Just as Alesia had said before, she returned to Academy City the next day. I asked her to bring Milea with her, just in case, because I didn't plan to return yet.
As I walked through the Capital City's main street, a bustling tapestry of life unfolded before me. People from all walks of life and diverse origins filled the street.
The air was alive with the excitement and energy of the city. The streets teemed with a vibrant mix of races and cultures, each adding its own unique flavor to the bustling atmosphere.
In the distance, the melodic tunes of a bard reached my ears. The music carried on the wind and reached my ears. It was really different from Mia's scream last night. I just didn't want to remember that.
The aroma of delectable street food wafted through the air, enticing passersby with its tantalizing scents. Stalls and carts lined the street, offering an array of culinary delights from various regions and cultures.
Stopping at one stall, I bought a meat skewer and a red juice that tasted like an orange.
The bustling in this city didn't die down even though I created such a loud commotion last night. When I walked past an area where I made the loudest commotion last night, I noticed 11 Kingdom Knights trying to keep civilians away. That was one away from a squad of a dozen knights, but I didn't think much.
They put some kind of blockade around the mansion where Mia had kept Milea earlier. The person in the back was the strongest. His Level was a staggering 50. He was a bit stronger than Sophia.
Looking at how they didn't seem to care about what happened to the area inside the blockade, I assumed they already knew what caused it. Of course, I knew who told them, as a certain person had observed me all night long when I caused the commotion.
I ignored them and continued toward the north gate, which was a bit away from here. Some preparations were needed.
When I walked away, I felt gazes coming from these knights. Their gazes felt like a prick of needles, really unpleasant.
But I couldn't do anything to them. Not in the open, at least. Without my reputation, my long-term plan wouldn't be possible. So I held back for now.
While I was in the Capital City, I considered visiting the place where Sophia, Natasha, and Lea were. It was close to this place, so I should arrive in just a few minutes.
"Have a nice day!"
The guard saw me off with a smile without me showing my ID or Paladin Crest. It seemed like they had my face memorized already. They worked fast, as expected from the capital. Even Academy City needed two days before I got a face pass.
'If I remember correctly, the village should be that way.'
Looking in a certain direction toward the north, I began to run lightly through dense forest. The terrain was bad because I took a shortcut and didn't follow the path, but this would allow me to arrive faster.
After running for a minute, I could see three blue dots on my radar belonging to Sophia and the others and many yellow dots in the surrounding area.
What took my attention was the fact there were two red dots in front of Sophia's dot. Who were they? And why did it turn red even though I had never seen them before?
My question was answered when I used <Appraisal> on them.
"Oh?"
Their titles exposed their identities instantly. Both of them were men around Level 25. Even without Sophia's interference, Natasha and Lea would be able to defeat them easily, as it seemed like both of them got stronger.
In my mind, I had decided that everyone directly connected to that crazy Princess was my enemy, so their dot would turn red on my <Presence Detection> radar if my <Appraisal> confirmed their title to be related to her.
And the one standing in front of Sophia and the other two were the Princess' Royal Guard. Meaning they were that crazy girl's loyal dogs. Now, it seemed like they had a problem with my subordinates.
"What do you mean by that?!"
Hiding behind bushes, I decided to eavesdrop on their conversation. I rolled my eyes as I heard Sophia shout loudly with a feral expression on her face.
"Explain it to me. What do you mean that we are not needed anymore and just leave it to Kingdom Knights? I am sure our mission is to thin out the monsters around this village." The red-haired Half-Beastkin growled.
Natasha and Lea stood behind the tall Sophia, looking unsure of what to do in this situation, and Natasha decided to remain silent while holding Lea's shoulder. That was a good decision. Getting involved in something they didn't have the authority to was just seeking a problem.
The middle-aged knight shrugged his shoulders. He glanced at his partner, someone with full body armor and helmet, for a second before answering.
"It's just as I had said. The Kingdom Knight will take over your duty. We have been ordered to deal with the aftermath, so you can just rest easy and return to Academy City."
"At whose permission?!"
"It's the direct order from the Knight Commander." The middle-aged man smirked. "I think that suffices to make your squad retreat?"
"That…" Sophia couldn't say anything more.
Knight Commander was the highest position that the Kingdom Knight could achieve. They were divided into male and male Knight Corp.
I didn't know the details, but only the Grand Marshal that commanded all Kingdom Knights and worked as King guard in the castle.
'The Knight Commander, huh? I need to remember it and ask Rania later. This man will enter my list as the Princess' dog too.'
How dare they go this far. Kidnapping Milea and turning Mia against me wasn't enough? What was that crazy Princess thinking?
Looking back at Alesia's words yesterday, I became more skeptical and confused about what Carissa had planned. It was all over the place, that I just thought she wanted to mess with me.
Anyway, the man walked away with his partner after they finished. When they were in the distance, I could hear the knight with helmet mutter.
"Is this okay?"
"It's Her Highness' order. Besides, Knight Commander Baryl has also given us a mission. Just remember that we are just a knight, and our loyalty lies in Her Highness."
"I understand."
At the very least, they didn't want to take my merit of defeating Scylla and Crane. If they did that, then I would be mad.
"This is ridiculous."
Sophia kicked the ground in anger. I understood that her pride was hurt because she was asked to return to Academy City without dealing with this village's problem.
"How could I report this to Sir Paladin? He will be disappointed."
The redhead sighed and looked down.
Natasha stepped forward and patted Sophia on the shoulder.
"I think he won't mind about it." She said, trying to console the taller girl. "Knowing Sir Arthur, he will probably just say, 'That's a shame. Good job, Sophia' or something similar."
"That's right."
I showed myself from the bushes, and the three female knights instantly went into a salute position. I was impressed by their speed and smiled at them.
"Let's just return. I have dealt with the source of the problem, so you don't need to feel bad. You've done a great job, Sophia. Of course, Natasha and Lea also did a great job."
"Yes, Sir!" The three of them replied simultaneously.
"Alright." I nodded, "Let's return."
'I probably need to talk about this with Sana. There is something really wrong with the Princess' movement. I am afraid something big will happen in the future.'
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