Free Web NovelChapter 1148: Act 286: Losing Control (Part 3)
The cultists seemed to emerge suddenly, initially disguised as various characters; some were attendants of the nobles, others even guards of the manor. As soon as the knights under the Princess drew their swords, they immediately followed suit, as if premeditated, splitting into two groups. One group charged at the royal knights, while the other stormed directly into the manor. The monk soldiers responsible for the manor’s defense were caught off guard by the sudden betrayal from those they thought were the nobles’ guards, resulting in heavy casualties.
The sheer shock left everyone stunned. Only Nemesia, convinced it was Brand’s failed plan, acted as a cornered beast, yet she was a competent military figure with not an ounce of panic. She immediately drew her Longsword and commanded firmly to those around, "Do not entangle with these guys; their target is the nobles in the hall. All knights, open a path and follow me—"
With that, she thrust her sword forward, piercing the heart of a cultist lunging at her, then instantly withdrew the sword, leaving no trace of blood on the blade. Her movements were so swift that even those beside her could barely see what happened.
The number of noble guards present was not small; they were initially stunned by the sudden change. However, upon hearing such a calm and firm order, they snapped back to reality, drawing their weapons and charging forward; not because Nemesia carried royal prestige to command them, but because the nobles participating in the Anlek meeting mostly held exceptional statuses, and any injury to the nobles was a price these servants couldn’t afford.
The cultists left outside were few; as more noble guards joined the battle, the temporary defensive line that the cultists formed was soon breached with several long gaps. Yet the noble guards felt no joy; the cultists lived up to their fierce reputation, launching a desperate counterattack at the end without a single one fleeing in panic. The thought that such formidable foes had infiltrated the manor left everyone with a heavy heart.
Due to the strong stance of the Holy Temple, the nobles were compelled to leave most of their guards outside the manor. Now with the sudden turn of events, everyone couldn’t help but curse the Holy Temple’s foolish actions.
Nemesia was no exception, frowning deeply. While Master Liwu was at Princess’s side, a Wizard is not as effective as a warrior in close quarters, especially since the young man was of Golden Rank, possibly even possessing awakened Elements. If sufficiently close to the Princess, Master Liwu might not be able to stop it in time. With her hand gripping the Longsword till her knuckles turned white, she awaited the Royal Knights to break through the cultists’ direction to immediately storm into the manor.
The black-haired Female Knight glanced anxiously around, only to find Frey in a daze. "Frey!" Nemesia seemed to have found a target for her frustration; she was one of the few Royalists aware of this girl from Buqi’s true lineage. "Fire Wand" Everton was a true pride of the Royalists, and without Everton, the Royalists wouldn’t be what they are today. Nemesia had complicated feelings towards Everton’s sole blood relative.
Frey couldn’t always meet her expectations. Although she appreciated Frey’s efforts, hesitation and indecisiveness were not qualities of a general. How could someone like this uphold the honor of the "Fire Wand"? Especially concerning that dream...
Shaking her head to rid her mind of the nervous clutter, Nemesia looked sternly at Frey, who finally seemed to snap out of it.
"You’d be dead ten thousand times over for being dazed on the battlefield like that," her tone inadvertently turned cold.
"I’m sorry, Senior Sister Nemesia," Frey was startled and quickly replied, "I got distracted by other things..."
"Your explanation better be convincing," Nemesia responded. freewebnoveℓ.com
"Duke Anliek’s guards," Frey said softly, frowning at the side of the carriage, "Senior Sister Nemesia, although they are attacking... their positions around the carriage mimic a defensive stance taught in our tactical classes—part of the basics of Erune Infantry Drill. Guards under Duke Anliek should know better since they must be of military origin, right?"
Nemesia’s eyes flickered; she sensed there was more to Frey’s words and immediately caught on. Such a large presence of cultists couldn’t suddenly appear within the Holy Temple’s control zone. The infiltration among the guards indicated a deal with someone powerful behind the scenes—noble guards are not easily replaced, and an intense smell of conspiracy lingered.
"Be wary of them," Nemesia coldly replied, secretly frowning heavily; what intent did the other party express by doing this or was it meant to frame them? She pondered in silence, unaware that beside her, Frey breathed a great sigh of relief. The girl from Buqi countryside was filled with joy, thinking, Brand surely wouldn’t harm Princess.
...(To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation votes, monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
