Chapter 220 The Villain Lady Arrives 48
With the sound of horse hooves and the noise of the crowd, the caravan slowly approached the gate of the medium-sized city.
The city gate is tall and built of heavy bluestone. Time has left mottled marks on it, but it can't hide its grandeur. Above the city gate, the city flag flutters in the wind, and the city emblem embroidered on it shines brightly in the sun, revealing a solemn and dignified feeling.
"It seems like the guards in this city are quite strict." Tariq whispered to the Third Prince, his eyes revealing a bit of vigilance. The Third Prince nodded slightly, his eyes quickly swept through the crowd wandering around the city gate, and secretly calculated in his heart.
"Indeed, with such a strict inspection, I'm afraid something big has happened." Alice added, her voice was soft, but it revealed a sharpness that could not be ignored. The three exchanged glances, and they all understood each other's worries, but they also strengthened their determination to disguise their identities.
Seeing this, Jason, the leader of the caravan, stepped forward and negotiated with the captain of the guard at the city gate. The captain was dressed in iron armor, with a stern face and sharp eyes, and was meticulously checking the identity documents and cargo lists of every person entering the city.
"Captain, we are a caravan sent by the Royal City. We are passing through here and would like to rest in the city for one night and buy some necessities." Jason's voice was full of respect and eagerness. He handed over the caravan's pass and cargo list, waiting for the other party's review.
The captain of the guard took the document and looked through it carefully. He frowned slightly, as if he had doubts about some details. He looked up at Jason and asked in a deep voice, "Royal City Caravan? But the capital is under martial law recently. How come there are so many caravans traveling so frequently? Do you have a special mission?"
Jason's heart tightened, but his expression remained calm. He was well prepared and answered calmly, "Your Excellency, we are indeed on an important mission this time, to deliver a batch of urgently needed silk to the royal palace. The journey is long and we need to replenish supplies along the way, so we are passing through your place."
"Silk?" the captain of the guard repeated, his eyes sweeping over the caravan's cargo, as if trying to see something from those heavy boxes. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the three princes, and his tone was somewhat questioning, "Who are these three?"
Jason had a plan for dealing with this. He introduced them with a smile, "Oh, these three are our friends. We met by chance on the road. When they saw us being attacked by monsters, they came to our aid. They were also travelers heading to the capital, so they traveled together."
Upon hearing this, the captain of the guards looked at the three princes for a moment, as if evaluating whether their words were credible. The three princes remained calm and let him look at them. Alice even waved her hand slightly, with a faint magical light dancing between her fingers. It seemed like an unintentional move, but it cleverly demonstrated her identity as a magician, which made the captain of the guards feel apprehensive.
"In that case, let them pass." The captain of the guard finally nodded, handed the document back to Jason, and waved his hand to signal that the caravan could enter the city. But his eyes were still sharp, as if warning everyone not to make any rash moves.
The caravan passed through the city gate smoothly and entered the busy city. On both sides of the street, there were shops everywhere, and the hawking sounds were heard one after another, making it very lively. However, under this prosperity, the three princes keenly sensed a hint of something unusual. The patrol teams in the city were several times more than usual, and people's expressions were also a little more nervous and alert.
"It seems that something really happened in this city." Tariq said in a low voice, his fingers gently stroking the hilt of the sword, ready to deal with possible emergencies at any time.
"We have to be careful." The third prince nodded in agreement and secretly reminded himself that no matter what happened, he must not reveal his true identity.
Alice silently activated her perception magic, trying to capture more information from the surrounding environment. Her eyes shuttled through the crowd, trying to find the threats hidden in the dark.
The caravan found a clean and tidy inn to settle down. The innkeeper was a kind middle-aged man. Seeing that the caravan came from afar, he greeted them warmly and prepared a sumptuous meal for them.
At the dinner table, the caravan members sat in a circle, eating and chatting, the atmosphere was harmonious. The third prince and his two brothers also joined in, listening to the caravan members telling about the interesting things and experiences during the journey, occasionally interjecting a few words to make the atmosphere more lively.
However, in this seemingly harmonious atmosphere, the Third Prince and his two companions remained vigilant throughout. They had been attacked by men in black from unknown sources before, so now they had to be more cautious.
After dinner, Alice left the inn alone under the pretext of resting. She used this time to explore the city and see if she could find more clues about the situation in the city.
She strolled along the busy streets, using her keen senses to capture everything around her. Suddenly, her eyes were drawn to a group of people who were discussing something. They looked nervous and whispered, and seemed to be discussing something important.
Alice approached quietly and listened attentively. One of them whispered, "Have you heard? The nobles in the city have been busy preparing to flee recently! It is said that the mysterious force in the north is approaching!"
"Really? What should we do? Won't we ordinary people be in trouble?" another person asked in panic.
"Well, we can only leave it to fate. But having said that, that force is really terrifying. I heard that they ride on giant ice wolves, and wherever they go, there is deathly silence." The third person added, with a bit of fear in his voice.
Alice was shocked when she heard this. She didn't expect that the influence of the mysterious force was so great that even this medium-sized city felt threatened. She must bring this news back to the Third Prince and his men as soon as possible to discuss countermeasures together.
She quickly returned to the inn and told the Third Prince and Tariq what she had heard. After hearing this, the two looked solemn. After a moment of silence, the Third Prince said, "It seems that we must speed up our journey. We cannot stay here for too long. We must rush to the capital as soon as possible and report the situation here to our father."
"That's right." Tariq nodded in agreement. "Also, we must be prepared to deal with that mysterious force. Their strength should not be underestimated. We must proceed with caution."
Alice also nodded in agreement. She suggested, "Let's have a good rest tonight and set off early tomorrow morning. I hope everything goes well and we can return to the capital early."
After the three of them had discussed it, they went back to their rooms to rest. Although it was already dark, their hearts were filled with anxiety and urgency. The road ahead would be even more difficult and dangerous.
The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight penetrated the clouds and shone on the roof of the inn, the caravan was ready to go. After a quick breakfast, they set out on the journey to the capital.