Chapter 30: The Girl and Her Knight

The Adventurer’s Guild was far quieter than usual, and the portly receptionist was engaged in a low conversation with Wang Yu.

A bulging purse sat on the table in front of Wang Yu, its contents spilling out to reveal a significant sum of coin.

The receptionist’s eyes betrayed a naked greed, though it was tempered by a sense of helpless resignation.

"I’m sorry, but the kingdom has decreed that during wartime, no one may privately hire mercenaries above the rank of apprentice knight. Furthermore, any mercenary who has attained the rank of formal knight must, if necessary, submit to military conscription."

The fat man felt the sting of his own frustration; this young knight before him was desperate to hire blades and was willing to pay a premium for the privilege.

He would have been more than happy to facilitate the deal and pocket a hefty commission.

"This guy... he really has calculated every single contingency, hasn't he?" Wang Yu felt a wave of weariness; he finally saw the trap for what it was.

Decathlon was no fool. He had accounted for every likely scenario, and breaking this deadlock through conventional means was impossible.

Wang Yu weighed the purse—the proceeds from selling the majority of the magitech devices he had spent the last three months crafting.

He had intended to use this money to hire a few mercenaries of at least apprentice knight rank; if luck were on his side, perhaps even a formal knight.

While mercenaries were rarely reliable—driven, as they were, by coin—they would have at least provided some measure of support.

But it seemed clear now that outside help was out of reach. What, then, could this money be used for?

The goal now was not to save, but to convert this wealth into the living strength of himself and Avia.

Securing the purse, Wang Yu walked out of the guild under the lingering, covetous gaze of the receptionist.

The girl stood waiting by Torret, and Wang Yu offered a helpless smile, shrugging his shoulders.

A look of disappointment crossed her face; seeing his expression, she knew the plan to hire mercenaries had fallen through.

It would be just the two of them, then—and of course, Torret, who was an essential member of their party.

Thinking this, the girl stroked Torret, who nuzzled her hand with uncanny intelligence. She offered a smile that was weary yet comforting.

"Then, Wang Yu, should we get you a full set of knight’s plate armor?" She looked at his leather gear, which remained unchanged, her eyes filled with concern.

It was hard to believe that after a year, he remained her only true support.

"No, there’s no need," Wang Yu shook his head. His current attire was essentially the same as when he had first fought his way out of the thieves' den.

He had merely fashioned a new set of leather armor and added a pair of old knight’s gauntlets; beyond that, there had been no real equipment upgrades.

"But armor like that offers very limited protection against blades..."

The girl seemed anxious. She was right; Wang Yu’s gear offered almost zero defense against swords, and she was deeply worried.

"Look at it this way: a set of iron armor would only increase my defense. When facing enemies that vastly outnumber you, it just means you die more slowly and painfully. It serves no real purpose."

"Wearing this at least ensures my mobility..." Wang Yu patted the shoulder of the girl, whose face was etched with worry.

"At least I have you, don't I? If I end up half-dead and on the brink of collapse, your arcane arts can at least keep me alive," Wang Yu said, waving a hand to reassure her.

"Very well. Based on the intelligence I’ve gathered, most of the private soldiers belonging to the nobility have been conscripted to the front lines. This is the military department’s list."

"I asked Uncle Garcia to help me check. Although his position prevents him from helping us directly, he can at least provide us with some intelligence..." She handed over a list.

Wang Yu took the list, preparing to read it, when the girl seemed to remember something and added a final note.

"Oh, by the way, Garcia mentioned something for you. He said the Night’s Edge has recently discovered traces of void disturbances in the Mine Manor and surrounding areas. It might be an emergency. He specifically asked me to tell you. Does that mean something special?"

Wang Yu froze for two seconds before bursting into laughter. He hadn't realized the "privileges" of the Night’s Edge could be used in such a way.

He hadn't expected Garcia, that stern and reliable knight, to be so cunning.

"Avia, when a place shows signs of a potential void riot, the priority of all other events in that area is relegated to second place."

"In other words, no matter what happens here, it can all be explained away as a 'void riot'."

"After all, the void is synonymous with chaos. It’s hardly surprising if something bizarre occurs, is it? That is one of the privileges the kingdom grants to the Night’s Edge."

As long as it wasn't too egregious, Garcia, as one of the captains of the Night’s Edge, could cover up almost anything.

And "egregious" only really applied to those with the rank of Viscount or higher. He hadn't expected these dirty rules to actually work in his favor.

"Is that so?" Avia quickly grasped the significance.

While Garcia could not help them with his own resources, he could clear the path of any lingering concerns.

One had to admit, the taste of power—when one truly possessed it—was undeniably convenient and exhilarating.

"As it stands, we are the only combatants. The good news is that according to this list and the information provided, Decathlon only has a mass of common soldiers and a handful of apprentice knights."

"All the formal knights have been conscripted to the front lines against Sevintan."

Wang Yu scanned the list, his brow relaxing slightly. This was good news; relatively speaking, Decathlon, with only apprentice-level combatants, was not quite as terrifying...

Lilia Swain was a member of the Tower of Cursed Ones. Unlike Garcia, who might still offer Avia some measure of assistance, Lilia—as a member of the Tower—had long ago taken a vow. She had traded the ability to interfere in political struggles for special power, so her greatest contribution was likely the tutelage she had provided Avia.

It seemed that Avia and Wang Yu were the only ones who could act as combatants in this incident.

Wang Yu’s attributes had all reached the intermediate apprentice knight level, and combined with the abilities granted by his wizard’s path, his combat power was among the best in this tier. It wasn't impossible to create a "miracle."

Of course, the hope was slim. The profession of a knight was very much like its outward appearance: strong physique, exceptional speed, and power, providing a distinct advantage in combat.

But by the same token, their methods of attack were relatively singular. A knight who had not awakened their "inner potential" was easily surrounded and slaughtered when facing a large number of soldiers.

Their destructive power was far inferior to that of a mage of the same rank, which was why mages always held a higher status in the army than warriors.

Though Decathlon lacked formal knight-level combatants, the number of his private soldiers and apprentice knights remained an unknown.

Void power gave Wang Yu more possibilities and flexibility, but he was self-aware enough to know that while one-versus-many wasn't impossible, once he was surrounded, he would be as good as dead.

But it wasn't impossible. Precision strikes, picking them off one by one—it sounded insane, but in the absence of a formal knight who could crush him with overwhelming force, they at least had a fighting chance.

"Wang Yu, wait..." The girl’s voice was filled with worry and tension. "We overlooked one name..."

"Hm? What?" Wang Yu was startled by Avia’s words, and then his heart skipped a beat as he realized what she meant. Was there really no formal knight-level combatant? That was now in doubt.

Yes, Wang Yu had overlooked one name: the Iron-Walled Knight, "Oka." This man, whom Wang Yu had already marked for death, did not appear on the list. This meant...

"Oka’s previous status was that he was executing a mission abroad. In such cases, if the mission is not completed, one can indeed avoid conscription by the kingdom."

"One only needs to pay a hefty sum of money afterward. I didn't expect that Oka would be 'executing a mission' for so long..." The girl’s tone calmed, shedding her panic and worry.

In truth, Avia had always been a strong girl. Her fragility was only ever directed toward those she trusted.

Her soft side was reserved for Wang Yu, her mother, and her aunt—those she truly trusted. This wasn't weakness; it was simply that she felt no need to mask her feelings in front of them.

That was why Wang Yu never worried about her performance in the face of the enemy. He knew that if she chose to, the little mage who was always flustered in front of him could instantly transform back into the warrior who calmly fired her crossbow.

Facing the old steward "Oka," who had betrayed her mother and pushed her into a thieves' den, she felt no panic or tension. The fire Wang Yu had ignited in her chest was burning; though it was hot, she remained calm.

"The Iron-Walled Knight, Oka, is our family’s old steward. He is 79 years old. His physical condition has declined significantly; in terms of raw constitution, he should be about the same as an apprentice knight."

"But he does possess the 'inner potential' of a formal knight. His greatest trait, just like his title 'Iron Wall,' is his specialty in one-on-one duels. He uses his immense defensive power to drag his opponents down until they collapse..."

"That doesn't sound too hard to deal with. So, what is his inner potential?"

Wang Yu hadn't expected that the formal knight he thought would crush him with raw stats had actually weakened due to age. If that were the case, it wasn't an unbridgeable chasm. If he understood the opponent's inner potential, perhaps defeating him wouldn't be so difficult.

"Deadly Tempo. Oka’s inner potential is called Deadly Tempo." Avia didn't look happy about Oka’s decline.

Because inner potential was what truly distinguished a formal knight from an apprentice, much like how battle aura was considered the boundary between a knight’s squire and an apprentice knight.

"Deadly Tempo?" Wang Yu was stunned. Was it the Deadly Tempo he was thinking of? What, was this knight going to get faster and faster the more they traded blows?

"Yes, Ironwall Knight Oka. His specialty is defensive warfare, using his extraordinary resilience to stalemate his opponents and drag them into his own rhythm."

"Once an enemy's movements align with the specific rules he dictates, he gains a sudden burst of speed, while those caught in his tempo find themselves sinking into a quagmire, growing sluggish and slow..."

"His dictates are impossible to guard against; they could be your heartbeat, your breathing rate, the number of sword swings within a minute, or even the rhythm of your dripping sweat..."

Avia’s tone was grave; it was clear she still harbored a deep, lingering dread for her former steward.

"He is indeed a difficult opponent," Wang Yu muttered, clicking his tongue. The inner-rhythm was truly a power worthy of a formal knight.

If he were to fall into a stalemate with Oka, his every action would be drawn into the enemy’s tempo, leading to a total loss of control over the battlefield, and finally, a fatal end.

"Fatal tempo, a fitting name indeed." Wang Yu had to admit that Oka would likely be their greatest obstacle.

But he felt no fear. Every man can be killed; it is merely a matter of probability and, more importantly, method.

Wang Yu’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flickering within them. Sometimes, underhanded tactics were truly the most effective.

He never constrained himself by the morality of his methods. Just as he had set traps for Obi-Wan, he now faced a similar disparity in strength and had to find a way to break the deadlock—the unconventional path was a necessity.

Weighing the heavy pouch of gold coins in his hand, Wang Yu rubbed his chin and asked Avia, "Is there a way to predict the weather for the next few days? A week or so would be ideal."

Avia did not ask why he needed to predict the weather; her trust in Wang Yu was absolute and unconditional.

The brilliance of magic shimmered in her hands. Second-circle spell: Eye of the Firmament. A glowing orb appeared before them, its pupil-less gaze turned toward the heavens.

Second-circle spells consumed far more mental energy and mana than first-circle ones, and were significantly more difficult to master.

Generally, it took a talented mage about three years to advance from the first to the second circle.

In truth, Avia had mastered second-circle casting after only three months of study—a testament to the terrifying nature of the girl’s talent.

As the glowing orb turned its gaze to the sky, it began to shift in color. It first held a dazzling orange-red light, flickering three times at fifteen-second intervals.

Then, it suddenly darkened, turning gray, with a layer of mist forming on its surface, though no rain fell.

After fifteen seconds, the orb turned pitch black and began to shed streams of water, looking as if it were weeping.

It maintained this black, weeping state for a while before flickering three times and dissipating.

The Eye of the Firmament, a second-circle spell with a singular purpose, could predict the weather for the next seven days.

It would be rendered useless by higher-circle weather-altering magic, but clearly, no such spells would be cast in the near future.

The magic revealed the forecast: three consecutive days of clear skies, one day of overcast weather, followed by heavy rain and storms that would persist well beyond the seventh day.

Wang Yu rubbed his chin as a plan took shape in his mind. A rainy night—the perfect battlefield for him. That gloomy evening three days hence seemed the ideal time for their arrival.

These three days would be spent converting the gold into combat power for the two of them.

Wang Yu tossed the bulging coin pouch in his hand. It was heavy, and it would be one of the vital guarantees that turned this seemingly impossible counterattack into reality.

But the foundation remained the combat prowess of himself and Avia. Wang Yu turned to look at her.

Their eyes met. Somehow, despite the impending storm, both of them broke into a smile. There was no need for words; everything was understood.

He mounted Torrent, let Avia sit behind him, and they rode with their fortune toward the nearest alchemist’s shop.

Although the kingdom had conscripted many warriors, the alchemists had been left behind, and they provided exactly what Avia needed.

...

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Gloomy, heavy clouds buried the scorching sun of the previous days deep within the sky.

The world felt dark and deathly silent, the air thick with moisture, as if the heavens were about to break.

The heat had not dissipated, making the air both humid and stifling—a suffocating pressure hung over the manor outside the city.

The guards at the gate of the Mine Manor were miserable and irritable due to the wretched weather.

They were drowsy, yet the physical discomfort made it impossible to truly fall asleep, leaving them in a state of restless agitation.

Suddenly, the sharp sound of hooves echoed from the distance, the rhythmic thudding powerful and swift. A horned horse galloped from the horizon and halted at the manor gate.

Disturbed from his lethargy, a guard asked rudely, "Who goes there? If you have no business, get lost!"

A calm, indifferent voice came from atop the horse. Dressed in formal noble attire, Avia looked down at the insolent guard with icy detachment.

The face that often appeared casual and youthful before Wang Yu now radiated a different kind of majesty.

"The owner of the Mine Manor, Baroness Avia Dofin, has come to reclaim her estate. Guard, have you considered who you are speaking to?"

Her knight had already leaped from the horse, holding the reins to lead his mistress. Wang Yu’s expression was equally cold and stern.

While the girl’s cold beauty was chilling yet aesthetically striking, Wang Yu’s face—not particularly handsome—could only inspire a deep, primal dread.

"I... I," the guard stammered, realizing he had provoked someone he could never afford to offend.

"Enough talk. Go inform the interloper occupying my manor." Without giving the man a chance to explain or tremble further, the Baroness issued her command.

"Y-yes!" The guard scrambled into the manor, tripping over himself to inform the current occupant.

The true mistress of the Mine Manor, the Baroness and her knight, had returned on this gloomy afternoon.

(Haha, in truth, the heroine only shows her vulnerable side to those she trusts. In reality, Avia is a very strong girl.)