Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon
Chapter 312 - 311: You Are My Knight Now

Chapter 312: Chapter 311: You Are My Knight Now

"This person... I..." Shandela faltered, momentarily at a loss for words. At that time, she thought it was merely a whim of the young mistress and hadn’t taken it seriously. She could never have imagined that it would be this very person who would turn Magnificent Castle upside down! Far from being an unknown, the explosion he caused at the Huiqiu Mine, akin to the fall of the sun, was enough to etch his name into the memory of everyone on the island for a lifetime. Even she herself... had worked for him for a month."

"...I did indeed meet him. However, he’s not quite what you’d expect... The matter is quite complicated. We can talk about it at length some other time."

It wasn’t just complicated; the entire matter was cloaked in incredulity. She couldn’t figure out how to explain it clearly and still have the other person believe she wasn’t tricking her.

"It seems that he has deceived me then..." Elise, however, seemed to have taken it in a completely different direction.

Either a supremely talented genius, or an imposter fooling the world... Clearly, a real talent wouldn’t leave one at a loss for words. Only a swindler who disguised themselves very well could cause the officer in charge of defenses at Magnificent Castle to display such a troubled expression.

In an instant, Shandela realized that she had been misunderstood by the other person.

Just as she was about to clarify, there came a knock at the door from outside.

The one who entered was "Blooming Excalibur" Meckfah.

"What is it?" Elise turned and asked.

"Madam Xia requests your presence. She is gathering leaders at the Sky Pavilion Banquet Hall to discuss strategies for opposing Duke Longjiu. If you wish to go, I can escort you there," the latter said, hand over her chest.

Shandela’s eyebrows rose in suspicion.

Discussing war strategies in the Banquet Hall, and led by the Lord of Zhaixing City? Didn’t they realize that strategy and troop deployment were matters best left to the professional captains of the Kingdom Army?

And what did she mean by "if you wish to go"?

Elise Ben was a representative of the Kingdom Army faction. It was a crucial meeting about opposing Duke Longjiu; couldn’t she simply excuse herself from participating?

However, seeing that Elise had no reaction, Shandela didn’t feel it appropriate to speak out immediately.

"I understand, please wait for me outside for a moment," the young mistress said with a nod.

Then, she turned back to Shandela, "Come with me."

"I... may I?" Shandela hesitated—given her past experience in the military, she, in principle, had no right to be involved in discussions about overarching strategic directions.

"Our remaining forces are few, and we are no longer the glorious army we once were. You are a master-class warrior with the qualifications to join the Royal Guards; naturally, you are also fit to participate in high-level meetings related to military affairs."

"But I am not a member of the Royal Guards..." Shandela wasn’t timid; she simply didn’t want to cause any trouble due to her identity.

"In that case..."

Elise stared at her for a moment then suddenly drew the sword from her waist, resting the tip on Shandela’s shoulder.

"Would you consent to become my knight?"

Shandela was taken aback.

"If you become a knight, you can follow me anywhere with full legitimacy," she said with a blink, "Of course... I know that joining the Royal Guards is your dream, but that would have to be conferred by the King himself. Although I can only bestow the title of knight, there have been many who first became knights before being promoted to members of the Guards."

These words were not at all false.

Moreover, Elise Ben was the eldest daughter of General Fales, with a legitimate right of succession, making her equivalent to a Duke. Becoming a knight for a Duke was certainly something many warriors dreamt of.

Unfortunately, she had gotten one thing wrong.

Joining the Royal Guards was her former dream; she was no longer so fixated on it now.

Shandela knelt on one knee, "I am willing to stand guard by your side."

No matter what, the title of knight would indeed spare her many inconveniences. Otherwise, she was just an individual who had been out of the loop for a long time, not even considered part of the city’s defense officials.

"Don’t use honorifics." This was the first time Elise had shown a smile since they met.

She then tapped Shandela’s shoulders with the tip of her sword, recited the mutual aid oath, and the simple knighting ceremony was completed.

"Although there are no witnesses, you cannot go back on your word," she said solemnly, "From today on, you are my knight."

...

Half an hour later, the three of them arrived at the meeting location by carriage.

It was a stone tower built on the summit of a mountain, about six stories tall. Buffeted by the cold wind, its windward side was completely wrapped in snow, which reflected the light from the windows. Thus, even after nightfall, its outline was clearly discernible.

"It’s no wonder it’s called Sky Pavilion. This tower would be considered one of the landmark buildings in the Royal Capital as well," Elise remarked as she got off the carriage and looked up.

Shandela thought to herself that the woman was not wrong; considering the perennial icy and snowy conditions of the place, constructing such a magnificent stone tower was no easy feat. Duke Rosha had set the meeting location here, presumably to display his own strength.

Upon entering the banquet hall on the second floor, they found it ablaze with bright lights. Purple silk was hung all over the walls; huge crystal chandeliers, each around five to six meters tall, hung from the ceiling—an immediate sign of their high cost. People dressed in formal attire were mingling and laughing with glasses in hands, creating a stark contrast to the howling winds and icy world outside.

Shandela saw the affluent side of the upper class, but didn’t feel any atmosphere of war.

"These people... are all local nobles?" she asked in a low voice to the young lady.

"Yes, without their support, we couldn’t pull together the logistical resources needed for a large army," Elise nodded softly, "I know it’s different from before, but we must accept reality."

Shandela couldn’t help but feel a tinge of irony.

She had been worried whether her status would prevent her from attending the high-level strategic meeting, only to find this meeting more lively than a luxurious party.

"Where are our people?"

"Let me see..." Elise looked around, "There, the man in the green suit is Moses, the knight of the second prince. The woman beside him is Mifixia, commander of the Zhaixing City defense forces. And... do you see the lady in the violet robe? She is the famous Duke Rosha, and the person she’s talking to, you’ve met him before—Divine Sword Meckfah."

The young lady pointed them out one by one, totalling six members of the Royal Guards and nine military leaders.

Is this all that remains of the Kingdom Army’s command power?

Shandela felt somewhat uneasy. She noticed that these soldiers were not operating as a group, but instead mingling with the local nobles. Of the nine leaders, seven were officers from cities on the northeastern border of the continent, and there were pitifully few officers from the central army.

"Hey, Shandela, I’m so glad to see you again!"

Suddenly someone called out from behind her.

Shandela broke off her thoughts and turned around. Who else could it be if not Ryan?

In just one day, the swollen bruises on his face had almost disappeared, restoring his handsome features. Ryan, too, was not in uniform, from head to toe he was dressed like a rich young master, perfectly matching the high-class atmosphere of the banquet.

Shandela couldn’t help but show a look of distaste, "You’ve recovered quite fast. They should’ve punched you a couple more times."

"How can you say that!" Ryan objected, "It wasn’t my fault they wouldn’t follow orders and tried to take me by force. I only acted in self-defense! They apologized later and even gave me a healing medicine."

"Are you... Ryan Kray?" Elise observed him carefully.

"Exactly, I am very glad you are safe, Miss Elise," Ryan responded with a chest salute to the young lady, "I’m very sorry about your father... I rushed to the Royal Capital as soon as I heard the news, but it was still too late."

"It’s not your fault," Elise shook her head, then looked curiously at Shandela, "Do you two know each other?"

"Yes, I met Miss Shandela at Magnificent Castle, and later we traveled to the Royal Capital together."