Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

Shadow Guard Zi Jin suddenly raised his longsword again, pointing it at the "assassin" before him, and said coldly:

"Then I'm sorry, assassin, this Prince Wayne is someone my Great Yan Princess has taken a fancy to! You'd better abandon your goal!"

As Zi Jin moved, the sense of crisis she felt when she was targeted by Lei Fa quickly spread throughout Kal'tsit's body again.

Kal'tsit was completely bewildered.

I, I, I...

I really don't want to use such vulgar language to describe my current state of mind; impolite words only lower one's own character and bring no possible victory. But at this moment, I, Kal'tsit, have to say it.

"You guys are kidding me?!"

She suddenly turned around and leaped off the cliff beside the mountain road. Thunderclap exploded behind her, and by the last second, she dodged the fatal blow.

At the same moment she turned around, mon3tr, as if on cue, had already taken flight and leaped down the cliff, catching Kal'tsit as she fell.

"Don't even think about leaving!"

Shadow Guard took a step forward and vanished from his spot in an instant. The next second, his figure appeared on the cliff, followed by Kal'tsit riding a Mon3Tr and leaping into the jungle.

On the other side, Shadow Guard, seeing his attack miss, immediately chanted the Thunder Incantation, preparing for his next attack. However, before he could aim at Kal'tsit, who was darting through the forest, he caught a glimpse of trees collapsing in the distance, accompanied by a thunderous roar that seemed to come from a storm.

"Firearms?"

He frowned, muttered to himself, and slowly adjusted his direction, aiming his lightning spell at the source of the sound.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Pay attention, this is how lightning magic is used!

"We'll go straight through the dense forest and onto the mountain path! You lead the way!"

The papal guard, holding Mostima in one hand, gave orders to his colleagues behind him with the other. Now that the commander was in his hands (referring to Mostima), he was the commander.

The rest of the musketeers tacitly accepted this conclusion, and most of them continued to follow behind the guards carrying Mostima. One person from the group, carrying a huge box that supposedly contained a cello, sped up and ran to the front of the group.

He opened the box, picked up the gleaming, pale silver revolver inside, stood with his left foot forward and right foot back, leaning slightly backward to steady himself. After making all the necessary preparations, he pulled the bolt, released the safety, and injected Originium Arts into the revolver.

The gun is a uniquely designed medium- to long-range weapon. According to legend, it was first discovered by the Laterans in the ruins beneath the holy city of Lateran, and thus became one of the symbols of the Lateran civilization.

Contrary to Wayne's traditional impressions, the Lateran-modified guns weren't particularly powerful. In fact, due to their rapid-fire nature, they couldn't be effectively used with Originium Arts, their power even slightly lower than enchanted arrows. They relied primarily on rapid fire and suppressive fire to defeat enemies. However, because they suited the Lateran people's habits better than melee weapons, they gradually became the preferred weapon for most Lateran, and almost every Lateran possessed at least one Guardian Gun.

The difference between the Pope's musketeers and ordinary Lateran soldiers lies in this. The revolvers they wield are not "Terra-specific firearms" mass-produced on the Lateran weapons factory assembly line, but are actually modified from "relics" excavated from ruins. Their technology far surpasses that of the present-day Terra, and their power is more than ten times that of similar heavy firearms.

However, due to the special nature of the "Holy Relics", the Wheeled Gun Cavalry, although incredibly powerful, was naturally limited in number. At its peak, the number of cavalry was only a hundred, and that was after the entire underground ruins had been emptied. Now, due to the natural wear and tear of the Holy Relics and the losses in battle, this number has been reduced to less than seventy.

These seventy people are among Laterano's most elite fighting force. The fact that five of them, a full twelve, have been sent to find Wayne truly demonstrates Laterano's determination.

The technology, far surpassing that of Terra at present, combined with mature Originium Arts, successfully triggered the activation mechanism in the revolver. The circular barrel, the size of a forehead, began to slowly rotate, gradually accelerating, becoming faster and faster, more and more powerful. Accompanied by a heavy groan from the guard, the power of Originium Arts reached its peak. The dark barrel spun like a tornado, its afterimage leaving a black circle in the air. Blue light surged from the edges of the circle. The next second, a deafening roar, like thunder, echoed through the dense forest—

"Buzz buzz buzz!—"

"Da da da da da da!—"

Vast stretches of forest collapsed instantly, as if crushed by an invisible hand, turning into fragmented pieces. In just one minute, the land that was once a lush, dense forest had become a plain stretching as far as the eye could see. The guard holding the revolver took a deep breath, exhausted, put down his weapon, and sat down to rest.

This is also the biggest weakness of the revolver cavalry: they cannot fight for extended periods. Compared to the modified firearms of Lateran, these firearms, which originated from the arsenal of the ruins, are more powerful, but they also have significant side effects. Even a strong and well-trained Papal Guard, wearing full shock-absorbing armor, must stop firing and rest for a maximum of three minutes after starting a revolver; otherwise, the powerful recoil will tear the guard's tendons, causing serious injury.

This problem could be well avoided by crossfire and rotating firing, so it was not a problem in a real battlefield situation. However, it was just for clearing the way. The trees in the dense forest were not the floor of the neighboring Ryudo Temple, so there was no need for so many papal musketeers to rotate firing. After completing the clearing mission, the guards were given permission to rest on the spot.

The captain of the guard carrying Mostima bent down slightly, intending to make the shortest sprint between the two points on the mountain road along the straight path cleared ahead, when a dazzling flash of lightning suddenly appeared before his eyes.

"boom!"

At the critical moment, Mostima, who was not wearing protective gear, was thrown out. The Pope's personal guards obviously did not have the keen early warning ability of mon3tr. The lightning struck the guard's heavy armor on his chest with precision. The conductive armor was instantly covered with electric current, and the paralysis instantly took over his brain. The heavily armored guard fell straight down with a thud like a boulder on a landslide.

"Enemy attack!"

As he scrambled to his feet, Mostima cried out hastily. The remaining three papal guards who had been watching immediately spread out, forming a triangular formation around Mostima. They raised their revolvers from their cello cases, positioned themselves at the corners, and aimed at the direction from which the lightning had come.

"Fire!"

Since the other side had launched a surprise attack without warning, Mostima had no reason to ask for an explanation. Moreover, the other side had used lightning-type Originium Arts, which were the most effective counter to the Pope's Gun Riders. They had clearly come prepared! There was no need for Mostima to be polite to them anymore.

The three revolvers quickly warmed up, their muzzles emitting a dazzling blue light. The etched bullets flew upwards along the distant mountainside, almost plowing through the entire rock face before gradually ceasing fire.

The once smooth rock face was now unrecognizable, riddled with bullet holes and rubble. After confirming there were no further lightning strikes, Mostima raised his hand to block the next volley. He ordered one man to stand guard while he led the remaining two to check on the fallen captain of his personal guard.

"The paralysis is a result of lightning-based Originium Arts, and its power is definitely not low."

She muttered to herself, "Ordinary lightning-based Originium Arts can at most slow down the guards slightly. The person who could directly incapacitate a guard like this and launch a sneak attack must be no ordinary person!"

Unicorns? No, it shouldn't be them. There are no renowned lightning masters among the unicorns, and this kind of sneak attack doesn't seem like the kind of trick those stubborn guys who insist on elegance in every fight would use.

Is that Kazdel?

The name flashed through Mostima's mind. It was the most likely option. But Kal'tsit's decisive escape didn't seem like she had reinforcements...

The moment Mostima fell into thought, the bodyguard standing to her right gave a definite answer:

"Envoy Mostima, this is a secret technique of the Yan Kingdom!"

"Yan Kingdom?" Mostima was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Why would they get involved in this?"

The Pope's bodyguard didn't say much, humbly shaking his head: "I don't know."

Mostima sighed helplessly. These people were just like that; they were like a bunch of silent gourds the whole way, only speaking a word when something important happened. This made Mostima, who longed for emotional expression and connection, feel incredibly stifled... um, it hurt.

However, intelligence was still available. The Great Yan's control over thunder magic was no less than Lateran's control over firearms. Moreover, unless one had a certain social class and significant influence, even ordinary nobles in the Great Yan could not practice thunder magic. Furthermore, outsiders could never obtain the method of practicing thunder magic from any closed ancient empire. In other words, the force that launched the surprise attack on them was almost certainly from the Great Yan side. It could be local dignitaries, but it was more likely to be the government!

"Tsk!"

Mostima clicked his tongue in frustration, his mood worsening even further!

Kazdel, Victoria, and now a Great Flame, will Ursus people make a cameo appearance later?

How many more people are going to oppose Laterano? Who else is going to stop her from rescuing Wayne?

She cast her gaze toward the distant cliffs, stared at them for a few seconds, and then made a bold decision.

"The one who's resting, take care of the one who's paralyzed. The rest of you, come with me. We're going up the mountain!"

Rather than being passively thwarted, it's better to take the initiative. The current situation is complex. Even with the loss of two musketeers, Lateran still holds an absolute advantage in both numbers and quality. They can't continue to be attacked without knowing why. To complete the mission and rescue Wayne, they must strike first and bring out and defeat those who are secretly plotting against them!

There was no hiding it anymore. Mostima was determined to defeat everyone who stood in her way and stand before Vayne as the victor in this battle for Vayne. She would proudly take his hand and, with a look of gratitude in his eyes, safely lead him back to Laterano!

Chapter 40 Chen Xiang Invites You to Live Off His Wife

With a look of surprise and uncertainty, Wayne poked his head out of the troop carrier that had come to an abrupt halt and looked toward the mountain road they had come from not far away.

A torrent of spells, accompanied by a rain of bullets, poured down on the mountain road, turning the once smooth road into a completely unrecognizable mess. Who could imagine that just minutes before, their troop transport convoy had been driving smoothly along that same mountain road?

What the hell happened? A natural disaster?

The clear blue sky offered a panoramic view, with no signs of natural disaster clouds spreading blood and violence. The messengers in the convoy also failed to issue any warnings. If it wasn't a natural disaster, then what could possibly erase a winding mountain road from Victoria's map in just a few minutes?

Did he see a ghost?

Wayne gritted his teeth, opened the car door, and wanted to get out to check. The situation was becoming increasingly strange; with his authority, he was qualified to get the truth from the General Staff. He planned to ask Ernest directly. However, just as he jumped out of the car, Chen followed closely behind.

"Where are you going, Bruce?"

"Go ask the proctor in front of you what happened."

Wayne pointed to the ravaged mountain path and said solemnly,

"And whether it is necessary to cancel this exam."

Cancel the exam?

Chen instinctively wanted to shake her head. She had studied so hard, all for the chance to participate in this crucial graduation exam. Now, she had finally become a part of the special recruitment exam, and she had to consider whether this was her only chance in this life. In the future, when she returned to Lungmen, would she still have the opportunity to set foot on Victorian soil and see Bruce again?

But before she could speak, Chen held back her words. She saw the seriousness and worry on Wayne's face.

Wayne rubbed his temples in annoyance. A figure flashed through his mind—if the green-haired security guard, Felin, really was Kal'tsit, then the group of Lateran monks at the main gate of Earl Vincent's mansion must be Mostima, and their purpose in coming here...

"Although it was just a premonition, I always felt that this matter was somehow related to me."

Wayne whispered, and Chen noticed the look of self-reproach on his face.

Although Wayne had no memory of the Lateran Pope's musketeers, the torrent of bullets was hard not to think of a Gatling gun blazing with blue flames. While this massive torrent of lightning might not necessarily have been Kal'tsit's doing, since the Lateran who appeared at the same time had already engaged in combat, there was no reason for Kal'tsit to remain uninvolved and not participate.

A group of people—Latland, Kazdel, and a mysterious force unknown to Wayne—are fighting on the border of Victoria? And this directly threatens Wayne's safety and the interests of the Empire. In any case, Wayne needs to find out what exactly happened.

"I'll go with you."

Chen hesitated for less than half a second before decisively standing beside Wayne. But Wayne shook his head, pointed to the front of the convoy, and instructed:

"No need. Go and inform Ernest immediately... that is, Marshal Ernest Norfolk, who is the chief examiner of this graduation exam. Call him here and tell him that I have something to discuss with him. Also, ask him to bring the box I gave him along with it."

Chen was stunned for a moment, opened her mouth, and was momentarily speechless. She looked Wayne up and down, her usually tense mind going completely blank.

Why would Bruce address Marshal Ernest in such a commanding tone?

Could it be...?

The "friend of my father" he mentioned—was it Marshal Ernest?!

A sudden realization dawned on Chen, and he gradually understood everything. Indeed, as one of the three great families, the Lancaster family, Bruce's father could very well know Ernest, the patriarch of the Norfolk family, which was also one of the three great families, and they might even have had a close personal relationship. In that sense, Bruce, as a descendant of the Lancaster family, could very well know Ernest.

This explains why Bruce, despite being secretly monitored by his marriage partner and exiled by the Queen to such a remote area to take his graduation exam, wasn't worried about anything happening to him—because the examiner for this exam was his powerful backer!

but......

Before he could even feel happy, Chen suddenly felt a wave of sorrow and despair.

If Grand Marshal Ernest were truly Bruce's backer, Chen wouldn't have needed to use this assessment as a go-between; if Grand Marshal Ernest were capable of rescuing Bruce, he would have done so long ago. The fact that Bruce is still struggling to survive amidst widespread hostility demonstrates that even a high-ranking military figure like Ernest himself lacks the power to provide Wayne with a safe, free, and fair environment in Victoria.

Perhaps my participation in this assessment is just a waste of time.

"Chen? Is there a problem?"

Seeing that Chen didn't move, Wayne turned his head and asked with some confusion.

He didn't believe that Inspector Chan would be the kind of person to show cowardice in such a situation, but Chan's actions were indeed puzzling.

She gently took Wayne's arm, her gaze wandering for over ten seconds before finally making up her mind and meeting Wayne's eyes.

"I'll be right there. But, Bruce, can I ask you a very, very, very important question?"

Three "very"s in a row. Wayne frowned and nodded in acknowledgment:

"Go ahead and ask."

Chen took a deep breath and revealed his last resort.