Orek had wanted to tell Shana more about the Frost Great Wall—like the ancient spells woven into its stone that made it indestructible. But it was too late… He noticed Shana’s attention was completely fixed on the duel unfolding in Narrow Square below the tower.
The silver-armored guard blocked the golden knight’s sword strike with his silver shield, then spun around and delivered a roundhouse kick that sent the knight sprawling. Feto stepped forward quickly, pressing his knee into the man’s head to pin him to the sand.
He actually beat a Golden Knight? Orek was genuinely surprised by Feto’s victory. He’d always thought Feto’s martial skills were still a notch below the Golden Knights’ level. Has he improved that much?
“Yay! That’s amazing!” Shana cheered along with the crowd below, celebrating Feto’s win.
Feto clearly heard the praise from the tower. He looked up at Shana and smiled.
“Wow! You’re so cool!” Shana waved enthusiastically at him.
Feto stood up, pressed two fingers to his lips, and blew her a kiss.
How utterly ridiculous! Orek felt a flash of irritation. The hunter was just killed by a werewolf last night, and his body isn’t even buried yet. What are you doing?
As Feto basked in the victory and interacted with Shana, the fallen Golden Knight stood up and kicked Feto squarely in the rear.
“Oof!” Feto stumbled forward, nearly falling.
Good kick! Orek silently cheered. Even though Feto was his man, Orek thought someone needed to teach him a lesson before he got too cocky.
“Cheap shot?” Feto turned and snapped at the Golden Knight. “Schnyder, is that how a Golden Knight fights?”
“I never conceded. The duel isn’t over—you’re the one who stood up.” Schnyder gripped his sword, holding it upright before him.
“Fine! This time I’ll beat you until you admit defeat!” Feto assumed a defensive stance.
This can’t go on! Orek decided to intervene.
“Stop!”
Just as he was about to speak, a sharp shout rang out from below. Orek paused, seeing Raye, the chief knight of the Golden Knights, appear beside the training yard. He let out a sigh of relief. Since it involved the Golden Knights, her intervention was the best option.
Tall and imposing in her golden armor—emblematic of her rank—Raye rested her hand on the hilt of her sword and stepped between the two duelists.
“Fooling around first thing in the morning?” Raye snapped. “Don’t you know what’s happening?”
“Leader, I know about last night. But he was talking trash! Said the hunter’s death is our fault!” Schnyder accused first.
“Every time a murder happens, your night watchmen are nowhere to be found. Are you trying to tell me that’s a coincidence?” Feto shot back.
“How many peaceful nights have we guarded? You never mention that! Now there’s one murder, and you blame us?”
“Peaceful nights? You’ve been here half a year, and there have been four murders! Before you arrived, the Wall was always safe!”
“So you’re saying the Golden Knights are unnecessary?”
“I’m saying you’re a werewolf!”
“Then let’s stop talking! You got the right target, but we’ll see if you have the guts to kill a wolf!” Schnyder raised his sword again.
“Fine! If you want to fight, come at me!” Feto readied himself to continue.
“Shut up, both of you!” Raye shouted sharply, stepping in front of Schnyder. “Feto, the Commander hasn’t made a ruling on Hanbatu’s death yet. Are you trying to decide for him?”
Feto’s bravado vanished in the face of Raye. He faltered, glancing up at the Commander on the tower.
Orek caught his subordinate’s silent plea. With the Golden Knights’ leader involved, he had to step in. He cleared his throat and said, “Feto, you’re in charge of transporting Hanbatu’s body to the Snow Woods for burial. This must be done by the end of the day. Go prepare now.”
To defuse the standoff, he needed to send one party away first.
Feto looked at Raye, then at Schnyder, his face clearly showing resentment.
“Sanyuan, Ati, Ai, come with me.” After a moment of silence, Feto walked into the crowd of onlookers, pointed out three men, and led them toward the stables without glancing at the Golden Knights again.
He still listens to me. Orek let out a small sigh of relief.
“All of you, disperse. Get back to your duties.” Raye ordered her men.
The crowd in Narrow Square gradually dispersed. Orek shook his head, feeling drained.
“Do your Great Wall Legion and the Golden Knights not get along?” Shana tilted her head at Orek.
Everyone knows that. “No,” he denied firmly.
Orek watched Raye climb up the spiral stairs of the Oracle Tower. He sighed and added, “We work well together.”
“I only saw that the leaders of the two legions get along well.” Shana smiled. “I hope our coven’s arrival doesn’t make things more chaotic here.” She walked to the stairwell and held out a hand to Raye as she reached the top. “Raye, nice to meet you.”
Towering nearly a head above Shana, Raye looked down at her and made no move to take the hand.
“Good morning, Lady Witch.” Raye’s coldness toward Shana caught Orek off guard.
Raye turned to the Seer, her gaze direct. “I’m sorry about Hanbatu’s death.”
Orek said, “It was our mistake. We gave the werewolf another opportunity.”
Raye said, “We’re at fault too. The two Golden Knights who were supposed to stand watch last night were dead drunk. I want to punish them by making them patrol the Frost Great Wall as rangers for a month. What do you think?”
That’s barely a punishment. I locked Hanbatu in the dark cells for three days just for being rude to me. Though he thought this, Orek said aloud, “Do as you see fit.”
He knew clearly that even as the highest authority here, he had to respect Raye’s decisions regarding her knights. Besides, their relationship was far from ordinary…
Raye nodded and continued, “There’s another problem. The rangers we sent to patrol the Outer Wastes over ten days ago still haven’t returned.”
“Which three?” Orek had been swamped with troubles lately and couldn’t remember who they were.
“Hunter Vett, civilian Dingrui, and our man Soth.”
“Vett is actually a guard.” Orek recalled. “The hunter title was just his cover.”
“If someone doesn’t have the skill to back up their role, they only confuse the good guys and cause more trouble.” Raye frowned.
“I heard Soth isn’t a Golden Knight either?” Orek asked.
“The Golden Knights have 108 members. Only twelve are Golden Knights; the rest are Silver or Bronze Knights.” Raye said firmly. “Golden Knights is an honorary title. We’ve never claimed everyone is a Golden-level knight.”
She’s always so defensive, always misinterpreting my meaning. Orek sighed. “What I meant was, if they’re only Silver-level, they won’t stand a chance against the Wolf King if they encounter him in the Outer Wastes.”
“So what should we do?”
“The Great Wall Legion has limited top fighters. Can the Knights send three Golden Knights to search for them?”
Raye hesitated for a moment, then said, “If we send men, you have to send men too. We’re not familiar with the Outer Wastes.”
“Alright. I’ll discuss this with the scholars first.” Orek could sense Raye’s heightened defensiveness right now. Is it because there’s someone else here?
He noticed that as Raye spoke to him, she kept exchanging glances with Shana. Their gazes were like sharp, silent arrows, clashing invisibly in the air.