Clues 1

After fetching water.

Anglie and the baron returned to the carriage. The carriage slowly began moving forward again.

Inside the somewhat dim carriage, father and son sat cross-legged facing each other.

The baron frowned as he looked at his son opposite him. "Anglie, they're only two women. Once we reach Maluya, you can have whatever you want. There's no need to confront Philip head-on right now."

Anglie smiled and nodded. "I understand, Father. I won't act impulsively. Don't worry."

The baron stared steadily at his son for a while before continuing. "Remember this: to me, you are the most important. Don't put yourself in danger so easily."

Anglie hurriedly nodded. He knew that, in his father's eyes, making an enemy of Philip over women was not worth it. Back when the family was powerful, there had been no need to worry about such things. But now that they had fallen into decline and needed others' help, they had to endure a little.

But as someone from Earth, Anglie could never accept the idea of handing his own women over for someone else to play with.

Anglie remained seated, listening as his father carefully gave him instructions and warnings. It took a full half hour before their conversation ended.

"Since you've decided to pay the price, don't let everything you've done before go to waste." The baron finally concluded with those meaningful words. Only then did he rise and leave the carriage to routinely check the map and adjust their route.

Anglie was left alone in the carriage. His expression darkened slightly. "Philip definitely won't give up that easily. But with so many people around, I really can't do anything to him. Otherwise, if word gets out, something serious may happen once we reach Maluya." His face grew increasingly grim.

After thinking for a while, he still had no clue.

He took out the gemstone ring from his chest again. Looking at the dull green gemstone, covered in fine cracks, his mood gradually calmed.

"Ah!" A suppressed cry suddenly came from the carriage behind him.

Anglie's expression changed. "It's Maggie! That damned bastard!" He rushed out of the carriage, leaped down, and charged straight toward the third carriage where the cry had come from.

He pulled open the curtain, only to see Maggie clutching her hand, her face pale. A sharp black thorn had pierced deeply into the pad of her finger.

There were many plant materials laid out in front of both her and Cilier. It seemed she had been pricked while processing the plants.

"Y-Young Master Anglie?" Maggie stared blankly at Anglie, who had burst into the carriage, her face full of confusion. Cilier and the others were the same.

Anglie swept his gaze around the carriage and discovered that the little girl Cecilia was also silently helping process the materials. As for the three people he had been worried about, Philip and his companions were nowhere to be seen. He breathed a slight sigh of relief before replying, "I just came to take a look. I thought something had happened. Since Maggie is fine, I'll head back first."

Without waiting for their response, he decisively lowered the curtain, got down from the carriage, and quickly headed toward the first carriage.

The convoy was not moving very fast. With just a little more speed, he could easily outpace the carriages. As he passed the second carriage, the one carrying Philip and his two companions, Philip was idly looking out through the window. When he saw Anglie pass by, he merely nodded with reserved arrogance, as though he had completely forgotten what had happened earlier.

Anglie responded with a polite smile before continuing toward the first carriage.

"Please wait, Young Master Anglie." A magnetic voice suddenly called out from behind him.

Anglie recognized Philip's voice. He turned and gave a slight bow. "Honored Count, what are your instructions?" He walked forward slowly alongside the carriage.

Philip's gaze was fixed tightly on Anglie's chest. "That ring on your chest looks strangely familiar."

"Familiar?" Anglie's expression sharpened. Only then did he realize that, in his rush earlier, he had failed to hide the ring hanging around his neck before jumping out of the carriage. Philip had actually seen it.

He reached out and tucked the ring into his clothes. "It's just an ordinary family heirloom. It merely has some special meaning to me." Suddenly, his eyes flickered. He pulled the ring back out and handed it through the window. "Take a look. Something that seems familiar to you might be some kind of treasure."

Philip frowned and glanced at him. Seeing Anglie's gentle smile, he nodded and accepted the ring.

The moment it entered his hand, he looked familiarly at the band. When he saw the letters engraved upon it, his expression changed slightly.

Anglie had been watching Philip's eyes all along. Seeing the reaction, delight rose in his heart. "Did you discover something?" he asked quietly.

Philip's gaze returned to calm. "Name your price. I want this ring," he said flatly.

The smile on Anglie's face deepened. "Since the Count likes it, then I'll give you the ring. I only hope that after we reach Maluya, you can look after the Leo Family a little before the governor."

For some reason, Philip looked at the ordinary youth's smile and suddenly shuddered involuntarily. Still, his composure was well practiced. He tried hard to maintain his indifferent expression and nodded slightly. "In that case, thank you, Young Master Anglie. Along with the favor you did by saving my people, I will certainly repay you once we reach Maluya. I'm tired, so I'll rest now." Philip lowered the curtain.

Anglie stopped walking and stood where he was, watching the count's carriage. The smile on his face deepened further.

Night.

The convoy set up camp beneath a hill on the grasslands, forming a circle. Philip sat in his own carriage, carefully examining the ring in his hand.

"It really is a magical item!" One of the silver-armored knights said excitedly. "That idiot actually gave it to you just like that. Even if this magical item has exhausted all its energy, it's still worth the weapons and armor for a hundred men!"

Philip slowly nodded. "It's a ring from Ramsoda University. That university requires a special recommendation from Andes Alliance Academy to enter... If something like this has ended up outside, perhaps it can be used to enter Andes Alliance Academy directly." A trace of fervor flashed through his eyes as he looked at the ring.

"If you can enter the Alliance Academy, Count, your status in the old marquis's heart will be completely different." Another knight looked delighted.

The glass oil lamp in the carriage burned quietly. Its flame shone upon the emerald ring, reflecting a faint green glow—and the joy on the three men's faces.

"Most rings like this are tokens the academy once distributed outside. I've heard that they can be used to enter the academy without an examination and become a student. If this ring really is a token, then we've made a fortune this time!" Philip suppressed his joy and spoke softly.

"What a pity for that boy. A country noble who knows nothing. He actually treated such a treasure as something ordinary." One of the silver-armored knights chuckled.

"You can't blame him. Aside from the upper nobility, those below simply aren't qualified to know this information. With his status and qualifications, he probably doesn't even know what Andes Alliance Academy is. And you expect him to know about these so-called tokens? To take one to the academy?" Philip shook his head.

Sss!

The carriage curtain was suddenly thrown open. "So that's how it is. Andes Alliance Academy? A token?"

A gentle voice came from outside as Anglie entered the carriage with a smile on his face. His black hunting outfit almost blended into the darkness of the night, while the tips of his soft brown hair lifted gently in the breeze.

Philip and the other two changed expressions. "You dared to eavesdrop on us?" Philip's face darkened.

"Don't use such an ugly word as eavesdrop." Anglie smiled. "My ears simply happened to work a little too well. I never expected to fish out such a huge secret."

The two knights exchanged glances. Suddenly, they both lunged toward the longswords placed beside them.

Clang! Clang! Anglie's waist erupted with silver light. His body flashed around the carriage like a ghost before returning to his original position. In his hand was a silver cross sword, blood slowly dripping from its tip.

Only then did the two knights begin to howl in agony. Both their hands had been struck and broken into two pieces, hanging twisted at their sides. Their injuries had been dealt through the gaps in their armor.

A trace of panic immediately appeared in Philip's eyes. "What are you trying to do?!" He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing constantly, though he still tried to appear calm. "I am Marquis Syrius's son. You dare lay a hand on me? Unless you dare kill everyone around us, just wait for your family to be confiscated and exterminated!"

"Anglie!" The carriage curtain was thrown open again as the baron rushed in, his face dark. "What are you doing?!"

He looked at the two silver-armored knights still howling in the carriage, and his expression became even uglier. Anglie frowned and was about to speak.

Philip suddenly waved his hand, flinging a spray of scalding tea at the two of them. He himself leaped straight through the window and out of the carriage. His skills were not weak; he appeared to be at knight level as well.

"Hmph!" Anglie snorted. He retreated and flipped backward out of the carriage, avoiding the boiling water. He happened to see Philip nearby unfastening a horse's harness, already mounted and whipping its rump hard as he tried to flee.

"Optimal distance, adjusting trajectory..." Countless pale blue grids instantly appeared in Anglie's eyes. A red dot shifted and fine-tuned itself, locking directly onto Philip.

"Accuracy and power analysis, automatic correction mode..."

"Correction complete."

A smile rose at the corner of Anglie's mouth. He spun the longsword in his hand and hurled it forward.

With a shriek through the air, the silver cross sword spun rapidly and struck Philip precisely in the right side of his waist.

Philip screamed and fell from the horse.