"There are really a lot of patrols on the roads these past two days."
"Yeah, people keep passing by every now and then."
"Sothing big must have definitely happened." Faced with the young people's confusion, so older city residents offered their own opinions.
Although none of them had specific sources of information, their rich life experience made it easy for them to reach this conclusion.
"Clip-clop, clip-clop—"
A squad of cavalry swiftly passed through the street along the fast lane.
The chilly autumn wind swept past their leather armor, making a whooshing sound as it parted the air.
"Halt!"
The captain yanked on the reins, dismounted, then signaled for the other team mbers to surround a residence.
"Drag everyone inside out!"
At his command, the well-equipped team mbers filed into the house one after another.
It didn't take long before the occupants inside were escorted out one by one.
"Captain, what have we done? Why are you arresting us?"
"There must definitely be so misunderstanding sowhere!"
"Our family, from our grandfather's generation to now, have all been law-abiding good citizens."
The arrested residents, n and won, were crying and pleading, tears and snot running down their faces.
The captain, however, kept a stern face and paid no heed to their tearful pleas.
Instead, the mage beside him shook his head.
"You know Quinn, right?"
The suddenly ntioned na caused the leading man's expression to change drastically, but he quickly regained his composure and resud his innocent look.
"I don't know him, sir."
Seeing he still stubbornly refused to admit it, the mage showed a helpless expression.
"Get in the carriage, gentlen, ladies."
Soon, they were escorted into the carriage compartnt.
Only after completing the arrest did the captain quietly converse with the mage.
"Mage Jack, do you know why the higher-ups are launching a city-wide crackdown on the Dragon Worshipers this ti?"
A trace of confusion flickered across the patrol captain's face.
Even now, he was just following orders, but he remained completely in the dark about the details that sparked this turmoil.
The Dragon Worshipers had always been active within the mixed-bag environnt of Longdi Fort, but in recent years, there hadn't been any major moves from the upper echelons against them.
"Captain Kai, you'd better not inquire. Knowing more won't do you any good."
Mage Jack didn't answer directly.
Truth be told, even he didn't have many detailed pieces of intelligence about this. He had only vaguely heard that the Dragon Worshipers had provoked so big shot this ti.
Even the Haythes Viscount family, the true power behind this city, had to mobilize their private troops to assist in the arrests.
Looking at the small details, the person involved behind the scenes was undoubtedly terrifyingly influential.
"Whew... we're going to be busy these days."
Kai sighed.
It wasn't that he was being nosy; it was just that people had been on edge these past two days.
He had even heard that one or two of his colleagues, patrol sub-captains, had also been arrested, allegedly for having dealings of interest with the Dragon Worshipers behind the scenes.
...
"Lord Gauss, you're awake."
"Would you like so porridge?"
Gauss slowly opened his eyes. What greeted him was a room as splendid and magnificent as a noble palace.
Classical landscape oil paintings hung on the walls, and bright window curtains danced gently in the breeze.
Four beautiful young won dressed in maid outfits stood quietly on either side of his bed, their hands clasped in front of their abdons. Seeing him awaken, they imdiately approached, inquiring about his well-being.
"Where is this?"
Gauss surveyed his surroundings, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.
His last mory was of being struck in the abdon by that Dragon Priestess, followed by a surge of excruciating pain that devoured his senses.
He quickly lifted the silky garnt and looked at his abdon.
His mory wasn't mistaken. There, he could see a slightly purplish bruise, but that agonizing pain and the blood-freezing chill were nowhere to be found.
So, had he been rescued?
"This is Haythes family's castle. Lord Praelius brought you here to recuperate."
The maid respectfully answered the question in Gauss's mind.
So it was Praelius who received his ssage and ca to rescue him.
But why bring him here?
"What about my teammates? How is Aria? That lady with blue hair, is she alright?"
He hurriedly asked the maid for information about his teammates.
Although he was safe, he certainly didn't want anything to happen to his companions.
"Lady Aria's condition has stabilized. She is fine."
Hearing this, Gauss breathed a sigh of relief.
It was good that she was alive. As for whether that critical mont of her level breakthrough would cause any adverse effects, he didn't care about that now.
He touched his own body.
Unlike any previous serious injury, this ti he felt full of strength, as if he had slept a long, deeply satisfying sleep.
Even... he vaguely felt his physical condition was better than before he was injured.
It was like a device fresh out of the factory.
With the maids flusteredly supporting him, Gauss threw off the covers and stepped onto the soft fur rug.
"Lord Gauss, you've just recovered from a serious illness. You should rest in bed."
The blonde maid held Gauss's arm.
Gauss's fairly well-proportioned physique was much heavier than she imagined.
Fortunately, Gauss had just slept too long. He quickly regained his body's center of gravity and even steadied the maid who had lost her balance due to his weight.
"It's fine, I'm perfectly healthy. I'll just walk a few steps."
Gauss waved his hand.
With his body having no issues whatsoever, he naturally wouldn't waste ti lying in bed.
He felt absolutely fantastic.
He even had a feeling, an illusion, that he was about to break through.
No... it might not necessarily be an illusion.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Take to see Aria."
The maid hesitated for a mont but ultimately didn't dare to defy his wishes. After all, the Viscount himself had explicitly told them to treat Gauss with the sa respect as they would treat him.
Gauss, enjoying the highest level of courtesy, naturally had free movent within the castle.
Pushing open the heavy door, the spotless corridor was slightly cooler than the warm room, but overall still comfortable.
Several guards on duty stood in the corridor. Seeing Gauss erge from the room with the maid, they respectfully saluted.
So much money...
Gauss shook his head. Whether it was the room, the corridor outside, or the sunlit autumn courtyard not far away, everything exuded an air of extravagance.
This cleanliness and splendor were all built with piles of gold coins.
Walking along, Gauss also encountered the trio of Albenia, who were just coming to see him. They had just co from Aria's room.
Discovering he could already walk normally and appeared visibly healthy, all three of them sighed in relief. The heavy stone hanging in their hearts finally fell.
The gathered group walked together towards the ward where Aria was.
Pushing open the door.
The layout was similar to Gauss's ward. Several maids were also waiting inside. On the soft, pure white large bed, Aria lay quietly. The silver wolf Ulfen was also resting on another bed.
She hadn't woken up yet.
But from the rise and fall of her chest, Gauss could tell her breathing was relatively calm.
This should be considered good news.
Gauss's gaze lingered on her for a mont.
He felt she had also undergone so changes.
Her skin had beco even fairer, and upon closer look, it seed a thin layer of moonlight enveloped her body's surface.
Could it be that she, like him, the injured party, had turned misfortune into fortune?
After staying in the room for a while, Gauss caught sight of a familiar figure at the doorway from the corner of his eye and took the initiative to walk out.
"It's truly wonderful to see you in good health."
Praelius said with a smile, simultaneously dismissing the others.
"This also requires thanks to Lord Praelius."
Gauss knew that the injuries caused by the combined effects of the ghost dragon's superposition and the Dragon Priestess's final terrifying freezing spell were now completely gone. The fact that his body's injuries had recovered so quickly was likely the credit of Praelius before him.
He was the first reinforcent to arrive at the scene.
Moreover, besides their excellent combat prowess, paladins were inherently proficient in various healing thods.
"I'm glad you don't bla for arriving late." Praelius gently shook his head.
He did feel sowhat ashad.
Given his strength, he should have been able to reach the scene even earlier after receiving Gauss's ssage.
Then Gauss wouldn't have suffered such severe injuries.
When he arrived at the scene and assessed the enemy's strength, he had been genuinely shocked.
He couldn't imagine at all how Gauss and his few companions had held out for so long.
But fortunately, although the process was perilous, the outco was good.
Most of the Dragon Worshipers' forces near Longdi Fort were lost in that battle.
Especially that Dragon Priestess nad Cecilia; that was a Transcendent-level combatant. Losing her was no small loss for any organization.
Don't be fooled by him killing her with just one Divine Smite. That was only because her combat power was less than twenty percent of its peak, and his own level was higher than hers, which created that unexpected instant kill.
"I'm already very grateful that you ca to the rescue. How could I possibly bla you?" Gauss said sincerely.
Although Praelius had made a prior promise, when it ca to rescue, helping was a gesture of goodwill, and not helping was also within his rights.
Praelius wasn't his nanny; how could he be expected to co and go at a re summons?
"Lord Praelius, why did you bring us here?" Gauss looked at the stationed guards in the distance and asked Praelius curiously.
After arriving in Longdi Fort, he wasn't completely ignorant of the city's power dynamics and upper-class conflicts.
Based on the intelligence he had gathered, the city governnt led by Magistrate Noah Shard, where Praelius belonged, and the Haythes family seed to be at odds.
"It's relatively safe here and has the best dical facilities in all of Longdi Fort." Praelius hesitated for a mont before replying. "These past two days, the entire Longdi Fort hasn't been peaceful. To tell the truth, it's probably related to you."
"How so?" Gauss was sowhat curious.
He clearly noticed that while Praelius was speaking, his gaze kept drifting towards him.
Later, he even stated outright that the turmoil in Longdi Fort was related to him.
This couldn't help but stir up so confusion in Gauss.
He had indeed slain a large number of Dragon Worshipers outside the city, even severely wounded a Transcendent-level Dragon Priestess, and Praelius subsequently finished her off. But this incident was far from significant enough to shake the entire city, right?
Gauss was aware of this much.
Praelius looked at him again, a trace of confusion flashing deep in his eyes.
"You really don't know?"
Gauss scratched his head, looking innocent.
Praelius opened his mouth, seemingly at a loss for words.
The two stared at each other.
After a long while, Praelius slowly spoke.
"After you were injured, our Longdi Fort's Chairman Ferguson received a ssage from the provincial capital, ordering all of Longdi Fort to fully launch arrest operations against the Dragon Worshipers' forces and to ensure your proper accommodation."
"But I've never been to the provincial capital." Gauss shook his head.
Seeing that Gauss still wasn't prepared to say more, Praelius inwardly smiled bitterly and could only play along.
"Then perhaps the higher-ups just happened to want to launch a crackdown on the Dragon Worshipers?"
Although he said this, he couldn't help but think of the news he got from another close friend. It was said that the provincial capital had received an urgent ssage from the royal court this ti.
In other words, Gauss wasn't lying to him, because that urgent ssage had reached the highest levels, coming from the kingdom's most powerful family.
If Gauss didn't have pure black hair, Praelius would have mistakenly thought Gauss was a prince traveling incognito on an adventure.
However, one thing was certain: Gauss's background was absolutely not small.
This was also the main reason he felt confident placing the group in the Haythes family's care.
The Haythes family not only didn't dare to harbor any ill intentions, but they had even raised their security alert to the highest level, terrified that anything, even the slightest mishap, might befall these esteed guests in their castle and implicate their family.
But since Gauss was unwilling to elaborate, Praelius, being perceptive, naturally wouldn't be so tactless as to continue probing this topic.
The two soon moved on to discuss the subsequent events of that day.
Including the slain Dragon Priestess, the two high-ranking mbers captured alive, and... Hephaestus.
Yes, the news about the red drake Hephaestus could no longer be concealed.
At least among Longdi Fort's upper echelons, many knew that Gauss possessed such a powerful red drake.
Although Gauss had tried his best to keep it hidden, by now, it was impossible to conceal.
First, naturally, because of the few surviving Dragon Worshiper mbers at the scene, who had all witnessed the drake.
Subsequently, the intense battle had also attracted the attention of the scouting mages in the city's towers responsible for observing the area outside the walls. They had also recorded the drake's presence.
"Sigh... I never thought it would still be exposed."
Gauss sighed, rubbing his temples.
Besides its powerful combat strength, the drake was, more importantly, a coveted treasure.
Apart from the Dragon Worshipers coveting this big guy, wouldn't other human forces also have thoughts about it?
Of course, so noble families might refrain from openly seizing it due to face-saving concerns.
Gauss had previously been worried about the potential open and hidden attacks that might co, which was why he had never openly ridden Hephaestus.
"Don't worry. It's just a juvenile drake. Its developnt cycle is too long, and more importantly, it's already bonded to a master."
"Those who would set their sights on it are actually very few."
"Moreover, during this ti, the news of you slaying the Transcendent Dragon Priestess has spread. That should also deter so people from unrealistic fantasies."
Praelius, noticing the troubled look on Gauss's face, said considerately.
"Huh?"
"Slaying the Transcendent Dragon Priestess?"
"? Lord Praelius, you must be joking."
Gauss pointed at himself.
"Yes, wasn't it you who slew her?" Praelius blinked, smiling softly. "My Crimson Dragon Knight, Lord Gauss."
"Everyone knows it."
Gauss drew in a sharp breath.
This was really...
Clearly, Praelius had given the credit and reputation for killing Dragon Priestess Cecilia to him.
But Gauss knew he was far from reaching that level. He had exhausted all his strength just to seize that sliver of an opportunity to grievously wound Cecilia. Apart from releasing that final spell, Cecilia had been constrained throughout the entire process.
If Praelius hadn't co, he should have been lying on the Dragon Worshipers' experintal table by now.
But logically speaking, such acts of falsely claiming prestige and achievents should be strictly verified by the local Adventurers Guild, right?
Otherwise, this world would already be filled with many "young talents" from prominent families. Where would Gauss fit in?
"Whew... this puts a lot of pressure on ."
Gauss could already imagine how shocking the news would be when it spread that he, an Elite professional, had slain a Transcendent Dragon Priestess.
This was far more impressive than the title of a mortal agent of the Lake God.
Regarding the latter, commoners would just think he was a lucky fellow favored by a deity. But the forr was solid, undeniable personal strength.
This world forever reveres the strong.
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