1novels 019, City Defense Army
019, City Defense Army
Xinlai urged the carriage to speed up and quickly head towards the castle.
It can only be said that some things are destined to remain unchanged. Just now, while I was entangled with Vivian, the sky had quietly darkened.
But Xin Lai felt she got away with this "I'm my brother" act.
At least he figured out why Simeon was so fixated on Eve.
However, whether or not to continue developing a relationship with Vivian is something she needs to carefully consider.
If he could truly develop her into his bedmate and make it a fait accompli, then even if Vivian knew he wasn't Simeon, she would be powerless to stop him.
But if Vivian has already noticed something amiss, and Xinlai then goes to her doorstep willingly, it would be tantamount to suicide.
After all, he knew Simien's character all too well; he was greedy by nature and had an incredibly strong possessive streak.
If he finds out that his brother slept with his lover, Xin Lai probably won't see the sun rise the next day.
Ok……
He needs to find a way to get Vivian to come to him on her own initiative...
"Sizzle—"
The carriage suddenly braked without warning.
Xinlai, along with the items in the carriage, was caught off guard and tumbled forward. The horses neighed and pawed at each other in alarm.
Xinlai quickly grabbed the handrail to steady herself, nearly hitting her head on the carriage beam.
"..."
He frowned, somewhat annoyed, and wanted to lift the curtain to see what was going on.
The flags representing the Golden Glory Royal Family that were planted on the carriage are no longer effective?
He stopped abruptly as soon as his hand touched the curtain.
Normally, the carriage runs smoothly and rarely goes wrong. Unless there are special circumstances, it is impossible for it to brake so suddenly.
Xinlai alertly withdrew her hand, placed it on the hilt of her sword, sat back in her original position, and listened intently to the sounds outside.
Because Hamilton Magic Academy occupies a very large area, it was located in the outskirts of the royal city, separated from the bustling areas of the royal city by a considerable green belt.
At this moment, the carriage was stopped here.
"Stop the car for routine inspection."
"We are the National Security City Defense Force. We have received information that there are signs and auras of a witch in the royal city. We need to search your carriage now."
National Security City Defense Force?
How did this elite guard, which is directly under the command of King Bemmilth, end up here?
Could it be that someone with ulterior motives has already reported that Eve is still alive?
Xin Lai immediately became serious, waiting for the other party's next move.
Logically speaking, only Sinley, Simeon, and Lorenz should know that Eve is still alive.
Simeon cannot be exposed, because that would prove he didn't realize yesterday morning that he had killed a fake witch, which would affect his reputation.
Lorenz is unlikely to be the one; he might still be searching for Eve's whereabouts thousands of miles away from the capital...
If it had been reported by someone inside Sinlai Castle, he probably wouldn't be alive now; he would have been caught and interrogated within the academy.
Thinking about it this way, the city defense army's words are full of loopholes.
Before Xinlai could speak, the coachman had already questioned her:
"Are you blind? Didn't you see what's stuck on the carriage?"
The leading city defense soldier snorted coldly, showing no fear whatsoever, and shouted loudly:
"Witches are extremely dangerous. Even princes have to be investigated by the city guards. Who knows if a prince might harbor a witch for his own selfish gain?"
"..."
Xinlai frowned.
Without any concrete evidence, aren't you afraid he'll sue you for false accusation and subject you to a massacre?
Xinlai suspected that the city guards were probably imposters, but to be absolutely sure, she decided to test their strength.
With a "clang," Xin Lai drew her longsword, the sound of the blade scraping against the scabbard particularly clear in the confined space.
The city guards outside immediately stared at the carriage with alertness, each gripping their sword hilts tightly, ready to rush forward and kill.
The driver also sensed the tense atmosphere and froze in place, afraid to move, nervously observing the situation around him.
"Oh well, they're just a bunch of rabble."
Xinlai heard the sound of the weapon breaking and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
If it is a regular national security city defense force, during a routine inspection, if they encounter a citizen carrying a weapon and showing a tendency to attack, they should issue three warnings. Only if all three warnings are ignored will they proceed to the stage of fighting with knives.
But the fact that no warning was heard and a state of alert was immediately put on the spot can only prove that this group of National Security City Defense Army soldiers is indeed fake.
Having confirmed her identity, Xin Lai paused for a moment, then her light, airy voice drifted from inside the carriage:
"Who gave you the audacity to check my car?"
The leading city defense soldier paused for a moment, then his expression hardened:
"This is just a routine check, Your Highness, please cooperate—"
Before she finished speaking, Xin Lai used the tip of her sword to lift a corner of the carriage curtain, revealing her leather boots and half of her body.
"Sure, no problem. Send someone in to take a look."
"you……"
This unexpected cooperation caused the city defense troops to hesitate noticeably, their words stuck in their throats.
Even though Xinlai had clearly stated that an inspection was permissible, the city guards stood rooted to the spot, exchanging bewildered glances, none daring to step forward and cause trouble.
"What?" Xin Lai lowered the carriage curtain, casually crossed her hands and placed the longsword on the hilt, positioning it upright in the center of the carriage.
"Are you afraid of being executed by me upon entering? Or are you afraid that if nothing is found, your whole family will be buried with you?"
Seeing Xin Lai's arrogance, the leading city defense soldier, emboldened by some unknown source, directly challenged her:
"Prince, your status is too high for us to approach, but you may draw back the curtain so we can inspect you..."
"Whoosh—"
Xin Lai flung open the carriage curtain, revealing the interior of the carriage to everyone in its entirety.
A clean car seat that can be used for both sitting and lying down, a few legrests, and a wooden table with vases and miscellaneous items.
Apart from that, there was nothing there.
Xin Lai sat upright in the car seat, her expression stern.
"How's it going? Have you found anything?"
He stared at the man, then suddenly stood up and steadily stepped off the carriage.
"this……"
The leading National Security City Defense Army soldier was clearly stunned by Xin Lai's demeanor. He was only ordered to stall for time, but he did not expect to provoke Xin Lai to get out of the car.
"Your Highness...we were too forward. You really didn't need to..."
The city's garrison, led by Xin Lai, was so intimidated by her imposing presence that they took several steps back, their hands no longer resting on their weapons.
Xinlai didn't give him a chance to explain. She planted her left foot firmly, then pushed off with her right, charging forward in a single stride—
Spinning Slash lv.5.
Swah——
A flash of white sword light streaked past, and the head of the leading city defense soldier, his face still filled with fear and shock, flew high into the air, rolling to the ground with a trail of blood, startling everyone into retreating.
Xinlai sheathed her sword, wiped away the blood, and returned it to its sheath.
"You! How dare you attack the city defense forces! Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle immediately!"
The people around quickly drew their longswords and pointed them at Xin Lai.
"Oh? The city defense force? You dare to impersonate the city defense force?"
"Tap, tap, tap"
Xinlai's leather boots pounded heavily on the ground as he approached the crowd surrounding him.
These rabble, armed with weapons, dared not step forward to stop him, their swords merely decorative in fear of Xinlai.
Xin Lai knew these people wouldn't dare touch him, so he approached one of them, pressed his longsword against his chest, and said in a deep voice:
"Stab! Stab it!"
"Third Prince, I, I..."
"Snap"
A sharp slap resounded across the man's face, and the longsword in his hand clattered to the ground.
"coward."
"Go back and tell your master that the man just now committed insubordination and deserves to die."
"But considering that you are the Second Prince's people, I can spare your lives."
"Did you hear that?"
The men posing as city guards exchanged glances, thinking to themselves that the Third Prince's ability to guess their identities was truly remarkable...
Besides, the monthly salary is only three hundred silver coins, why risk your life...
Everyone threw their swords to the ground, immediately knelt down, kowtowed, and expressed their gratitude, saying:
"Thank you, Third Prince, for sparing my life! I was very offensive just now, please punish me, Your Highness..."
Xin Lai coldly swept her gaze over these cowards who bullied the weak and feared the strong, then snorted and turned away with a flick of her sleeve.
"Just because I spared you doesn't mean the laws of Asgard have spared you."
"Impersonating city guards for illegal inspections is punishable by hanging; offending the prince is an even greater offense; gentlemen, prepare to go to hell with your families."
Without lingering any longer, Xinlai boarded the carriage, drew the curtain, and instructed the driver to set off.
The intimidated crowd dared not stop them any longer, and the carriage sped through the crowd.
Upon hearing this, Simien's men felt a chill run down their spines, their hair standing on end.
If these were said by other powerful figures, these guys who even dared to impersonate the city guards might not care, since Simien would definitely protect them.
But if it came from the mouth of a third prince of the same rank...
I'm afraid he's really going to lose his head.
……
The carriage quickly returned to the castle.
Xinlai sensed that her soul connection with Eve inside the castle was still clear, and unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
Simeon played this game in an extremely insidious way.
If Xinlai had taken Eve out shopping, even if the people checking outside weren't real city guards, he wouldn't have dared to open the carriage curtain.
This indirectly confirmed that "the prince was hiding a witch," giving Simeon leverage against him.
If Xinlai goes out alone, Simeon can use this group of fake city guards to keep Xinlai occupied, giving him enough time to find Eve in the castle...
Fortunately, Sinley has returned to the castle unharmed, and Eve is also safe and sound.
Sinlaiben was planning to use this to trick Simien when he arrived.
But upon closer reflection, Simeon would never admit that he arranged those people.
Otherwise, his father's wrath would teach him what fatherly love is, and Xinlai would also teach him what it means to be close brothers and keep clear accounts.
Without further thought, Xin Lai unloaded the cultivation resources, gave a few instructions to the servants, and returned to her bedroom.
He deliberately moved quietly and approached the door.
From behind the heavy wooden door came the extremely faint sound of pages turning, and the shy murmurs of a young girl.
"This...this..."
"How can such a thing exist...?"
squeak-
Xin Lai suddenly pushed the door open, and with a cry of "Ah!", a purple-red figure immediately jumped up and ran behind the bookshelf in a panic, disappearing without a trace.
On the ground, two books that had just been taken down from the bookshelf lay scattered, their pages turned a few times by the lingering fragrance of the fleeing author.