Ronin carefully glanced at everyone present.

"I cannot answer any questions in place of the Count." he replied.

"No worries, I just need your help to lure out the other Golden Rank expert. Rest assured, we only intend to subdue him." Brand replied, "To my knowledge, there are currently three beings of similar strength within this manor. Aside from the Count’s personal guard, isn’t there another residing on the second floor? With your status, you should be able to access the second floor, right?"

Ronin fell silent, glaring harshly at the knight behind Brand. He obviously knew who informed this young man of this. However, after considering a bit, he shook his head, saying, "I’m sorry, I cannot accept. It goes against my belief."

Brand was slightly surprised to hear such a response and glanced at Ronin. Nowadays in Erune, those who still adhere to their beliefs are scarce. Before encountering Kulan, Brand almost thought that only he, the Princess, and the Valkyrie were such people.

He shrugged, sheathing his sword, nodded to Ronin, and said, "Alright, I respect your choice."

Ronin was slightly taken aback; he hadn’t expected these seemingly bandit-like intruders to be so agreeable. He couldn’t help but frown, staring at Brand, "What are you up to? Without my assistance, you’ll never get to the second floor. By the looks of it, you don’t want to attract outside attention, do you?"

"I’m determined. If worse comes to worst, I’ll have to resort to forceful tactics." Brand answered, "I can assure you I can control the situation shortly, but if it can be done simply, I don’t want to cause trouble."

The middle-aged knight pursed his lips, his brows furrowed tightly. Obviously, Brand’s words hit the nail on the head. He couldn’t help but take a deep look at Brand: "Making nobles bleed in the area controlled by the Holy Temple, you should know the consequences. No one in Ambeser for a hundred years has dared to do so."

Brand defiantly stared at him and responded frankly, "You’ve misunderstood two things, sir. First, the one before you is no thief. Second, I fear nothing." As he said this, his determination was complete. There were two days left until the nobles’ meeting, and Brand was well aware of how history was gradually moving towards that futureless path. He wouldn’t allow history to repeat itself.

In the Amber Sword, he had seen the Princess and the Valkyrie. He had fought alongside many, but this time, he would battle alone.

Seeing the intense, unyielding determination burning in Brand’s eyes, Ronin couldn’t help but be stunned. He didn’t know where these people came from, but they really didn’t seem like ordinary bandits. He shook his head inwardly; how could they be bandits? Which bandit would dare to be so presumptuous as to take action in Ambeser? He sighed, "You’re not from the Lekin family?"

The Lekin family? Brand felt he might have heard this noble family’s name, but it seemed to have no impact. Yet he could be sure it wasn’t any major family from Erune or Kruz. When did the Earl of Yan Castle have a grudge against this small family? And it seemed rather tense, too. Brand’s mind raced swiftly, suddenly realizing the Earl of Yan Castle’s unusual involvement in Ambeser’s noble meeting might have something to do with this matter. Yet, it had no relation to his goal, so he quickly shook his head, "Of course not."

"Are you cultists?" Ronin’s brow slightly relaxed, yet remained deeply furrowed. He suddenly thought of rumors about cultists controlling nobles and couldn’t help but ask. However, as soon as he spoke, the knight behind Brand suddenly changed his expression. In Vorn, only one type of person would dare ignore Martha’s vow, and that would be cultists. Therefore, if Brand were a cultist, the previous promise that he wouldn’t kill him afterward would be a lie. Considering this, the knight couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

However, Brand shook his head, "No, we, like you, believe in Lord Martha and regard Twilight and Chaos as heretical."

Ronin raised his brow. Cultists would never say such things, so he sighed in relief, pondering for a moment, "As long as you swear before Lord Martha to fulfill all you’ve said, I might consider helping you persuade the Count."

"You agree?"

The Knight Captain smiled wryly; could he disagree? He understood that Brand’s group’s strength was formidable. The Count’s three Golden Rank fighters were no match for them, and now, being overpowered, he could only concur. Indeed, the Count’s utilizable Golden Domain combat power was reduced to only two. If they set to attack forcibly, the manor would be awash with blood. Considering his life and his loyalty to the Count, this was his best option.

Ronin sighed; once a notably powerful noble force in Erune, the Yanbao family flourished at its peak, having two Elemental Manifestation experts, a status on par with Duke Anliek today. It was precisely this strength that allowed the Yanbao nobles to remain independent from the other nobles of the Kingdom, self-claiming a lineage. Yet, barely a century had passed, and the Yanbao family had declined this much? Almost anyone could bully them now, even considering dependency on other Dukes.

What a disgrace.

The Knight Captain thought, about to nod and consent, when suddenly a tremendous explosion erupted overhead. In that instant, the entire manor seemed to jolt. Brand’s heart tightened, he involuntarily looked up at the ceiling; the explosion came from the second floor. Could something outside have changed?

But he couldn’t fathom what change could precipitate such an effect. Could it be that Little Roman was bold enough to experiment with the Fireball Technique in the manor at this time?

However, this commotion looked less like a Big Fireball and more like someone summoned a Meteorite Technique.

These chaotic thoughts flashed through Brand’s mind. He turned, seeing the corridor descending into chaos, many knights who were already asleep opened their doors and rushed out. Brand’s expression shifted, immediately shouting, "Close the doors, quickly!"

...

(2 updates, one of 4000, one of 3000, you get it. It was supposed to be yesterday’s release, but I wasn’t feeling well. Let’s start from today.) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)