Chapter 405: The Ambush

Chapter 405: The Ambush

"That metal element magic just now was quite rare, wasn't it?"

"Does anyone know what kind of magic that was?"

"I'm not sure, but judging from its power, it's unlikely that a typical third-tier defensive spell could withstand a single teleport slash from Karl," someone commented.

For a moment, the onlookers discussed the matter animatedly.

Karl stood there, dumbfounded, staring at his double-handed greatsword, now reduced to just its hilt. He couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

"Lord Ren, I concede!"

The opponent's straightforward acknowledgment of defeat somehow earned him a sliver of Ren's respect.

At that moment, another man dressed in linen, standing nearby, turned red with anger and took a step forward, as if he wanted to say something. But Karl extended his hand to stop him.

"I believe Lord Ren was telling the truth."

"With Lord Ren's strength, defeating Greenwood with a single strike is more than enough. There's no need to say such things to him," Karl added.

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

The logic was simple; if even Karl, a formal disciple, was defeated in one blow, Greenwood was no match for his opponent. An elephant wouldn't bother to boast to an ant.

"Lord Ren, not everyone thinks like me, especially Lambert, the master's senior disciple," Karl paused before turning back to add.

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

As Ren was being challenged at the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp, Olenna received a message from Captain Tatiya and immediately rushed to Raine Manor.

Since Ren was not around, it was the short Matteo who received Olenna.

Matteo was well aware of Olenna's identity and her close working relationship with Lord Ren, having met her several times before.

"Lady Olenna, Lord Ren left early this morning with Luther and Halowen to visit the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp," Matteo informed the hurriedly arrived Olenna without hesitation.

"Did Lord Ren mention when he would return?" Olenna asked with a hint of worry on her face.

Seeing Olenna's expression, Matteo immediately understood that it must be an urgent matter. He thought for a moment and replied, "Lord Ren didn't say, but I estimate he'll be back by the afternoon at the latest. However, he will definitely be back for dinner."

"Oh? During dinner time?"

"Yes, because Miss Raglara is here, Lord Ren will definitely return for dinner," Matteo assured her.

At that moment, Raglara, who was still awake, heard her name mentioned downstairs and got up to look out the window from the second floor.

She saw the familiar short Matteo speaking with a capable-looking young woman, but she was puzzled as to why Matteo had mentioned her name.

However, she soon heard the name 'Olenna' and immediately remembered that Ren had mentioned this person to her before. It seemed that he was her contact within the Swordsmen organization.

"Hmm, but this message I have is quite important, and I should inform Lord Ren as soon as possible. I'll go to the camp to find him directly," Olenna nodded and said.

She had just received information about the Serpent Cult, and she felt it was crucial to notify Lord Ren immediately.

As Olenna left the manor and boarded the carriage again, the coachman slowly drove the carriage forward.

Suddenly, two figures in black robes quickly approached Olenna's carriage from the side of the road.

The black-robed figure in front of the carriage nimbly leaped onto the empty co-pilot seat, pressing a short dagger against the coachman's neck, forcing him to stop the carriage.

This made Olenna, inside the carriage, feel a bit strange. She hadn't asked the coachman to stop, so why had he halted?

"Creak!"

The carriage door opened, and a black-robed figure, agile like a squirrel, darted inside.

"Stay calm, Lady Olenna, and don't shout or resist. Otherwise, your beautiful body will have a few more holes," the black-robed figure said with a smile, pointing a thin sword at Olenna.

Olenna's body stiffened; the opponent's aura was that of a Great Knight. At this distance, even though she had a spell scroll in her arms, she dared not use it.

As a second-level apprentice wizard, even within a meter's range, it would take time for her to draw out and activate the scroll.

She was certain that if she tried, it would be too late.

Olenna's heart sank.

Even in Meister, she would have arranged for escorts, but now in the Imperial Capital, her rank wasn't high enough to warrant an escort from the Swordsmen Headquarters.

Her own assumption that the Imperial Capital was safe also meant she hadn't requested an escort from Ren.

At that moment, a young woman in noble hunting attire, with a pair of beautiful, round legs that drew attention, was observing the scene with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

This noble lady was none other than Claire.

In fact, it had been some time since she returned to the Imperial Royal Academy from Meister.

However, during the recent period, she had been in seclusion at the academy, focusing on enhancing her strength due to the awakening of her family's bloodline.

Her abilities had soared, and she had reached the peak of the Great Knight level.

Even within the Imperial Royal Academy, the news of the Sculptor Harold's death at the hands of someone from the same province had caused quite a stir.

After all, the academy was mostly populated by direct or collateral descendants of major families, and news traveled fast.

Several of Claire's friends had even asked her if she knew a young man named Ren from Meister Province.

This greatly surprised Claire, but she merely said, "I know, what's up?"

After her friend explained the situation, Claire was stunned, speechless for a while, and finally said, "I don't know if it's the person you mentioned, but I have to confirm."

In her heart, Claire was almost certain that the person her friend spoke of, who had killed the strongest legendary Lord Rayn, was indeed her Rayn.

When she witnessed Rayn's strength in crushing the cult at the Meister family mansion, Claire knew that Rayn's abilities were enough to enter the legendary realm.

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

In just a few months, Rayn had already entered the legendary realm, and by the looks of it, he was among the top-tier within that realm.

That was why Claire had come to find Rayn today, and she also wanted to give him a surprise. But she never expected to witness such a scene.

The young lady, a capable-looking housewife, was still very familiar to Claire.

When Rayn was at the Meister's, he introduced her, and she had visited their mansion several times. She seemed to be an internal staff member of the Swordmaster branch in Minster.

Although Claire didn't know how she appeared in the Imperial City, it was clear that she had been kidnapped, and the reason was self-evident.

However, there were two of them, and if Claire attacked from the front, she wasn't sure if she could defeat both.

More importantly, a frontal assault might not guarantee the woman's safety.

After some thought, Claire pretended not to notice what was happening and walked straight down the sidewalk without glancing sideways.

The man in black beside the coachman kept looking around, either on guard or assessing the strength of the passersby. When he saw Claire, he paused, clearly noticing her formidable strength.

But when he saw Claire's relaxed posture, especially her hands not gripping the hilt of her knight's longsword, he quickly averted his gaze and scanned the other pedestrians.

Something was wrong!

In the blink of an eye, Claire's powerful legs pushed off the ground, and she pounced towards the carriage like a sudden pouncing leopard.

The unexpected attack, coupled with Claire's innate speed, left the man in black beside the coachman stunned and unable to react in time.

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

"Boom!"

The man in black inside the carriage realized something was amiss and immediately revealed a ruthless expression, raising his knight's longsword to stab at Olena, the capable housewife.

"Clang!"

The attack was blocked by another knight's longsword.

Olena, relieved, quickly took out a defensive magic scroll from her pocket and cast it, enveloping herself in a light blue membrane.

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

The two men in black glanced at Olena and then glared at Claire, knowing that their mission had likely failed.

Returning empty-handed would surely result in punishment from their organization.

If they couldn't bring her back alive, they would settle for her death.

Although Olena's strength was impressive, it was only slightly inferior to theirs. She had merely been caught off guard earlier.

Most importantly, they had the advantage of numbers and could quickly finish her off with a pincer attack.

The two men exchanged a quick glance and then charged towards Claire, one after the other. Claire's heart tightened, and she swiftly raised her sword in a defensive stance.

Just as they were about to strike, the man in front suddenly threw a gray bottle at her.

As the bottle shattered, releasing a cloud of smoke, both men turned and rushed towards Olena, who was running towards Rayn's mansion!

"Damn!" Claire's expression turned to shock as she realized that Olena had been their target all along.

The two black-robed assassins were formidable, and as they were about to catch up to Olena, their left side suddenly reverberated with a whooshing sound.

When they turned to look, their pupils contracted in shock! The object hurtling towards them was an unusually large, round shield.

The whooshing sound had been the shield spinning at high speed!

For a moment, they dared not block it directly and quickly dodged the shield's attack. But this hesitation allowed a single-handed, burly female barbarian warrior to leap between them and their target.

"Another one?"

They were both surprised and enraged.

It was as if they had stumbled into a den of female knights, a rare sight in itself.

And female warriors were even rarer.

To encounter two in one go was truly maddening!

Time was of the essence, and they could already hear the rhythmic footsteps of the approaching patrol.

They were in the Imperial Capital of Tamriel, and it would only take a minute or two for the patrol to arrive.

They had to act quickly, but as they bent their knees to launch an attack, the shield spun back towards them, leaving them speechless!

One of them kicked the shield into the air, but Raglara's battle axe descended towards him.

"Clang!"

Claire, who had never met Raglara before, recognized her as an ally from Rayn's mansion and immediately joined the fray.

Now, the situation has taken a turn.

As long as she could hold off these two black-robed assassins for a minute or two, they would be surrounded by the patrol squad.

Claire immediately adopted a strategy of agile combat, focusing on a dynamic of pushing forward when the enemy retreated and pulling back when they advanced, making them suffer.

The commotion naturally attracted the attention of the nearby patrol personnel.

"I'm an Imperial Swordmaster, and these two black-robed individuals are assassins," Olenna exclaimed, having just caught her breath, as she saw a patrol squad approaching.

The guards had already assessed the situation before reaching them.

After all, it was easy to distinguish between two beautiful women and two black-robed figures.

Especially now, with this efficient young lady revealing her identity.

"Surround them!" The lead knight captain ordered, and the guards immediately closed in.

At the same time, the sound of griffins filled the sky as a squad of three griffin riders dove towards them.

This was the defensive capability of the Imperial Capital Tamriel; within two minutes, reinforcements would inevitably arrive.

Upon seeing this, the two black-robed figures went berserk, charging towards the outside in an attempt to break through.

"Pfft!"

Claire seized the opportunity and unleashed a powerful strike, piercing the back of one black-robed figure.

Simultaneously, Raglara, holding a giant shield, swiftly blocked the other black-robed figure, forcing them back.

The black-robed figure's face contorted in despair, and they seemed to bite down on something, causing black blood to flow from their mouth. Their body trembled a few times before collapsing.

The other black-robed figure on the ground revealed a cruel expression and met a similar fate.

"Cultists?" Claire asked, her eyes narrowing.

Only those influenced by cult doctrine could exhibit such fearless fanaticism. Ordinary assassin organizations didn't possess this disregard for death.

At that moment, the griffins landed, and three griffin knights dismounted.

Olenna, being part of the Empire's system, efficiently explained the situation in a few words, saving Raglara, the barbarian female warrior, from having to introduce herself.

Hmm?

From the Swordmaster Headquarters?

The lead griffin knight, a burly middle-aged man with a mustache, listened to Olenna's introduction, and his eyes widened as he sized her up. An apprentice wizard?

Clearly, she was a non-combatant, but as a deputy director of the reception department, this matter required attention.

"Deputy Director Olenna, we'll take it from here. We'll investigate this incident thoroughly."

"I suggest handing it over to the Swordmasters, as I suspect that while I was the target, the ultimate target might be my superior, Lord Rayn." Olenna's expression turned solemn.

"Lord Rayn?" The three griffin knights exchanged glances, surprised that a deputy director of the reception department would mention her superior. Clearly, Lord Rayn held a significant position within the Swordmaster Headquarters.

Moreover, the name 'Rayn' sounded familiar to them.

"Is this the Lord Rayn who defeated Sculptor Harold?" One of the griffin knights, the one with the mustache, asked in surprise.

"Yes, my lord."

"Understood. Deputy Director Olenna, we'll transfer the case to your department once your personnel arrive."

"Thank you for your cooperation," Olenna said with a slight bow.

"Haha, you're too kind."

Olenna approached Claire and bowed slightly, expressing her gratitude:

"You must be Miss Claire. Thank you for your assistance."

Just then, Olenna recognized the young noble woman who had saved her—Claire, whom she had met several times and knew to be close to her superior, Lord Rayn.

On multiple occasions, Lord Rayn had asked her to send messages, warning of cultist attacks.

Moreover, Claire was the legitimate daughter of Count Habsburg and, like Olenna, from Minster Province, making their connection even more intimate.

"Hello, it's me," Claire said, sheathing her longsword and joining Olenna.

However, her gaze shifted from Olenna to the barbarian female warrior nearby.

A woman's intuition told her that the relationship between the barbarian girl and Lord Rayn was not ordinary.

"Hello, I'm Olenna. Thank you for your help," Olenna said, walking over to Raglara and bowing slightly in gratitude.

"Norton Tribe, Raglara."

Hmm?

So, this was the Raglara that the short Matteo had mentioned? Olenna was taken aback and quickly assessed the barbarian girl. With her exotic charm, Lord Rayn certainly had unique taste.

Olenna's beautiful eyes darted between the two girls, and she couldn't shake the feeling that the barbarian girl seemed to have a deep connection with Lord Rayn.

Moreover, the way they looked at each other suggested a special relationship.

This was intriguing.

However, the problem was that Lord Rayn wasn't present, and she was caught in the middle. Olenna quickly decided to divert their attention.

Otherwise, if something went wrong, she wouldn't be able to explain it to her superior.

"Ladies, these are likely cultists. Should we send someone to inform the Swordmaster Headquarters immediately?"

"After the attack, Olenna naturally wouldn't consider going to the camp alone."

The two women, who had been eyeing each other, seemed to have their attention diverted by this question. They nodded in agreement.

Half an hour later, Rayn, Luther, and Halowen, who had received the message, quickly flew back to the manor.

Even before landing, Rayn noticed Claire, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, standing in the manor's courtyard along with Raglara.

His heart skipped a beat. Could it be that these two...

"Ahem, Claire, you're in the Imperial City, and you didn't even tell me," Rayn greeted Claire after dismounting from his gryphon.

"Rayn, it's been a while. I've only recently arrived in the Imperial City. I've been busy consolidating my strength, and I only learned of your presence here yesterday," Claire replied with a slight smile.

"Miss Claire, it's been a while," Halowen said, bowing slightly upon seeing Claire.

As the most promising child of the Minster Duke, he was naturally familiar with Claire, the talented female knight from Minster.

"Good day, Sir Halowen," Claire greeted him with a lady's curtsy.

"Thank you, Raglara," Rayn said.

"Mhm," Raglara, the barbarian girl, simply nodded, not saying much more with outsiders present.

Rayn had initially worried that Claire and Raglara might not get along well, especially since they weren't as close as Anna and Claire.

Moreover, one was a talented female knight, and the other was a rare barbarian female warrior. If they started competing, it would be a real headache for him—a typical 'battlefield of love.'

Fortunately, for now, there didn't seem to be any conflicts between the two.

"Lady Olenna, are you alright?" Rayn asked, approaching Olenna with concern.

"I'm fine, Lord Rayn. Thanks to the timely help of the two ladies, otherwise..." Olenna trailed off.

"It's my fault. Some things are hard to discuss when you come to the headquarters. Also, I was too complacent about the security in the Imperial Capital," Rayn said, feeling somewhat responsible.

It wasn't entirely Rayn's fault. The Imperial Capital Tamriel had strict entry and exit inspections, including spell detection devices. Unknown wizards would undergo thorough checks, including aura inspections, to detect any traces of the gods' unique auras left on those who had participated in prayer ceremonies.

Of course, there were loopholes in all inspections.

If someone had just joined a cult, hadn't yet undergone specific cult rituals, and wasn't a wizard, it would be challenging to detect them.

This was why the two cultists were both knights.

Moreover, they had likely joined the cult recently, so their auras were still relatively pure.

"No, Lord Rayn, it's my fault for being careless," Olenna quickly waved her hand.

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

"By the way, Lord Rayn, I came here after receiving urgent intelligence from Captain Tatiya. She said that the Serpent Cult had sent one of their twelve Serpent Messengers, known as 'Twin Serpent,' to infiltrate the Imperial Capital."

"According to the Intelligence Hall's analysis, there's a 70% chance that you are their target."

Upon hearing Olenna's words, everyone present, including Claire and Halowen, who had been chatting, fell silent and turned their gaze towards Rayn.

Although they weren't aware of Twin Serpent's strength, the fact that the Swordsmen Headquarters had issued an urgent intelligence report indicated that these two individuals were powerful enough to warrant Rayn's attention.

"Oh? Do you have specific information about them?" Rayn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Lord Rayn. I've already gathered the information for you," Olenna said, handing him a document.

Rayn nodded and took the document, beginning to read.

Rayn was quite satisfied with Olenna, his liaison, who had rich work experience and worked well with him. She could often anticipate his thoughts and prepare accordingly.

At that moment, a young man dressed in Swordsmen attire approached the manor's entrance and bowed slightly to Rayn and Olenna. "Lord Rayn, Lady Olenna, although the two assassins have committed suicide, we have confirmed their identities. They were likely members of the Black Flame Cult."

"The Black Flame Cult?" Rayn furrowed his brows.

It seemed that the consequences of the conservative nobles leaking his mission details within the Swordsmen were starting to surface.

Now, two cult organizations had already targeted him.

Perhaps, soon, other cult organizations like the Sea God Cult would follow suit.

He wasn't worried about himself, but the safety of his family and friends was a concern.

This thought prompted Rayn to consider establishing a power base. While he couldn't be everywhere at once to resolve crises, a power base could at least ensure the safety of his loved ones.

For instance, if the cults discovered his relationship with Claire and attacked the Habsburg family residence in Myester, he wouldn't be able to teleport there instantly to handle the situation.

This wasn't the first time Rayn had considered this idea.

However, he had previously believed that one person's energy was limited, and it was impossible to both improve one's strength and build a power base simultaneously.

Even the power base established by the beautiful envoy Jennifer was more of a chamber of commerce, which was different from the kind of power base Rayn envisioned. Perhaps it was just a small part of it.

Speaking of Claire, a sudden thought struck Rayn.

Yes! He could let Claire take the lead in this matter!

As for himself, he just needed to focus on continuously improving his strength.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end