Chapter 166. Rebellion, Arrival at the Kadiya Royal Capital
The night hung over the Kadiya Kingdom like a heavy black curtain.
No one had expected the three Kadiya Legions assigned to escort the Ceremonial Guard to suddenly erupt into rebellion in the middle of the night.
At first, there were only scattered argunts in the camp, but they quickly escalated into the sharp clash of weapons.
The shouts of battle tore through the silence. Torchlight whipped wildly through the encampnt as the three Legions turned into beasts out of control, slaughtering one another across their own station. Arrows and flashes of magic wove together into a chaotic net of light.
Amid the confusion, an elite squad made up of several dozen Professionals quietly slipped away from the battlefield. Concealed by the darkness, they rushed toward Selena’s temporary residence like ghosts.
Their movents were swift, their presence hidden. They were clearly well-trained Death-Sworn Warriors.
“Stop them.”
A furious shout split the night sky. The Heart of Steel Knight Order led by A'gu had long since been standing by in full readiness.
Their Black Iron Armor glead with a cold sheen beneath the moonlight. The knights ford a shield wall and sealed off the residence completely.
“Kill.”
The leader of the elite squad barked the order in a low voice, and the long blade in his hand swept up a blood-colored arc as he charged straight at the shield wall.
The knights of the Heart of Steel Knight Order did not move an inch. Long halberds thrust out through the gaps in the shields, each strike aid precisely at the enemy’s openings. The clash of tal and the cries of the wounded instantly filled the night sky.
Though this squad of Death-Sworn Warriors was fierce and fearless, they could not advance a single step against the superb equipnt and flawless coordination of the Heart of Steel Knight Order.
Just as the fighting between both sides reached its peak, a ghostlike figure slipped through the outer chaos like a drop of ink dissolving into darkness and silently infiltrated the rear courtyard of the residence.
His body drifted like a shadow, and even his feet seed not to touch the dust. He was clearly an assassin-type Professional.
Just as he was about to reach the edge of Selena’s bedroom window, he suddenly sensed a bone-piercing chill.
“Shhk—”
A dazzling legendary Sword Aura slashed out from the side without warning. Like lightning tearing through the darkness, it ca with an overwhelming force that struck straight for his face.
Before the Sword Aura even reached him, the savage gale it carried had already shredded the black robes around his body, revealing the leather armor beneath, glinting with a tallic sheen.
The assassin’s pupils contracted violently. At the instant between life and death, he twisted his body with all his strength and forced himself half a foot sideways.
The Sword Aura grazed past his shoulder and smashed into the stone wall behind him with a thunderous BOOM, blasting open a crack several zhang long as broken stone flew everywhere.
Using the recoil, he shot backward and looked toward the source of the attack.
Under the moonlight, Aganzo stood there with a knight’s sword in hand. The tip of the blade was still trembling faintly, and his eyes were filled with icy killing intent.
“It seems His Highness was right. Kadiya’s ‘welcoming gift’ is quite lively.”
Aganzo’s voice was cold as he slowly raised his sword.
“Since you’re here, you can stay.”
A flicker of fear flashed through the assassin’s eyes, but he did not hesitate in the slightest. He turned at once, trying to lt back into the darkness.
But Aganzo’s figure was already on him like a shadow. Legendary Dou Qi gathered once more, and this ti, every route of escape was sealed.
At that mont, Selena was standing beside William, watching the firelight in the distance. She shrugged.
“Your Highness, this is so boring to watch. I’m going to rest.”
William nodded. Trouble had broken out almost as soon as they arrived, which showed just how deeply so people hated Selena.
After Selena turned and went back to her room, William remained alone in the courtyard. Only when the sky at the horizon began to pale did the distant firelight gradually die away, leaving behind nothing but the acrid stench of gunpowder drifting through the air.
After a night of slaughter, it had finally co to an end.
In the morning light, the camp was a complete ss. Broken weapons, collapsed tents, and mottled bloodstains were strewn everywhere.
The three Kadiya Legions looked like bones that had already been gnawed clean. So soldiers sat, others lay sprawled on the ground, every one of them exhausted, their morale at rock bottom. It was obvious they had been badly crippled.
By contrast, the Kroll Ceremonial Guard remained steady. Although the Gold Knights had also gone without sleep all night and their armor was dust-stained, their eyes were still as sharp as eagles’.
The rebellion of the previous night had co swiftly, but it had failed to break through their defenses. Their losses were negligible.
William walked over to Aila’s side and looked at the chaos before him, his tone calm.
“Tell the brothers to clean up. We move out.”
“And those three Legions...?” Aila asked hesitantly.
“There’s no need to care whether they’re loyal or treacherous.”
William glanced at the three Legion Commanders in the distance, all of them pale-faced and ashen.
“Go pass on the ssage. We’ll leave first. They can deal with the aftermath themselves.”
He had no interest in getting tangled up in this muddy ss. Since Feir IV had dared to let a rebellion break out, then he naturally had his own way of cleaning up the aftermath. William only needed to proceed to the Royal Capital as originally planned.
Aila accepted the order and quickly returned to report back.
The Ceremonial Guard soon ford up again. The Gold Knights arranged themselves into formation and escorted the carriages as they slowly departed from the wrecked encampnt, leaving the battered troops and bloodstains far behind.
Inside the carriage, William unfolded the intelligence the Shadow Guard had compiled overnight.
It contained a detailed record of everything that had happened during the rebellion.
Of the three Legions, two had rely been dragged into it. The real force behind the rebellion was the Third Legion. As for that squad of Professional Death-Sworn Warriors, both their weapons and their thods pointed toward the Maternal Clan of a certain Consort within the Kadiya Royal Palace.
“So it really was them.”
William’s fingertip traced across the report. The daughter of that Consort had been killed by Selena back then.
He put the intelligence away and looked out at the passing scenery beyond the window.
Kadiya’s land was completely different from Kroll’s. The hills rose and fell in long rolls, the forests were dense, and the region was rich in mineral deposits.
“How much longer until we reach the Royal Capital?” he asked Tos.
“Your Highness, at our current pace, we should arrive in another half month.”
William nodded and closed his eyes to rest.
Half a month was enough ti for the people in the Royal Capital to make a few more “preparations.”
But he was not afraid. Since he had dared to set foot on this land, he had co fully prepared to face whatever awaited him.
The carriage continued onward. Its wheels rolled over the morning dew, leaving behind two clear tracks as it headed toward the Kadiya Royal Capital.
Along the way, they passed several fortresses, and every lord they t was unusually enthusiastic. Red carpets were laid out before them, salute cannons thundered, and the supplies they sent over piled high in the wagons.
Several tis, Selena wanted to get out of the carriage and speak with those noble lords, but William stopped her every ti.
“These people are nothing but weathercocks. There’s no need to waste ti on them.”
He looked at the smiling faces outside the window, his tone indifferent.
The Kadiya nobles’ eagerness at this mont was nothing more than respect for the Royal Family’s face. The mont the situation changed, they would turn against them faster than anyone.
Selena pursed her lips and did not insist again. She rely leaned back against the wall of the carriage and closed her eyes to rest, though her hand never left its protective place over her lower abdon.
Half a month later, the silhouette of the Kadiya Royal Capital finally appeared on the horizon.
It was a colossal city encircled by rivers. Its towering walls were built from enormous bluish-gray stones, and atop those walls flew the griffin banners of the Kadiya Royal Family. Even from afar, it looked magnificent and imposing.
As soon as the convoy stopped outside the city, a Palace Knight in a silver-white ceremonial uniform rode over. After dismounting, he stood respectfully by the roadside.
Tos imdiately stepped forward and exchanged a few quiet words with him, then quickly returned to William’s carriage.
“Your Highness, Kadiya’s Third Prince, Frey, is already waiting at the city gate. His Majesty has prepared a banquet in the Royal Palace and is waiting for your arrival.”
William lifted the carriage curtain. Sure enough, he could see a group standing beneath the gate. At their head was a young prince dressed in rich robes, gazing toward the convoy with a formal smile on his face.
“Understood.” He lowered the curtain. “Continue forward.”
The Ceremonial Guard set out once more and slowly made its way toward the city gate.
The people of Kadiya crowded along both sides of the street, curiously looking at this procession from a neighboring kingdom as murmurs rose and fell without end.
Third Prince Frey stepped forward a few paces and gave a slight bow toward the carriage.
“Your Highness William, welco to Kadiya. My royal father has already prepared a banquet. Please follow into the palace.”
The carriage did not stop. Only William’s calm voice ca from within.
“Thank you for leading the way, Third Prince.”
The convoy passed through the archway and entered the heart of the Royal Capital.
The buildings on both sides of the street grew ever more splendid. Stone carvings and painted ornantation glittered beneath the sun, yet the whole city also gave off a sense of luxury that had been deliberately piled into place.
Through the carriage window, William observed the guards along the road. They appeared loose and casual, but in truth there was a hidden sentry every ten paces, each one watching the convoy with sharp eyes. It was obvious they had made ample preparations.
A cold smile curled at William’s lips. Feir IV’s “welcoming banquet” was likely even more dangerous than the rebellion that night.
But he felt no fear at all.
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