Chapter 122: [122] City Gates

It was noon by the time Eliron arrived at Kingsbridge, but although it was daytime, it looked like the opposite.

Storm clouds had darkened the skies, giving it the appearance of late evening.

Lightning flashed within the clouds above, causing booming thunderclaps that shook the world, and a heavy downpour soaked everything in sight.

Eliron sighed when he stared at the knights in the distance.

There was a long queue of carriages leading up to the city gates, and although it was pouring, the overzealous knights still insisted on searching each carriage.

Worst of all, it seemed they were even more frugal than they were meant to be.

And Eliron could guess why…

“That idiot is the reason this is happening, isn’t he?” Eliron asked, staring at a man leading the knights.

He was dressed in showy armour typical of nobility, and although he put up a brave, arrogant front, Eliron could swear he could hardly swing a sword right.

Artie dropped the reins and sighed. “Most likely… who wouldn’t work extra hard when their superior is present?”

Then she paused as she watched them intently.

They all watched as the man snatched up a crate from a merchant and emptied it on the muddy floor.

The merchant could only stare in shock, his hands tightened into fists as his wares were caked in mud.

But he could not do anything. No sensible merchant would attack a noble at the risk of losing their permit.

“Next!” the noble screamed, his voice cutting through the rain.

“What the heck? Why would he do something so mean?” Yen said from the back, leaning over Eliron’s shoulder to get a better look.

“Tch… he better not try anything stupid with us, I’ve been in this carriage for days, I can’t stay even a second longer than I am meant to.”

Ash grabbed his bag and began rummaging through it. “Best I get all the documents ready…”

The wood elves had a very ancient deal with the Kingsbridge barony which gave them a few special privileges when visiting.

It had been signed back when the wood elves were better off, but the kind baron at the time did not cancel the deal after they fell.

Over the years, once a new baron was put in power, they would visit Kingsbridge to renew it.

Eliron glanced to the side, watching as the rain trickled down from the covering they had above the carriage.

Over in the distance, he could see how far the Kingsbridge wall stretched endlessly, enclosing the city.

’No secret routes, huh?’

“This is going to be a very long day…” he muttered before he relaxed his back.

After a few minutes, it was finally their turn.

“Welcome to Kingsbridge,” a female knight greeted.

She was dressed in light leather armour and had a mace strapped to her waist.

“What is your business in Kingsbridge to—”

Yawn!

Eliron stretched like a grasshopper, letting out a light yawn as he sat up straight, blinking away the sleep.

He had been covering his face with a piece of cloth to imitate perpetual darkness, but the moment it slid off, the woman’s eyes widened.

“A-an elf?” She couldn’t help but mutter.

“Ahh— forgive my forwardness…” she quickly added.

“…”

Eliron blinked as he gave her a blank stare.

A few seconds passed as he tried to piece together what was happening.

It was like he had been presented with a quiz just as he woke up, thankfully, he figured it out in an instant.

’It’s finally our turn?’

“Oh, never mind that, I would be surprised as well, we wood elves rarely leave our forest, right?” Eliron smiled in response.

The woman nodded slowly, still in awe.

Not only was the person talking to her a wood elf, all the others in the carriage were also elves.

’Are all elves this good looking?’ She mused as she watched him.

She stole a quick glance at the others, then her shoulders slumped.

’How is this fair?!’

Every single person in the carriage was on a whole other level of pretty. The woman sitting next to the handsome young man had a regal sort of beauty, one befitting a queen.

The girl behind them looked like a benevolent saint, and the man behind had a roguish type of handsomeness, the type often seen in knights.

“Um, hello?”

The female knight jolted when she realised she had gotten carried away.

“Oh sorry! I got carried away in my thoughts.”

Eliron waved his hands dismissively. “Don’t worry, you must be terribly tired.”

She was standing under the cold rain, probably soaked all the way down to her underwear.

Eliron felt pity for the poor girl.

“Tsk tsk…” he clicked his tongue.

“I don’t know why they would make a pretty girl work in such conditions. Maybe you should come work for me, Artaris is always accepting talented knights…”

Eliron smiled at her, maintaining eye contact.

The female knight tried her best to stop herself, but a small giggle escaped her lips, her cheeks turning rosy.

“You flatter me, sir…”

Eliron smiled. “Not at all…”

Meanwhile, in his mind:

’That’s right! By the time I’m done buttering you up, you’ll let us pass without checking a single thing!’

In his mind, he was chuckling like a demon.

“So, what are you here in Kingsbridge for?” She asked, a polite smile on her face as she lifted the slate she had in her hand.

“Ah, you know, the usual stuff. We are here to buy some supplies, food, maybe some farm tools and the like…”

The woman nodded. “Alright, that sounds great. By the way, any luggage? What do you have with you?”

Most of their luggage was already in the infinity pouch, leaving only a bag of necessities.

“Just a small bag of essentials…”

The woman nodded.

Now, it was time for the dreaded moment.

Each carriage that had passed by was put through a thorough search, one that took nearly half an hour to complete.

They even inspected the wood as though it was possible to hide contraband within it…

Not just that, the travelers were also searched individually in the rain.

“Alright, everything seems fine…” she said as she glanced at the documentation.

“Now all that is left is the searc—”

She paused when she met Eliron’s gaze.

“You know what—”

“You are good to go,” she said with a smile.

“Open the gates!” she screamed at the other knights, and the large gates creaked open.

Eliron waited until they had passed the woman before fist bumping the air.

“Yessss!”

“Hehehe—” Yen chuckled from behind. “I see you are finally making good use of that face of yours!” she said as she high fived him.

Artie just chuckled lightly while Ash had a small smile on his face as he folded the document.

They were just about to pass the gate when—

“Lock that damn gate!”

Clack!

Right before his eyes, the gates were once again barred shut, leaving Eliron stunned.

“No no no no no—!”

He turned, just as a figure walked up to the carriage.

Eliron stared at the man, his expression souring the moment their eyes met.

It was none other than the menace from earlier, the unruly noble.

The noble adjusted his trousers as he glared at their carriage.

It seemed he had gone away temporarily to ease himself, but he didn’t even bother to tidy up before rushing at them like a hawker chasing after cars.

First of all, he stared at their carriage. “This can’t possibly be a legal vessel…” he muttered under his breath.

Then his eyes moved to Eliron’s ears, his expression soured.

“Wood elves, huh? More freeloaders.”

“What?”

“Get out of the carriage.”

In the entirety of Eliron’s life, he had not heard any words worse than these.

It was like when you were one step away from leaving the exam hall with your cheat sheet, only to be caught red-handed at the exit.

He took in a deep breath, then sighed.

“Did you not hear me? I said get out of the—”

“And how dare you, human child, speak to me in such a manner, huh?” Eliron attacked. “Do you know who I am?”

“I don’t care who you are, I am the baron’s son, my authority here is unrivaled—”

“Shut up, child! You dared tell an elven elder, a frail old man five hundred years of age, to step out into the pouring rain? Have you no common decency?”

His voice was so loud that onlookers heard him, turning their attention to the scene.

’No matter what, I will not step a foot outside this carriage!’ Eliron swore to himself.

He could not have come this close only to fail. Who in his right mind would willingly step into that storm?

— He asked a five hundred year old man to step out into the rain?

— Does the lord have no heart? Does he want the man to collapse?

— Will he treat his elders this way? Or is it because he is a foreigner?

— The young lord must be a racist, yeah, that should be it…

As the whispers began to fly, the wood elves in the carriage, those who actually knew his true age, gave Eliron a blank stare.

’Is he serious right now?’

..

..

(A/N)

Wanted to end this in this Chapter but it ended up being 1900 words, so I had to cut.

There will just be a breif interaction next and then we get into buisness.

How was the Chapter in your opinion? Any issues?

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