After sorting out her thoughts, Vahina understood her situation. In the past week, the change in the time of sunset proved that they were heading north. There were a few times when she heard the sound of waves. There were a few mountain paths between Metz and the Evergreen Corridor that were close to the sea. This proved that the convoy was also heading west at the same time. It was very likely that the convoy was passing through a few provinces along the sublime inland sea in the west of Flower Leaf Territory, heading to the port there and taking a ship to the imperial capital.
Days passed by. Living in the dark was enough to drive a normal person crazy, not to mention the great fear buried in her heart. Most of the time, she bent her legs and buried her head in her knees. She hugged herself with both hands and curled up in the corner of the prison carriage as if this could make her feel a little safer. A day ago, the convoy stopped briefly at a small town on the platform east of Fathan Port in Naka. During the stop, she figured out where she was. The information revealed by the guards indicated that the convoy was heading to the west end of the Evergreen Corridor, which was also the starting point of East Metz — Fathan.
Earlier that day, she clearly heard the sound of waves crashing against the cliff. She had walked through this mountain path more than once, but at that time, she came here as the daughter of a duke. Vahina leaned weakly against the cold iron wall. Strands of blonde hair hung down on her pale cheeks. She lowered her eyelids weakly, her thick eyelashes trembling slightly. The sound of seagulls could be heard outside the prison carriage. Strangely, the road was a little deserted. There was no sound of caravans passing by. In theory, this should be an important land and sea hub in East Metz. There was an endless stream of caravans on weekdays. Or perhaps Rodney did not plan to go to Fathan Port, but they had built a secret anchorage nearby.
The girl suddenly felt a chill down her spine. These people were actually so cautious.
However, that was not the case. The sun had just dispersed the fog between the straits, but the cliffs near the sea were still shrouded in a thin layer of water vapor. There was a pass in the middle of the misty water vapor. Rodney quickly stopped the convoy and looked up at the soldiers with anchor-shaped emblems on their battle robes on the city wall. The pass built by the mountains and the sea was the outermost line of defense of Fathom Port. Usually, the gate was rarely closed, but today, it was tightly shut.
"It seems that the war started by His Majesty has already affected this place." News of the civil war had not yet reached these parts east of Metz, Rodney thought, but as the Queen's emissary he had first-hand information. He raised his head and shouted, "Open the door!"
"Who are you people?" The soldier on top of the city gate tower poked his head out to ask.
"We are from the White Legion. Our commander has urgent military matters to attend to at Fathom Port. I've already sent someone to inform you earlier. Didn't you see it?" The Knight beside Rodney asked in annoyance.
There was a commotion among the soldiers on the city gate tower, as if they were sizing them up to confirm their identities. This scene made Rodney even more certain of his thoughts. Usually, these people were not so loyal to their duties. The so-called inspection was mostly to deal with the situation or to take advantage of the situation to gain some benefits. After a while, the people on the city gate tower seemed to have confirmed the identities of Rodney and his entourage. After all, Rodney's retinue was a real White Legion Knight. They were riding on tall mountain land dragons. The land dragons were also wearing special armor with silver scales on their bodies. On the saddle hung a war flag with the White Dragon emblem. Their spears shone brightly, and they looked dignified. At a glance, one could tell that they were not fake goods.
Soon, the city gate creaked as it rose.
In the darkness, Vahina felt the cage shake slightly, and the convoy began to move forward again. She was still unaware of the battle that was happening in the east. She was slightly puzzled. Didn't these people bring her to the secret port? Why would there be a pass and a city gate? Even Fathom Port did not have such strict security.
Brando, Eugenie, the Roman and The Shire were on the lookout tower, watching the convoy cross the drawbridge and pass through the city gate. Brando pointed at the Knight at the front and introduced him to the other three. "That man is Rodney, Veronica's younger brother. He is the youngest son of Duke Arizik. However, this man is not very capable. At most, he is a jester. After Lady Veronica was put under house arrest by the Silver Queen, this man drew a line with his family and won the Queen's favor. Now, he is the Queen's secret envoy."
"The Arizik Family is full of heroes. I didn't expect them to produce such trash." The Duke's daughter wrinkled her nose in disdain.
"You can't say that. This guy's ability to judge the situation and place righteousness before family is evident. He's just making the best use of everything," The Shire replied with a smile. "My Lord, you seem to be very familiar with this man?"
Brando did not comment on this question. In fact, as a player of Erouine, he was quite familiar with the well-known figures of the 'enemy.' However, this was not the only reason why he was familiar with this man. In history, Rodney was just like what The Shire said. He was famous for being good at taking advantage of the situation. His reputation made him like a fish in water in the upper circle of the Empire's nobles. At that time, people called him the twin pillars of the Arizik Family. He and his sister Veronica were regarded as the pillars of the Arizik Family. But no one knew that this man was a complete coward. In the war of the year 41, Madara's army besieged White Eagle Fort (located in present-day Ludwig). He surrendered without a fight and sacrificed himself to the enemy, causing the White Legion to be almost wiped out. This was a famous scandal in the history of the Empire. Because of this incident, the prestige of the Arizik Family plummeted. Even Veronica was implicated by him and was removed from the position of Legion Commander.
Therefore, it was difficult for players from the future to not be familiar with this famous traitor's deeds.
However, this weak and incompetent man was a perfect example of a useless teammate. But if he was an enemy, he was really lucky. Fortunately, this guy's reputation was not well-known now. Perhaps even the Silver Queen did not know what kind of person her new secret envoy was. The enemy's misfortune was his own great fortune. Brando thought that The Shire was right about one thing. If used properly, this man in front of him would not only be a big fish, but also a fat one.
"He looks quite decent. He's just a little bit worse than my Brando." The Merchant Lady's perspective was different from ordinary people. She squinted for a while before coming to this conclusion. "Cough, cough, cough!" Brando was almost choked to death by these words. What did she mean by 'look decent'? The Arixiko family had excellent genes. His sister Veronica was a famous beauty in the Imperial Capital when she was young. Rodney himself had perfectly inherited this bloodline and was one of the most famous gigolos in the Imperial Capital. He was also an expert at picking up girls. It was said that he had an ambiguous relationship with many of the famous ladies in the Imperial Capital. In terms of appearance, Brando knew that he would never be able to catch up with Rodney. Perhaps only the Roman people would be able to shamelessly boast like this.
He looked at the two people beside him in annoyance. As expected, he saw the Duke's daughter looking at him with a strange expression. The unscrupulous wizard servant was also having a hard time holding back his laughter.
"Laugh if you want. Be careful not to get internal injuries from holding it in," Brando said calmly.
"That won't be necessary. Hehehe, My Lord," The Shire laughed and said, "There are still people below. It won't be good if we attract their attention."
Eugenie had a strict upbringing and quickly restrained her emotions. She clenched her fist and coughed softly, "I heard that Her Majesty sent him to spy on the White Legion. Why would he suddenly appear here? Who's inside the cage?"
"You hit the nail on the head," The Shire smiled and said, "There's a mermaid inside."
"Mermaid?" The Duke's daughter frowned.
"That's just a metaphor. The little beauty in the cage is actually the Lord's old lover — Wah!" The Shire screamed and dodged Brando's sword. "My Lord, you actually attacked. Those people are still below …"
"Shut up." Brando coldly replied.
In fact, he had already guessed who was inside the cage the moment he saw Rodney. Vahina had written a letter to him, and it clearly expressed her intentions. In fact, Brando had already expected that she would be in trouble, but the young lady had underestimated the problem. The fact that the Silver Queen had placed Veronica under house arrest and chose to support Rodney as the next head of the Arihico Family was enough to explain many things. Rodney would never help Vahina out of respect for his sister, not to mention that he was a despicable person from head to toe.
Unfortunately, it was too late for him to reply to Vahina. He did not expect that Rodney would fall into his trap after capturing Vahina. In fact, Brando had also wronged Vahina. The Silver Queen had sealed off information from the East and North much more strictly than the South. That was why Vahina did not receive any first-hand information, just like how she did not know about the conflict of interests between the Arihico Family and the Silver Queen.
Brendel watched silently as the carriage passed through the pass and entered the port. His heart was secretly filled with a trace of anger that was difficult to detect.
No matter what, Rodney's actions had crossed his bottom line.
… …
The carriage finally boarded the ship. Rodney breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the bustling scene in front of him. In fact, he was well aware of his status. In terms of ability, he could not compare to his sister. In terms of popularity, he was no match for the military nobles in the North. However, he was sufficiently loyal to His Majesty, and he had no qualms about placing himself in the position of a sycophant. Since he had already established his position, he had to help His Majesty with some things under the table. Not only did he have to do it, he had to do it well and not leave any traces behind. Just like what he did this time. Of course, he knew that he would offend a lot of nobles, but it was better for him to be the villain than for His Majesty to be the villain, because His Majesty would remember his contribution.
As for the nobles who were past their prime, he did not care if he offended them. He knew very well what Her Majesty wanted to do. It was a great undertaking that was not inferior to the Four Wise Ones. No, it was far better than what the Four Wise Ones had done. Those decadent and ancient nobles would be burned to ashes in the new flames.
It was the same for the Arihico Family.
Rodney said to himself in his heart. He had no qualms about what he had done. It was a matter of course that he had to give up something in order to gain something.
Thinking of this, he looked back at the prisoner carriage that was about to be transferred to the lower deck. He knew very well the value of the young lady in the cage. Although Her Majesty had taken action in advance and established a new doctrine on the ruins of the Holy Cathedral of Fire, she did not want to overturn the entire Empire. Although the nobles in the North had been proven to be completely unreliable, there were still more nobles who were watching. Her Majesty had once told him how important the nobles in the East of Metz were. If they turned to the new doctrine, Ludwig and the other old fogeys would be in a difficult situation. Not to mention, East Metz was the main route to the Alkash Mountains.
Although he did not quite understand why Her Majesty valued the Alcala region so much, East Metz must be in her hands in order to enter the Alcala region.
Among them, the most important chess piece was the Flowerleaf Territory.
The current head of the Flowerleaf Territory was the Duke of Flowerleaf, Helix. He was a hardliner and was emotionally biased towards Ludwig and the other nobles. When he was young, he had lived in the Arihico Family for a long time and had a deep relationship with the previous Duke of Arihico. Therefore, he would definitely not be biased towards Her Majesty. The two sons of the Duke of Flowerleaf were also representatives of the military nobles. The stubborn local faction was even more untrustworthy. Lastly, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Flowerleaf, Vahina, was extremely rebellious and was also the disciple of the Azure Sword Saint. These people were not suitable candidates. Now that the Duke and his two sons were under house arrest, and the young lady was secretly escorted back to the capital. The remaining little princess was known as the 'little angel of the Flowerleaf Territory'. She had been timid and obedient since young. With her father, brother, and sister as hostages, there was no need to worry about her disobedience.
Once the Flowerleaf Territory turned to the Queen, East Metz would basically be half pacified. The remaining nobles who were weaker would most likely not wait and see anymore.
As for the return of the Miirnas —
Rodney was a little disdainful. This world belonged to the Miirnas in the first place, and the Iron People had only stolen the authority. Her Majesty the Queen was doing the right thing, and that was to put the authority back in its rightful place. And she would be crowned as the Dark Dragon as a Cruz citizen. When that time comes, the Empire that ruled the land would reappear, and the people of Cruz would be on equal footing with the Miirnas. It was laughable that some people did not understand.
This was a righteous cause.
Vahina felt cold and hungry.
For the past two days, she felt that the people outside were watching the prison van more closely. In the past few days, she still had time to breathe, but for the past two days, the people outside rarely opened the door of the prison van. Even the number of times they sent food and water had decreased. They would only send food and water once a day in the evening, which made her feel wronged and scared. In fact, Vahina faintly understood that it was because they were almost at their destination. That was how humans were. Whenever something was nearing completion, they would become increasingly nervous and highly focused in order to avoid failing at the last step. It also meant that she was not far from facing her own fate.
This thought made her feel uneasy.
She did not know what she would face. Would she be executed directly in secret, taken as a hostage, or used as a chess piece in a political marriage? She had heard of such things many times in the past, but none of them were the main characters. She only felt that it was a little scary. But today, she felt a great uneasiness gripping her, and she could not breathe. It was as if she saw a path that led to a dark abyss, filled with blood and despair.
Vahina shivered as she snuggled against the cold iron wall. The past kept replaying in her mind. At that time, she was still the high and mighty princess of Floral Hill, deeply loved by her father and His Majesty. No matter where she was, she was the center of everyone around her. Then, she became Veronica's student and went to many places with her teacher. She once breathed in the air of freedom and could no longer live in a cage. She once thought that she was different from the noble ladies who were like canaries. They were weak and could only accept the fate of others, but she, who was like a young eagle, could choose her own future.
Reality proved her naivety. All her fantasies turned into bubbles. She felt as if she had been deceived by hope, and then mercilessly abandoned.
Tears dripped onto the floor like beads of a broken necklace. Vahina cried helplessly.
As she cried, Vahina recalled the days in the Loop of Trade Winds. It was her first adventure away from the Empire, and she once thought that it was the most terrifying experience she had ever encountered in her life. A despicable country bumpkin not only humiliated her, but also taught her a lesson several times. Even His Excellency the Legion Commander could do nothing about him. But compared to what she was experiencing now, it was not even worth mentioning. She even felt a faint warmth when she recalled it now.
"If only I could go back to that time …"
Vahina was quickly shocked by her own thoughts, and soon fell into lamentation over her current predicament.
"Brando … Brando …"
Vahina was a little feverish. Her scalding forehead was pressed against the cold iron wall, and her mind could not help but wander. It was as if these wild thoughts could dispel the worries in her heart. She suddenly remembered that Brando had already arrived in the Empire and was just a stone's throw away from her, but he definitely did not know about her current predicament. Perhaps he still thought that she could help him and save his subordinates. But now, as the daughter of a duke who was once high and mighty, she could not even protect herself. Her future and fate were unknown. Perhaps she would die tomorrow, or perhaps she would drag out an ignoble existence that was worse than death.
'Oh, that girl called Vahina. I once went on an adventure with her when I was young, but it's a pity that I haven't heard anything about her for a long time.' 'Oh, that girl called Vahina. I went on an adventure with her when I was young, but it's a pity that I haven't heard anything about her for a long time.'
Vahina's heart felt like it was being stabbed by a knife when she thought of this, and her eyes turned gloomy.
Brando soon received news that Lodney's flagship had left the port. Just as he expected, Lodney did not even meet Baron Metz in order to keep it a secret. Being so cautious could be considered a skill. This also allowed Lodney to escape. Otherwise, once they entered the castle, Brando would order the net to be pulled back, and Lodney would not be able to escape even if he had wings. Now, he could only use the backup plan, which was to have the fleet stationed at the outer sea stop Lodney's flagship.
It was not that he did not consider detaining Lodney in the port, but he had just taken over the port and had not dispelled the suspicion of the lower and middle officials in the port. It would be unwise to cause trouble at this time. Moreover, Earl Alcon had not decided to completely stand against the Silver Queen. At this critical moment, Brando was afraid of alerting the enemy, so he had no choice but to arrange the battle at sea.
However, he was not afraid that Lodney would be able to escape.
The warship that Rodney prepared was one of the fastest warships in the Empire's navy. Unfortunately, with such a conspicuous warship docked at the port, it was hard for the people of Aouine to not notice it when they took over the port. Marjory immediately reported this conspicuous warship to Ciel. Navy warships rarely acted alone, especially this kind of fast warship. They were usually used to send messages or carry out some special mission. They quickly followed the clues and found out the traces of the messenger that Rodney sent to Fateen Port. In fact, it was through this method that they found out about the information about the convoy.
Therefore, Brando had already arranged for someone to tamper with the ship. The quality of the magic crystal used as the floating warship's power source was changed, and some of the spare sails were removed. Lodney was in a hurry to leave the port, so he did not check it carefully. In fact, he did not think to check it because the warship had been docked at the port. Who would cause trouble for the Imperial Navy? And all of this had already doomed his ending.
Three Buga floating warships with red sails disguised as Imperial patrol ships had left the port early and were waiting for Lodney's flagship in the outer sea.
…
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