"Yeah, no matter how I look at it, this outfit is way too conspicuous. It's completely unsuitable for sneaking into a town to gather information..."
Mohg crouched atop a massive tree in the forest, scratching his head in frustration.
He was currently near a small town by Liurnia of the Lakes. He didn't recognize the scenery here; he figured it was likely one of the changes in this world's version of the landscape.
He had originally intended to find a way to ask around for news about Liurnia, but he soon realized he stood out far too much. He couldn't gather a single shred of information without drawing eyes. Thus, his only option was to find the largest tree available and hide in its branches to observe the town.
From what he could see, the town was garrisoned by guards. Judging by their uniforms, there was a mix of Carian soldiers and Cuckoo soldiers. Their numbers weren't particularly large, and their strength was passable at best. The Carian side was noticeably more capable and seemed to have a much better relationship with the local populace.
"Two squads of soldiers, roughly twelve men total. No knights in sight..."
Mohg leaned against the trunk, silently recording the information in his mind.
Suddenly, the sound of rhythmic hoofbeats from not far away caught his attention. He shifted his gaze toward the source. Atop a warhorse sat an Academy sorcerer wearing a Glintstone Crown. To be honest, Mohg couldn't quite distinguish between the different Conspectus crowns, but he was certain of one thing: this man was definitely not a Carian sorcerer.
The Carian mages were easy to spot; even their robes were distinct.
Riding alongside the sorcerer was a fully armored Cuckoo Knight. The knight was even easier to identify; after all, no sane person outside their order would stick a cuckoo feather onto their horse's head.
"Tch, this riding experience is simply abysmal. Next time, can we not find a more stable way to travel? A carriage, perhaps?"
The Glintstone sorcerer complained as he dismounted, patting the dust off his robes.
"Haha, it truly cannot be helped. I must ask for your patience, sir. After all, a vast amount of resources has been requisitioned by the Royal Family lately. Carriages and such are currently only available for..."
The Cuckoo Knight bowed slightly, his voice dripping with a sycophantic tone. Although he didn't finish the sentence, the sorcerer clearly understood the implication and let out a disgruntled snort.
"Curse that Royal Family. If it weren't for them, why would we need to come to a place like this to collect taxes? They even slashed our research funding. It's truly..."
"Careful with your words, sir! Mind your tongue!"
The Cuckoo Knight clearly hadn't expected the sorcerer to be so foolishly outspoken. His face paled, and he hurriedly raised a hand to cut him off.
The Glintstone sorcerer realized his blunder and fell silent for a moment before speaking with an impatient wave of his hand. "Fine. Take me to the local garrison captain!"
The Cuckoo Knight let out a sigh of relief, though he remained inwardly irritated, cursing the "idiot sorcerer" in his heart.
"I'll go find them right away."
With that, the Cuckoo Knight hurried toward the squad of guards that had already begun to congregate nearby. His back straightened noticeably as he saw that the first to greet them were Cuckoo soldiers.
"Hey! Who's the captain here?"
His tone was now heavy with arrogance, a stark contrast to the fawning manner he had displayed toward the sorcerer moments ago.
"Yes, sir! I am the captain here."
A Cuckoo soldier, carrying a greatsword on his back and wearing a pendant at his waist, ran over in a hurry, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Good. This is Master Igor from the Karolos Conspectus, sent by the Academy to collect taxes."
The Cuckoo Knight gave an incredibly cold nod. He stepped to the side, clearing the way for the Glintstone sorcerer behind him.
"Alright, let's end this pointless chatter here. Tell me the amount of taxes collected from this town and hand over the Academy's share. I need to get back to my magical research; I have no time to waste with the likes of you!"
Igor stepped forward. He had no intention of actually speaking with these soldiers; he spoke with blunt, palpable impatience.
"T-this... well..."
Upon hearing Igor's demand, the Cuckoo captain broke into a cold sweat. He stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence, his eyes darting around shiftily.
Watching from the tree, Mohg's expression shifted to one of curiosity—he was essentially a front-row spectator to the drama. Since he needed information anyway, watching this unfold was a decent choice. But his primary motivation...
He had already set his sights on that Cuckoo Knight and the sorcerer. The sorcerer didn't look particularly bright; Mohg estimated his actual combat ability was likely mediocre. As for the Cuckoo Knight... he was a lightweight. Once the sorcerer was dealt with and the threat of magic was gone, the knight would be easy prey!
"Hmm? What's this? Don't tell me you lot have embezzled the funds?!"
The Cuckoo Knight barked, stepping forward to grab the captain by the collar.
"No! No, it's not like that! It's just... we aren't the ones in charge of managing this town's taxes..."
"What?!" The Cuckoo Knight's eyes widened in fury.
"We are the ones responsible for the taxes here. Do you have an objection?"
Suddenly, a cold male voice rang out from nearby, causing everyone to turn their heads.
The Cuckoo Knight's gaze was instantly hostile, but his breath hitched the moment he saw the speaker's face.
It was Moon, a powerful Carian soldier currently serving as a captain. During the previous frictions between the Academy and the Royal Family, he had been a prominent force on the battlefield.
However, due to certain circumstances, he had never become a Carian Knight. Part of it was a matter of strength, but that wasn't the main reason.
The uniform he wore was not the standard issue for Carian soldiers; it was adorned with intricate patterns and featured a dark blue half-cape draped over one shoulder.
In other words, the man standing before them was a Carian soldier with strength bordering on that of a Carian Knight...
"Y-you? What are you doing here?!"
The Cuckoo Knight's expression was one of sheer terror. One couldn't blame him; in a previous battle, Moon had personally slain many of his comrades. He himself had only barely escaped with his life. Had luck not been on his side, he would have been just another corpse under Moon's blade. Even though he had grown stronger since then, he was self-aware enough to know the gap. A "Cuckoo Knight" and a "Carian Knight" were simply not on the same level.
Eavesdropping from his branch, Mohg's face also twisted into an expression as if he'd seen a ghost. He had just picked a random town to gather news—how did he end up running into a mini-boss radiating such a dangerous aura?
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Elden Ring: As the Consort, I Reject Miquella (260 Chapters – Ongoing)
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