Knight and Wand

Chapter 323 Corvis

The salty sea breeze blows across the bay of Wind's Rest Harbor.

The huge wooden pier extends into the sea, and the sailboats that have been eroded by wind and rain are docked in an orderly manner beside it, revealing the tenacity and simplicity of a life on the waves.

The sailors were busy loading and unloading cargo, and heavy horns sounded one after another.

On both sides of the narrow and winding cobblestone road on the shore are buildings of varying heights. The stone walls of the houses are covered with vines, the roofs are mostly sloping red tiles, and wisps of green smoke emerge from the chimneys from time to time.

Ines leaned against the edge of the cargo box, her calves swinging leisurely.

Looking at the flock of white birds flying over the pier, you can occasionally catch a glimpse of a huge sea eagle flying by in the blue sky.

In the original time and space, Wind's Rest Port had become one of the lands she ruled after conquering it, but at present, this seaport town was still in the hands of Lord Kantadar. The nearby pass, Twin Gorges City, which was easy to defend but difficult to attack, naturally did not sign an autonomous charter to submit to her.

Now I am no longer the Princess of Orlando, nor the monarch of the Sea Eagle Knights, nor the baroness who commands all people. I am just a homeless traveler.

The breeze made her veil flutter gently, and the girl let her mind go, enjoying the salty and cool air that she had become accustomed to in Xiwan County.

No need to think about planning and politics, management and governance, the army and war, let alone the father who can manipulate you at any time.
Although she had almost nothing, Ines felt inexplicably relaxed and comfortable.

Looking at Leon who was walking back from the dock with a frown on his face, Ines retracted her hands, bent over the cargo box with her chin propped up, and asked in fluent Uriah with a smile:
"How's it going? Have you found a ship willing to take us?"

Leon looked up, shook his head at the girl who climbed onto the wooden box and sighed in Uriah: "The captain doesn't allow women to board the ship either."

Leon said this with a helpless look on his face.

It took more than ten days to leave Orland and arrive at the coastal port of Magya in the Kingdom of Kantadar, looking for a ship to the Western Port. However, after looking for five or six ships in a row, not even one captain was willing to take a woman out to sea.

Now, Ines and I are not nobles. Even if we are, this is not our territory, and we cannot use power to forcibly break the sailors' rules.

The money in their pockets was not enough to mobilize the "cash power" and make the captain break his tradition of refusing to give in.

As a result, they have been stuck in Storm's Rest Harbor for three days.

"How about I cut my hair? Dress up as a boy?" Ines twisted her hair.

Leon waved his hand: "It's useless. Not to mention your appearance, even if you shave your head, others can recognize you as a girl. Even if you are not good-looking, you can't hide it. These ship captains are all shrewd. Unless you are born with a strong waist and a big body, even if I really bring a boy on board, they will check it out."

The TV shows and movies he watched in his previous life were really inconsistent with reality. In most cases, Leon felt that even a man dressed as a woman was easier to fool than a woman dressed as a man.

"What should we do? We can only go by land then?" Ines spread her hands.

Leon nodded: "This is the only way. It will take too much time to continue looking."

If there were good horses, traveling this distance by land would not be slower than traveling by sea. After all, Wuzhui was almost killed by running, and Corvis had exhausted several riding horses to death along the way. The miracle of a long-distance run that escaped into the Nightmare Forest for a day and a night was enough to prove the potential of riding animals in this world.

But it's still the old problem.

Unless he could find a way to play the role of a horse thief and steal from the local lord's stable, he could not afford the huge sum of money to buy a noble warhorse of the grade that Dawson was riding. Besides, if he had the time to plan to steal horses from the lord's castle, he might have already arrived at Western Port.

The reason why they searched for a sea ship for three days in a row was, after all, because they had heard from the locals that they might encounter unrest in the central and western regions on the land route to the south.

I heard that a few years ago, a rebellion led by a peasant army leader known as the "Knight of Revenge" broke out in the coastal area bordering the "Magaya Territory" and the "Velozar Territory".

The riots were minor at first and not worth mentioning, but that year Queen Orland launched an invasion to the south, and the Kantadar army was fighting in the north and did not pay attention to the peasant uprising. Unexpectedly, the Norse pirates also got involved in the turmoil and looted the coast. The western nobles of Kantadar faced turmoil on both sea and land at the same time and failed to suppress it in time. Taking advantage of the war between the northern and southern kingdoms, the rebellion gradually spread to the entire "Todaga County" and surrounding areas.

As a result, Kantadar, who was defeated in the war with the Northern Kingdom, still has no spare energy to send troops to deal with the rebellion of the rebels in the western region.

Although it was said that the rebellious areas seemed to have resumed traffic in an independent state since this year, and the merchants who tried to travel there were not harassed by the rebels, Leon did not want to take the risk of passing through the area suspected of war turmoil.

But now it seems that I have to leave even if I don't want to.

After packing their bags, Leon took Ines and left Storm's End Harbor and continued their journey.

Ines was very familiar with the general route of Magya Territory, and Leon had the experience of escaping in the past and was very clear about the fastest route to the south.

The two spent six days traveling through the rumored high-risk Todaga County, and somewhat surprisingly, they did not encounter any of the feared unrest.

The villages, towns and autonomous city-states along the coast occupied by the rebels were not in turmoil, but rather prosperous.

The variety of ships from all directions that Leon saw in the port town of Todaga County was even more numerous than in Wind's Rest Port.

The port of the rebels, which was occupied by the Flores, the Norsians, the Orlanders, and even the Seralil who were in transit, was even more prosperous than Storm's Rest.

"This is definitely not a simple peasant rebellion."

Ines lay on the pile of hay in the back of the truck, her chin resting on her arm, looking at the outline of the town gradually moving away, and made a solemn promise.

"What do you mean?" Leon asked while whipping the carriage and looking back at the little princess behind him.

The horseback trip turned into a carriage trip a few days ago.

After more than a month of long-term bumpy ride in the saddle, Ines's little butt finally couldn't take it anymore.

Not long ago, he saw that the girl's endurance of hip discomfort was becoming more and more obvious, so he quickly bought a subframe and tied it to the two horses, so that the delicate and tender Ines could be freed from the saddle.

"The towns ruled by the rebels were well-ordered and had strict laws. How could they be governed by illiterate peasants who counted with their fingers?
There are still ships coming and going. This port has clearly just experienced war and turmoil. How could it be possible to resume trade so quickly? Don’t those shrewd merchants consider the risks?
Moreover, the ships that used this port as a transit point did not seem to be heading to various places along the coast of Kantadar at all.

Also, did you notice that when we were shopping, I heard the supervisor in the market speak Uriah with an accent not as authentic as yours~" Ines swung a piece of hay gently.

Leon understood what she meant: "You mean, the rebellion here might have been planned by Orland?"

"Maybe. Maybe the Golden Lion Queen wants to cause some trouble for the Kantardars. Or maybe the big merchants on the sea want to find a completely tax-free port. They used to complain about the increasingly harsh taxes in the Western Port. Or maybe it's both."

Ines dropped the hay in her hand, propped herself up and sat up, leaning against the baffle behind her, her head tilted back and her hair falling down her cheeks.

"If we really can't go back, why don't we come here and join the rebels' 'Knight of Vengeance'?
Tudaga County is far away from Orland, I am safe here. It will be difficult for Miss Olivia in this life to see me. With your ability, it will not be difficult to make a career in the west of Kantadar in the future."

Ines smiled and looked up at the other person's profile.

Hearing that the girl approached him and began to plan for the future, Leon couldn't help but tighten the reins of the carriage and said hesitantly: "It can indeed be used as a way out in the future, but Your Highness, I always believe that we can definitely go back."

Ines murmured softly after hearing this: "Really? But after so much time, I'm not as confident as you."

As she spoke, the girl lazily turned over and clung to the frame of the car, looking sideways and asking, "What if, in the end, I can never go back, then I will no longer be a princess, but just a lonely little girl. Will you still protect me like this in the future?"

Leon did not hesitate. He looked ahead, whipped the horse whip and urged the horse to go. He nodded and said, "I have said it before. We are friends. It has nothing to do with your identity. I am happy to protect my friends from harm."

"Then~what if Miss Olivia here wants to kill me?" Ines asked with interest, supporting her cheek.

Leon frowned: “No, even if it’s Olivia in this world, I still believe that with her nature, I have a chance to convince her not to hurt you.

Besides, she has killed His Majesty Ledwin of this world and taken back the throne. What threat can you pose to her now? But just in case, you'd better not appear in front of her. In the worst case scenario,

He pinched his chin and thought for a while, then continued, "In the worst case scenario, if you really can't go back for the time being, then I might as well send you to the Kingdom of Dieneshien to hide."

"Go to the Holy Kingdom?" Ines was stunned.

"Well, do you remember those Ilaril knights? Those followers of the Holy Lake have noble character. I want to entrust you to the monastery of the Holy Lake sect. You should be able to have a very good life there. In this way, I will study the magic in Orland alone until one day I find a way to return. Then I will go to the Holy Lake to find you."

Ines suddenly became angry, and her cheeks puffed up slightly.

"I don't~!"

"?" Leon turned his head in surprise and looked at the girl who suddenly raised her voice.

You shouldn't be so resistant, right? Didn't Ines witness the character of the Holy Lake Knights?
Seeing the confused look in Leon's eyes, Ines frowned and suddenly seemed discouraged.

The girl lay back on the frame and sighed, "You, don't underestimate me, okay? I won't hold you back. Although I'm not as capable of charging into battle as Miss Olivia, I'm confident that I can help you, whether it's governing a government or commanding a military."

Ines raised her finger and shook it, suggesting: "Look, now that Sir Azerien has become King of Serrian, he can no longer be your deputy. How about waiting for you to become powerful and letting me be your chief administrative officer? I can't even be a knight, and my salary is very low~" Leon couldn't help laughing as he watched the girl seriously apply for the position of his adjutant. It was not that he didn't trust Ines's ability.

But in the original time and space, as she was the great lord of Orland and a female warlord who ruled over hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians, this would have been absolutely impossible. Now it seems a bit absurd.

"Thank you very much. It is an honor to have Your Highness come to help me govern the country." Leon could only smile.

After three days in Velozar, Leon came to the prosperous western port ruled by the Falcon family for the second time. He easily found the Sailors' Inn, which was full of mixed people, and stayed there.

On the day of arrival, he brought Ines to the dock to confirm something of vital importance.

"Is that the ship of the Atias people? Although I have heard about the Flores caravan in Xiwan County before, this one is too big."

Ines looked curiously at the huge black-sailed ship anchored in the western harbor.

Leon stared at the golden single eye flying on the black flag in silence. The anger that he thought had subsided suddenly rose in his heart.

It was these bastards from the Mage Empire who had been causing trouble in the Western Continent time and time again. If it weren't for them, he wouldn't have had to experience another inexplicable parallel time travel and be forced to be separated from his wife and friends for two lifetimes.

It seems that even in a parallel universe, these people are still haunting us.
"Let's go." Leon suppressed his anger, turned around and took Ines away.

It has been confirmed that the Atiyas people have also come to the Western Continent. Next, it will depend on whether the Corvis of this world has been brought here by Pirieno.

After learning that foreign men in black did enter and leave the Falcon family's fortress, Leon asked Ines to stay in the hotel that night and went to the outskirts of the city alone under the cover of darkness.

We passed by the sparsely populated coastal cliffs and mudflats and reached the foot of the steep cliffs of Fercon Castle by the sea in the moonlight.

Chant the mantra, draw the seal, and lightly tap the center of the eyebrows.

In Leon's vision, everything shrouded in the dark night slowly became clear.

Looking up, he saw a suspended plank road only one person wide attached to the rock wall of the castle, with the rotten hemp rope hanging down still swaying in the wind.

The castle back road that had helped him and his men evacuate after rescuing Ms. Elena was still there, but it looked even more dilapidated due to wind erosion.

I don’t know whether the mysterious Goliad in this world has ever come. Did Miss Margarina succeed in eloping with Larian? What happened to Ms. Elena and others?

Leon temporarily suppressed all the thoughts that emerged in his mind, stepped back a few steps, took a running start, stepped on the cliff, and suddenly rose into the air.

Flipping over using the cat spin technique and maintaining the angle of flight, Leon used his left hand to grab the outer wall of the city wall to cushion the force. He bent his knees and placed his feet firmly on the plank road. The wooden planks under his feet made a frightening creaking sound.

However, Leon, who is now accustomed to flying high in the sky on a griffin, is no longer frightened by such a small height.

If it was put up before, it would be difficult to go down the platform by yourself without the help of corvettes or ropes, and it would be impossible to get up without a high ladder.

But now that he possessed the physical fitness of a Knight of the Order of Arms, he finally understood why the escape route was placed so high when the castle was first built.

For a knight with good martial arts skills, this height is just right.

He moved forward with light steps, holding on to the wind-eroded walls and climbing up the plank roads one by one.

When Leon reached the place where Goliad had led him to discover the back road of the castle, he paused and suddenly looked at the corner of the plank road.
He did not see the hole that pierced the thick city wall.

Did Falcon discover the hole behind the bushes and repair it?
still is
Was it Goliath himself who made the hole back then?
Frowning slightly, Leon withdrew his gaze and continued to walk in the direction of the former Atias Embassy.

Facing the cold wind in the middle of the night, he came to the position where he once played the role of "Master Assassin" and looked around.

Leon was slightly startled by the state of the exterior wall that was inconsistent with his memory.

The erosion between the huge stones and bricks of the city wall that he had once been able to climb with his hands was not as serious as in the original time and space.

Not to mention the grooves that people could climb on, the most serious ones only have a slight concave arc between the stone bricks.

Is it the difference in time and space?

Or was it that the gap that looked like it was dug horizontally was specially prepared for him?

Who are you, Goliath?

Shaking his head and putting aside his doubts about the mysterious poet, Leon raised his hand.
It doesn’t matter, he has plenty of ways to climb up anyway.

A blue arc of electricity leaped across his right arm, and Gungnir instantly appeared in his palm.

He used the momentum of the wall to leap backwards, his body fearlessly hovering in the air above the high sea cliff, creating a wider angle for his shot.

Activate Molten Blade and hurl it.

The lightning spear broke through the air and with a bang, penetrated into the solid wall above.

With a flash of Flying Thunder God technique, Leon was pulled into the air with crackling thunder all over his body. He grasped the staff and swung his legs lightly, then turned over and stepped on the long pole.

He eliminated the leaping atmospheric elements in his body, let his hair slowly fall, and looked up at the battlements that were so close.

It's just one leap away.

Just as he was about to jump up, Leon hesitated and stopped.

Corvis once said that someone had silently destroyed the security techniques in the embassy, ​​which allowed him and others to escape safely.

Then it was most likely Galliard who did it, but what if he is not here now?

Leon stretched out his hand and pressed it against the wall, closing his eyes and concentrating. He allowed his magical sense to penetrate the thick wall and carefully explored it.

As expected, at about one-third of the inner side, the flow of magic power caused by the complex structure of the spell was sensed.

Leon quickly withdrew his magic power, opened his eyes, and began to think hard.

How to do this?
The large-scale warning technique was extremely complicated, and there was no way he could crack it silently without triggering the alarm.

Goliath might have the ability, but I really can't do it now.

Leon was slightly shocked and considered whether he should retreat for the night and find another solution.

Wait, he remembered Goliath said that there was a hidden door in the castle for escape.

Maybe I can use my object manipulation skills to unlock the lock and sneak into the castle?

As Leon was thinking, he suddenly felt a chill on his back, his hair stood up, and a dangerous breath came from above his head.

——Someone!? I was discovered?!

He kicked the end of Gungnir, and with a crack, the outer wall shattered, and the magic spear spun out of the wall, and Leon grabbed it.

He let his body fall freely, his feet brushing against the castle's outer wall as he fell back onto the plank road below, instantly putting some distance between himself and the castle. He held Gungnir upside down and looked up.

His eyes widened, Leon's pupils shrank slightly.

Under the moonlight.

The black robe with golden patterns on it fluttered in the sea breeze.
The dazzling blonde hair and cold golden pupils emitted a hazy glow.

A thin figure holding a falcon wand, with an indifferent look on his handsome face.

"Where did you come from, my friend? Why did you come uninvited and trespass into the forbidden area? If you don't have an answer that satisfies me, I'm afraid you will have to stay and have a good chat with me tonight."

“Corvis!?——You!”

(End of this chapter)