Free Web NovelChapter 301: Chapter 289: Old Friend
"What are you doing?"
The burly man strode over to the fallen soldiers and sternly demanded.
"Captain, we... we were just..."
A soldier struggled to his feet, clutching his dislocated arm, and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Earl Auston said... these people... are spies..."
"Spies?"
Just like the soldiers before him, the man’s entire body tensed instantly at the word.
Seeing this, the previously flustered middle-aged nobleman, Auston, gradually calmed down, a flash of smugness even crossing his eyes.
He had witnessed this captain’s strength with his own eyes.
He had single-handedly broken out of a Beastman army formation—an incredible display of power.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Roland.
’This youth’s skills aren’t weak, but he’s definitely no match for this captain.’
Seeing Roland loosen his grip on his sword, Auston mistook it as a sign of surrender, and the smug look in his eyes intensified.
’All I have to do is throw this bunch of idiots from the River Domain into a cell and quietly dispose of a few of them. Golden Ears City is bound to fall into a brief state of chaos... That way, the mission Duke Anno gave me will be complete.’
The burly man didn’t notice the subtle change in Auston’s expression.
"Fall in!"
At his command, even the soldiers with leg injuries forced themselves to their feet.
A clear bugle call sounded, and the man suddenly spun around.
"Surrender and be..."
His thunderous roar died in his throat, turning into an indistinct mumble.
"Cough... cough, cough..."
He coughed hard a few times, then rubbed his eyes in disbelief with his broad palms.
It was a rather comical sight on such a large, muscular man.
After a moment, he seemed to have confirmed something. The solemn look on his face vanished, replaced by an almost bizarre reaction.
The man blinked comically, then turned his head to the side and asked in a low voice.
"Earl Auston, what proof do you have that my bro—that these people are spies?"
"Hm?"
Auston, who had been lost in a fantasy of his plan’s success, was stunned. A trace of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
He carefully studied the man’s expression and, after confirming he wasn’t joking, steeled himself to answer.
"They... they stole the letter King Morne gave us..."
"A letter?"
The burly man’s eyebrows shot up, his rough voice rising sharply.
"Earl Auston, are you perhaps still half-asleep from last night?"
As he spoke, he reached into his tunic and fumbled around.
A moment later, he produced a Sheepskin Scroll, tightly bound and sealed with several wax stamps.
"The letter personally written by His Majesty Morne has been in my safekeeping the entire time."
"But... I..."
The commotion from the earlier fight had drawn a crowd of commoners.
When the burly man presented the scroll, the uniform hostility in the crowd’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by subtle and strange expressions.
Under their gazes, Auston’s face turned beet red. He took a few heavy breaths before shouting.
"Don’t forget your station! I say they’re spies, so they are! Your duty is to obey—"
"THUD!"
Before he could finish, the burly man had whipped the Giant Sword off his back and plunged it into the ground.
As flagstones cracked, he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Earl Auston, it seems... you need someone to help you recall."
"Before we departed, His Majesty Morne specifically appointed me to be fully in charge of all matters concerning this contingent."
"If you want to pull rank like a nobleman, I suggest you go back to your own fief and throw your weight around, not stand here bossing me around..."
"You’re just a commoner! You... how dare you..."
The burly man’s merciless retorts and mockery left Auston with no way to save face.
The middle-aged noble’s face was completely red, his lips trembling for a long while without a single word coming out.
Finally, all he could do was viciously swing his arm.
"You’ll regret this!"
After leaving behind this empty threat, he pushed aside the soldiers and commoners in his way and stumbled away from the scene in a hurry.
"Alright!"
The burly man raised his arms and addressed the gathered crowd in a clear voice.
"You all heard it. Everything that just happened was a complete misunderstanding, so..."
He quickly dispersed the crowd of onlookers, ordered the soldiers to return to camp and rest, and persuaded the Golden Ears City guards who had arrived to stand down. Only then did he let out a long sigh and wipe his forehead.
Even though there was no sweat on it.
Then, under the still-wary gazes of the students from the River Domain, the burly man walked steadily over to Roland.
The next moment...
His arms, as thick as tree trunks, suddenly opened wide and pulled Roland into a tight embrace.
"Hey, brother! When did you get back? Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?"
"Sean, long time no see."
Looking at this old friend he hadn’t seen in so long, even Roland’s usually calm heart was stirred.
The corners of his mouth lifted into a genuine smile.
However, that smile soon became a little strained.
’This guy really holds a grudge, but...’
Roland’s eyebrow twitched as he felt Sean’s arm tightening around his neck.
’How long has it been? A year? Or half a year...’
Noticing that there was no trace of Sean having practiced any Breathing Technique, Roland’s delight was mixed with a measure of shock.
’Just by relying on that crude Secret Silver Body Tempering Technique, his strength has actually progressed this far?’
Shaking his head slightly, Roland sighed helplessly. Then, with a small burst of strength from his arms, he easily broke free from his old friend’s "Death Grapple."
"Brother, you actually..."
Sean rubbed his slightly numb arm, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Roland raised a hand, stopping the question that was on the tip of Sean’s tongue.
He first turned back to give some quiet instructions to Jamaal and the others. After watching them leave, he gestured for Sean to follow and walked away from the scene.
Seeing this, Sean didn’t hesitate.
After casually adjusting the Giant Sword on his back—which was nearly half his height—he decisively strode after him.
Once they reached a secluded corner, Roland glanced around to make sure no one was watching before turning to explain to Sean the reason for his visit to the Golden Valley Kingdom.
"A study exchange?"
Sean nodded in understanding, but then he let out a soft sigh.
"Brother, you really picked a bad time to come."
Hearing this, Roland frowned slightly.
"What’s wrong, Sean?"
Facing the brother he trusted most, Sean immediately forgot his identity as a soldier of the Golden Valley Kingdom.
He leaned in close and said in a hushed voice.
"The war in the north... is far worse than anyone imagines. I’m here on an urgent secret order from His Majesty; I traveled day and night to get back."
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and a flicker of unease crossed his eyes.
"The Beastmen are operating completely differently this time. It’s as if they can see through our every tactical adjustment. Every troop movement is within their expectations."
"When His Majesty dispatched me, he specifically warned me that the Beastmen’s line of attack is unnervingly precise. He suspects..."
Sean’s voice dropped to a near-inaudible whisper.
"Someone inside the Kingdom is feeding the Beastmen intelligence."
"And because of that..."
he continued, his tone growing heavier.
"His Majesty ordered me to bypass all normal communication channels and personally deliver this secret letter into the hands of His Highness, Eldest Prince Lucius, in the hope of taking action before the traitor realizes."
