radicalducati Chapter 277 Clumsy Imitation
Chapter 277 Clumsy Imitation
Chapter 277 Clumsy Imitation
The carriage remained stationary for a long time.
Anne couldn't resist pulling back the curtains and peering outside.
The gentleman sat on the brown horse, looking around with a relaxed expression.
He noticed Anne, turned his head and smiled:
"Oh! My beautiful Miss Anne, what can I do for you?"
"Why have you been lingering for so long?"
"It seems like there's a queue," Seth squinted ahead. "Although people are constantly coming out of the city gates, the queue to enter the city is standing still."
Annie frowned: "Is the city under lockdown?"
"To be precise, it cut off the one-way flow," Seth said again to Anne. "Miss, you know that Skyhold Fortress is a special city. It is itself like a solid and towering wall, separating the continents of Ancent from the continents of the West."
"Why restrict one-way travel now of all times?" Annie asked.
Seth shrugged. "I'm afraid only those sitting in the castle know about this, but if I had to give an explanation, I could think of a few reasons."
"explain."
"The most likely explanation is that we should avoid offending the principality."
Seth said,
"After the assassination of the Patriarch of the Holy City, although the Vatican reacted quickly and immediately ordered the city to be locked down, nothing stays secret forever, and the news has probably already spread."
"As the only region bordering the kingdom and the duchy, the Coolidge family should have been the first kingdom power to learn of this information."
"To prevent the Duchy from demanding passage through the land canyon under the pretext of apprehending thieves, the Coolidge family certainly had reason to rigorously screen visitors on the east side as a precaution."
After hearing this, Anne felt that this reason was very likely.
She had contact with Hibastien Coolidge, the lord of Coolidge Gorge.
Therefore, she knew that the lords of the Coolidge family were always cautious and held a strong defensive stance towards everyone.
The same was true of Hibastine himself, and even more so.
Moreover
While Annie was thinking, Seth continued speaking.
"The situation in the duchy has been quite turbulent lately."
Anne knew what Seth was referring to.
Although they headed north, they tried to avoid stopping along the way.
But the chaotic situation was moving much faster than they could run.
The tensions in the principality quickly outpaced them, so that in the latter part of their journey they often witnessed various dioceses and sects purging the Qinglu sect.
The patriarch who was assassinated was the leader of the Qinglu sect.
Anne didn't know much about the details, so she didn't intend to make wild guesses.
However, it was enough for her to understand Sky Fortress's choice.
But Anne leaned out the window, staring at the endless line ahead, her brow furrowed in worry.
At this rate, they probably won't be able to get into the city until nightfall.
Anne disliked this situation where she could only wait idly without being able to do anything.
She has always been a person of action; she only feels at ease when she has a firm grasp on the direction of things.
So Anne said to Seth:
"Ignore the troops and head straight to the city gate."
Seth stared at Anne for a few seconds: "Miss, please allow me to ask why."
Anne sighed: "I should have a way to get us in line without too much scrutiny."
Seth may have doubts about Annie's words, but his expression didn't reveal any attitude, so Annie couldn't tell what he was really thinking.
After a moment of silence, Seth smiled gently and bowed slightly to Annie.
Then, the horse was kicked forward, and the procession emerged from the ranks.
As they approached, the soldiers guarding the city reacted fiercely, raising their spears and pointing the tips at them.
Anne then opened the carriage door and got out.
She walked up to the soldier and pulled out a steel badge.
Upon seeing this, the soldiers on the other side of the city gate immediately ordered several men beside them to raise their spears and then approach Annie.
He bowed to Anne and asked, "Miss, who are you, and how did you come to possess this badge?"
Although the soldier in front of her was more than two heads taller than Anne, Anne stared at him:
"I am a friend of Prince Hibastin, and this badge is a gift from him."
"Friend, you mean..."
The soldier was clearly astonished; he stared at Anne, speechless.
Anne narrowed her eyes: "Exactly. I need to pass through, so you'll have to send someone to escort us through Sky Tower Fortress."
The soldier clearly didn't know how to handle the situation, and he stood there stunned for a long time.
After regaining his composure, he remained hesitant, but finally, he bowed deeply to Annie.
"Miss, may I ask your name?"
Anne uttered the name she was so proud of: "Anne Booker!"
"Booker—Well then, Miss Anne, please wait here. This is no small matter. If any problems arise, I cannot bear the responsibility. Please allow me to go into the city to report. I hope you and your entourage will wait here for a while."
Although there is still a wait, it's much faster than queuing.
Not wanting to put the soldier in a difficult position, she nodded gently.
After expressing their gratitude, the soldiers immediately ordered their weapons to be put away and arranged for Anne and the others to rest under the city gate before hurriedly running into the city.
After waiting for about twenty minutes, the soldier finally came running back, panting heavily.
He returned the badge to Anne and bowed.
"Miss, I apologize for keeping you waiting here, but you may pass!"
Anne nodded and prepared to tell Seth to set off.
However, the soldier continued:
"However, miss, please come with me."
"What is it?" Annie asked.
"His Highness requests your presence."
Although this was Anne's second visit to Skyhold Fortress, it was her first time entering the castle.
The audience hall was incredibly luxurious, filled with all sorts of exquisite and expensive decorations.
However, the overall structure of the hall appears unusually ancient.
It was through this unalterable nature that Anne deduced that the castle must have a very long history.
Hibastian was sitting on a dark gray stone chair, and on the wall behind him was a huge carving of the Coolidge family crest.
The coat of arms resembles a stone bridge with thick piers and only one small opening.
But Anne knew that it was not a stone bridge, but Coolidge Gorge.
The small hole below is the Evil Spirit Water Corridor connecting the Gloomy Sea and the Flame Heart Sea.
However, the coat of arms does not feature the Ladder of Ascension, which the Coolidge family is so proud of, indicating that the coat of arms is older than the Ladder of Ascension. As for the name of the coat of arms, Faraway Canyon, it is also unrelated to the Ladder of Ascension.
Anne bowed to Hippostine, who was dressed in a black tuxedo, on the stone throne: "Prince Hippostine."
Hibastian smiled and said, "When you see a prince, you should kneel, not bow."
Anne said, "The Herald Academy remains neutral to any power. I am not currently a Herald Master of Skyhold, and I have no obligation to kneel before you."
"Hahaha!" Hippostine suddenly burst into laughter. "I knew I hadn't misjudged you! Anne, how have you been?"
Thank you for your concern, I am well.
Hibastian stood up and walked in front of Anne:
"So, you came from the Holy City?"
"Yes."
Hibastian narrowed his eyes: "What happened in the Vatican?"
Clearly, Hibastian's purpose in meeting Anne was to inquire about the situation within the Papacy.
Anne was grateful for Hibastine's straightforwardness, which saved them the trouble of beating around the bush.
But Anne, considering her own position, could not say too much:
"Everything is as the Prince already knows."
"Hmph!" Hibastine was somewhat displeased. "You were there at the time, so what you know is naturally a hundred times more accurate than the rumors I heard."
"Your Highness, as you can see, I am merely a representative from the Herald Academy attending the ceremony. I have no influence or informants in the Holy City."
What you hear and know is never more accurate than rumors.
"He certainly has a silver tongue."
Hibastian looked up, glancing warily at Anne, but then a smile returned to his face.
"However, I don't dislike your assertive attitude!"
"My lord, if there is nothing else, please let us pass," Anne said. "This trip has taken longer than expected, and I want to return to the Herald Academy as soon as possible."
"Yes," Hibastine said, "I'd like to have you stay at Skyhold for two days."
Anne frowned. "Sir, I think I've made myself clear. I'm in a hurry!"
"You're even more domineering than my mother, Annie, haha—"
Hippustin said, "Look!" and burst into laughter.
"But I'm not keeping you here for entertainment; I want to escort you back to the Herald Academy in a few days."
Anne believed that there was no such thing as a free lunch, and that Hibastine must have asked for something in return for his enthusiastic help.
She asked warily, "Why is that?"
"Of course I wasn't just doing this out of boredom," Hibastine shrugged. "Let's just say it was something I happened to be doing."
"By the way?"
"My brother has been invited by Platinum Castle to go to the court to serve as the King's Warden," Hibastine said. "He departs the day after tomorrow and will be passing through Herald City on his way, so I thought it would be convenient for you to travel with him."
Anne gleaned crucial information from this conversation: "Where is the former supervisor of the city's defenses?"
"He passed away last month," Hibastine shrugged. "And as you've seen, there's probably no fortress more impregnable than Skyhold. The court appointed my brother, naturally wanting to leverage the Coolidge family's experience in fortification to make Platinum Castle as strong as well."
Upon hearing this, Anne bowed her head and curtsied.
"Then, I'll do as you say, sir."
Annie and her team then settled down in Sky Tower Fortress.
During this period, she was summoned by Hibastien several times.
Ultimately, Anne chose to reveal some information about the Holy City to Hibastien in order to prevent their relationship from deteriorating.
Two days later, Annie finally set off.
Her troops joined forces with those of Hibastien's brother, Duke Alexander Coolidge, and together they departed Skyhold Fortress.
Before leaving, Hibastian asked Anne again:
"Miss Anne Booker, are you now considering becoming a Coolidge woman?"
Anne's stance remained clear, and she responded with a radiant smile:
"No!"
On the way, Alexander asked to ride in Anne's carriage.
It seems that the journey is long, and having someone to chat with makes the time pass more pleasantly.
However, he seemed very bothered that Seth was also sitting in the carriage.
Seth said, "I am responsible for escorting Miss Anne, and I need to be responsible for her safety. I cannot allow anyone other than a member of the Unswearing Knights to be alone with Miss Anne in the same space."
This is why Anne trusts Seth, the leader of the Unswearing Knights, who always keeps his mission in mind.
Faced with Seth's resolute stance, Alexander had no choice but to compromise.
Anne was not against contacting Alexander; on the contrary, she even hoped so.
This was also the reason she chose to stay at Skyhold Fortress for a few more days.
After returning to the Herald Academy, Anne will need to consider going to the royal city, and of course, the matter of becoming a Herald Attendant.
According to the chief herald of Jonas, the current court situation is chaotic.
Although Anne was confident in her abilities, she was still young, only just turned sixteen.
Lacking experience in many areas, she couldn't guarantee she could handle everything with ease.
If she's about to step into a storm, then making more friends in the storm is better than making enemies.
At least there were people to hold her tight, so she wouldn't be so easily swept away by the strong wind.
Alexander Coolidge is about to become the city's defense supervisor, which means he will have control over most of the military power within the city.
If Anne could cultivate a good relationship with Alexander, who holds an important position, her situation would definitely be much safer.
Anne was just a woman without any special powers; she had to be constantly thinking about her own safety.
However, Alexander was unaware that Anne would also be traveling to the capital, and Anne would not inform anyone of this information beforehand.
Along the way, Anne and Alexander talked a lot and became more familiar with each other, which was a good sign.
A few days later, she talked to Alexander about the ladder to heaven.
And Alexander was indeed a Coolidge; like Hippostine, he became very excited when the topic of the Ladder to Heaven came up.
"Although my title is Duke, I have no property. It's not that my brother is unwilling to grant me a fief; in fact, there is a lot of abandoned land in the Luxia Gorge."
"But the land on the land is full of rocks and extremely barren. Even if I were granted a fiefdom, my life would not be any better than it is now."
"However, Skyhold Fortress is a vast but long and narrow city, making it extremely difficult to govern. Therefore, other members of the Coolidge family would stay in the fortress to help govern it, which is a tradition of the Coolidge family."
"Therefore, even though my older brother is the lord of Sky Tower Fortress, it is still my city. Thus, the Sky Ladder, a unique miracle in this world, is also my pride."
The stairway to heaven was not a miracle, but Anne didn't want to argue with Hibastine's brother about it again.
She simply said, "It's not unique; the Iron Chain Fortress on the Lines Plateau has a similar device."
Upon hearing this, Alexander's face immediately showed displeasure:
"The Sack family of Iron Chain Fortress is nothing but a despicable and narrow-minded thief, and the device they built is nothing more than a clumsy imitation of the Ladder to Heaven."
"They thought they had mastered the essence of the ladder to heaven, but in reality, they had simply copied all the flaws without missing a single one."
Anne understood his meaning: "You mean, you have a way to deal with the Chain Fortress's devices?"
"Of course, every Coolidge knows that the method is—"