"Damn it! Damn it! Those lowly country bumpkins should all die!"

The Garden People scout, Bobo, was running across the deserted wilderness, cursing incessantly.

A large bump protruded from his head, the result of being struck by a fire poker wielded by a village youth the day before. Thanks to that blow, Bobo had been unconscious all night. By the time he woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. If those villagers hadn't been dead drunk, he wouldn't have been able to escape.

"Just wait until I bring back reinforcements. I'll kill you all!"

"And that Catalina, some knight she is! Can't even handle a bunch of country bumpkins. She might as well change careers and work in a brothel. That body of hers would surely be in high demand!"

The Garden Person's vulgar words flowed endlessly, made all the more grating by his shrill, duck-like voice.

His mood was terrible, and not just because he had been beaten up.

More importantly, the plan to attack the village and frame Princess Kriemhild had completely fallen through. Originally, after completing this plan, he would have been able to collect his reward from the Second Prince and then flee to live a life of leisure. But now, forget about the reward; he'd be lucky if he didn't get a severe scolding.

The thought of having to extend this nerve-wracking undercover life made Bobo's teeth itch with hatred, and his curses became even more frequent, spewing all manner of foul language.

Just then, he spotted a group of riders in the distance, heading in his direction.

The most eye-catching among them was a man in the center of the formation, wearing steel armor and sporting a full beard.

The man had brown hair and eyes, a serious expression, and his imposing figure, standing over six feet tall, exuded a powerful presence. But even more striking than the man was the warhorse he rode.

The horse had six legs, its coat as dark and deep as the night sky. Its eyes burned with a dark fire, and its nostrils occasionally exhaled grayish-black fumes.

The magical beast "Nightmare Steed"!

This was a tameable magical beast, rare in number and formidable in battle, capable of matching an ordinary Grand Knight. Those with the ability to tame such a beast as a mount were even rarer. As far as Bobo knew, there was only one such person.

Roland Ferdinand, a Golden Knight at the mere age of 28.

He was Catalina's teacher and the strongest individual in the Princess's faction.

Reinforcements!

Bobo's face lit up with joy. Waving his short arms in a "friendly" gesture, he eagerly rushed towards the main force.

"Lord Roland has come in person! Hah, just wait and see how I'll report you lot of country bumpkins. You're going to die! All of you!"

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...

Roland's inner turmoil was completely at odds with his calm exterior.

Yesterday, his proud student had set out with a small squad, saying they were going hunting and would be back before dark. Yet here it was, midday of the following day, and there was still no sign of them.

Roland knew his student well. Given Catalina's meticulous nature, if something had delayed them, she would have certainly sent someone back with a message. It was impossible for there to be no news at all.

So there was only one answer: Catalina was in trouble. It was impossible for anyone in this remote backwater to pose a threat to a Grand Knight, so the danger must have come from outside.

(Could it be pursuers again? Tch, they're like ghosts that won't be exorcised.)

To find Catalina's squad, Roland had set out early in the morning with almost all his forces, following their trail.

Finally, after several hours of searching, he saw the Garden People scout running towards him, shouting.

Bobo knelt on one knee before the horse. He was already short, and kneeling like this, he was barely half as tall as one of the Nightmare Steed's legs. Roland could barely see him.

"Lord Roland, you must seek justice for us!"

Bobo, at the horse's feet, wept bitterly as if mourning the death of his parents.

Roland's brow furrowed, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

"What exactly happened? Where's Catalina? Where are the other soldiers? Where did you go yesterday?"

"Lord Roland, we went to the nearby village yesterday. Lady Catalina wanted to requisition some food from the villagers, but those scoundrels not only refused, they even... they even..."

Bobo cried a river of tears and snot, dramatically fabricating a story of rebellious mob, and a righteous, kind-hearted female knight who willingly became a captive because she couldn't bear to harm the villagers. As for himself, he claimed to be a scout who had been beaten to near-death by the mob and had risked his life to return with the news.

"Those rebels completely disregard the kingdom's laws. I'm afraid that Lady Catalina now... now..."

"Enough! Say no more!"

The veins on Roland's forehead throbbed. He never imagined it would be the villagers who had taken action.

When they had discovered the village earlier, they had specifically avoided it and chosen to camp in a cave to keep the villagers out of danger. He never expected the villagers to be so ungrateful.

Roland coldly instructed, "Take me to the village. I want to see just how formidable these rebels are, daring to lay hands on a knight of the kingdom."

"Yes, my lord."

(Haha! He took the bait, this foolish knight.)

Bobo inwardly mocked as he stood up, ready to lead the way.

"That won't be necessary. The rebels you spoke of have come themselves."

In the distance, Siegfried approached quietly, clad in a black robe. He stood alone in the wilderness, blocking the path of dozens of fully armed soldiers. At this moment, all eyes in the field converged on him.

Siegfried glanced at the Garden Person Bobo and spoke in a flat tone:

"Your acting skills are not bad, almost as good as mine. It's just that the plot is too cliché. Anyone could guess what you were going to say."

His face was completely hidden by the hood, his expression unseen.

Roland was inwardly startled. Until Siegfried spoke, he hadn't noticed the other's presence. How could someone evade even the senses of a Golden Knight like himself?

But he showed no sign of this on his face. Astride his magical steed, he looked down and asked, "Are my knight and soldiers in your hands?"

Siegfried pretended to ponder for a moment, then shrugged: "Haven't seen any knight, but I did catch a nest of village bandits trying to rob. I wonder if they're the same people you're talking about?"

Roland let out a cold snort. His eyes narrowed slightly, releasing the powerful aura of a Golden Knight. "I don't know who you are, but I suggest you release them immediately. Considering you're in a remote area and ignorant of the ways of the world, I can overlook this incident."

"Heh, is that so? Well then, I'd like to see how you plan to hold me accountable."

Siegfried removed the hood from his head, revealing his face and black hair. His pitch-black eyes stared at Roland, his face full of mockery.

His appearance did not disappoint. At that moment, he heard the collective gasp of dozens of people. Whether it was his imagination or not, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop.

"Mei... Meilan? How... How is this possible?"

Bobo's short fingers trembled as he pointed at Siegfried, his words a mumbling, dream-like repetition.

Even Roland's impassive, bearded face now showed signs of wavering. Now he finally understood how his student had fallen to a group of rural villagers.

In that village lived a monster, a monster capable of crushing thousands of troops.

Roland was a Golden Knight, a Golden Knight who had been to the front lines of the Human-Demon War. His experiences and knowledge far surpassed those of Catalina.

Roland knew that the Meilan family had a tradition: before becoming a Hero, each Meilan would travel across the continent. During this long journey, they would rapidly increase their strength, gather like-minded companions, and forge their own "Holy Sword".

And when all these goals were achieved, a Hero would be born.

[Hero] was the pinnacle of the human species, an extraordinary individual capable of sweeping away armies and overturning the world.

The ferocious and mighty beastmen, the magic-proficient elves, and even the powerful and ancient dragon race would bow their proud heads before a Hero. Heroes were the greatest weapon used by beings of the Order alignment to combat demons and magical beasts, and the only existence capable of challenging a Demon King.

At this moment, Roland fell into deep thought. He was considering how many lives it would cost to snatch Catalina back from the hands of this Meilan.

On the other side, Siegfried's legs were also feeling weak. Ever since that knight called Roland had released his powerful aura, his skin had been covered in goosebumps, and he wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run.

At this moment, Siegfried was also lost in thought. He was considering how he could beg for mercy without losing face if a fight really broke out.

On the open wilderness, the silence was so complete you could hear a pin drop.