Lord: I can see loyalty.

Three days later, outside the north gate of Portol.

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, two northern ponies had already packed their bags.

Vio sat upright on his horse, a magic-feathered sword and shield hanging at his waist, his gaze calmly fixed on the north.

Behind him, Alec stood on his horse, his greatsword slung across his back, his platinum armor gleaming warmly in the morning light.

Alec was dressed in dark blue casual clothes and did not wear any family crest, but his calm demeanor made it clear at a glance that he was no ordinary person.

"Your Excellency, are you really only bringing one person?" Jimmy stood at the city gate, his face full of worry.

"Too many people will only attract attention and make things harder to handle if problems arise." Vio didn't turn around. "Alec will represent the West, and I'll represent the South. Two people are enough."

Jimmy opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but Gina stopped him.

She looked at Vio in silence, a complex emotion flashing in her calm eyes, but in the end she said nothing.

Cohen stood a short distance away, holding a newly compiled intelligence report in his hand, his brow furrowed.

"Cohen." Vio turned his head.

"exist."

"The Brotherhood will continue to keep an eye on the North. Report any unusual activity to me immediately."

"Yes, ma'am."

Vio took a deep breath, gently nudged the horse's belly, and the ponies began to stride forward, their hooves making a crisp sound on the stone pavement.

Alec followed closely behind, the two horses one in front of the other, passing through the mist and heading north toward the Black Forest.

Behind me, the outline of Bordeaux gradually blurred and finally disappeared into the hazy horizon.

"My lord," Alec rode closer, "what do you think Cedric will do?"

Vio remained silent for a moment.

"He'll probably test me first to see what my attitude is and whether the Southern and Western Borders are a united front. If he thinks I'm easy to bully, he might attack me on the spot. If he thinks I'm not someone to mess with, he'll let me go back and then we can discuss things further."

"So, how do you plan to deal with this?"

"Say what you should say, don't say what you shouldn't say, drink what you should drink, and don't touch what you shouldn't touch." Vio's lips curled up slightly. "It's just a banquet, it's not like we haven't eaten there before."

Alec looked at him, a hint of a smile flashing in his gray eyes. "Your Excellency, you certainly have a good outlook."

"What can I do if I can't think straight?" Vio gazed at the northern horizon. "What's meant to happen will happen."

The two horses rode side by side, their hooves echoing across the northern plains before gradually fading into the distance.

…………

The North, the capital city, the Emerald Palace.

The council chamber was brightly lit, and the long table was covered with a deep red tablecloth, on which were set silver cutlery and candlesticks.

The servants moved about busily arranging the banquet venue.

The portraits of past kings on the wall have been removed and replaced with the banner of the Golden Griffin family, with gold patterns on a black background and griffins baring their fangs and claws as if they were about to pounce off the cloth.

Cedric Villar sat in the main seat, holding a glass of strong liquor, a specialty of the North, his gaze fixed on the gray sky outside the window.

He was clad in black and gold armor, with the griffin sword hanging at his waist, the gem on the hilt gleaming a dark red light in the candlelight.

His face was cold and stern, with an innate arrogance between his brows, and his deep blue eyes revealed no emotion.

"His Majesty."

A great mage dressed in black robes emerged from the shadows. It was Leonard Crove, the former court mage of the royal capital and now the chief mage of the Griffin family.

He bowed slightly, his voice low, "The banquet is ready, the guest list has been confirmed, and all the major families in the Northern Territory will send representatives to attend."

"Where is the Earl of the South?" Cedric asked without turning around.

"He has already set off, and he has only taken one person with him, Alec Stone, the Great Knight of the West."

"Only one person?" Cedric's brow furrowed slightly. "He's certainly confident."

"Your Majesty, shall we...?" Leonard didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Cedric paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"No rush. Let's see what his attitude is first. If he knows what's good for him and obediently acknowledges my throne and hands over military power in the south and west, I can spare his life. If he doesn't..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but a hint of coldness flashed in his deep blue eyes.

Just then, the hall door was pushed open.

Author Tian Ciliu presents "Lord: I Can See Loyalty" on Cola Novels.

A burly figure strode in; it was none other than Sand Knight Christ Ross.

He wore dark gray knight's armor, with a longsword hanging at his waist. His handsome face was expressionless, but his gray eyes were filled with suppressed rage.

"Cedric." He didn't use "Your Majesty," but addressed him by his first name.

Cedric frowned slightly, but didn't react. "Sand Knight, what is it?"

"What is it?" Christ walked up to him, looking down at him. "When are you going to fulfill your promise to the White Horse family?"

"You mean...?"

"Daphne," Christ's voice was as cold as ice, "my fiancée disappeared before the wedding. You promised me you'd marry her. Where is she now?"

The Sand Knight Christ didn't care about his so-called fiancée, but he cared a lot about his reputation. As a great knight, his fiancée had been stolen away the day before.

The atmosphere in the hall froze instantly.

Leonard stepped aside, head bowed, not daring to utter a sound. Several servants also stopped what they were doing, not daring to breathe.

Cedric put down his glass, stood up, and met Christ's gaze. "I'm also investigating this matter. Daphne's disappearance is very likely related to the Earl of the South."

"Vio?" Christ frowned, but not with anger; instead, he smiled slightly.

“That’s right. According to my men, Daphne left the White Horse family around the same time Vio Ross was there.” Cedric’s voice was calm. “Although there’s no direct evidence, the timing is too coincidental.”

Christ remained silent.

His fingers tapped lightly on the hilt of his sword, producing a monotonous sound. After a long while, he spoke, his voice hoarse: "What do you want me to do?"

"You don't need to do anything." Cedric patted him on the shoulder. "Just wait for the Earl of the South to arrive..."

Christ looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her gray eyes.

Then he nodded, turned and strode out of the hall, his boots making a dull thud on the stone slabs as he walked away.

Silence returned to the hall. Cedric sat back in his chair, picked up his glass, and took another sip.

Leonard stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Sand Knights over here..."

"Don't worry," Cedric waved his hand. "He's a smart man, he knows what to do, and besides, I've heard he has a lot to do with Vio..."

"What about the Hakuba family?"

Cedric's gaze fell on the other end of the long table.

There, the representative of the White Horse family sat in a corner, looking embarrassed and hesitant to speak.

They came to attend the banquet, but they never expected to be caught up in this turmoil.

The head of the family, Edmund, did not come in person; instead, he sent his eldest son, Marcus Whitehorse—Jimmy's brother. He sat there with his hands crossed on his knees, head bowed, his expression unreadable.

"The White Horse family," Cedric said softly.

Marcus looked up, forcing a smile. "Your Majesty."

"Your family lost Daphne. How are you going to settle this?"

Marcus's smile froze.

He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. Daphne was lost at the White Horse's house, that was a fact. Regardless of whether it was their fault or not, they were going to take the blame.

"Your Majesty, we are still investigating this matter..." Marcus's voice was somewhat hoarse, "We will definitely give Your Majesty an explanation."

"Explain?" Cedric sneered. "I can't wait that long. The Earl of the South is coming soon, and then I'll make sure you explain yourself to his face."

Marcus's face turned pale.

He knew what Cedric meant—he wanted him to publicly accuse Vio Rose of abducting Daphne.

Regardless of the truth, once this charge is confirmed, there will be no room for maneuver between the Southern Territory and the White Horse family.

"Your Majesty, I..."

"What, you're not willing?" Cedric's gaze was like a knife.

Marcus lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking slowly: "...Of course we are willing."

Cedric's lips curled up slightly.

"That's good."

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the gray sky outside. There, the Earl of the Southern Border was on his way to the capital.

"Vio Ross," he said softly, "I'd like to see how many surprises you can give me."