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Chapter 18: The Sword-Wielding Eagle

Inside the Marquis’s mansion in Art City.

Four guard knights held long swords and watched warily the man dressed in a butler’s uniform before them.

Their instincts told them that this man was no ordinary figure.

Ryan also noticed that, unlike the worthless knights from earlier that day, these guard knights actually possessed some skill.

It seemed Dillon understood that those knights were incompetent yet valued their lives, so he had deliberately kept his elite knights around himself.

It had to be said that this was rather deceptive, since it could easily lure enemies into attempting an assassination before ambushing them in turn.

Dillon hid behind his guard knights, and seeing that Ryan made no further move, he asked in bewilderment:

“Who are you, and what do you intend by coming here?”

As he spoke, the four knights began to close in on Ryan step by step.

Ryan looked at Dillon indifferently, then slowly raised his hand and slipped it inside his butler’s coat.

The four guard knights thought Ryan was about to draw some secret weapon, so they halted and braced themselves, ready for combat.

But under their wary gazes, Ryan produced a small badge from his chest pocket.

Dillon assumed it was a family crest and squinted to examine it closely.

After identifying the badge’s image, Dillon was suddenly drenched in cold sweat.

The badge was engraved with a soaring eagle whose talons gripped a knight’s longsword.

The Sword-Wielding Eagle!

This was a badge commissioned by the Crown Prince himself, and anyone who saw it was as if they had met the Crown Prince in person.

Dillon reacted instantly upon recognizing the badge, swiftly dropping to one knee with such force that his knee struck the floor with a loud crack, twisting his face in pain.

Seeing the badge, the knights froze, then glanced at Dillon; once they saw him kneeling, they too dropped to their knees.

This was typical under Hedley Empire law: knights only obeyed their own nobles and, even in the king’s presence, were forbidden to kneel without their lord’s permission.

Of course, if a knight committed a breach of etiquette, the noble was held accountable.

Sweat poured from Dillon’s brow, nearly stinging his eyes, yet he dared not wipe it away and only managed an awkward smile as he said:

“My lord, if you wished to see me, you could have simply identified yourself to the guards and I would have come to greet you, so why disguise yourself as a subordinate of the Duke?”

“I just didn’t want to make too much fuss.”

Saying this, Ryan cast a glance over the four knights before him.

“Rest assured, my lord, they sleep right beside me and never leave my side, so nothing will be leaked!”

Hearing that, Ryan raised an eyebrow; whether compliment or not, this man was certainly a crafty veteran with keen perception.

At this, Dillon continued, “My lord, I wonder what purpose brings you here so suddenly?”

“Earlier today you searched the Axi family’s mansion on the pretext that they were hiding forbidden tomes?”

“So that is why you have come!”

Dillon’s face broke into a knowing smile:

“My lord, rest assured we will keep a constant watch on the Axi family’s only daughter and, once she is confirmed to possess the forbidden tomes, deliver both her and the books to you immediately, and I will bear no responsibility for this matter!”

“No, I have come to tell you that the Axi family does not have any forbidden tomes, so you need not search further.”

Ryan looked at Dillon and said calmly, “Also, I am very dissatisfied with the behavior of your knights at the Axi family’s estate!”

Hearing this, Dillon’s pupils contracted, and he swiftly shouted to his guard knights:

“Go, immediately inform those knights who went to the Axi family this morning to remove their armor and go feed the horses in the stables!”

By now Dillon understood perfectly that the Axi family was his new backing!

As Dillon’s voice fell, those knights rose to their feet at once.

Ryan, however, smiled at Dillon and suddenly raised his right hand.

“Stop!”

Dillon immediately ordered his knights to halt, his body already drenched in cold sweat.

Actually Ryan had also noticed that Dillon’s urgency in giving orders was really about protecting those knights.

But Ryan did not intend to let this matter pass so easily.

After gazing at Ryan for a moment, Dillon took a deep breath and said to his guard knights:

“Go, bind those knights for me and bring them here, quickly!”

The four guard knights acted swiftly, and soon the knights who had gone to the Axi family’s estate were delivered here bound hand and foot, powerless to resist, clearly illustrating the gap between them and the guard knights.

The knight captain’s torso was even bare, and he had been shouting all the way.

At sight of Dillon, the knight captain’s face suddenly fell as he said, “Uncle, what is going on?”

Dillon ignored the knight captain and respectfully addressed Ryan:

“My lord, they are all here now; you may deal with them as you wish!”

Hearing Dillon, the knight captain finally noticed Ryan.

At the sight of Ryan, the knight captain panicked, thinking, “Damn, isn’t this the butler from the Axi family earlier today?!”

His uncle was a Marquis! What did the title matter… lord?

The knight captain recalled the strange aura Ryan had exuded when they faced each other that afternoon.

Although he vaguely suspected something, the knight captain refused to admit it and began to struggle fiercely:

“Uncle! He’s just a butler from the Count’s household! There’s no way he’s some great figure! Don’t let him deceive you!”

“Shut up!”

Dillon glared at the knight captain angrily; after all his years of struggle, was his skill in judging character not far superior to this drunkard’s?

The knight captain immediately fell silent.

“You said I may dispose of them as I see fit?”

Ryan glanced at the knights kneeling on the ground and a sinister smile appeared on his face.

Moreover, this malevolent grin was even more natural than Ryan’s usual smile, as if this were his true face!

Seeing Ryan’s smile, the knight captain grew greatly uneasy and cast a pleading look at Dillon.

“Tomorrow morning at the marketplace, publicly execute him by dismemberment for his long-term oppression of the commoners.”

Ryan spoke with such nonchalance that it seemed as though he were mentioning something trivial.

Yet the knight captain nearly wet himself upon hearing those words.

How could a person utter such damnable words?!

“I’m kin to the nobility; even if I slaughtered those commoners, what could they do to punish me for this?”

Pinned down by the guard knights, the knight captain struggled and shouted with a flushed face.

Dillon gritted his teeth, still kneeling, and said:

“I am aware that he oppressed commoners, but to sentence him to dismemberment seems excessive; he offended you this afternoon out of ignorance of your identity, so perhaps you, my lord, could forgive a minor offense and let me bear the blame in his stead?”

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