NOVEL WEB Chapter 12: Kriemhild
The wilderness fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
From a distance, it appeared as if Siegfried alone was holding the entire army at bay.
Undoubtedly, Bobo was the most panicked person present. The plan to attack the village had been his idea in the first place, and now the victim had come to confront them directly. It wouldn't take more than a sentence or two for his fabricated story to unravel.
Moreover, this was a member of the Meilan clan. On one side stood the family of heroes who protected the world, and on the other, merely a Garden People slave. Whose words would carry more weight? Even a fool would know which side to believe.
But Bobo was a very clever, or rather, a very cunning Garden Person. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to lurk under Roland's nose for so long. After a brief moment of panic, his eyes darted, and he immediately cried out:
"Lord Roland, it's him! It's him! Yesterday, Lady Catalina was tied up and taken into his house, and she didn't come out all night!"
Upon hearing this, Roland's face immediately darkened.
(This stinking bug!)
Siegfried cursed inwardly, his eye twitching uncontrollably.
In truth, Bobo had no idea where Catalina was being held. He was merely trying to provoke conflict between the two parties so he could escape in the chaos. The truth didn't matter to him at all. After all, trying to explain such a situation would only make things worse. Besides, with Catalina's figure and face, he didn't believe Siegfried would have done nothing.
Under normal circumstances, Siegfried could have handled this type of accusation flawlessly. After all, an innocent person has nothing to fear. But the problem was, this time, he wasn't entirely innocent.
Siegfried's momentary abnormality didn't escape Roland's notice. The usually calm and composed 28-year-old Golden Knight's expression now twisted uncontrollably.
Although the Meilan family was small in number, they were the most famous family on the continent. It was well known that this family produced heroes and... Casanovas.
These Meilan-surnamed heroes (regardless of gender) were either killing machines or notorious for their romantic escapades.
Throughout the generations of Meilans, there were those who left a trail of conquests wherever they went. Beastmen, demi-humans, elves, Garden People - as long as they were attractive, these Meilans didn't care about racial differences. The most outrageous of them all was a hero named Lance Meilan, whose Holy Sword was actually his... manhood.
Although they were inherently pure-hearted and constantly fought against the demon race on the frontlines to protect the continent, people occasionally wondered why such a group would be chosen as heroes.
The veins on Roland's muscular neck bulged, and his right hand unconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist.
He glared at Siegfried, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth:
"The nature of the Meilan family truly never changes. Is it that as long as it's female, you won't even spare a curly-haired monkey?"
(What? The entire Meilan family is full of such degenerates?)
Siegfried realized that his reputation had been unknowingly tarnished by the Meilan family.
However, this didn't stop him from retorting: "Heh, you fool who can't distinguish between loyalty and treachery. Such a big cockroach crawled under your noses for half a year without you noticing. Even a curly-haired monkey is smarter than you lot."
While trading insults, Siegfried snapped his fingers, and the Wanderer's Handbook appeared in his hand out of thin air.
Whether or not a battle would break out next, he needed to first investigate the personal information of this bearded knight, then decide whether to charge in or flee.
Name: Roland
Male, 8 years old
Race: Human
Alignment: Order
Class: Villager
A commoner boy from Count Ferdinand's domain, with outstanding talent. Noticed by Count Ferdinand and brought into the lord's city, currently training as a knight apprentice in the count's castle.
Specialties: Spearmanship 15% (Beginner), Swordsmanship 21% (Intermediate)
Ability Data:
Strength: E+
Agility: E
And so on...
Siegfried looked at the burly man with a full beard, standing over six feet tall, straddling a magical horse, then looked back at the data displayed in the handbook.
(This is supposed to be 8 years old?)
Siegfried felt like he had been played. If there was a table here right now, he would have flipped it for sure.
"Shannon! Shannon! What the hell is going on?" He shouted in his mind for his system mom.
[The search data in the Wanderer's Handbook comes from the experiences of all Wanderers and the records of historians. The information has timeliness and limitations. The information for Knight Roland was last updated 20 years ago.]
Shannon's voice was mechanical and flat, obviously not the person herself answering, but a client interface.
"Why didn't you tell me something so important earlier!"
[You didn't ask.]
"Damn it!"
Well, no need to hesitate now. Time to think about how to beg for mercy.
It's said that in Japan, there's an ultimate apology technique called dogeza. The general method is to kneel on both knees, place both hands together on the thighs, then move the hands forward in an inward V-shape, lean the body forward until the forehead touches the ground.
Finally, just shout "Gomen nasai onegaishimasu!" and you can be forgiven.
Of course, Siegfried wouldn't do something so embarrassing. He pulled out the broken Sword of Balmung from his inventory.
Although the Hero's Sword was broken and its effects reduced by at least 80%, there was still 20% left, right? At a time like this, even the smallest boost was crucial.
Siegfried prepared for a hit-and-run strategy, planning to come back with Catalina later to clarify the facts to Roland.
What he didn't know was that his series of actions had already caused a huge shock to Roland.
(A magic book in the left hand and a sword in the right? This generation's Meilan is actually a Magic Warrior!)
It wasn't easy to become a magician on the Qilan Continent. One needed to possess powerful magic, high-level elemental affinity, and sufficient intelligence simultaneously. Lacking any of these was unacceptable.
Having magic power without elemental affinity meant you could only conjure small fireballs for life. Having elemental affinity without magic power meant you were a one-hit wonder.
Ordinary magicians used staffs inlaid with magic crystals, converting magic power into spells through incantations.
Those magicians with clever minds could build spell formations on magical beast parchment, needing only a thought to activate the pre-recorded spells.
Spells cast this way consumed very little magic power and required no incantation at all. Mid to high-level spells that would normally require minutes or even tens of minutes of incantation would sweep across the battlefield like a machine gun without any hesitation. Therefore, those magicians holding a stack of papers or a book were almost synonymous with destruction.
Because no incantation was needed, they could move freely. This type of magician generally underwent warrior training to further enhance their strength. The Adventurers' Guild used a special class to refer to such people — "Magic Warrior."
Roland frowned deeply, very wary of the book in Siegfried's hand. As for the broken sword, he ignored it. The Meilan family even had someone who used their manhood as a weapon, so a broken sword was really quite normal as a weapon.
What made Roland even more uneasy was another matter. Ever since the man opposite had assumed a battle stance, his old companion, the Nightmare Steed beneath him, had shown obvious signs of fear. If Roland hadn't been riding it, this powerful magical horse would probably have already fled in panic.
Roland couldn't help but feel a bit bitter.
(The Hero family, huh? They really are all monsters.)
At this moment, Siegfried, lacking information and unable to gauge Roland's capabilities, chose to hold his position and observe the situation.
Roland, on the other hand, under intense mental speculation, regarded Siegfried as the most terrifying enemy he had ever encountered in his life.
Both sides were caught in intense thought, and the wilderness fell silent once again.
"Roland, can we pause for a moment?"
A sweet voice broke the silence on the empty plain. Siegfried swore he had never heard a voice so beautiful in his life.
A soldier stepped out from the ranks, and only then did Siegfried notice this soldier's difference.
He had snow-white skin and cherry-red lips, with a pair of emerald green eyes that sparkled. The most precious jade would pale in comparison to these eyes. The worn soldier's armor and crude helmet could not conceal the nobility and elegance he exuded. Instead, they packaged him like a blooming wildflower.
This person perfectly illustrated that beautiful people look good in anything.
Siegfried knew who this person was at first glance.
"Although watching you two bicker is quite interesting, I'm more curious about the cockroach Mr. Meilan mentioned."
She was the target of this stage's mission.
"Hello, Mr. Meilan. My name is Kriemhild, and I suppose I'm still considered a princess of the kingdom."
The soldier smiled gently, bright eyes and white teeth, a face as beautiful as a flower.