Chapter 011: Interests

The thundering sound of hooves echoed like distant thunder outside Rui and the small town.
The few cavalry guards at the city gate showed surprise on their faces. One of them whispered, “This… which army is it? Our northern legion has already arrived…”
Another said, “If I’m not mistaken, it must be people from the imperial capital. With the third young master missing, the north is in turmoil. The Duke has been awake all night. Now even the first and second young masters have come… I think even if the Duke himself came, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
The cavalryman who spoke first nodded slightly. They stared at the swirling dust on the horizon and sighed softly, “I hope the third young master is safe. Otherwise… the north will likely see more bloodshed…”
As soon as he finished speaking, all the knights took a sharp breath. They looked at the flags flying in the distance before saying, “The Temple Knights… How come even the Temple Knights have come?”
Joshua sat on his horse, clad in shiny silver armor that appeared as holy as an angel’s. Anyone with even a little insight could tell what kind of status that armor represented.
It represented the leader of the Temple Knights of the Gavin Empire. It also meant that Joshua, the knight commander, ranked only just below those few individuals in the entire Gavin Empire. Aside from the heads of ancient noble families with centuries-old traditions and the emperor sitting on the throne, Joshua didn’t need to bow to anyone. Of course, in front of Arch-Cardinal Anthony, he would obediently lower his head.
“Praise you, Holy Father!”
Joshua prayed silently in his heart. His faith was unshakable—there was no doubt about that. This was also the only reason why old fox Anthony had sent him to the north.
Looking at the small town in the distance—shabby, outdated, corrupt…
Was it here that Priest Du Fan disappeared?
Don’t worry, Joshua said to no one in particular. I will definitely save you…
After saying this in his heart, Knight Commander Joshua took a deep breath, raised his whip, and pointed forward. “Warriors! Our compatriots are suffering, our priests are praying. They need our salvation! Give me your strength… and I will give you faith!”
“Thank you, Lord!”
The five hundred knights behind him shouted in unison!

Yes, these are knights, not cavalry. Each of them is at least at level three or higher. Though it may not seem like much, when such a group appears on any battlefield, it can deal a devastating blow to their enemies. Unfortunately, this time it’s not a battle…

Joshua sighed softly. The face of Priest Du Fan flashed through his mind. He wondered in himself, “Lord Anthony! Is this child really that important to you?” With this doubt, he gently raised his whip, and the already fast speed increased even further.

The knights arrived at the gates of Ruihe Town like a whirlwind. Joshua didn’t need to dismount; he simply stretched out his hand slightly, and immediately a knight rushed forward on horseback. Reaching the cavalry, he bowed slightly and said, “Please convey my message—say Lord Joshua, the head of the Temple Knights, has arrived.”

Joshua? One of the four leaders of the Temple Knights?

A shock flashed through the minds of the cavalrymen. Yet the cavalry of the Northern Legion were experienced warriors. One of them rode into the city, while the others bowed slightly and said, “May the Lord bless you!”

After waiting for a while, a group of people rushed out. At the front was a middle-aged man with a moustache. His horse rushed to the city gate, and before he could even pull back the reins, he tumbled straight down. Lying on the ground, he said, “I bow before Lord Joshua!”

Joshua frowned slightly. He sensed something strange. This man seemed to have a high status, but the surrounding cavalry members looked at him with a hint of disdain.

After thinking for a moment, he said in a deep voice, “Get up.”

The man replied, “I dare not.”

Frowning, Joshua, seemingly lost in thought, said, “If you dare not, then stay kneeling here… We’re not here to watch someone kneel; we have matters to attend to!”

“Yes… yes…” The man hurriedly stood up, a sly glint in his narrowed eyes. “Respected Lord Joshua, my name is Gabriel. I am the lord of this Ruihe Town. I wonder what brings these esteemed Temple Knights to our humble town?”

Joshua said, “Oh,” then added, “So you’re the lord. Good… Now take me to the lord’s residence right away… I have some questions for you. As for my brothers, there’s no need for them to follow. Send someone to prepare some food for them so they can set up camp.”

Gabriel said, “Yes… Most Honorable Knight Commander.”
He glanced at the servants following behind him and said, “Hurry and take care of it. Do I need to give any further orders?”
With a smile, he turned again and said, “Knight Commander… please follow me. They can handle what comes next.”
Joshua nodded and pulled on the reins.
The horse obediently stepped forward, the clinking sound intermittent.
Following Gabriel, Joshua entered the small city of Rui Gen. But as soon as he entered, he realized that at least ten bows were aimed at him. The streets were clean, with hardly any pedestrians, but at key locations, there were always a few cavalry guards.
These cavalrymen had clearly received word and bowed in greeting upon seeing Joshua.
The Northern Legion was indeed not comparable to those worthless legions in the imperial capital.
Joshua thought to himself that although their individual combat skills were not on par with those of the Temple Knights, they excelled in other aspects… How could their strength, accumulated over decades in the north, be mere exaggeration?
As for this city lord, Gabriel, according to the intelligence gathered, he seemed to have played the most unfortunate role in this incident. He probably welcomed Joshua in order to use the influence of the Holy Church to preserve his current status.
But with Duke Green furious this time, unless Priest Du Fan could be found, this guy was doomed to be a scapegoat…
Winning over a city lord’s heart was probably more useful than gaining a hundred followers, right?
As soon as this thought crossed Knight Commander Joshua’s mind, he couldn’t help but sigh slightly. Since when had he also become hypocritical?
He closed his eyes slightly, focusing all his attention on this incident… On the way back from the Northern Temple, Du Fan, the person in charge, had disappeared. Alfred was said to have returned to the Lord’s embrace, while the surviving saints, Tasia and Nicholas, had stopped in Rui Gen due to Du Fan’s disappearance. Could it really all be just coincidence?
Joshua couldn’t figure it out…
Finally, amid Joshua’s rambling thoughts, the two arrived at the city lord’s residence. They dismounted, and servants immediately took the horses away. Gabriel stepped forward a few paces before bowing and saying, “Please, sir…”
Joshua took a deep breath and slowly stepped inside. He knew that from this moment on, the interests of the Holy Church were tied to those of the Northern Legion…
…
Du Fan was very puzzled, extremely puzzled…

After that lifeless-looking, clearly insane high priest brought him to this small room, he left without saying a word and hurried away. Du Fan had been waiting there for a while but saw no high priest coming to summon him. What the hell did that damned lunatic want with him in this dark, cramped place? Du Fan glanced around. The room’s size was hard to determine; black curtains covered the walls, with only a low table in the center, holding an oil lamp. Du Fan sniffed—the smell seemed to come from some kind of plant. It appeared that the barbarians were quite skilled in using herbs and magical plants. He thought to himself. Should he try to get some such information before leaving? But then he shook his head. Even if there was such information, he probably wouldn’t be able to understand it… As he was pondering, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see a shaman priest wearing a mask standing there. Du Fan frowned and said, “High priest?” The man shook his head slightly, gesturing for Du Fan to sit down before removing his mask and saying in a grave voice, “Lord Du Fan, let’s get straight to the point… I don’t have much time. If I waste it, I won’t get another chance like this.” Du Fan couldn’t help but take a look at his face. After a moment, he exhaled in shock, “Chieftain Aldais?” Aldais replied in a low voice, “Surprised, young Master Du Fan? This deal is of great importance. How could I possibly let those useless members of my tribe be involved? At a moment like this, I trust no one but myself.”