In Medisha’s field of view, a group of strangely attired Knights had long since drawn her attention. Those Knights had halted by the roadside, all pausing in their saddles to watch; the expressions upon their faces varied, yet most bore a trace of curiosity.
In the countryside of Tonyger, apart from the White Lion Guard and the subordinates around Brand, such vividly armored Knights were rarely seen. Yet even the White Lion Guard would not adorn their Chest Armor with a Flame Emblem, and besides, the pattern of their Armor was by no means of native Erune style.
On the contrary, the Armor they wore overall presented a dark Red hue, and was embellished with a greater amount of fur and horn-like elements. This was the typical Armor style of the Cruz people, and the color of the Armor arose from the fact that steel produced in the Kruz homeland was mixed with a considerable portion of Fire Element.
"Some strange visitors have come, it seems." Medisha pondered but a moment, and at once understood the other party’s identity.
But at this season, how could envoys of Kruz appear in Tonyger?
...
Laurena lowered the iron gauntlet that had been shading her from the Light, gazing toward the distant windmill and the vast stretches of farmland. Yet when her gaze swept across the poorly maintained Fir Castle, a faintly contemptuous expression appeared upon her face—Fir Castle had lacked repairs since the days of Gruding, and Brand merely used it as a temporary residence, with no intention of having it freshly whitewashed anew; thus this Female Knight from Kruz could easily discern the countless flaws and scars riddling this dilapidated castle.
"I did not expect that the farther south we came, the countryside of Erune would still have such places. By comparison, some of the regions we visited in the north of this Kingdom are, in their present state, far less prosperous than here. Was it not said that south of Yu Song there was naught but a barren wilderness?"
She murmured thus to herself, yet her gaze was instead drawn by the championship contest being held nearby. Outside Fir Castle the crowd was surging, and this caused her to turn back, carefully observing those Knights who were entering the field.
"The records you have read are from several years past; it would be no surprise if some things have changed." A woman’s voice answered her.
Laurena did not need to turn her head to know whose voice this was—without doubt, it was a most distinctive voice, for by any measure, it left a deep impression—its unhurried cadence seemed calm and elegant, and upon hearing it once, one could scarcely forget it.
It was as though the one who owned that voice had, before uttering such words, already weighed them with careful deliberation.
If Brand had been present, he would most certainly have recognized the speaker. The lady protected at the center of the Cruz Knights appeared, by outward semblance, to be no more than eighteen or nineteen years of age, yet possessed a mystery and sensuality beyond her years. She was none other than Delphine, daughter of the Imperial Chancellor of the Cruz Empire, with whom he had once shared a fleeting encounter in the Black Forest.
The Prime Minister’s daughter quietly observed all that lay before her. Her long Black hair fell like silk, and her eyes seemed Innate to contain mystery, imparting a tranquil aura that none could easily fathom.
Seated upon her horse, she clearly drew the greatest number of gazes, for such beauty was rare not only in Tonyger, but even in the most flourishing regions of Erune and Kruz. So much so that the local subjects could not help but look at her several times more; their curiosity arose from the fact that in this Mortal World there could be a woman yet more beautiful than the Lord’s Fiancée and the Princess.
Yet Delphine wore the long robe of a noble civil servant of the Cruz people, resembling a diplomatic envoy all the more. Her robe was dyed deep Purple, rather than the golden or Red hues common in regions that revered the Flame Temple; this attire served all the more to mark her identity.
"Miss Delphine, do you perhaps know something more?" Laurena turned back and asked.
Delphine nodded lightly. "To my knowledge, that Earl has only recently assumed the office of Lord in this place. Therefore the changes here are very likely related to him."
She answered with great composure, only pausing slightly when she mentioned Brand.
Laurena gave this Prime Minister’s daughter a glance, then thought for a moment without speaking further. She knew that in the Black Forest, the man Delphine had admired had indirectly lost his life because of the very Lord they were now to meet; her taking the initiative to come this time was most likely not merely for delivering a message.
The Female Knight changed the subject and asked in a feignedly casual tone, "It is he? I had not thought that this Lord should possess so remarkable a Talent in politics as well. I have heard he is still very young, is he not?"