Starlight did not wait outside Ambrose's castle for the brothers' return.
In his view, if the two managed to enter the castle and co back alive, they would certainly co to find him for the final paynt. Therefore, he only needed to confirm that they had entered Ambrose's castle; there was absolutely no need to wait foolishly outside.
Starlight had more important things to do.
He led his teammates to the territory of the Porcupine Knight, Aldrich Giles.
The Paladins, clad in silver-white armor and riding Celestial Warhorses, ford a stark contrast to the ragged serfs they passed along the way.
When these impoverished farrs saw the Paladins appear, they couldn't help but kneel on the ground, kowtowing to these unknown noble lords.
Starlight raised his hands high. A layer of platinum light unfolded, enveloping the nearby serfs in holy radiance.
The serfs imdiately felt their strength multiply, and the pain and hunger in their bodies dissipated rapidly.
Bathed in the dazzling light, Starlight looked like a deity descending to the mortal realm, etching his na deeply into the mories of these serfs.
This was the Ryan Empire's most common missionary tactic. A Vitality Aura allowed these bottom-tier people to personally experience the power of the Holy Light. If he preached to them now, it would be easy to turn them into pan-believers of the Lord of Dawn. When the Ryan Empire's troops eventually reclaid this land, resistance would be greatly reduced.
However, Starlight wasn't here to preach today.
"Praise the Lord of Dawn. May the Holy Light banish your suffering. I am the Ryan Empire's Paladin, Starlight. I am here today to visit your lord. Who can lead the way for ?"
Upon Starlight's inquiry, a decently dressed middle-aged man soon stepped forward. Bowing respectfully, he said to Starlight, "Honorable Lord Paladin, I am the sheriff of this region. I can guide you."
Seeing the man's chubby figure and the whip in his hand, Starlight instantly understood that this was a sinner—a slave owner in the guise of a sheriff.
Although the people of the Ryan Empire were considered abominations by other races and were extre human supremacists, they were truly good to their own kind. The Ryan Empire had a population of hundreds of millions, and apart from newly reclaid territories, all fully subdued cities no longer had human slaves.
Well, slaves of other races didn't count.
Suppressing the urge to teach this slave owner a severe lesson, Starlight said in a deep voice, "Then please lead the way."
The sheriff hurriedly mounted his pony, smiling obsequiously as he guided Starlight and his group.
The Porcupine Knight's territory wasn't large. After passing through a large stretch of farmland, the lord's manor soon ca into view.
Compared to Ambrose's castle, the Porcupine Knight's manor was a bit small and looked rather shabby.
This was the real life of a minor lord. There wasn't much extravagance or debauchery, and in certain special situations, they even had to worry about going hungry.
However, after the last great battle, the food crisis had temporarily co to an end, mainly because so many people had died in the war, saving a lot of grain.
Furthermore, after the war, the Porcupine Knight had launched a "righteous accountability" campaign against the "neighbors" who had lost their lords. The reasoning was that the deceased lords had advanced recklessly, causing the complete failure of the battle, and thus bore the primary responsibility.
The other surviving lords agreed with this charge, so they united to scour those three territories. This perfectly compensated for the war losses. As for how the people in those three territories would survive... well, they could flee. Weren't the nearby lords enthusiastically recruiting outsiders?
Although this move slightly delayed the territory's economic crisis, the Porcupine Knight had completely given up on the idea of fighting Ambrose.
He had been too arrogant back then, thinking that the so-called undead were just bone racks that rattled when they walked, and that he could smash dozens of them with a mounted charge.
But Ambrose had taught him what magic was. Not magic that required chanting half a day just to light a cigarette, but terrifying power that covered the sky like a teor shower the mont it was unleashed.
Countless soldiers had been turned directly into white bones, utterly incapable of resistance.
Peasant troops without rigorous training would suffer a morale collapse instantly upon seeing such grueso deaths. After returning, many were scared into madness and had to be hanged.
The Porcupine Knight now only hoped that Ambrose wouldn't hold him accountable; he dared not provoke him again.
Therefore, when Starlight and his group of Paladins appeared, the Porcupine Knight felt deeply uneasy. He didn't want to get involved in any conflict between Paladins and undead again.
However, to the Porcupine Knight's surprise, the first thing the Paladin said was: "May the Holy Light protect you, Knight Giles. Apologies, I am the Ryan Empire's Paladin, Starlight. I have co to the City of Alchemy to rescue our fellow Paladin, Alan Watson. I heard that he was once hired by you to attack a Lich's territory, is that correct?"
"This... well... there's actually a misunderstanding..."
The Porcupine Knight didn't know if he should answer. Alan Watson was nominally hired by him to attack the Lich's territory. Since the Paladin had been captured by the Lich, the appearance of these Ryans likely ant trouble.
The Porcupine Knight didn't owe Alan Watson any hiring fees. When a battle was lost and a rcenary captured, logic dictated that the employer couldn't be blad. but the Ryan Empire was famously unreasonable. If these Paladins were truly here to pick a fight, any excuse would be enough to ruin the Porcupine Knight.
They weren't citizens of the City of Alchemy; they could cause havoc and run. The City of Alchemy wouldn't necessarily do anything to a group of Paladins for the sake of a minor lord like him.
Fear manifested reality. Before the Porcupine Knight could find an excuse, Starlight interrupted him directly. "Knight Giles, I heard that you hired Alan Watson for an extrely low price. That price absolutely did not match the status of a Paladin and a Cleric of Light, did it?"
"The price was negotiated at the ti..."
The Porcupine Knight felt a bit wronged. Of course, he had spent very little money, because that Paladin had a personal grudge against the Lich and had practically volunteered to join the battle for free.
At the ti, the Porcupine Knight felt he had gotten a bargain. Who knew it would beco an excuse for finding fault now?
Starlight pressed on step by step. "Because you hired my companion for a dirt-cheap price, I have reason to believe you used so unsavory thods—perhaps coercion, perhaps deception. In short, you bear a certain responsibility for Alan Watson's capture. Don't you agree?"
As he spoke, a hazy light and shadow appeared behind Starlight, resembling a majestic deity glaring angrily at the Porcupine Knight.
*Thaumaturgy*. It enhanced intimidation and lowered the opponent's will.
The Porcupine Knight felt his legs go weak. He hadn't been this scared even when facing a griffon back in the day.
The Porcupine Knight stamred, "You... I... I didn't an to... Please give a chance to compensate..."
Only then did Starlight smile. He said to the Porcupine Knight, "Rest assured, we aren't here to trouble you. We are here to completely eradicate that Lich. We just need a little help from you."
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