The Suspicious Man in the Castle

The soldiers eagerly watched Reiner, who was mounted on a tall warhorse. Even before enlisting, they had held their lord in deep reverence; this was a heartfelt sentiment among people living in that era.

They genuinely believed that nobles were the Holy Father's esteemed children, and it was only right for them to rule over lives as insignificant as weeds. As long as they were allowed to live a slightly better life, they would offer their loyalty and serve their masters.

They were so simple-minded. Even the most intimidating-looking individuals showed great respect for their lord. When they took off their felt hats and bowed their backs to salute Reiner, their innocence was such that Reiner couldn't bear the thought of sending them, generation after generation, to the battlefield as cannon fodder.

They had grown accustomed to this way of life. For centuries, the continent's nobles had treated these serfs as cheap consumables. Perhaps in the nobles' minds, they were worth less than an arrow, because arrows cost money, while serfs cost nothing.

In his previous life, he was just such a person. If someone showed him even a little kindness, he would practically rip out his heart for them. He simply couldn't bring himself to dismember someone over a disagreement.

He knew that with his temperament, he had no hope of getting ahead in this life. But character was something that had been set from the moment he was born; only time could change it.

"Long live the Baron!"

"For victory!"

"Kill them!"

The soldiers' shouts were scattered, sounding a bit chaotic, but everyone could hear the high morale contained within those voices.

The soldiers, holding finely crafted spears, charged towards the enemy in a simple battle formation. Reiner had already dismounted his warhorse. Although riding a horse could conserve energy and provide powerful冲击力, as a lord, he had to fight alongside his soldiers, and riding a warhorse made it easy to become separated from them.

A lord was essentially a great landowner with a legitimate army. He had to ensure his army was fiercely loyal to him. Reiner was now in such a position. Perhaps when he first returned, the soldiers obeyed him merely out of duty, but now, they had begun to develop affection and support for him.

As long as Reiner could continue to bring them greater benefits and lead them to more victories, they would support him even more.

Reiner, clad in heavy armor, charged at the very front of the line. Several of his retainers, also wearing chainmail and wielding longswords, protected him. These retainers were either children from self-sufficient farming families with considerable land, or the second sons of knights under Reiner. They possessed good combat abilities; even if they weren't as skilled as knights, they were at least stronger than many regular soldiers.

The soldiers followed Reiner as he charged towards the enemy. The knights had already completely shattered the Krad People's formation. At least the enemies directly in front of Reiner had almost entirely routed, frantically searching for safety, like marmots encountering a formidable foe, utterly devoid of any will to resist, wanting only to escape.

"Monsters! These Redka People must be monsters!"

"Save me! Please, save me!"

"Don't leave me! Take me home!"

"Mama!"

The Krad People screamed in terror, crying out for their parents. They were utterly terrified by these "monsters" they had never seen before. The knights' offensive was terrifying, their immense momentum and irresistible charge leaving them unable to muster even a shred of resistance.

Screams and wails were incessant. Many enemies had broken ribs, arm bones, and leg bones but were not yet dead. They lay there, clutching their mangled limbs or dragging their torn-out intestines, wailing horribly.

Reiner swung the single-handed longsword in his hand, and the enemy in front of him, trembling violently with fear, was decapitated by his blade. The opponent didn't even have time to react before the main artery in their neck immediately gushed bright red blood.

The blood that sprayed four or five meters high instantly stunned the Krad People. While the knights' charge had caused even greater losses, it was primarily a psychological deterrent.

But this time, a bloody, headless corpse appeared before everyone's eyes. Even those who were too close to escape in time were sprayed with blood on their faces.

This time, the enemy suffered a greater blow. The most direct evidence, fresh blood, was right before their eyes, unlike before when only a small amount of blood flowed. The bloody head rolled across the ground, bodyless, like a tumbleweed adrift in the wind, rootless and helpless.

"Damn it! Abandon the attack! Immediately rescue the rear!" Highlander, the leader, was not a seasoned lord accustomed to warfare. His understanding of war was not much better than that of an average soldier; knowing some common sense was already good.

The Krad People in front didn't move. The Highlander leader was quite shrewd; he ordered the frontline soldiers to hold off the Moreland Family's main army, then commanded the remaining troops to support the rear.

He also withdrew a dozen or so of the already few strong tribal warriors. He hoped that relying on the warriors' "powerful" combat strength could turn the tide of battle and completely rout the hateful Redka People.

The battle had reached a fever pitch, but at the same time, a furtive figure, clad in simple cotton clothing, appeared on the gate mechanism of Morland Castle.

Not only was he short, but his hunched posture made him appear even more shifty. He looked around furtively, as if afraid someone might suddenly appear beside him.

He used the shadows along the castle walls to conceal himself, evading the few guards patrolling the walls, slowly moving towards the control switch for the gate mechanism.

A smile appeared on his shadowed face because he was nearing his target location. Understanding the gate's structure was his objective for this trip.

Just as he reached the shadows outside the gate control room, a large foot suddenly kicked him in the back from behind. He stumbled, and if he hadn't been agile, he would have fallen on the castle wall. Even so, he still exposed himself.

The guards on the castle immediately surrounded him. He was just a spy, not some wall-climbing ninja or a powerful knight. Faced with five or six guards surrounding him, he was helpless, even if these guards were merely free citizens temporarily conscripted from the territory.

He could only surrender helplessly. He valued his life greatly and had no desire to die here.

"State your name, affiliation, and purpose!" The person who discovered him asked expressionlessly. The interrogator was Logan, Reiner's spymaster and the former spymaster for the Bar Empire in the Resa region. A spy of his rank was considered an elite in the profession, and detecting such a spy was incredibly easy for him.