329 Trap

Emmanuel Joe was the head of Dragon Claw District outside Dragon Tooth City. He had once worked as a great family's guard, a caravan bodyguard, and the leader of a mercenary band. His path had been much like that of Raul, the Gallop Family's Chief Knight: in his early years he had roamed all over, and once he reached middle age and became an Intermediate Knight, he settled down.

Recently, Emmanuel had heard that several mercenary organizations in the city were colluding with one another, preparing to kidnap a rising noble—an Senior Knight, a Court Count. Such a target would be no easy matter, but the employer was willing to pay a high price.

Yet by coincidence, that very night, his uncle, Sleepy Old Joe, had brought that count over—and the man had come alone. Emmanuel was uneasy about Landen going back by himself, so he offered to see him off.

Halfway from the mercenary encampment to Dragon Terrace Mountain, there was a stretch of barren ground where no trace of human habitation could be found. For the first time, Emmanuel felt that the nearby ruins and the distant forest were so terrifying. The moment he saw the wasteland, his hand went unconsciously to the hilt of his sword.

"I think this is about enough. Why don't we make a move?" Just as Emmanuel was unbearably tense, Viscount Landen beside him said this.

"What?" The Intermediate Knight panicked as well, but rustling sounds had already come from the surrounding ruins. In the blink of an eye, dozens of figures emerged.

"Perth?" Emmanuel recognized the largest figure among them. It was a four-meter-tall, gray-furred Beastman, the most notorious killer in the district outside the city: the half-Werewolf Perth, who had reached the level of an Senior Knight.

Very soon, Emmanuel realized