The Manhunt

"Could a mere Wild Wolf Bandit Group really cause my death?"

"And besides... how dare he murder a lord? That's a provocation against all the nobles. Every noble would hunt them down to the death!"

"Looks like... there really is a huge conspiracy."

Aaron thought of the premonition he'd had the last time he tried to sense the dark spirituality, and suddenly felt that there were clues pointing to all of this.

"There's little to gain from killing me... I don't have many enemies, either. The remnants of the Davis Family, or..."

He gazed toward Sothos Castle, his eyes filled with wistfulness.

A moment later, at the threshing ground.

Aaron stood in full armor, one hand on his sword, his expression solemn.

"My lord?"

Eight-Fingers, dressed in leather armor, looked at him and was briefly dazed.

Since the last war, it had been a long time since he'd seen Aaron like this.

"The sheriff's men and the guards together number just over thirty. That's nowhere near enough!"

Aaron's expression was grave as he called out, "Issue a conscription order. Every household must send one adult man. We'll raise a hundred!"

Ancient feudal lords with small domains could hardly afford to keep many soldiers on the payroll.

Sothos Castle, for instance, had only around a hundred men in its standing force. Even after taking over the entire Green Forest, its troops had only grown to a few hundred.

The guards in Aaron's territory had previously consisted of veterans from his own force who were willing to relocate, along with a few local recruits. Altogether, they numbered just over thirty.

But now that he knew there was a huge conspiracy, he naturally had to commit everything he had!

With more than a hundred militia gathered, there wasn't a band of roving bandits in the Green Forest that could take them by force. And if there was, they weren't bandits at all—they had to be a lord!

A conspiracy was a conspiracy precisely because it couldn't stand the light of day!

"Yes, my lord."

Though Eight-Fingers was a little confused, he went to pass on the order.

Before long, a huge crowd began to gather.

As Aaron left the estate, he sensed a gaze fixed on him, though only a trace of spirituality remained.

He looked in that direction and saw no one. But when he spotted a house, he didn't hesitate. He pointed his riding crop at it. "Surround that place. Arrest everyone there and throw them in prison. We'll deal with them when I get back!"

"Eight-Fingers, lead the way!"

"Yes!"

Eight-Fingers's expression turned stern, as if he were back in the army. The whole group marched off in a grand procession.

In a valley.

The towering Wild Wolf was admiringly running his hands over a crossbow.

It was expertly made, the kind of weapon usually seen only in the army, and he had three of them!

What's more, all his men wore leather armor and carried fine weapons. They were every bit as well-equipped as the elite troops of a regular army.

With firepower like that, even with fewer men, they could take on a baron's guards!

And they had the advantage of an ambush, to boot!

Last night's attack had been bait from the start. They had deliberately left bloodstains and other traces along the road to lure the lord into their trap!

"Stay sharp. Once they enter the ambush, aim all three crossbows at that noble lord!"

Wild Wolf gave a vicious grin. "After we kill him, we'll all get a reward—enough to buy huge tracts of farmland in the south and retire in comfort!"

"Don't worry, boss!"

A One-Eyed Dragon held a crossbow too, his voice excited. "With this, we can rob any caravan we want, can't we?"

"Rob more? Once we've done this job, we're all leaving this godforsaken place."

Wild Wolf, however, remained clearheaded. He even knew that he wasn't a wolf, only a vicious dog—one that bit whoever its master told it to.

"But... killing a noble lord won't be so bad."

He licked his lips, a bloodthirsty look appearing on his face.

"Boss, we've got trouble!"

Someone came running from the distance. It was their scout, Fast-Leg Rosen. He shouted as he ran, "The noble did come, but he brought more than a hundred men!"

"Damn it!"

Wild Wolf swore. "That brat's scared stiff!"

He thought it over, then said unwillingly, "Abandon the trap. We're pulling out! We'll get another chance!"

"Boss..." One-Eyed Dragon sounded reluctant.

"We're hunters. We set one trap, but ten prey showed up. Even with the trap, that's no good. The rest of the beasts will tear you apart..." Wild Wolf said ruefully.

At least his head was still clear. He knew his men were nowhere near enough to take on the other side.

Even if they traded two or three of their men for every one of the enemy's, they'd still be overwhelmed.

Besides, the other side was so alert that they might have discovered something.

Aaron led the main force, following the scout's directions, until they came upon a small valley.

"My lord, the enemy is in the valley!"

Eight-Fingers bowed. "There's a camp in there."

"Send someone in to take a look. Then have others search the surrounding area."

Aaron stayed at the mouth of the valley rather than venture inside, speaking coolly.

A moment later, Eight-Fingers returned, looking grim. "There's no one in the valley, but we found some arrangements outside. They may be traps..."

As he said this, cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

If the baron hadn't gathered so many men, he would have entered with just one squad. He might have died there today!

"Which way did Wild Wolf escape?"

Aaron asked.

"Looks like he's heading toward Knight Yiman's Emerald Territory," Eight-Fingers replied with certainty, having examined the footprints and other traces.

"Perfect. Knight Yiman still owes me a favor. Release a raven and have him mobilize his militia to help with the encirclement!"

A favor left unused would expire, and Aaron didn't think much of a mere Knight Yiman anyway. He gave the order without hesitation.

He planned to wipe them all out this time. If Knight Yiman proved useless, he could use Pendulum Divination to make another prediction. He'd catch them eventually!

Three days later.

Knight Yiman certainly knew the territory well. He gathered a number of hunters to help, and at last, they managed to corner the Wild Wolf Bandit Group outside a hill.

"Baron, should we storm them?"

A man who looked like a hunter asked as he surveyed the small hill, surrounded so tightly by hundreds of militia that not even a gap remained.

They had been sent by Knight Yiman, who had already told them to obey Baron Aaron's orders.

"Thank Knight Yiman for his help. The Wild Wolf Bandit Group is extremely vicious, and a direct assault would cost us men..."

Aaron looked at the wind direction and the vegetation and terrain of the hill, then sneered. "Pass down the order. Set it on fire. Burn the whole place down!"

Hundreds of people worked together, quickly building a firebreak. Then they lit torches and set the hill ablaze.

On the hill.

"I'd rather die than leave them without a bite taken out of them!"

Cornered with nowhere left to run, Wild Wolf gave a furious howl. Then his expression changed. "What's that..."

"Fire... The enemy's setting the hill on fire!"

One-Eyed Dragon shrieked. He suddenly dropped his weapon and ran downhill.

He didn't want to be burned or suffocated to death. It would be too painful.

Wild Wolf watched him go, feeling that even his last hope had been shattered. He couldn't help howling in despair...