Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 693: 324 Kovis

Chapter 693: 324 Chapter Kovis

The salty sea breeze caressed the bay of Wind Breath Port.

Enormous wooden docks extended into the sea, weather-beaten sailboats moored in an orderly fashion, reflecting the resilience and simplicity of a life at sea.

Sailors busily loaded and unloaded goods, their rough voices echoing one after another.

On the narrow and winding cobblestone streets on the shore, buildings of varying heights flanked the roads, their stone walls overgrown with vines, most roofs were slanted with red tiles, and wisps of smoke occasionally puffed out of chimneys.

Ines leaned on the edge, sitting on a cargo box, her legs swinging leisurely.

Watching the flocks of white birds flying over the docks, one could occasionally glimpse a massive sea eagle sweeping across the azure horizon.

In the original timeline, Wind Breath Port had already become one of the lands she conquered, but for now, this harbor town remained in the hands of the Lord of Kantadar. Naturally, the nearby, easily defensible stronghold at Double Gorge City had not yet signed the charter for self-rule to submit to her.

At present, she was not Princess Orland, not the monarch of the Sea Eagle Knights, nor the Lady ruling over the masses, just a wanderer without a home.

The gentle breeze lightly tossed her veil, the girl cleared her mind, enjoying the salty cool air she had long grown accustomed to in West Bay County.

No need to think about schemes and politics, management and governance, armies and wars… and even less about the father king who could manipulate her at will…

Despite seemingly having nothing, Ines felt an inexplicable sense of ease and comfort.

Seeing Leon walking back from the docks with a frown, Ines withdrew her hands, bent over on the cargo box with her chin in her palm, and cheerfully asked in fluent Urian:

“How is it? Did you find a ship willing to take us?”

Leon raised his head and shook it at the girl perched on the wooden box, likewise sighing in Urian: “… That captain also does not allow women aboard.”

After speaking, Leon looked helpless.

Having spent over ten days leaving Orland and arriving at the coastal port of Magya in the Kantadar Kingdom, they searched for ships heading to the Western Port, but after approaching five or six sea vessels, not a single captain was willing to take women to sea.

Presently, neither he nor Ines were nobles, and even if they were, this was not their territory, and they could not use power to forcibly break the sailors’ rules.

Nor did they have enough money in their pockets to wield the “power of money” to make the captain break the stubborn tradition.

Thus, they had been stagnant in Wind Breath Port for three days.

“Why don’t I cut my hair and disguise myself as a boy?” Ines pinched her hair.

Leon waved his hand: “It’s useless, not to mention your looks, even if you shave your head, others can still tell you’re a girl. Even if you were not good-looking, it wouldn’t fool them. These sea captains are all cunning; unless you are burly with the build of a bear, even if I brought a real boy onboard, they’d still inspect him thoroughly.”

The dramas and movies seen in previous lives were not in line with reality. In most cases, Leon felt that disguising as a girl was easier to pass off than dressing as a boy.

“What should we do? So we can only travel by land?” Ines spread her small hands.

Leon nodded: “That’s the only option. Continuing to search is too time-consuming.”

If they had good horses, this distance by land would not be slower than by sea vessel. After all, he once nearly exhausted the Black Steed, and Kovis had several riding horses die of exhaustion halfway on a miraculous long-distance run into the Nightmare Forest, proving the potential of riding beasts in this world.

But it’s the same old problem.

Now, unless they figured out how to moonlight as horse thieves and steal from the local lord’s stables, he couldn’t afford the fortune needed to purchase a noble warhorse like Dawson’s, besides the time it would take to plan a horse theft from the Lord’s Castle; they might already reach the Western Port by then.

The reason they had spent three continuous days looking for sea vessels was ultimately due to hearing from the locals about potential turmoil on the mandatory land route south.

It was heard that years ago, a rebellion was triggered by a peasant army leader known as the “Revenge Knight,” erupting in the coastal area at the border of the “Magya Territory” and “Vellozal Territory.”

Initially, the riots were minor incidents not worth mentioning, but that year happened to coincide with Queen Orland’s southern invasion, with the Kantadar army engaged in major battles in the north. They did not pay attention to this peasant uprising, not expecting that, amidst the turmoil, the pirates of Northnia also joined in looting the coast. The Western Kantadar nobles faced simultaneous sea and land turmoil, failing to suppress it in time. This rebellious uprising, using the opportunity of the North and South Kingdoms war, gradually spread to the entire “Tudaga County” and surrounding areas.

As a result, Kantadar, defeated in the great war with the Northern Kingdom, still hasn’t had the strength to spare to send troops to deal with the Rebel Army uprising in the western region.

Although it’s said that since this year, the rebel area seems to have restored passage independently, and the merchants coming and going haven’t been harassed by the Rebel Army, Leon wasn’t originally inclined to risk passing through suspected war-torn regions.

But now it seems, like it or not, he must proceed.

Having packed their bags, Leon and Ines departed from Wind Breath Port, resuming their journey.

Ines was quite familiar with the approximate route through Magya Territory, and Leon had the experience of escaping for his life in the past, knowing precisely the fastest path southward.

…The two spent six days crossing Tudaga County, rumored to be high-risk, surprisingly encountering none of the anticipated turmoil.

The villages and coastal autonomous city-states occupied by the Rebel Army showed no signs of unrest, in fact, they seemed to be thriving.

The various ships Leon saw in the port towns of Tudaga County, even outnumbered those at Wind Breath Port.

Floresian, Northsia, Orland people, and even Seralirian transiting through here… The port controlled by the Rebel Army was more prosperous than Wind Breath Port.

“This is definitely not just a simple peasant uprising.”

Ines lay on the pile of straw in the back of the carriage, resting her chin on her arms, and declared confidently while gazing at the silhouette of the town gradually receding behind them.

“What do you mean?” Leon asked as he drove the carriage with a whip, glancing back at the little princess behind him.

Equestrian travel had turned into carriage travel days ago.

After enduring more than a month of long saddle bumps, Ines’s little behind could no longer take it.

Noticing the increasingly apparent discomfort on the girl’s face, Leon quickly bought a cart frame to attach to the two horses, allowing the tender-skinned Ines to be freed from the saddle.

“Those towns governed by the Rebel Army under strict laws, how could they possibly be managed by illiterate farmers who count on their fingers?

And the incoming sea vessels, having just experienced the wartime turmoil, how could the port recover commerce so quickly, wouldn’t the astute merchants consider the risks?

Moreover, the ships using this port as a transit point don’t seem to be heading towards various coastal areas of Kantadar.

Also, did you notice when we were shopping, the market regulators speaking in Urian had accents less authentic than yours~” Ines waved a strand of dry grass lightly.

Leon understood her implication: “Are you suggesting that this rebellion might have been orchestrated by Orland?”

“Perhaps, maybe the Golden Lion Queen wants to cause trouble at the rear for the Kantadar people, or perhaps the sea merchants want to find a completely tax-free port, they’ve often complained about the increasingly heavy taxes at the Western Port….. Or maybe it’s both.”

Ines tossed aside the dry grass, sat up from her resting position, leaned against the backboard, and let her hair tips slide down from her cheeks.

“Say, if we really can’t go back, perhaps we could seek refuge with that ‘Revenge Knight’ of the Rebel Army?

As it’s far from Orland’s homeland, I’m safe enough here, Miss Olivia of this world will surely have a hard time finding me, and with your skills, making a name for yourself in the western Kantadar shouldn’t be difficult.”

Ines smiled, squinting as she gazed at his profile.

Upon hearing the girl next to him unexpectedly start planning future arrangements, Leon’s palms tightened on the reins, hesitating as he said, “…. It can indeed be considered a future option, but Your Highness, I firmly believe we’ll definitely be able to go back.”

Ines muttered softly in response, “Is that so? Because after so long, I haven’t had as much confidence as you.”

Saying this, the girl lazily turned half over the cart frame, glancing sideways as she inquired, “I mean, in case we really never get to go back, then I’m no longer a princess, just a lone girl, would you still protect me like this?”

Leon did not hesitate, looked ahead and urged the horses with the whip, nodded: “I’ve told you long ago, we are friends, this has nothing to do with your status, I am happy to protect friends from harm.”

“Then~….. what if Miss Olivia here wants to kill me?” Ines supported her cheeks with interest as she asked.