Chapter 405: The Ambush

Chapter 405: The Ambush

"That metal-based sorcery we just saw is quite rare, isn't it?"

"Does anyone know what sorcery this is?"

"I'm not sure, but judging from its power, a regular third-tier sorcery defense wouldn't be able to withstand a single teleport strike from Karl."

For a moment, the onlookers discussed amongst themselves.

Karl stood there, staring at the hilt of his broken sword, and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

"Lord Rain, I concede!"

The opponent's straightforward admission of defeat somehow made Rain feel a bit more favorably towards him.

At this moment, another young man in a linen coat standing nearby, his face turning red, stepped forward as if he wanted to say something, but Karl stopped him with an outstretched hand.

"I believe Lord Rain was telling the truth."

"With Lord Rain's strength, defeating Greenwood in one move is more than enough; there's no need for him to say such a thing."

Upon hearing Karl's words, the young man seemed to understand something and nodded slightly.

The logic was indeed simple. Even Karl, a formal disciple, had been defeated in one strike, so Greenwood was no match for him. There was no need for an elephant to boast to an ant.

"Lord Rain, not everyone thinks like you, especially Lambert, the senior disciple of the teacher." Karl paused for a moment before turning back to add, "Just a heads-up."

"Thank you." Rain nodded, indicating that he understood.

Just as Rain was being challenged at the Dragon Knight Cadet Camp, Alena received a message from Tatiya, the lieutenant, and immediately rushed to Rain's mansion.

Since Rain was not around, it was Matteo, the short man, who received Alena.

Having already visited multiple times, the capable young woman was well-known to Matteo, who was also aware of her identity and her close working relationship with Rain.

"Lady Alena, Lord Rain left early this morning with Lords Luther and Halowen for the Dragon Knight Cadet Camp," Matteo informed the hurried Alena without hiding anything.

"Did Lord Rain mention when he'll be back?" Alena asked with a hint of worry on her face.

Seeing Alena's expression, Matteo immediately understood that there must be some urgent matter. He thought for a moment and replied, "Lord Rain didn't say, but I estimate it'll be at least in the afternoon. However, he'll definitely be back for dinner."

"Oh? Dinner time?"

"Yes, because Miss Lagrel is here, Lord Rain will definitely be back for dinner," Matteo said.

At this moment, Lagrel, who had not yet fallen asleep, heard her name mentioned downstairs and immediately got up, looking out the window from the second floor.

She saw the familiar short man, Matteo, talking to a capable young woman, but she was a bit puzzled as to why Matteo would mention her name.

However, she soon heard the words 'Alena' and immediately recalled that Rain had mentioned this person in front of her; he seemed to be her contact at the Swordbearer headquarters.

"Hmm, but this message is quite important, so I should inform Lord Rain as soon as possible. I'll go directly to the camp to find him." Alena nodded, determined.

Having just received news about the Viper Sect, she felt it was crucial to inform Rain as soon as possible.

As Alena left the mansion and boarded the carriage again, the coachman slowly drove the carriage forward.

Suddenly, two black-robed figures appeared from the side of the road, one in front of the other, quickly approaching the carriage Alena was riding in.

One of the black-robed figures, positioned at the front of the carriage, nimbly leaped onto the empty seat next to the coachman, holding a short dagger to the coachman's neck, forcing him to stop the carriage.

This caused Alena, inside the carriage, to feel a bit strange. She hadn't asked to stop, yet the coachman had halted.

"Creak~"

The carriage door opened, and a black-robed figure, agile as a squirrel, jumped in.

"Don't get excited, Lady Alena, and don't shout or resist, or else you'll end up with a few more holes in your body." The black-robed figure, holding a rapier, smiled at Alena.

Alena's body stiffened; the figure's aura was approximately that of a Grand Knight. At this distance, even though she had a sorcery scroll in her arms, she dared not use it.

As a second-tier sorcery apprentice, within a meter's range, even if she wanted to draw out the scroll and trigger it, it would take time.

She was certain that if she did so, it would definitely be too late.

This caused Alena's heart to sink to the bottom of a valley.

If she were in Minster, she would have arranged for an escort to accompany her, but here in the Imperial Capital, her rank was not high enough to warrant an escort from the Swordbearer headquarters.

In her heart, she assumed that the safety of the Imperial Capital was guaranteed.

At this moment, a young noblewoman wearing a hunting outfit, with a pair of beautiful eyes, was observing the scene that had just unfolded, deep in thought.

Aside from her outstanding appearance, her long, round legs were particularly eye-catching.

This noblewoman was none other than Kayla.

In fact, she had already returned to the Imperial Capital from the Royal Academy for some time.

However, during the recent period, as she was at a crucial stage of improving her strength, she had been in seclusion at the academy.

At this moment, she had reached the level of a Grand Knight.

Even in the Imperial Capital's Royal Academy, the news of 'Sculptor' Harold's death at the hands of someone else had caused quite a stir.

After all, the Royal Academy was mostly populated by the children of nobles, and news traveled fast.

Even a few of Kayla's friends came to ask her if she knew a young man named Rain from the province of Minster.

Kayla was quite surprised, but she simply replied, "I know, what's the matter?"

After her friends explained the situation to her, Kayla was shocked and couldn't snap out of it, saying, "I don't know if the person you're talking about is the one I know, I need to confirm."

But in her heart, Kayla was almost 90% sure that the person her friends were talking about was the one who had killed the strongest legendary, Lord Rain.

When Kayla witnessed Rain's strength in crushing the cult at Myister's mansion, she knew that Rain's strength would inevitably reach the legendary level.

She just didn't expect it to happen so soon.

In just a few months, Rain had already reached the legendary level, and from the looks of it, he was also a top-tier powerhouse among the legends.

This...

So, today she came to find Rain, and at the same time, she wanted to give Rain a surprise, but she didn't expect to see such a scene.

The capable young woman from earlier left a strong impression on Kayla.

At the time, Kayla had seen her visit Myister's mansion several times, apparently an internal staff member of the Swordbearer branch in Minster.

Although Kayla didn't know how she ended up in the Imperial Capital, it was clear that she had been abducted, and her purpose was self-evident.

However, there were two of them, and if they attacked from the front, it was hard to say if Kayla could take them on one by one with her strength.

More importantly, if Kayla attacked from the front, she couldn't guarantee saving the young woman.

After some thought, Kayla pretended not to notice what was happening and walked straight along the sidewalk without looking sideways.

The black-robed man next to the coachman was vigilant, or rather, observing the strength of the pedestrians around him. When he saw Kayla, his gaze lingered for a moment, clearly noticing her strength.

However, when he saw Kayla's relaxed posture, especially her hands not gripping the hilt of the knight's longsword at her waist, he quickly glanced away, scanning the other pedestrians.

Something's wrong! Just as the black-robed man felt something amiss.

In the blink of an eye, Kayla's strong and agile legs suddenly pushed off the ground, rushing diagonally towards the carriage like an attacking female leopard.

The sudden attack, combined with Kayla's bloodline talent for speed, caught the black-robed man sitting next to the coachman off guard, and he couldn't react in time.

As he turned, he saw a dazzling figure rushing into the rear carriage.

"Boom!"

The black-robed man inside immediately realized something was wrong and his face turned vicious as he thrust his knight's longsword towards the capable young woman, Alena.

"Clang!"

But another knight's longsword blocked the attack.

Alena's face lit up with joy, and she quickly took out a defense scroll from her bosom, and a pale blue membrane enveloped her.

As the carriage shattered and fell apart, the surrounding pedestrians screamed.

The two black-robed men glanced at Alena and then glared at Kayla, knowing that this mission had most likely failed.

However, returning empty-handed would undoubtedly result in punishment from the cult.

So, if they couldn't bring her back alive, they would do it dead.

Moreover, the noble girl's strength was decent, but only slightly inferior to theirs, and she had just been caught off guard earlier.

Most importantly, with two of them, they could quickly finish her off with a pincer attack.

The two men exchanged a quick glance and then charged towards Kayla, one in front and one behind.

Kayla's heart tightened, and she immediately raised her sword in a defensive stance.

But just as the two men were about to attack her, suddenly, the one in front threw a gray bottle towards her.

As the bottle shattered and smoke billowed out, the two men simultaneously turned and rushed towards Alena, who was running towards Rain's mansion!

"Damn!" Kayla's face showed surprise, still not understanding that their target had always been Alena.

The two black-robed assassins were formidable, and as they were about to catch up to Alena, their faces lit up with joy. Suddenly, a whooshing sound tore through the air to their left.

They turned their heads and their pupils shrank in shock! Because what was rushing towards them was an exceptionally large circular shield.

The whooshing sound they had just heard was the sound of the shield spinning at high speed!"

For a moment, the two men dared not block it directly, and they immediately stopped and dodged the shield's attack. But because of this pause, a one-handed, rugged barbarian woman warrior leaped into the gap between them and their target.

"Another one?"

The two men were both surprised and angry!

It seemed like they had stumbled into a nest of female knights.

Female warriors were even rarer.

But two had appeared right before their eyes, truly a curse!

Time was ticking, and at that moment, they heard the sound of uniform footsteps approaching from all around.

This was the imperial capital of Tamriel, and in just a few minutes, the patrol squad would arrive.

They had to act immediately, but as they bent their knees slightly to launch an attack, the shield suddenly whooshed back, leaving the two men speechless!

"Bang!"

One of the men turned and kicked the shield into the air, but Lagrel's war axe was already swinging towards him.

The other black-robed man was about to help, but suddenly, a gust of wind struck him from behind, and he quickly turned around.

"Clang!"

The attacker was Kayla, and although she had never seen Lagrel before, she knew that she was a friend from Rain's mansion, so she was undoubtedly an ally.

Now, the situation has taken a drastic turn.

As long as she can hold off these two black-robed assassins for a couple of minutes, they will be surrounded by the patrol squad.

Therefore, Kayla immediately takes a fighting stance, focusing on keeping the enemies at bay while advancing herself.

The commotion here naturally attracts the attention of the nearby patrol personnel.

"I am an Imperial Swordsman, and these two black-robed individuals are assassins." Alena, who had just let out a sigh of relief, sees a patrol squad approaching and immediately reveals her identity, shouting loudly.

Before the guards arrive, they take a quick glance at the situation and make a preliminary judgment.

After all, with two beautiful women and two black-robed individuals, who would you consider to be the enemies?

It's not hard to tell them apart.

Not to mention the capable young woman here has also revealed her identity.

"Surround them!" The leading knight captain gives the order, and the guards immediately close in.

At the same time, the sky echoes with the roar of griffins, and a team of three griffin riders dive towards them.

This is the defensive might of the Imperial Capital of Tamriel; within two minutes, someone will arrive.

Upon seeing this, the two black-robed individuals go berserk, charging towards the outside to break through the encirclement.

"Pfft!" Kayla seizes the opportunity and unleashes a powerful strike with her sword, piercing the back of one of the black-robed individuals, although they may form temporary alliances.

At the same time, Lagrel, wielding a giant shield, swiftly blocks the attack of the other black-robed individual, forcing them back.

This black-robed individual, upon seeing the situation, seems to bite down on something, and a stream of black liquid flows from his mouth as his entire body trembles a few times before he falls backward.

The other black-robed individual, now on the ground, reveals a ruthless expression, and similarly falls to the ground!

"Cultists?" Kayla's eyes narrow, "Only those influenced by the cult's doctrine would have such a death-defying fanaticism. Regular assassin organizations don't have this level of disregard for their lives."

At this moment, the griffins in the sky have landed, and three griffin riders jump off their mounts.

Alena, naturally, also quickly approaches from behind, saying, "Several adults, I am a Swordsman from headquarters, Alena, these two black-robed individuals just attacked my carriage."

"Fortunately, with the help of you two, I was spared."

Alena, as a member of the Imperial system, quickly clarifies the situation with a few words, sparing the barbarian girl Lagrel from introducing herself.

Hmm?

The headquarters of the Swordsman?

The leader of the griffin riders, a middle-aged man with a goatee, upon hearing Alena's introduction, raises an eyebrow and gives both women an up-and-down glance. A second-tier wizard apprentice?

Apparently, the other party is a clerical staff, but this matter should be given some importance.

"Alena, Deputy Director, we'll take care of this here. We will investigate this situation thoroughly."

"I suggest handing it over to the Swordsman headquarters, because I suspect that although the other party's target was me, in the end, it may still be my superior, Rain." Alena's expression turns solemn.

"Rain?" The three griffin riders can't help but look at each other, surprised that a deputy director would mention her superior.

"Is that Rain, who defeated the 'Sculptor'?" The bearded griffin rider suddenly shows surprise and doubt.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Understood, Deputy Director Alena, after your personnel arrive, we will hand over this matter to you."

"Good, thank you for your cooperation." Alena slightly bows.

"Haha, you're too kind."

At this time, Alena walks to Kayla's side, slightly bows, and thanks her, "You should be Miss Kayla, right? Thank you for your assistance this time."

Just now, Alena recognized the young noble woman she saved, it's indeed Kayla, whom she knows has an inseparable relationship with her superior, Rain.

Because on several occasions, Rain has sent her messages, reminding her of the cult's attacks.

Moreover, the other party is the legitimate daughter of Count Habbs, and she also comes from the same province as Alena, naturally making their relationship more intimate.

"Hello, it's me." Kayla says as she sheathes her knight sword and walks to Alena's side.

However, her gaze, after looking at Alena, turns to the barbarian girl not far away.

The woman's peculiar intuition tells her that the girl and Rain's relationship is probably not ordinary.

"Hello, I'm Alena, thank you for your assistance." Alena also quickly approaches Lagrel and slightly bows in thanks.

"Norton Clan, Lagrel."

Hmm?

So, this is the small Matteo mentioned Lagrel?

Alena is slightly taken aback, quickly examines the other party, a barbarian girl with an exotic charm, her superior is indeed...

But Alena's beautiful eyes quickly scan the two women, and she has a strange feeling in her heart.

She always has a feeling that the barbarian girl in front of her seems to have a not-so-shallow relationship with her superior, Rain.

Moreover, looking at the two women's mutual gaze, they seem not to recognize each other.

This is interesting.

However, the problem is that Rain is not here right now, and she is caught in the middle, so Alena immediately decides to quickly shift both of their attention.

Otherwise, if something really happens, she's afraid she can't explain it well to her superior.

"These two are probably cultists, shouldn't we immediately notify superior Rain?" After being attacked, Alena naturally wouldn't let the matter go.

Rain, who had just landed, was surprised to see Kayla, whom he hadn't seen in a while, standing on the estate grounds alongside Lagrel.

His heart skipped a beat as he wondered if the two of them would get along. After all, unlike Anna, Lagrel and Kayla were not familiar with each other.

Moreover, one was a genius female knight, and the other was a rare female barbarian warrior. If they were to compete, he would surely have a headache. It would be a true 'bloodbath'.

Fortunately, for now, the two seemed to have no conflicts.

"Alena, are you alright?" Rain asked as he approached Alena, offering comfort.

"I'm fine, Rain. Thanks to the timely assistance of the two ladies, I might have been in trouble otherwise."

"It's my fault, Rain. I came to the headquarters in Temriel, but there are some things I find difficult to speak about. Additionally, I've become overly confident about the security of Temriel." Rain expressed some self-blame.

It wasn't entirely Rain's fault. The Imperial Capital of Tamriel had strict entry and exit inspections, equipped with sorcery detection devices and other means to detect suspicious auras.

Because those cultists, once they participated in the prayer rituals of certain deities, would carry the unique aura of that deity.

Of course, all inspections had their loopholes.

For if one had just joined the cult and hadn't undergone specific cult rituals, especially if they weren't sorcerers, it would be difficult to detect them.

This was also why the two cultists were both on the path of the Swordbearer.

Moreover, the two were likely new recruits to the cult, and their auras were relatively pure.

"Ah, Rain, it's my fault." Alena quickly waved her hands.

Alena, well-versed in the unspoken rules of the system, naturally wouldn't let her superior take the blame.

"By the way, Rain, I received an urgent report from Lieutenant Tatiya. It seems that the Snake Cult has sent twelve Snake Messengers, including the 'Twin Serpents', to infiltrate the area around Temriel."

"According to the intelligence hall analysis, the target is likely to be you, Rain."

Upon hearing Alena's words, everyone present, including Kayla and Halowen, who were in the midst of a greeting, turned their gaze towards Rain.

Although they weren't clear about the strength of the 'Twin Serpents', since it was an urgent report from the Swordbearer headquarters, their strength should be formidable, strong enough to warrant Rain's attention.

"Oh? Do you have specific information about them?" Rain's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes, Rain. I've already gathered the information for you." Alena said as she handed him a document.

Rain nodded, taking the document and began reading.

Rain was quite satisfied with Alena, his liaison, as her experience was extensive, and their cooperation was seamless. Basically, whatever he had in mind, she would consider and prepare in advance.

At this moment, a young person dressed in Swordbearer attire arrived at the estate's entrance. Rain and Alena bowed slightly, saying,

"Rain, Alena, although the two assassins have committed suicide, we have basically confirmed their identities as cultists of the Black Flame Cult."

"The Black Flame Cult?" Rain's eyebrows furrowed.

It seemed that the consequences of the previous leak of his mission details within the conservative noble faction had slowly begun to surface.

Now, there were already two cult organizations seeking him out.

Perhaps, soon after, other cult organizations would come knocking, like the Sea God Sect and more.

He himself was not afraid, but the problem was the safety of his family and friends. This thought crossed Rain's mind, and although his personal strength was a cornerstone, he felt the need to establish some influence, if not for his family and friends, at least to ensure their well-being.

For instance, if the cultists were to find out about Kayla's relationship with him, an attack on the Habbs family estate in Meist, where she was located, would be impossible for him to teleport and resolve the crisis.

This wasn't the first time such a thought had crossed Rain's mind.

But before this, Rain had always believed that a single person's energy was limited, and it was impossible to both improve his strength and establish influence simultaneously?

Even the beautiful Jennifer, on one side, and the establishment of a larger organization as Rain mentioned, and Alena find common ground, or will it be a true 'bloodbath'?

Speaking of which, a flash of lightning crossed Rain's mind regarding Kayla.

Yes! This matter, he could definitely let Kayla take the lead! And as long as he was responsible for maintaining his formidable strength, everything would be fine.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end