Please go no further, sire. Up ahead is the Chivalric Order of the Radiant Knight’s Border Town branch. Any unauthorized personnel is prohibited from entering.” The two knights guarding the gate intercepted the visitor.
“Open the gates, I’m here for Section Head Lan.” Manda’s tone was stern and cold, as he threw his identity card towards one of the knights guarding the gates.
“My apologies! I didn’t notice that an esteemed Lord had arrived. Please forgive me…”
“No matter, don’t waste my time. I want to meet your Section Head.”
“Uh, the Esteemed Section Head is extremely occupied. He has issued a verbal order that no one should disturb him, and any violator to be severely punished…” The two knights were somewhat put into a spot.
“Otherwise what, your Section Head is going to execute me or something?? Get your priorities in order, knight!”
“…Yes.” The two knights looked at each other in dismay. They could only helplessly acquiesce to his request. On one side was their Section Head, while the other one was a renowned Lord Knight. Either party was someone they couldn’t afford to offend.
Manda shot a glance at the iron portcullis that was incessantly retreating upwards. He then entered the marble palace before him and walked towards the lounge’s staircase without stopping.
“Sire Holy Flame?? What troubled you to make your way here? …The esteemed section head is still reviewing some documents and does not wish for anyone to disturb him…” The knight at the front desk in charge of registration blankly looked at Manda, who was going up the stairs without uttering a single word.
“Oh, seems like the might from an old man like myself isn’t sufficient enough to strike fear in people’s hearts anymore?” A gleam of brilliance flashed past Manda’s turbid eyes.
The knight at the front desk closed his mouth immediately and spoke no more.
…………
“Click!” The sound of a door being hurriedly pushed open was accompanied by a gust of fierce wind, blowing away a stack of documents from a desk.
“Who dares to be this brazen?? Don’t you know that the section head is currently working here?!” The bodyguard at Lan Yu’s side berated indignantly as he unsheathed the long sword at his waist with the sound of a ‘shwing’.
However, his loftiness had vanquished the instant his young, rage-filled eyes came into contact with the pair of turbid eyes on the other side of the door frame.
All of a sudden, cold sweat started forming on the young knight’s back. His body turned rigid as if a sword was hanging over his heart, making him wary of making any rash action.
“Brat. One doesn’t become imposing just from a few casual shouts.” Manda stood with his hands behind his back, his turbid eyes narrowing into a line.
“Stand down. You’re not allowed to be rude!” Lan Yu coldly berated the bodyguard at his side. Upon seeing the gradually approaching Manda, he stood up and saluted.
“I didn’t know that Teacher was going to grace us with his presence today. It’s your student’s mistake for not going out to meet you, please accept my apology. I wonder what’s the purpose of Teacher’s trip this time? Are you uneasy about handing the Border Town into your student’s care?”
Manda remained silent while wearing a gloomy expression. Walking up to the main chair, he sat down without paying heed to the people present, leaving Lan Yu no choice but to surrender his seat. The section head then motioned for his bodyguard who was still in a state of fear to leave the room.
“The boorishness of this student is all to blame for his inadequacy to welcome his teacher on such short notice. May I humbly request for Teacher to calm his anger, this student really didn’t expect that you’d arrive at such a time…”
“Hmph! Of course I can’t let you know.”
Lan Yu was slightly shocked and astonished at Manda’s unusual refusal to give him a way out.
“If your student has caused Teacher to be this angry in some way, can you tell him so that he can take heed of it?” Asked Lan Yu respectfully.
“Lil’ Lan, you…” Manda looked at Lan Yu with a perplexed expression. He opened his mouth, yet was unsure as to how to bring it up.
The youngster before him was someone he had raised all by himself. One might even say that he was the one who pushed him into this position in Border Town. He had genuinely considered him his disciple and taught him through words and examples. Thus, Manda was extremely assured when it came to this disciple of his.
Years ago, he had picked up Lan Yu, who had been a survivor from a village destroyed by demons. He had taken pity on him then and brought him up.
With Manda’s daughter and wife murdered by demons, he had always regarded Lan Yu, whom he had picked up from ruins, as his own child and taken great care of him.
As such, this sudden incident had caught the middle-aged man on the verge of entering his sixties off-guard and turned his complexion unsightly.
“Bang!” Manda ferociously slammed a rune stone on the incense-wood table, causing several lines of cracks to appear.
“This…” Lan Yu began to feel the atmosphere becoming somewhat amiss.
“You’ve truly disappointed me, Lil’ Lan!” Manda pressed the inscription on the runestone.
A clearly recorded voice resounded…
Lan Yu’s complexion turned from puzzlement in the beginning to solemnness, until he slowly buried his head in his hands.
The recording came to an end.
“…Lil’ Lan, come with me and give yourself up. I’ve concealed this incident from the Chivalric Order and Sacred Martial Association. If you surrender now, you can at least keep your reputation.” Manda gave a deep sigh.
“Teacher, would you believe me if I said that this wasn’t my doing?” Asked Lan Yu with a bitter smile.
“What do you think?”
“Hehe, alright. Since that’s the case… this Student won’t cover it any further.”Lan Yu began to laugh out of nowhere.
“I wonder if Teacher could give this Student one last chance to explain himself?”
“Sure. But no matter the explanation, you have to go and turn yourself in… The deceased frontline knights won’t be able to rest in peace otherwise.” Said Manda solemnly with slightly furrowed brows.
“Alright. Since that’s the case, can I invite Teacher to follow this Student?” Lan Yu walked forward with his hands placed behind his back.
Manda followed him wIthout the slightest bit of hesitation.
Even if Lan Yu had made a serious mistake, he was still his student. Manda didn’t believe that he would harbor any malice towards himself. Besides, his title of “Holy Flame Knight” would be wasted on him if he wasn’t even capable of dealing with his own student.
Lan Yu brought Manda to a particularly secluded corner situated at one of the palace’s floors; One that led to a dead end. Squatting down, he knocked on the floor tiles one by one and skillfully moved a hollow brick aside, causing a tunnel to appear.
Manda slightly furrowed his brows before rushing forward to catch up to him.
…………
Manda increasingly felt like something was amiss as he entered the tunnel. The deeper he moved forward, the higher the temperature rose.
It was as if he was in the throat of some creature.
Gradually, the dark earthen walls came to an end. Incessantly wiggling meat extended out of their cracks that resembled the combination of a lively throbbing heart and tissue of a creature, causing an abrupt rise in temperature.
Manda tightly furrowed his brows, but eventually remained silent and continued to follow Lan Yu onwards.
“Teacher, pardon your student for his bold question. But does your conviction work to the benefit of mankind?” Lan Yu suddenly interrupted Manda’s thoughts.
“…You can say that.” After being silent for a moment, Manda answered in affirmation.
“In that case, do you believe that the respective large Chivalric Orders led by the Sacred Martial Association could really win if they stood off against the demons right now?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Teacher, what this Student meant is very simple… The hearts of the Sacred Martial Association, as well as the respective bigwigs in the Chivalric Order have already been rotten to the core from authority and desires. They’ve already lost the qualifications and ability to continue leading the entire federation.”
“You…If you’re really doing it for the federation, why did you mutiny and collude with demons?? Lil’ Lan, don’t tell me you have forgotten who your parents and relatives are…” Asked Manda.
“No no no. I’m not betraying mankind… I’m sure Teacher is aware of the point I’ve mentioned earlier, right?? The current federation only exists due to that empty shell of a barrier. All they’re doing is simply entertaining thoughts of danger while sitting comfortably in a place of safety, while the higher cadres of the Sacred Martial Association are simply holding onto their roles without doing anything, their ears stuck onto their beer belly. They are affable and sanctimonious in their everyday appearance, yet are only aware of fighting for power and profit in private. Does it even matter if such a federation persists?”
“If someone can commit all kinds of crimes to satisfy his needs for power and desire, he would inevitably open the barrier for a price to the enemy! …The opportunity has arrived, Teacher! It’s time for us to fish out the rotten heart of those guys and give it a cleaning!”