Sir Winstin felt inclined to say something when the ground started rumbling with the stampede of a hundred or more warhorses. The soldiers' faces were solemn and cold and combined with their perfect marching order, anyone could tell they were elites above elites. The men in front stood out as Royal Guards with a dozen Grand Knights behind. There were many more Great Knights and other powerful soldiers making up the rest. In total, there were around a hundred powerful soldiers! If they were on a warfront, they would easily slaughter their way through any formation. They were any general's dream! Reinforcements had finally arrived from Castle Reinhard!
The captain of Castle Reinhard's guard greeted Sir Winstin and Sir Sebastian cordially. Although the captain was less of a fighter than the two, his status alone allowed him to speak on equal terms! Even those heirs of Grand Nobility Households would have to speak carefully! The man glanced around the battlefield in a dark manner. Nearly all the men he dispatched for Elizabeth's protection were killed. The rest were breathing their last. He felt a ping of pain. He was close with all of them. He trusted them with his life! Otherwise, how would he dare to place them in Her Highness's guard? Thinking this, his killing intent surged monstrously. That feeling was picked up by the rest of the soldiers and soon the air became heavy with bloodlust!
However, he had more important priorities first. He rushed over and kneeled in front of Elizabeth. "Your Highness, I apologize for our lateness! I am the captain of the castle's guard…" Yet, she continued to stare at her aunt quietly.
An elderly man with a hunched back approached along with several other medical staff behind. This man was the royal physician who served three monarchs during his life! They called him the Hundred Lives Doctor because when he was your physician, you would feel as if you had a hundred lives! He was reputed to have the greatest medical capability in the kingdom. Even the Zino Kingdom's White Healer looked up to him. His position and status were so great that Sir Winstin treated him with immense respect. Nowadays, he acted as Queen Bethnal's physician, helping her in her advanced years. He was a large reason why she could retain her sharp mind.
Naturally, when Elizabeth was mentioned, Castle Reinhard sent him out. Even if Elizabeth were on the verge of death, he would try to save her! That said, his attention was momentarily on Elizabeth before being drawn towards Christina and Lorenzo. His eyes turned grave after assessing their injuries. He could tell they were truly one step from death! Without saying a thing, he shouted his orders. At this point, if he delayed any longer, then they would certainly die. The people behind him rushed about, grabbing medical supplies and herbs, creating a busy scene instantly. He immediately went to work on Lorenzo, who was the most severely wounded.
"Can you save them?" Elizabeth was taken aback.
"I will try my best, Your Highness," the man hesitated. "Please step back for now. We will be quite busy from here on out." Elizabeth nodded absentmindedly and did so.
On the side, the captain of the guard chatted with Sir Winstin and Sir Sebastian. "Do you know who was responsible for this atrocity?" His voice bubbled with anger.
"It was the Second Hand of the Whispering Shadow," Sir Winstin replied.
"Them?" The captain's eyes went wide. "Has the Whispering Shadow gone mad? Are they really intent on starting a war with the kingdom?"
"I don't know, but their actions speak for themselves," he said plainly. However, Sir Sebastian could tell that Sir Winstin was forcefully holding back his fury.
"And… did they get away?" the captain wondered. He glanced at the battlefield where the corpses were slowly being removed to make space for the physicians. Most of them were his men, but many were also the assassins'.
"The two leaders managed to get away," a womanly voice answered. Lady Valentina walked over with a look of guilt. "My apologises."
"No matter," Sir Sebastian said. "We already know their identity so they're only prolonging the inevitable. The kingdom will deal with them soon."
"For now, we should return to Castle Reinhard and raise our security to the highest level. I will report to Queen Bethnal and explain everything to Her Majesty!" Sir Winstin said.
Meanwhile, underneath the Lannisail main estate in a secret floor, the leaders of the Second Hand were recuperating from their injuries. Skilled physicians tended to their wounds, but the damage was too severe. They would live; however, their battle strength would permanently decline. Executing the Twin Flicker technique again would be a farfetched dream! Furthermore, most of the Second Hand was annihilated in their mission, leaving a scant few survivors. With the additional weight of failure, the two leaders were gloomy beyond belief. Their reputation would undoubtedly plummet from here on…
Lord Wenmord walked in with a blank expression. He said nothing, but the two assassins felt indescribable pressure weighing down on their souls. Wenmord's presence was far stronger than anything they had ever felt before. Sir Winstin could not compare at all. Perhaps not even a thousand Sir Winstins could match it… So powerful and frightening, it was as if a deity was standing before them! These battle-hardened assassins who reaped the lives of hundreds and fearlessly clashed with Royal Guards felt the embrace of death curling around their hearts. They felt as powerless as an ant. A single glance would be enough to kill them! They shook uncontrollably in fear and grovelled on the floor!
"Please forgive us! We hadn't expected…" the captain began.
"Enough," Lord Wenmord said plainly.
"Please give us another chance!" Julie pleaded. "We won't fail you the next time!"
"Is that so?" he wondered. "Very well, I shall give you one more chance. Bring the heir apparent before me in an hour."
"An hour?" the two assassins smiled wryly.
They wanted to say it was impossible because it was! The chance arose earlier because Elizabeth had finally left Castle Reinhard. Since she travelled inside Algard, her guard was relatively weak. But that was quite reasonable when considering the safety of Algard in general! Great Knights, Grand Knights, and even Royal Guards… All sorts of powerful warriors were assembled here to protect the upper-class and royalty. No one dared to make a commotion here. Only the suicidal would! Not even that, but Sir Winstin was responsible for Elizabeth's guard as well. As the strongest knight in the kingdom, his power was not just for show! He could squash any threat by himself! So, they became complacent and allowed the Second Hand to mount an attack. But now…