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Translator: CinderTL
"What are you doing?"
The burly man strode purposefully toward the fallen soldiers, his voice booming with authority.
"Captain, we... we were just..."
One soldier struggled to his feet, clutching his dislocated arm, his voice hoarse.
"Lord Auston said... these people are spies..."
"Spies?"
Just like the soldiers before him, the man's entire body tensed at the word.
Seeing this, the previously flustered middle-aged noble, Auston, gradually regained his composure, a flicker of smugness even appearing in his eyes.
He had personally witnessed the captain's strengthβhow he had single-handedly broken through an orc formation. What a formidable warrior.
With this thought, he glanced at Roland.
Though the young man was no weakling, he stood no chance against this captain.
Noticing Roland loosen his grip on his sword, Auston mistakenly assumed he was surrendering, his smugness growing.
Once these River Domain Nations fools are thrown into prison and a few quietly eliminated, Golden Grain City will inevitably descend into temporary chaos... That way, the mission Duke Arno entrusted to me will be considered accomplished.
The burly man remained oblivious to Auston's subtle shift in demeanor.
"Everyone, assemble!"
At his command, even the wounded soldiers struggled to their feet.
A resounding bugle call pierced the air, and the man whirled around.
"Surrender!"
His thunderous roar abruptly ceased, devolving into a series of muffled coughs.
"Cough... cough cough..."
He coughed heavily, his broad hand rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
The sight of this burly man in such a state was almost comical.
After a moment, as if finally confirming something, the solemn expression on his face vanished, replaced by an almost unhinged reaction.
The man squinted comically, then tilted his head and asked in a deep voice, "Earl Auston, what evidence do you have to prove my br... to prove these people are spies?"
"Hmm?"
Lost in fantasies of his plan's success, Auston froze at the question, a flicker of disbelief crossing his eyes.
He scrutinized the man's expression, confirming he wasn't joking, before forcing himself to reply.
"They... stole the letters King Monen sent to us..."
"Letters?"
The burly man raised an eyebrow, his rough voice suddenly rising in pitch.
"Earl Auston, did you not get enough sleep last night?"
As he spoke, he reached into his tunic, rummaging for something.
Soon, he produced a tightly bound parchment scroll, sealed with multiple fire lacquer stamps.
"This is His Majesty Monen's personal letter, which I have kept close to my person at all times."
"This... I..."
The commotion from the earlier fight had drawn a crowd of commoners.
As the burly man brandished the parchment scroll, the uniform hostility in the crowd's eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by subtle and peculiar expressions.
Under their scrutiny, Auston's face flushed crimson. He took several heavy breaths before shouting, "Don't forget your place! If I say they're spies, they're spies! Your duty is to obey!"
Thud!
Before he could finish, the burly man slammed his massive sword into the ground behind him.
Amidst the splintering stone, he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Earl Auston, it seems... you need someone to refresh your memory."
"Before we set out, His Majesty Monen specifically appointed me to oversee all matters concerning this party."
"If you want to play the noble, I suggest you return to your territory and throw your weight around there, instead of meddling here..."
"You... you dareβa mere commoner!"
The burly man's relentless defiance and mockery left Auston utterly humiliated.
The middle-aged noble's face flushed crimson, his lips trembling for a long moment before he could force out a single word.
Finally, he could only fling his arm violently.
"You'll regret this!"
After delivering this hollow threat, he shoved aside the soldiers and commoners blocking his path, stumbling away from the scene in a hurried retreat.
"Alright, everyone!"
The burly man raised his arms, addressing the gathered crowd in a booming voice.
"As you all heard, what just happened was purely a misunderstanding. So..."
He swiftly dispersed the onlookers, ordered the soldiers back to camp to rest, and persuaded the Golden Grain City garrison troops who had arrived on the scene to withdraw. Only then did he let out a long sigh and wipe his brow.
Though there wasn't a bead of sweat on it.
Under the wary gazes of the River Domain Nations trainees, the burly man strode steadily toward Roland.
In the next moment, his tree-trunk-thick arms suddenly opened wide, pulling Roland into a bear hug.
"Hey, brother! When did you get back? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
"Sean, it's been too long."
Looking at this long-lost friend, Roland's usually calm demeanor rippled with emotion.
A genuine smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
But the smile quickly began to look strained.
"This guy really holds a grudge. But..."
Feeling Sean's arm tightening around his neck, Roland raised an eyebrow slightly.
"How long has it been? A year? Six months?"
Sensing no trace of breathing technique practice in Sean's body, Roland's initial delight was tinged with astonishment.
"Just relying on that crude Mithril Body Tempering Technique, his strength has actually advanced to this extent?"
Shaking his head gently, Roland sighed helplessly. With a slight exertion of his arms, he effortlessly broke free from his old friend's "death grip."
"Brother, you actually..."
Sean rubbed his slightly numb arm, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Roland raised a hand to stop the question forming on Sean's lips.
After turning back to whisper a few instructions to Jamal and the others, and watching them depart, he beckoned Sean over and strode away from the fairground.
Seeing this, Sean didn't hesitate.
After adjusting the nearly half-man-tall greatsword on his back, he resolutely strode after Roland.
Reaching a secluded corner, Roland glanced around to confirm they were unobserved before turning to explain the reason for his visit to the Golden Valley Kingdom.
"A study exchange?"
Sean nodded knowingly, then sighed softly.
"Brother, your timing couldn't be worse."
Roland frowned slightly. "What's happened, Sean?"
Facing his most trusted brother, Sean immediately forgot his duty as a soldier of the Golden Valley Kingdom. He leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"The situation in the north... is far worse than anyone imagined. I'm here under His Majesty's urgent secret orders, having traveled day and night to return."
His Adam's apple bobbed, and a flicker of unease crossed his eyes.
"The orcs' tactics this time are completely different from before. They seem to anticipate our every strategic adjustment, every troop movement. It's as if they can see through our plans."
"When His Majesty sent me, he specifically warned that the orcs' attack routes are disturbingly precise. He suspects..." Sean's voice dropped to a near-whisper.
"Someone within the kingdom is providing intelligence to the orcs."
"That's why..." he continued, his tone growing heavier.
"His Majesty ordered me to bypass all regular communication channels and personally deliver this sealed letter to Crown Prince Lucius. We need to act before the traitor realizes we're onto them."
(End of the Chapter)
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