Chapter 592 – Isgard Gate.

‘They aren’t taking us seriously. The message is clear.’

Roland stood still, watching the soldiers surrounding them. His group numbered around fifty, with five of them being tier three class holders. Their opponents had twice the number of troops, but among them there was only one person at tier three. Still, they possessed a variety of enchanted weapons, and the traps set up around this fake gate could not be dismissed.

‘Do they not care, or was the deception successful?’

The entire city of Albrook was under surveillance through his monitoring devices. Whenever someone passed through the main gate, their mana fingerprint and level were recorded. Even if they wore enchanted items to conceal their status, his runic devices could uncover the truth. This method had exposed numerous spies. Some were eliminated, while others were handled by the maids using various methods before being released with false information. That might have explained today’s treatment, although simple disdain for Arthur’s presence could also be a contributing factor.

“You dare take that tone with Lord Arthur Valerian?”

Regardless of the reason, Roland had to act. As the second in command, he could not allow this insult to Arthur to pass unanswered. It was a direct challenge. As High Knight Commander, it was his duty to respond. He stepped forward toward the man who had asked them to clear the area, ready to deliver a few carefully chosen words.

Roland strode toward the fox-eyed man. Although he wore lighter armor than usual, he still towered over the seemingly unassuming butler. To most people here, the man likely appeared harmless, but Roland could see through the act. He was similar to Mary, a hidden tier three assassin. Without a doubt, he was the strongest person present and likely had a method of escape prepared in case the traps were triggered.

The fox-eyed man’s smile remained, but his posture tensed. He was no fool as he could feel the shift in atmosphere, the invisible weight of killing intent pressing in from Roland’s every step. The knights behind Arthur instinctively tightened their formation, eyes shifting between the gate’s defenders and their commander.

“Now, now.”

The butler said with a practiced chuckle, lifting one gloved hand as if to wave away Roland’s fury like a puff of smoke.

“There is no need for such words. This is just a simple matter of logistics. I’m sure the young lord will understand…”

“Silence. Show some respect.”

Roland’s voice turned colder, infused with his intimidation skill. The tier two soldiers surrounding them began to feel the pressure bearing down on them, and even the defensive enchantments on their armor struggled to shield them. Though clearly affected, none of them collapsed, but the man standing before Roland remained unmoved. His smile did not fade; in fact, it grew wider. It was as if he had been waiting for this moment, as though the entire encounter had been a ruse to observe Arthur’s response.

Nevertheless, this was something the two had discussed beforehand. Roland raised his hand, and runes began activating, not on his armor but on the massive sword carried by the horse. The large metal holster holding it in place started hissing, and the weapon slowly started to slide out of it. The sudden movement caused the guards and even the fox-like man to tense. The magical energy radiating from the sword was intense, strong enough that none of them could ignore it.But before the situation could escalate, a voice called out from within the carriage.

“Sir Wayland, that’s enough. Stand down.”

It was Arthur, speaking calmly to defuse the tension just as they had practiced during their planning sessions. The young lord didn’t want to leave anything to chance, so they had prepared for several possible outcomes. One scenario resembled this exact moment, and they had agreed that Roland would display a controlled show of force before Arthur stepped in to deescalate the situation.

The fox-eyed man’s smile twitched, only slightly but Roland noticed it. That flicker of uncertainty was all he needed to confirm the bluff had worked. The butler had probably not expected any pushback to come from someone like Arthur. The sheer fact that he was able to control someone like High Commander Wayland already showed that he had his loyalty. These nobles thought Arthur was soft but now perhaps they would think otherwise.

“As you command, Lord Arthur.”

Roland held his ground for a moment longer, letting the silence settle around them. The massive rune sword, which had only halfway left its holster, began to slide back in on its own. The silence was intentional. He wanted to show them that they would not allow themselves to be pushed around. The pace at which they handled matters was theirs to set, and for now, their plan appeared to be working.

“I hope you’re not planning to let my Lord step out in this place?”

Although this part of the operation was finished, the battle itself was far from over. Roland stepped toward the butler, and the carriage began to move. Once it cleared the teleportation gate ramp, the fox-eyed man gave a nod and bowed. He then looked to the side, and a new gate slowly began to open, revealing a path ahead.

“Of course, Sir Wayland. Allow me to guide you to your temporary accommodations.”

“Temporary accommodations? Isn’t the grand assembly taking place today?”

The man paused and looked up, still wearing a broad smile. Roland already had a sense of what was happening but chose to press further.

“No, good Sir. The assembly will take place in two days. Some of our guests are scheduled to arrive later.”

Roland said nothing. This was another layer of mockery built into the event. They had been given an official date and time for the assembly, yet the schedule for using the gates varied for each brother and noble. This manipulation served to establish a hierarchy. Those forced to arrive early and wait in temporary guest houses were viewed as lesser. Since Arthur had arrived two days in advance, he ranked somewhere in the middle. Some nobles had been summoned even earlier.

The other sons of Duke Valerian clearly didn’t intend to let Arthur gain any standing without a fight. And they’d started that fight before the real gathering had even begun. Still, this was not a loss. Their arrival had already challenged assumptions. The fox-eyed butler’s momentary hesitation was proof of that. Word of this encounter would spread. Rumors moved faster than banners, and Arthur’s growing strength would be measured by how he endured this trial of politics.

‘This was what I was trying to run from… but I got pulled back in anyway…’

Roland climbed back onto his horse and they began moving. When he was younger, he had escaped his old home to distance himself from noble politics. Even though he had memories from his old life which made him an adult, he had still been naive. This kingdom and likely the entire world was controlled by people like these nobles. There was no real escape from it. The only way forward was to gain power of his own or align with factions strong enough to shield him when he lacked the strength himself.

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‘I hope it ends at this. I should probably take it easy, if I posture too much they might actually ask me for a duel.’

While Roland didn’t fear the other knight commanders, he had not worn his best armor to this event. He understood that if he acted too aggressively, some knights might take offense and challenge him to a duel. Such confrontations had occurred in the past, and he couldn’t ignore the possibility that one of Arthur’s brothers might seize this chance to test his strength. Wayland, the High Knight Commander, had become the subject of many rumors, and this gathering presented a valuable opportunity to uncover some of his secrets.