The children were uneasy for the entire night and hadn’t got a good sleep.It was quite late when they finally were able to sleep but as soon as they entered the dream land,Roland knocked them out asking to get up and dress.
He had already sent a ssage to the teacher and asked them to co last night and be ready early.
The morning sun had barely begun to rise when Roland and his group of teachers set off from the inn.
The teachers, already packed and dressed, were led to five carriages Roland had prepared for their journey.
Four were for regular travel, and the fifth—a luxurious, sturdier build—was ant for himself and his children.
The whole arrangent had cost him around two thousand gold coins. He could’ve easily reduced the cost by half if he had simply used so force and kidnapped a few builders because he lacked good builders and carpenters.
But he found that sort of trouble too annoying to deal with. Better to pay and be done with it.
He had wanted to leave before dawn, but his children wouldn’t wake up on ti. He sighed, adjusting the travel schedule slightly. Now, as the carriages neared the main city gates, he noticed sothing unusual.
A dense crowd of soldiers stood in formation, blocking the exit path. That wasn’t normal. A noble like him should have been allowed passage without delay. Sensing sothing was wrong, Roland stepped down from his carriage. The atmosphere changed the mont his boots touched the ground.
Soldiers started whispering.
"He’s the one."
"Are you sure it’s him?"
"Positive. That’s definitely him."
Roland narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers. They flinched under his stare. His presence alone was enough to silence the area.
He walked up to the nearest officer and asked coldly, "Why am I being stopped? Did I do sothing wrong?"
The mont he spoke, his aura flared.He didn’t hide out and let them see a bit of his strength.
It was like a mountain pressing down on everyone around him. The air turned heavy. Soldiers struggled to breathe. So took involuntary steps back.
A few even dropped their weapons.
One of them, face pale and hands trembling, barely managed to stutter out, "Sir... please calm down. We ant no harm..."
"We were just following orders from our superiors."
Before Roland could speak again, the sound of heavy boots echoed from the rear ranks. A man stepped forward through the rows of soldiers. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp eyes and a calm expression. The insignia on his chest marked him as an 8th rank officer.
"Everyone stand down!" the man ordered. The pressure seed to lift instantly as the soldiers quickly stepped back.
The officer approached Roland and gave a short, respectful bow. "Lord Roland, I am Captain Thorne. I deeply apologize for yesterday’s misunderstanding."
Roland stared at him in silence, asuring his words. "You blocked at the gate. Your n questioned my identity. What misunderstanding exactly are you referring to?"
Thorne didn’t flinch. "There was confusion. A new security asure was issued for nobles moving large groups out of the city. Unfortunately, your na wasn’t on the exemption list, which it should have been. I take full responsibility."
He bowed deeper this ti. "No insult was intended. We were wrong, and I apologize again."
The soldiers standing behind them were stunned. Many had thought there would be a confrontation. A few were already preparing for a battle they knew they wouldn’t win.
The events of yesterday had already spread all around.And it wasn’t the first ti they were doing this but little did they know that they kicked an iron wall this ti.
Roland looked at Thorne for a long mont, then finally nodded. "Very well. Make sure this kind of mistake doesn’t happen again."
Thorne stood upright and raised his hand. "n! Clear the path imdiately!"
The soldiers scrambled to follow the order. In seconds, the road was cleared for Roland’s carriages. No one dared et his eyes as he returned to his own carriage and signaled the others to move forward.
Only after the last carriage disappeared beyond the gate did the tension finally ease.
One of the younger soldiers turned to Thorne, his voice hushed. "Captain... Why did you let him go like that? I thought we were supposed to stop him and beat him."
"Shut up.."Thorne erupted.
Thorne turned and gave the soldier a flat look. "Idiot."
He raised his hand and smacked the boy on the head. "You think I let him go because I was being kind? That man’s pressure alone is enough to knock half the army unconscious. Do you think you could stop him if he wanted to leave?"
The soldier rubbed his head, still confused. "But... he didn’t even draw his sword. How do you know he’s that strong?"
Thorne exhaled, his tone grave. "I don’t know the full extent of his strength. But the pressure he gives off is nearly the sa as the Duke’s. If I hadn’t felt it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it either."
"The mont I received the report I ran here hurriedly to stop you all."
Another soldier interjected, skeptical. "Maybe you’re overestimating him, sir. Maybe he just has a strong presence."
Thorne’s eyes narrowed. "Are you questioning my judgnt now? You think I earned my white cloak sitting in a chair all day? I’ve faced monsters in the north, assassins from the East, and traitors in court. I know what strength feels like."
The skeptical soldier swallowed his words.
"Listen you idiots..If I was even a second late and he drew his sword,all of you would be dead even before you blink.Thank god cause that man seed to be magnanimous."
The soldiers seeing the Captain’s seriou expression felt a chill.
"Now get back to work," Thorne barked. "Enough staring. That was a warning. The next ti you doubt soone’s strength, make sure you’re ready to face it."
Silence followed.
Then slowly, the soldiers dispersed, returning to their duties. None of them would forget what they saw today.
Inside his carriage, Roland sat quietly, his eyes closed. He had expected trouble at the gate, but the fact that soone like Thorne had co in person was... interesting. He made a ntal note to rember the na. Captain Thorne. That one had a good head on his shoulders.
Outside, the morning sun rose higher, painting the path ahead in gold.
Thankfully there was no face slapping plot and everything happened as usual.
Roland looked forward.
They had a long journey ahead.
Reviews
All reviews (0)