"Now that your old companion has awakened, there's no need for us to continue traveling together."
The silver-armored knight's tone remained arrogant:
"Commoners, work hard! Fighting the demons and saving the world is enough for us knights!"
After saying that, he stepped into the stirrups and mounted his warhorse, reaching out to draw the gleaming silver lance from its leather sheath.
Behind the warhorse, [ Evergreen Tree ] hadn't even figured out the situation when he heard [ Dawn Ah's ] voice:
"Teacher, we've found another NPC!"
On the other hand, while the mentor's awakening pleased the [ Backstabbing Expert ], he couldn't just let the three silver coins that were within his grasp slip away.
The quick-thinking junior student swiftly stepped forward, avoiding the potentially provocative action of pulling on the reins, and instead spread his arms to block the warhorse.
"Is there anything else, civilian?"
[ The Backstabbing Expert ] spoke in this world-style tone:
"Honorable knight, our lord wishes to see you."
The spear tip sliced through the air and stopped just in front of the [ Backstabbing Expert ]'s throat. The knight beneath the armor was no longer as amiable as before.
"Foolish lie! I accompanied you the entire way; how could your lord have known of my arrival?"
They've been exposed!
One second he was congratulating himself on his quick wit as a " Backstabbing Expert," but the next he felt his lie was utterly clumsy. However, at this point, he could only play along, saying something half-truthfully:
"The lord once commanded us that if we saw any knights entering his territory, we should introduce them to his castle. He has always held knights in high esteem."
"Oh? Then tell me, who is the lord of this territory?"
The silver-armored knight's lance recoiled slightly, allowing the [ Backstabbing Expert ] a moment to catch his breath:
"It's Baron Adrian."
"Well, although I've never heard of him, it wouldn't hurt to meet him."
The knight sheathed his lance back behind his horse.
"Lead the way; getting to know various nobles is also one of my missions."
Hearing this, [ Dawn Ah ] breathed a sigh of relief. There was no need to worry about the three silver coins getting away; his junior was quite quick-witted.
After thinking it over carefully, [ Dawn Ah ] started editing the post content on the forum again:
[The Silver-Armored Knight has a typical aristocratic personality. While he will protect players, he won't take us seriously. His current friendliness level is unclear, so please don't approach him rashly.]
The group continued forward, and soon the knight led the three to the vicinity of the castle, where more and more players were hunting, gathering, or practicing their skills.
The post by [ Dawn Ah ] had already spread among the players. They just watched from afar as the silver-armored knight slowly approached the castle, some even pretending to bow and salute, as if they had really been transported to another world as farmers.
Below the Shattered Castle, the dismounted knight looked at the constantly shifting architectural fragments in the sky and couldn't help but sigh:
"That's truly incredible skill..."
[ Dawn Ah ] has already reached out his hand:
"My lord, our lord is already waiting for you in the hall."
After a few seconds of dizziness, the silver-armored knight entered the castle's hall and met the lord, who was much younger than he had imagined.
Meanwhile, [ Zhong Lele ], who was lurking at the edge of the castle's main hall, resumed his old ways.
Ed was still standing on the high platform in the middle of the staircase connecting the first and second floors. He was dressed elegantly and properly, with a dark green robe (which Duolin had taken from White Wax Town ) draped over his back and the hood pulled up over his head.
It wasn't because he couldn't show his true face; Ed was just worried that the knight would see Little Green, shout "Monster!", and attack him...
He looked down at the knight from his elevated position:
Who goes there?
The silver-armored knight merely bowed slightly. Although the person before him was a nobleman who called himself a baron, he was not the lord with whom he had signed a contract, so he had no intention of performing a grand ceremony.
" Xilǐ'er, a knight under the command of Duke Frostblade of the Kingdom."
Very good, another name I've never heard of.
Ed once again memorized the new knowledge about " Duke Frostblade " and continued to ask:
What was the purpose of traveling westward?
Ed himself found the question rather amusing Ed it left his mouth. He instinctively wanted to say that he had come to learn from others, but then he realized that making fun of himself was just silly...
The knight, of course, didn't know the reference to another world, and simply answered seriously:
"The Duke's territory has been subjected to a large-scale invasion by the demon race. I have come to request assistance."
Ed fell into deep thought upon hearing this. This knight truly seemed unaware of anything concerning the Eternal Domain, but Gray had mentioned that the infinity symbol on the other's chest was a sign of the Eternal Domain...
What exactly happened?
Could it be that this knight's memory is distorted?
No, it can't be that simple...
Ed knew he had been thinking for too long, which would displease the knight before him.
Although the other person's emotions have nothing to do with me, I still need to respect them if I want to know more information.
Ed then smiled and nodded, saying:
"Okay, I agree to send troops."
An irrepressible joy suddenly emanated from beneath the knight's visor:
"My lord, is this truly the case?"
Ed nodded:
"As you can see, I am merely a minor baron in the kingdom, but it is the duty of all nobles to defend against the demons. I am willing to lend you my entire army of fifty men to help Duke Frostblade resist the demons!"
Not five thousand, not five hundred, but a full fifty people!
However, even though there were only fifty people, Ed spoke with the air of five hundred thousand.
Ed believed he was being very sincere; after all, asking for ten or twenty thousand was just empty talk. He really did have fifty men under his command, so his words couldn't be faked.
However, it cannot be denied that fifty people is indeed a rather meager number, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately became awkward.
Despite the thick layer of armor between them, Ed could still sense the knight's dejection.
He suddenly sighed, a sigh that was sincere and heartfelt, as if he had truly encountered some enormous difficulty.
Those familiar with Ed know that the act of moral blackmail began silently the moment he started to put on airs.
"As expected, it's normal that the duke's knights look down on a private soldier like mine, a minor nobleman..."
Ed looked like he was about to cry.
"But I'm just a mere baron, with only three—no, two—villages under my command. Fifty infantrymen is already my limit. Any more, and what will happen to the autumn harvest and spring planting in my territory...?"
At this point, Ed's eyes darted around, noticing that the knight didn't seem to react to the words "spring planting" and "autumn harvest."
This shows that in the other party's perception, the existence of "spring plowing" and "autumn harvest" is normal.
Gray said that although groups outside of the Tree Worship Church still produce food, the farming methods used before the Demonic Tide had long since disappeared.
Observing the Xilǐ'er Knight's reaction, Ed suddenly had a guess in his mind—
Could this knight be... someone living in the past?