Night enveloped the camp once more.
The corpses left by the bandits had been moved far away, and the dead mercenaries had been buried by their companions. There were fewer people around the fires, and the once-noisy caravan had grown much quieter.
Linley sat on a slab of bluestone, his eyes closed as he sensed the earth beneath his feet.
It had been a long time since he had truly left the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts.
Although the battle on the main road had been simple, it had let him feel the atmosphere of the human world again. Some killed for gold coins, some swung their swords to stay alive, and others protected those beside them in a crisis.
It was not very different from the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts.
It was just that the people here could speak.
"Lord Lei?"
A boy's voice came from beside him.
Linley opened his eyes and saw Keane standing a few paces away. He wore well-tailored clothes, and his face still held traces of childishness.
"Keane, did you need something?" Linley asked.
A smile immediately appeared on Keane's face when he heard Linley call him by name. He stepped closer and carefully sat down beside Linley.
"Lord Lei, that sword strike was incredible." Keane's eyes shone. "Could you teach me?"
"Teach you?"
"The sword strike you used to kill that bandit leader." Keane nodded repeatedly. "I want to become that powerful too."
Linley looked at him.
"How old are you?"
"Fourteen."
"Have you trained in battle-qi?"
"A little." Keane puffed out his chest. "Once I return to Chier County City and inherit the position of city lord, I'll be able to find an even better teacher."
Linley smiled.
"That sword strike isn't something you can learn in a short time."
"I can take my time learning it."
"I don't have time to teach you."
Keane's face immediately fell.
"Not even just that one sword strike?"
"No."
Linley's reply was blunt.
Keane was about to say more when a soft voice suddenly came from beside them.
"Keane."
Jenny walked over, carrying a coat.
She wore a pale blue dress, her long hair falling behind her shoulders. In the firelight, her delicate face looked especially gentle.
"It's cold at night. Put this on." Jenny handed the coat to Keane.
Keane turned his head away.
"I'm not cold."
"Keane."
Jenny frowned slightly.
Keane pointed at Linley. "Look, Lord Lei is wearing so little, and he isn't cold."
Linley looked down at himself.
He wore only a thin, close-fitting warrior's outfit, which was still stained with dust from the battle.
"Keane, put it on."
Linley spoke.
Keane immediately took the coat.
"Oh."
Jenny looked at Linley and said softly, "Thank you, Lord Lei."
"It's nothing."
Linley nodded.
Jenny sat beside Keane and straightened his collar. Her movements were practiced; clearly, she had been looking after her younger brother for many years.
In the firelight, Linley suddenly noticed that her hands did not look like those of a young noblewoman.
Her knuckles were somewhat thick, and there were thin calluses on her palms.
"What happened to your sister's hands?" Linley asked Keane.
Keane paused, then said, "My sister has done lots of chores since she was little. Washing clothes, cooking, chopping wood-she did everything."
"Keane," Jenny gently interrupted.
But Keane had already continued.
"We used to live in a small country town," Keane said. "When I was six, Father's first wife drove us and Mother out of the city lord's manor. We lived there ever since."
Linley said nothing.
"Mother was in poor health, and my sister always took care of her." Keane lowered his head. "Later, Mother passed away too. Now that his first wife's son has died, Father has finally told us to come back. My sister said I have to go back and inherit the position of city lord."
"Keane."
Jenny's voice was a little firmer than before.
"You can't just tell other people these things."
"Lord Lei isn't other people," Keane blurted out.
Jenny blushed slightly and hurriedly looked at Linley.
"Lord Lei, Keane was just..."
"No need to explain," Linley said. "I won't tell anyone about this."
Jenny nodded gently.
She looked at the fire, fell silent for a moment, then said softly again, "Thank you."
"Are you leaving the caravan tomorrow?" Linley asked.
"Yes." Jenny nodded. "We'll part ways with the caravan when we reach the border city. Chier County City is still some distance away."
"Be careful on the road."
With that, Linley closed his eyes again.
Jenny looked at him as though she still wanted to say something, but in the end, she merely hugged the clothes in her hands tighter and left with Keane.
Haeru lay nearby, shifting his gaze from the siblings back to Linley.
Bebe sat on his back and muttered a few words.
Haeru's ears twitched, as though he did not quite agree.
Linley did not open his eyes.
"You two should mind your own business."
Bebe immediately shut his mouth.
Early the next morning, the caravan began packing up.
When Linley woke from his training, the sun had just risen. The mercenaries were checking the horses, while the caravan's steward counted the goods.
Beside another carriage, Lambert stopped Jenny as she was about to climb down.
"Miss, don't get out just yet."
Jenny turned back. "Grandpa Lambert, what is it?"
Lambert glanced at Linley nearby.
"You saw those bandits last night. Once we reach the border city, we'll have to leave this caravan. Then I'll be the only one traveling with you and your brother. If we encounter bandits again, I might not be able to protect you."
Jenny's expression changed slightly.
Of course she knew how strong Lambert was.
A warrior of the sixth rank was already very powerful in ordinary people's eyes, but Lambert was no match at all for that eighth-rank bandit leader last night.
"Then what should we do?" Jenny asked.
Lambert lowered his voice. "Ask Lord Lei to protect you."
Jenny instinctively looked toward Linley.
Linley was adjusting the Edgeless heavy sword on his back, with Haeru and Bebe standing beside him. Even just standing there, he had a steady presence that made people hesitant to approach.
"Would someone as powerful as him agree?" Jenny was somewhat hesitant.
"Just tell him that you and Keane are the children of the city lord of Chier County City, and that Keane is returning to inherit the position of city lord," Lambert said. "As long as he's willing to escort you back, we'll be sure to thank him properly once we reach Chier County City."
Jenny pressed her lips together.
"But..."
"Don't mention anything else for now," Lambert reminded her. "Especially not that we've been living in a small country town all these years. Just say you're returning to inherit the position of city lord. Lord Lei might agree."
Jenny looked at Lambert.
"Wouldn't that be deceiving him?"
"It's merely not telling him everything." Lambert sighed. "Miss, so many people have already died along the way. If we don't find someone powerful to protect us, I'm afraid it will be very difficult to reach Chier County City alive after we part ways with the caravan."
Jenny fell silent.
She recalled the sight of Linley cleaving the bandit leader to death with a single sword strike last night, then thought of the mercenaries lying in pools of blood.
Finally, she nodded gently.
"I'll try."
"Be sincere," Lambert said. "Don't be afraid."
Jenny took a deep breath and climbed out of the carriage.
She walked very slowly.
Linley had already sat down inside his carriage, with Bebe perched on his shoulder and Haeru lying on the open ground outside. Jenny walked up to the carriage and paused for a moment before gently lifting the curtain.
Linley looked up at her.
Jenny hurriedly managed a faint smile.
"Hello, Lord Lei."
"Hello, Miss Jenny." Linley nodded. "Did you need something?"
Jenny stood outside the carriage without answering right away.
Her fingers lightly pinched the hem of her skirt, and her face slowly reddened.
"Lord Lei, it's like this..."
She paused.
"My brother and I are going to our father's county city. Keane is returning to inherit the position of city lord. But we might encounter more danger on the road, so..."
Jenny raised her head, then quickly averted her gaze.
"So we'd like to ask you to protect us, Lord Lei."
By the time she finished speaking, her face was completely red.
Linley glanced at her.
"For how long?"
"Not very long," Jenny hurriedly said. "Chier County City is in Northwest Province. It'll take ten days to half a month at most to get there from here. Once we arrive, we won't trouble you anymore, Lord Lei."
"What about payment?"
Jenny froze for a moment.
She clearly had not expected Linley to ask so directly.
"We'll give you a lot of gold coins."
"How much is a lot?" Linley asked.
Jenny gritted her teeth.
"How about ten thousand gold coins?"
After speaking, she looked at Linley nervously.
Last night, the mercenary leader had brought ten thousand gold coins, but Linley had refused them. Jenny did not know about this, yet she had already named the largest sum she could think of.
Linley did not answer immediately.
This made Jenny's heart sink little by little.
"If that isn't enough..." she hurriedly said, "we can discuss it further. We just don't have many gold coins on us right now. Once Keane inherits the position of city lord, we'll definitely pay you."
"Have you been living in a small country town all these years?" Linley asked.
Jenny stiffened slightly.
He had still asked about the very thing Lambert had told her to conceal.
After a moment, she lowered her head and answered honestly, "Yes."
"How many gold coins did you need there each year?"
"A few dozen," Jenny said softly. "Mother used to be in poor health, and we had to buy medicine too, so we spent a little more."
She raised her head, looking somewhat ill at ease.
"Lord Lei, we don't have ten thousand gold coins right now. Once Keane returns to Chier County City and inherits the position of city lord, we'll definitely pay you. If... if you don't think that's acceptable, then forget it. I was presumptuous."
With that, Jenny prepared to leave.
Linley held out a hand to stop her.
"How much do you have right now?"
Jenny paused, then took the money pouch from her waist.
"Only ten gold coins."
She handed over the pouch, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Linley took the pouch and removed one gold coin.
"This gold coin will serve as the deposit."
He put away the gold coin and returned the money pouch to Jenny.
"From now on, I'll protect you until you reach Chier County City. You can pay me the remaining gold coins after Keane inherits the position of city governor."
Jenny froze.
She had already prepared herself for rejection and had not even known how she would explain it to Lambert when she returned. Yet Linley had actually agreed.
"Lord Lei, you agree?"
"Yes."
"Thank you, thank you."
Jenny's little face flushed red as she thanked Linley again and again.
Linley waved a hand.
"Chier County City is on my way. I'm heading to the O'Brien Empire as well. Protecting you won't delay me for too long."
That was indeed one of the reasons.
The other was that he had heard what the siblings had been through.
Driven out of the city governor's estate, they had lived in seclusion in the countryside for years, and now they were returning to inherit the position of city governor. Their journey would not be peaceful.
Linley, too, had once suffered the ruin of his family and the loss of his loved ones.
Since helping them would take little extra effort, he had no reason to refuse.
Haeru suddenly gave a low growl.
Bebe translated, "He says ten thousand gold coins is far too cheap to secure Master's services."
Linley glanced at Haeru.
"Not ten thousand gold coins," Bebe added. "Right now, it's just one."
Haeru was visibly taken aback.
Bebe grinned. "This is called kindness. You wouldn't understand."
Haeru swished his tail, seemingly disdaining to argue.
Standing outside the carriage, Jenny could not understand Haeru's low growls, but she could tell that Bebe was joking. As she looked at Linley, some of the reserve in her eyes faded.
"Lord Lei, I'll go tell Grandpa Lambert right away."
"Go ahead."
Jenny turned and ran toward the carriage.
After only a few steps, she stopped again and glanced back at Linley.
Linley had already closed his eyes again, his palm resting on Edgeless's hilt, as though preparing to continue gaining insights into the earth.
Jenny pressed her lips together in a smile, then hurried away.
Lambert soon learned the result.
He bowed solemnly to Linley.
"Thank you, Lord Lei."
"There's no need to be so polite," Linley said. "I'm only escorting you part of the way."
Lambert glanced at Edgeless behind Linley, then at Haeru in the distance.
He knew very well that what Linley called "part of the way" meant a path to survival for the two siblings.
The caravan set off again.
Linley's carriage traveled alongside the carriage carrying Jenny, her brother, and Lambert. Haeru followed beside the caravan, while Bebe lay on Haeru's back.
Jenny sat inside the carriage, tightly clutching the remaining nine gold coins.
She knew that Linley did not care about ten thousand gold coins at all.
Yet he had still accepted one.
That single gold coin made her feel much more at ease.
At least they now had an agreement.
Once they reached Chier County City, she would be sure to give him the remaining gold coins.
The wheels rolled onward.
Ahead lay the O'Brien Empire.
And the family that Jenny and her brother would have to face again after so many years away.