Denzel's possible connection to both Jade and Percival

I've been working on a rather ambitious 4KOTA theory that attempts to fill in the unexplored portions of Denzel Liones' life while simultaneously incorporating several important figures from the original legends. The central premise is that Denzel's life was far more tragic than canon lets on and that, without ever realizing it, he became the common ancestor of both Jade and Percival through two entirely separate family branches. So without further delay, let me start.

The theory begins shortly after Nadja's death, when the thirteen-year-old Denzel falls into depression and eventually joins a gang of delinquents who terrorize the streets and marketplaces of Liones. Although reckless and violent, Denzel never intends to kill anyone, and witnessing one of his companions murder an elderly civilian horrifies him and becomes the turning point of his life. Unable to tolerate his son's actions any longer, the then King of Liones banishes Denzel rather than sentencing him to death or life imprisonment, while the rest of the gang members are imprisoned and the murderer is later executed. Forced to wander Britannia alone, Denzel survives by taking odd jobs before becoming the feared bounty hunter known as "Devil Denzel". The hardships of exile gradually transform him into a far kinder man, leading him to adopt a personal code of only accepting assignments from honorable clients and helping the needy whenever possible. When news of his fame and redemption reaches Liones, King Bartra sends word asking Denzel to return home, but Denzel refuses, believing he must continue atoning for his past, though Bartra assures him that the gates of Liones will always remain open. Ten years into his exile, Denzel meets a mysterious bounty hunter named Blanche while on an assignment. Distrusting her motives, he introduces himself under the alias Meirchion Pellehan, though he eventually reveals his true identity after Blanche earns his trust. Blanche admits she also has a hidden identity but asks Denzel not to pry into it until she is ready. Over the next two years, their friendship blossoms into love, especially after Denzel rescues Blanche from a gigantic beast. Blanche confesses her feelings, Denzel reciprocates, and the two hold a private commitment ceremony at their secluded hilltop cottage before becoming intimate. Denzel later expresses his wish to marry Blanche formally and return with her to Liones, but tragedy intervenes before that dream can become reality.

While Denzel is away hunting, Blanche, who has been suffering from poor health, is kidnapped by rebels from Cornwall. Her true identity is finally revealed as Princess Blancheflor, the only daughter of the late King of Cornwall, who had been forced to live in hiding after a rebellion claimed the lives of her parents. She had shortened her name to "Blanche" while working as a bounty hunter to avoid detection, but the remaining rebels, after their rebellion was quelled by the late King's loyalists, eventually track her down and intended to torment her to death as revenge. Although she escapes captivity, she loses her way while searching for Denzel before being rescued by a group of loyalists from Cornwall, who reveal that the rebellion has already been crushed and they have spent years searching for their missing princess. After returning to Cornwall, Blanche collapses, and physicians discover that she is pregnant. When asked about the child's father, the weakened princess can only whisper "Den...Lion" before losing consciousness, leading everyone to mistakenly assume the father's name is "Denlion", making it impossible to locate Denzel. Despite believing she may not survive childbirth, Blanche perseveres long enough to give birth to twin boys, Mark and Pellinore, before dying shortly after. Her sons are hailed as the kingdom's new hope and are raised by capable guardians, excelling in both warfare and scholarship. Upon reaching adulthood, the twins fight to determine who will inherit Cornwall, but their duel ends in a draw. Rather than declaring a victor, the kingdom is divided: Mark inherits Cornwall, while Pellinore is given the reins of the new Kingdom of Listenois.

Completely unaware that Blanche remained faithful to him or that she had given birth to his sons, Denzel eventually returns to Liones at the age of thirty shortly before his father's death and dedicates himself wholeheartedly to serving King Bartra. Once feared by the people, he gradually earns their admiration through years of faithful service, though he remains emotionally scarred by Blanche's apparent disappearance and vows never to marry again despite Bartra's encouragement. His outlook begins to change only after Bartra's daughter, Margaret, is born. Denzel grows deeply attached to his niece, and Bartra's simple remark that he would make a wonderful father finally makes Denzel realize that his relentless self-punishment is preventing him from truly living. Accepting that redemption also means moving forward, Denzel later marries a commoner, and at the age of thirty-nine, fathers a son named Arden. Choosing humility over privilege, he removes his family from the royal castle, refuses to pass down the Liones surname, and strictly instructs Arden never to reveal his royal lineage, believing that a person's worth should be earned rather than inherited. After his wife's death, Denzel raises Arden alone while balancing affection with discipline. He later establishes the Pleiades of the Azure Sky, initially recruiting Dogedo, Deathpierce, and Waillo, with Deldry and Arden joining years later. During this time Arden and Deldry slowly develop feelings for one another. The order's peaceful years come to an end when Hendrickson's actions help ignite the Holy War, during which both Dogedo and Denzel lose their lives. The Pleiades disband afterward, and Deathpierce leaves for Edinburgh, refusing to serve under Meliodas and Elizabeth because of their respective Demon and Goddess heritages.

Following the war, Arden and Deldry finally acknowledge their love, retire from knighthood, and open a shop together, eventually having several children, with Jade as their eldest. Arden later dies of illness before the events of Four Knights of the Apocalypse, taking with him the secret of Denzel's royal bloodline. Deldry remarries and raises Jade and his siblings with her new husband, leaving Jade completely unaware that Denzel was his grandfather. Meanwhile, the two royal bloodlines born from Blanche diverge dramatically. Pellinore grows into a wise and compassionate king, marries, and fathers seven sons, Melodiam, Lamorak, Aglovale, Dornar, Alain, Tor, and Percival, with Percival being the youngest. On the other hand, Mark becomes increasingly ruthless, earning the feared title of the "Demon King of Cornwall" and sealing his kingdom's borders to isolate its people. Horrified by his brother's descent into tyranny, Pellinore declares war on Cornwall but is ultimately slain in battle alongside his eldest sons, Melodiam and Lamorak, although the brothers' bodies are never recovered. Before Listenois falls, Pellinore's loyal followers manage to smuggle Aglovale, Dornar, Alain, Tor, and the infant Percival to safety. The carriage carrying Percival eventually crosses paths with Ironside, leading into the events of the manga.