The Arrogant Imperial Citizen

"Mr. Ulysses, here is your cargo. Would you like to check if anything is missing?" A soldier under Yarman's command re-hitched the prepared carriage to the warhorse and brought it over to Ulysses.

Ulysses shook his head with a bitter smile. "No need to check. We started out with ten wagons of cargo, and nine of them have already been plundered by those damned bugs. Whether this last wagon is here or not makes no difference anymore..."

Thomas frowned slightly. "Lord Ulysses, you still haven't answered my question..." The dissatisfaction in Thomas's tone was audible to almost everyone present.

Ulysses's expression immediately soured, and his tone became blunt. "You must be Guild Master Thomas of the Keren Kingdom, right? What is this, is the Guild Master planning to interrogate the three of us?"

Thomas's fist, held behind his back, tightened sharply. Before he could speak, a fifth-rank mage behind him said indignantly, "What kind of attitude is that? If it weren't for us, the three of you would be dead. Is this how you treat your saviors?"

"I certainly acknowledge your life-saving grace, but that does not mean you have the right to interrogate us like criminals. According to the customs of the Saint Paul Empire, once the three of us return to our family, we will report Commander Yarman's kind assistance to the Empire, ensuring the Empire knows that the people around us hold goodwill and awe toward our Empire. Furthermore, our family and merchant guild will provide a generous reward as compensation for Commander Yarman rescuing us!"

Ulysses directed this entire speech at Yarman. Clearly, while his strength was only at the fifth rank, his pride was higher than that of a sixth-ranker. Thomas's repeated questioning had left him dissatisfied, so he simply attributed the rescue entirely to Yarman's Third Legion.

"You..." The mage behind Thomas was furious; it was his first time seeing rescued individuals act so arrogant.

Seeing the atmosphere grow increasingly tense, Yarman immediately stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, both of you. In this place, I believe we should stand on the same front. Lord Ulysses, the Saint Paul Empire has always been generous to our Kingdom, frequently considering our position in international relations, so I am honored to have been able to assist mages from the Saint Paul Empire. The three of you must be exhausted; why not rest in my carriage? After tonight, I will dispatch my most elite First Battalion to escort you to our capital, from where you can take a detour back to the Saint Paul Empire!"

"Commander Yarman's etiquette shows me the kindness and friendliness of the Keren Kingdom's nobility. Thank you once again..." Although Ulysses looked disheveled, he performed a standard Saint Paul Empire noble salute that caught everyone's eye.

Ulysses took the other two mages away to rest, leaving Thomas with an incredibly ugly expression. "Saint Paul this, Saint Paul that. If not for the country he hails from, I could crush him with one hand!"

Yarman shook his head helplessly. "Come now, Mage Thomas. You should be well aware of the gap between the Empires and the Kingdoms. Before the four great Empires, we kingdoms living in the cracks are like indigenous people. Believe me, during my youth studying at the Frossa Academy in the Saint Paul Empire, I saw arrogance a hundred times more flagrant than that of Ulysses. Compared to that, Ulysses is actually quite easy to get along with as an imperial citizen..."

"Commander Yarman, do you really believe what Ulysses said?" No one present was a fool; unless Ulysses could produce sufficient evidence, it was hard for anyone to believe he was a citizen of the Saint Paul Empire.

Yarman smiled at Yaheng, the Guild Master of the Rosace Magic Guild who had asked the question. "Does it matter whether I believe it or not? Regardless of his identity, I will send him away first thing tomorrow morning. Once they reach the capital, our law enforcement officers will personally escort them to the Saint Paul Empire. Once they arrive there, the Saint Paul Empire's military will immediately determine whether they are genuine or not..."

"Heh, Commander Yarman, you appear very polite to them on the surface, but I didn't expect you to be so ruthless. If you do as you say, and they are indeed imposters, tsk tsk, I look forward to seeing their expressions the moment the Saint Paul Empire exposes their identities!" Yaheng chuckled.

"Indeed, under the laws of the Saint Paul Empire, impersonating a citizen of their nation is a capital offense. Hmm, Yarman, I must say, I should learn from you when it comes to handling such matters!" Thomas added with equal appreciation.

Yarman's expression slowly turned serious. "Gentlemen, this matter is merely a small interlude. Please do not forget our objective. Our movements have been exposed today, so for the sake of caution, we will not continue our journey today and will set up camp here instead. Tomorrow, led by the earth-attribute mages, we will check the ground for lurking magical beasts. We will advance inch by inch. Once we reach Morton and engage their main army, that will be the moment for everyone to display their magical prowess to the world!"

Yarman took out a crystal and said slowly, "This is a Claire Recording Crystal. At the moment of the decisive battle, I will activate it to record the performance of each guild. These records will not only serve as the standard for determining the final first place, but will also serve as promotional material for the six major guilds. I believe that as long as it spreads across the continent, the reputation of the six kingdoms' magic guilds will become incredibly illustrious, which I think will be quite helpful for your standing in your respective countries..."

Gilbert, the Guild Master of the Goriu Kingdom Magic Guild, shook his head with deep emotion. "Commander Yarman, to be honest, your methods make me feel that you look more like a politician than a general. And what we should be thankful for is that today we are standing beside this excellent politician, rather than against him!"

"Thank you for the compliment, Guild Master Gilbert..." Yarman performed a gentleman's bow and said with a smile.

Subsequently, the army set up camp on the spot. With eighteen thousand men, plus the members of the six kingdoms' magic guilds, the force of nearly twenty thousand people erected military tents in a massive circle. At the same time, twenty watchtowers, each ten meters high and covering five square meters, were constructed by fifty earth-attribute mages working in unison and dispersed around the perimeter of the camp. Standing high to see far, with these platforms, sentries could easily detect any movement within ten miles!