Chapter 8

The Imperial Capital Knights of the Highland Empire are an elite group, consisting only of the most skilled knights. At the top of this group stands the Imperial Capital Knight Commander, Leonardo, who is also the young Deputy General of the Highland Empire Army.

Standing nearly two meters tall with a well-built, muscular physique, he has a strong brow and sharp, hawk-like brown eyes. His curly, dark brown short hair is neatly swept back, giving him a military appearance.

He is a dignified and imposing man, worthy of being the guardian deity of the capital, and is particularly trusted by the emperor. Along with his three other close aides, he is also known as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of the Highland Empire."

On the other hand, Leonardo is a man of few words and lacks any semblance of charm, to the point where it makes those around him anxious.

"Ah, Sir Leonardo. If you would, please take this."

On this day, a young lady stopped Leonardo as he was about to move to a different location after inspecting the Imperial Capital Knights' training.

She is a cute girl with light brown straight hair that reaches her waist, adorned with a floral hair accessory, and wearing a light pink spring dress. In her slender, white hand, she held something that resembled a handkerchief. Leonardo glanced at her briefly and then quickly looked away.

"I don't need it. Go back, you're distracting the training. The knights will lose focus."

The young lady's eyes welled up with tears, as if she had been hurt.

The surrounding subordinates turned pale with a gasp. However, the crucial point is that Leonardo had already turned away from the young lady and probably didn't even notice.

"Hey, Sir, is that okay? That was the daughter of the Duke of Ruain. She's famous in society as the 'Pink Lotus'!"

Grail, one of Leonardo's aides, followed him quickly and added this information anxiously. The Duke of Ruain holds a significant position in the Highland Empire and is a powerful noble. It seems this was his daughter.

"I don't care. What's with that ridiculous nickname? If it's that important, you should take the handkerchief. Such a small thing would be useless after a mere scratch."

"That's not the point! Oh, what a waste!"

Grail raised his hands to shoulder level and writhed in frustration.

"Besides, what's with the knights' behavior? They keep glancing at the young ladies, showing a lack of concentration. They need to refocus. What will they do if the enemy uses seduction tactics?"

"That's not the point you're making, is it!"

Grail put his hand to his forehead and slumped in despair.

Indeed, Leonardo was an extremely competent military man, but he was also completely oblivious and tactless when it came to matters of love and romance.

After finishing his inspection of the training grounds, Leonardo was heading to his office when he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"What a nice day."

From the opening in the corridor, a clear blue sky was visible. On such sunny days, there are usually more people out, and with that, an increase in theft and assault incidents.

"Sir, what's the matter?"

Grail, who was following behind, gave him a puzzled look.

"Grail, I'm going to inspect the security in the capital for a bit."

"Really? Now? Today is the day when this year's new knights gather."

"I know. I'll be back soon."

With that, Leonardo turned on his heel and headed towards the wyvern stables, where the small dragons used by the military are kept.

"Zail, come with me for the inspection."

Reaching out to touch the scales of his partner, the gray wyvern Zail, Zail narrowed his eyes and rumbled contentedly.

There are still nearly two hours before the induction ceremony for the Imperial Capital Knights. A quick patrol around the capital should fit perfectly into this schedule.

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As expected, the city below the capital was bustling with people.

A vegetable vendor called out to attract customers.

A street performer in costume performed acrobatics, drawing a crowd.

A girl with a basket walked around selling bread.

Leonardo observed the scene below from the sky while riding his wyvern.

—Everything seems fine...

After observing for a while, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just as he was about to head back, he heard a high-pitched scream from a distance.

"Someone! Thief! My wallet was stolen. Catch that person!"

Looking closely, he saw two men running through the crowd.

"Thieves!"

The Imperial Capital Knights patrolling on the ground had also noticed and were trying to chase the thieves, but the crowd was too dense to move their horses as they wished. Forcing their way through the crowd could harm innocent citizens.

"Can't be helped. I'll take care of it. Zail, that way."

Leonardo maneuvered the wyvern and flew in the direction the thieves had fled.

When he reached the spot, he was taken aback by what he saw.

There was a girl there.

She looked to be in her late teens. Her hair, cut to shoulder length, was a beautiful shade of amber, almost golden.

She was dressed in long pants and a knee-length jacket, and for some reason, she held a broom in her hand, facing off against the two thieves.