"You're not even going to interrogate us?!" one black-clothed man shouted with a bruised and swollen face.
"Interrogate? Interrogate what? Do I look like someone who interrogates?"
"…"
"Besides, what if you run while I'm interrogating? What if you run while I'm talking nonsense? What if you run again when I'm not paying attention?"
"…"
…
At this moment, Zeig had already run several kilometers away.
The surrounding scenery kept retreating; pedestrians on the street only saw a blur "whoosh" past.
After shaking off Seele, he felt completely relaxed.
After knocking away several more patrolling Silvermane Guard teams, he charged straight toward a castle situated in the north.
"Shit, that's Count ***'s castle—what's this guy planning?!"
"Don't worry about it—hurry and report to superiors! We can still rush over with the team to support in time!!"
"Quick quick quick!!"
After discovering Zeig's target, those Silvermane Guards quickly gathered their squads.
Bronya also joined this operation.
In the end, roughly five hundred Silvermane Guards assembled, marching grandly toward a small castle in the north.
Soon, Bronya and her group arrived in front of the castle.
It looked much smaller than Qlipoth Fort, but it was definitely not something an ordinary family could afford.
"Captain, do we go in now?!"
"Yes, we must capture that terrorist and ensure the safety of the people here."
"Understood!"
Just as three officers, each leading a small squad as vanguards, prepared to storm the castle, another group of troops surged in from all directions.
They held blunderbusses and wore red-and-white armor—not Silvermane Guards.
"Stop! Without the master's order, no one is allowed inside!"
"…"
Bronya slowly stepped out from among the Silvermane Guards and said gravely to the blocking troops:
"I am Captain Bronya. We now suspect a terrorist has infiltrated the castle. Step aside immediately—any delay and it will be too late."
"Oh? Captain Bronya?"
"Sorry, we only follow our own master's orders. If you insist on entering the castle, please follow procedure and let us notify for you. Only after approval may you enter!"
"…"
Bronya silently stared at this group. Each held a blunderbuss, clearly ready to defend the castle to the death.
They didn't care at all who was trying to enter.
"I'll say it again: I am the Captain of the Silvermane Guards. By law, you must let us pass!" Bronya said gravely.
"No, we…"
Just as the private troops stubbornly resisted, a butler-like man slowly walked out from the castle.
He stroked his gray-white beard, approached the group, bowed to Bronya, and said apologetically:
"My apologies, future Supreme Guardian. These guards are ignorant and have embarrassed you~"
"…"
Bronya silently sized up the butler before her, her expression neutral and calm as she said:
"I recall that nobles are strictly forbidden from maintaining any private forces exceeding twenty people, correct?"
She slowly scanned the people in red armor—no need to count carefully; there were clearly over seventy.
The weapons in their hands looked like blunderbusses at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they were sophisticated rifles—more advanced than the AK Zeig used.
"You… privately purchased weapons from off-world merchant caravans? Did you report this to Qlipoth Fort?!"
"Hehe, misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!"
The old butler smiled while gesturing for the guards behind him to lower their firearms, smoothing things over:
"These people aren't private troops at all—they're guests invited by our master! Our master usually enjoys studying armor and such. Since they've been staying here recently, he gave each one a set to play with, haha!"
"As for the weapons, you've truly wronged our master! They weren't bought—they were made by us. Master was planning to report them soon. Who knew you'd show up at this exact moment—oh my, what a coincidence!!"
"…"
Listening to the old butler's explanation, the Silvermane Guards behind Bronya all furrowed their brows tightly.
A deep sense of displeasure rose in their hearts.
Setting aside what these private troops really were, their attitude alone was absolutely problematic.
In all of Belobog, who didn't know the prospective Supreme Guardian Bronya? She'd given several speeches already, and the current Supreme Guardian took her everywhere—her presence was impossible to ignore.
Yet even so, that group of private troops dared to block her.
"I warn you one more time: open the castle gates." Bronya lowered her voice.
"Oh dear, Captain… We will definitely open them, but right now Master is taking his afternoon nap…"
"All Silvermane Guards—charge!"
"Huh?"
Before the old butler could react, at Bronya's command, hundreds of Silvermane Guards launched a charge!
"Damn it, I've been fed up with these guys for a long time! Daring to block even the Captain!"
"A bunch of cowards who fear death! Nowhere to be seen during the Eternal Freeze, and now they dare give Captain Bronya attitude!"
"Fuck—charge!!"
Facing the onslaught of an entire steel tide, the troops in red armor actually loaded their guns and aimed at the charging Silvermane Guards!
"No—!! Don't, absolutely don't!! Put the guns down!!" The old butler hurriedly raised both hands high, shouting at these idiots.
Merely attacking Silvermane Guards could be smoothed over later with some connections and money, but now the one leading was the future Supreme Guardian!
"Open the gates quickly—fall back, fall back!! Leave the rest to Master!"
Hearing this, the red-armored guards finally retreated. The Silvermane Guards surged through like an unstoppable steel flood.
Some guards who didn't retreat fast enough were knocked to the ground and trampled under countless boots.
"Hey—!! Stop stepping, stop stepping—watch where you're going!!" The old butler shouted loudly, but the Silvermane Guards didn't bother listening at all.
"Captain, look at them—!!"
"What, is there a problem?" Bronya coldly glanced at the chattering old butler beside her.
"N-no, no problem…"
"However."
A turbid gleam flashed in the old butler's eyes as he stared straight at Bronya and said gravely:
"Please prepare the appropriate compensation, Miss Bronya."
"There will be no compensation."
"What?"
"Privately obstructing Silvermane Guard operations—why should there be compensation?"
"But…"
"If you have any complaints, take them higher up. I'm going in."
"…"
The old butler silently watched Bronya's back, a vicious look in his eyes:
"Hehe… very good. Just you wait!"