Masked Knight

"Rody! You brat!" Seth gnashed his teeth as he rode his horse. He was almost driven mad from the strange looks the surrounding people were giving him!

The even more infuriating thing was that Old Mark was acting indifferent. He rode at the furthermost back and deliberately avoided Seth.

When Seth saw that the eyes around him looked like they were ready to devour him, he softly begged. "Rody, I give up. I admit defeat! I beg you to let me…"

"No!" Mouse coldly replied before Rody could say anything. However, it was obvious that Mouse’s cold tone was not genuine. She deliberately put on a cold look to hold back her laughter.

Mouse and Seth were riding side by side. She was completely covered in a black veil. Even her beautiful face was also lightly covered with a black veil.

At that moment, all the surrounding gazes of admiration, infatuation, and jealousy were directed at Seth.

Seth was wearing a set of ‘female’ sorcerer’s standard clothing. The black and beautiful long skirt wrapped Seth's original slender body inside, enhancing his small and supple waist!

His naturally handsome face transformed into a unique feminine beauty after Mouse gave him simple makeup.

His long golden hair, deftly arranged in a woman's hairstyle, hung loosely down his shoulders. It cleverly hid the masculinity of his face that came from his slightly angular lines. Mouse's touchups on Seth’s eyebrows also made him look even more feminine.

The thing that made Seth very angry was that Mouse applied eyeshadows on him. The long eyelashes he was born with shrouded his lake-blue eyes and made him look charming.

Right now, Seth looked almost as beautiful as Miss Nicole.

Seth felt helpless and his face was red with anger. In the eyes of the male crowd, he looked like he was 'blushing because she was shy'. He was simply a beauty that could drive men crazy!

Ever since entering the capital that morning, these horsemen and their followers have attracted the attention of most of the pedestrians in the main street. Almost all the men and women were attracted by the beauty in the long black dress riding atop the horse.

The men looked at her with admiration and infatuation, while the women had sour gazes of jealousy. Seth almost fainted in anger. Only God knew if the Black Veil Saint had cast any spell on him. He was riding on his horse, but he was feeling weak. He could not even lift his hands and could only rely on the strength of his legs to balance himself on the horse.

As a man, Seth naturally understood the gazes of men when they see a captivating beauty. 'Shit! They were fantasizing!'

In the past, when Seth saw a beauty, he also liked to fantasize. However, Seth was unhappy when the target of fantasizing was himself. On top of that, some of them had wretched and dirty gazes! Only God knew what was going through their minds...

At first, Seth could not help glaring back at them. He wanted to scare off their gazes. Unfortunately for him, Mouse’s technique was brilliant…such that his glares ended up looking like flirtatious glances.

It was better not to glare at them. His glares instead attracted them to approach him...Since entering the capital, there were already three bold knights who blocked his way and loudly wooed him. There was also one even bolder knight following at the back of the group and sang love songs, with a rose in his mouth!

What the hell! Were the men of the Roland Continent really so thick-skinned?

What made Seth despair even more was what Mouse had told him. The makeup he was wearing was made with a special magic medicine. It could only be removed with Mouse’s special liquid medicine. Otherwise, the makeup would last for at least two months.

Watching the delegation entering the palace, King Sauron was like the other common people. The first thing he saw was the second person in the delegation...that beautiful woman in a long black dress.

He was distracted for a while before he calmed down again.

The King recognized the Black Veil Saint who was standing at the back. Yin Xing had reported earlier that the Black Veil Saint and the envoy of the Radiant Empire had an intimate relationship. For Rody's sake, she publicly became an apostate.

It was a shocking and impossible to comprehend news for the King. The Black Veil Saint becoming an apostate was certainly a headache for the Temple. However, it was a good thing for him.

Rody gently coughed and then proudly said, "I am the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Earl of the Empire, Rody. By the order of His Majesty the Emperor, I present myself to Your Majesty, King Sauron."

After handing over the prepared documents, Rody stood there and waited for the King’s reply.

The King read the documents submitted by Rody and frowned. He silently gave the documents to the Senior Prime Minister beside him. The Senior Prime Minister glanced at it and then gently coughed. He softly asked, "Your Excellency, are these the conditions set by your country’s esteemed Emperor regarding the peace negotiations of our countries?"

Rody nodded and said, "Yes! Eight hundred warships in exchange for the immediate return of two hundred thousand of your distinguished country’s elite soldiers!"

The corner of the eyes of the Senior Prime Minister trembled violently as he gasped, "Eight hundred warships! Do you know how many warships the Sauron Kingdom has in total? You actually want eight hundred warships? Our King is willing to pay a large amount of gold coins in exchange for the lives of our warriors!"

Rody had already prepared himself before arriving as Andy had already expected this response. Rody unhurriedly said, "Our Radiant Empire is rich throughout the whole continent. Do you think we are lacking gold coins? How much gold coins does Your Excellency think you would surrender to redeem those prisoners of war? Five million gold coins? Eight million gold coins? Or perhaps, ten million gold coins?"

The old Senior Prime Minister suddenly shouted, "Blackmail! This is simply extortion!" The calm Senior Prime Minister suddenly lost his cool. He shouted with an angry expression, "Ten million gold coins? A million soldiers can be recruited with that much money! The conditions given by your country is just adding insults to injuries!"

The King calmed down when he saw the Senior Prime Minister got angry. He smiled meaningfully and said, "Senior Prime Minister."

When the Senior Prime Minister heard the King call him, he slowly suppressed his anger and stepped back.

The King cleared his throat and loudly said, "Earl Rody, your esteemed Emperor’s conditions are too difficult for us!" The smile on his face was calm as he continued, "Since the condition has already been stated, we might as well speak the truth! We, the Sauron Kingdom, are unable to provide you with eight hundred warships! Your country also understands how important these warships are to the people of the Roland Continent...Let me speak the truth. Although we are now allies, without the protection of those warships, the Lightning God’s Whip of your country would have already invaded the Roland Continent." The King laughed as if he was mocking himself and continued, "Even if we want to make friends, there is no need for us to cut off our own flesh to entertain our friends! Besides that, the condition stated here is not just asking us to cut our flesh. It is already asking for our lives!"

Rody loudly replied, "Your Majesty’s words are wrong!" He took a step forward, smiled and continued, "Since we have negotiated for peace, we are now allies. Your Majesty’s words about the Lightning God’s Whip crossing the ocean is ridiculous! In the past two hundred years, the Lightning God’s Whip has never set foot on the Roland Continent. Instead, it is the Roland army that had invaded the Radiant Continent!"

After that, Rody smiled and said, "Let us speak frankly! Who is responsible for starting this war! I don't think this needs clarification. Right now, the enemies Your Majesty needs to be most cautious of is also not the Lightning God’s Whip!"

The King sneered. "However, if we were to give you warships, wouldn't you reign freely in the Straits of Thunder?"

Rody shook his head, "These words are also incorrect. The Roland Navy is unhindered in this world. This is common knowledge! Are the troops formidable only because of their equipment? I don’t think this is likely. Even if we acquire the strong warships, we still cannot be compared to the powerful Roland Navy! Although the warships are powerful, they still need elite sailors! It would be impossible to fight cross the Straits of Thunder. Relying on a few excellent warships alone would not be enough to bring the war to Your Majesty!"

The Senior Prime Minister sneered and asked, "In that case, why do you only insist on warships?"

Rody stared at the Senior Prime Minister. His gaze was like electricity. He coldly looked at the Senior Prime Minister and said, "Self-protection!"

He loudly said, "The smokes of the war from the people of the Roland Continent has not dispersed yet! You have a powerful navy that can easily cross the ocean and bring the flames of war to our continent! Although we were victorious in this war, there is no guarantee that Your Majesty would not start another crusade after getting through this ordeal. With these warships, the Radiant Empire’s navy would still not be able to defeat the Roland Continent’s navy. However, it would prevent you all from crossing the ocean whenever you like! Since we are negotiating, then we should just lay our cards on the table! It would be meaningless to be evasive! Are you not letting go of the warships because you intend on invading the Radiant Empire again?"

At that moment, Seth was unable to help himself from giggling.

Rody had improved a lot. He now resorted to sophistry and inverted right and wrong. Instead of saying his reasons for wanting the warships, he accused the other party of keeping the warships and planning an invasion...

Although Seth's laughter was soft, the people in the hall heard it. The King looked at Seth and whispered, "Earl Rody, this person is…"

Rody moved his eyes and loudly said, "This person? She is the eldest daughter of the Radiant Empire’s Tulip Family. She is the elder sister of the Duke of the Tulip Family, Miss Nicole!"

Those words shocked the King and the Senior Prime Minister!

The elder sister of the Duke of the Tulip Family!

That was a great personage from the Radiant Empire. Everybody knew that, right now, the Duke of the Tulip Family of the Radiant Empire could be considered someone unexcelled in the world. The banners of the Tulip Family were everywhere and the Lightning God’s Whip was invincible. In the Radiant Empire, he was only second to the Emperor.

The King immediately cursed his men in his heart. They had only reported the identity of the envoy but not a single word was said about the eldest daughter of the Tulip Family. However, the King felt skeptical. With such a personage like the eldest daughter of the Tulip Family, how come there was no mention of her at all? Why was there no news of her arriving here at all? Besides that, there was also no news of the envoy bringing along their womenfolk.

Rody noticed the King’s doubts. He immediately gave Seth a meaningful glance, asking him to explain.

Seth pursed his lips and was thinking of ignoring Rody. However, when he saw Mouse’s threatening glare, he finally sighed. As a playboy, he clearly understood that a woman would be willing to do all sorts of crazy things for the man she loves. Offending Rody was not a problem. However, he did not dare to provoke the Black Veil Saint.

He gently coughed. His voice had already been altered by Mouse’s sorcery. He was not used to his own delicate voice. He slowly raised himself from his seat and said, "Your Majesty, I secretly followed His Excellency the Earl to come here. I have no intentions of disturbing others."

Both the King and the Senior Prime Minister frowned but since she said that she ‘came secretly’, then they had nothing to say. They could only inquire the details from the other related personnel, later.

However, they were not aware that the original envoy who brought Rody here had already become a lunatic after that battle at sea. In addition, the only person who saw Seth as a man, that Great Sorcerer Yin Xing, had already been completely subdued by the Black Veil Saint.

How could an insignificant Great Sorcerer be a match for the powerful Black Veil Saint?

Even if he was not afraid of the Black Veil Saint, but when he saw Rody, who could even instantly kill Paladin-level warriors, he felt threatened. Under such threats, Yin Xing would not dare let slip a single word.

The Senior Prime Minister cleared his throat and loudly said, "Earl Rody, I have a different opinion about the earlier words." The old fellow then loudly said, "Our sincerity in the alliance with your Majesty is evident! Your Excellency Earl had come all the way here and encountered…assassination attempts. In order to protect you, our brave knights of Sauron Kingdom actually spilled their own blood and even sacrificed their lives! As we treated you sincerely, you should also show us some good faith!"

The moment the Senior Prime Minister finished saying that, he suddenly smiled at Seth and asked, "Miss Nicole, what is your opinion?"

The King’s eyes turned bright. If the Radiant Empire had dispatched the eldest daughter of the Tulip Family here, it is possible that she was not here just to look around. It was possible that the Earl was just for show while the real decision-maker was Miss Nicole.

Seth smiled lightly and said, "I have no opinion. His Excellency the Earl will decide on everything."

The Senior Prime Minister finally sighed and said, "Sauron Kingdom does not have too many warships. It is difficult to give you eight hundred warships. Earl Rody, is it not possible to change the conditions a little?"

Rody smiled lightly and looked up at the King. He then smiled and asked, "Your Majesty, what do you think?"

The King pondered for a moment and then suddenly said, "Six hundred."

The King took a deep breath and continued, "The six hundred warships are not just to redeem the two hundred thousand soldiers, but also all of the prisoners of war."

Before Rody could say anything, the Senior Prime Minister was already in shock. Why did the King state these conditions without authorization?

"Your Majesty!" The old Senior Prime Minister could not help but cry out in alarm.

Without thinking, Rody replied, "Alright!"

He had promised so happily that the King was surprised. "Really?"

Rody smiled and replied, "Of course, it is true!"

The King looked at Rody coldly. He waved his hand and said, "Senior Prime Minister, I need to talk to the special envoy privately. Go and make arrangements for the envoy and his companions to settle down."

The Senior Prime Minister looked like he was suddenly slashed by a blade! A trace of anger flashed instantly in his eyes before he turned dejected and pale. He looked deeply at the King. After that, he nodded at Rody and strode out of the hall.

The King looked at the Senior Prime Minister’s back as he left. He sneered in his heart. 'This old fellow must have been caught unprepared by my sudden action! Perhaps he didn't realize that I know he was having both ways! Perhaps he never expected that I would make a decision with another kingdom without discussing with him first...'

When Rody saw the King’s astonished expression, he smiled and said, "Your Majesty sent away the Senior Prime Minister. I believe it must be because you did not discuss this matter with him earlier. If I am not wrong, these six hundred warships are gathered together from all the kingdoms of the Roland Continent!"

The King thought for a moment. He then looked at the envoy in front of him and replied, "Very often, a sovereign would need to make his own decisions. It is not necessary to discuss everything with others!"

Rody nodded slightly.

At that moment, there was a racket outside the cordoned-off hall. A high-pitched voice shouted, "Are the people involved with the peace negotiations inside? Let me in!"

The faint voice of the guards obstructing the man then said, "Your Highness, don't!"

After some sounds of swords clashing, a man rammed open the door and strode in. That man looked like he was less than twenty years old. He was wearing the armor of a knight. He walked in with a sword in his hand. He had brown hair and a heroic face. As he walked into the hall, he shouted, "To negotiate for peace after being defeated! That is a disgrace to the country! How could the dignified Roland knights negotiate for peace?"

He immediately spotted Rody who was standing there and shouted, "The people of the Roland Continent would rather die than submit! Prepare to die!"

He rushed forward in big strides and slashed at Rody. Rody sneered but before he could do anything, Mouse’s eyes flashed with a strange gaze. With a motionless expression, she suddenly reached out her hand to push Seth forward...

As Seth staggered forward, he saw the sword in front of him. He could not help but cry out in his ‘delicate’ voice, "Ah!"

That young man thrusting the sword reacted quickly. He saw the stunning beauty rushed in front of him and hurriedly withdrew his sword. Unfortunately, Seth had crashed into his arms. He instinctively wrapped his arm around Seth’s waist. Seth lay in his arms in an exaggerated posture. It was solely that man's arm holding Seth at the waist that prevented 'her' from falling...

The youngster’s expression suddenly changed right after he looked at the ‘beauty’ in his arms from above. He saw 'her' catching 'her' breath and bashfully looking away. That young man gave birth to a tender feeling in his heart and his earlier murderous expression had already disappeared.

"Miss…are you alright?" That young man asked in his most gentle tone as he gazed at Seth as if he was his lover.

Seth’s face turned red in anger and he almost fainted. However, in the eyes of the young man, the beauty in his arms looked like a frightened little deer which had attracted his affection...

Seth forcefully struggled away from his arms and used every ounce of his energy to resist the urge to puke. Seth quickly retreated a few steps and fiercely glared at Mouse.

The King shouted, "Aven, don't be rude! This is the special envoy of the Radiant Empire, Earl Rody, and the eldest daughter of the Tulip Family, Miss Nicole!"

The young man named Aven was startled as he finally remembered his reasons for coming. He was a stubborn man who admired the dignity and honor of the knights since his childhood. He was originally opposed to the King’s decision in negotiating for peace. In his heart, the noble knights of the Roland Continent must not lower their heads to their conceited enemies.

He initially intended to rush in and disrupt the peace negotiations. He was determined, even if it meant that he would be severely punished by his King, to kill that special envoy negotiating for peace. But, just now…

The young man looked at Seth sentimentally and seemingly lost his soul. There was a clattering sound as the sword he held in his hand dropped to the ground.

He finally regained his senses. He looked at the sword on the ground and hesitated to pick it up. He wanted to pick up his sword and charge forward. However, that beautiful woman was also a member of the envoy delegation and he remembered the graceful embrace. He could no longer pick up his sword.

The King sighed. His eyes seemed helpless as he looked at Rody and Seth apologetically. He then said, "This is my nephew, Crown Prince Aven. He is the Regiment Commander of the Navy of Sauron Kingdom."