Matthew Castle

"There's a fire," Abel said, looking into the distance and reminding Knight Marshall.

"That's in the direction of Lord Matthew's castle," Knight Marshall said, glancing at the fire and confirming.

Lord Matthew was the lord of a barony situated between Knight Marshall and Knight Bennett. Lord Matthew and Knight Marshall had a strained relationship because the baron did not recognize the status of a knight who was also a lord as a noble. Although most people in the human world acknowledged that a knight with territory was a noble, this did not include some lords with their own fiefs.

Therefore, although Lord Matthew and Knight Marshall were neighbors, their relationship was limited to exchanging greetings when they met. Now, seeing the fire at Lord Matthew's castle, Knight Marshall hesitated about whether to go to his rescue.

Firstly, Knight Marshall could not reveal his identity. If it were discovered that he had left his territory, it would be troublesome.

Secondly, Knight Marshall had to protect Abel and was not sure if he could still rescue Matthew Castle.

Abel remained silent, looking at Knight Marshall. The decision was left to Knight Marshall. Abel knew nothing about this Lord Matthew; he had never met him or heard the two knights mention him. Therefore, Abel wasn't so noble as to rush to the aid of a stranger. He would only offer help as a favor if his own safety was guaranteed.

"We will go to their aid. You must not leave my side. I cannot appear myself, so you will go forward as the master blacksmith," Knight Marshall instructed.

"Okay, Uncle Marshall," Abel complied with Knight Marshall's arrangement.

Abel took the Hari Bow from his saddle. Although he found the Hari Bow a bit strenuous to use, he could still manage to shoot three or four arrows.

Knight Marshall also held the Hari Bow at this moment, placing an arrow on the rest and drawing the string. Knight Marshall then discovered another advantage of the Hari Bow: it was particularly well-suited for use on horseback.

Consider using a regular bow: you have to use both legs to control the horse while pulling the bowstring with force, then maintain that force to aim and shoot.

With the Hari Bow, once you draw it, you can hold the drawn state with very little effort. This allows you to exert more force to control the horse and gives you ample time to aim and shoot with ease.

The two warhorses moved quickly. Abel was the first to notice that the castle had descended into chaos, and outside the castle gate, four Wolf Riders were chasing down the people who had fled.

Hearing the sound of hooves, the four Wolf Riders shouted loudly. Two of them charged at Abel and Knight Marshall, brandishing long sabers.

"One in front of you, one behind me," Knight Marshall's voice came.

Abel aimed at the first Wolf Rider and pulled the trigger. The head of the Wolf Rider in front immediately developed a hole, and then the Wolf Rider behind also fell. That was Knight Marshall's arrow.

The two Wolf Riders, still engaged in chasing the fleeing people, discovered this situation and let out loud howls. Abel understood the orcish language; they were calling for reinforcements from inside the castle.

Abel and Knight Marshall did not stop their attack. Their next volleys brought the two Wolf Riders down to the ground. At this point, the Wolf Riders' Direwolves, after their riders had died, did not stop but charged madly at Abel and Knight Marshall.

Knight Marshall calmly shot down the four Direwolves and then looked back at Abel, saying, "See? These are Direwolves. They are incredibly loyal. You must treat your Black Wind well."

"Uncle Marshall, I understand," Abel nodded heavily. Seeing the four slain Direwolves, he had hesitated to shoot them earlier out of a flicker of compassion and his absolute trust in Knight Marshall.

At this moment, six Wolf Riders charged out of Matthew Castle. The six Wolf Riders had large bundles hanging from their Direwolves.

A cold glint flashed in Knight Marshall's eyes, and he let out a soft snort, "Seeking death."

These Wolf Riders were actually carrying looted treasures while charging. Such greed accelerated their demise.

Abel and Knight Marshall's arrows had already been loosed. When the closest attackers reached within 30 meters of them, all six Wolf Riders died on their charge, including their Direwolves.

Looking at the Wolf Riders dead on the road, Knight Marshall sighed and said, "This was a ten-man squad. The orcs are very strong, but unfortunately, they lack armor protection." He glanced back at Abel and continued, "The Blacksmiths' Guild strictly prohibits guild blacksmiths from making armor for orcs, and the orcs' own blacksmiths lack the skill to make armor. Therefore, these orcs can only use their bodies to withstand our arrows."

The panicked crowd from Matthew Castle slowly realized that all the Wolf Riders who had attacked them had been killed. The crowd gradually gathered, and a middle-aged man in formal attire approached Abel. Knight Marshall, at this moment, acted like Abel's attendant, standing behind him.

"Greetings, Lord Knight. Thank you for saving us. I am Steward Ken of Matthew Castle." Despite being startled, Ken's ingrained etiquette made him appear very courteous. He bowed gratefully to Abel.

"I am Abel Hari. I accept your thanks. Where is your master?" Abel was very displeased that the master had not appeared after they had risked their lives to help Lord Matthew. Lord Matthew's absence was extremely discourteous.

"Master Abel, my lord has already..." Hearing the question, Steward Ken burst into tears, too grief-stricken to speak. His earlier composure vanished, which was incredible for a noble steward.

Abel's name spread rapidly throughout Harvest City. Most nobles knew of such a young master blacksmith living within the Harvest City region.

Abel had already sensed something was wrong. Lord Matthew was in trouble. He dismounted and supported Steward Ken. At this moment, Abel displayed a composure far beyond his years. At 13 years old, he was already nearly 1.7 meters tall.

As the noble who had saved Matthew Castle, Abel could temporarily issue orders in the absence of a noble in the rescued territory, which was one of the noble regulations.

"Arrange for people to maintain order in the castle now. For Lord Matthew's affairs, send someone to notify the City Lord in Harvest City, and let the City Lord decide future matters," Abel told Steward Ken.

"As you wish." Steward Ken stopped his tears. Having a noble issue commands and make decisions at this moment would stabilize Matthew Castle and prevent anyone with ill intentions from taking advantage of the situation.

Abel did not stay long. Within about an hour, Matthew Castle had returned to peace. The orc corpses were piled in the central plaza of the castle, while Matthew's body was placed in the main hall, along with the bodies of other slain members of the Matthew Family. The bodies of the deceased villagers and attendants were placed in the side rooms.

All the storerooms were locked and secured. Abel designated Steward Ken and five intact guards to protect the property of the Matthew Family, awaiting the arrival of personnel from the City Lord's Mansion to handle the situation.

Everyone in Matthew Castle belonging to the Matthew Family had been killed. When the orcs stormed the castle, they first sought out the most luxurious rooms for their killings, which directly resulted in the members of the Matthew Family being killed first.

After everything was arranged, Abel requested to leave from Steward Ken. Steward Ken dared not stop a noble, let alone a master. Although at this moment, he desperately wished Abel would stay to await the arrival of people from the City Lord's Mansion.

Emerging from Matthew Castle, Abel and Knight Marshall exchanged glances. The scene at Matthew Castle today had deeply affected both of them. A baronial family that had been passed down for many years had vanished due to a single attack.

If it had been Knight Bennett's territory or Knight Marshall's territory that had disappeared, Abel could not even imagine it. He now had a more profound understanding of the cruelty of this world.

Abel and Knight Marshall's figures gradually disappeared into the night. Steward Ken watched Abel's retreating back from afar, his heart filled with gratitude. To offer aid under such circumstances, and with only two knights, was the mark of true knights.