Chapter 223
The morning sun stretched over the horizon, casting golden light across the dirt path winding through the quiet hills.
The group had left early, moving in formation with disciplined steps. Dust kicked up from the hooves of dozens of horses as the sound of marching armor clanked with every steady movement.
Carriages rolled at the rear, pulled by well-kept horses, and handled by silent servants. Knights rode in rows, their polished armor gleaming, while banners fluttered slightly in the breeze. The atmosphere was quiet but alert, each man carrying a stern look and a hand close to their weapon.
Kael rode near the middle, his expression still thoughtful. During their stop, he had learned something shocking—many royal guards on a past mission to the West had been killed.
Their Royal Tokens had been stolen and then sold on the black market. Worse, the tokens were now being used by bandits who dressed up like guards, looting villages, killing innocents, and even pretending to have royal authority. Some bold ones had started speaking about the revolt.
At first, Kael thought it was a joke. A stupid, wild rumor without credibility.
Bandits were dumb, sure, but they didn't have that much balls to impersonate Royal knights, did they?
After all their principle was to bully the weak and fear the strong.
Yet he was wrong. These ones had guts. They didn't have the strength to conquer kingdoms, but they sure had the nerve to act like they did.
During his times, with the demons ravaging lands earlier, most of the normal troublemakers had died or gone into hiding. The ones who stayed had taken part in a war for survival. That made them harder, crueler, and strangely…braver.