Badge in Azure

Chapter 451: Night Raid (Part 1)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Lex’s expression calmed down gradually. She looked at Saleen and asked, “Nailisi was bullied, aren’t you angry?”

Saleen felt helpless as he still could not tell Lex about Nailisi’s identity and that did not relate to trust. Nailisi actually relied upon him. Once she exposed her identity, he was afraid that all mages on the mainland would develop an interest in her.

“Lex, don’t listen to Nailisi. Jola does not have the guts to.” Sika suddenly spoke.

Nailisi sent a glare at Sika, but did not do any other action. Lex was shocked and stunned. She suddenly felt that everyone around Saleen was a little weird and she could not understand them.

The atmosphere was awkward and Saleen could only focus on the environment around, but not chat with Lex. It was an ancient road built with Cloudflow’s method. Although it was a mountain road, not even a blade of grass grew after thousand of years passed. Both sides of the road had thick forest. Such environment was best suited for robbery.

In the north of Titan Duchy, there were few streams, but a lot of mountains. The space between cities was huge. The spaces were filled with mini fortresses in the villages and a lot of low level nobles.

They owned a few hundred of the wine cellars in Bordeaux, most of them were lordlings. The lordlings were very rich and they could afford a private army. Theoretically, there should not be space for such robbers to make a living.

The way Titans treated robbers was more brutal compared to the Qin Empire. Basically, once all captured robbers were sentenced, they would be fed to the magic beasts. The gang was probably linked up with the local lordlings.

The troops went through Pheonix and did not draw anyone’s attention. They changed their horses in Kroranian and there was not anyone that knew Lex’s identity. As long as their stratagem was not aimed at Lex, there should not be too much trouble. Maybe these lordlings wanted to plunder traveling merchants with dirty tricks.

The sky grew dark and the swordsman riding along the carriage asked softly, “Your Highness, do you want to continue or to take a break?”

“Anywhere to rest?”

“Five miles to the south, there is a small castle. The owner is a baron.”

“There’s only one place to stop around here?” Saleen asked.

“Titan doesn’t allow the farming household to play host to travelling merchants. That is a noble’s right. Of course, that’s also part of the income for nobles.” Lex explained to Saleen.

“We should continue then.” Saleen suggested.

“There’s another day to the Princess’ Castle. Even if we changed to skeleton warhorses, we need another half a day’s time. Why?”

“That bunch of robbers want us to go into the castle. The nobles here are linked up with them.”

“A baron’s castle, any larger scale wouldn’t exceed a hundred people. We can totally wipe them out if bothered.” Lex looked at Saleen, waiting for his reply.

“Maybe that baron was pushed out for dead and he himself didn’t know. If it really happened, the Princess’ Castle would send an army to encircle and annihilate us. By then, the only way for us to get out of this, is to reveal your identity.”

“Saleen, you are now a qualified partner.” Lex laughed. What Saleen thought of, she had already envisioned. The gang made an appearance to plant fear in their troop. They appeared at such a location at this very moment to play around with human psychology. It was to make them spend a night at the castle and assumed that it would be safe.

That was not the worst. The worst was, the castle itself was a trap, but one could not touch it. Once in contact with the baron in the castle, Lex and the rest would be framed as robbers or the robber that killed the noble. By then, there would be local robbers that appeared to testify, Lex would not be able to speak in self-defence.

Revealing the series of stratagem would be useless. Once going in, it would be difficult to escape.

“Everyone work slightly harder, we will hurry on our journey.” Lex spoke to the people outside. She came to Titan to look for the remains of the third temple, not to be there to ask for trouble. With the capability of her troop, they would still be able to if they did not attack the city. The impregnable pass of Titan would be the line of the Princess’ Castle, to prevent the Tanggulasi Empire. The East did not directly connect with the Qin Empire. Lex could flee back anytime, without being besieged by a huge army.

“Tell everyone, if we encounter what happened during day time again, kill everyone.” Lex said and started meditation.

She felt great meditating in the magic chariot, just like she was back in the magic tower. Although the effect was vastly different, there was a similarity. That was that mage could wake up from meditation anytime to join a battle.

A thousand meters high in the sky, a flying puppet was trailing Saleen’s magic chariot until they climbed over a red mountain range. Among the wild faraway, there was a bunch of robbers gathering around a gray robed mage.

The mage was about sixty years old and there were two magic symbols on the gray robe. The leader of the robbers that was wearing a long pink robe asked, “Mister mage, did they not go to the baron’s castle?”

“No, they went to the west. They already passed Red Earth Ridge.”

“What nerve! They dare to go on with their journey through the night.” The leader of the robbers was upset. For the operation, the gang used all their strength. If they failed, all the invested gold coins would go down the drain.

“They are lacking courage, Argus, you made it too obvious,” the mage said casually and destroyed the magic array. The ground and the flying puppet in the sky immediately turned and flew back.

The leader of the robbers flushed and said, “I never expected them to be that smart.” Then, realized that he did it too casually. If the other party carried treasure, why would they lower their guard.

“No worries. Send the double faced strong calvary. After the Red Earth Ridge is flatland. Fighting against strong calvary, no one would be able to escape.

“Mister mage, we need to use the double faced strong calvary already?” The leader of the gang was not keen. The double faced strong calvary was the foundation of the gang. They relied on the double faced iron riders to wipe out the nobles when they encircled them.

“These people didn’t stint their horses and are rushing towards the Princess’ Castle. With their speed, they will be able to reach it before sunrise and those horses will be done too.”

“If so, mister mage, please help me send out the orders.” The leader of the robbers did not hesitate. Once those people entered the territory of the Princess’ Castle, he would not be able to take any action. Although the Princess’ Castle did not belong to the seat of the Grand Duke, it had a thousand strong calvary with another two regiments of elite infantry. Three thousand soldiers were definitely not something a gang like his should offend.

No matter how strong the background of the gang was, they could not strike at the Princess’ Castle. To attack the Princess’ Castle, not only was that provoking the Grand Duke, it was also humiliating the royals in the the Cloudflow Empire. Although they were linked with Cloudflow, there were some things that could not be touched.

Rumors said that there was another princess that was to be married to Titan again. The feudal estate should be around the Princess’ Castle. The hornet nest could not be stirred. Whoever touched it was said to die.

The mage seemed to read through the concern of the leader. Then, he replied with a poker face, “Argus, you have invested a lot. Even if you don’t take action, I would still take my share.”

“I understand. Send down the order, please.”

“Mm.” The gray robed mage nodded and started to set up a magic array. He wanted to send updates to the double faced strong calvary that was waiting in ambush. The normal way would not work. If they sent people to send the letter, they might not be able to catch up with the troop.

After the magic chariot climbed passed the red mountain range, it was flatland and the troop slowed down. They did not continue to rush their journey.

“Rest here.” Lex took back the original order. Her swordsmen did not find it weird. During the march, such changes were common. The commander in chief would change the plan according to actual situations.

The campsite was built up quickly. Although it was only a campsite for about twenty of them, there were eight tents. There was an enclosure built on both sides with dried branches. The branches were sharpened into spikes to prevent any attack by calvary.

The real defence was the magic traps set up at the outer border of the campsite. Almost half of the total number of Lex’s troops were mages, accompanied with two high level swordsmen and two Black Metal Grand Swordmasters. To set up the magic traps was too easy, a chain trap heavily protected the campsite. Even if there was a strong mage on the other party, it would be impossible for them to sneak into the campsite without contacting the traps.

The two grade-4 mages inserted a few wooden sticks into the ground faraway. There were gems inlaid on top of these sticks. They were a mage’s detection magic eye. Just like a magic staff, they were precious equipment. The needed wood and the gems were extremely special.

Finished setting up, Saleen could only leave the magic chariot, everyone in the chariot were women. If they spent the night, it would not be too convenient if he stayed back. Although they stayed together for long in the hell of god’s punishment, this was the Myers Mainland. If Saleen stayed in the carriage, he did not know what Lex’s swordsmen would think of him.

Saleen did not get on the other magic chariot, but sat at the entrance of the campsite instead. Looking at the flatland from far, he started daydreaming.

It would definitely be an unrestful night. Saleen did not understand what was wrong with the troops that they got under people’s watch. There were only two good wagons and there were not deep tracks. What did the robbers actually find out?

There was no problem with the carriages, the problem lay in the ten high level swordsmen. The swordsmen’s armor was too expensive, if every one of their armors were to be sent to the store, they could sell for tens of thousands of gold coins. With such swordsmen guarding carriages, the robbers would of course treat them as a piece of fat meat. Saleen used the water flame alchemy skill to make magic armor for Lex. Although he tried his best to hide the element fluctuations that the armour gave out, it could not be hidden from mages that were higher level.

The robbers did not come up with an evil plan at the last moment. The moment Saleen’s troop entered Titan Duchy, the news was sold. If Saleen’s troop were to go to south after they entered Titan, they would have been in trouble.

As the north of Titan was always calm, there was not any big gangs, it was safe all the way. The speed that they were on their journey was quick, the only northwest gang hid in ambush multiple times but missed the chance. There were mages that came along, the mage in the gang did not let the flying puppet fly too close. They could not get a hold onto their exact route.

After a few mistakes, the gang immediately changed their plan and wanted to deceive Saleen and his troop to the baron’s castle while they laid an ambush there.

Saleen did not know about that, but he knew when he get to the Princess’ Castle, he would be safe. There were another three hundred miles of the journey left. Even if they did not change to skeleton warhorses, the troops needed another half a day to get there.

Provided that, they went through the night.

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