away and embarrassingly stuck out her tongue: "Got it."
And so...
The lady, who seemed distracted with her own thoughts, the ecstatic Lin Ke's mother, and Lin Ke, who was obsessively thinking about "a highly potential follower".
These three swiftly finished their dinner and left the dining room, leaving the servants to quickly clear away the dishes and leftovers.
...
Evening.
Lin Ke, accompanied by Butler Billy and Little John, came to an open space outside the castle.
From the outside, the castle was enormous, with ten western-style arrow towers surrounding its base, a circle of protruding balconies above, and the highest circle belonging to the master of Azanen, containing the study and bedroom.
Outside the castle, apart from being black, were bright red patterns and seven or eight banners inscribed with "Azanen" hanging up.
The patterns were said to be the work of a professional [Architect], capable of fortifying the stone walls and enhancing the castle's defense.
And red, this was Azanen's main color scheme.
Whether it was the butler, servants, or slaves, their bodies or their attire bore traces of red, a "new tradition" brought by Lin Ke's irresponsible father.
The entire castle was like a black gemstone with red patterns, its size comparable to some small townships Lin Ke had seen in his past life.
If squeezed tightly, it might accommodate a population of tens of thousands.
However, in reality, the castle, even counting some servants' families and slaves, housed less than ten thousand.
And these ten thousand were currently there to serve just three people including Lin Ke.
This was the era they lived in.
Lin Ke glanced back at the castle, and then turned his gaze forward again.
Before him stood a thousand guards.
Except for thirty arrow tower guards and the Guard Captain, all other guards were present.
Lin Ke looked at them, put his hands behind his back, and shouted in a childish voice: "At ease! Attention!"
A dense array of a thousand people stood before him, differing in height, weight, and age.
The only thing they had in common was the "bang bang" sound of their rusty iron boots colliding when standing to attention.
Under usual circumstances, they couldn't wear the formal equipment, only with permission, could they don the gear, which was locked up securely.
"At ease!" "At ease!" …
"Attention!" "Attention!" …
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" …
After about four or five times, Lin Ke finally nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, now, start running three laps around the castle, remember to shout the slogans, and keep the formation neat! Ready... go!"
At his command, the guards ran out.
"Azanen, Azanen..."
The pronunciation of Azanen was like a fusion of Latin and Huaxia characters, similar to shouting "Aralge".
Running while shouting "Azanen" was like shouting "One Two One".
Watching the rows of guards running out, Butler Billy beside him praised: "Young master must have an extraordinarily excellent bloodline, such a wise training method, perhaps even the master would be pleased to see it."
"It's alright, I suppose," Lin Ke said modestly.
Because, in his younger years, Butler Billy had served by his rogue father's side, it was said he had seen many precocious races.
Generally, no matter what the creature, precociousness might very well denote an excellent bloodline.
Therefore, when Butler Billy first discovered Lin Ke's precociousness, he silently vowed to protect his master's offspring to the death.
And it was due to some incidents and tests that Lin Ke came to trust Butler Billy and referred to him as Uncle Billy.
"What's the use of this, anyway?" John asked nearby, pointing at the Guard Team in confusion.
At ease, attention, jogging.
Lin Ke's lips curled.
What's the use?
Heh, foolish beings from another world.
ps: Foolish people of Earth, hand over your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets!