Chapter 213 - 205: Rashid, Stop!
Chapter 213: Chapter 205: Rashid, Stop!
The people in front of Roque had just chased from Kuka City at the guidance of the mage who mastered the “Seeking Person Skill,” confirming that Lady Liz had left Kuka City, though not by far.
According to the City Guards’ account, aside from a few ordinary travelers, the only other departure from the city gate was the Feis Guild convoy.
“Don’t be in such a hurry, Roque,”
Before the knight squad captain, Blake, could speak, a middle-aged man standing behind him chimed in with a flippant tone,
“I, too, am here under the orders of Lord Viscount Kuka and Count Solo to capture a fugitive.”
“This fugitive is mixed in with your convoy. We need to capture her and bring her before the two lords. I suppose such a small matter shouldn’t warrant your refusal, Roque!”
...
Roque looked at the man who was speaking, frowning.
He knew this man, named Rashid Kali, who indeed was a steward close to Viscount Kuka. Previously, when passing through Kuka City, Roque had communicated with this steward on some matters.
But Roque did not like this man, who appeared to be a minor noble of some side branch; his somewhat frivolous demeanor was not endearing.
However, Viscount Kuka and Count Solo…
That seemed tricky. If there indeed was a legitimate reason, Roque couldn’t really stop them from inspecting the convoy.
Although the Feis Guild was a part of the Royal Family’s enterprise, Roque was merely in charge of a guild convoy, and the guild’s privileges did not include ignoring demands from two Sealed Nobles.
“You can’t just say she’s here without proof. What evidence do you have?”
“And by what authority do you represent Count Solo?”
Roque looked at the group before him and asked calmly.
Seeing the specks of dust on the knight squad and their horses breathing heavily, it seemed they had just made a hurried march from Kuka City.
What could be so urgent?
Could it be?
Suddenly, Roque thought of some intelligence information he had gathered in the city over the last few days, and his heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that lady?
“Of course, there’s evidence,”
Rashid laughed, stepped aside, and a pale-faced man in a brown Spell robe stepped forward.
“This is Mage Sirry from Count Solo’s command; we found our way here following him,”
Sirry coughed, suppressing the urge to vomit.
Honestly, the operation akin to riding horses in a forced march was too intense for him, a mage of frail constitution; he felt somewhat nauseous.
After adjusting his status, Sirry nodded to Roque, regained his aristocratic mage demeanor, and spoke,
“Count Kuka’s daughter, Lady Liz, was abducted from the castle by a criminal. Through the ‘Seeking Person Skill,’ I verified that Lady Liz is indeed within this convoy.”
Having spoken, Sirry displayed a Magic Disk, its faint white Spirit Light indeed pointing towards the convoy.
Roque remained silent; as an ordinary person, he had never seen the effect of the “Seeking Person Skill,” but surely the other party wouldn’t deceive him about this.
Seeing that Roque accepted this, Rashid invited someone else from behind, smiling as he spoke:
“This gentleman is surely familiar to you, Mr. Roque, Mr. Ignos.”
Roque was indeed familiar with the slightly gray-haired man, Ignos Zorg, who was the head steward beside Count Solo.
He was highly trusted by the Count, even considered to be the second most influential figure in Count Solo’s Territory.
“Mr. Ignos, good day!”
“Mr. Roque, this might inconvenience you a bit.”
Ignos’s attitude, however, was quite calm, far more polished than the steward Rashid beside him.
“So, Mr. Roque, in charge, you probably won’t refuse now, will you?”
Rashid spoke with a smile on his face, somewhat triumphant, apparently imagining being praised by Lord Viscount Kuka for finding Lady Liz.
Even so, he did not forcefully search.
After all, it was the Feis Guild convoy, and he was being very careful, patiently explaining and providing sufficient reasons, even involving Ignos in the matter.
If it had been an ordinary convoy, he wouldn’t have prepared at all; not cooperative?
“Directly ordering the knights to search forcefully, who in Lord Kuka’s territory would dare to defy his will!”
Roque’s face darkened somewhat, but he still instructed Zorff to clear a path for the guard and the mercenaries.
Rashid walked at the forefront with an air of arrogance and said to Sirry:
“Can you determine which carriage Miss Liz is in?”
“I cannot, I can only roughly confirm she’s within this merchant caravan, I cannot pinpoint it further.”
Sirry shook his head as he spoke.
Rashid turned to the captain of the knight squad behind him and ordered:
“Then search all the carriages, we must find Lady Liz.”
Noticing Roque’s displeased expression, Rashid quickly added:
“Be careful not to damage the merchandise.”
“Yes.”
Captain Blake paid no mind to Rashid’s commanding tone, although his status in Kuka City was nearly equivalent to Rashid’s. However, having not found Liz for many days now, he had been severely scolded by Lord Viscount numerous times.
Now, the most important thing was to find Miss Liz!
Blake instructed his knights to search carriage by carriage, inspecting any possible hiding place meticulously, including beneath the carriages.
Although there were many merchant carriages, they were essentially filled with goods, leaving no space to hide a person.
Therefore, the speed of Blake and his men’s inspection was quite rapid.
When passing a particularly lavish coach in the middle of the caravan that seemed out of place, Blake hesitated for a moment.
He recognized the longsword insignia on the carriage but could not remember which family it belonged to.
It was definitely not ordinary. After hesitating, he decided not to approach and simply skipped that carriage.
After all the carriages in the caravan had been checked, Blake found not a trace of Liz.
Blake silently walked over to Rashid and quietly informed him of the results.
“What, how can she not be there?”
Rashid’s voice of surprise rang out, even causing Roque and Ignos, who had been chatting nearby, to turn their heads and look at him.
“Have you checked all the carriages?”
Rashid looked at Blake with a dark expression, his tone unfriendly as he asked.
“We’ve checked almost all of them, except for that one…”
Blake hesitated, the lavish carriage had given him a bad feeling.
“Which one, let me see!”
Rashid pushed Blake aside angrily. Seeking out Lady Liz had been his own request to Viscount Kuka.
He had thought it was a sure thing, how could he accept not finding her?
He had already imagined himself finding Miss Liz and being heavily relied upon by Viscount Kuka upon returning to the castle.
Returning empty-handed and being scolded by Viscount Kuka, even possibly being driven out of the castle, how could he accept that!
In his anger tinged with a hint of fear, Rashid followed Blake to the coach of Lis, not even noticing the special insignia on the coach, and prepared to pull open the door.
The calmer Roque, following behind, saw Rashid attempting to open Lis’s carriage, felt dizzy with anger, and shouted:
“Rashid, stop!”
Is this guy an idiot? Can’t he see such a large insignia!
Ignos, who also raised his voice, had spotted the insignia on the carriage at first glance. His eyes narrowed, no longer able to maintain his composure.
But it was already too late, the carriage door was pulled open by Rashid.
What Rashid saw was not Lady Liz…
But a fiercely blazing, bright red fireball!