The Erune envoy was left speechless by Ben's words, with Count Robelen's short and chubby hand hesitating in mid-air, ultimately not falling down.
Amid the faint fog in the forest, an eerie silence spread, with sporadic flickers from distant campfires and the crackling sound of burning wood echoing through the air.
The sounds beca especially clear and audible in this pin-drop silence.
Ben saw a look of disbelief in the eyes reflecting the firelight from these people; Count Robelen's hand half-raised, the Female Scholar slightly covering her mouth, Count Oting's hand dropping away from his sword.
Everyone looked at this young nobleman as if he were mad.
So Ben spread his hands, his expression soft, his words as gentle as a night breeze: "So, what are your plans next?"
The nobles' lips moved slightly.
...
"Tch, those guys can't even keep their own people in line, truly useless." Faina, holding her gown, hid behind a rock, sowhat dissatisfied, staring at the clearing outside the forest, at the standoff between Ben and the Erune envoy: "At this rate, we won't achieve the original objective at all."
She spoke, unable to help but turn back with a bit of complaint towards Viscount Alman.
The young viscount didn't seem perturbed, smiling assuredly: "Don't worry, the real show is yet to co."
Almost as if to confirm his words, Viscount Alman's voice had just fallen when Ben suddenly turned sharply towards the side of the forest, "Who?" he shouted harshly, the Earth Sword in his hand unsheathing like a shadow, with a 'ding' sound deflecting a crossbow arrow that flew out from the woods.
The original target of that crossbow arrow was Count Oting, but it veered slightly, heading straight for the Female Scholar behind him. The noblewoman was completely unprepared; had Ben not acted, she would have already been blood-spattered five steps away.
However, Ben could only save one, not more; as soon as he made a move, Count Robelen was struck by an arrow. Luckily, the fat man had so basic swordsmanship; though long out of practice, he narrowly avoided a lethal blow, taking an arrow to the shoulder.
Noble lords, pampered and unaccustod to such injuries, instantly let out a pig-like scream.
"Who!" Count Oting's reaction was only a step slower than Ben's, but the audacity of soone daring to attack them now made this general of the Northern Army both shocked and angry, instantly drawing his sword and facing the direction of the attack.
anwhile, Ben was already frowning at the damaged crossbow arrow on the ground; his rich experience let him deduce many things the mont he deflected the arrow.
"At least this arrow wasn't the work of a Double Crossbow; from the force, it should be the effect of alchemy level equipnt."
The Eruein don't usually equip themselves with magic crossbows, so Ben first ruled out the possibility of these fellows arranging an ambush, and he had clearly felt that the arrow was aid at Count Oting.
Does the Erune envoy have enemies here?
He turned around and saw a patch of shadows erge in the forest.
The shadows moved swiftly, seemingly forming a surround upon appearing in the forest, numbering at least several hundred. Ben squinted his eyes, seeing the firelight illuminate the attackers' forms, pausing in surprise.
These were hulking, bear-shouldered humanoid creatures, each with a lion's head, their grey-golden manes like mutton chops hanging down from the lion's face, falling onto the leather armor below.
Their hands were similarly fluffy paws, but far more elongated than their quadruped kin, wearing leather boots, carrying various weapons.
"Tuokui Ning Golden Lion n!" Count Oting had already called out their origin.
Hundreds of golden-maned lion-n ca to a halt, then two figures taller than ordinary lion-n by nearly a head erged from them, burly gold-mane lion-n. The one leading had a long scar on his face, nearly splitting his narrow eyes in two, while the one behind seed to be his deputy, stopping a step behind.
"Good morning, everyone, my na is Rovak, sorry to disturb." The leading golden-mane lion-man smiled slightly at everyone present, the muscles on his face moving almost causing the flesh-red scar to twist.
"Tuokui Ning Lion-n, what do you want?" The general's face was grim: "Are you trying to start a war?"
Unfortunately, Golden-mane lion-man Rovak completely ignored him, instead raising his sword to point at Ben: "Little guy, hand over the sword in your hand!"
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