Chapter 129 Smart People
We then endured several days of sleeping in the open air.
Everyone in the team was haggard and ragged, and the nobles who were once high and mighty were now only exhausted and numb.
Their faces were covered with dust and fatigue, but there was a faint light in their eyes.
Because, just at the end of the horizon, the outline of the kingdom's capital, the city of Elosia, stands there majestically like a mirage!
The long and cruel journey is finally coming to an end.
The towering city walls are as continuous as mountains, built with hard boulders, and they shine with a solid luster in the sun.
On top of the city wall, densely packed guards stood like sculptures, and every hundred meters there was an arrow tower standing tall.
A faintly visible rune array flowed on the city wall, emitting a faint halo.
The spire-roofed churches and tall castles are faintly visible in the depths of the city. You can even see some residential areas with smoke rising from cooking fires, as well as occasional beams of magic rising into the sky.
"Look! It's the royal capital! We're here!" Count Reinhardt pointed with trembling fingers at the huge city in the distance, his voice hoarse and filled with ecstasy from surviving a disaster.
He was like a child, with tears even in the corners of his eyes.
Baron Fabio and General Brandon also excitedly stuck their heads out of the carriage.
Seeing the unfamiliar royal capital, their eyes were instantly filled with hope and relaxation, as if all their fatigue had been washed away at that moment.
"We...we finally survived!" Baron Fabio muttered incoherently, his fat face filled with excitement and joy.
All the surviving nobles in the team burst into suppressed cheers, and the exhausted guards also let out deafening roars, holding their weapons high, celebrating this hard-earned finish line.
The horses seemed to feel the joy as well, and their steps became lighter.
"Master Jack! Thank you so much for escorting me all the way!" Baron Fabio rushed out of the carriage excitedly, tightly holding Benjamin's hand, his whole body trembling. "If it weren't for you, I would have died on the road long ago..."
Count Reinhardt also stepped forward tremblingly. He took a heavy gold-inlaid box filled with sparkling gems and gold coins from his attendant and handed it to Jemin respectfully:
"Sir! This is a small token of our appreciation! Please accept it!"
At the same time, he once again solemnly promised: "After arriving in the capital, my family will go all out to win the highest honor from the royal family for you, my Lord!"
Benjamin took the box, took a look at it, smiled and nodded, but there was a hint of sarcasm in his eyes.
These nobles seemed to be thanking him, but in fact, after reaching the safe area, they began to secretly test the situation.
Should we say that he is worthy of being a noble?
The speed at which they changed their attitude was simply outrageous.
The team was waiting for inspection by the guards at the capital's gate, and Jemin was observing the capital's defense system.
The city gate is tall and heavy, with a deep moat in front of it, and the drawbridge slowly descends.
The city walls were densely guarded and equipped with defensive weapons such as catapults and giant crossbows.
Patrols would pass by every now and then. Complex magic arrays were carved on the city walls, emitting faint energy fluctuations.
With so many nobles present, the inspection was very fast. The team moved quickly and slowly drove into the city.
The first thing that catches your eye is the wide and flat cobblestone street, with shops lined on both sides and a lot of pedestrians.
There were neatly arranged sentries on both sides of the street. The city guards in silver armor had sharp eyes and were in high spirits, completely different from the scattered soldiers in Golden Harbor.
Children played and joked on the streets, while vendors enthusiastically hawked freshly baked cakes and colorful silks.
In the distance, the majestic castle spires reach the sky, and the bells of the major temples rise one after another, solemn and magnificent.
This is the true heartland of civilization in the Eloshia plane.
As soon as the nobles' carriages entered the city gate, they attracted the attention of the residents on the street.
Although they were dressed in rags and their carriages were covered in mud, people could still recognize their identities from the luxurious materials and the arrogance that could not be concealed by their fatigue.
Some sharp-eyed residents recognized the emblems of prominent families such as Count Reinhardt engraved on the carriage, and immediately broke into a burst of low-pitched discussions and exclamations.
"Oh my God! It's Count Reinhardt! They...they actually came back alive!"
"Didn't Golden Harbor fall? How did they escape?"
"Looking at their miserable appearance, they must have suffered a lot..."
Count Reinhardt was in the carriage, looking through the curtains at the prosperity of the royal capital, feeling the long-lost sense of security. The fatigue and fear that had been suppressed for several days were completely released at this moment.
He soon came to his senses from his relief at surviving the disaster, and his eyes became sharp.
"Quick! Send someone to the palace immediately! Go to the major temples! Report all of Lord Jack's heroic deeds!" Count Reinhardt stuck his head out and gave orders to the servants following the carriage.
As an old man who had been with the Earl for decades, the servant immediately understood the meaning of his master's words and nodded respectfully: "Yes, Master!"
After arriving in the royal capital, the team drove directly into the aristocratic district.
The streets here are wider, lined with luxurious mansions of various styles, each of which demonstrates the status and wealth of its owner.
When the carriage stopped in front of Count Reinhardt's family residence, the door of the mansion was already open.
The butler and servants were waiting in line at the door. They looked pale and had obviously been worried about the safety of the family master for a long time.
"Master! You are finally back!" The butler came up to him with tears in his eyes.
Count Reinhardt did not bother to wash the dust off his face. He immediately summoned Baron Fabio, General Brandon, and several other surviving nobles for a secret meeting in the hall of the mansion.
"Everyone! We are able to return alive thanks to Master Jack!" Count Reinhardt said in a hoarse but firm voice, "We must immediately report Master Jack's heroic deeds to the king and obtain everything he requests! This is not only to fulfill his promise, but also for our own safety!"
He glanced meaningfully at General Brandon, hinting at the presence of those "jackals" in the capital.
Baron Fabio nodded heavily, his portly face filled with fear and caution. "Your Excellency is right! Those relatives in the capital... they're probably waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves, or even take our lives! Only by bringing Master Jack before the king and making him a hero of the kingdom can we gain his protection!"
General Brandon looked at Count Reinhardt meaningfully; he understood what he meant.
When they left Golden Harbor, in order to escape, they must have chosen the most loyal servants and guards, and there was absolutely no possibility of any "traitors".
Even so, along the way, there were still a steady stream of orcs who were able to accurately find their tracks and come to hunt them down.
And every time, Lord Jack was able to deal with the opponent perfectly.
If we were to say who has the biggest problem, it would definitely be Lord Jack.
But what Baron Fabio said was true. The forced evacuation from Golden Harbor caused them to lose most of their strength.
When facing other relatives who are eyeing you covetously, you do need someone with enough weight to act as a deterrent.
Similarly, this Jack of unknown origin is naturally the best "thug".
He said gravely, "I will personally write a report detailing your Excellency's feats at Golden Harbor."
"Okay, I will also write a report and submit it!" Count Reinhardt laughed when he heard this.
Thus, a report on "heroic deeds" that was polished and beautified, yet still shocking, was delivered to His Majesty the King's desk as quickly as possible.
In the report, Jack was portrayed as a powerful mercenary who fought not for money but only for the kingdom and honor. His strength was exaggerated to be almost miraculous. He turned the tide in desperate situations and saved the bloodlines of several important royal families.
His Majesty, King Ottorek III, is a monarch in his prime.
When the reports from the two nobles came to him, he was already overwhelmed by the orc invasion and the fighting on the front lines.
When he saw the two reports, a playful look immediately appeared in his eyes.
"Is this man truly so brave?" Ottorek III put down the report and tapped the table. "What do you think?"
The Chief Minister bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Count Reinhardt and others have personally testified, and the small number of guards they brought with them also corroborate the contents of the report. This 'Jack's' power is truly extraordinary."
"Don't play along with me!" Ottorek III rolled his eyes without any manners. "I don't believe you can't see the problem with this guy."
The Chief Minister remained unfazed. "Your Majesty, Mr. Jack's origins are indeed unknown. Based on the Earl's report, he's most likely a spy sent by the orcs. However, there's no evidence..."
"Alright, alright, stop pretending to be ignorant. The five legends of Golden Harbor didn't escape, which means the attack force sent by the orcs is very powerful. How could a group of nobles survive under such circumstances?" Ottorek III waved his hand.
"We're going to arrange a meeting with the orcs' delegation in a few days, and this guy suddenly shows up. It would be strange to say he's not a spy from the orcs. The real trouble isn't this guy..."
The Chief Minister added, "If that's the case, then by openly recommending Jack, I'm afraid he's just a pawn in the open. The orcs must have other accomplices in the dark..."
"The nobles who came in together...?" Ottorek III sneered, "That's consistent with the character of those cowardly fellows."
"May I ask what arrangements should be made for this Jack? Rumors about him have spread throughout the capital. It would be inappropriate to arrest him rashly without evidence."
"Why should we arrest him?" Ottorek III tilted his head. "If we really arrest him, then we won't be able to catch the 'rat' that's hiding."
"You mean..."
"He has made such a great contribution, so of course he deserves a great reward!" Ottorek III stood up from the throne.
"He's just a discarded pawn who's not even a Legend. There's no point in capturing him. Keeping him and letting him move around in the capital is where his value lies!"
"clear!"
Soon, Benjamin received a notice from the kingdom's minister.
"Jack! By order of our king, you are appointed today as the kingdom's 'Special Advisor'! You will have a special position in the kingdom's intelligence department, enjoy absolute freedom of action, and have access to all publicly available historical archives, geographical atlases, and intelligence agency information!"
"Your duty is to provide the kingdom with your 'advisory' opinions, without having to undertake any tedious duties. In addition, His Majesty will grant you a mansion in the royal capital to honor your achievements!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Benjamin bowed and took the medal and document from the royal guard with an expressionless face.
"Mr. Jack, congratulations! It's rare for someone to receive such a favor right after arriving in the capital."
When the minister who issued the order saw Benjamin take the document, the serious expression on his face immediately turned into a smile.
Jieming also softened his expression and said, "Thank you very much for the grace of His Majesty the King..."
The two men exchanged some pretense of flattery, and after Benjamin handed him a bag of gold coins with a smile, the minister left with his guards, feeling unsatisfied.
Turning around and looking at the house that now belonged to him, Benjamin looked at the medal in his hand, and the smile on his face gradually turned into a mocking one:
"Special Advisor...huh? That sounds like a great position."
But it just sounds nice.
He seems to have a good position and seems to have considerable power, but in fact he has no real power.
The information that can be queried is only "public" information. The problem is that whether a piece of information is made public depends entirely on the mood of the royal family.
As for the so-called freedom of movement, it's just for fun. Benjamin estimates that his range of movement is probably similar to that of ordinary nobles.
To sum up, apart from this house with who knows how many surveillance cameras it has, all Benjamin got was a nominal position.
"But... it's exactly what I want!" After putting away the medal, Benjamin looked at the house in front of him with a genuine smile of satisfaction on his face.
Just like he said at the beginning, everything was going as he expected.
"It seems the public intelligence provided by the wizard camp is correct. This Ottorek III is indeed an ambitious and intelligent man."
Fortunately, he is a smart person. If he were a reckless person, it would be more troublesome, but smart people would think more.
"In their eyes, I'm probably just a discarded spy from the orcs, right? After all, my method of delivering convoy information to the orcs was too crude."
While thinking, Benjamin pushed open the door with a smile and took a walk in the courtyard of his newly acquired mansion.
Jieming's methods are not very clever and he has many flaws.
As a wise monarch, Ottorek III would naturally not miss these loopholes.
But for Jemin, when they mistook him for an orc spy, his goal had actually been achieved.
It didn't matter what identity he was considered to be, because from the very beginning, his purpose was just to pretend to be a person from "this world".
(End of this chapter)
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