"I need an explanation."

Such a direct questioning would have been a faux pas for a nobleman, but Rivendell could not continue to maintain the grace he had when he had met the Prodmore father and daughter in the hall. He tried his best—not so much to control, but to inject more anger into his voice in an attempt to add deterrence.

But if that kind of thing did come about, it didn't seem to have any effect on his interlocutors. Uther, the leader of the Silver Hand, still stood in place expressionless, the moonlight adding a marble glow to his resolute face, making him look like a majestic statue.

"Regarding the transgression of the Silver Hand since last night, it has not stopped." Rivendell stared into the other's eyes, trying to find any hesitation or hesitation in them, but he gained nothing.

How dare he? Rivendell thought, how dare he act so deservedly, or at a time like this?

"You have set up a guard at the gates," he said in an aggravated tone, "checking vehicles and pedestrians and openly keeping my guards out." I had not received any prior request on this matter, and you did not come to me until the next evening to explain it to me—I do not understand, my lordship, that Stratholme had always been respectful of the Silver Hand, but now it seems that our respect has not been reciprocated equally. ”

"You're right."

To his surprise, Uther agreed very calmly: "I apologize for the disturbance caused to the inhabitants of Stratholme by our actions. But it was necessary, and it had to do with the responsibility I had sworn to bear. I assure you, Your Excellency, that all our actions are aimed at protecting the security of the Kingdom and its people. ”

"Responsibility." Rivendell snorted. It would be ironic to mention it at a time when one of you has just publicly failed it. He thought, but was not stupid enough to say it, "But I owe the same responsibility to the city, my lord, it was His Majesty who gave it to my family, and I will never fail to live up to his expectations." ”

A certain emotion passed through Uther's eyes, but in the blink of an eye, it reverted to its original inscrutable appearance: "No one doubts your abilities, Baron. You've been doing your job well, but your men aren't all like you. ”

Rivendell immediately understood what he meant. "You're here for that orc." He said.

He made no secret of his suspicions. It's human nature to be suspicious. Paladins are known for their integrity and selflessness, but they are still living beings, and humans are inherently motivated to act for their own selfish interests. To compensate for the doubts about the Silver Hand's reputation caused by Tirio Fordin's dereliction of duty, Uther is probably the most desperate person to see the orc executed - no, wait.

Rivendell remembered something else. This made him wonder if Uther really wanted the orc to die: "I received a report that a paladin once wanted to take a prisoner from my guards. He looked at the other man suspiciously, "After that, the orc escaped from prison." Are you aware of this? ”

"Of course." Uther replied without hesitation, too quickly for Rivendell to fully trust him. As if sensing the baron's shock and doubts, the paladin slowed down and added, "Brother Ravenzi was ordered to take the orc, but your guard dutifully refused him. And when the orc escaped, he was reporting to me in the cathedral. I admit that it was unfair for me to go past you to reach the prisoners, but in this matter, the Silver Hand has nothing to do with it. I must say that if the orcs were still under your watch, the Knights would not need to set up a guard at the gates. ”

"You've really surprised me." Rivendell said annoyedly, "I thought the Paladins were all in a fair and honest manner. ”

"In extraordinary times, do extraordinary things." Uther replied calmly, "I can understand that you think the Knights' actions have offended your authority as lord of this land. But I do have a reason for doing so. ”

He handed a document to Rivinedell. When the latter took it, his eyes were completely attracted by the royal coat of arms above. After a quick glance at the contents, the baron looked up again, cautiously restraining the resentment on his face.

"This document comes from the king himself." He confirmed, and Uther nodded in affirmation.

Rivendell looked down at the words again. He slowed down, but still didn't intend to back down: "Your Majesty's will should naturally be obeyed. I acknowledge your right to investigate and your right to act, my lord. However, as mentioned above, you have the right to ask the local lord for assistance. ”

"That's right, but I'm not going to exercise that right." Uther said calmly.

The aristocracy choked on this astonishing bluntness for a moment, so much so that he lost the opportunity to organize a verbal counterattack. Before he could figure out how to speak, he was firmly targeted by the paladin leader. Those eyes now seemed to contain a storm on the ocean, and no longer just had a similar color. The wavelessness of a few minutes ago seemed mild by comparison.

"His Majesty does not want too much to be known about this." Uther said slowly, his voice suddenly low like thunder on the clouds, "All our actions should be treated as confidential. ”

Rivendell straightened his back sharply, almost reaching for the hilt of his sword. But the aristocracy's deep-rooted upbringing eventually suppressed the veteran's reaction, so that he did not behave in any rudeness. He had spent too much attention trying to restrain his instincts, not noticing Uther's sharp, thoughtful gaze for a moment.

"The orc......" Rivendell said with some difficulty, trying to make a final effort, "what is the importance of that orc?" ”

"We believe it has something to do with the orc rebellion in the South." Uther pondered, looking reluctant to use even a single word, "If it's a spy, the orcs are probably planning to go north." ”

Rivendell breathed a sigh of relief at hearing this answer. The tense nerves relaxed, and a few drops of sweat oozed from his forehead. It wasn't until Uther cast a stern gaze that he realized how untimely his relaxation was, and he quickly explained, "We don't notice any signs at all, my lord. If you hadn't pointed this out to me, Stratholme would have been unprepared for an orc attack. But now we can get ready. The beasts have not been able to defeat us in the past, and their plot will not succeed this time. ”

Uther nodded slowly in agreement. But his expression immediately became stern again: "I have just said that this matter must not be known to too many people. And for what reason do you intend to prepare for war, Your Excellency? ”

Rivendell was stunned for a moment, and asked tentatively, "What do you mean?" ”

"The Silver Hand was summoned for this purpose." Uther ignored his increasingly ugly face, "We'll keep Stratholme safe." ”

"With all due respect, my lordship, aren't your actions more conspicuous than the city guards? I mean, you've been fighting the enemies of the Alliance all along, and once people see the members of the Silver Hand moving on a massive scale, there will be speculation as to whether the battle is coming. ”

"But we're already here."

Rivendell took a deep breath, trying to control his renewed anger, but in the end, his voice came out of his throat as if it were coming out of his throat: "When our homes are threatened, you ask us to do nothing with our bare hands and without preparation?" This is ridiculous! ”

"After the crisis is resolved, you can lodge a complaint with His Majesty on this matter, and I will submit to any ruling he makes." Uther pointed to the document he clutched in his hand and said calmly, "But for now, I will protect this kingdom in the way I think is necessary." ”

"May the Light bless your soul." The paladin said meaningfully. After retrieving the paper, he turned and walked away. Cast in place, Rivendell stared at the moonlight's reflection on the silver armor, his face turning to gloomy resentment. His lips squirmed a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't even make a sound. Eventually, he jerked around and strode into the shadows of the porch.

***

After confirming that the other interlocutor had walked away, Uther stopped at the corner of the path and stared into the shadows of the bushes: "You can come out. ”

At first he didn't get any response, the rustle of branches and leaves shaking in the wind was the only sound around. But after a few seconds, a transparent humanoid figure appeared out of thin air, and then slowly dyed with its true color. Finally, Gianna Proudmore stood in front of him with an awkward smile.

"I, I didn't mean to eavesdrop...... she stammered a little, "I swear to you, I just got here by accident just to find someone." ”

Uther was willing to take her word for it. The aristocrat was always used to disguising himself, so he was most suspicious of the emotions that Rivendell revealed. He could feel Gianna's sincerity. She didn't hide it.

But she was a mage and a nobleman. This identity is quite sensitive, considering the conspiracy he is really involved in at this time.

"I think you should have heard our conversation, Miss Broadmoore."

"Yes." She admitted, her cheeks flushing with shame, "I heard you talk about the orc rebellion and the dangers Stratholm was going to suffer. ”

"That's basically all there is to it." Uther said without accusation, but Gianna winced, "But you're missing something very important - this information needs to be kept secret. ”

"Oh." Gianna whispered, "I heard that, too." ”

"Then I hope you will keep this in mind as well, and abide by it. I'm sure you can imagine how much trouble it can get when a leak is leaked. ”

"I will, I promise." Gianna said quickly, "I'm really sorry, Sir Uther. ”

Uther accepted the apology. On the one hand, he can't censor the princess of Kul Tiras, which will involve a lot of unnecessary political disputes. On the other hand, the truth of the crisis is hidden beneath these superficial information, and even a small leak will not alert his real target.

Seeing this as a sign that the accident was over, he was about to leave, but was stopped by Gianna.

"Wait a minute, Sir." She said with some anxiety, "I have one more thing to tell you. ”

"Please."

Gianna cautiously looked left and right, as if to make sure there weren't a dozen eavesdroppers like her hiding in the bushes. Uther gestured to her not to worry. Gianna nodded, and then whispered, "Do you know about a group of necromancers who want to spread the plague in the city?" ”

Uther's face changed suddenly. For the first time tonight, he was stunned: "Where did you know about this?" He questioned in a much harsher tone than before.

Before Gianna could answer, he had already regained his composure: "No, not here. Come to me tomorrow in the cathedral, where we can talk in complete safety. Never mention it to anyone until then. ”

"Trust me," he emphasized, staring into the girl's eyes, "no matter how much you know, the truth will only get worse than that." ”

A hint of shock flashed through Gianna's eyes, then vanished. She calmed down with surprising speed, and then said firmly, "I will, I promise." ”

Uther believed her.