"Lord, those two men have been following us for three days now. If we speed up, they do too; if we slow down, so do they. Isn't it becoming a bit too obvious?" Fran finally dropped the humiliating term 'master' and adopted a more neutral title—'Lord'—under Komer's insistence, which caused Komer some displeasure. A lord of Caucasus, a mere Baron, also deserved to be called 'Sir,' yet he did not refuse it.
"It's fine, let them follow. Haven't they been doing just that for these last two or three months?" Komer's face remained expressionless, unaffected and indifferent.
"Er, two or three months? What are these fellows up to? Why are they watching you?" Ylot asked, puzzled, "Could it really be Duke Philip...?"
"Hehe, Ylot, you're off track. Why would the Duke engage in such childish antics? If he really wanted to deal with us, wouldn't it be as easy as turning his hand? Why bother with such tactics?"
As their robust horses trotted steadily down the avenue, Komer took a deep breath of fresh air from the Busen Plain, the Continent's granary. The scent was almost like fresh bread, which added a touch of homeliness. "Remember the incident at the Rose Lounge? It's those people!"
"Ah? The Thunderhorse Knight Group? Why? Boss, what did you do to provoke them?" Ylot couldn't help exclaiming in shock. If it indeed was the Thunderhorse Knight Group that had been following Komer for two to three months, it was unimaginably strange. How could the renowned Thunderhorse Knights incessantly pester someone without cause, "Komer, haven't you relapsed into old habits and defiled the chastity of some nobleman's daughter?"
Ylot's face broke into a lecherous smile, which seemed particularly conspicuous in front of a tall, mighty man clad in knightly armor. Even Ylot's rather broad horse face suddenly looked sleazy.
"Enough, Ylot, quit spouting nonsense. If the Thunderhorse Knights like me, that is their prerogative. In this world, the strong often have certain privileges. Besides, let them accompany us. It won't take long before we pass through the Greenland Forest, and I bet that the knights, upholding their spirit of helping the world and saving those in need, will become a great source of help when we encounter difficulties."
Komer maintained a perfectly relaxed demeanor, as if any danger or trouble in his eyes became incredibly simple. This ease made both Puber and Ylot admire him even more, though if they knew that their outwardly calm and jovial boss was just as nervous and unsteady inside, they probably wouldn't think the same.
Thunderhorse Knights? Fran, who had been following close by, was taken aback. He hadn't expected that their Lord would get embroiled with the famous Thunderhorse Knight Group of the Continent, and it seemed the relationship wasn't exactly amicable. His current master really had a way of attracting unusual trouble.
First, he had trouble with the master of the Homer region, then was exiled to the dread-inducing Caucasus, and here, he was targeted by one of the three great Knight regiments of the Church of Light—all while having specific people assigned to tail him. Truly befitting of a "strong man"!
Fran could only bitterly smile inwardly. The two men behind them were definitely not cut out to be scouts, and they didn't seem particularly inclined to disguise their presence, either. Their proud heads remained high, looking forward in a standard knight posture, which Fran found quite disdainful. If they were to shadow someone, they might as well have greeted them openly and joined the journey, providing both a chatting companion and mutual assistance.
"Baoling, go invite those two to join us. Since our destination is Caucasus as well, we might as well travel together. Not only will we have each other's company, but the journey will also be less monotonous as we have someone to chat with," Komer said with a lightness, seemingly reading Fran's mind with a smiling tone.
Perhaps that would make the journey more relaxed and interesting. Since they wanted to come, it was better to give them more opportunities to understand him, and for him to gauge their motives and see exactly why they insisted on clinging to him.
Deep down, Komer had already guessed at the severity of the trouble brought by the corpse in his Cosmic Bag. But the more pressing the problem, the more Komer's heart longed for it; only by making the Thunderhorse Knights value the thing in his possession more could its worth be truly demonstrated.
When the plainly-dressed young man politely invited the pair trailing a mile behind to join the group, they were both perplexed. They believed that since the Corps Commander had identified them as suspects, the other party would surely want to avoid them. Just as the Corps Commander had instructed before he left, they needed only to wait patiently, for the fox always shows its tail in time. Yet, they never expected that the fox would actively invite them along. This was, frankly, too much of an insult to them.
The two knights exchanged glances and nodded. Since the mask had been ripped off, there was no need to maintain that superficial facade any longer. The knights had grown impatient with such sneaky behaviors; therefore, they decided to probe further to ascertain exactly who the other party was.
As he felt the approach of the two knights, Komer, who had been smiling all along, couldn't help but shiver internally. The innate holy aura of the knights seemingly had a certain restraining effect on the dark spirit hidden deep within his body. This force, known among cultivators as "holy light," made Komer feel uncomfortable. Of course, this didn't mean the other party could suppress him, but their inherent incompatibility made Komer even more cautious.
This subtle feeling from the depths of the mind was easily perceived by others, and it was clear that the two men in front of him were not like the two powerhouses he had encountered at the Rose Lounge. If they were, Komer might not have had the courage to stay with them for long.
"Gentlemen, my friend and I are planning to journey to the south, to Caucasus. It's a long and mountainous road, and you two seem to be travelers as well. I wonder if you're also heading south. If so, perhaps we could journey together for mutual support. What do you say?"
The polite invitation left the two wary knights momentarily disbelieving that this was their surveillance target. Was this a provocation or genuine ignorance? After some thought, the leading knight accepted Komer's invitation—or dare, "Very well, we were planning to travel to the south ourselves. It's an honor to receive an invitation from Baron Komer. I am a Green Knight from the Church of Light's Thunderhorse Knights, and this is my companion, Knight Maray."
The knights were also aware of the presence of a few other people nearby and the aura they exuded, but they were not concerned.
The middle-aged man, though brimming with fighting intent, was clearly very weak, as if suffering from a severe injury that had not yet healed; the young man, though armored and ready with his sword at his side, was clearly just an ordinary warrior, nowhere near capable of challenging the two knights.
However, the horse-faced strongman, who had once confronted Lord Douglas at the Rose Lounge, exuded a strong murderous intent that forced the knights to take him seriously. One could imagine the strength of someone who had the power to fight with Lord Douglas.
With their sharp gazes coldly sweeping over Komer and Ylot, the other knight remained silent, his lips tightly closed, and his square face showed a slight, almost involuntary scorn.
"Ha, so you are the mighty warriors from the Church of Light, what a surprise to encounter knights from the Thunderhorse Knights. Back in Cyprus City, we had the displeasure of meeting Captain Kent and Mr. Douglas from your regiment; though we weren't exactly friendly, they are old acquaintances nonetheless. Were you there at the time?"
Komer seemed to deliberately bring up those unpleasant events to provoke the knights, "Sir Knights, instead of exorcising demons on Marco Road, you're interested in traveling to the desolate lands of Cyprus. What a leisurely pursuit."
"Ha, Baron, as knights of the Church of Light, traveling is also a form of cultivation. Besides, those desolate places might still harbor monsters that harm people. They might be deceiving the world with their pretense of kindness or nobility, and it may be our duty to uncover and destroy them."
With a gentle wave of his hand to calm his companion who was on the verge of exploding, the leading knight's warm smile in Komer's eyes was unbearably glaring. The veiled counterattack left no room for compromise, forcing Komer to consider the true purpose of the knights.
"Of course, if Baron Komer feels our presence is inconvenient, we would not wish to trouble you further."
"Ha, not at all; it's my utmost pleasure. Having two Thunderhorse Knights as escorts will undoubtedly make our journey much smoother." A cold smile crossed Komer's lips as he graciously accepted their company.