Chapter 7

Cyrus slowly opened his eyes. Bright light refracted through the gaps in the thorny brush piled at the cave entrance, allowing him to clearly assess his current situation.

He saw a young man leaning against the mountain wall with his head lowered, dozing off. A garment covered Cyrus, and a somewhat worn leather waterskin lay beside him.

Clearly, someone had saved him.

Cyrus moved with difficulty, and the faint sound woke the young man.

One hand swiftly gripped a hoe while the other picked up a stone. The young man first checked the situation outside the cave, then suddenly turned his head as realization struck him.

"You're awake?!"

Cyrus nodded. "Mm. I want to sit up."

His entire body hurt terribly, and his right arm was completely numb.

Hearing this, Gibran Kino rose and carefully walked over to help him sit up.

Cyrus said, "Thank you for saving me."

"It was nothing..."

Gibran Kino chose his words carefully. "Do you remember what happened last night? It looked like you rolled down the hillside... Does your body hurt?"

The little noble's exposed fair skin was covered in scratches, red swelling, and bruises.

After a whole night, they had become even more noticeable, blue and purple marks mingling together in sharp contrast. It looked as though the slightest touch would worsen the pain.

Cyrus said, "I remember. It hurts."

His face was pale from the pain, and his lips had lost their color, but he neither cried nor made a fuss. He merely leaned quietly against the mountain wall.

He wondered how Judas and the others were doing, whether they were safe now...

Trying his best to ignore the discomfort, Cyrus began considering how to deal with what came next.

Since that band of robbers had targeted him, they would never stop searching until they confirmed his death and saw his corpse.

Cyrus looked at the young man before him. "Big brother from the market, can you do me a favor?"

He could only ask the young man for help.

Gibran Kino froze. The little noble actually remembered him.

"How do you want me to help?"

He thought to himself, The little noble's voice was so soft and sweet, and those watery caramel-colored eyes made him look more obedient and lovable the longer one looked.

Cyrus took out a badge engraved with a Thorn Rose from his robes and handed it over. "Leave Par Mountain and go to Visas. Find the patrol knights and bring them here to rescue me."

Every commoner and slave living in Visas knew the emblem representing the Desinia Family.

Gibran Kino was shocked to learn that the little noble was Count Desinia.

After a long while, he accepted the badge and clenched it tightly. At last, he found his voice and asked, "But you... What will you do, my lord?"

Cyrus said, "I'll stay here and wait for you to return."

If he took Cyrus with him, it would undoubtedly slow down his search for help. Besides, the young man would only be safe if they separated.

Gibran Kino said, "You trust me?"

"I trust you. You saved me."

Gibran Kino said, "It's a little over three thousand one hundred feet from here to Visas. I'll be back within the time it takes two hourglasses to run out."

"Please don't be afraid. I'll definitely bring knights back to save you."

With that, he turned and quickly left.

On the Western Continent, hourglasses and water sundials were commonly used to tell time.

There was also a type of chiming clock powered by heavy weights. It was large and immovable, usually installed in the center of major cities, and extremely expensive. A rural place like Visas did not have one.

Cyrus was somewhat surprised that the young man could state with rough accuracy the distance from Par Mountain to Visas, as well as the time needed for the round trip.

It seemed he was very familiar with Par Mountain's terrain and directions.

Before leaving, the young man thoughtfully concealed the cave entrance. The light inside dimmed slightly, but it did not hinder visibility.

Cyrus gently squeezed his right arm, located the dislocated joint, then used the mountain wall's counterforce—there was a crack, and the joint slipped back into place.

In the past—no, rather, in his previous life—he had worked as a director filming wilderness survival documentaries. Of course, he had also been the "actor" appearing in those documentaries.

He had traveled all over the world year-round. Climbing mountains, crossing seas, and surviving in the wilderness, both at home and abroad, had been part of his daily life.

Injuries were common. Dislocations were the mildest kind. The worst had been a venomous snakebite that nearly killed him. Fortunately, prompt treatment had pulled him back from danger.

In the end, he had been struck and killed by a car while saving someone on his way home to receive an award.

After resting against the mountain wall for a while, Cyrus checked the reputation points he had accumulated during this time. He had a total of 28 points.

He tapped the white building icon and searched the keyword "Chinese medicinal herbs." From the listed books, he temporarily exchanged for a copy of Illustrated Guide to Chinese Medicinal Herbs.

The other books included Chinese Medicinal Herb Potion Formulas, Complete Guide to Chinese Medicinal Herb Salves, and more. There were probably over twenty books in total.

Studying medicine could save lives.

In the future, it could also help him become a qualified alchemist with genuine expertise.

At the very least, he could not let doctors of this era use hammers and drills on his brain, leeches to suck his blood, enemas and cauterization for minor illnesses, amputations and fumigation for severe ones, or prayers, repentance, and holy water even when he was not sick. It was simply terrifying.

Improving medical conditions had to be a key part of his infrastructure plans.

"Creator God, bless him. Count Desinia must be all right," Kelly prayed.

After Cyrus rolled down the hillside, Fernandi Edward led the remaining knights out of the encirclement and used the deepening night to evade the "robbers'" pursuit.

They had to remain alert to the enemy's search all night.

They found a way to secretly return to the original location and searched along the hillside for the count's trail, but found the unconscious Kelly first.

Now that daylight had fully broken, there was still no sign of Cyrus.

Judas was beside himself with anxiety.

"Is there no way to go down the mountain and seek help from Visas?"

The knight who had gone ahead to scout shook his head. "That band of robbers is currently blocking the mountain road leading to Visas. If we want to descend, we can only clash with them head-on and force our way through. But they outnumber us..."

Moreover, they had already lost half their men, and their fighting strength was insufficient.

Thinking this, the knight gave Fernandi Edward a complicated look. He had never expected a slave to be the one who led them to survival.

Judas asked, "What about another way?"

The knight said, "Turn back."

"We could cross over by another mountain path, but that would take too long. The count's situation may become even more dangerous..."

"More importantly, only the badge engraved with the Thorn Rose can mobilize the patrol knights stationed in Visas."

Judas's hair was disheveled, his nerves tightly wound, and his clothes stained with blood. His anxious worry had left his eyes red and dry.

After a long while, he asked, "If we force a breakout, what are our chances?"

The knight glanced at Fernandi Edward.

Judas turned to look at him as well.

Fernandi Edward leaned silently against a tree. His greatsword bore quite a few dried, congealed bloodstains.

In a low, hoarse voice, he said, "Less than forty percent. We were lucky to break out yesterday."

"The difference in strength between us is too great. Besides, their goal is not wealth. They intend to kill all of us on Par Mountain. They came prepared."

A heavy atmosphere spread through the group.

Just then, the knight monitoring the robbers' movements suddenly ran back, shouting.

"Someone has brought patrol knights to rescue us!"

Inside the cave.

Cyrus folded the coat the young man had left behind and placed the leather waterskin beside it.

He examined his injuries and found that most were merely swelling and bruises that would heal after a few days of rest. Only his dislocated right arm would probably take a month before he could lift it again.

A long time passed.

Cyrus shifted closer to the cave entrance and saw that the sun was nearly at its highest point.

He wondered whether the young man had safely reached Visas and found the patrol knights...

"Where the hell did that little brat hide? We searched all night and still didn't find him."

"Who knows? Stop talking. This mission hasn't been completed. Do you want to go back and be punished?"

Two men's voices suddenly came from outside.

Cyrus suddenly held his breath, pressed his lips tightly together, and picked up the hoe the young man had left at the cave entrance.

"Of course I don't... Wait, look. Is there a cave over there?" A man with his face covered by black cloth pointed his sword toward Cyrus's hiding place.

The cave entrance was overgrown with tall, tangled thorny brush. Its interior was pitch-black, and a tree beside it provided further cover. It really could be overlooked without close attention.

"Seems like it... Come on, let's take a look."

Cyrus's heart pounded violently.

The two men drew closer and closer. Just as a curved blade was about to cut through the thorny brush, a sword suddenly flew in, piercing one man's chest from behind.

Blood sprayed everywhere in an instant.

The other man was shocked, then immediately tried to rush into the cave.

But Fernandi Edward leaped forward like a lion. His greatsword's assault was unstoppable, and within moments, he killed the man at the cave entrance as well.

Gibran Kino had successfully brought the patrol knights, and they had happened to meet the robbers blocking the mountain road head-on.

Fernandi Edward and the others joined forces with the patrol knights Gibran had brought to wipe out the robbers.

They had intended to leave one or two survivors for later interrogation, but when the remaining robbers realized the situation had turned against them, they took the chance to kill one another.

Afterward, Gibran Kino led them here.

"My lord!" Judas cried, unable to contain his excitement and worry.

The thorny brush covering the cave entrance was slowly pushed aside.

A small figure emerged. His white shirt with its ruffled collar was filthy and covered in grass and dirt, torn in many places. His small black shorts were in no better condition.

The miserable state of Cyrus's exposed fair arms and calves made Judas's nose sting.

He hurried over and dropped to one knee. "My lord, how are you?"

Cyrus said, "I'm fine. Sorry for making you worry, Judas."

Judas lowered his head and gently took Cyrus's small hand, pressing it to his forehead. "My lord, please do not push me away again. Your safety matters more than my life..."

At first, he had only wanted to offer his loyalty. But at this moment, and from then onward, he was willing to devote his life to Cyrus Desinia.

The soft little hand suddenly left his palm and, in the instant Judas froze, rested atop his head.

"I hope you can always remain my butler."

After a long silence, Judas said, "As you wish, my lord. I will."

Before returning to the castle.

Cyrus asked Gibran Kino what reward he wanted.

Gibran Kino licked his dry lips. "...Anything?"

Cyrus said, "Yes."

"Can I become your manservant?"

Gibran Kino wanted a stable life. He wanted himself and his younger brother to no longer worry about food and clothing.

Cyrus said, "If your family agrees..."

"I only have one younger brother, my lord."

Cyrus nodded. "You can bring your younger brother to the castle with you."

Gibran Kino immediately said with delight, "Thank you, my lord!"

Cyrus had a knight accompany Gibran Kino home to pack his belongings.

The rest of them returned to the castle first.

The count had left in perfect health, yet returned injured. His pitiful little appearance frightened the servants.

Not to mention that among the craftsmen and knights who had gone with him, some were wounded while others had died.

Cyrus ordered the craftsmen's and knights' bodies collected, the wounded settled properly, and generous compensation given to them or their families.

Once all those matters had been handled.

Fernandi Edward was summoned to the study.

Cyrus asked, "What do you think about the attackers' identities?"

Fernandi Edward said, "They did not seem like robbers. They seemed more like a group of well-trained knights."

The old count, Matt Desinia, had shut himself away in the castle and immersed himself in alchemy. He rarely even went to Visas, so it was impossible that he had made enemies.

A group of knights had disguised themselves as robbers, and their attack had happened just as he was presenting the Seawater Solar Salt-Making Method to the king... It could not possibly be such a coincidence.

Cyrus said, "Judas, was Bevis Elliot's territory directly granted by the king?"

Judas froze, then immediately understood. "It was not, my lord. Count Bevis Elliot's superior lord is Duke Bass Riches. You suspect..."

Cyrus said, "It is not suspicion."

"I can now be certain that Bass Riches was tempted by profit. Komoy Fort and Visas are neighboring territories separated by Par Mountain. What could be more convenient than having Komoy Fort's lord act?"

Count Desinia was robbed and murdered by a band of robbers on his way back to his territory, dying tragically.

With Visas left without a lord and no other heir, the king would certainly reclaim it.

However, seawater salt-making still had to continue. The most likely outcome was that Visas would be granted to someone else again.

There was no need to say who that person would be.

The old king relied most heavily on Duke Bass Riches.

Unfortunately, even if they had analyzed the truth, they could not accuse a count, much less a duke, without evidence.

For now, they could only swallow this humiliation.

But while a gentleman might wait ten years for revenge, a petty man sought revenge from dawn to dusk.

He was neither a gentleman nor a petty man, so he would take the middle path and first find a way to retaliate against Count Bevis Elliot.

And Komoy Fort was the next target he intended to light up.

Cyrus said, "Fernandi Edward, do you want to cast off your status as a slave?"

Fernandi Edward abruptly raised his head. His gaze flickered constantly, and after a long time, he said hoarsely, "...I do."

Cyrus said, "You earned merit by saving me, but I do not know about your past. I hope you can tell me the truth and hide nothing."

Fernandi Edward remained silent even longer this time.

Cyrus waited patiently.

At last, he said, "As you know, I am a Gaina, formerly sworn to a marquis of the Gaina Kingdom, Bruno Green."

"I had a younger sister who depended on me for survival. She was beautiful and kind, and she waited for me to come home every day. But once, while I was away fighting, she was... brutally murdered by the lord's younger brother."

"The last thing I saw... was my sister's mutilated corpse."

"You already know what happened afterward."

He should have been executed.

But the lord spared his life out of consideration for their past relationship.

Cyrus asked softly, "Do you regret it?"

"I do not. A knight fights for justice against unfairness and evil, faces powerful enemies bravely, and opposes sinners without reservation. I did not betray the spirit of chivalry."

But for his sister's sake, he had betrayed the lord he served.

Cyrus said, "I don't think you were wrong to kill the lord's younger brother."

"But what if the person who killed your sister had been the lord himself? Would you still seek revenge without hesitation?"

Between family and loyalty, which would you choose?

Fernandi Edward suddenly looked at Cyrus.

He said hoarsely, "I would take revenge."

"Afterward, I would kill myself."

Let the devil take his soul away, even if he could never see his sister again.

The study fell silent for a long while.

Cyrus asked, "After shedding your identity as a slave, do you want to become a knight again?"

Fernandi Edward's pupils trembled.