"Sorry, Knight Yiman. I'll have someone send compensation later for burning down your forest and mobilizing the militia..."
Since this was a large-scale operation, Knight Yiman had eventually arrived as well.
Aaron rode forward and spoke with a hint of apology.
The vegetation, animals, fish, and even the people living on a territory... all belonged to the local lord. Even a passing merchant's goods belonged to the lord if they fell to the ground.
So any damage had to be compensated for.
"You're too kind, Baron. You were only looking out for the safety of my men."
Knight Yiman laughed, though inwardly he thought little of it.
In his experience, a so-called bandit group was just a bunch of people with nothing to eat. They might have a few crude weapons and the nerve to kill, but that was about it.
A single squad of soldiers would surely be enough to wipe them out!
Going to such lengths was simply excessive caution.
It even made Aaron seem a little afraid of dying.
But he kept those thoughts to himself, showing no sign of them on his face.
Soon, the flames consumed the hillock. With nothing left to burn, they died out on their own.
Half a day later, the temperature had dropped, and Eight-Fingers volunteered to go clean up the battlefield.
Knight Yiman dismounted, clearly interested.
Aaron accompanied him without protest. The surrounding ground was charred black and still warm.
Before long, they came upon a tall corpse.
"We checked. It should be Wild Wolf," Eight-Fingers said, excitement tinged with fear. "And these..."
Knight Yiman looked at the finely made weapons and leather armor... His expression gradually changed. By the time he saw the wreckage of the three crossbows, he could no longer hide his bitter smile.
Crossbows were military supplies, and strictly controlled ones at that. A wandering Wild Wolf Bandit could never have gotten his hands on them.
Just thinking about this Black Curtain was enough to send a chill down his spine.
He suddenly regretted coming to take a look.
"It seems the Wild Wolf Gang really is well equipped... I should write to my father and have him investigate this thoroughly."
Aaron spoke solemnly, glancing at Yiman beside him.
He had brought Yiman here to witness it. Now they were in the same boat, and Yiman could be counted on as an ally.
Knight Yiman gave a bitter smile. There was nothing else he could do now, so he said, "I'll add my name to the testimony..."
"In that case, I'll leave the rest of the cleanup to you, Knight Yiman. I'm a little tired, so I should go back and get some sleep."
Aaron smiled.
In truth, Lin had started stirring up trouble in the dream world lately, so he had to keep an eye on things just in case.
After all, it was only because of the Light of Redemption sect that he could keep obtaining sacrifices and occasionally gain extraordinary power in this world.
Sothos Territory.
Elaine Villa.
A raven flew over and landed on the windowsill.
Elaine took out the note. Her expression shifted slightly after one glance, and she carried it into the study.
Colin and Feli sat facing each other in the study. They had clearly been there for some time.
"There's news from Blackstone Territory!"
Elaine handed the letter to Colin, then quickly left the study and shut the door behind her.
Bang!
Sure enough, the next moment, something crashed inside the study.
"Didn't you say your men were sure to succeed? How could this happen?"
Colin grabbed Feli by the collar, his voice hoarse with fury.
There was nothing I could do. Didn't you see? Your brother gathered hundreds of people... What was I supposed to do?"
Feli broke free and straightened his collar, remaining quite calm. "Now... you should be thinking about how to cover this up. After all, that batch of military supplies was something you gave me."
"You... you did it on purpose, didn't you?"
Colin roared. "We could have brought the weapons in from outside. The Kingdom of Kagash has far better weapons than Green Forest's elite forces. Why did you insist that I provide them?"
"My lord, you've misunderstood me... The Kingdom of Kagash may have weapons, but Green Forest has checkpoints, and all supplies are strictly inspected during transport..."
Feli spread his hands. "The fact that we could use the Wild Wolf Bandit Group at all was the greatest support the kingdom's intelligence network could offer..."
In truth, bringing weapons in would not have been especially difficult. But Feli was not here to help Colin secure his title.
The best outcome would be to see Colin fall out with Aaron and even go to war with him.
Colin's imposing air faltered, and he slumped back into his chair. "Tell me... what should I do?"
"Is there any chance of covering this up?"
"Impossible!" Colin shook his head. "Once Father takes inventory of the weapons in the storeroom, there'll be no hiding it..."
"Then what if you go and confess to the Count now?" Feli continued.
"I don't know..."
Colin's eyes were blank, but he shivered.
He wanted to believe his father would bury the matter for his sake, but he didn't think that was likely.
If his father chose to punish him, the outcome would be impossible to predict.
"Lord Colin, you still have one chance!" Feli's gaze turned dark. "Your younger brother is simply too outstanding. If things continue like this, your father will eventually change his mind. So why not... strike first?"
"What did you say?"
Colin sprang to his feet, almost drawing his sword to kill the man.
But in the end, he held back and shouted, "Get out!"
Feli showed no sign of panic as he rose and left.
But once he stepped outside, he exchanged a glance with Elaine.
Elaine smiled and nodded.
A moment later, Elaine entered the study and saw Colin gulping down liquor.
"Darling... I have some good news for you."
A warm, maternal smile appeared on Elaine's face as she placed Colin's hand on her belly. "I'm pregnant!"
"A child? My child?"
Colin jolted, suddenly much more sober. His face softened with emotion.
He bent down and rested his head against Elaine's belly, as if listening for the child's heartbeat.
He had never done anything like that with Sylvie.
Before long, Colin felt a drop of water land on his face.
He looked up and saw that Elaine's face was already streaked with tears.
"Why are you crying?" Colin asked.
"I'm scared..." Elaine nestled against Colin tenderly. "And Lady Sylvie... she won't accept me."
"Don't mind her. She's nothing but a whore! And that bastard isn't even my son. I wish I could strangle him!"
Colin's face twisted with rage, but his voice was resolute. "Believe me, Elaine... everything will get better."
At that moment, the news of Elaine's pregnancy and Xia Ya's existence became the final straw for Colin.
Before you continue