Bai Shi put on his helmet, not planning to show his true face for the time being.
He didn't know what the situation in Roundtable Hold was yet, so it was better to be cautious.
Besides, Roundtable Hold had crafty old foxes like Sir Gideon Ofnir, and Bai Shi knew he kept a host of informants who did his bidding everywhere.
Bai Shi had no desire to be targeted and put under surveillance.
Melina held Bai Shi's hand, and in an instant, they arrived at Roundtable Hold. Melina's figure then disappeared.
The scene before Bai Shi's eyes switched instantly, changing into a magnificent hall.
Bai Shi wanted to observe Roundtable Hold more closely, but to his dismay, the surrounding cries of alarm interrupted him.
"Gah! It's a Banished Knight! Everyone, fall back!"
"Why would a Banished Knight appear in Roundtable Hold?!"
"Boo hoo, wasn't Roundtable Hold supposed to be safe? Someone, save me!"Bai Shi scanned the area. Around him were many Tarnished wearing various starter sets. Many of them looked young and were now screaming in terror.
There was a Banished Knight in Roundtable Hold?
Bai Shi froze for a moment. No, wait, they seemed to be talking about him.
Come to think of it, Bai Shi remembered that he should be sitting down. Why was he at eye level with them now?
He looked down and saw that he was indeed still sitting, perched on the edge of a massive round table.
Looking back, he saw over a dozen weapons of various shapes and sizes plunged into the center of the table, standing guard around a massive golden Grace.
Unlike all the other Sites of Grace he had seen before, the Grace at the Hold was suspended high above the table. It was enormous, as tall as one or two men.
Looking back again at the young Tarnished who were continuously retreating, it was no wonder they were so scared.
A guy in a full set of Banished Knight armor had suddenly appeared in Roundtable Hold, sitting on the very table that they normally wouldn't even dare to approach.
The newbies who didn't know the truth probably thought Roundtable Hold had been invaded by a Banished Knight.
Some of the veteran Tarnished in the distance couldn't help but frown when they saw Bai Shi, and they began to observe him carefully.
Although they had already confirmed that Bai Shi was a Tarnished.
Because if one was not a Tarnished, they would need to be approved and brought in by two or more official members of Roundtable Hold to enter, and this person had come alone.
But they didn't let their guard down in the slightest. This guy was probably not to be trifled with.
Normally, they might have assumed it was some old-timer who had looted the gear off a corpse.
But this guy before them, in a full set of Banished Knight armor complete with sword and shield, didn't have a single scratch on it. It didn't look like it had been stripped from a corpse.
Moreover, they sensed a dense, baleful aura from Bai Shi, something only a warrior could detect.
This guy had at least a few hundred lives on his hands, and from the looks of it, it was all recent.
Bai Shi hopped down from the round table. As he landed on the floor, the clang of his armor once again rattled the fragile hearts of the young Tarnished.
Bai Shi found it a little funny and suddenly felt the urge to raise his sword and shield to scare them.
Imagine it: using Storm Wall to bash his way toward them, then yelling, "You think the red eyes are just for show?"
It would be a perfect cosplay. Just thinking about it was fun.
But Bai Shi only entertained the thought. Roundtable Hold was full of powerful people. It would be bad if they really mistook him for a Banished Knight and attacked.
He cleared his throat and asked in a gentle tone:
"I've just arrived. Would anyone be willing to show me around and give me an introduction?"
The young Tarnished looked at each other, and the veterans didn't want to get involved. No one stepped forward.
Just as the atmosphere turned awkward, a hearty laugh came from behind the crowd.
"Haha, I'll show you the way, powerful warrior with the aura of an ancient storm."
A woman pushed aside the young Tarnished in front of her, walked up to Bai Shi, and introduced herself:
"I am Nepheli Loux, a warrior who also wields the wind." Her warrior-of-the-badlands attire barely covered her chest, fully revealing a wild and agile figure like that of a panther. Her bronze skin was covered with scars of all sizes, each a medal from her life as a warrior.
"Bai Shi. I heard Roundtable Hold is a gathering place for heroes, so I came to see it for myself."
After Bai Shi left with Nepheli, the young Tarnished all breathed a sigh of relief and went back to their own business.
***
The matter by the round table was quickly relayed to Sir Gideon Ofnir by his informants.
Sir Gideon Ofnir kept his head down, continuously flipping through various books and reports.
Hearing about the Tarnisheds' reaction, he didn't stop turning the pages, but he couldn't help shaking his head.
"I've really had enough of them. A bunch of cowards who think Roundtable Hold is a shelter. They're practically imposter Tarnished."
Roundtable Hold was a place only those who could see the Grace could enter. It used to be for the elite; ordinary Tarnished had a hard time even getting in.
But these days, few Tarnished could even see the Grace, let alone receive its guidance.
So Gideon had changed the entry policy for the Hold, sending his informants out to spread the word, hoping to restore Roundtable Hold to its former glory.
But the Tarnished had once been a massive army, after all, and if you counted their descendants, the numbers were even greater.
Even though the proportion of those who could see the Grace had become very small, due to the large base number, a huge group of people still found their way into Roundtable Hold.
Among them, there were inevitably the weak, those who had lost their nerve, but who, through sheer luck, could still faintly see the Grace.
That was the group of people by the round table, hiding in the Hold and treating it as a sanctuary.
Gideon had long been dissatisfied with them. The existence of this group was simply an insult to the heroic Round Table.
However, they were merely passersby who hadn't truly joined Roundtable Hold, so there was no need to waste mental energy on them.
"But, that newcomer..."
Gideon was lost in thought. His perception was very sharp.
When Bai Shi arrived, Gideon sensed a faint aura very similar to Queen Marika's.
He suspected that Bai Shi could not only see the Grace but had also received guidance from Queen Marika.
"I hope he'll be of use in the future."
***
"Were those Tarnished from earlier also part of Roundtable Hold?"
Bai Shi asked curiously. This place was not only much larger than in the game, but there were also a lot more people.
There had been seven or eight of those newbie-like Tarnished just now.
"They're not official members of Roundtable Hold. Since they don't really dare to venture out into the Lands Between, they stay here to make a living."
"They can find protection in Roundtable Hold, and I protect them as well, so it's not too bad."
Nepheli had no complaints about them; after all, protecting the weak was one of her creeds.
"Make a living?"
Bai Shi was a little puzzled. What could these Tarnished, who couldn't forge weapons or attune spirits, do in Roundtable Hold?
"Yes, Roundtable Hold has many functions. You can post requests here or sell items. Those people from earlier help with errands, delivering information and items to other Sites of Grace."
"Take this place, for example. This is the stall of a nomadic perfumer. Usually, she has those Tarnished deliver various items for her. But it seems she went out to find some precious materials today. I'll introduce you next time."
Nepheli said, pointing to an empty stall.
Bai Shi understood now. So, they were couriers.
It seemed the functions and population of Roundtable Hold far exceeded his expectations.