Bishop of Ravenwood Town

Ronan raised an eyebrow and suppressed his curiosity as he walked over. Seeing Ronan arrive, Knight Warren stood and said,

"You're here. You've already met these Shadow Fortress knights. This is the Bishop of Ravenwood Town, Dorodamenro Nebula. Your Excellency, this is Ronan, the warrior who slew the Dragonman. Ronan, sit beside me." After introducing everyone, Warren sat down.

Ronan nodded and took a seat beside Knight Warren. The table was already laden with fine food and wine—steaks, roast chicken, pan-fried fish, fruit salad, and more. In the center sat an entire roasted suckling pig. The aroma alone had Ronan restless with anticipation.

"You're here. After hearing Knight Warren speak of you, I had wanted to see for myself the bearing of the warrior who killed that powerful Dragonman. This toast is for you, on behalf of the soldiers who fought. If you hadn't killed that Dragonman, who knew how many more of them would have died because of him?" The Bishop's voice was unmistakably male, which gave Ronan, who had initially taken the Bishop for a woman based on his appearance, a small surprise. Ronan also noticed a crystal ball shimmering with flowing light at the Bishop's left hand.

Ronan hurriedly raised his cup. "Your Excellency flatters me. Since I accepted the mission, it was simply my duty."

"So as long as you accept a mission, you will definitely carry it through? Even if unexpected complications arise, like this time, that could endanger your life?" the Bishop asked Ronan with a curious expression, his left hand touching the crystal ball.

"Of course. It is a matter of principle. I, Rodrit, do not consider myself some great hero, but I still have the professional ethics I ought to have."

Hearing Ronan's words and sensing the feedback from the crystal ball, Dorodamenro smiled. During the meal, Dorodamenro asked Ronan many more questions. They seemed entirely unrelated, leaving Ronan rather baffled.

When the banquet ended, the Shadow Fortress knights all rose to take their leave. Ronan had also intended to do so, but Dorodamenro stopped him.

"Through our conversation just now, I have come to understand what kind of person Sir Rodrit is. I have an important mission that I would like to entrust to you. Are you willing to accept it?"

"What kind of mission is it, Your Excellency?"

"Ravenwood Town has a merchant caravan. It is an important trade route and source of income for the town, and I intend to send it to Sinterland soon. The journey is long and passes through the Pass Plains, where bandits are known to lurk. In the past, this matter was always handled by Knight Warren.

"But Knight Warren is injured, and this journey will take longer than usual. Knight Warren has important duties and cannot be away for so long, so I intend to hire you as the caravan's guard. After all, both your strength and character have already been proven. I believe you can complete this mission well. The reward is two hundred gold coins. I will advance half of it now, and the rest will be paid by the caravan once you reach Sinterland."

"Good, I accept the mission. Thank you for your trust, Your Excellency. I will not disappoint you!" In truth, it was the generous reward that had attracted Ronan. At that moment, his mind was entirely on money, and he never considered how the Bishop had decided on his character after speaking with him for only a few moments.

"The caravan leaves tomorrow night. Make your preparations. The journey is far, and at the caravan's pace, it may take nearly four months to reach Sinterland."

After bidding farewell to the Bishop and Knight Warren, Ronan happily returned to the tavern with the hundred gold coins already in hand. Once again, he marveled inwardly at Ravenwood Town's wealth. No wonder so many mercenaries and adventurers came here to make their fortunes.

After returning this time, Ronan planned to recruit another ten soldiers and fill his ranks. After all, once he set out with the caravan, it would be difficult to explain where new recruits had come from.

After Ronan left, Knight Warren walked over to Dorodamenro and asked, "What did the Mind's Eye Crystal say?"

"This man's heart is filled with disdain for class and hierarchy, and he longs to break rules and dogma. He is greedy for wealth, wishes to accomplish great things, and kills his enemies decisively. At the same time, he has no small number of secrets that even the Mind's Eye Crystal cannot uncover. Yet he also possesses strong principles, kindness in his heart, and a compassionate side. He is very powerful, and his mercenaries are all battle-hardened. I can rest somewhat easy entrusting this mission to him."

Meanwhile, on Mount Glan, a group of unwelcome visitors arrived at the battlefield where the bloodstains had yet to fade. At their head was a tall, bald Orc with arms as thick as an ordinary human's thighs, a braided beard on his chin, two lower fangs protruding past his lips, and dark brown skin. He was Lasse Blackfire, chieftain of the Blackfire Orcs from the Moran Kingdom. Behind him followed a mixed force of humans, Orcs, Gnolls, Lizardmen, Dragonmen, Hobgoblins, and other races, numbering around a thousand.

Lasse waved his hand, and a hunchbacked Orc in a gray robe emerged from behind him. Leaning on a thick wooden staff, the hunchbacked Orc knelt on the ground and traced strange symbols in the bloodstained soil with his hand, muttering words in an odd language. After some time, he suddenly threw back his head and began convulsing. His pupils rolled upward, exposing clouded whites.

About five minutes later, the hunchbacked Orc stopped convulsing and walked to Lasse's side.

"Chieftain, Rello is dead. A Knight pierced his throat. Krantuman has betrayed us. Dorodamenro has likely already discovered our plan. What should we do next?"

"Damn Krantuman. He has ruined the kingdom's grand plan. I will kill him sooner or later. This concerns the kingdom's next move, so we cannot give up. Speed up the recruitment of those fellows in the forest, then have Wokin lead them to Shadow Fortress and block them from reinforcing Ravenwood Town. At the same time, tell the Goblins to hurry and cut timber to make ladders. Ravenwood Town's walls are not high, so they do not need to be too large. Once everyone is in position, we will directly launch a frontal assault on Ravenwood Town."

"But Chieftain, that will make the Holy Cross suspect the kingdom."

"As long as we capture that elf, the cost will be entirely bearable! Get moving. We must act quickly. Dorodamenro may send her away at any moment. Even if she is sent away, we must still storm Ravenwood Town, find out where she went, and intercept her. We have no other choice. If we return to the kingdom without completing this mission, our tribe will never have another chance to rise."

"Also, send several humans into the town to spread rumors. That way, some mercenaries will leave, and we will face much less pressure when we attack the city."

After issuing his orders, Lasse found a rock and sat down. He took a string of wooden beads from his clothes, rubbing the patterns carved into them as he muttered to himself,

"Just wait, little ones. I will capture that elf and complete the mission. The Blackfire tribe must never decline in my hands. When I return in triumph, you will be able to live good lives."