Howard had already interrogated the old man, confirming his suspicion that he was Kaedwyn’s father.
At this juncture, it would have been normal for him to plead for Kaedwyn’s mercy, but unexpectedly, he did not.
Filled with resentment, he said, “That beast Kaedwyn deserves a terrible fate. He has committed all manner of atrocities, and I will not plead for him. My request is that if possible, please spare the others.”
Howard, frowning, asked, “So if Kaedwyn deserves to die, does that mean the others are innocent?”
Kellman and Tina also looked on, eager to hear more.
“No, they are not innocent,” the old man admitted.
“But many were driven to this path out of desperation. Think about it, young man – what times are we living in now?”
Howard was taken aback, reflecting on the rampant Night Demons and the widespread misery among the people.
However, he still didn’t believe that justified harming others.
Howard remained silent, but the old man seemed to understand his firm stance and sighed, “I don’t deny that some among them are irredeemable.”
“But many were forced onto this path. What would you do if your family was starving, close to death?” he asked.
“That still doesn’t justify hurting others,” Tina retorted, clearly frustrated.
One’s suffering should not be transferred onto others.
In these times of hardship, if one is suffering, does that mean others aren’t?
It’s unfair for travelers, who have come so far in search of safety, to fall victim to such bandits.
Tina’s thoughts were sharp, recognizing the old man’s biased perspective, though not entirely discrediting it.
The old man, at a loss for words, hung his head low.
Howard spoke up, “I understand what you’re saying, but you must also understand that we can’t condone this kind of behavior. If we all turn to banditry just because we can’t survive today, then tomorrow someone else will do the same. No one will have a good life, especially at times like these. We need to show people hope, not despair.”
Tina and Kellman looked at Howard, their eyes filled with a newfound admiration and respect.
The old man seemed ashamed.
“Brother Howard, your plan is sound, but we don’t have the strength to kill Kaedwyn,” Kellman hesitated before stating this harsh reality.
The idea of punishing evil and promoting good was noble, but they lacked the necessary strength.
Howard seemed unfazed, gazing into the distance and saying lightly, “Once we reach Holy Light City, we will have that strength.”
“Do you plan to report this to the Empire? If so, we won’t get Kaedwyn’s treasure…” Kellman pointed out.
Although there would be a bounty, giving up such a significant haul for the sake of eliminating Kaedwyn didn’t seem worthwhile to him. .
It wasn’t about greed; it was about using the treasure to rebuild the Frostwolf Mercenaries and then finding a way to deal with Kaedwyn.
Why give up such substantial gains?
Howard shook his head, indicating that wasn’t his plan.
“Commander Kellman, you’ve been leading the Frostwolf Mercenaries for many years. You must have some connections, right? We now have a number of incredibly valuable treasures in our possession. Couldn’t we just hire some trustworthy and skilled fighters with the money?”
After Howard spoke, both Kellman and Tina had a moment of realization.
Of course, why hadn’t they thought of it? They had money now.
Although it paled in comparison to Kaedwyn’s vast wealth, it was certainly enough to hire a few skilled fighters for an ambush.
Accustomed to poverty, the Frostwolf Mercenaries were still adjusting to their newfound wealth, still trapped in a poor man’s mindset.
The old man, realizing Kaedwyn’s impending doom, appeared grief-stricken.
Even though he had harshly spoken of Kaedwyn as a beast deserving of death, they were still father and son.
And Kaedwyn had acted to save him.
He knew Kaedwyn would surely come to his rescue.
By doing so, he would fall into the trap Howard had prepared.
…
Kaedwyn, leading his men, returned to the inn excitedly, only to find the doors wide open – a bad omen.
He and his father had an agreement: open doors meant something had changed, an attack on the inn.
Kaedwyn immediately became cautious and led his men inside.
However, after a thorough search, they found no one.
“Not a single person?” he wondered, momentarily relieved.
But then he tensed up again.
“Where’s the old man?”
Realizing his father was missing, panic set in.
At that moment, one of his men approached, holding a letter, and said fearfully, “Boss, you need to see this.”
Kaedwyn snatched the letter.
After reading its contents, he slammed his fist on a table in rage, shattering it.
“Kellman…” he growled.
“I spared your life, and this is how you repay me? Then you leave me no choice.”
“Gather all the brothers, chase them down!” He disregarded the warning in the letter not to pursue.
Action had to be taken, find the people first.
Selecting a dozen of his best men, he mounted a fast horse and set off in pursuit.
…
Howard and his companions progressed smoothly on their journey, anticipating reaching Holy Light City by the next day.
Around noon, they paused briefly for a rest.
“What if Kaedwyn catches up before we reach the city and prevents us from entering?” Kellman voiced a possible scenario.
If Kaedwyn decided to make a stand and they couldn’t afford to harm the old man, it could spell a dead end for them.
And if Kaedwyn blocked their way, the situation would remain perilous.
Howard, however, seemed unconcerned.
Smiling, he said, “That won’t happen. If he comes after us, it means he really cares about his father. If he tries to block us, I’ll start by cutting off an arm of his father.”
The others were shocked, realizing Howard might indeed resort to such ruthless measures.
Howard continued, “Besides, it won’t be easy for Kaedwyn to catch up. He doesn’t know which route we’ve taken. Even if he finds us, his forces will be spread thin. He won’t be able to stop us.”
Kellman nodded, finding Howard’s logic sound.
After a brief rest, they continued towards Holy Light City.
As they drew nearer to the city, the roads became busier.
At one point, they encountered a caravan of horses. .
Initially worried it might be Kaedwyn’s men, Kellman tensed up.
However, upon learning they were a merchant caravan willing to give them a ride, they not only relaxed but were also delighted.
This would save them considerable time and reduce the chance of being caught by Kaedwyn.
The merchants dropped them off at the closest inn to Holy Light City.
As the leader of the Frostwolf Mercenaries, Kellman had the privilege of staying for free, given the many services his mercenaries had rendered to the Empire.
“We can finally rest well here. I doubt even Kaedwyn would dare to attack an inn,” Howard remarked as they settled in.
“But we can’t rule out that possibility.”
Observing their surroundings, he noted the inn’s guard consisted of only a dozen or so men – clearly no match for Kaedwyn.
By now, Kaedwyn would be furious enough to attempt anything.
“I think we shouldn’t linger,” Howard concluded.
Tina, who had just started to unpack and relax, promptly hoisted her luggage back onto her shoulders upon hearing Howard’s words.
Kellman felt that Howard was being overly cautious.
The inn might have few guards, but it was a symbol of the Empire.
Despite the Empire’s waning influence, it would never tolerate an attack on one of its inns.
After hesitating, Kellman, though unconvinced of the necessity, agreed to leave.
…
Not long after Howard and his group departed, Kaedwyn arrived with his team.
They were sixteen in total, not many, but each one was a loyal and elite member from his days in the Black Hawk Mercenaries.
Each was slightly stronger than an Empire knight, with a few capable of taking on ten at a time.
Kaedwyn surveyed the inn.
Considering Kellman and his group had been on the move for days without proper rest and burdened with luggage, they were likely exhausted.
The probability of them staying at the inn was high.
He ordered decisively, “Break in!”
Then, remembering something, he added, “But don’t harm Kellman and the others.
Ensure the old man’s safety.”
“Yes!” responded his men, echoing behind him.
Kaedwyn was also wary that Kellman might take desperate measures in retaliation if pushed too far.
…
Howard and his group pressed on relentlessly and finally caught sight of Holy Light City.
As they neared the city, they saw squads of Empire knights rushing out, hastening in the direction from which they had come.
Kellman realized something significant was happening.
This commotion… could it be that Kaedwyn had actually attacked the inn?
There had been no major incidents on their journey, and apart from Kaedwyn striking the inn, there seemed to be no other reason for such a large mobilization of Empire knights.
Kellman broke into a cold sweat at the thought.
Kaedwyn, audaciously daring, had actually assaulted an Empire inn.
He was thankful that they had heeded Howard’s advice not to linger there.
The inn’s guards would have stood no chance against an enraged Kaedwyn.
The old man, Kaedwyn’s father, sighed again, lamenting, “More bloodshed…”
“Let’s hurry; we’re not safe until we’re inside the city.”
As long as they were outside the city walls, their safety couldn’t be fully assured.
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