Masked Knight

It must be said that Crown Prince Aven was well brought up with royal noble manners. His every word and action was befitting of a noble. He had a refined and courteous appearance. He no longer looked like the murderous person, who drew his sword, ready to kill, in the palace today.

The peace negotiations involved almost all the kingdoms of the Roland Continent. Except for a few with intimate dealings with the Temple, almost all the kingdoms sent a diplomatic envoy to the Sauron Kingdom. The Sauron Kingdom was undoubtedly heading the peace negotiations. Although the negotiations had concluded, those people could not help but felt curious about Earl Rody, the Special Envoy of the Radiant Empire. Their conversations were rich with friendly overtones...

Seth was relentlessly pursued by the Crown Prince and could not get away from him. On the other hand, Rody had no choice but to concentrate and deal with the other diplomatic envoys of the various kingdoms of the Roland Continent.

Fortunately, Rody also had a lot of experience in dealing with this kind of occasions. From time to time, he would secretly observe the words and actions of that Crown Prince Aven.

That night, the Crown Prince Aven had an aloof appearance and did not mention anything about that day’s peace negotiation. He casually talked to Seth about the Radiant Empire’s sights and stories. Rody secretly frowned. He could not guess why the Crown Prince’s attitude had changed so much.

While he was deep in his thoughts, he heard someone on the outside announce, "The Senior Prime Minister has arrived!"

Rody’s eyes brightened. ’The Senior Prime Minister?’

That day, the Senior Prime Minister’s attitude in the palace was extremely ambiguous. Common sense dictated that the Senior Prime Minister should help the King to arrange the peace negotiations. However, his fierce and uncompromising attitude made him suspicious.

Besides that, after leaving the palace, everybody also suspected that the Senior Prime Minister was the one who had leaked his whereabouts in the Roland Continent. All the assassination attempts might also be related to him.

The aged Senior Prime Minister had his usual expression when he entered. The man who held a high post in the Sauron Kingdom for decades looked as if he did not take offense with what happened at the palace. He gently and politely greeted everyone and then walked towards Rody.

"Earl Rody, have you gotten accustomed to this place?" The old Senior Prime Minister smiled warmly. His smile actually did not have any trace of pretense. He looked extremely sincere and genuine. Rody sighed to himself. It’s another Marquis Garoline!

Rody smiled and nodded. "His Highness is very hospitable. I am very happy to be here tonight." He paused for a moment and observed the old man’s face. He did not see anything abnormal and then continued, "I did not expect to meet you here, Senior Prime Minister. Looks like you and His Highness are quite close to each other."

The Senior Prime Minister sighed and said, "I am His Majesty’s trusted confidante and have also served as a teacher of the Crown Prince." As if he was not very willing to speak on this topic, he then asked, "If you need anything at the Summer Palace, as our guest, please don’t hesitate to tell me directly."

Rody nodded. He hesitated for a moment and suddenly thought of an idea. He was resolved to speak straight to the point. He could not help provoking him. "Everything is fine. His Majesty has dispatched soldiers to protect us. At the very least, we would not feel apprehensive here."

The Senior Prime Minister’s expression did not change. He lightly replied, "It was just a small storm. Your Excellency the Earl has extraordinary strength. That was not worthy of your attention." He squinted his eyes and watched Rody as he laughed like an old fox. "I heard that Your Excellency the Earl killed three Dragon Paladins single-handedly. With that kind of strength, how could a few overconfident assassins hurt you?"

Rody immediately shook his head, smiled and replied, "I am afraid you only heard those exaggerated rumors. Those Paladins were dealt with by the Black Veil Saint and His Excellency Augustine. I would not have arrived here safely if it were not for them. Please do not say that again. I would feel very ashamed."

The Senior Prime Minister pondered. He looked carefully at Rody and noticed that Rody looked normal. Although the Senior Prime Minister had some doubts, he still believed him.

After all, for a person to defeat three Paladins on his own would only be possible for mythical people in the legends. The old Senior Prime Minister did not believe what was reported.

They continued to lightly inquire about each other. The Senior Prime Minister suddenly sighed. He deliberately looked at the Crown Prince, who was eagerly talking to Seth. He said softly, "Today at the palace, I saw His Highness rush into the hall the moment I left...This...Did this alarm Your Excellency?"

Rody smiled, "The Crown Prince is youthful and loyal to his country. I actually admire him very much."

The Senior Prime Minister sighed, "Youngsters are always impatient. I hope he will not cause any more trouble. Today, His Majesty the King retained him in the palace and reprimanded him the whole afternoon."

While listening to the Senior Prime Minister, Rody looked at Seth, who was about to go crazy, with a smile. The Senior Prime Minister then looked towards where Rody was looking and muttered, "Earl Rody, honestly speaking. I heard that His Highness had invited you here. I was afraid that he might cause trouble, so I came to see. I did not expect to see him and Miss Nicole get along happily. Looks like...His Majesty’s reprimand today was effective."

Hearing that Rody immediately thought to himself. What was he implying?

Is he trying to imply that His Majesty the King incited Prince Aven to deliberately approach ’Nicole’?

Hmmp, this seems to be logical. After all, making connections with the Tulip Family will also be beneficial in facing the Temple, who is currently an enemy of the Sauron Kingdom.

Everyone knows the power of the Tulip Family in the Radiant Empire. To create a connection with the Tulip Family was to obtain powerful assistance from the South.

Rody narrowed his eyes as he thought of that. He was not able to read Senior Prime Minister’s intention.

’Whose side is this old guy with?’

’Is he with the Temple? Does not seem like it! After all, he is the Senior Prime Minister of the Sauron Kingdom. He also participated in the peace negotiations. However, he doesn’t seem totally loyal to the King...’

When Crown Prince Aven saw Rody and the Senior Prime Minister talking to each other, he and Seth immediately walked over. Seth appeared to look relieved and was sweating on his forehead. He glared fiercely at Rody, then stood next to him.

"Senior Prime Minister, you have also arrived!" Aven seemed to be surprised to see the Senior Prime Minister’s presence. He was wholeheartedly attending to ‘Miss Nicole’ that he did not notice the arrival of an important noble, even though he was the host.

The Senior Prime Minister narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Your Highness, tonight, your arrangements here are not bad. Are there any other programs later?"

Aven smiled and turned to Rody. He said, "I heard that Earl Rody is also a general in the Radiant Empire. Am I right?" His words sounded provocative.

Rody smiled and nodded. He deliberately said, "Yes, I had the honor of fighting alongside His Excellency the Duke of the Tulip Family at Thunderous City! Winning that great victory for the Empire was my life’s honor!"

Those words immediately brought a sour look to the Crown Prince. After all, that war, the ‘great victory’ of the Radiant Empire was the defeat of the Roland people.

Aven gritted his teeth and laughed, "Your Excellency the Earl was under the command of the Duke of the Tulip Family?"

Rody nodded and replied, "I used to be the Captain of the Duke’s bodyguards."

"Oh?" Aven’s eyes lit up.

The Duke of the Tulip Family was famous even on the Roland Continent. As a warrior, Aven was also very curious about that famous and outstanding general.

"I have heard of the fame of the Duke of the Tulip Family on the Roland Continent. What kind of person is he?"

Rody hesitated a little as he did not know how to answer. As the Duke of the Tulip Family was actually himself, Rody was embarrassed to boast even though he was now more brazen than before. However, it would not be appropriate for him to say anything negative, as he was the Special Envoy of the Radiant Empire and also formerly under the command of the Duke of the Tulip Family.

While he was still hesitating, Seth unhappily snapped, "The Duke of the Tulip Family? He is just a silly boy. Other than having a bit of skill with the sword, his brain is full of paste!"

Those words made the others laugh. They all accepted ‘her’ words as a joke. Only Rody understood that Seth was venting his anger for making fun of him. Seth was taking the opportunity to verbally abuse him.

Aven laughed and changed the topic. He looked at Rody and continued, "Your Excellency the Earl, what position are you holding now with the Imperial Guards of the Radiant Empire?’

Before Rody could speak, the Senior Prime Minister replied, "I heard that Earl Rody was originally with the Lightning God’s Whip. He is now a Commander of the Imperial Guards. Your Highness, you were also originally from our Royal Knights. It is really fate that the two of you met."

Aven smiled, a little proud of himself. After all, he was someone with real talent and also had impressive achievements from the beginning as a knight. Unlike the other noble children, he was vain since he was young.

The Crown Prince was clearly very satisfied with the Senior Prime Minister’s words. He deliberately and lightly said, "It is unfortunate that, under His Majesty’s order, I am now in charge of the navy. I did not go to the front lines in the war and was not able to see your world-renowned Lightning God’s Whip. It is truly a pity..." Aven said the word ‘pity’ but his face revealed a conceited expression.

He saw a small badge on Rody’s costume. Prince Aven then asked, "Earl Rody, what is the significance of that badge?"

Rody frowned. He could tell that the young prince intentionally asked even though he knew the answer. Comparing his acting with that of the Senior Prime Minister, Prince Aven was too inexperienced. However, he still calmly replied, "This is the badge for warriors of the Empire. This badge symbolizes that I am lucky enough to obtain the rank of a Grade 5 Swordsman."

The Crown Prince’s eyes lit up. "Grade 5 Swordsman!" He suddenly waved his hand and called out for a subordinate to come over1.

As if it was already prearranged, a robust man stepped out from the back. That person looked like he was about thirty years old. He was sturdy and tall. Although he donned casual clothes, he walked forward firmly. From his steadfast expression and the way he walked, Rody could tell that he was a powerful and high ranked knight.

The man looked down at the ground as he walked over all the way. His hands were holding a long and narrow dark colored box.

Rody frowned. The other party had obviously prepared this, but he did not know what their intentions were.

’Is he looking for someone to fight me? Does he want me to be defeated and embarrassed in front of the diplomatic envoys of the different kingdoms on the Roland continent? It is possible...After all, this Crown Prince is from the anti-peace faction. He is young and impetuous. It is normal for him to take this opportunity to vent his anger.’

Aven deliberately laughed and loudly said, "Earl Rody, you are young and promising. You are also a warrior. I am filled with admiration. I am good at swordplay and normally love collecting weapons. This is a sword I found a month ago. It can cut and break any weapon, no matter how solid the other weapon is! Earl Rody, do you have any interest in trying it out with me?"

Although he asked insincerely, he had already opened the box and readily picked up the sword with his hand.

It was a standard traditional cross-shaped sword of a Roland Knight. The blade of the sword, from beginning to end, was in a shape of a sharp triangle. There was also a blood groove on the sword. A few unknown gems that were embedded on the sword glimmered radiantly. With a single glance, Rody could see that those gems were shining very brightly. It was most probably enchanted with sorcery.

The sharp edge of the blade glowed with a pale green light, clearly showing that it was a thoroughly tempered weapon. Besides that, the sword had a primitive design. With a glance, one could easily tell that the sword definitely had an extraordinary history.

That was especially true for the hilt as it was pale yellow, making it look old. From Rody’s experience, that pale yellow was not just color. It was bloodstains. The hilt had been immersed and soaked in blood. The blood could no longer be scrubbed off and had naturally changed the color.

It was obviously not an ordinary sword but a weapon that had seen life and death battles!

"Earl Rody, what do you think of this sword?" The Crown Prince deliberately gently flicked the sword which immediately issued a clear humming sound.

Rody sighed and replied, "Good sword!"

Aven was satisfied as he looked at Rody. He then showed a pleased expression and said, "In order to get this sword, I searched for three years and bought it from someone else for tens of thousands of gold coins! Speaking of this sword, there is a lot of interest!" At this juncture, he then deliberately stopped to look at Rody and Seth as if he was waiting for them to ask.

Unfortunately, he was showing off to the wrong targets.

Who was Rody? Which kind of weapons had he not seen before? He had seen legendary artifacts such as the Dracula’s Spear and the God Slaying Bow. Even the Dragon Fang and the Dragon Spell Scimitar were one in a million treasures.

As for Seth, from an early age, he had never been interested in swords. It did not matter to him if a sword was good or bad.

Aven felt embarrassed when he saw the two of them just nod and not ask anything. Fortunately, the Senior Prime Minister was perceptive and immediately helped the Crown Prince get out of this awkward predicament. He asked, "Your Highness, I wonder what the mystical origin of this sword is?"

The Senior Prime Minister’s question had rescued the Crown Prince. Aven glanced gratefully at him and said, "In the history of the Roland Continent, the Temple had a total of ninety-six Paladins! All of these Paladins were like the masters of that era! In the history of the Roland Continent, this sword was the weapon used by the most legendary Paladin. He was the most powerful Paladin several hundred years ago!"

Aven deliberately showed a mysterious expression but, unfortunately, Rody still looked very calm. Paladin? I have already killed four of them. I don’t see anything so formidable about them. What can be so terrific about their weapons?

Seth and Rody did not know the history of the Roland Continent, but the Senior Prime Minister did. The Senior Prime Minister showed a surprised expression and could not help himself from saying, "Your Highness, are you saying that the person is..."

Aven nodded his head and lowered his voice as he said, "It is that Paladin from several hundred years ago! He was known as the most powerful Paladin in hundreds of years. He was finally expelled from the Temple and then he personally defeated two other Paladins, who were dispatched to kill him. He was the guy who was known as the ’Temple’s Disgrace’.

Rody finally showed some interest. "The Temple’s Disgrace? Your Highness, the Paladin you spoke of seemed to be unusual!" Even Seth could not help but become curious.

Aven showed a serious expression as lowered his voice. He glanced at ’Miss Nicole’ and whispered, "This is something that the Temple forbid people from telling as it placed the Temple to shame! That Paladin was recognized as the strongest master on the Roland Continent hundreds of years ago! He once entered the Mythical Beast Forest alone to kill countless high ranked Mythical Beasts. He even entered the Dragon race’s territory by himself and escaped unscathed! But later..." At this point, Aven’s seemed a little ambiguous as he continued, "Later, because of something that happened, that Paladin and the Temple had a conflict. He rebelled against the Temple! The Elders Council of the Temple angrily declared him an apostate and ordered his execution. They also dispatched two other Paladins to kill him. However, the other two Paladins were defeated by him. Ever since then, that Paladin disappeared! That incident had a huge impact on the Temple. Of the three Paladins the Temple had, one rebelled and the other two were defeated. It made the Temple lose face! This is why this story was kept secret by the Temple!"

At this point, Crown Prince Aven sounded proud of himself and said, "This sword is the one that was used then by that master, the strongest Paladin. I had to go through numerous difficulties to get it"

Rody’s curiosity was finally aroused. He could not help asking, "Your Highness, what is the name of that master Paladin?

Crown Prince Aven took a deep breath as if showing respect. He then slowly said, "His name is Sky!"

"Cough! Cough! Cough" Rody choked the moment he heard that name and coughed violently.

Translation Notes:

1. Lai ren. 来人 Literally, it is ‘Come people’. Usually used in calling a servant without specifying who. It sounds weird in English.