Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

Chapter 7 Important Figures

"Speak." Amantha's wrist was barely shaking, but the tip of the sword on the opponent's neck began to vibrate with a buzzing sound.

"Important people, I heard from them that three important people here have escaped! Maybe it's related to this! This is the latest intelligence sent back by our insider!"

"There were three of them, one man and two women. The man was an old man with a white beard, just like the Marquis of Queeg, and the two women were one big and one small! I don't know if they were telling us about our age or something else, but they just started laughing!"

Amansha was stunned. They were hiding three important people here? She didn't even know about it! How could a soldier from the other side talk about it so convincingly?

"Oh, we have woven a very tangled web indeed," said Reslaufer, drawing out his words.

The elf rolled her eyes at him. She wasn't a noble of the Matt Dynasty, not even an Imperial! What did the internet have to do with her?

"Can you give me a life in exchange?"

"Get up," Amantha nodded and withdrew her foot from the cavalryman. "One cavalryman can at least be exchanged for some ransom."

The guy who had just been smiling brightly suddenly drooped his face. "You still want to be a prisoner?... Can we make a deal? I'll give you money, and you'll let me go?"

"If I kill you, all your money will be mine," Amantha snorted. "You only have a second chance to say something like that."

"And now you have no mount or weapon. Do you think you can walk out of the battlefield on your own? I'm saving your life, idiot."

The cavalryman's expression changed. He gritted his teeth as he watched Amantha and Leslough turn their backs as if no one was around. Suddenly, he shouted from behind, "Please wait! I, I should have another clue!"

"There's no need. I don't need to know so much, and this guy probably didn't even listen carefully to the first sentence." Amantha stopped and said, "Let's go, or are you willing to die here in vain?"

The cavalry ignored the famous One-Ear's advice, and thus could not calm down. They heard the sound of galloping horses approaching from afar: "Southeast, away from both camps! Some say your cavalry pursued us that way and crossed a valley over there. Although it seems that they did not pursue us and chose to ambush us, there is a possibility that -"

Before the cavalryman could finish his words, a sudden cavalry spear reached and even passed over his chest faster than the horse's head. Before the cavalryman could even react and still wanted to talk, his body was blown away by the huge impact force and landed in the mud and dust in the distance.

The young and energetic brown eyes blinked, and with an excited smile, he looked at the two infantrymen under the horse: "Long time no see, Lady Amantha! Let's set off now!"

"You're... the kid from yesterday?" Reslaufer sized up the now energetic young rider. The blood on him and his mount definitely didn't make up three people. "Where are you going?"

"Go find those 'important people,'" Benjamin Russo said quickly. "I know some people have gone looking for them, but they can't find out where they are, and there's no chance to leave the camp. Isn't now a good time?"

"You have sharp ears," Amantha said, glancing at the spot where the imperial cavalryman fell and shaking her head. "So, those who went after them haven't returned yet?"

"No," Benjamin said, "Please, both of you. If we, no, you can bring them back, it would be a great achievement! I heard that the Marquis Marek, who pays us, is so worried about this that his hair is almost falling out!"

"I have horses here. If we squeeze together, we should be able to escape quickly. No one will find us!"

"No need," said Leslaufer, waving his hand. It was just a mount, no need to be so nervous. The battlefield was full of unowned and soon-to-be-unowned warhorses. "What's your name?"

"Benjamin, Benjamin Russo! Sir!" the rider replied cheerfully, "we must hurry up, if we start quickly, we may be able to catch up with them!"

"You go with him, Reslaufer," Amantha said. "The most difficult time is over. You don't need to break up the enemy's lineup anymore, but I still have dozens of people to command."

"Go and bring those three back. Perhaps this is a bit too much for me to say, but no matter what, they seem to have been ours. We can't let them fall into the hands of the Imperials."

"You seem to be on the side of the Emperor," Raslaufer shrugged. "Your relative?"

"A wise man back home pointed out that his overly radical reforms could very well usher in a new era," Amantha explained to Reslaufer for the first time why she sided with him. Of course, this was also the first time Reslaufer asked. "Currency will no longer be real gold or silver. The vast majority of precious metals will be controlled by the government. Based on this, they will issue 'equivalents' backed by credit. The new currency will be cheaper, transactions will be more convenient, and losses in circulation will be reduced. This may usher in a new round of prosperity for trade."

"But if he can't make it through this, there's nothing left." Leslaufer nodded, but no one knew whether he understood what he said. "Okay, I'll bring him back."

Leaving the battlefield was a new experience for Reslaufer, and it might be a novel one. He'd already received last month's salary, so he didn't care about the consequences. The worst that could happen was a wanted man. He could go somewhere else, outside the empire, and see if the Matt Dynasty would be as the wise men in Amantha's hometown had predicted.

Prosperity? Probably good news. Destruction? Not unacceptable. For ordinary people, "eternal peace" is a blessing; but for mercenaries, it's like saying, "May you starve to death."

A stray horse was led by Reslaufer, and the elf handed over his weapon and rushed towards his own camp. Benjamin and Reslaufer covered her on both sides, but suddenly turned halfway and galloped towards the southeast.

"Your riding is truly superb!" Crossing the battlefield—such a crazy move was definitely not something an ordinary person could conceive of or do. Yet, a mere foot soldier like Reslaufer easily circumvented the conflict, even seeming to be leading Benjamin. This astonished the young cavalryman. "If you joined the cavalry, you could probably earn quite a few gold pounds, right?"

"It's still my current number." Leslaufer didn't look back, letting the wind blow past the sides of his helmet. The wounds on his body ached slightly, but it was not a big problem for him. "Cavalry can't be 'Doppler'."

Throw him in with his horse? Then Reslaufer would only be able to collect his salary when he wasn't fighting and a death pension - unless his warhorse was also as active as a tide, but even that was unlikely.

"Oh, that's right." Benjamin sighed for no reason. Just by looking at the blood on the man's body and his mental state, Leslough could tell that this guy was not suitable for his job - let alone having the blood of three people on his hands, how many Dopplers would have killed less than three digits?

The dopplers employed by the barbarian king of Ampyri would even demand monthly gold coins equal to the number of kills they had committed in their careers, so that they could exchange those counterfeit coins for enough imperial gold coins to buy a manor, a noble or knightly title before dying on the battlefield, and give the remaining money to the church they believed in or other trustworthy organizations to manage, so that they could receive a full pension every month.

Due to the generous pay and dangerous working environment, many Dopplers would retire in their thirties, and most soldiers who had no bad records and could be hired normally could basically do this by the age of forty or fifty at the latest, away from the battlefield and living the life of an ordinary civilian, provided they could live that long - and did not waste their money on alcohol, card tables or syphilis.

Raslaufer had none of these vices, he didn't even drink much, so he had saved enough money long ago, but... more gold is always better, isn't it?

Chapter 8: Tunnel in the Valley

Benjamin, riding behind, couldn't see the corners of Reslaufer's mouth cracking once again, but just listening to the low laughter of imagination in the wind made him break out in a cold sweat. Looking at the bloodstains that almost filled every gap in the armor, Benjamin's thoughts had seamlessly switched from "Luckily he didn't kill me yesterday" to "He actually didn't kill me yesterday?"

The battlefield was left far behind by the two horses, one in front and one behind, while the valley ahead became increasingly clear. The searching cavalry could not progress too quickly, and they had a clear goal. When the sky began to be gilded by the setting sun, Leslaufer and Benjamin had almost reached their first stop.

The corpses of horses and people were lying in a mess on the ground in the shade of the valley. They were already cold. The messy signs of resistance on the ground and tree trunks showed that they had been attacked in a hurry.

Their frozen faces, still half formed, suggested that they had died quickly and painfully.

"Be careful, there's a trap..." Seeing Leslaufer dismount to check, Benjamin hurriedly reminded him.

"There's no trap," Reslaufer said, lifting the collar of a corpse and looking closer at the cold face. "They were killed in a hurry. They have other things to do and don't want to stay here."

"Do you recognize any of these people?"

"Well, old George," Benjamin dismounted, tied the two horses together, and walked over to a corpse. "He was a very good man. I didn't expect him to die in this damn place."

I don't know what the captain's contract says. Does this count as a death in action? If not, George's wife and six children are probably going to suffer.

"The dead are the best people," Leslaufer said, dropping the corpse in his hands and surveying his surroundings. "I've never been to this place before. Is the front closed off? Or is there a passageway?"

"There is a passage, but I heard it's very narrow and difficult to travel, so the nearby lords have never built a road here," Benjamin said. "But if three people want to escape secretly, this is indeed a good option."

"But it's best for us to walk. It's not a good idea to be attacked on horseback in a place like this."

Since Reslaufer had no mount, it naturally didn't matter to him. Benjamin, however, comforted his little mare for a long time before letting the rather human-like warhorse stay quietly beside the corpses of its own kind, waiting for its master's return.

"Mr. Leslaufer, tell me more of your story." There was little fun to be had in the valley, especially when the corpse of a cavalryman appeared on the roadside from time to time. Benjamin had to try to divert his attention elsewhere. "Tell me about Ampiri? I heard it's close to the northernmost point of the world."

"It's still quite far from the northernmost tip. The kings there would launch an expedition overseas at least once every generation, and they would always find a new island." Reslaufer shook his head. "Anyway, the 'Great Voyage' hadn't ended until I left."

"Why are they doing this?" Benjamin was extremely puzzled. He often heard that the dangers on land were not as great as those on the sea. No matter how he thought about it, this seemed to be a thankless "feat."

"They're poor. Even the most remote places in the empire can't compare to the harshness and barrenness there. They have always hoped to find those legendary islands with fertile land and infinite wealth." Leslaufer said casually.

"So... did you ever take part in the 'Great Expedition'?"

"About half a time. I was hired to pick up a returning fleet. We saw those ships along the coast. The ships were intact, but the crews had all become very... strange." Leslaufer paused, as if recalling the experience. "We eventually killed them all. The bodies turned into pools of black water that flowed back into the sea from the deck, leaving no trace at all. Tsk."

"After that I took a contract with East Inassas and didn't pay attention to that anymore."

"It would be great if the corpses here could also turn into water," Benjamin sighed, cautiously walking around a man whose death was extremely hideous. "Sir, please come this way. The passage is on this side. I think they have all left here. The horseshoe prints are all heading this way!"

The young cavalryman noticed that Raslaufer turned and walked in another direction and shouted.

"But our target isn't a horseman, is it?" Raslaufer turned and glanced at Benjamin. "The cavalrymen were fooled, but thanks to them, we won't be fooled again—this way."

Leslaufer strode forward. There was a concave mountain there. Although it was a good place to camp out of the wind, there was no shelter.

However, when Reslaufer stepped forward and turned over an unusually huge rock with his hands, Benjamin was surprised to find that a dark cave that could only accommodate one person suddenly opened!

"This! How did you find this place?"

"The traces left on the ground and the changes in the surrounding environment. There seems to be an obvious inconsistency here." Leslaufer said, first thrusting the giant sword in his hand into the cave entrance, and after making sure that there was no sinister ambush hiding behind, he slowly lowered his body down.

The cavalry hurried to catch up, fearing that they would miss this rare learning opportunity.

"Benjamin, have you heard of the rumors about tombs in this valley?" Leslough was still walking in front. He lit a torch and was not worried about exposing his position.

In a place like this, the unknown is far more terrifying than exposure.

Perhaps Amantha should be asked to come. I heard that elves can see even in the dark... Leslough curled his lips.

"That... I really don't know," Benjamin pondered for a long time, and finally gave a dejected response, "But if there is a tomb, it shouldn't use a tomb passage like this, right?"

Grave robbers would not dig a tunnel high enough for an adult to walk upright.

The tunnel twisted and turned, with several steep slopes that turned sharply downward. Fortunately, both of them were quite skilled and did not make any mistakes here. When they walked into a flat tunnel again, Benjamin finally saw three footprints on the ground under the light of the fire.

There was one big one and two small ones, but one was shallow and two were deep, which meant that the target was indeed a man and two women, and the man and one of the women were either fat enough or carrying a lot of things.

"Then the light footprint must belong to someone important among the 'important people,'" Benjamin muttered. "She's not wearing armor, and she's walking with her hands empty."

Leslaufer uttered a noncommittal "hmm" and blew out the torch in one breath. He learned more from the footprints, such as that the other party should have been very close, and the woman with the deep footprints was seriously injured.

Chapter 9 Royal Shadow Guard

There is nothing unknown anymore. Continuing to light the torch for illumination will only expose themselves. Moreover, since the other party is an important figure in the Matt Dynasty, they are most likely human, so they also need lighting.

A cold blue light emitted by some non-flammable object soon appeared behind the corner ahead.

"Sir—" "Silence."

Benjamin quickly shut up, breathing deeply and softly, fearing any misstep. As the two men continued to approach, until their shadows were barely visible in the light, the conversation ahead finally echoed clearly into their ears.

It was a lost tomb whose owner was unknown. The stone wall between the tunnel and the tomb was broken, but the lid of the single rough stone coffin still lay firmly above its sleeping owner.

A slightly petite woman sat on it, with her head lowered and not saying a word.

"Your Highness, have you had a good rest?" The old and tired man's voice sounded beside her left hand, like two dry and hard pickled cucumber slices rubbing against each other.

"Sir Pol, please don't rush Her Royal Highness. She has never walked such a long distance before and must be very tired."

"Be aware of your identity, Ms. Grandin! You are no longer the head maid of His Majesty Richard, and she will soon no longer be Her Royal Highness the Princess of the Matt Dynasty." The old woman's scolding turned the corner and reached the ears of the two eavesdropping mercenaries. "The danger is far from over. We can only be safe if we leave the empire!"

"If I hadn't persuaded His Majesty to agree for us to come to Marquis Marek, we would still be worrying about how to escape from the palace!"

"Please stop talking about Sister Grandin, Mr. Paul..." Benjamin sighed softly at the gentle and pleasant tone of her voice behind Reslaufer. "She's also been badly injured. Those mercenary light cavalry from the east aren't as weak as the rumors say."

"That's because there are spies from the Empire mixed in, my naive princess—hiss," the old man's quick words seemed to irritate his wounds. "The September Mercenaries hired by Marquis Queeg, their leader, Velveti, is no pushover! He actually persuaded a wizard to serve him!"

"We should at least be thankful that he chose to send him after us instead of throwing him onto the battlefield. Otherwise, Marquis Marek's men would have been completely routed!"

"In fact, there used to be a mage like you in charge... Well, never mind," the young princess said in a tone so sad it was endearing. "Now that I know my father's secret, I can't continue to stand on his side—but I can't sit idly by and watch those nobles overthrow the rule of the Matt family."

"That's why we're hiding in a small tomb right now." With a loud thud, Bol seemed to compromise. "Okay, let's rest for a few more hours. Under the cover of night, we should be able to escape more easily - damn, who is it?!"

Discovered? !

Benjamin's heart skipped a beat, maybe even several. He already knew from their conversation that Bol was a wizard—a character from the story! How could they possibly defeat him?

He subconsciously wanted to take a step forward, but Reslaufer's eyes turned and stared at the young man, making him dare not move at all.

And just as he hesitated, accompanied by the chaotic sound of a stone wall breaking and collapsing, a steady baritone sounded from the other end:

"You guys are hiding here, making it hard for me to find you in the sky!"

"Just because you know how to fly does that mean you have to fly?" Bol's voice was serious yet full of sarcasm. "My friend, wisdom has pursued you your entire life, but you've clearly outrun it."

"I don't need to be smarter than you, I just need to be faster than you." The man didn't seem angry. "Surrender, Your Highness. Both the Grand Duke and the Marquis of Queeg are very eager to receive your support."

"Is it 'this' prince, or anyone else?" Grandin snorted angrily. Leslough and Benjamin soon heard the familiar sound of swords being drawn. "Come on! Only if you step over my dead body!"

There was a wound on the right arm, possibly the upper arm. Reslaufer made a rough assessment. The sound of the other party drawing his sword had an undeniable delay. And judging from the footprints earlier, the other party should also have a wound on the leg.

The sound of fighting was soon heard in the tomb, and the object that could provide light was quickly damaged, but it was replaced by the light of magic, illuminating the tomb.

But such lighting was obviously unstable. When a powerful spell roared, the shadows of Reslaufer and Benjamin were cast on the wall of the tunnel in an instant!

However, in the fierce battle, neither Bol, Grandin nor the wizard who was chasing them noticed the abnormality at this moment. Leslaufer and Benjamin quickly hid in a deeper place to avoid being exposed.

Technically, they were employed by the Emperor's army, but this wasn't a battlefield, and there were no supervisors. Why would they risk being bombarded by two blind mages? Benjamin hadn't even seen how mages actually fought!

Although the "Princess" seemed to be outnumbered two to one, Bol and Old Grandin were seriously injured. Following a series of explosions and chaotic shouts, the tomb was plunged into darkness again.

"Hmph, fight with me..." The chasing mage became the winner. As a soft white light lit up, his tone became gentle rather than gloomy.

"Your Highness, I'll spare their lives for now. You'd better come with me to see the Marquis of Queeg. There, at least, there are decent bedrooms and hot water. You don't have to endure the unpleasant smell here."

"Although I'm a 'wild mage' who hasn't received your grandfather's approval, I do know basic etiquette and will never let you suffer any injustice. Are you planning to leave the empire? The barbarians outside the borders wouldn't have such good manners."

"However, if you refuse to cooperate, I do know a few of their ways of treating guests..."

"All right, I'll go with you. Don't hurt them," the princess said, her voice trembling as she tried to maintain composure, "but I can't go alone."

"Of course, they will join you."

"No," the princess interrupted the wizard, "they are no longer able to move, but I still have other followers."

"What did you say..."

The wizard was stunned. He had been mixed in with Matt's light cavalry team during the whole process of chasing them. He was sure that there were only three people on the other side!

Where did this follower come from? !

"In the name of my ancestor, King Tehalile I, the founder of the Matt Dynasty," the princess shouted again to prove her words were true. "Royal Guards, come out! Protect the emperor!"