Chapter 31 Political Influence

At dusk, the military and civilians of Half-Angle City were diligently repairing the city walls. At that moment, a cloud of dust rose in the distance on the road outside the city.

Amidst the swirling dust, a cavalry unit galloped towards Half-Angle City.

These cavalrymen were all dressed in the standard armor of the Imperial Provincial Guard. Upon reaching the city, they immediately rode straight in.

"I want to see your highest-ranking officer!" The captain of the cavalry was a fifth-level Imperial Knight, and he sternly demanded from atop his horse.

Soon, Sir Span, half of his body bound in bandages, was brought out.

The knight captain, riding on his horse, glanced at Sir Span and slightly bowed. "Respected Knight, I am Vice Commander Golon of the Second Cavalry Regiment under the direct command of His Excellency, the Governor-General of Liel Province. By order of His Excellency, from now on, the area within a radius of three hundred miles centered on Half-Angle City is temporarily designated as a military administration zone! I am assuming command authority here."

As he spoke, the knight named Golon tossed over a document scroll. "This is a document signed by His Excellency himself!"

Sir Span was somewhat surprised. "The Governor... Is His Excellency nearby?"

"No, His Excellency is in the capital," Golon replied with a grim expression. He glanced at Sir Span, who was covered in injuries, and sighed. "Knight, I need to remind you that you have caused a great disaster! The eldest son of the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Command, Count Raymond, went missing in your jurisdiction after an attack. His Excellency was greatly shocked upon hearing this news. Regarding your serious negligence, I think you need to be prepared. This emergency appointment document was directly sent by His Excellency through the teleportation magic array of the Magic Guild to all the military units participating in the Spring Exercises. According to His Excellency's appointment, the thirty thousand Provincial Guard troops of Liel Province will cease the Spring Exercises immediately and conduct a comprehensive search for the whereabouts of the young master of the Roland family centered around Half-Angle City! And this time, the incident you reported of a mage openly attacking a local military camp... I think... you should also be prepared. It is very likely that His Excellency will have you personally attend the trial in the capital, where he will ask you to testify. You should know that your report may cause tensions with the Magic Guild!"

Sir Span's face turned ashen. He knew that his future in the military was probably over. The military camp he was in charge of guarding was attacked by a mage, and the young master of the Roland family went missing.

Although it was difficult to place all the blame on himself for such an incident, facing such a powerful mage, he, a mere fourth-level knight, was indeed powerless.

But, when such a major incident occurred, someone had to bear the blame and responsibility, didn't they?

Sir Span respectfully saluted, straightening his back with effort. Despite the pain from his injuries, he stood tall and said, "Thank you for your reminder, sir. I will obey every command of His Excellency. I will now hand over the command here to you completely, and also... His Excellency has ordered me to go to the capital. When should I depart?"

"Now," Golon the knight declared loudly, looking at Sir Span. There was a hint of helplessness in his eyes as he continued, "By the second decree of His Excellency, the Deputy Commander of the Provincial Guard Cavalry, Sir Span Knight, due to serious negligence, is temporarily relieved of his deputy command position. All officers of the Provincial Guard in Half-Angle City are demoted by half a rank! We hope you will make amends for your mistakes and redeem yourselves through your service! Sir Span Knight, you must depart immediately. His Excellency hopes you will arrive in the capital before nightfall tomorrow!"

Seeing Sir Span Knight, heavily injured, Golon couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. He whispered softly, "Sir Span Knight, I know this matter is not entirely your fault. Seeing the injuries on you, I personally believe you did your best. I will report everything I've witnessed, and I believe that you were not negligent but rather overwhelmed by circumstances beyond your control."

"Thank you," Sir Span Knight sighed, shaking his head. "There were indeed areas where I was negligent... Well then, sir, Sir Robert Knight of the Roland family is in the military camp outside the city. I think it's necessary for you to meet him. Besides... there's nothing else."

As Golon watched the soldiers remove Sir Span's helmet and insignia, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Sir Span, oh Sir Span... Do you know the consequences your report has caused?

On the surface, it seemed like the Roland family's young master was kidnapped by a female mage... But in reality, even if he was the young master of the Roland family, how could three thousand Provincial Guards cease their Spring Exercises just to find him?

The root cause of this incident lies in the conflict between the military and the Magic Guild!

Despite mages being recognized as a transcendental group that can override the law, this time, a mage dared to openly attack the Imperial Provincial Guard! The nature of this act appears extremely heinous!

It is a blatant provocation! It is also a challenge to Imperial rule!! Furthermore, it could even be considered a rebellion, an act of treason!!

Because of this incident, the Governor's subordinates in the capital of Liel Province have been in an uproar! It can be predicted that when this report reaches the Imperial Command Headquarters, what kind of reaction will it provoke?

The Imperial leaders have always been dissatisfied with the privileges granted to the Magic Guild, believing that mages have been given too many privileges by the Empire. And this incident will strain relations with the Magic Guild... Rumor has it that His Majesty the Emperor has been somewhat critical of the Magic Guild in recent years, precisely because during the last naval expedition in the south, the Magic Guild did not provide enough mages to support the army.

His Majesty the Emperor intends to reduce the Empire's concessions to the Magic Guild every year. And even before the news of this attack incident reached the capital of Liel Province, it caused great indignation among the officers in the military!!

Even before Golon Knight departed, there were already thousands of Provincial Guard officers jointly petitioning His Excellency to order the Magic Guild to severely punish the attacker!

"But... to prosecute a mage, and moreover, a high-ranking mage? This is unprecedented in the history of the Empire!"

Having seen off Sir Span Knight, who departed in a carriage towards the capital of Liel Province—though his injuries made him unsuitable for such a hasty journey by carriage, he could only endure under the strict orders of the Governor.

Golon the knight immediately took over the defense of the city with his men and quickly intensified the repair work on the collapsed walls from last night's earthquake. Then, he went to the military camp outside the city to meet Sir Robert Knight.

Robert was also covered in wounds, but he was still holding on, having spent the day running around tirelessly. Though his body was exhausted, his spirit remained resilient. However, his horse couldn't take it anymore and had to return to the camp to change mounts.

Golon immediately met with Sir Robert, and after a brief conversation, they learned that the Provincial Guard had already assembled to conduct a large-scale search in the area. Robert breathed a sigh of relief.

"In addition... I believe the private army of the Roland family should also be mobilizing. By tomorrow afternoon at the latest, the Roland family's light cavalry should be able to enter Liel Province. The impact of this incident is significant... I fear..." Robert, being a retainer of the Roland family, naturally had some knowledge of the situation among the nobles and interjected, "Is it... the attack on the military camp by the mage?"

"Yes," Golon replied slowly. "I've brought a thousand cavalrymen, and the main force is still gathering. I have command over this area within a radius of three hundred miles. But to be honest, I don't have much confidence. But under the strict orders of the Governor, we must find Master Duwei. Because..."

Golon glanced around and whispered, "Because, His Excellency personally mentioned in the confidential letter he gave me: Although the impact is significant, the big shots above probably wouldn't dare to openly confront the Magic Guild over this. At most, they'll take the opportunity to suppress it a bit, but there won't be any major moves. Even His Majesty the Emperor probably wouldn't dare to offend the Magic Guild rashly. It's just for show, and they'll send out some official letters to condemn it. Then, most likely, it will blow over. Although the military was attacked, no one died. At least there's room for reconciliation on that front. But... that young nobleman is crucial! If... to put it bluntly, if something happens to Master Duwei... it will be very difficult to resolve this matter! Sir Robert, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Robert pondered for a moment and then nodded.

If... if something were to happen to Master Duwei, or even...

Then, as a member of the Roland family, the eldest son of the Earl, naturally couldn't let it go! Even though it was rumored that the Earl didn't favor this son, the death of the Roland family's young master couldn't be overlooked. Even if the Earl didn't care much for his son, for the sake of the Roland family's honor, he would definitely pursue the matter to the end! Otherwise, how could the illustrious martial family, the great Roland family, allow themselves to be so easily violated and humiliated?! If even his own son was harmed and he remained silent, then in the eyes of others, the prestige of the Roland family would be seriously undermined!

From the perspective of the family head, the Earl would definitely pursue this matter!

And if the Earl didn't relent... with the Roland family's status and connections, they could mobilize considerable influence!!

By then, if it escalated into a direct confrontation with the Magic Guild, things would become very troublesome!

So, whether they could find Master Duwei was the key to resolving this matter!

"What's the response from the Magic Guild?" Robert asked.

"The Magic Guild?" Golon's tone also showed some disdain. It was evident that after this incident, Golon was quite dissatisfied with the Magic Guild. "What else could those people say? The response from the Magic Guild in the capital of Liel Province was: they'll handle this matter internally. Did you hear that? Internally! This was a blatant attack! This is blatant rebellion and treason! They're saying they'll handle it internally! The Magic Guild has always been protective of mages. Their so-called internal handling often ends with no resolution. These guys are so arrogant, thinking that the Empire can't do without the help of mages! Hmph!"

Robert contemplated for a moment, then said, "Sir Golon, I believe that simply searching within a radius of three hundred miles may not be enough. Because the strength of that female mage who attacked the military camp far exceeds our imagination. I suspect she may have already gone beyond the three hundred mile radius. So I suggest..."

"I understand," Golon nodded. "Although the Governor's orders state three hundred miles, Sir Golon also informed me through a confidential letter that the scope can be appropriately expanded. Even if it extends beyond Liel Province, it's fine. He's already contacted local officials in neighboring areas. Furthermore, as you know, beyond three hundred miles is the sea. The Governor has even requested support from the Imperial Navy. I believe there won't be any problem with getting support from the Roland family, which has deep roots in the navy."

Robert sighed, "I just don't know how Master Duwei is doing now..."

How was Duwei doing now?

Not good! Not good at all!

Duwei's shoes were already worn out. The nobleman's fine leather boots were not suitable for walking in the woods, and his trousers had been torn by thorns.

He leaned heavily on a wooden stick, one end of which had been sharpened. This way, it could serve not only as a crutch but also as a weapon.

Now, without a powerful mage by their side and with himself being just a half-grown teenager, the two of them had to be cautious of any potential beasts in the forest.

Though staying by the dragon's side was the safest option, they still needed to explore around at least to find some food and freshwater!

After circling the island, Du Wei had essentially mapped out most of its terrain... all forests!

Their mouths were dry, but what worried Du Wei the most was that they hadn't found a drop of freshwater! There didn't seem to be any springs or freshwater lakes around.

Unfortunately, the island wasn't large. It seemed to be somewhat flat and circular, and they had walked for about half a day from east to west. Based on Du Wei's estimation, the diameter of the island was about five miles.

A small island like this. If there was no freshwater...

Du Wei shook his head, sighing.

The current problem was that they couldn't rely on the dragon anymore; forget about riding it to leave this place. And the little silly girl had also lost her magic; her flying ability could only last for a dozen seconds or so before crashing down... and all around them was the vast sea!

They couldn't leave this small island!

If they couldn't find food and water, they would probably both die here within two days.

With a pitiful look on her face, Vivian followed behind Du Wei. The young mage was extremely anxious; she found herself stranded on this unfamiliar deserted island, having lost the magic she had always relied on. Now, she felt utterly lost and insecure.

At this moment, it seemed that only by following the young nobleman, who had always teased her, could Vivian feel a strange sense of security.

So, when Du Wei suggested exploring the terrain, Vivian insisted on following him... even though staying by the dragon's side was the safest option.

Even if there were any terrifying beasts on the island... surely no beast in this world would dare to approach a dragon!

Having lost her magic and walked for nearly half a day, Vivian's feet were hurting. She suspected that she might even have blisters on her soles, but she didn't dare to say anything to the gloomy-faced young nobleman. She just frowned and followed behind him.

Although Du Wei was feeling a bit irritated, he noticed Vivian's frowning expression. After walking such a long distance, it must be tough for a delicate girl like her.

"Let's take a break for a while," Du Wei sighed, tapping around with a wooden stick to make sure there were no snakes or anything similar hidden in the grass, before helping Vivian to sit down.

Vivian's feet were in so much pain that she was on the verge of tears. She had never imagined that sitting down could feel so good!

Du Wei thought for a moment, then took off his outer garment and quickly tore it into several strips of cloth, handing them to Vivian. "Here! Your boots have hard soles, so of course your feet hurt after walking so far. Wrap these cloths around your feet; it'll feel softer."

"Th... Thank you," Vivian hesitated for a moment before expressing her gratitude. "Can we... find a way to leave here?"

"Leave..." Du Wei chuckled bitterly, not wanting to crush the girl's hopes further. "We need to find food and water first. Let's worry about the rest later."

After a moment of contemplation, Du Wei spoke solemnly, "We've been walking for a day now. What I can confirm is this: firstly, based on the direction of the wind, I can tell that this is the spring monsoon on the sea. Based on this, I can confirm that we're on an island in the Eastern Sea of the Empire. Secondly, judging from the vegetation here, we should still be in the southern part of the Empire, possibly in the sea area east of the Lier Province. And also..."

At this point, Du Wei's expression turned strange. "I'm very worried about one thing."

"W... What?"

"Have you noticed that we've been walking for so long, and we've covered half of this island, yet we haven't seen any animals? Not to mention large beasts, we haven't even seen a snake or a mouse!! It's as if this is a lifeless island! And also, listen..."

Du Wei raised his hand and made a listening gesture near his ear, his tone becoming eerie. "Have you noticed... on such a large island, with such dense forests... there's not even the sound of birds! There are no ground animals here, and not even flying birds! It's too strange!"