Chapter 105: An Unexpected Encounter (II)

"Stop!" A shout came from the carriage, which soon opened. "Since when did I order you to attack someone who can't even use mana?" The woman's voice echoed, making all the knights immediately kneel. "Your Majesty!"

Damn, another woman involved with royalty. I must have some kind of magnet that attracts these troublesome women to me.

"Miss, could you ask this gentleman to get off me?" I said, while the man staining my dress raised his eyebrows, clearly still angry about what had just happened.

"Sir Willow, please, let her go." The woman said. I couldn't see her face or appearance, as I was still lying on the ground with my back to her.

I got up calmly, trying to fix my dress. Despite my efforts, it was futile. The dress showed too much skin, seemed extremely provocative even to me. I wouldn't doubt that one of the reasons they attacked me was because of it. They wanted to see my body, didn't they?

Damn, I was one hell of a hottie. Even I wanted to touch this body.

"Introduce yourself," the woman said, and I turned to face her, staring at her and seeing her face properly.

She was a beautiful and muscular woman. Despite looking like a barbarian, she was noble. Her muscles were more prominent, her chest was more puffed out, and she had moderately sized breasts. Braided golden hair, turquoise-blue eyes. Noble, yet barbaric. She wore a kind of Victorian suit with a neckline and a cape.

"Ziriel, Ziriel Azure," I replied, bowing slightly. I had heard that she was royalty. It made sense now. I couldn't identify the place, but it was clearly a noble connected to the Throne.

"Azure, I've never heard that name in the empire," she questioned my origins, and I couldn't help but feel annoyed.

"I'm a foreigner, I come from the Eastern Empire in search of a better life and basic education to become a knight," I said, lying and hoping she would believe my claims. Fortunately, the features of the body that Voralith gave me could indeed be mistaken for people from the Eastern Empire. The eyes couldn't escape that label, slightly slanted like those of Asians from the East.

I guess one of the few things that could really help me in this moment.

"Hmm, what brings you here, Ziriel Azure?" She asked.

"I was lost, sought help, but found no one. And as your carriage passed by in the distance, I heard they were heading to a town, but I was ashamed to ask for help after seeing the entourage so well... protected," I said, looking around with the knights giving me sideways glances.

"Also, there were about twenty enemies around this camp moments ago, but they seem to have retreated when I caught the attention of the knights," I commented, which was true.

The woman in front of me watched me cautiously. Unlike before, now she seemed genuinely interested in me, or rather, in what I could offer.

"Why do you want to become a knight, Ziriel? There must be a very noble reason behind such actions," she asked, but I was simply honest.

"No, actually, it's for the money," I commented, and she raised her eyebrows.

"Money?" she asked. I shrugged. "Do you know what poverty is, Lady Velryna?" I asked, and she didn't answer me. "It's more than just the lack of material wealth. It's a state of deprivation that permeates every aspect of a person's life. It's waking up every morning with the weight of the world on your shoulders, struggling to find enough food to satisfy the persistent hunger.

It's looking into your children's eyes and feeling the despair of not being able to provide them with a better future. It's having to choose between paying the rent or buying medicine for an illness that can't be ignored."

"It may not seem like it now, since these clothes and this face can deceive anyone, but I come from a place where food is a luxury. I don't have much to say about my home, but my mother died because of the Demon Cult," I commented, and looked at Velryna, who was somewhat shrinking.

"Sorry, I think I went overboard," I said, looking at her, but I felt Simon's gaze on me change.

"No, it's okay. I didn't take your feelings into account. I apologize for the question...", she seemed upset. I don't know where she picked it up, but I hope these word-thorns help her improve.

"You also lost someone to the Demon Cult in...", Simon spoke, and slightly lowered his head as he intertwined his fingers.

"My mother was killed," I commented.

"I understand, I'm sorry," he replied. I felt heaviness in his words, as if he remembered someone, but I wasn't in a position to question him. In fact, I couldn't. I needed to gain his trust as quickly as possible. This man is the only person I can cling to right now.

"I suggest resting. If you want to come with us, you'll have to do the bare minimum. I'll give you a piece of clothing and a sword to look like my assistant knight for now, alright?" Velryna asked with a gentle smile. It seems I won her sympathy.

"Could you give me a spear? I'm more familiar with spears," I said. She nodded. "Do you know how to handle a spear with this body?" Simon questioned, of course, he had already fully analyzed me.

"The spear doesn't require muscles, but discipline and a resilient body. Its strength doesn't come from your arms, but from your hips. Thus, my spear will always be the strongest," I quoted, a phrase from Valentina. Of course, few knew and I threw it out there to see if Simon knew what I was referring to. Unfortunately, no expressive reaction could be seen.

So, I had no choice but to try to gain his trust based solely on my skills and talents.

"I see, you were trained by an experienced spearman," Simon said, and I nodded. "I needed a way to survive, my master may be dead, but his spear martial art lives on with me," I commented with a smile.

I remembered Valentina... Unfortunately, in the current world, perhaps my powerful wife is really dead.