Chapter 162: Arrival
Chapter 162: Arrival
A young man with thick eyebrows, also clad in knight's armor, was setting up a bonfire under a large tree. The tree had a wide and dense canopy, providing excellent shelter from the rain. Even the occasional drops of rain were quickly dried by the bonfire's heat.
Rain wasn't planning to approach him, not out of fear, but because he had no interest in socializing with strangers whose backgrounds were unknown to him.
Therefore, Rain decided to ride forward a bit further and then find a place where he could rest alone.
Hearing the sound of horse hooves, the thick-browed knight looked up and noticed Rain's solitary figure with his two horses. He smiled and stood up to greet him, "Hey, I'm a knight heading to Rosby City for the Ennoblement Examination. Judging from your attire, I assume you're also going there?"
Rain was taken aback by the man's enthusiasm and his straightforward introduction.
Sensing Rain's hesitation, the man took out a purple-golden emblem from his pocket, identical to the one Rain held in his hand, and showed it to him.
"This is the proof of identity. If you're also heading to Rosby City for the examination, you should be familiar with this," he said.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps during the examination, we can help each other out a little."
Rain glanced at the emblem and recognized its authenticity. With the man's enthusiasm, it would be impolite to refuse further.
After a moment's thought, Rain slowly rode his black horse over.
"Greetings, I'm Has Klein from Rosby County."
"Rain, from Myester County," Rain nodded in response.
As Rain dismounted, he subtly glanced at the dense forest on both sides, but his movement was so slight that it went unnoticed, thanks to his knight's helm.
Something interesting was afoot.
"Rain, if you're coming from Myester County, it must have taken you several days, right?" Has asked, his enthusiasm unwavering. "Come, have a cup of hot mead to warm yourself." He picked up an iron kettle warming by the bonfire and offered it to Rain.
"Thank you, but I'm not cold," Rain politely declined, raising his hand to refuse the proffered kettle.
"How can you not be cold in this freezing rain? Come on, Rain, don't be shy," Has insisted, almost pushing the iron kettle into Rain's hands.
Rain's eyebrows furrowed at this insistence. "Sir, your act is getting a bit old now," he said.
Has froze at Rain's words, his expression changing.
He stared at Rain for a moment, realizing that Rain wasn't joking. He quickly backed away a few steps, asking, "How did you figure it out?"
But before long, he seemed to realize something and clapped his hands together.
Suddenly, over a dozen people emerged from the forest, armed with various weapons. Some held crossbows, and most of them were ordinary men, with a few possessing the strength of knight attendants.
The leader, a burly man wielding a chain hammer, moved with a steady gait and a deep breath, indicating his status as a full-fledged knight.
"Are you bandits? You don't look like typical bandits. It's unlikely for a regular bandit group to have two full-fledged knights leading them," Rain addressed the man named Has, ignoring the others.
"Sergei, why waste words with this guy? Finish him!" Sergei, standing beside Has, immediately attacked Rain.
Indeed, 'Has' was just an alias, and 'Sergei' was his real name.
A chilling sword gleamed, and Rain now held a two-handed greatsword.
"ROAR!!!"
The next moment, a thunderous roar like a giant bear's bellow sounded in everyone's ears, causing most of them to cover their heads in pain and collapsed to the ground.
"Plop! Plop!"
Two heavy thuds sounded as Rain severed the legs of both the burly man and Sergei above the knee. Their upper bodies fell to the ground, blood gushing from the wounds.
"AHHH!" They screamed in unison.
"Now, perhaps you can tell me who sent you and where this proof of identity came from," Rain said calmly.
"Go to hell, you bastard! You're dead!" The burly man continued his defiant words.
But the next moment, he fell silent, his eyes widening in horror as he watched Rain approach one of his men and effortlessly slit his throat with a casual, practiced motion, like slaughtering a chicken.
The second.
The eighth.
Soon, a circle of dead bandits surrounded the bonfire, leaving only the two men with severed legs—the burly man and the leader, Sergei.
Forgetting their pain, they exchanged glances, realizing they had encountered a formidable opponent.
Without Rain needing to say a word, the two men spilled the beans.
There was a mysterious force called the 'Zalarl Resistance' secretly backing them, aiming to weaken the Empire. Their mission was to assassinate young knights participating in the Ennoblement Examination.
Of course, capturing them alive would be even better. Doing so would not only grant them valuable armor and weapons but also allow them to claim a high reward with the purple-golden emblem.
Additionally, there was indeed a young knight named Has, who had been drugged and was currently restrained in the dense forest.
Rain swiftly dispatched the two men with two swift strikes of his sword.
After some thought, he ventured into the forest and soon discovered behind a large tree a tall, young man wearing a thin linen shirt. His hands and feet were shackled by heavy iron chains, and a dirty cloth was stuffed in his mouth.
Upon seeing Rain in his knight's armor, the young man struggled, making muffled sounds.
"Clang! Clang!" Sparks flew as Rain performed a pair of sword flourishes, instantly breaking the heavy iron chains.
The tall young man immediately freed himself, quickly removing the dirty cloth from his mouth. "Thank you for saving me! I'm Has, from Rosby County," he said, spitting out the cloth.
"Rain, from Myester County," Rain introduced himself.
"Those deceitful, despicable drug-using scoundrels, did Lord Rain kill them all?" Has asked angrily.
"Yes," Rain nodded.
"That's wonderful! Those despicable fellows deserve to die!" Has laughed heartily upon hearing that Rain had killed them all.
Has retrieved his chest armor from the burly man and joined Rain by the campfire.
Half an hour later, the two, now familiar with each other, rode their horses while chatting and made their way towards Rosby City.
Although Rain was not afraid of the cold, spending the night outdoors in the winter rain was clearly not a good idea.
By evening, they arrived at the gates of Rosby City. After presenting their purple-golden emblem, they were promptly escorted to their destination—the Navy Home Inn.
The sun was setting, painting the sky in a reddish hue, and a gentle breeze brushed against their faces, carrying a faint scent of the sea.
Rain looked ahead and saw the vast, azure ocean just a few dozen meters away. White seabirds, including seagulls and albatrosses, soared in the clear sky.
Along the coastline stood numerous white sails, each representing a ship. Although the sizes of these vessels varied greatly, they seemed to be civilian fishing and transport ships.
However, several hundred meters away, there were clearly several massive four-masted ships, seemingly warships.
Rain retracted his gaze and looked to his left, where a three-story building stood. Above its entrance hung a signboard that read 'Navy Home Inn.'
Across the street from the inn stood a ten-meter-tall statue of a five-masted ship, along with a spacious entrance guarded by four blue-uniformed sentries.
Rain squinted and glanced at the entrance, where the words 'Imperial Navy Southern Fleet Sixth Division Base' were inscribed in golden letters.
Navy Home Inn?
Indeed, it lived up to its name, with the naval base right across the street.
As the two entered the inn, a female attendant greeted them with a smile. "Welcome, sirs. Are you the knights here for the ennoblement examination?"
"Yes," Rain nodded.
"Please follow me. You'll need to register your information with Lady Marika," the attendant said as she led them.
The three of them reached the innermost room on the first floor, and the attendant knocked on the door. "Lady Marika, more knights have arrived."
"Come in!" a crisp female voice called from within.
Surprisingly, the room was occupied by a curvaceous female navy officer. Upon seeing Rain and Has enter, she stood up and said in a formal tone, "I am Marika Morales, the navy lieutenant in charge of coordinating the ennoblement examination for the Imperial Navy. You can consult me for any examination-related matters, but first, we need to verify your information."
"It's rare to see a female lieutenant," Has muttered under his breath after glancing at Marika's shoulder insignia.
Rain looked at the insignia, which consisted of a pair of golden branches and a crescent moon.
"Rain Kalan, from Shangjin Town in Myester County, age fifteen," Rain said, removing his helmet to reveal a face even younger than Has's.
"Rain, you're only fifteen? Goodness!" Has exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment.
However, Marika was even more surprised, thinking to herself that while fifteen-year-old knights were rare, it was odd that the two seemed so familiar with each other yet unaware of each other's appearances.
"Has Klein, age eighteen."
Lieutenant Marika, a dashing female officer, recorded their information and instructed them, "During the examination period, accommodation and meals at the Navy Home Inn are free of charge. You can also use the training ground behind the inn whenever you wish."
"Additionally, the supply room next door offers various weapons, armor, and emergency medical supplies for purchase. The prices may be slightly higher than the market rate, but the quality is guaranteed."
"Do you have knight plate armor made from rare minerals?" Rain asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course not," Marika responded with an exaggerated eye-roll.
"What a shame," Rain sighed in disappointment.
"Lieutenant Marika, do you have any information about the examination tasks?" Has asked, rubbing his hands together.
"I'm sorry, but according to the joint directive of the Imperial Navy and the Ennoblement Examination Committee, the specific tasks for this examination will be disclosed on the day of the examination for security reasons," Marika explained, shaking her head.
"What? Is this examination such a big deal?" Has asked, surprised.
An examination related to the Imperial Navy? No wonder they're staying at the Navy Home Inn, and the officer in charge is a navy lieutenant.
Rain narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
(End of Chapter)
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