Chapter 668: Act 30 – Another Opportunity I
In Medisa’s line of sight, a group of oddly-dressed knights had already caught her attention. The knights stopped at the roadside, all mounted and observing, their expressions varied, but mostly tinged with curiosity.
In Duke Toniger’s countryside, aside from the White Lion Guard and Brendel’s subordinates, it was rare to see such vividly adorned knights. However, even among the White Lion Guard, they would not bear a flame insignia on their breastplates, nor would their armor conform to the local style of Erluin.
On the contrary, the armor they wore was predominantly dark red, richly adorned with furs and horned accents. This was typical of Cruzian armor style, and the coloration stemmed from the iron sourced in Cruz, mixed with considerable amounts of fire elements.
“Some curious visitors have arrived,” Medisa mused, realizing their identities.
But why would Cruzian envoys appear in Toniger at this time?
…
Laurena lowered the iron gauntlet that had shielded her from the sun, gazing out at the distant windmill and expansive farmlands. However, when her eyes scanned over the poorly defended Firburh Castle, a hint of disdain emerged on her face—Firburh had lacked maintenance since the Grudin era, and Brendel merely used it as a temporary residence without plans for refurbishment, so it was easy for this Cruzian Lady Knight to spot the numerous cracks in the dilapidated castle.
“I didn’t expect such a place to exist further south. In comparison, we’ve been to some areas in the north of this kingdom where the current situation is far from as prosperous. Isn’t it often said that south of Laosen, all that remains is barren wasteland?”
She muttered to herself, yet was drawn to the ongoing championship tournament nearby. Firburh was bustling with people, turning her head to closely observe the knights preparing to take the field.
“The records you see are from years ago; it wouldn’t be surprising if there have been changes,” a woman’s voice answered her.
Laurena didn’t need to turn around to recognize the speaker—without a doubt, it was a voice with notable character, leaving a deep impression regardless of context. The calm and graceful intonation was unforgettable upon first hearing.
It felt as if the voice’s owner had thought deeply before uttering such words.
If Brendel were present, he would surely recognize the voice’s owner. Surrounded by numerous Cruzian knights, the lady, who looked to be only eighteen or nineteen at first glance, exuded a mysterious and alluring aura that belied her age; it was Delphine, the Chancellor’s daughter from the Cruzian Empire, whom he had met in the Black Forest.
The Chancellor’s daughter quietly observed everything, her long black hair cascading down like silk. Her eyes seemed to naturally hold a certain mystery, radiating an inscrutable tranquility.
From her position on horseback, she undoubtedly attracted the most attention; after all, such beauty was rarely seen not only in Toniger but also in the most prosperous regions of Erluin and Cruz. Even the local vassals couldn’t help but glance at her, their curiosity piqued by the presence of a woman more beautiful than the Duke’s fiancée and the Princess herself.
However, Delphine was dressed in the regal robes of Cruzian nobility, resembling a diplomatic envoy rather than a common noblewoman. Her robe dyed a deep purple, differently than the gold or red common in regions venerating the Temple of Fire, further underscored her status.
“Miss Delphine, do you know something?” Laurena turned her head to ask.
Delphine nodded, “As far as I know, that Lord Earl was appointed to this place not too long ago. Therefore, any changes here are likely related to him.”
She responded calmly, only slightly pausing when mentioning Brendel.
Laurena glanced at the Chancellor’s daughter, considering her words but opting for silence. She knew that Delphine’s romantic interest had indirectly suffered due to the Lord Earl they were about to meet; her decision to come here was likely not merely to deliver a message.
The Lady Knight changed the topic, feigning casualness, “Is it him? I didn’t expect this Lord Earl to possess such remarkable political talents; I heard he is quite young, isn’t he?”
“Yes, very young. I once met that Lord Earl.” Delphine’s tone was cool. “However, to say he’s gifted with governance might be overstating it; that Lord Earl controls Toniger’s silver mines and has reportedly recently discovered a crystal mine. Everything happening now is merely a temporary illusion built on wealth.”
“I see. It’s just a third-rate competition after all. At least it’s lively,” the young knight sitting behind Laurena yawned, seemingly bored as he looked ahead. But he forced himself to perk up, “But it seems like we are quite lucky, stumbling into these country bumpkins’ celebrations. Perhaps the local Lord will be gracious and treat us to a hearty dinner. Since leaving Ampere Seale, the taste in my mouth has become a companion of wild grass.”
“What wild grass? That’s wild vegetables,” Laurena shot him a disapproving glance.
Among the knights in the group, others certainly wouldn’t dare to be so audacious in front of their commanding officer. But this individual was the Emperor’s younger brother, Prince Barano’s legitimate heir, and also her fiancé.
Originally, he hadn’t been included in this expedition, yet he insisted on tagging along under the pretense of protecting her. Given Martha’s presence, she hardly needed his protection; as a formal Lady Knight of the Azure Legion, her abilities surpassed his by a good margin.
Still, Laurena sighed in resignation. As part of a political marriage, she felt neither much affection nor aversion towards him. Although his nature was somewhat troublesome, he seemed tolerable compared to certain noble youths in the capital.
The young knight shrugged, “Alright, you say so.” He looked around and continued, “But I wonder if there’ll be the legendary bonfire party in the evening. Just think, perhaps a passionate mountain girl will take a liking to me.”
“How exciting,” he turned back and raised his voice, “don’t you think so, Laurena?”
The Lady Knight replied coldly, “Enough, Phillas. Don’t cause trouble. No one here cares what your title is; you’d best remember who the local Lord is.”
Her tone was harsh, clearly indicating that this fellow had already made numerous troubles for her along the way. However, Laurena knew her words held little binding power over him. Fortunately, they were in Erluin, not within Cruz’s boundaries. In this small kingdom, the local lord might express his displeasure verbally but would likely do little more than that.
“I certainly know. That Lord Earl has gained immense notoriety back in Ampere Seale, causing us to suffer a huge loss. Didn’t Duke Flowerleaf and Duke Nosku say that we Cruzian people haven’t had such a serious setback in a hundred years? Such a ‘great favor’ will certainly be remembered by the Cruz people…”
Just as Phillas was casually speaking, he suddenly noticed Laurena glaring at him coldly, causing him to shiver, “Okay, I understand… For the sake of Lady Veronika, I won’t cause him trouble. Although I promised that little girl Faina… Alright, I understand, I’ll listen to you, dear Laurena.”
“Phillas, if it weren’t for your father, I’d really not want to marry you,” the Lady Knight responded coolly.
“I know, I know! I won’t say anything more, is that alright?” The young knight hurried to placate his fiancée’s ire, at least knowing that marrying a genius daughter of the Duke from the capital was an honor in itself.
Laurena thought perhaps the troublemaker in their group had finally quieted, and turned her head to look for the local lord. However, she hadn’t even allowed herself to relax before hearing Phillas whistle loudly behind her.
“Laurena, look over there!” Phillas exclaimed, suddenly excited.
Normally, when this young master was in high spirits, it didn’t bode well. Sure enough, when Laurena turned to look, she saw…
However, before Laurena could fully process what was happening, she heard Phillas whistle again, a large crowd was crowding around a young girl walking along the main avenue.
Yet, she couldn’t help but admire her fiancé’s sure eye for beauty, as the girl truly was a stunning sight—appearing to be about sixteen or seventeen, her hair tied up to reveal a smooth, fair forehead like many country girls who kept their hair up for convenience. Yet she wore a thick traveling merchant’s leather outfit, common in southern Erluin, which made her stand out uniquely amidst the crowd, particularly eye-catching.
“Phillas, don’t go provoking others,” Laurena knew her fiancé genuinely cared for her, yet his restless nature always led him to flirt. However, it was mostly just verbal teasing.
He had previously faced a painful lesson at the hands of a noble young lady yet showed no sign of learning from it.
Her words were evidently ineffective, as Phillas was now thoroughly enlivened. He whistled loudly; since leaving the empire, he had encountered many regions, yet had never seen such an outstanding girl—of course, aside from his fiancée and the untouchable Chancellor’s daughter.
What the young prince from the Cruzian Empire set his eyes upon was Romaine, the Business Lady, who, after salvaging a few pieces of roast meat from the kitchen, had run out to continue peddling ale in the street, having lost sight of Brendel.
Having been out in the public eye for years, nearly all the Firburh citizens recognized the affable fiancée of their local lord. No one dared to take advantage of her; instead, they cheerfully bought her ale—the mere chance to drink ale sold by the lady of the lord was considered an honor.
However, Romaine held an empty bowl in one hand and a flag stating she was the Silver Elf Princess, gleefully chatting with those around her, evidently unaware of the Cruzian knights nearby.
Naturally, this wasn’t her fault. After all, during this festive time, the streets were filled with knights and ceremonial soldiers garbed in festive attire; it wasn’t easy for ordinary citizens to distinguish between the armor of the Cruz knights and the standard armor of their own Erluin.
As for our Business Lady, she was even less likely to tell them apart.
After all, they all looked like tin cans, lacking the grace of pointed elven ears; didn’t they all seem alike? Moreover, who would have thought that Cruzian knights would appear in such a remote place?
It wasn’t until a shadow loomed before her, blocking out the sun, that Romaine hesitated, raised her head, and saw the towering Cruz knights before her.
Phillas rode up to Romaine, tightening his reins with one hand while turning his horse. His maneuver was so impressive that several knights from other regions cheered him on, and naturally, Phillas was quite pleased. In his mind, such a display was more than enough to intimidate a few Erluin bumpkins.
“Beautiful lady, may I have the honor of knowing your name?”
He raised his head, hoping to see the adoring look he had imagined. He had used this trick often in the fields of Clover and throughout his journey, bringing him steady applause and attention. But this time, Phillas found himself destined for disappointment.
As he squinted, he found the locals before him weren’t looking upon him with admiration—rather, they regarded him with expressions akin to viewing a fool.
Those eyes seemed to say—where did this bumpkin crawl out from? (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please consider voting for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
