Chapter 280
Kael tightened the strap on his gloves as he stood at the head of the assembled squad. The Blue Knights had already lined up in formation, their armor glinting under the bright summer sun. Wagons and mounts stood ready. The clatter of last-minute preparations echoed across the open field outside the duchy gates. The dry wind carried both heat and anticipation.
Ruth had not skimped on resources. The force he assigned was strong—disciplined knights, elite vanguard, logistical support, and well-forged arms. Kael appreciated it... but it was the mysterious "helper" Ruth mentioned that kept nagging at him.
"Helper?" he had asked earlier, raising an eyebrow as Ruth handed him a sealed scroll with a single key attached.
"There is someone who will assist you during your stay in the capital," Ruth replied, tone clipped and unyielding, revealing nothing more.
Now, under the blazing August sun, Kael’s attention shifted to the sudden ruckus ahead. The heavy thudding of armored horses approached. Raising his hand to shield his eyes from the glare, he peered forward.
A dust trail swirled behind a unit of mounted soldiers cutting toward them with powerful strides. The air turned heavy as the pressure from their unified aura pressed forward like a storm wall.
"That’s... some serious firepower," Kael muttered, eyes narrowing. "Who are they?"
Beside him, Ramos squinted and frowned. "I don’t know. First time I’ve seen these armor patterns. But they don’t look like random knights."
At the front of the approaching squad rode a woman on a dark stallion, exuding an aura of command. She led with poise—chin held high, posture unshaken, and an energy that made nearby knights instinctively step back. She didn’t just ride through the battlefield—she owned it.
The moment her contingent halted before Kael’s group, the riders dismounted in perfect unison. Armor plates clanked, boots struck the ground, and then—one by one—they knelt.
"Greetings, Your Grace!" their voices rang in disciplined unison, heads bowed.
Even the boldest of the Blue Knights blinked in awe.