Reunion with Walast

Several paladins stood by the roadside, their usual splendor replaced by dust and bloodstains on their armor. They looked weary and exhausted. Only the elderly paladin at the head of the group held his head high, gazing into the distance. Surprisingly, his face, marked by a prominent scar, did not appear particularly fierce. Seeing Kalin's carriage slow down, the old paladin hurriedly stepped forward, gesturing for them to stop.

Hello, travelers.

After Kalin stopped the carriage, the old paladin slowly stepped forward and nodded slightly to Kalin in the carriage.

"I know our current appearance is very rude, but please don't panic, we mean you no harm. We are paladins from the Southern Dragon Cry City Temple, currently on our way to Saint Rolante City. As you can see, we were attacked by some outlaws. Although we repelled them, our mounts also met with misfortune. If possible, could you please give us a ride? Of course, we will pay an equivalent reward and provide appropriate armed protection."

"While your suggestion is excellent, unfortunately I must decline."

As he spoke, Li Lin opened the carriage door, stepped down, and smiled as he looked at the elderly paladin before him.

"I never expected to see you here, Knight Walast."

"Who are you..."

Upon hearing Li Lin's words, Walast paused for a moment before remembering.

"Mr. Li Lin? What are you doing here?"

"The same goal as yours."

As he spoke, Li Lin shrugged.

"We're also planning to go to Saint Rolante City, though we're just going to take care of some personal matters."

"I see..."

The old paladin nodded, then asked with some doubt.

Are you going alone?

"And my companions."

As he spoke, Li Lin stepped aside, showing the old paladin the scene inside the carriage.

It must be said that when Nia, Suoxiate, Yi Aier, and Angela appeared together, their combined impact was immense and unparalleled. Suoxiate maintained her usual business-like smile, while Nia, like Li Lin, nodded to the old paladin. Although Yi Aier disliked appearing in front of others, she still lowered her head and respectfully bowed to the old paladin after a cold snort. Only Angela retained her arrogant and cold smile; clearly, she didn't take these paladins seriously.

The simultaneous appearance of several young women with distinct beauties in one space amplified their destructive power exponentially. Not only was Walast momentarily stunned, but the young paladins behind him were completely dumbfounded, utterly bewildered. Only when the old paladin's gaze fell upon the small, dark coffin placed in the center did he immediately lower his head.

"I'm very sorry, it seems we were being presumptuous."

Clearly, coffins are never a good thing, no matter where they are. In the paladin's view, whatever Li Lin and his group were planning to do, it was probably related to a funeral. Therefore, it was perfectly normal for them to refuse to let outsiders like him onto the vehicle, especially since the size of the coffin suggested it was for a child. Thus, Walast didn't intend to say anything more and touch on matters the paladin didn't want to discuss.

"We certainly understand your predicament, Mr. Li Lin. We apologize for bothering you and taking up your time. Of course, if possible, when you arrive in Saint Rolante City, we hope you can inform the Temple there so that our people can come to greet us."

"I will."

Li Lin answered casually, then thought about it carefully before asking curiously.

"Is there something urgent that brings you to Saint Rolante City?"

"Of course, Mr. Li Lin."

Walast clearly had no intention of hiding anything.

"Because the Saint Rolante City is currently welcoming a distinguished guest, Temple from all over have dispatched paladins. We are representing the Temple of Dragon Cry City, sent to Saint Rolante City to greet this guest. However, we never expected to encounter those lawless elements here..."

What was said unintentionally was taken to heart by the listener; Walast's words quickly stirred something within Li Lin and the others.

As everyone knows, the Saint Rolante City is currently hosting a joint meeting of the Five-Nation Alliance. While it's somewhat strange that Walast, as a member of the Temple, would travel from the south, it's still reasonable. However, he's not here to protect the envoy of the Kingdom of Kudel to Saint Roland City, but rather to welcome someone from Saint Roland City. This is unprecedented; even Angela hadn't gleaned any similar information from the soul of Grand Duke Lalia. This means it's an internal matter of the Temple. But what kind of internal matter would prompt Temple from various regions to dispatch elite paladins to show their sincerity? It couldn't be a high-ranking Temple official like an archbishop, as he is the supreme leader of the Temple of the God of Justice; the lower Temple wouldn't need to go to such lengths to curry favor. So, who is this person? How much power do they possess? Why are they appearing during the Temple's joint meeting? What is their relationship with the Five-Nation Alliance?

When Li Lin casually inquired about Walast's whereabouts and why he wasn't traveling with the Kingdom of Kudel's delegation, Walast replied that it was an internal matter of the Temple and not something that could be easily discussed with the Five-Nation Alliance. Furthermore, Walast had only received word that he was going to Saint Roland City to welcome distinguished guests, and he didn't know the details. It seemed that the guests invited were all very powerful knights from various Temple, which was why Walast had only brought two or three of his own men.

"It seems you've had a very tiring time, Your Excellency Paladin."

Although Li Lin originally did not intend to get entangled with these paladins, he changed his mind after talking with Walast.

"As you can see, I can't offer you any seats in the carriage, but if you don't mind, you can sit on the luggage rack at the back of the carriage. It's not very comfortable there, but... it's still sufficient."

Faced with Li Lin's suggestion, the old paladin did not refuse. After all, time was of the essence, and if they continued on this way, they might not reach their destination for who knows how long, not to mention the potential for more dangers. Although the luggage rack at the back of the carriage was not designed for carrying people and was therefore narrow and uncomfortable, for paladins, enduring hardship had long been a part of their lives.

So Walast quickly agreed to Li Lin's suggestion and, along with several of his men, boarded the luggage rack at the back of the carriage. Soon, the carriage continued on its way. Although the addition of several heavily armored knights slowed the carriage down considerably, it was still within an acceptable range.

But inside the carriage, the scene was quite different.

What do you think?

After casting a soundproof barrier to ensure that the paladins could not hear their conversation, Li Lin asked with a solemn expression.

"It is absolutely impossible for the Temple to welcome an important figure at the site of the Five-Nation Alliance Conference during this period."

Nia agreed with Li Lin's idea.

"However, I have indeed not received any information about this from the soul of that idiotic Grand Duke. Could it be that those charlatans are planning to do something behind the backs of these five foolish nations?"

Angela's tone was slightly dissatisfied; after all, this was information she should have known but hadn't received.

"That's very likely. After all, the paladins of the other Temple are residents of various countries. Although they have dedicated their lives to the gods, it doesn't mean they would disregard the interests of their respective nations. The Temple's actions clearly indicate a preemptive strike, and whatever their true intentions, they plan to drag these paladins from various countries into the mess."

Li Lin pressed his forehead against the ground.

"However, these are not our current concern. What we need to be most concerned about right now is whether the Temple's unexpected move will disrupt our plans. If the person among them is too important, it could very well affect our terrorist attack operation."

"What does it matter, Master? Just kill them all, won't that solve the problem?"

Angela's solution remains as simple and straightforward as ever.

"If we could do that, the master wouldn't be so troubled."

Yi Aier clearly intended to use this opportunity to launch a counterattack.

"Do I really need you to remind me of this? You woman, whose brain cells seem to have grown all over her chest?"

"What did you say? My breasts aren't that big, but you, the laundry girl..."

"Yi Aier."

Suoxiate coughed, causing Yi Aier to reluctantly retract the words she was about to utter.

"No matter what, this is no small matter."

Li Lin gave Suoxiate a very approving look before continuing.

"We must keep a close eye on these paladins. They might still have something they haven't said, which is normal, but that doesn't mean we can't use them... And Angela, I'm sorry, but I hope you can behave yourself during this time. That Walast is a high-ranking paladin. If you go too far, he might notice something amiss. For safety's sake, it's best if you stay put."

"... All right."

Angela pouted in dissatisfaction at Li Lin's order, but eventually nodded reluctantly.