Aurina lowered her head, imitating Richard by holding her chin with her hand in a thoughtful pose and said: “As expected of you, this king understands.”
In front of the Haisha Port commander, in front of numerous paladins, Richard momentarily felt that the hardships of this period had not been in vain.
He said with relief: “Good that you know.”
Aurina continued: “… Only idiots would mess with this chaotic boring stuff, go to court, this king will just sleep. Though this king’s lifespan is near eternal, it’s not to be wasted casually.”
Richard clenched his steel fist, the scene became extremely awkward for a moment.
Thanks to the well-disciplined knight order, otherwise paladins from various places would have whispered or laughed long ago.
Indeed no one laughed, but a few pulled down their visors to cover their faces.
As an old hand, the Haisha Port commander immediately said: “By the way, Richard, where’s your fiancée?”
According to combat code, act together if possible.
“Hello, I’m here.”
From behind the horse’s butt, a golden-haired head popped out, Sophia forced a smile: “For the Lord’s sake, am I very short, hard to notice? Seems everyone looking at my fiancé and the dragon?”
As soon as the words fell, several gazes looked at Sophia carrying the tower shield with slight surprise.
As if saying, how is there another person here?
“Ahem.”
The Haisha Port commander coughed a few times, Aurina’s presence was too strong, even though she wore a hooded cloak, dragon horns strictly covered.
But the sentinel on watch noticed Aurina in the crowd a mile away at a glance.
“Not like that. We here are all paladins, not naturally sharp-sensing, high-inspiration priests.”
“So.”
Sophia couldn’t help asking: “I carrying such a big shield, even walking beside my fiancé, seems no one notices me?”
The Haisha Port commander who couldn’t lie hated one of the rules at this moment.
During meetings, unless commander allows, subordinates cannot speak.
Otherwise with so many heads present, surely could think of appropriate words.
Anyway he couldn’t.
Fortunately, a burst of urgent hoofbeats saved the field.
A soldier—he was not a formal knight order member, more like a knight’s squire, legion auxiliary.
He rode horse, rushed to camp gate, dismounted flying, ran inside saluted, but other paladins blocked him after a quick run.
He said loudly:
“Report, urgent letter.”
“Nearby brothers help take it.”
Several paladins looked at each other, confirmed one closest to the soldier, then according to regulations, took the letter and gave to Haisha Port commander.
Supposedly this letter-passing system due to several assassins disguised as messengers.
Haisha Port commander crushed the wax seal, took out the letter, glanced, then glanced again.
Aurina who planned to lie on the horse neck and sleep big, sniffed a bad smell.
Similar to when about to fight, opponent hiding seventy eighty ninety dragons behind butt.
She immediately sat up, staring at Haisha Port commander.
Haisha Port commander put down the letter said: “Except unrelated personnel, round table meeting.”
In the Hand of Tyr Knight Order, refers to “equal status” meeting, though no round table here.
They asked the soldier to leave, originally wanted to ask Aurina to leave too, but Aurina strength great, hands firmly hugged war horse neck, war horse also listened to her not move.
Plus Richard certified, at least in fighting, Aurina trustworthy teammate, proven in the surprise attack on Larrifa Manor battle. Speaking of this, Sophia’s expression was very colorful.
No round table, so over twenty people and dragon and horse, formed a circle, barely counted as round table.
“Bad news.”
Haisha Port commander directly explained, while saying passed the letter to nearby paladin for circulation: “At this critical juncture, in Yanting Empire territory an incident, believers of the God of Dawn… seized a castle, publicly executed a noble, using church law too. Said discovered he involved in murder, slave trading.”
Another white-bearded paladin said: “Not unexpected, believers of the God of Dawn full of vigor and young hot-blooded. Just now not appropriate.”
“What they did…”
Richard said: “Same as me.”
“Same, but not.”
Haisha Port commander said: “Your trial evidence hard, and rare encounter, specially targeting females, not just poor females deep hypnosis slavery malignant case. And their accused slave trading, refers to trading serfs.”
Richard silent a moment, said: “You mean, my case different because it makes many with secular power or other powers empathize? Like noble ladies and madams?”
“You’re smart, Richard.”
Haisha Port commander said: “Surely you’ve heard? Many misses and young knights say: ‘Why not bring my ribbon, go crusade Black Boar Pete.’ Now chopping beastman heads or wyvern heads, not as pleasing beauties as chopping a slave owner said to specialize in female slaves head.”
Men fear their lovers or wives encountering Black Boar Pete.
Women worry becoming Black Boar Pete’s prey, that bizarre “hypnosis method” highly contagious, making people fearful. Worry go hunting, return find female relatives adult slaves, taken to auction.
But trading serfs, what does it matter to the miss in my manor?
Richard said: “So different in what I did, many with power will support me?”
Haisha Port commander nodded:
“This already challenging empire’s customary law, just now grand captain’s letter said, Royal Knight Order marches slow because along the way nobles constantly bring lances, war horses even staves to join. Bane cult people plenty, one place lord ordered smash Tyr temple, change to Bane worship temple.”
No matter reasoning, who right who wrong.
Now choosing swords and blood as cost, standing on emperor’s side more and more, originally tilted martial balance tilting more.
Richard said: “I will do my best, with Heidelberg martyrs as example.”
“Good.”
Haisha Port commander said: “We will too, Brother Richard.”
Alas, truly foolish little bugs, now emperor knows you all can’t beat him right.
But should be so, after all smartest little bugs, before world-shocking wise true dragon, foolish all the same.
“This king gives you supreme command.”
Aurina proposed: “Then we directly kill to the palace!”
Suddenly, almost all looked up at her, among them Richard expressionless.
Aurina threw out her drafted lie, extremely rare in her entire dragon life.
Only pursuing a few high-quality females had she tried brain to lies.
“In this king’s memory, there is a tunnel to the palace!”
Aurina said: “As long as under this king’s lead, bring a group iron-clad little bugs kill in, surely catch them off guard…”
Saying, saying Aurina happily waved hand: “Directly chop emperor’s head, they will be chaotic mess. Treasury location this king remembers clearly, we kill emperor, then loot empty, directly win right?”
Haisha Port commander speechlessly looked at Richard.
“She always like this.” Richard said: “And strangely, knowing unrealistic proposal, yet always can’t ignore?”
No doubt, no one followed Aurina’s “command”. After all everyone came here, not for robbery.
But Haisha Port commander wanted to know tunnel entrance, situation too difficult, he held try attitude.
Result Aurina couldn’t say where tunnel is. Also said as long as agree kill to palace together, then she knows where.
This was truth, how could Aurina remember where she dug holes?
All by feeling dug.
Relied on greed for treasury as motive and goal.
“… You not agree for this king to take gold.”
Aurina said: “This king can’t remember, no that feeling no tunnel. Told you little bugs wouldn’t know, after all you very stupid.”
Richard said: “You go sleep.”
This proposal very good.
Aurina opened big mouth, pointed at mouth: “Eat.”
Richard said: “Didn’t eat on the way here?”
“That was ‘pack beast not properly carry owner’s apology tribute’.” Aurina said: “This is pre-sleep snack, how become strong without full sleep?”
Richard no longer cared about ethereal face, publicly sighed: “Everyone, please allow me prepare food for her, otherwise consequences serious, very sorry.”
Haisha Port commander said: “Brother Richard, you chose an extremely hard path.”
But how to say?
As expected of raising dragon several months.
On the second day court opening, Richard could carry sleeping snoring Aurina over, rather than ridden by her, in chaotic court, sleeping Aurina far better for everyone’s mental health and property safety than awake.
Aurina under Sophia’s company snoring sleeping, intense arguments in court to her just white noise for sleep.
She didn’t care among seven judges, who emperor’s confidant, which class representative, which believer representative.
Didn’t care Richard relying on witnesses finally smoothly resolved “Larrifa” manor accusation.
Grateful tearful assassins directly confessed Thousand-Crow Eye’s crimes.
They no attachments, not fear death, played huge role in court.
But this just appetizer, real accusation, what truly concerned came.
Emperor of the Yanting Empire’s proxy, with voice echoing entire court said: “Regarding you, taking private punishment executing the great born emperor’s mother’s stepfather’s wife’s cousin’s husband’s nephew’s grandfather’s eldest son, one matter, enraged the entire empire!”
“Objection!”
Richard directly stood said, raising letter: “Clearly the Emperor of the Yanting Empire’s mother’s stepfather’s first wife’s cousin’s marquess husband, her marquess husband’s grandfather’s sister’s cousin’s great-grandson! This important, hope not accuse wrong.”
Emperor of the Yanting Empire proxy hurriedly flipped books with others, long time later said: “Earlier I misspoke.”
For a time, entire court buzzed discussion.
“How does he remember so clearly?”
“Real or fake?”
“This fundamentally no blood relation, still say emperor’s illegitimate son…”
She didn’t care among seven judges, who emperor’s confidant, which class representative, which believer representative.
Didn’t care Richard relying on witnesses finally smoothly resolved “Larrifa” manor accusation.
Grateful tearful assassins directly confessed Thousand-Crow Eye’s crimes.
They no attachments, not fear death, played huge role in court.
But this just appetizer, real accusation, what truly concerned came.
Emperor of the Yanting Empire’s proxy, with voice echoing entire court said: “Regarding you, taking private punishment executing the great born emperor’s mother’s stepfather’s wife’s cousin’s husband’s nephew’s grandfather’s eldest son, one matter, enraged the entire empire!”
“Objection!”
Richard directly stood said, raising letter: “Clearly the Emperor of the Yanting Empire’s mother’s stepfather’s first wife’s cousin’s marquess husband, her marquess husband’s grandfather’s sister’s cousin’s great-grandson! This important, hope not accuse wrong.”
Emperor of the Yanting Empire proxy hurriedly flipped books with others, long time later said: “Earlier I misspoke.”
For a time, entire court buzzed discussion.
“How does he remember so clearly?”
“Real or fake?”
“This fundamentally no blood relation, still say emperor’s illegitimate son…”