67: Chapter 67 An Unexpected Joy! Crimson Maple Breathing Technique!

The next day, near noon.

Mira Mesa slowly opened her eyes amidst aching soreness and a weakness that penetrated deep into her bones.

The moment her consciousness returned, sharp pain, fragments of memory, and the image of her brother's tragic death... rushed over her like a tide, making her gasp sharply.

She subconsciously tried to sit up, but it pulled at her wounds, causing her to groan in pain as cold sweat instantly broke out on her forehead.

"You're awake? Don't move around, or your wounds will reopen," a gentle female voice spoke from beside her.

Mira turned her head with difficulty and saw a young girl in a maid's uniform standing by the bed, her face delicate and filled with concern.

"Where... is this?"

Mira's voice was hoarse and dry.

"This is White Cliff Territory, White Cliff Castle. You were rescued by our Lord last night."

The maid carefully supported her, placing a soft pillow behind her back so she could lean against it.

"You lost a lot of blood and have been unconscious all night. I'll go get some food; you should eat something first."

White Cliff Territory? White Cliff Castle? Rescued?

Her chaotic memories gradually became clear...

That desperate flight, her brother's tragic death, Knight Anthony's cruel laughter...

And that final arrow that saved her life?

That's right!

It was the person shooting arrows from the distant hillside who saved her!

Brother! Griffin!

Mira suddenly grabbed the maid's wrist with such force that the girl let out a soft cry.

"Where is my brother? The boy who was with me, where is he?!" Her reddish-gold eyes were filled with urgent terror and a faint, desperate hope.

The maid felt the pain, but seeing Mira's pale face and bloodshot eyes, she endured it and whispered:

"Please don't worry, I will go report to the Lord immediately."

She then hurried out of the room.

Before long, footsteps were heard outside the door.

Rowan pushed the door open and entered, followed by a calm-looking Elise.

He had changed into a set of dark grey casual house clothes, his posture upright and his expression serene.

Elise was dressed as a head maid, standing half a step behind, looking at Mira on the bed with curiosity.

Mira's gaze instantly locked onto Rowan.

"Was it you... who saved me?" Mira's voice was still low and raspy, but she stared intently at Rowan.

Rowan walked to a chair not far from the bed and sat down, nodding slightly. "I was passing by, it was just a small matter."

"Then what about my brother?" Mira asked impatiently, her fingers gripping the bedsheets tightly.

"Griffin... how is he? Where is he?"

Rowan looked at the complex light in her eyes—a mixture of hope and despair. He sighed inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged as he calmly stated the facts.

"Regrettably, by the time I arrived, your brother had already been killed."

"I disposed of the attackers' bodies and brought your brother's remains back as well; they are currently placed in a proper location."

Despite having a premonition, hearing the confirmation of her brother's death made Mira feel the world go dark.

A massive wave of grief struck her, and tears instantly burst from her eyes, rolling down her pale, beautiful face.

Extreme sorrow combined with her weakened body left her able to produce only broken sobs, her shoulders trembling violently.

A flicker of pity passed through Elise's eyes, but she remained standing quietly behind Rowan.

Rowan did not offer words of comfort; he simply waited in silence. Some pains must be vented personally.

After a long time, Mira's crying gradually subsided into intermittent sobs.

She looked up, her face a mess of tear tracks and her eyes swollen, but a new kind of resolve had appeared in her gaze.

"Take me to see him..."

"I want to see Griffin."

Rowan glanced at her, said nothing more, and simply nodded. "Alright, follow me."

Supported by a maid, Mira struggled out of bed and followed Rowan to a cold, dry stone room in the castle's basement.

Griffin's body was laid out on a stone platform covered with a white cloth. His face had been briefly cleaned, but the fatal wounds on his body were still shocking to behold.

The moment she saw her brother's remains, Mira broke down again, throwing herself beside the stone platform, caressing her brother's cold cheeks and weeping loudly.

A long time later...

Rowan finally stepped forward and signaled the maid to help her up. "Take her back to rest. We will discuss the rest later."

Returning to the second-floor guest room, Mira's mental and physical state had reached the brink of collapse.

But perhaps because the bout of crying had vented some of her emotions, the frantic light in her eyes receded slightly.

All that remained was bottomless sorrow and exhaustion, along with a hollow sense of loss.

Seeing this, Rowan narrowed his eyes and gestured for her to follow him, leading her up the spiral stone stairs to the castle's top floor.

Every step Mira took pulled at her wounds, causing her to break out in cold sweat from the pain, but she grit her teeth and followed without a word.

The master bedroom on the top floor was filled with sunlight and had a wide view.

Rowan sat in a chair by the floor-to-ceiling window and pointed to another chair opposite him. "Sit."

Mira did as she was told, suppressing her inner grief as her gaze fell on Rowan, waiting for him to speak.

"Tell me," Rowan said, getting straight to the point. "Who are you? And why is the Crimson Knights hunting you and your brother?"

Hearing this, Mira fell silent for a moment.

She seemed to be organizing her thoughts, and perhaps weighing her options.

Eventually, she took a deep breath and began her fragmented narration.

Starting from when she and her brother were mercenaries in the provincial capital, receiving news of inheriting the Maple Flower Territory.

They returned full of hope, only to find the territory had already changed hands and was firmly controlled by Count Farrell's people.

Then, the constant disappearance of subjects, the oddities beneath the castle, and the overheard snippets about sacrifices.

And finally, the realization of danger, the decision to flee, and the process of being brutally hunted down...

Her narrative was not continuous, filled with the tremors of pain and fear, but the key information was clear.

Rowan listened quietly, a light flickering in his eyes.

When he heard keywords like "assassination at Golden Flame Manor," "Maple Flower Territory," "Count Farrell's temporary administration," and "sacrifice."

Many previously scattered clues quickly linked together.

In the spring at the beginning of the year, at the Golden Flame Manor ball.

The [Red Maple Knight] Viscount Andre Mesa of Maple Flower Territory and another [Iron Thorn Knight] were assassinated simultaneously, shocking Gino County.

The investigation at the time concluded it was the work of the Crimson Knights.

Looking at it now, Count Farrell had already colluded with the Crimson Knights back then!

The direct line of the Mesa Family was wiped out, and then these two oblivious branch members, Mira and her brother, were brought in as puppets and decoys, while sacrifice preparations were secretly being made in Maple Flower Territory.

"It has already reached the final stage?" Rowan asked.

Mira nodded heavily. "Before we escaped, we heard they had seized another thirty people... more than ever before."

"They also mentioned that the sacrifices are almost sufficient..."

Rowan understood.

It seemed the Crimson Knights' sacrificial plan in Mist Whisper Town had reached its most critical moment.

No wonder Count Farrell was acting so unscrupulously.

At this moment, Mira seemed to have made a decision.

She struggled to pull out a small leather cylinder, tightly sealed with oilcloth and wax, from the most hidden layer of her undergarments.

With trembling hands, she peeled it open layer by layer, finally revealing a dark red leather scroll.

The edges of the scroll were embroidered with golden maple leaf patterns.

"The Mesa Family's Red Maple Breathing Technique." Mira's voice was bitter and resolute as she handed the scroll to Rowan with both hands. "This is all I have left... the men of the Mesa Family are essentially all dead."

"It's useless for me to keep it. Perhaps it has some value to you. Consider it... repayment for saving my life, and for... burying Griffin."

Her actions carried a wordless desolation.

A family legacy, the anchor of their glory.

At this moment, it could only be given away as a thank-you gift; the feeling in her heart was hard to describe.

Rowan looked at the dark red breathing technique scroll, and a flash of unexpected light finally crossed his eyes.

Red Maple Breathing Technique!

A famous, high-quality breathing technique in Gino County. Back then, the [Red Maple Knight] Andre Mesa had relied on it to step into the realm of a Great Knight and awe the region.

This was indeed an unexpected surprise!

...