Masked Knight

Seth’s tone, the look in his eyes, and the smile on his face were clearly the standard characteristics of a womanizer flirting with a woman!

Rody was already on the verge of fainting.

His Royal Highness Aven, who was standing nearby, had that ghastly look on his face as if someone just slashed him with a knife! The light in his eyes faded, and he was near to tears. He mumbled to himself in utter despair, "Surely she...she doesn’t have the same interests as the Consort...does she?"

The Senior Prime Minister sighed and gave Aven a small pat. He turned to Seth, the look in his eyes seemingly saying, ‘Ah, I see...’

Nedis subconsciously took a step back and turned her head away to avoid Seth’s hands. There was an odd look on her face. She forced a smile and said, "Miss Nicole..."

Rody immediately grabbed Seth and spoke with his teeth clenched, "Miss Nicole, I would like to have a few words with Miss Nedis."

Seth’s eyes flashed with mockery, he was about to say something when he felt a sharp pain in his arm. He quickly replied, " Okay, got it." Rody was pleased, but he wickedly said, " Well then, please have a chat with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince while Miss Nedis and I excuse ourselves for a moment."

The Crown Prince must have had been so devastated. He now looked at Seth with a sober gaze, there was even a hint of horror in his eyes.

Rody led Nedis aside and asked in a low voice, "Why are you here on the Roland Continent?"

Nedis gave Rody a resentful look. "Why can’t I come here?" She then added, "I’ve come here to hide from my enemies."

Rody nodded. "Those vampires?"

"They’re called the Vampire Tribe!" Her face was serious. "The Vampire Tribe is not as evil as you thought! At least I’m not!"

Rody decided to put an end to this topic. He sighed and said, "Thank you for not exposing us just now."

Nedis smiled, "You mean that ‘Miss Nicole’? She sure does look like Nicole, but what are you guys up to?"

"It’s a bit complicated." Rody hesitated for a while and decided not to tell her. He changed the topic again, "What’s the current situation in the Empire? Did you come from the West Hill City? Uhm...well...."

Nedis asked coldly, "Are you trying to ask about the Tulip’s mansion? It’s extremely safe under tight security! Besides, the Vampire Tribe did not know that the real culprit who killed Lulu was you! They thought it was me, so they will not bother you and Miss Nicole!"

Nedis paused as she realized her tone was too harsh. She sighed, then continued in a soft voice, "Darke is here with me, but he’s not around tonight. As the Temple of Roland Continent is very powerful, the Vampire Tribe is not that active here, so I’m quite safe for now. But you, why have you been sent here?"

Their brief conversation ended when a royal chamberlain’s loud clear voice announced, "The arrival of His Majesty the King and Her Highness Consort Rulan!"

The noises in the hall stopped abruptly. The performers stopped playing music and stood up, hands placed by their sides. Instantly, a group of servants clad in bright uniforms appeared through the door. Right behind them, King Sauron and Consort Rulan strode into the hall with their heads held high.

This was the second time Rody had met the Consort.

Although he had mentally prepared himself for this, as soon as his gaze fell on her, he almost burst out into laughter again.

The Consort was wearing a black gown—Rody could not help but wonder how much fabric would be required to sew such a huge gown?

Physically the King was not short in stature, but when he stood beside his oversized Consort, he looked like a small kid. The Consort held the King’s arm, trying to put up a pretense of being ‘gentle’ and ‘quiet’.

Everyone else in the hall did not look surprised at all. They seemed perfectly used to seeing this, though the corners of their mouth twitched as they tried to suppress their smiles. The King, however, was calm and steady. There were no flaws in his expression as if nothing was amiss at all. Rody definitely had to admire him for this.

Rody sighed and whispered to Nedis, "I suggest you stay away from the Consort tonight. Please make sure she doesn’t see you. "

"Why?"

Rody smiled wryly and replied, "If you do not wish to be hit on twice by women in one night, you should listen to me."

Everybody in the hall had been standing solemnly for quite some time now. The King took a silver wineglass from the servants, raised it in the air and gave a short speech, "My dear guests, I thank you all for your presence tonight. Special thanks to Earl Rody from the Empire of Radiant! To the future of the Roland Continent! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Together, the guests replied to the toast and finished their wine in one gulp.

As the banquet continued, the King caught sight of Rody and strode in his direction. When Rody saw Consort Rulan walking by the King’s side, he quickly signaled to Nedis.

Nedis took a glance at the Consort’s appearance, Rody’s warning about being hit on by women popped back into her mind. Although she herself was extremely coquettish, she still shuddered at the thought. In haste, she told him, "I’ll wait for you in the garden." And she scurried away.

Before Rody could answer, the King had called out to him, "Lord Rody."

"Your Majesty!" Rody nodded in response. He could immediately sense a surprised gaze from the Consort.

"So it’s you? You’re Earl Rody, the Special Envoy from Radiant Empire?" Rulan squinted her eyes—her eyes were in fact just two crevices, one could not tell much difference when she squinted.

"Your Highness, please accept my apology once again. I certainly did not mean to offend you earlier this morning." Rody bowed slightly.

Consort Rulan snorted, not wanting to accept his apology, but she could not resist asking, "Did you come alone?" Her eyes swept around, obviously looking for Mouse whom she was obsessed with.

The King was a bit awkward as he spoke in a subdued tone, "Rody, I’ve heard about what happened in the morning. Please do not take it personally."

When Rulan’s search for Mouse failed, she turned her head and asked, "Lord Rody, where is your female companion? Is it the girl who was with you this morning?"

"No." Rody smiled slyly, "I brought Miss Nicole here tonight. She is chatting with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"Oh..." Rulan could not hide her disappointment. But when she saw Seth who was talking with Aven, her eyes instantly lit up!

When Aven noticed the King’s presence, he came over together with Seth. Before the King could properly introduce them, Rulan already had her eyes fixed on Seth, shamelessly gawking and drooling.

The King sighed and pointed at Seth, a hint of bitterness in his smile. "This is Miss Nicole, the eldest daughter of the Tulip Family of the Radiant Empire." Seth was aghast at the sight of Rulan, but he managed to plaster a smile on his face, " This must be Her Highness Consort Rulan."

The Consort’ mouth widened into a huge creepy smile, and she tried to hold Seth’s hands as a gesture of ‘friendliness’. Seth shivered and stepped back silently, hiding behind the Crown Prince. If it was that charming and sweet Miss Nedis, he would be more than happy to flirt with her, but Consort Rulan...it would be better to flee.

The King seemed to be used to Rulan acting in such manner, his expression slightly hardened but his tone was calm, "Miss Nicole is an honored guest from the Radiant Empire. Please watch your manners!"

In other words, you could flirt with anyone else as you wish except for this lady, as she was no ordinary person. We could not afford to offend her.

Rulan pouted and stared at her husband icily. She was about to say something when she suddenly noticed the Senior Prime Minister quietly shaking his head at her. Rulan dared not disobey her father, so she glared at Seth and kept quiet.

Rody sighed, he studied the King curiously—why would a King with a sound mind have such a consort?

In Rody’s opinion, perhaps there was not a single man on earth who was ‘worthy’ of Miss Rulan.

Hmm...except maybe for one person.

A big and plump face appeared in his mind...

"Rody, can I have a word with you?" The King signaled to Rody, and they stepped away from the others. The King then whispered to him, "A situation may arise in a while, and when that happens, I hope you can cooperate with me."

"What is it?" Rody’s brows drew together.

The King continued without any change in his expression, "I’ve actually invited two special guests tonight. Something interesting will be happening here. You will see that soon...just that..." The King suddenly laughed out loud. "Whatever happens later, if you see me nodding at you, please do not refuse!"

Rody wanted to know more but was interrupted by the voice of the royal chamberlain making an announcement.

"The arrival of Elder Gu Ming, the Elders Council of the Temple, and His Excellency Paladin Fielding!"

This immediately caused an uproar in the noisy great hall!

Rody’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the King.

The Temple Elder? Paladin?

The King smiled and boomed, "Welcome, Elder Gu Ming and Paladin Fielding!"

The hall quieted down. The envoys from the various Roland kingdoms gradually made way for the special guests, their eyes all on the entrance of the hall.

Sure enough, two figures came in through the door. Walking at the front was an elder wearing a long white robe, a pair of white brows perched on his emaciated face. There was an air of tranquility around him, and he was nonchalant about the presence of others in the hall.

Behind him, the tall and heavily built man in golden armor was no other than Paladin Fielding, whom Rody had met before outside Thunder City.

Fielding looked somewhat different from the time Rody met him outside Thunder City. His long brown hair was now cut short, which made him looked cleaner and tougher, but with his majestic beard gone as well, his face looked dull. He was oblivious to the gazes of the crowd, his expression calm but cold.

Rody’s heart thumped.

Fielding had a totally different aura surrounding him now!

He was once a man with high spirits—he was arrogant, strong and confident, a true warrior of indomitable spirit.

However, these had all faded away. He was now as lifeless as a pool of stagnant water.

That Fielding who fought Rody outside the Thunder City was a brilliant and ferocious man, like a sword drawn from its sheath; but now, he was merely a sheathed sword which had lost all its radiance.

Rody had a strange feeling deep inside his heart—by looking at the all-new Fielding, it reminded Rody of the same feeling he had when he first met Master Autumn!

Deep and reserved!

Mouse once told him, after Fielding lost the battle, he locked himself up for some hard training. Rody took one glance and he could tell that Fielding’s strength had certainly made a great breakthrough!

Maybe losing the battle, especially to his rival in love, was a heavy blow to him which ultimately became his driving force for the breakthrough.

That indomitable warrior who held on to his dignity even when he lost in battles, had vanished. The Fielding before his eyes, the aura he emitted seemed...gloomy!

After a brief moment of silence in the hall, the guests resumed conversation with an air of uneasiness. Nobody expected the people from the Temple to turn up at the banquet tonight.

To make it simple, all the guests attending the banquet tonight were Special Envoys from the various kingdoms of the Roland Continent. The main reason they gathered in the capital of the Sauron was to form an alliance against the Temple. Who would have expected the King to invite the people from the Temple! Some of the furious guests started shooting daggers at the King.

Rody’s eyebrows snapped together, he asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, did you invite them here?"

"Yes." The King smiled and patted Rody on the shoulder, "Did you see those glares? How interesting..."

Elder Gu Ming and Fielding walked straight towards the King, and everyone retreated to make way for them. The King repeated in a low voice, "Remember what I said just now!"

He then smiled and moved forward to receive them, saying in a loud voice, "Elder Gu Ming, Lord Fielding, you are late!"

"Your Majesty, I came to Sauron at the orders of the Elders Council to deliver a letter from the council." Gu Ming was the first to speak. In contrary to his appearance, he had a soft soothing voice. "In regard to the apostasy of Saint Muse from the Temple of Sauron Kingdom, I will now carry out the Elders Council’s order to take over religious affairs within the Sauron Kingdom!"

Rody noticed that when Gu Ming said, ‘apostasy of Saint Muse’, Fielding remained calm as still water, except for a slight twitch of muscles at the corner of his eyes.