At the gate of the city, a black-bearded hobbit wearing black armor with a brandy nose greeted the shield warriors. Under the light of the torch, one could see that the ends of the beard were actually woven into fine braids.
In the [Analytical Eyes], the hobbit’s comprehensive strength had reached A-level which was comparable to Samuel. The power attribute had reached A-level.
“Are these humans?” The black-bearded hobbit asked loudly, “Borrot! You caught those despicable bandits so quickly? Great!”
“I’m not sure either.” Borrot shook his head and glanced at him strangely, “Because one of the humans said she is your friend.”
“My friend?”
The black-bearded hobbit was taken aback when he heard Ina’s voice, “Uncle Tecklin, do you remember me? I’m Enrel. Span’s daughter, Ina.”
“Enrel. Span?” Tecklin thought for a while. He stepped forward, looked up at Ina for a while, and revealed a puzzled expression, “That guy’s daughter? Why both of you don’t look alike?”
Ina directly ignored the last sentence, “Father once told me one incident. He and you once drank wine at Yang Shao Capital late at night. You were drunk and sang loudly which alarmed the guards on the curfew patrol. Your beard was burned by 1 section when you ran away…”
The hobbits around heard the embarrassing incident and laughed in low voices. Borrot laughed out loud, “Tecklin, it turns out that your beard was burned because of this back then. You told me that you were splashed by the fire sparks when casting the iron!”
“Who said so? It was really an accident when casting iron… Don’t talk about this anymore. Back to the main topic!” Tecklin’s brandy nose turned red as he showed an embarrassing expression. However, his gaze at Ina was much more relaxed. “It’s really you, Little Ina. You have grown up; even taller than me…”
Ina again ignored the last sentence and explained, “Uncle Tecklin, I’m the commander of the Iron Shield Mercenary Squad. These are my partners. We are escorting a pastor to Garden City this time. Due to time constraints, we chose the Black Rock Mountain as a shortcut. We just came here not long ago and we don’t know anything about the bandits.
“Tecklin,” Borrot stopped laughing, “If you can guarantee that they have nothing to do with the theft, then I will let them go.”
“The nature of this theft is very serious. Furthermore, I haven’t been in contact with Little Ina previously.” Tecklin showed a thoughtful expression. He shook his head, “So, unfortunately, I can’t guarantee anything as one of the guards. Especially when Little Ina’s father, Enrel, is also a… bandit.”
It was the damn last sentence which made the originally relaxed atmosphere instantly become tense again.
“If this is the case, detain them first and let Royal Highness Ovge handle it.” Borrot waved his hand and asked the large shield warriors to take everyone away.
Ina did not expect to be doubted even more because of the relationship with this acquaintance. She quickly spoke up, “Wait a minute, Uncle Tecklin. I want to figure out what this theft is all about. Perhaps, I can try to prove my innocence.”
Tecklin motioned to Borrot to wait, then he briefly explained the matter.
Yesterday was the wheat wine festival of the hobbits. It was originally a festive day to drink wheat wine, but in the afternoon, several places in the Thick Soil Castle caught fire at the same time. After the hobbits put out the fire, they realized that this was a diversion. The real target of the other party was the warehouse in the castle. They stole a batch of equipment and an important blueprint.
That batch of equipment was weapons and armors that were exchanged with humans for supplies. The equipment had reached high-quality excellent grade which was of great value, but the most important thing was that blueprint which was far more valuable than the equipment.
The hobbits whose festivals were ruined were so angry that they immediately dispatched regular warriors to hunt for the nasty intruder bandits.
Normally, with the relationship between Ina and Tecklin, it should not be difficult to pass the Black Rock Mountain, but they coincided with the theft incident at this sensitive moment. A word appeared in Chen Rui’s mind: Self-defeating.
“Okay, no need to talk to them!” Borrot said impatiently, “Humans are unreliable guys. These humans are very suspicious since they appear in the Black Rock Mountain area! I will detain and starve them all in jail for a few days, then they will naturally tell the truth!”
This sentence made Samuel frown. A faint murderous aura spread to the surroundings. The hobbits suddenly sensed it. They tightened the grip of their weapons, revealing a vigilant expression. Tecklin stepped forward, blocking in front of Borrot as his short body burst with a strong aura. He was at a standstill with Samuel for a while.
“Samuel!” Ina exclaimed, “Don’t be impulsive!”
“I don’t have time to delay in this kind of place.” When Samuel fixed his eyes on Borrot, his fighting spirit burned, “If I’m locked up unjustifiably, I’d rather fight.”
A black giant axe appeared in Tecklin’s hand, “Despicable human! The Thick Soil Castle is not a place where you can go rampant!”
As a result, the tension between both parties became extremely tense. Just as it was about to be triggered, Chen Rui said, “Uh, sir deputy commander, don’t forget that your mission is to escort us. Since everyone is innocent, then… I think it’s better to meet the ruler of the hobbit to explain it clearly.”
As soon as His Highness spoke, Samuel’s aggressive vibe suddenly faded. His eyes were fixed on Tecklin’s face, “Take us to see your king immediately! Otherwise, even if you can detain or kill me, the hobbit will have to pay a heavy price!”
Samuel’s strength was similar to that of Tecklin. Once the fight started, it would definitely affect the rest of the tribe, but the stubborn temperament of the hobbit would surely not compromise on this. He showed a fighting posture, “Come on, just a cowardly bravado. I will chop off your head with an axe now!”
At this moment, a voice sounded, “Stop! Tecklin. Take them to the Royal Highness Ovge.”
It was a hobbit with white hair and beard. A rare wit flashed in his hazy eyes. The [Analytical Eyes] showed his strength as B.
“Elder Askari.” The hobbits such as Tecklin and Borrot bowed their heads respectfully. It seemed that although the white-bearded hobbit was not particularly strong, his status and prestige in the tribe were quite high.
“Right, Royal Highness Ovge is the most powerful guardian of the mountain hobbit tribe. If these humans are proved to be bandits, they have no room for struggle at all under Royal Highness Ovge’s deterrence!” Tecklin’s eyes lit up, “Yes. We need to watch them carefully. Don’t let them run away on the way!”
The last sentence made Elder Askari roll his eyes: Now that you have said everything, doesn’t it mean you are reminding them to run away?
Fortunately, these humans, including the dangerous guy, did not do anything as they let the shield warriors escort them to the castle.
The dwellings in the castle were already rarely illuminated. Judging from the rows of the hobbit soldiers stationed along the way, the theft was no small matter. The blueprint should be more important than imagined.
The group came to the end of the avenue with a simple and magnificent palace.
The palace was brightly lit. Many details reflected the unique design of the hobbit, but everyone was not in the mood to appreciate them. Everyone was no stranger to the hobbit race. Many people have had contact with the hobbit. However, it was their first time entering the hobbit’s den as captives. It was impossible fo them to not be nervous.
On the central throne was a hobbit wearing a crown and a fur coat. He had a black beard with a relatively young appearance. His eyes revealed a determined look. He was the ruler of the castle, Ovge, the king of the mountain hobbits.
After listening to Borrot’s report, Ovge frowned, “The theft must have been done by humans, and you happened to find these humans outside the Black Rock Mountain? Most of these humans are despicable shameless guys. Even if these people didn’t directly enter the Thick Soil Castle to steal, it can’t be said that they have nothing to do with the bandits…”
Ovge did not speak in the common language, but the hobbit language. Ina could only understand a little of this language, but it was not a problem for Chen Rui who had the [Analytical Eyes]. Just from the tone of Ovge and inferring, the king of the mountain hobbit, who was obviously prejudiced against humans, seemed to believe that the Iron Shield Mercenary Squad were definitely related to the bandits of the Thick Soil Castle.
Elder Askari nodded, “Your Highness means to find clues about the bandits from them.”
“Yes, I have an agreement with the Yang Shao King that humans shall not use any excuses to invade the Thick Soil Castle of the Black Rock Mountain. If there is an invader, the hobbit will not hesitate to deal with them with the most severe punishment. If the Yang Shao Empire dares to interfere, the mountain hobbit will cut off all transactions with them. Put them in jail first for the time being. Never let them go before this matter is cleared!”
Ovge glanced at Samuel, and he added, “If there is any resistance, kill them!”
Although Samuel did not understand what Ovge was saying, he could see the strong hostility of the king of the mountain hobbits from his fierce gazes. Not only that, his eyes also had a terrifying force that made Samuel’s heart tremble as if he was facing an invincible existence.
Race: Hobbit.
Comprehensive Strength Assessment: S
Physique: S, Power: S, Spirit: A-, Speed: S-.
[Analysis]: Earth attribute, has anti-poison and anti-magic; power type warriors.
Chen Rui was secretly surprised that the king of the mountain hobbit was actually at the Demon Overlord. No wonder he is called the strongest guardian. The Black Rock Mountain can also stand tall in the coveting eyes of humans. It’s just that my time is also very precious like Samuel’s. I definitely can’t stay here.
“Royal Highness Ovge, please wait a moment.” Chen Rui took 2 steps forward. He used the [Analytical Eyes]- The mountain hobbit language.
This kind of communication without the use of words was intentional. Ovge was slightly surprised. He glanced at him and asked, “The soul language? Are you an elf tribe? No, your appearance… Are you half-elf?”
“Half-elf?” Tecklin looked at Chen Rui in surprise, “I have never seen a half-elf that looks so ugly.”
The elf tribe were all handsome men and beauties. Even a half-elf was far more outstanding than ordinary human appearances which did not match Chen Rui’s common face.
Like Ina, Chen Rui also ignored Tecklin’s last sentence. He secretly wondered: Do the elf race in the human world have a skill similar to the [Analytical Eyes]? What is the soul language?
“I’m human, but I have sufficient evidence to prove that we have nothing to do with those bandits.”
TL: Did Chen Rui find out the bandits already?
