Chapter 98: Chapter 98
The “simple” that Arnold spoke of was indeed quite simple. After just an hour or so of practice, Ron could already independently control a warhorse and gallop at full speed.
As for mounted combat, in Arnold’s words: even Formal Knights were still learning it. For apprentices, there simply wasn’t such a high requirement.
Thus, Ron’s task shifted from the original territory repairs to territory patrol. The route started from the East Town Training Ground, headed south through the residential district to reach the Southeast Sentry Post.
Then from the Southeast Sentry Post, they headed west, cutting through the residential district to reach the Southwest Sentry Post, before heading north from there, passing through the residential district once more to arrive at the West Town Training Ground.
Finally, from the West Town Training Ground, they followed the main avenue in front of the Bell Tower back to the East Town Training Ground, cycling endlessly.
The entire route formed a rectangular loop, encompassing the whole core area of the territory.
Beyond Ron’s patrol route lay pastures and farmlands that still fell within the territory’s borders but lay outside the core, falling under the patrol jurisdiction of Formal Knights.
Beyond the farmlands was what truly lay outside the territory. The territory had established multiple sentry posts with varying functions in all four directions. For example, the Blackstone Sentry Post that Ron had visited before served primarily to guard the nearby Blackstone Quarry.
Ron’s patrol route was entirely within the territory’s interior, but this was also where the territory’s leadership was most concerned. Stationing Ron on patrol here was also a perfect utilization of his claim that “his intuition was effective within the territory.”
During the patrol, Ron was indeed utilizing his ability to directly observe Pollution Secret Patterns to search for suspicious targets.
The enemies were cultists, and their impact on the territory’s faint Pollution Secret Pattern environment might differ from that of normal territorial subjects. Since Ron didn’t possess a genuine ability to sense his desired targets directly, he could only inspect every suspicious point as thoroughly as possible.
He would eliminate every single hidden danger of enemy infiltration that he could discover.
This was not only for everyone in the territory, but also for himself.
…
After ruling out yet another suspicious point, Ron gently squeezed his horse’s flanks and proceeded to the next location. His so-called patrol team, despite its name, functioned more like his personal escort detail, shielding him at the rear of the formation.
Generally, patrol teams within the territory were composed primarily of quasi-Knights, but the patrol team members that Waynes had arranged to accompany Ron were exclusively Formal Knights.
Whenever he flagged a suspicious point, he didn’t even need to investigate it himself. Others from the patrol team would step forward, and the one leading them was an Intermediate Knight.
They had truly maximized both the level of importance and the degree of precaution.
“Ron, where’s the next suspicious location?” the patrol team’s Captain Monte asked, confirming the information.
“In that house on the right side of our route!”
Ron pointed at a building that looked no different from any of the surrounding houses from the outside, but Monte didn’t relax in the slightest.
From the start of the patrol until now, their team hadn’t found even a trace of the enemy. But wasn’t finding nothing the best possible outcome?
Therefore, even after repeated inspections and repeated confirmations, Monte never slacked off. The rest of the patrol team was the same. Even though they were being directed here and there as if Ron were playing pranks on them, they never uttered a single word of complaint.
Everyone knew what they were supposed to do, and they did exactly that.
…
Along the way, Ron also found opportunities to ask Monte about the situation outside:
“Captain Monte, I heard from Instructor Arnold that those enemies are still lingering near the territory. Do you know their identity and why they’ve targeted Sis Territory?”
“As far as I know, the enemies are from the Salvation Cult of the Oz Empire. They claim that everything they do is to redeem the world and save its people, but in reality they practice sacrifice and slaughter, which has absolutely nothing to do with salvation. As for their objective…”
Monte hesitated for a moment, seemingly unable to figure something out himself. Seeing Ron’s inquiring gaze, he continued:
“The Oz Empire lies to the west of our Kingdom of Helios, while our Sis Territory is located at the very eastern edge of the Kingdom of Helios. I simply can’t imagine what Sis Territory has that would be worth them targeting!”
Ron had actually already learned all this information from Morris, so he pressed further: “Does the territory have any theories?”
“Theories? Young Master Waynes mentioned that those cultists might be heading to the old lands of Gustara to the east. This area was actually already considered Gustaran territory in the past, and now it’s the last resupply point before reaching Gustara.”
When mentioning “resupply point,” Monte emphasized the words deliberately. Without needing Ron to ask again, he proactively explained:
“Every recognized cult in the world today shares one common ability: brainwashing. A resupply point doesn’t just supply food and water; it also supplies potential cultists, one after another!
“In fact, given the abilities of those in the Salvation Cult, they are perfectly capable of finding enough food and water in the wilderness. They don’t necessarily need to resupply at Sis Territory. It’s far more likely that they’ve set their sights on our territory’s Knights!”
Upon learning that this was the territory’s assessment, Ron breathed an inward sigh of relief. Of course, this was only in terms of the territory’s perspective; at least he didn’t need to worry about being suspected by the territory for the time being.
But as long as those cultists weren’t wiped out, they would remain a constant threat. He certainly didn’t believe that the cultists had attacked Sis Territory just to brainwash Knights and replenish their numbers.
After thinking it over again and again, he was still the only one who was truly special.
This wasn’t Ron being overly arrogant; he genuinely was special. A transmigrator, a Light Orb true form, either one exposed would be enough for Sis Territory to treat him as a cultist to be struck down.
After some thought, he continued asking: “Have the Territory Guard and those cultists had any clashes recently?”
“Yes, but those cultists disengage at the slightest contact, never giving us a chance to encircle or pursue them. You’ve probably heard that there are at least two Senior Knights among the cultists. If they’re determined to flee, we genuinely struggle to catch them.”
When speaking of the recent battles, the expression on Monte’s face grew somewhat unnatural. He seemed to want to say something but ultimately couldn’t bring himself to say it, so he changed the subject:
“Of the enemy’s remaining four, only that Priest hasn’t shown his face lately. Young Master Waynes is very worried about this. Enemies who dare to confront the territory head-on are nothing to fear; the real threat is the one hiding in the shadows.”
“True! A threat in the shadows is the hardest to guard against!” Ron echoed this sentiment with a sigh.
…
After a full day of patrol ended, Ron was asked to stay at the East Town Training Ground on the pretext of preventing nighttime emergencies. It was here that he received a piece of news that he genuinely struggled to accept:
His instructor, Morris, had been killed in a skirmish with the cultists yesterday!