Probing

"What? They won't let us into the city?"

Guerel sat high on her dragonscale horse, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly as she looked coldly at the trembling man below. "Prince Lucia is traveling to Leyndell as a guest at Her Majesty Marika's invitation. Are you saying that Kallen City now represents the Golden Dynasty in refusing a visit from Sky City, and intends to shut us out?"

"N-no, no!" The envoy from Kallen City shuddered all over at her words and immediately bowed low, his voice quavering. "I beg the honorable envoy to see clearly. Neither this humble official nor Kallen City would dare—nor are we qualified—to offend Prince Lucia. It is only..."

"Only what?" Guerel asked impatiently when she saw him hesitate.

The man raised his eyes and swept a glance over the many Storm Knights around him, all with displeased expressions, then looked at the frost-cold Guerel. Lowering his head, he gritted his teeth and said, "I ask the honorable envoy to allow me to meet Prince Lucia. Afterward, I will report to His Highness and the several commanders in person!"

After he finished speaking, his entire body still trembled uncontrollably, but in the end he stiffened his neck and stood rooted in place, refusing to say another word.

"You..." Guerel set her hand on the hilt of her blade, unconsciously releasing a wave of dragon might that seemed almost tangible, pressing down until the man could barely breathe.

A burst of hoofbeats broke the iron-heavy atmosphere. Ekzykes rode up to Guerel's side and said, "His Highness has ordered that he be permitted to report to the central army."

Guerel was slightly startled, but she did not argue. She only stared coldly at the man who looked as if he were about to collapse and said, "Stand up straight. Follow me."

A moment later, the man met the newborn demigod who had recently been the subject of constant rumors throughout the Dynasty at a temporary riverside camp. When his gaze fell on the other party's appearance as a boy of fourteen or fifteen, a few traces of unconcealable astonishment appeared on his face.

"No need to be surprised. Ancient dragons grow in a manner vastly different from you humans. Strictly speaking, my childhood was already spent over the past thousand years—inside that dragon egg." Lucia, who had been flipping through a book, raised his head and glanced at him indifferently. "If you are prepared to give a relatively reasonable explanation for your actions, then please state it quickly before my patience runs out."

The man's heart shook. The instant those ice-blue eyes swept over him, he suddenly had the illusion that every secret in his body had been seen through by the other party. He did not know whether that feeling came from the mental pressure of the other party as a demigod, or from this "boy's" maturity and indifference, which clearly exceeded his expectations.

"This humble official is Clareville, currently serving as the internal affairs officer of Kallen City. I pay my respects to Your Highness!" He dropped to both knees and performed a kowtow before Lucia.

According to the cultural traditions of The Lands Between over the past thousand years, the most solemn etiquette among mortals was no more than kneeling on one knee. Only gods, demigods, and the Elden Lord acknowledged by the entire continent were qualified to receive a great salute of this level.

"Rise," Lucia said calmly.

Long before this journey began, he had already systematically studied the Golden Dynasty's full political system, bureaucratic structure, and cultural customs, so he naturally understood what Clareville meant by "internal affairs officer."

Unlike the system of separated military and civil administration used by many cities in the Altus region, the Golden Dynasty appointed only one governor as the highest official in many remote cities, placing all military, political, and livelihood affairs in the city under that person's command. This model certainly could not be called reasonable, and it was often not very fair either, but its advantage lay in being simple, forceful, and highly efficient. During the decade or so after the realm was first settled, it had effectively maintained Leyndell's control over the borderlands. Although Kallen City was near the Altus Plateau, because it also bordered the turbulent Gelmir region and faced military pressure year-round from demi-human tribes and wandering troll clans, it had always retained this system.

As for the so-called internal affairs officer, it was the assistant responsible for helping manage civil administration under the governor's system. They were not appointed by Leyndell, but selected locally. They had no real power at all, existing merely to help the chief official deal with all kinds of complicated miscellaneous affairs. Correspondingly, their political status was also quite low. Any governor held the power of life and death over them.

Clareville stood up somewhat stiffly, his gaze carefully resting on the ground before Lucia's feet. "Reporting to Your Highness, the matter of asking the honorable envoy group to camp outside the city was not decided by this humble official. It was a temporary order issued by Governor Hectorv this morning... The reason was that for the past ten days, rebellious demi-human tribes have continuously attempted to infiltrate Kallen City and sabotage its defenses. He was worried that the chaos caused while welcoming the envoy group would... would give the enemy an opportunity. If the enemy were to infiltrate several key defense points, the consequences would be unthinkable."

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. That is understandable." Lucia pondered briefly, one hand propping up his chin, but from his still placid tone, Clareville could not tell his true thoughts at all.

"However," he changed tack, "does he intend to simply shut the city gates and leave us to eat wind and sleep under dew in the wilderness, then depart on our own at first light tomorrow?"

"He would not dare!" Clareville bowed deeply again. "This humble official is responsible for assisting with the city's internal affairs, and has already prepared a camp for Your Highness and the honorable envoys ten li east of the city. All manner of supplies have also been fully prepared. I ask Your Highness to move there and make camp."

After his words fell, Lucia did not answer.

Even with his head lowered, Clareville could feel the other party's gaze quietly examining him. He did not dare make the slightest movement and could only maintain his respectful posture as he waited. At the same time, cold sweat had unknowingly soaked through the clothes on his back.

He endured for a long while in that atmosphere where every second felt like a year, until Lucia's voice finally came from ahead. "Since Sir Clareville has already arranged everything, and everyone has traveled all this way and is rather tired, let us head to the encampment as soon as possible."

As he spoke, he rose and put away the book at his side, then waved a hand. The knight standing in attendance immediately led over a silver-white dragonscale horse. Lucia set his foot in the stirrup and swung up cleanly and neatly. This warhorse, which possessed the bloodline of a lesser flying dragon, was already heroic and extraordinary, and now that a young demigod whose bearing was like the rising morning sun sat in its saddle, the sight made Clareville's heart sway all the more.

Since their lord had already given the order, Guerel and Ekzykes naturally did not hesitate in the slightest. They immediately organized the ranks according to their respective duties, preparing to escort Lucia on his way.

As the column began to move, Clareville was just about to go to the vanguard and lead the way when he heard Lucia wave a hand and say, "Something like guiding the way can be left to the soldiers who came with you. Sir Clareville, why not travel with me? There happen to be a few matters I would like to ask you about."

Clareville raised his head. Although the other party had not used the tone of a command, when he looked at the silver-haired boy's eyes, with their expression as faint and calm as water, he knew he had no right to refuse.

So he took a deep breath and bowed. "This humble official obeys."