The clouds in the sky were set aflame by the descending sun, casting a fiery glow over the horizon. On this spring evening, a magnificently adorned carriage glided slowly along a road in the southern Kotter province. This exquisite four-wheeled carriage was crafted from the finest materials. The solemn, yet noble, jet-black frame of the vehicle, along with the intricate carvings and gilded floral patterns on its body, all spoke volumes of the distinguished status of its owner.
Especially the family crest emblazoned on the side of the carriage!
A circle of irises surrounded two crossed swords, their blades gleaming, with a crown atop the hilt, encased within a ring of blazing fire...
Such a crest would only be truly understood by a noble who possessed a deep knowledge of heraldry. Among all the families of the empire, few could boast of having two crossed swords engraved upon their emblem. These swords symbolized a family history rich with the legacy of at least one Marshal of the Empire. The crown above them further indicated a bloodline entwined with that of the royal family.
At the front and rear of the carriage, ten knights in light armor rode on sturdy steeds, their shining swords at their sides, their armor gleaming brightly. Yet, despite their striking appearance, the knights appeared utterly dejected.
Madd, seated beside the coachman, idly chewed on a root of grass, glancing at the darkening sky. With a deep sigh, he turned and bent to tap on the carriage window. "Master Du Wei, should we find a place to rest? The sky is growing darker."
Inside the carriage, Du Wei, interrupted in his reading, looked up. He opened the window and glanced at the setting sun. "Alright."
Madd responded promptly. Just then, a horse galloped towards them, quickly halting before the carriage. A young family guard, clad in light armor and slightly winded, called out loudly, "Sir, there's a small town ahead. It seems to be our only option for rest tonight."
Madd, who had once been a coachman himself, still struggled with being addressed as "Sir," but the humble man nodded respectfully at the young knight. "The master has spoken. We will rest ahead."
Looking at the knight's face, filled with loyalty and resolve, Madd sighed inwardly. "Such a naïve young man."
Only twenty family knights accompanied Du Wei on this journey back to the Rowling family estate.
Despite being the eldest son of the esteemed Count Raymond, the second-in-command of the Empire's military, Du Wei had only this modest entourage—twenty knights, a steward, and a coachman—accompanying him. This was a meager retinue for someone of his standing.
In contrast, the great noble families of the capital, even for a simple outing into the wilderness, would bring along a host of servants and guards.
The twenty knights who accompanied Du Wei had been "carefully selected." Everyone knew that Du Wei had fallen out of favor within the family. The future of the Rowling family lay with his younger brother. Although unspoken, it was clear that Du Wei had been stripped of his title as "heir."
There was no question that following such a master, one who had been exiled to watch over the family estate, offered little hope for the future. People were pragmatic; they sought power and prestige. No one wished to follow a man deemed a failure to the remote countryside to live out an insignificant life.Especially those knights. Who wouldn't wish to remain in the capital, to stay by the Count's side, where one might, through skill in arms, catch the Count's favor and ascend to prominence? So, when the orders came to accompany Master Du Wei back to the countryside, not a single knight could escape the duty with alacrity. None of them wished to squander their prime years accompanying a feeble master to oversee the lives of farmers in some backwater town!
In the end, the twenty knights selected were undoubtedly the unluckiest of the lot. They were either mediocre in martial arts and deemed unfit for serious tasks, or had eccentric personalities, disliked by their peers or ostracized, or perhaps, they were young and inexperienced, easily manipulated and naive.
Looking at the young scout returning, Madd had already made a judgment in his mind: This lad was most likely one of those naïve young men with a simple mind, unaware that he and his companions had essentially been exiled.
Since their departure from the capital, morale had been low, and only Master Du Wei retained his calm demeanor. Despite the exile, no one had ever heard him utter a word of complaint. Each day, he sat quietly in his carriage, engrossed in the books he had brought from home, rarely speaking, and always maintaining a polite, gentle manner toward others.
With these thoughts in mind, Madd, the former coachman turned steward, called out loudly to quicken the pace. His attitude remained relatively upbeat; after all, he had learned to comfort himself. "What does it matter? Exiled or not, I was once just a lowly coachman. To be where I am today, it's all thanks to young Master Du Wei. Even as an 'exiled' steward, at least my salary has increased by a few gold coins. That's a fact."
Patting the heavy pouch of coins at his side, a smile spread across Madd's face.
He had heard that the women of Kotter Province, in the southern part of the Empire, were known for their delicate skin and petite figures. Perhaps, he thought, he might find himself a wife here.
Giantwood Town, the only settlement for miles, was a small village with only a few hundred households. It boasted a single tavern, simply named "Giantwood Tavern."
Being the only tavern in town, its business wasn't too shabby. Cheap alcohol, roasted meats, and low-cost women... even the lowest strata of society sought out these small pleasures, didn't they?
As Du Wei's caravan arrived at the tavern, he closed the book he had been reading and extinguished the lantern inside the carriage.
Stepping outside, Du Wei looked up at the rusted, swaying metal sign hanging above the tavern door, the clamor inside the establishment echoing into the street, while light spilled through the windows.
As Du Wei entered, walking last, the presence of the group immediately attracted the attention of the tavern's patrons. After all, a small tavern suddenly flooded with a contingent of knights in light armor was hard to ignore.
Du Wei was the last to enter, and by the time he stepped inside, the knights had already done their job. They had cleared an area, set up a clean table, and formed a protective circle around him.
The tavern's patrons eyed Du Wei curiously, studying this seemingly young, half-grown boy who had entered their midst.Du Wei's stature was tall, though somewhat slender. As a scion of the distinguished Lorin family, a house renowned for its martial prowess, he bore the mark of his noble lineage. His attire—an exquisitely crafted ceremonial outfit, adorned with lace at the collar and cuffs—further emphasized his aristocratic standing. Yet, despite the striking red hair typical of the Lorin family, which was a touch too eye-catching, he gave off an impression of fragility. His complexion was pale, his figure lithe and statuesque, his features almost delicate. He silently held a book in his hands, embodying the image of a scholar rather than a warrior.
The other knights had already begun unloading the baggage. Madd tossed a few gold coins, and the tavern keeper swiftly cleared a couple of rooms and made arrangements for the horses. Meanwhile, Du Wei endured the many curious and bemused stares of those around him.
"Ah! It seems we have a noble lord here," one remarked.
"How could a noble lord find himself in such a place?" another wondered aloud.
"Boss, you should probably keep the chair he sat in. It might fetch a good price!" someone joked.
After a brief silence, the tavern erupted into its usual raucous noise, as patrons eagerly discussed Du Wei's arrival. Clearly, in such a small, humble establishment, the sudden appearance of a finely-dressed noble was a remarkable event.
A few heavily made-up women, their attire revealing more than it concealed, attempted to push their way over to Du Wei, hoping to engage him in conversation. However, Madd, ever dutiful in his role, swiftly shooed them away.
Amid the scuffle, two of the women, shoved to the side, couldn't help but shout a few insults at Madd, using crude local curses. He paid them no mind, but a nearby drunkard, staggering over, wrapped his arm around one of the women. "Aha, my darling, what's so special about that young fool? Let me take care of you instead," he slurred, giving her a lecherous pinch on the backside. The woman smiled broadly, immediately sitting in his lap.
Du Wei remained composed, taking a sip from his glass, unfazed by the murmurs and stares surrounding him. Even as the patrons pointed and whispered, he only slightly furrowed his brow in mild irritation.
The knights, too, appeared listless. Surrounded by the pervasive stench of cheap alcohol and perfume, they couldn't help but begin to lament their bleak prospects. Ah, how much better it would be to remain in the opulent capital!
Just then, the tavern door swung open with a loud bang, and a group of four entered. Three men and one woman—foreigners, by the looks of them, as evidenced by their disheveled appearances and travel-worn attire. They were clearly outsiders, much like Du Wei and his party.
What silenced the tavern's lively chatter was the instant fixation of every man's gaze on the girl among them.
She appeared to be around sixteen, her long brown hair cascading down her back. Her face, strikingly beautiful, possessed an undeniable allure, particularly to the opposite s*x. She wore a form-fitting leather armor, crafted from some unknown beast's hide, a deep shade of blue that shimmered with an almost magical hue. Intricate, peculiar designs were etched into its surface. Her lower half, however, was far more provocative: she wore shorts that exposed her pale, shapely thighs. A leather belt around her thigh held a gleaming dagger, while a curved scimitar hung at her waist. On her back was a delicate bow, accompanied by a quiver of silver-tipped arrows.
The sight of her was enough to captivate the tavern's patrons, and Du Wei, discerning the quality of the silver arrows at a glance, couldn't help but note the lavishness of such weaponry. The girl's stunning, rounded thighs quickly became the focal point of attention in the tavern.She instantly became the focal point of all the men's gaze! As she casually bent forward, the neckline of her uniquely designed leather armor parted, revealing the smooth, pale curves of her décolletage, a sight so captivating that the two nearby drunkards gawked, their eyes wide in astonishment, causing their wine glasses to crash to the floor.
The men accompanying this girl were equally striking. One, a hulking figure resembling a bull, was clad in heavy armor, a massive shield strapped to his back. His muscular arms, covered in scars, and his fierce countenance spoke volumes of his strength, marking him as a warrior of considerable power. Another, tall and lean, exuded an air of sharpness. A longbow was slung across his shoulder, his fingers long and dexterous, wrapped in black iron rings, a clear sign of his prowess as an archer.
But it was the last figure that commanded Du Wei's full attention.
A man draped in a simple gray robe, his appearance unremarkable save for the cold, piercing light that flickered in his eyes. His attire was so plain that those around him hardly noticed him at all. Yet, Du Wei focused intently on this figure, for hidden beneath the robe, a silver leaf-shaped emblem glinted on his chest.
The people of this small town may not have recognized the insignia, but Du Wei did, as did some of the more seasoned knights of the Lorin family who accompanied him. This man in the gray robe was, in fact, a magician—though only a novice, marked by the silver leaf emblem of the lowest rank, the emblem that certified his credentials through the Mage's Guild.
After studying the emblem for a moment, Du Wei's mind raced, and an unsettling thought began to form...