Chapter 461: Standing Ground.


    ‘Damn..., it’s barely holding together but… we’re not far from the meeting spot.’


    “Ahh… We are going to die!”


    Rnd''s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the shouts of one of the children as the space around them began to unravel, causing the metallic wagon to tremble violently. After he had inscribed runes around them, the cart turned into an impromptu flying ship. His cube golems were used as propulsion and hidden within a magical mist he had conjured up to hide them.


    During their escape, they sustained several hits, which Rnd countered by erecting a magical shield around them. However, the strain of maintaining the flying construct took its toll, resulting in more damage than he anticipated. Nheless, they continued flying until the runes began melting through the steel chassis. Now surrounded by mes, Rnd urged the children to huddle around the tower shield he had melted to the ground.


    “Huh? No one is going to die, just gather around me, I promise you, no one will die.”


    Rnd shouted over the roar of the mes and the creaking of the metal. He focused his remaining mana into arge spherical mana shield. It enveloped the shield he was kneeling on along with the children that huddled around him.


    ‘The runic structures have deteriorated too much, I can’t control the flight path anymore and the levitation spell ising undone, thending will be rough.’


    Without voicing his concerns to the group, Rnd remained focused on maintaining his concentration. After over a day of being chased, he had depleted most of his mana and was suffering from a headache induced by mana potion consumption. Fortunately, his skills allowed him to persevere through the pain. Before long, the mana solidified around them, forming a thick sphere of watery energy that enveloped them all.


    The children, wide-eyed with fear, clung to Rnd as the wagon shuddered and groaned under the strain. The heat was intense but thanks to the water magic around them, they were shielded from the worst of it. Rnd ced his arms around the children to add anotheryer of protection with his body and the wagon continued to descend rapidly, hurtling toward the ground below.As they approached the earth, Rnd braced himself for impact. The sphere of mana surrounding them absorbed much of the shock, but even so, thending was rough. The wagon crashed down with a deafening roar, sending up a cloud of dust and debris. The metal groaned and protested under the strain, and eventually burst into a ball of mes around them.


    Once the dust settled, the children opened their eyes.They found themselves suspended in mid-air, surrounded by a watery shield that promptly dissipated. After ignoring the sensation of wetness, they turned their attention to the wreckage of the wagon they had just been in. They realized that during the descent, Rnd had reactivated the levitation capabilities of his shield and safeguarded them from the impact.


    “Is everyone alright?”


    He asked the children, his voice hoarse from all the umted exhaustion. They nodded in response, and soon felt themselves descending toward the ground. However, thending was abrupt, and they experienced a gentle bump as they touched down. Though their savior attempted tond more slowly, it was evident that he was nearing the limits of his power.


    Soon, their eyes fell upon a group of armored men bearing the same crest as their pursuers. The children were startled by their sudden appearance, but Rnd remainedposed. He recognized their leader, someone he knew well. As the armored men approached, they too recognized Rnd and quickly saluted him, who was their Knight Commander.


    “That was quite the entrance, Sir Wand.”


    “Good to see you, Lord Arthur.”


    Rnd stood up straight and quickly performed a Knightly salute to Arthur, who to everyone gathered here, was his lord. While he wanted to do nothing more than to get all of this behind him, there was still more left to do in this little scheme he cooked up.


    “I’m d to see you also, and almost in one piece. However, we will catch upter, we have made the appropriate preparations.”


    Arthur winked at Rnd before ncing to the side, where a robed man stood, roughly Rnd''s height. Beneath the darkened robes, he wore armor simr to Rnd''s, giving him a striking resemnce to the individuals their pursuers were after. Now that he was among his allies, he could rearrange his robe to take on the form of a cape, adorned with a Valerian crest on the back.


    “You have my thanks.”


    “Hey Wand, what is this all about? Care to exin?”


    “Hey, give him some space you big idiot, can’t you see that he is tired.”


    “Hey, why did you kick me?”


    Two familiar voices sounded out from the distance and they belonged to his brother-inw and his younger sister. Both Armand and Lobelia had gathered along with Sir Gareth and Morien. Lobelia was on horseback while it seemed that Armand had used his own body to keep up with the mounted soldiers. All of them were now tier 3 ss holders and were just the backup he needed.


    Rnd let out a weary chuckle as he spotted those two approach. Despite the dire circumstances, their presence brought him a sense of relief. He took a moment topose himself before addressing them.


    "Armand, Lobelia, it''s good to see you both. I''ll exin everything, but first, let’s get this over with. Troops from Aldbourne are approaching and we need to deal with them first.”


    “Aldbourne? That shithole?”


    Armandmented before receiving another kick to the shoulder from Lobelia. It was rather odd to see her kicking a man from horseback, but at least the sight brought the tension down. The soldiers didn’t voice their opinions, but they wore strange expressions on their faces, clearly unused to seeing people behave in such a way around nobility.


    “How dare you behave in such a way in front of the Lord!”


    “Haha, it’s fine Mary, it’s quite entertaining!”


    Rnd looked at the group that was assembled and wasn’t sure what to think. Arthur seemed to be taking things quite lightly but considering that he now had a proper tier 3 entourage, he couldn’t me him. While his own horse was being prepared he took a bit of time to look at Gareth and Morien, who were now a force to be reckoned with.


    Name : Gareth Astastel L153


    ssesT3 Sword Champion L3T2 Advanced Sword Knight L50T2 Sword Knight L 50T1 Squire L25T1 Warrior L25


    Name : Morien Hartmond L152


    ssesT3 Spear Champion L2T2 Advanced Spear Knight L50T2 Spear Knight L 50T1 Squire L25T1 Warrior L25


    “Vico, don’t worry. You can trust these people, go with them until we deal with those people that were after us, do you understand?”


    “Yes, Sir!”


    Time was of the essence, and he needed to y the role until the very end. Vico was on his side, so he didn’t need any convincing. With his help, the other kids moved with some of the soldiers who were tasked with bringing them to a safe location. Troops of an opposing Valerian brother were approaching, and this ce was far from safe.


    As the soldiers escorted the children to safety, Rnd and his allies prepared themselves for the impending confrontation with the troops from Aldbourne. They positioned themselves strategically, taking advantage of the natural terrain to maximize their defensive capabilities. Their numbers were high and probably exceeded Theodore’s troops. Their goal was to scare them off and not to engage but things didn’t always go as nned.


    "Sir Wand, your friends are approaching. Did you have anything in mind for this event?”


    “My Lord, it would be best to keep them from entering your territory, it would showcase your strength and send a message to you brother.”


    “Hm, dear Theo won’t like this…”


    Rnd was now situated on his horse, right behind Arthur. His two knights didn’t fully trust him yet, and the same went for Mary, who was responsible for their informationwork. Their leader appeared to be pondering this issue, his fists tightening around the reins he held. He might have been anxious about confronting the troops belonging to his brother, but if he wanted to be taken seriously, he needed to demonstrate that he would not back down from a fight.


    “Very well, move the troops, if they dare to enter thesends, you are free to intercept them. Show them the might of House Valerian.”


    Arthur''s voice carried authority as he gave themand, and Rnd nodded in agreement. He ryed the orders to his men, who quickly sprang into action and right behind theirmander. Theodore’s troops that were pursuing them quickly arrived at this scene and theb of their Knight Commander became visible. The man was riding in the front and began to slow down the moment he saw the small army waiting for them.


    The border between Albrook and Aldbourne was marked by a ruggedndscape of rolling hills and sparse vegetation. Nearby, dense patches of forests housed creatures that asionally emerged to ambush merchants and travelers. Though the volcands were fertile, the absence of farnds was noticeable due to the persistent threat posed by the monsters. A rock formation delineated the boundary between Aldbourne and Theodore’snds, and their troops were assembled near it.


    Alphonse, one of Theodore’s Knightmanders, rode at the head of his troops. He had split off from them and appeared to be attempting a charge into enemy territory. However, upon realizing that he was facing a sizable force led by a fellow Vrian, he quickly brought himself to a halt. His steed trotted forward and stopped just short of crossing the border. Now, he stood before Rnd, surrounded by other Knights, with Arthur visible in the distance.


    “Halt, you are attempting to trespass into thends of Lord Arthur Valerian, identify yourself!”


    Alphonse straightened in his saddle, his gaze locking onto Rnd with indignation. He recognized Rnd’s identity as the Knight Commander he had interacted with before. Luckily, he was not aware that he was the same man who took him on a wild goose chase and crashed the ver’s wagon.


    "Sir Wand, pray tell, how did you..."


    The man was clearly shaken by the appearance of the enemy troops. When Emmerson visited Albrook, they hadn''t been able to resist even one Tier 3 ss holder. Now, on the other hand, he could discern the presence of at least five other such individuals here, along with over a hundred mounted troops. Behind them stood archers and foot soldiers armed with shields and spears, ready to mobilize at a moment''s notice.


    “State your business. Are you trying to attack thends of our lord? Why have you brought your knights here? We do not take kindly to such threats, are you trying to start a conflict?”


    Rnd knew that it was forbidden for the Duke candidates to engage in such extreme conflicts and battle it out on the fields. They were still nobles from the same house, and the Duke did not want to risk losing his troops to his sons'' disputes. The intention was for them to expand their influence without resorting to militarized conflict, or at most, only engaging in skirmishes under the guise of training exercises. However, Theodore''s actions suggested otherwise, as his troops were invading hisnds without going through the proper procedures.


    "Sir Wand, it doth appear a misconception hath arisen. We possess no inclination towards strife. Nay, our presence in this ce is solely to ensure the protection of ournds and the welfare of our people."


    Alphonse replied quickly while also raising his hand up. This caused the men behind him to stop in their tracks and gather at a distance. It was clear that he didn’t want to give Rnd any excuses to attack him. At this moment, Alphonse found himself at a disadvantage, as most of his troops had not yet arrived. It would be impossible to prevail against hundreds of enemies with only thirty of his men, especially against someone who had defeated Emmerson, a truly strong Knight Commander.


    “Verily, I do assure thee, we harbored no intent to encroach upon thy lord''s demesne. Our sole aim was to conduct a vignt patrol along the frontier, safeguarding the sanctity of our own estates. As thou art well aware, the locality hath witnessed a surge in the nefarious exploits of monsters and brigands in recent moons. We have diligently pursued one such miscreant. It doth appear that thou hast encountered this vagabond…”


    Rnd wasn’t fond of the man''s rhetoric, but it was evident he was attempting to buy time. He was at arge disadvantage with only thirty men here and waiting for reinforcements. The pursuers weren’t elite forces, and their numbers didn''t surpass his own. It would be unwise for them to encroach on theirnds unchecked, and Rnd needed to ensure they understood they couldn''t trespass at will.


    “Yes, as you can see, we have apprehended a peculiar mage and a strange flying carriage has crashed into our territory.”


    "It doth indeed appear thus. Permit me to remind thee that this scoundrel hails from the domain of Lord Theodore Valerian and hath purloined goods from within his demesne. I beseech thee, do the honorable deed and surrender them unto us, and we shall forthwith take our leave."


    “Is that so? Hm… I refuse.”


    "Surely thou jest?"


    Rnd had anticipated this reaction, which is why he had instructed Arthur to prepare a body double. As they conversed, Alphonse caught sight of a figure in a dark robe being escorted away and ced into a carriage. It seemed he was being taken to Albrook for further interrogation, and his side would examine the wreckage, something Theodore''s faction strongly opposed. It was evident they didn''t want the captured children to divulge information about the kidnappings and the illicit ve trade, as it could lead to consequences even for their lord.


    “I am quite serious. If you attempt to cross into our territory, I will not hesitate to defend it. As a Knight Commander of House Valerian, it is my duty to protect thesends and their inhabitants. Your usations against this mage may be valid, but the matter will be settled within our jurisdiction. If you wish to pursue justice, I suggest you do so through proper channels. However, I must warn you that any attempt to enter our territory without our consent will be met with force.”


    Alphonse''s expression darkened at Rnd''s words, his hand twitching as if itching to draw his sword. He clearly didn''t expect such firm resistance, especially from someone he had previously underestimated. It was a risky move, but Rnd knew he had the advantage here. His troops outnumbered Alphonse''s, and they also had thew on their side. In theory, whatever ended up in Arthur’s territory was his to examine. Rnd also knew they wouldn''t divulge the truth about the wagon''s purpose or its passengers. Which meant that they had nothing to stand on.


    “Sir Wand, thou shalt regret thy insolence!”


    “If you have nothing further to add, then leave.”


    With a frustrated growl, Alphonse spurred his horse and turned back to his men, barking orders to regroup and return to Aldbourne. Though he seethed with anger, he knew better than to engage in a fruitless confrontation. The risk of provoking a conflict with Arthur Valerian was too great and would only risk the ire of his liege. He knew that he could just deny all the ims made by his enemies, and it was not worth risking his men’s lives in a meaningless battle.


    As Alphonse and his men retreated, Rnd breathed a sigh of relief. He had effectively thwarted any further confrontation from the man. Fortunately, Alphonse was intelligent enough to recognize that he wouldn''t emerge victorious from this sh. Moreover, it would only reflect poorly on Theodore if his Knight Commander were to attack Arthur’s troops while his brother was among them. Arthur’s mere presence made it challenging for the Knight Commander to retaliate, and attempting to force their way in was futile given the presence of multiple Tier 3 ss holders on their side.


    “Yeah tell them, Sir Wand~”


    “Such a knightly tone! I’m impressed!”


    “Shut up you two…”


    While gazing at the back of Alphonse’s neatlybed helmet, Rnd heard voices from behind. First came Armand with a quick one-liner, followed by Lobelia. After turning his head, he caught sight of Arthur attempting to suppress augh and Mary shaking her head.


    ‘I want to go home…’<blockquote>


    I would like to officially inform all my readers that I have started writing a new story calledHeavy Metal [ A Monster Evolution LitRPG ]</blockquote>