44 Knight Lord of the Metal
Before coming to the New World, William never drove a motorcycle or owned one before. The closest thing to riding anything on his own was his bicycle, which he used until his college year. There was no reason to have personal transportation as a city kid unless traveling outside the city limit or having enough money to buy one for a personal hobby.
William is currently going near the max speed as he is speeding through the vast field on his assault bike while the Duchess hugs William in the back. William already radios his troops to follow and eliminate anyone or anything until they regroup at the capital. That is after the Crown Prince fails to convince anyone who blocks their way to the city.
"Are we sure it's a good idea to leave them and come to the capital first?" The Duchess finally asks William after he slows down his bike after an hour of pure speed.
"They are fine. I pity anyone who goes against my brothers and soldiers. You can't imagine how bored they are and eager to fight something to have a good day." William points out the obvious thing about his troops which the Duchess believes to be very accurate after witnessing what they were capable of.
"By the way, I think we are here," William stops his bike as they reach the top of the hill to see the large city with high walls and traffic of people going in and out. The capital city wasn't as grand as William thought, but it was big and wide enough to house tens of thousands of people.
The main wall is as immense as the walls of Fort Stormfist, and from the top of the hill, William could see various types of buildings from houses to fancy buildings that look important. At the edge of the west side, another section of the wall protects a unique tower which William guessed to be a wizard's tower of sorts as his helmet gave off warning of unknown energy signature.
"That is the Scholar's Pillar where wise wizards and mages conduct research and experiments. They also teach many of the children of high nobles and members of the royal family." The Duchess saw the direction William was staring, so she explained the tower he was looking at. The Scholar's Pillar and its researchers made a few history-changing breakthroughs such as new ways to imbue runes, the discovery of celestial bodies, research of ancient civilization, and of course, the discovery of the first black powder (Gunpowder).
"I see, so they are the teachers and scholars of the ivory tower. I would like to meet the one who invented the black powder," William said to Rana and quietly scanned the city once more. After finishing the 'admiration' of the view of the city, William and the Duchess descended from the hill and went back on the road, heading towards the main city gate.
When the assault bike approaches the main road, many of the people move to the side of the road and stare at the approaching 'Black Metal Horse.' Many show great fear as they saw William as some sort of evil knight while few young folks saw with envy and admired William's war gear.
"I think you are attracting too much attention," Rana whispered to William as she saw how many eyes were focused on them. She is a bit embarrassed as she is riding in the back, sitting in a weird position.
"You sure it's me they are looking at? Not the beautiful warrior maiden I'm being accompanied by?" William teases the Duchess which responded with a small punch on William's back which didn't bother him.
"The guards from the main gate will definitely stop us for sure. Let me handle them before you start blasting with your strange gun." Rana said to William with a mix of seriousness and a bit of joke. She is very familiar with how deadly William can be in combat, and it wouldn't surprise her if her uncle, King Benton, might acknowledge William and bestow him the honor of becoming the knight or starting his own noble house.
"Sure thing, just make sure they don't start demanding my stuff for no reason," William said to Rana as he stopped his bike and disembarked as they reached the main gate of the capital city.
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Captain of the Guard's POV
It was another day in the capital city as people came and went to conduct business. Most of the people I'm familiar with, but there are always new people visiting the city and few start trouble which it is my job to stop them before they have the chance.
So imagine my surprise when a fully armored black knight approaches the gate riding a black metal horse (Without the horse's head attached). I served the crown for almost two decades, and I have seen it all, from a drunken fistfight between two nobles to the explosive demonstration of a new invention from the scholars. A black knight riding a black mount without a horse is something new and terrifying even for me.
'Either he is a very important adventurer from the guild, or he is the fearsome evil knight of the children's bedtime story.' I thought to myself as I watched my men ready their weapons and prepare to move the moment I give the command. Still, I could tell they are shaking in fear due to the sheer presence of the armored giant.
As a captain of the gate, I have the duty to the crown and his people. So I step forward instead of sending my guards as I have to handle the situation carefully. With my left hand on my sword handle to show a sign of caution but no intention to arm myself, I approach the black knight.
"Halt in the name of King Benton. I'm Captain Morin of the Capital guard, and I need to know whom I'm speaking to." I said with authority and confidence as I did thousands of times before. It should come naturally by now, but this time it took a decent amount of effort to maintain the appearance without making a fool of myself.
After finishing giving my command, I saw precise detail and decoration of the armor itself. From a distance, I only saw the plain black color of the armor and white shoulder plate with the cross symbol, but after having a closer look, the edge of the armor line was decorated with pure gold and various wax seals with thin paper attached to it.
From the civilian's point of view, the very presence itself could cause fear even for fully grown adults. As a military man, I could only admire the master craftsmanship of the armor fit only to legends of the bard's tale.
"I'm William, an adventurer from Greenhill, escorting Rana Bassilo Beckett, the Duchess of Argus to the capital. My brothers in arms will arrive shortly with Crown Prince Benton and his entourage." The black knight's voice was unnatural and very strange as his helmet doesn't seem to have any opening, but somehow, I could still hear his voice without any trouble.
When I heard Rana Bassilo Beckett's name, I hesitated for a second as I clearly remember seeing her and her army leaving the capital a few months ago. There was no way she would travel with a single knight on a strange mount. Not to mention I don't see her except for the giant in front of me.
"If you are the escort, then where is the…." Before I could finish my sentence, a young lady with white armor steps out from the giant's back and shows herself to me. I didn't have to ask for her identification as I already knew the moment I saw her face. She is the Duchess of the Argus, the famous lioness who launched the counter-attack against invading forces from Legellan three years ago. I immediately got into attention and saluted the war hero who saved the nation.
"Captain Morin, I need you to notify the royal family and the Prime Minister that the Crown Prince is returning to the capital with a private military force as an escort. William and I will stay here to wait for his arrival. Also, make sure capital guards are notified as well with this information. We will have a hero's parade today" The Duchess gave her command to me, which I guarantee she will follow every instruction she gives me.
With that, I rushed back to my men and gave the exact instructions to the teeth. It was a sudden change of tension now as every man, including me, turned from fear of death to fear of death by failing our duty to the crown.
Another day in the capital turned into a once in a lifetime event as the Crown Prince and the Duchess return from the deadly expansion campaign with a terrifying ally by their side. Their new ally and 'friend' later would be known to all as 'Knight Lord of the Metal', who embarks the spearhead campaign against the daemons of Legellan.
