Free Web NovelChapter 300: Chapter 288: Spy
"Jamaal, what’s going on?"
Seeing an acquaintance from the River Domain—Jamaal, with whom he’d played a few rounds of dice earlier—Roland skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.
"Roland?"
Hearing his name, the young man turned his head. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, then he pointed at the Golden Valley Soldiers opposite them, his voice filled with indignant emotion.
"They’re accusing us of being spies!"
"Spies?"
The unexpected answer made Roland raise an eyebrow slightly.
Unlike the diverse, multi-racial environment of the River Domain, the Golden Valley Kingdom was predominantly human. Although a few Elves and Dwarves lived there, non-human Races were inevitably subject to a certain degree of discrimination.
Therefore, to prevent any unnecessary trouble on the road, Roland had specifically requested the files of all the students on the study tour from Graham before they departed. Only after confirming that everyone was human and had a clean background did he finally approve the list.
So, he knew better than anyone that these students would not proactively cause trouble, let alone be so-called spies.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, he gently patted Jamaal’s shoulder, nodded to the other students, and then stepped forward to the front of the group.
"Pardon me..."
Roland held out his hands, showing he had no hostile intent. He smiled faintly and spoke in a calm voice.
"Gentlemen, we are students from the River Domain Knight Academy. We are visiting your esteemed Kingdom for a study exchange. I believe... there may be some misunderstanding here."
Roland’s appearance broke the tense, stagnant atmosphere.
His resolute yet gentle face and calm, courteous demeanor made the Golden Valley Soldiers, who had been tightly gripping their weapons, relax their stances slightly.
Just as the atmosphere was beginning to ease, a low voice suddenly rang out.
"A misunderstanding?"
A middle-aged man walked out slowly from behind the soldiers.
He was dressed in magnificent clothes, a stark contrast to the worn-out Armor of the surrounding soldiers.
In an instant, Roland identified the man.
A noble.
And...
Looking at the great bear family crest embroidered with gold thread on the man’s robes, Roland’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’His title is definitely not low.’
The middle-aged noble nonchalantly brushed non-existent dust from his clothes, then raised a hand to point at Jamaal behind Roland and said with a sneer.
"After this lowlife passed by me just now, the documents I was carrying vanished into thin air. They contained important military intelligence!"
His words made the soldiers, who had relaxed slightly, tense up again. They quietly shifted their feet, subtly forming an encirclement.
Roland’s eyes narrowed as he retorted coldly.
"What proof do you have?"
"Proof?"
A corner of the middle-aged man’s mouth lifted, a glint of triumph in his eyes. He spoke grimly.
"Once I have you all in the dungeons, I have my ways of finding what I want on you."
Roland’s brow furrowed.
He wasn’t afraid of these few dozen soldiers.
If it came to a fight, he was confident he could subdue them all in a very short time.
However, if a conflict broke out, this peaceful study tour would inevitably escalate into a diplomatic incident, a situation he wanted to avoid at all costs.
But...
Roland glanced at the arrogant middle-aged man before him, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
Anyone could see the man was deliberately looking for trouble. Getting him to back down through Negotiation was clearly impossible.
But at the same time, a trace of doubt rose in Roland’s mind.
He didn’t understand why a noble of such high status would baselessly frame them and deliberately cause trouble.
’Is it just because of... the inherent arrogance of the Golden Valley Kingdom’s nobility?’
After a slight shake of his head, Roland quickly made a decision.
’Looks like I have no choice but to fight. As long as no one is killed, there shouldn’t be any major problems...’
With this in mind, he whispered a few instructions to the students behind him, his right hand slowly moving toward the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Just as Roland’s fingers were about to touch the hilt, the magnificently dressed man seemed to sense his intent and shouted sharply.
"Seize them! Don’t let a single one get away!"
With the order given, the tense atmosphere shattered.
The Golden Valley Soldiers let out low roars and raised their weapons, surging forward like a tide.
Although Jamaal and the other River Domain students immediately drew their swords to meet the attack, the difference in skill was apparent from the first clash.
These young students from the River Domain were far from a match for the battle-hardened veterans of Golden Valley, whether in combat experience or Power.
Their blocks were met with powerful, heavy blows that sent numbing shocks up their arms. Their refined Sword Skills were repeatedly suppressed by the simple, brutal, coordinated attacks.
Within the first exchange, two students had their weapons knocked from their hands. They staggered back, only avoiding immediate capture thanks to the desperate cover of their companions.
They were forced into a fragile circular formation, struggling to hold their ground. The situation was precarious.
However, in stark contrast to the students’ predicament, there was Roland.
Just as the first soldier’s War Axe was about to strike a student’s shoulder, a figure silently cut in between them.
Roland moved.
His movements were effortless, yet breathtakingly precise.
He sidestepped and advanced with seeming casualness. His left hand shot out like lightning—not to block, but to strike the inside of the soldier’s axe-wielding wrist with his forearm.
The soldier felt his entire arm go numb, and the War Axe fell from his grasp. As if anticipating this, Roland’s right elbow had already gently landed on his chest plate.
"BANG!"
With a dull thud, the sturdy soldier was sent flying as if struck by a Siege Hammer, his feet leaving the ground. He crashed into two of his comrades behind him, and the three of them tumbled into a heap, unable to get back up.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Another soldier’s Longsword stabbed at Roland’s ribs from the side.
But Roland didn’t even turn completely. With a flick of his wrist, the Longsword at his waist was finally unsheathed.
It wasn’t a slash, but a precise tap with the spine of his blade against the weak point of the opponent’s sword.
CLANG! With a crisp ring, the soldier felt a strange force travel up his arm. His Longsword was knocked aside uncontrollably, leaving his center wide open.
Roland’s left leg shot out silently like a scorpion’s tail, tapping the side of his knee.
The soldier cried out, dropping to one knee. He clutched his instantly dislocated kneecap, unable to rise again.
The third and fourth soldiers charged at him from the front simultaneously.
Instead of retreating, Roland advanced, his figure passing like a phantom through the gap between their weapons.
In the instant they crossed paths, he brought the pommel of his sword down hard on the back of one man’s head, while the heel of his other hand precisely struck the side of the other’s neck.
Without a sound, both men crumpled limply to the ground.
Clean. Decisive. Efficient.
Not a single wasted movement. Every action was perfect, less like a life-or-death battle and more like a masterfully choreographed Martial demonstration.
He always appeared in the most critical position at the most opportune moment, neutralizing attacks with minimal effort and instantly incapacitating his opponents.
The soldiers, who seemed so formidable in the eyes of the River Domain students, were as clumsy as wooden puppets before Roland, often taken down in a single exchange.
He hadn’t even used lethal force. The fallen soldiers suffered at most a dislocated joint or a brief loss of consciousness, yet not a single one could get back to their feet.
The soldiers who had been besieging the students were stunned by this sudden turn of events, their attention involuntarily drawn to Roland.
A few of them tried to turn and surround this greatest threat, but they couldn’t even catch his shadow.
He moved through the crowd like a whirlwind, and wherever he passed, soldiers fell like stalks of wheat.
In the space of a dozen breaths, only a handful of soldiers were left standing.
The triumphant sneer on the middle-aged noble’s face had long since vanished, replaced by incredulous astonishment and a hint of unconcealable Fear.
His mouth hung open as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
Roland gave his Longsword a light shake before sheathing it.
He surveyed his surroundings, his calm gaze sweeping over the groaning soldiers on the ground before finally landing on the pale-faced, magnificently dressed man.
"Now..."
Roland’s voice was still gentle.
"Can we calmly discuss this so-called ’misunderstanding’?"
Behind him, Jamaal and the other River Domain students stared with wide eyes, their faces filled with shock and reverence.
Only now did they truly understand what terrifying strength their easygoing team leader—the one who had even played dice with them—possessed.
"Everyone, stand down!"
Just as the fallen soldiers were struggling to get up, a thunderous command suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned toward the sound and saw an exceptionally burly man walking slowly toward them.
"THUD... THUD... THUD..."
The heavy footsteps pounded on the hearts of every River Domain student like war drums.
Gazing at the approaching figure, who seemed like a small mountain, the already injured students’ faces turned pale.
But Roland’s reaction was the complete opposite of theirs.
"Hm?"
When he got a clear look at the newcomer’s face, he let out a low grunt and slowly furrowed his brow, a strange expression appearing on his face.
