Chapter 444: Handing Over the Person

Although the denizens of Shore City had grown accustomed to the sight of griffins, this marked the very first time they witnessed a flock of ten soaring into the city simultaneously, casting their shadows over Shore Keep.

The ten unfamiliar griffins landed within the castle grounds uninvited, immediately raising the guards' alarms as they surged forward to surround Gareth and his retinue.

Yet, facing these newcomers, they dared not strike precipitously.

A griffin was no ordinary mount that common folk could ever hope to possess.

The captain of the guard, a high knight, summoned his courage and bellowed, "Who goes there? Do you possess a letter of introduction?"

Gareth merely cast a contemptuous glance and deigned no reply.

Beside him, Geman, his officer of the guard, barked sharply, "This is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! Why have you not rushed to report his arrival and bid the master of this keep come forth to greet him?"

The guards exchanged glances, frozen in a state of utter bewilderment.

The title of Crown Prince carried an intimidating weight.

Whoosh!

Just then, a fierce gust of wind swept past, and Rydal, who had been training on the drilling grounds beside the castle, stepped through the air to alight directly before the crowd.

Gareth narrowed his eyes, his heart sinking.

He had never seen this red-haired man before, yet the stranger had traversed the air, clearly demonstrating the prowess of a Silver Moon rank.

Beyond Ronin and Rulance, how could the Mountain Domain possess another Silver Moon knight unknown to him?

Brawl also betrayed a look of astonishment; he had encountered Rydal back in Black Python City, where he assumed the man was merely a Meteor knight, never expecting him to be of the Silver Moon rank.

The waters of the Mountain Domain—or rather, the depths of Ronin—seemed altogether too profound.

Meanwhile, the captain of the guard looked relieved, glad that someone capable of making decisions had finally arrived to spare them from their predicament.

"Lord Vice Commander, they trespassed directly into the castle and claim that this gentleman is the Crown Prince!"

Rydal waved his hand, signaling the guards to stand down, before turning his gaze upon Gareth. "To brazenly intrude upon a noble's castle without my lord's invitation or a letter of introduction of your own—what manner of conduct is this?"

Though the adage went, "The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal," Rydal's absolute composure while facing ten men alone took everyone by surprise.

"What magnificent spirit!"

Gareth sneered. "What, the Mountain Domain can openly assault the lands of other nobles, yet we are forbidden from landing within your castle?"

Rydal was about to speak when he was interrupted by a chorus of footsteps, followed closely by Ronin's voice.

"When has the Mountain Domain ever openly assaulted the territory of another noble?"

Ronin had been in the backyard learning from Sophia how to forge resilient steel using the earth's core fire, only to have his studies disrupted by these ten griffins.

He stepped forward. "Your Royal Highness, one may eat haphazardly, but one must never speak recklessly. To utter such words without a shred of evidence—may I understand this as a public slander against the Mountain Domain?"

Gareth glanced at Ronin, then at Rydal, before finally fixing his eyes upon Sophia standing behind Ronin, feeling a subtle pressure in his chest.

Before him stood two Silver Moon knights and a Grand Mage; such combat power demanded utmost caution anywhere in the world.

Yet Gareth remained unafraid, for his own strength was by no means lacking.

Aside from himself, his subordinates Brawl and Jesus were Meteor knights, while the remaining four were of the Gold rank.

If a true battle ensued, the mage's capabilities would be restricted, leaving them to deal only with Ronin and Rydal.

"The town of Tars was bombarded by the magic 'Flame God's Roar,' resulting in countless casualties. Looking across this entire region, who else possesses the strength to accomplish such a feat besides Lady Sophia behind you?"

Sophia's delicate brow furrowed slightly; she had not expected her magic to draw a troublesome figure like Crown Prince Gareth. Had she known, she would have opted for a less recognizable spell.

Yet to judge her guilty based solely on a single spell was far too tenuous.

Opening her red lips, she questioned coldly, "Could

He did not believe that the royal family would truly sever ties with the Wu Shan territory.

After all, the king had just announced plans to marry into the Wu Shan family, and cooperation was underway. Suddenly declaring them as traitors would be a tremendous blow to the king's prestige.

"Alright, alright, everyone should calm the anger in their hearts!"

At this moment, Broll stepped forward. "Roan is also about to become the husband of the princess. In essence, we are all one family—what's so good about fighting and killing?"

He walked between the two of them. "I think it's best for everyone to sit down and talk, don't you agree?" (End of chapter)