Chapter 47 Complicated Mood
Chapter 47 Complicated Mood
Morgrave bowed and understood everything from Ian's order.
All he had to do was act as if this was an order from the Duchy while hiding Ian's involvement.
Ian smiled and nodded with relief. Having a smart subordinate at your disposal could save you from explaining at every turn.
After accepting the order, Morgrave burned all the bodies, arranged his comrades, and left for the Bridgeport city.
Ian looked at the departing figure of Morgrave and thought that his impromptu visit had been almost completed.
As long as Morgrave delivered that letter to his father, he would take care of everything. There was no need to get involved further.
'Now, only the Quest remains!'
Ian looked at the intermediate Quest that was still incomplete but wasn't anxious. If his guess was correct, Thomas must have hidden his belongings inside his mansion, as that was the place most heavily guarded and secured.
"And Margaret..."
Ian thought of his beautiful aunt with a complicated emotion.
Although he knew the relationship between Thomas and his wife wasn't good and she was always left in the Imperial Capital, after all, they were husband and wife.
He didn't know how she would react. Would she commit suicide in despair, try to seek vengeance, or perhaps come to terms with him?
Actually, before leaving for this mission, he wanted to meet with her to gauge her reaction but then thought otherwise.
What Thomas had done just now was betrayal, and if the news leaked, it would be very detrimental to his father and his family.
'If she doesn't understand, then... it is better she dies.'
Ian wasn't a bodhisattva or a sage. As he said, he was a pragmatic person from two lives.
He did sympathize with Margaret and didn't mind accepting her if the situation allowed. However, he would never jeopardize his family's safety for others.
'Sigh, not everything goes your way in this world.' He couldn't help lament that his strength was still too low.
'...Let's rest for a while and eat something.'
Ian breathed heavily to forcibly subside those complex emotions and thoughts while observing the departing Crimson Legion, which had been reduced by almost a hundred soldiers.
He then left the gorge together with them and grabbed his Stormchaser away from the team.
Since he had been traveling non-stop, he decided to take a rest while they took care of Bridgeport City.
He was hungry for good food and a long bath. All the fighting, blood, and sweat had made him reek terribly.
...
While Ian was leisurely strolling and fumbling around, Bridgeport City was in chaos.
"What happened?"
A middle-aged captain in formal clothes looked at the anxious soldier guard and asked.
"Sir, we have company."
The soldier didn't know what to say and could only signal outside. When the captain looked at the gate, he saw hundreds of excellent soldiers on Stormchasers arriving frantically.
"Sir, what should we do?"
The soldier was perplexed and didn't know what to do. Although this was a border area, it was adjacent to the wildlands, not another kingdom.
If that was the case, who were these soldiers—friend or foe? Moreover, Lord Thomas had left with 5,000 soldiers a day ago, and there had been no news.
Now, there was a large force approaching, making them restless. How could they fight?
Although there were more soldiers stationed at the border, it would take time for them to get here.
"What should we do? Are you an idiot? Of course, we fight! Or do you want to die?"
The captain was speechless at the soldier's reaction.
One look at the army in front was enough to see they were aggressive, yet his subordinate was already paralyzed with fear.
Well, he was also getting restless since most of the top-ranking figures of the city weren't present. But what could he do?
If he abandoned his post without authorization, he would face severe punishment.
'Hopefully, we can hold out until Lord Thomas returns.'
Just as he was about to issue orders for the soldiers to defend under his command, he saw the tall man riding at the forefront suddenly leap over the tall wall in a single movement, landing directly before him.
"Who is in command?"
Morgrave didn't care about their startled expressions and went straight to the point. He still had to return to the capital today as quickly as possible.
The middle-aged captain was overwhelmed by the pressure from the high Knight realm, making it difficult to breathe.
"My lord, this is the Bridgeport City of the Veilstrider family."
Still, he mustered the courage to speak weakly in hopes of deterring the opponent. After all, he was no match head-on.
"You don't need to concern yourself with this."
Morgrave produced the seal he carried, a symbol of Duke Eldric, and commanded,
"Gather all the soldiers and high-ranking officials. Open the gates. This is an order."
His cold voice sent shivers down the spines of the soldiers, making them feel as though one more word could cost them their heads.
"Open the gates."
The captain, recognizing the seal and understanding the gravity of disobedience, directly ordered his subordinates to comply.
Since the army outside bore the Duke's insignia, there was nothing to fear.
After issuing the order, he proceeded to assemble the remaining brigade leaders as commanded.
Morgrave observed their swift compliance with satisfaction and then turned to his subordinate.
"Two teams will accompany me to the Lord's mansion. The rest will follow William's lead."
"Yes, sir."
He then addressed William, one of his most capable subordinates, and instructed,
"Conduct a brief investigation to identify those connected to Thomas. Execute their leaders publicly and appoint a reliable individual as a temporary lord. Work quickly—we must leave before evening."
"Yes, sir."
A younger knight responded with enthusiasm.
"Okay, let's go. There are still many people we need to kill."
Morgrave said, showing rare excitement, and marched directly to the Lord's mansion.
One carnage had just ended a few hours ago, and another was about to unfold—this time in the city, filling the air with the thick smell of gunpowder.