novelnext Chapter 168 My knights can all be defeated by 1
Chapter 168 My knights can all be defeated by 1
Chapter 168 My knights can take on a hundred men single-handedly
He gestured to Captain Eric, who instantly understood. Eric tapped his wand lightly in the air, and an invisible soundproof barrier quietly enveloped the interior of the carriage, ensuring that their conversation would not be heard by Bronzebeard, who was driving in front.
"Everyone," Li Ang's voice was exceptionally clear within the barrier, "since entering the dwarven territory, has anyone noticed anything unusual? Please share any details."
Upon hearing this, the team members began to ponder.
Helena spoke first: "Aside from the border guards' unusually tense reaction to Prince Maya's return, and the fact that Mr. Bronzebeard was dismissed, the villages and towns along the way seem relatively peaceful, and trade activities are proceeding normally."
Rudick adjusted his glasses and added, "I've noticed that the royal coat of arms on some public buildings seem to have been recently renovated, but—that probably doesn't mean anything."
Elisa pondered, "The Iron Hammer Merchant Guild's attitude changed too quickly, and their investment was too generous. There might be some ulterior motives behind this that we don't know about."
Miguel and Remus stated that, aside from sensing the dwarves looking at them with curiosity and scrutiny, they did not detect any obvious hostility or unusual activity.
After much discussion, the focus eventually returned to the original question: the dwarf king Frostheart Maxwell.
Maya's emerald eyes held confusion and a hint of sadness. She said with certainty, "Father—something's not right. Uncle Bronzebeard was one of his most trusted brothers and ministers. Back in the palace, Father would often steal moments from his busy schedule to go and drink with Uncle Bronzebeard, bringing the best of his 'Melting Heart.' When Mother found out, he would scold him—how could he possibly dismiss Uncle Bronzebeard and banish him from the court just because he had a sip of wine while on duty?"
Li Ang nodded silently, took out a small leather notebook that he always carried close to his body, and wrote on it with a quill pen:
Suspicion 1: The dwarf king Frostheart Maxwell has recently undergone a significant personality change.
Second point of doubt: The attitude of the Iron Hammer Merchant Guild. Why do they favor King Maya?
Third point of doubt: Is the restoration of the royal insignia related to this incident?
Question 4: What caused the guard's excessive tension?
Li Ang wrote down the doubts raised by the team members one by one. Just as his pen left the paper, the carriage suddenly stopped and the speed suddenly decreased.
Li Ang's eyes sharpened, and almost at the same time the stop signal came, he made a gesture to Eric.
Eric understood immediately, tapped his wand lightly, and the soundproof barrier vanished without a sound.
Then, a tense voice came from the driver in front: "Your Majesty, there's trouble ahead! It's the Royal Guard! Ironforge—it seems they don't want you to go back."
Looking out the car window, everyone saw that a well-organized troop of dwarven cavalry had blocked their way on the official road.
They rode strong black goats, nearly three meters long, clad in black metal armor, with gleaming long-handled warhammers hanging from their sides. The knights wore uniform bright silver armor and carried rugged, rune-engraved magic muskets on their backs, exuding a chilling aura.
Copperbeard's expression was solemn as he murmured, "They are all my former subordinates—judging by the number, at least two companies, two hundred men—"
Copperbeard was somewhat puzzled. Why would they send out so many heavy cavalry to deal with just a dozen or so of them?
Maya chuckled, showing no fear whatsoever, but rather a hint of eagerness. She abruptly stood up and proclaimed loudly, "Knights, the opportunity to make a name for yourselves has arrived! Who is willing to accompany me to meet these scoundrels blocking our path?"
Tongxu, standing outside the carriage, looked completely bewildered and asked anxiously, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? Shouldn't we all attack together in this situation? Or should we retreat first?"
On the other side was a well-equipped and well-trained Imperial Guard division, a full two hundred heavy cavalrymen! If it weren't for—"
The image of the enormous creature that had pulled the cart before flashed through his mind: the red dragon Olivia.
"Even with that lady on our side, I don't think we have the slightest chance of winning!"
At this moment, Olivia slowly raised her hand as if she had just woken up, yawned and said, "I—can go stretch my muscles." This was one of the strategies that Li Ang and the others had discussed before setting off.
They deliberately made a big show of it, even actively provoking others, and put on a show of "the prophecy of returning and vying for the throne" to cover up their true purpose of secretly investigating.
Olivia's job is to ensure that Li Ang and the others' identities are not exposed before the investigation is completed.
Maya exclaimed, "Excellent! Lady Olivia, you will fight alongside me!"
Seeing this, Rudik quietly drew his wand, and a gentle [Holy Light Shield] and a power-enhancing [Power Blessing] landed precisely on Maya.
Feeling the warm current surging through her body, Maya felt even more confident. With her left hand she held up the huge tower shield engraved with the Maxwell family crest, and with her right hand she gripped the heavy warhammer tightly. She was the first to jump off the carriage.
On the official road, her gleaming silver armor shimmered with a cold light under the moonlight.
Olivia, still looking half-asleep, slowly followed her out of the car.
She was unarmed, her long red hair fluttering in the breeze, appearing completely out of place in the somber atmosphere.
In the ranks of the Royal Guard, a dwarf knight, whose helmet was decorated with red feathers and who was clearly the leader, rode forward a few steps on an armored black goat.
He lifted his visor, revealing a young but helpless face: "Miss Sandramea, I am the new commander of the Royal Guard, Stone Shield Iron Rock. You shouldn't have come back; His Majesty has already explicitly expelled you from the country."
Sandra Maya slung her warhammer over her shoulder, her voice booming enough for the entire division to hear: "Commander Stone Shield! Haven't you heard? I, Sandra Maya Maxwell, have not returned as a banished princess, but as a challenger, to wage a duel of courage against my father, Frostheart Maxwell, in accordance with ancient dwarven tradition, for the Iron Throne! And you, and your Royal Guard, are you going to betray this sacred tradition and prevent a dwarf from exercising her birthright?"
The Stone Shield commander sighed, his gaze sweeping over the magnificent but silent carriage behind Maya. His tone was laced with sarcasm: "You? And those ten knights behind you who only dare to hide in the carriage—the so-called Ten Knights? Miss, did you fulfill the prophecy, or—did you spend a fortune hiring a bunch of actors who dared not show their faces to put on a show for everyone?"
Maya raised her chin slightly and said arrogantly, "They are not actors I hired. Each of them is a powerful knight capable of taking on a hundred men. They are not coming out now because the two of us are enough to deal with you."