Xiao Jie’s calm facade cracked for a moment, his voice rising with sharp authority. “What did you say?! Just who are you to make such a claim?”

His mind raced as he recalled the words of Gilles, who had warned of Luo Yang's impending downfall before his passing.

The tension in the room thickened as the soldiers exchanged anxious glances, their grips tightening on their weapons. Some shifted uncomfortably, their unease growing at the implication of Richard’s words. The air buzzed with an unspoken question: was this man speaking the truth, or was he trying to provoke them further?

“We said it, didn’t we? We’re adventurers hailing from Acacia Town,” Richard replied calmly, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers with a sneer, clearly enjoying their visible unease.

“Oi, oi, Richard, is it really okay to just spill this information in front of everyone?” Milli whispered, leaning closer to him, her tone laced with concern.

Xiao Jie’s jaw tightened as he took a deep breath, his attempt to maintain composure evident. After a brief pause, he raised his hand with authority. “Men, leave this room.”

The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances, murmuring among themselves as they hesitated for a moment. But Xiao Jie’s commanding presence quickly silenced them. “Yes, General!” they replied in unison, filing out of the room until only Richard’s group and Xiao Jie remained.

Xiao Jie still harbored another pressing question: why did the girl before him bear such a resemblance to the Queen? He didn’t want his soldiers overhearing this line of inquiry, so he dismissed them under the pretext of discussing the dragon matter privately.

“We need to save the princess, and since this guy is the Grand Commandant, we might as well tell him outright,” Richard said.

Milli raised a finger, ready to argue, but she knew Richard wasn’t wrong in this case. Letting out a small sigh, she lowered her hand and gave up.

“Tell me honestly, how reliable is this information? How did you come by it? I will not tolerate any trickery or lies,” Xiao Jie demanded, his tone sharp and unwavering.

“The southern villages were destroyed by dragons—and not just lesser ones. We fought an adult dragon back in Meng Jin village,” Richard replied calmly.

“If this is true, then why are you so certain that dragons will invade Luo Yang?” Xiao Jie pressed, his voice filled with tension.

“Adult dragons don’t leave their territories without reason. They all serve under the command of the Dragon King Shinal,” Richard explained, his expression dark.

Xiao Jie frowned, his thoughts racing. “If this is accurate, we’ll need to tighten security at the borders immediately,” he thought, already strategizing.

“Tell me,” Richard continued, his tone suddenly sharper, “the dragon you claimed to have slain—did it use [Domination Magic]?”

“No, it did not,” Xiao Jie replied, slightly caught off guard.

“That confirms it,” Richard said with a smirk. “The one you fought had just barely reached adulthood. You got lucky.”

“What did you say?!” Xiao Jie’s eyes widened in shock.

“All adult dragons know [Domination Magic],” Richard explained calmly. “They use it in conjunction with their elemental abilities to enhance their offensive and defensive capabilities. It’s their signature skill.”

“And are you implying that your group not only survived an encounter with an adult dragon but also managed to kill it?” Xiao Jie asked, his tone filled with disbelief.

“We did,” Richard said with unwavering confidence. “And we’re planning to save your princess from the dragon invasion as well.”

Xiao Jie’s eyes narrowed as he caught onto Richard’s choice of words. “You referred to her as the princess, yet she has already ascended the throne and is now the queen. Does this mean your intention is to save her alone, rather than the kingdom of Luo Yang as a whole?”

Richard felt a mix of admiration and dread. Admiration because this Grand Commandant wasn’t just muscle—he had sharp instincts. Dread because learning the princess had already become queen confirmed the Dragon King’s invasion was imminent.

“That’s right,” Richard replied, his voice calm yet firm. “At this point, no one can save Luo Yang once the Dragon King begins his assault.”

Xiao Jie’s eyes narrowed further. “You’re no mere adventurers if you possess this kind of knowledge. Tell me—who are you?”

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“Our identities don’t matter,” Richard said, meeting Xiao Jie’s gaze without hesitation. “But I’ll tell you this: I’ve faced the Dragon King before. That’s how I know his tactics.” His fist clenched tightly, a flicker of old scars and memories visible in his tense posture.

“If you want to protect your queen, you’d best heed my words. Get her out of Luo Yang—and do it fast. The moment she ascended the throne, the clock started ticking. It may already be too late.”

“I have another question, who is this little girl? Why does she resemble our Queen? I have seen another girl resembling our Queen as well, there must be something going on.” Xiao Jie asked, looking at Regina.

“I can’t tell you more right now. Whatever I’ve said—you decide whether it’s real or fake,” Richard stated flatly as he stood up and began heading toward the door.

“Eh? You’re leaving just like that?” Milli asked, quickly getting up from her seat to follow him.

“The discussion’s over. I’m tired of talking,” Richard replied, his tone dismissive as he kept walking.

Milli hesitated briefly but then turned toward Xiao Jie and gave a quick bow. “Thank you for your time, General,” she said before hurrying after Richard.

Regina and Zafir, both looking uncertain, exchanged a quick glance. Regina trailed behind Milli, while Zafir paused for a moment, his gaze flickering between Xiao Jie and his companions, before following suit.

“Wait!” Xiao Jie suddenly called out, his voice firm as he stopped Richard in his tracks.

Richard paused but didn’t turn around. He had an inkling of what was coming.

“I want to have a duel with you!” Xiao Jie declared, his gaze intense.

Richard turned to face Xiao Jie fully, his expression unreadable. He had anticipated this might happen.

Xiao Jie wasn’t someone who enjoyed fighting, but in that moment, he believed testing Richard’s strength would reveal whether his words held any truth. If they were truly capable of facing the Dragon King’s invasion, it would show in the way they fought. A clash of fists would speak louder than words.

“Fine by me,” Richard said, his voice steady.

Without further delay, they moved to the garden, where the space was far larger and more suitable for a duel. The soldiers followed behind, gathering at the side, their eyes fixed on the two figures preparing for the confrontation. The atmosphere grew tense as they watched, waiting for the clash to begin.

Xiao Jie grabbed a spear from one of the soldiers, his grip firm as he prepared for the first strike. “Here I come!” he shouted, charging forward with controlled speed, aiming the spear at Richard’s shoulder.

Richard, his expression calm, sidestepped effortlessly, the spear missing him by mere inches. As Xiao Jie’s momentum carried him forward, Richard swiftly executed a low sweeping kick, aiming to trip him.

Reacting quickly, Xiao Jie lowered the spear to strike the ground, halting his momentum just in time. With a swift motion, he lifted his left leg, attempting to stomp down hard on Richard’s exposed leg.

But Richard was faster. He rolled backward, one of his legs straightened mid-roll, aiming a quick kick toward Xiao Jie’s jaw. Xiao Jie, sensing the attack, backstepped just in time, tilting his head back and narrowly avoiding Richard’s kick by mere inches.

The soldiers standing at the side were in awe at how quick Richard’s movements were. Every strike from Xiao Jie was met with a swift counter, and though they had hoped their general would crush Richard, they couldn’t help but admire the stranger’s skill and strength.

Zafir and Regina’s eyes widened in surprise. They hadn’t expected Richard, who was so adept with ranged weapons, to be so proficient in melee combat as well.

Zafir focused intently, trying to memorize the movements, hoping to learn from Richard’s martial arts.

“If you’re just trying to gauge my strength by going easy on me, I’ll leave this pointless battle,” Richard said, his tone sharp.

“I apologize,” Xiao Jie said, returning the spear to the soldier. He then unsheathed his weapon, Zhan Lu, a blade bestowed upon him by the late king.

“This time, I’ll come at you for real,” Xiao Jie declared, his eyes sharpening. “Here I come!”

Xiao Jie charged forward, swinging his sword horizontally in a swift, beheading strike.

Richard reacted quickly, lowering his body and raising both fists, aiming to strike at Xiao Jie’s torso.

In response, Xiao Jie released one hand from his sword’s hilt, but his other hand remained tightly gripping Zhan Lu. With impressive speed, he used his arm to block Richard's powerful strike.

As Zhan Lu was still mid-swing, Xiao Jie swiftly altered the trajectory of his blade, aiming to cleave Richard.

Richard reacted just in time, leaping back to narrowly avoid the deadly strike.

"Is fighting bare-handed your forte, adventurer?" Xiao Jie asked, his tone more focused.

"No," Richard replied, his voice calm.

Xiao Jie, sensing Richard's resolve, grew more serious. He charged in with a [Three-Fold Slash], each strike coming faster than the last. Richard barely managed to evade them all, but Xiao Jie pressed on, relentless in his assault.

Forced into a corner, unable to dodge to the side any longer, Richard quickly drew his gun. With a swift motion, he parried Xiao Jie’s blade with the weapon, the sound of steel against metal ringing out.

"That is a strange weapon you have," Xiao Jie said, his curiosity piqued. He had never seen such a weapon before.

"It's my masterpiece," Richard replied, his tone casual.

Xiao Jie observed how Richard effortlessly dodged his relentless assault. Despite the intensity of the fight, Richard appeared unfazed, not a drop of sweat on his brow. It was clear to Xiao Jie now—Richard was either on par with his skill level or might even surpass him.

"I concede this duel," Xiao Jie said, sheathing his sword, a rare admission of respect in his voice.

"No way... The General admitted his defeat?" the soldiers murmured among themselves, their voices filled with disbelief. They couldn’t fathom that their respected Grand Commandant, who had seemed to be overwhelming his opponent, would concede in a duel.

"Seeing your skills, I believe your story," Xiao Jie said. "I do hope we meet again, under different circumstances."

He then turned to his soldiers. “Men, prepare to depart. We’re heading back to Luo Yang!”

“Yes, General!” the soldiers shouted in unison, quickly preparing to leave.

"Amazing! I didn’t know you were also skilled in melee combat!" Zafir said. "You handled that general with ease!"

"It was nothing; he wasn’t going all-out either," Richard replied casually.

"If he had applied to be an adventurer, he’d easily rank as a second-highest orichalcum adventurer, maybe even adamantite, the highest rank!" Milli boasted.

"Amazing..." Zafir said, now holding Richard in even higher regard.

"What rank would I be if I applied?" Zafir asked, curiosity in his voice.

"Maybe silver—the second-lowest rank at most," Milli replied.

Seeing Zafir’s slight dejection, she added, "Don’t worry. You’re still new to all this. If you keep improving, you’ll definitely get better!" She gave him a comforting pat on the back.

“I will escort you to Luo Yang, all the way to the palace, where you will meet the Queen and my sworn brother, the Grand Court Wizard,” Xiao Jie offered.

“Wow, that’d be a great help!” Milli exclaimed, her voice cheerful.

“Do you know how to ride a horse?” Xiao Jie asked, looking at the group.

“I don’t,” Zafir admitted, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

“You can ride with me, then,” Milli said with a grin. “Regina can ride with Richard.”

With Xiao Jie’s soldiers providing additional horses, the group mounted up. Zafir awkwardly climbed onto Milli’s horse, holding on tightly as she took the reins. Regina hesitated for a moment before allowing Richard to help her onto his horse.

Once everyone was ready, they set off toward Luo Yang, the sun beginning to set behind them.