Chapter 84
The slaves held beneath the headquarters of the Reben Knight Order had finally been freed. Now, Caron stood in the front courtyard of the knights' headquarters, facing his new allies.
"Caron Leston! Friend of warriors! The Black Axe Tribe will never forget its benefactors! I, Utula, will help you free the slaves here!" Utula, the giant, pounded his chest as he shouted in excitement.
Utula stood at nearly two and a half meters; he was already imposing, but Caron knew that was already a reduced height. Underground, Utula would easily have been over three meters tall. Once outside, however, he'd shrunk himself to blend in better.
It was a technique Caron was seeing for the first time. Curious, he asked how Utula managed it.
"It is a technique to compress muscle and bone! Every adult of the giant tribes must learn it. If you wish to know, I will gladly teach you," Utula answered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His voice seemed odd to human ears, but at least they could communicate, and that was what mattered.
"I will prove myself as a great warrior!" Utula declared again, his booming voice echoing through the courtyard.
Caron let out a small sigh, casting a glance at the beastfolk woman standing beside Utula.
Her name was Adina, and unlike the giant, her condition was far worse. While Utula's regenerative abilities as a giant had allowed him to recover quickly from his restraints, Adina hadn't been so lucky. Severe damage to her tendons and ligaments had left her in a critical state. Without the top-tier potion Caron had given her, she likely wouldn't have been able to stand at all.
Caron briefly eyed the two daggers Adina held and said gently, "You don't have to push yourself. Even with the potion, it'll take time for your injuries to fully heal."
Adina shook her head firmly and replied, "I appreciate the concern, but I believe in earning my keep."
"Anyone in particular you're looking to get revenge on?" Caron asked, his tone casual.
"I just want to take the head of that so-called knight commander who dragged me here," Adina replied coldly.
Caron shrugged and said, "I already took care of him."
Adina then asked, "Well, could you at least show me where his body is later?"
"Why would you want his body?" Caron asked.
"There's a custom in my tribe called 'desecration of the corpse'. I'd like to stab his corpse a few dozen times with my daggers," Adina explained.
Caron's new friends weren't exactly normal, but they were certainly interesting. There was a giant who seemed half out of his mind with enthusiasm, and a beastfolk woman with a strange fixation on mutilating corpses. Ah, the diversity of the non-human tribes, he mused.
Adina noticed Caron's gaze and nodded slowly, then asked, "You don't trust me, do you?"
"It's not that. In fact, you'll be fine. The ones you'll be fighting aren't well-trained soldiers," Caron said.
Freeing the slaves from this holding facility was just the beginning. According to the information Caron had gotten from Cobler, there were a total of fifteen slave camps scattered throughout Reben, with over five hundred captives held in those camps. He intended to erase all of them from this city today.
"The city's main forces are outside the walls right now," Caron explained. "And what's left of the local soldiers has already been gathered in the town square by my comrade. In other words, the place is wide open."
Adina raised a curious eyebrow at that. She remarked with a hint of concern, "It sounds like your comrade is in a dangerous situation."
Caron shook his head firmly and replied, "I guarantee, the safest place in this city is right next to my comrade."
Standing beside Revelio was an 8-Star knight, Sir Mason. With the forces left in this city, no one would even be able to lay a finger on Revelio.
By now, he's probably running his mouth, stirring up the citizens, Caron thought. Revelio would be like a fish in water, likely rallying the people without pause. That was one area Caron didn't need to worry about.
As Caron spoke with his new companions, Cobler hurried over to him and said, glancing at Adina and Utula, "Young Master! We've rounded up all the knights and thrown them into the prison! Though it seems in the meantime... You've made some new friends?"
Adina scowled slightly at Cobler's approach, but Utula, in contrast, had no reservations. Lifting Cobler into the air with both hands, the giant nodded approvingly and said, "You! For a human, you are rather handsome. I am Utula. What is your name?"
"M-My name is Cobler," Cobler stuttered in surprise.
"Caron! Is this man also one of our comrades?" Utula asked, his booming voice echoing across the courtyard.
Caron nodded reluctantly and answered, "For now, yes."
"Good! Handsome Cobler, I am looking forward to getting to know you!" Utula declared, his grip tightening.
"Gurk..." Cobler's face began to turn blue as he dangled in the air, struggling to breathe. Utula's massive hands exerted a little too much force.
"Utula, let him down before you kill him," Caron said.
Utula let out a hearty laugh and set Cobler back on the ground. He said, "Apologies! I often forget how fragile human bodies are. Handsome Cobler, you need to strengthen yourself!"
Coughing and gasping for air, Cobler managed a strained reply. "I-I'll do my best! But, uh... the lady here?" He cast a cautious glance at Adina.
Adina's eyes narrowed; her expression hardened and said, "You smell like a slave trader. Be grateful you're not my enemy."
Cobler encountered a different kind of intensity in Adina compared to Utula's overenthusiastic strength. Rubbing his neck, he turned to Caron and said cautiously, "These new friends of yours... are certainly unique."
Caron ignored Cobler's comment and got straight to business. "From here, we're splitting into two groups. Cobler, give me one guide, and you take Utula. You'll lead the soldiers that have joined us. They should be more useful than your usual men, right?"
"And you, Young Master?" Cobler asked.
"I'll have a guide and Adina with me. Clearing out the slave dealers should be easy enough. We'll destroy every camp as quickly as possible and meet back here. Simple, right?" Caron explained.
Cobler looked uneasy at the prospect of taking Utula with him, but Caron paid him no mind, immediately turning to the giant and saying, "Utula, I need you to help Cobler free the rest of the slaves."
Utula thumped his chest again and nodded. He said, "You helped me, so I will help you."
"If anyone resists, feel free to kill them," Caron added.
"Combat! Blood! The two things that make a warrior's heart race. I will show them the power of our tribe! Handsome Cobler, let us move. The battle calls to us!" Utula said enthusiastically.
The decision was made quickly, and their actions were even faster. With Cobler dangling from his back like a sack, Utula strode forward with long, determined steps.
Caron watched them disappear into the distance with a small smile tugging at his lips. Turning his gaze back to Adina, he said calmly, "It's your turn to hunt some humans."
Adina gritted her teeth and nodded sharply, then asked, "Can I ask you for one favor?"
"Of course," Caron replied.
"Let me be the one to take the heads of those knights," Adina requested.
"That's not a difficult request. I promise, the knights of the Reben Knight Order are yours to deal with. But... Are you sure you can handle them all?" Caron asked.
Before he could finish, a sudden ripping sound interrupted him. Adina's outer cloak tore apart, revealing an arm covered in vibrant orange fur. Her eyes gleamed with the fierceness of a predator. It was like staring down a wild beast.
"That's... impressive," Caron said.
What he was witnessing was the rare and powerful ability granted only to the beastfolk of this world: The power of Beast Transformation. It was the first time Caron had seen it in action.
Adina, however, frowned at his praise. She said, "I'm not fully recovered, so I can only do a partial transformation. It's infuriating that I can't show you my full transformation! That's my true strength!"
"...You get riled up over the strangest things," Caron said.
Adina's voice dropped to a growl as she said, "The marquis's head... I'll tear it off myself. Don't try to stop me."
She let out a feral snarl. Caron simply shrugged at the display and replied, "By all means, go ahead."
It was clear to him that his new companions were far from ordinary.
"Well then, let's get to work," Caron said, stretching his arms with a casual roll of his shoulders. Without wasting another moment, he set off toward their next target.
***
This was the town square of Reben, and it was filled with the entire city's citizens, all gathered to welcome an unexpected, distinguished guest.
Revelio, the sixth prince of the empire, stood on a hastily prepared podium, addressing the crowd.
"People of the empire!" His voice boomed across the square, amplified by a spell. "Reben, this ancient border city, is one of the most important strongholds of our Orias Empire. You are patriots, standing on the front lines, always ready to sacrifice for the empire!"
Revelio's speech flowed with passion as he scanned the faces of the crowd. But their expressions were heavy, cast in deep shadows; hope was nowhere to be found. The true nature of the city was thus laid bare. The citizens nervously glanced at the soldiers guarding the square, while the soldiers kept a watchful eye on the people with sharp glares.
...Leandro, the Marquis of the Border, Revelio thought about the lord of this city. Though he'd never met the man in person, the state of his territory was enough to speak volumes. The citizens had lost all hope, and a dark shadow hung over the entire city. Beneath this shadow, the slave trade was thriving, a cancerous growth the empire had outlawed long ago.
And it doesn't stop there, Revelio thought.
Not only had Marquis Leandro failed to control the slave trade, he was even using his own knights to capture slaves from beyond the empire's borders. This was not how the ruler of an imperial border city was supposed to behave.
Revelio exhaled deeply, then continued his speech with a commanding voice. "I came here because I received a crucial piece of information. Information about those who are corrupting this city of patriots."
Revelio nodded toward Sir Mason; the knight immediately brought Noor, who had been waiting beneath the podium, up to the stage. The citizens didn't seem to recognize Noor, but the soldiers, especially the commanders, knew him at once.
"Noor, confess your crimes before the people," Revelio ordered.
Noor nodded and began to speak to the gathered citizens.
"My name is Noor. I have served as a loyal servant to Marquis Leandro. Until now, I carried out his orders, managing the sale of the slaves he captured," Noor explained as he introduced himself.
The open secret of the city was now being exposed in broad daylight. The citizens who had been unaware of this fact hadn't tried to find out, and those who were aware had kept silent. This was the dark truth of the city, hidden for so long, now spilling from the mouth of the man said to be the marquis' right hand.
But the confession didn't end there. Noor continued, "I also recently uncovered a terrible secret. Marquis Leandro is plotting treason against the empire."
At this new revelation, the crowd stirred. The soldiers who had been monitoring the citizens were equally unsettled.
And then, at that moment—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted in the distance, and several citizens screamed in panic.
Revelio glanced toward the source of the explosion with a faint smile playing on his lips. He thought to himself, It seems he's just begun.
That booming sound signaled the full arrival of the Mad Dog of Azureocean Castle.
"Go find out what's happening!" one of the commanders shouted, trying to maintain control of the situation.
"Hurry, move...!" another knight said.
But before they could take action, Revelio interrupted, his voice firm and commanding. "Stop immediately."
The soldiers, who had been moving in perfect synchronization, halted at once.
"I ask you all this. Are you soldiers of the empire, or soldiers of a traitor?" Revelio's voice was calm, but carried the full weight of seriousness. The question struck them all silent.
After all, the prince himself had just accused Marquis Leandro of treason. They weren't sure if it was a lie or not. The fact that a prince, who should have been in the heart of the imperial palace, had come here in person raised doubts. They wondered if the marquis really was plotting rebellion.
The soldiers began to waver, their morale crumbling. Some commanders attempted to rally their troops, but even they were grappling with their own swirling thoughts.
BOOM!
Another explosion echoed through the city. Revelio seized the moment, raising his voice even more. "Leandro, the Marquis of the Border, is a traitor! If you are true soldiers of the empire, you must help me bring him to justice. That is the right way to serve the empire! So, decide now. Will you remain soldiers of the empire, or will you become traitors yourselves?"
This grand charade, orchestrated by the youngest grandson of a powerful duke and the Sixth Prince, was nothing short of a massive scam. And yet, no one in the square dared to challenge the prince's words.
"Patriots of Reben, awaken! Rid your city of this traitor with your own hands and restore the glory of our great history!" Revelio continued.
As Revelio's impassioned cry echoed through the square, planted agitators in the crowd started to cheer.
"Hooray!" someone called out.
"Follow the prince!" another added.
Their enthusiasm quickly spread to the other citizens, igniting a storm of cheers. The long-suppressed grievances of the people, previously crushed under Leandro's military power, erupted in an instant.
Revelio had crossed a line no prince was supposed to. He was spreading false accusations and inciting baseless rebellion. But the look of sheer delight on his face showed he was reveling in the chaos.
Let the flames rise higher, he thought.
The fire ignited here would consume everything. Everything.