A light gasp ran through the crowd on the street.
"Look! It's the royal carriage!"
"That's the emblem of Her Royal Highness—it must be Princess Victoria!"
People froze, eyes wide, watching the procession move slowly toward them. Gentlemen removed their hats and held them over their chests, while ladies dipped slightly in polite curtsies, faces filled with astonishment and curiosity.
Arthur, blending into the crowd, felt his heart pound like a war drum struck by a heavy hammer. His gaze swept above the heads of everyone, locking on two key targets.
One was the carriage of Princess Victoria, moving steadily, gracefully, without haste.
The other was a heavy cargo wagon suddenly emerging from a side street.
The wagon was loaded with massive wooden barrels, pulled by two tall draft horses. The driver appeared drunk, his face flushed as he slumped in the seat, reins slipping from his hands long ago. The two horses, terrified by something unseen, had bloodshot eyes, frothing mouths, and charged frantically down the street!
This was the most crucial part of Arthur's plan.
He couldn't orchestrate an outright accident—he could only rely on observation and information.
Thanks to the intelligence network provided by Fat Boss, Arthur had long known about the brewery near that intersection and that the cargo wagon's driver was a notorious drunk. Over several days, he had monitored the area and discovered the driver delivered goods drunk almost every afternoon, frequently frightening his horses in the process.
All he did that day was subtly use a shard of broken glass to trigger the horses' reflex along the usual route.
So, what appeared to be pure chance happened exactly as planned.
"My God! That carriage is out of control!"
"Get out of the way! Everyone, move!"
The crowd screamed in terror, scattering in all directions. Stalls were overturned, goods rolled into the street.
Even the royal guards escorting Princess Victoria noticed the danger.
"Protect Her Royal Highness!" roared the captain, ordering his men to form a human barrier, trying to intercept the runaway wagon.
But it was too late.
The cargo wagon was too fast, its weight immense. Two riders attempting to control the draft horses were thrown to the ground, man and horse, shrieking in pain.
In an instant, this uncontrollable beast of wood and iron was barreling toward the side of Princess Victoria's carriage with terrifying force!
The consequences would have been unimaginable.With such an impact, the carriage would shatter, and the seventeen-year-old future queen inside—though perhaps not killed—would surely be gravely injured.
"Danger!"
"My God!"
Hearts pounded, timid ladies closed their eyes, unable to watch the bloody scene unfold.
It was at that critical moment that a figure shot forward like an arrow from a bow.
It was Arthur.
While everyone else fled, he went against the current, moving straight toward the danger.
His target wasn't the runaway wagon—it was beyond anyone's control. His target was the two horses pulling the royal carriage, already panicked and straining against their reins.
"Hey!"
Arthur let out a fierce roar, unleashing the full force of his body, enhanced by the Physical Enhancement Serum. His speed was astonishing, almost a blur to ordinary eyes.
Like a nimble leopard, he leaped toward the carriage.
The coachman was already pale with fear, desperately pulling the reins, unable to control the terrified horses.
Arthur didn't hesitate. He leapt onto the bar above the coachman's seat—a dangerously risky move that drew another wave of exclamations from the crowd.
He pushed aside the useless coachman and grabbed the reins with both hands.
Tremendous force surged through him, nearly tearing his arms from their sockets.
"STOP!"
Arthur's eyes widened, veins standing out on his forehead and neck. He anchored himself with his full weight, pulling against the horses' frenzied charge.
"Ih-ah!"
The horses screamed in pain, rearing and kicking.
Time seemed to slow.
Arthur could see the runaway wagon less than ten meters away, the massive wheels and flying mud inches from him, the smell of imminent disaster in the air.
Through the carriage's ornate lace window, he saw Princess Victoria's pale yet still beautiful face, twisted in fear.
Their eyes met.
In Arthur's eyes, there was no fear, no panic—only calm and almost reckless determination.
"Stop… NOW!"
He roared again, every muscle in his arms straining to the extreme.
A miracle happened.
The two horses pulling the royal carriage slowed, guided by Arthur's unmatched strength. A slight swerve diverted the carriage from the runaway wagon's path.
It was this seemingly insignificant angle that decided life or death.
"BOOM!"
The cargo wagon crashed against the street wall with a thunderous clang, wooden barrels shattering, wine splashing everywhere, and the two unfortunate draft horses collapsing to the ground, writhing.
Meanwhile, the royal carriage, under Arthur's control, jolted forward a few steps before slowing to a safe stop.
It was safe.
The world seemed to fall silent.
In the stunned aftermath, all eyes were on the young man standing before the carriage, hands still gripping the reins, chest heaving.
It was him.
He alone had saved Princess Victoria.
Arthur slowly released the reins, feeling his arms numb from exertion. He jumped down from the bar, stumbled, nearly falling.
He looked up at the carriage window.
The young Princess Victoria peered through the glass, her gaze complex—a mix of shock, lingering fear, curiosity, and a hint of gratitude, fixed on him.
Arthur knew his plan had succeeded.
"Assassin! Protect Her Royal Highness!"
The captain of the guard finally reacted. Without understanding what had happened, he drew his sword and shouted. Several guards quickly surrounded Arthur, pointing their cold blades.
Arthur did not resist or argue.
He straightened his slightly tousled collar calmly, gave a respectful bow with a hand to his chest toward the carriage—a gesture he had learned from Fat Boss and executed perfectly.
Then, under the guards' astonished gazes, he turned and calmly melted back into the still-dispersing crowd, disappearing behind a corner.
He left behind a mystery—a courageous, enigmatic figure.
He knew he could not linger to be questioned. As an "ordinary unknown citizen," he would have been treated as a potential assassin.
What he wanted was not immediate reward.
He wanted to plant a seed of curiosity in the heart of the future queen.
And he believed that seed would soon take root and grow.