Suleiman looked at the burly man before him, standing two meters tall with the build of a tiger. It would be a pity if he died. He said nothing, weighing his options.
Bryn had refused his offer. The soldiers around them looked toward Suleiman, their adrenaline rising again, their bloodlust mounting.
Suleiman sighed and was about to order Bryn to kill himself when, at that moment, an ill-timed shout broke the tense standoff.
The captured bandit leaders, Thorn and Broken Tooth, had been tortured by the soldiers until their bodies were covered in bleeding wounds. They were kneeling not far away.
They stared in shock as Suleiman showed a willingness to recruit Bryn, who had stubbornly resisted to the bitter end. They immediately sensed a chance to save their lives.
"Lord Suleiman! Lord Suleiman!" Thorn crawled forward on his knees, leaving two trails of blood in the mud. "We're willing to serve you! We wanted to surrender long ago! We're willing to fight for you!"
Broken Tooth followed behind him, weeping so hard that tears and snot streamed down his face. The madmen had terrified him. "It was Bryn! It was all Bryn! That bastard Bryn!"
"We told him long ago that we couldn't beat the Black Lion! If we'd surrendered to you sooner, we could've lived!"
"He forced us to resist you, my lord! We hate him more than anything!"
Suleiman turned to look at them. It was as if they'd delivered a ladder to someone who'd been woken from sleep. The corner of his mouth lifted in a mocking smile. He said nothing, only motioned with his chin to Lushen beside him.
Lushen understood at once. He waved a hand, and two blood-soaked soldiers stepped forward. They hauled the two men out of the mud as if they