16: Kill my horse!

Inside the carriage, Airo leaned over, checking the newly acquired equipment.

Fifteen gold coins for these items would be a huge loss, but six gold coins?

For the Gods' sake, it was practically extortion!

She couldn't help but glance at Arthur across from her; this noble young master, deep in thought, made her increasingly curious.

"What are you looking at?" Arthur, deep in thought, suddenly asked.

Airo hastily averted her gaze, denying, "Nothing. I was just thinking."

Arthur turned his head, a smile playing on his lips: "As a thief, your lying skills are truly not something I can compliment."

Exposed, Airo gave Arthur a friendly middle finger, then said, "You lied to me too."

"Hm?" Arthur became interested.

"You concealed the fact that you can use magic."

Arthur raised a slender finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture.

He corrected her seriously, "Be careful what you say, madam. Using magic freely in Amn is a serious crime."

"Besides, what I used wasn't magic, but divine power. It's the power granted to me by Mother Earth."

Airo shrugged, "Regarding what I said earlier, I think it was biased."

"Which part?"

"I said you wouldn't survive this spring in Qingfeng Valley; that's not right. As long as you know how to lay low, you might live longer."

"Oh, really?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "There's still a ways to the dock. Why don't you tell me what's really in that place that made you make such a judgment about me?"

Airo was silent for a moment, then said, "Darkness. All the dark creatures you can imagine are in that place."

"Werewolves, vampires, zombies, skeletons... and all sorts of terrifying beings that can't even be named."

This made Arthur's expression turn serious: "Since Qingfeng Valley is so dangerous, why are you still going back?"

"Like you, I also have a reason why I must go."

Arthur sighed softly, lamenting, "Everyone is swept along by their own destiny."

Airo initially thought Arthur would press her for the reason she was so determined to go back, but he didn't.

"You're very special," she couldn't help but say.

"Why do you say that?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"You bought all this equipment for me, worth ten gold coins. Aren't you afraid I'll take the stuff and run?"

Arthur chuckled at her words: "A betrayal worth six gold coins, I can still afford that."

Airo had an 'I knew it' expression. "See, that's what makes you different."

"Honestly, ever since I can remember, I've been wandering, and I've seen all kinds of people."

"Orc bandits who kill without batting an eye, selfish halfling thieves, human politicians full of lies... their intentions are easy to see through at a glance."

"But you, I can't guess your reasons for doing this at all. If you only needed a guide, there was no need to help me get equipment."

Arthur shrugged and asked, "Haven't you ever heard the word 'kindness'?"

"Kindness? For the Gods' sake!" Airo was amused. "That's the most worthless thing."

"I agree, if you sell it, it's not worth much, but if you keep it, then it's very precious."

This was the first time Airo had heard someone say such a thing, and from a noble's mouth, no less.

She was speechless for a moment.

After a long silence, Airo suddenly said, "Give me your hand."

Though he didn't understand why, Arthur, out of trust, extended his hand.

Airo drew her dagger and quickly made a cut on Arthur's hand, then licked the fresh blood flowing from the wound.

"I remember your scent, Arthur," she said. "If you get lost in Qingfeng Valley, leave your blood behind, and I will find you."

"Did you have to make such a big cut?" Arthur asked jokingly.

Airo rolled her eyes, shook his hand off, and said, "Turn around."

"Why?"

"I'm going to take off my clothes and change into my equipment."

Arthur turned his head to look out the window. "Actually, your flat figure isn't much to look at; I've seen better."

"You should go to hell!"

"I'll take that as a compliment."

-----------------

As the saying goes, 'clothes make the man, and gold adorns the Buddha.' This saying is absolutely true.

When she stepped down from the carriage again, Airo seemed to have been reborn.

She was wearing tight leather armor, a dagger tucked into her belt on the right side, and another hidden in her cowhide boot.

A hand crossbow was tucked at her lower back, and six crossbow bolts were neatly arranged on a diagonal leather strap across her chest, exuding an aura of competence and danger.

The two arrived at the dock office. When Arthur entered, Bard was heartily devouring a pie.

Seeing his young master, the old servant hastily put down the pie and stood up to greet him.

"You're back, young master. The ship hasn't arrived yet, but the carrier pigeon from the ship has. The captain said they'll need a bit more time."

Arthur nodded: "Is there a place to eat nearby?"

"Yes, turn left out of the office, and there's a small eatery straight ahead."

"You lead the way."

"Uh, young master, I'd better stay here..."

"I don't think the ship will arrive anytime soon, let's go. Forget your pie, I'm treating, consider it a celebration of my survival."

Seeing his young master so insistent, Bard dared not refuse and quickly led the way with a smile.

But after only a few steps, he turned back, "Please wait a moment, young master, I must take my pie. It's not good to waste food."

About ten minutes later, the three arrived at the unassuming small eatery. Arthur ordered a lavish table of food and wine. At first, Bard was a bit reserved, but after a few cups of wine, he opened up.

Seeing that he had drunk enough, Arthur asked, "I heard the Crow Family sent an Orc gladiator?"

"Yes, two days ago. That Orc is very unusual."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

Bard took a sip of his wine and slowly said, "You wouldn't know, young master."

"Usually, those savage beasts always roar and try to escape at every opportunity, or suddenly go berserk and hurt people."

"But this fellow is surprisingly quiet. When he was escorted into the castle prison, Warden Robert dispatched a whole squad, but he didn't resist at all, as quiet as a rabbit."

"I've handled many Orc slaves, but I've never seen one like this."

Arthur then asked, "Do you know his origin?"

"I've heard a little. I heard this beast wasn't originally from the Crow Family, but a gladiator from the capital's grand arena."

"The slave owner who brought him said this guy was undefeated, almost no one could beat him. Later on..." Bard deliberately paused, took another sip of wine, and continued, "You know, there are no undefeated generals in the arena, right?"

"So the family that owned him was quickly outmaneuvered by other families and suffered a terrible downfall. This is never new in Amn."

"That beast was bought by the Crow Family before he was executed. He fought a few matches in Esputa's arena and won a lot of money for the Crow Family."

But it's still the same problem: arena audiences like to watch evenly matched fights, not one-sided ones.

"So soon, this guy had no one left to fight, and so the Crow Family sent him here."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully, then changed the subject: "You know I'm going to Qingfeng Valley."

Hearing this, the old servant silently put down his wine glass.

"Don't worry, Bard. I just wanted to ask if you have any suitable talents to recommend?"

"I urgently need manpower now. I guess father sent you to ensure the Supreme Council's supplies don't go wrong, and once all the supplies are in storage, your task will be complete, right?"

The old servant nodded.

"So when you leave, I'll have to find someone to manage these affairs, won't I? And the supplies needed for the journey, personnel arrangements... sigh, I need to find a reliable person to handle these."

Bard thought for a long time and replied, "There's a man named Godwin in Old Wheeltown, he's a talent. If the young master doesn't mind, you could recruit him."

Arthur asked in confusion, "Since he's a talent, why would I mind?"

"Uh..." Bard hesitated for a moment. "This man has a strong personality, a bad temper, and is especially stubborn. He often clashes with people he works with and always has to argue about right and wrong."

"But that's not the key; the most important thing is that his family was once nobility of the Falcon Family, and they fled here more than thirty years ago after committing a crime."

"Young master, you know that we and the Falcon Family have always been at odds. Since their family fled here, they naturally haven't been given important positions."

"By Godwin's generation, the family had fallen on hard times and was no different from commoners. If you don't mind his background, past, and temper, Godwin is indeed a rare talent."

"What temper, past, or background? Where do I have room to be picky now?" Arthur sighed helplessly in his heart.

"Bard, after you're done with things here, help me introduce Godwin."

The old servant quickly agreed.

-----------------

A long, slender sailboat was anchored in the middle of the Nu River. Through the dock's telescope, Arthur saw a small boat being lowered from the ship.

The water level at Wolf Den City's dock was too shallow to accommodate such a large merchant ship, so large vessels usually anchored in the Nu River, and goods were transferred by specialized small boats.

As the small boat gradually approached, Arthur led his people to the dock. The dock manager had already ordered an area cleared, preparing to welcome the distinguished guests from the capital.

"Young master, Warehouse Number Three has been tidied up; the goods can be put directly inside when they arrive," the manager said. "Count has instructed us to be responsible for guarding the supplies until you depart. Don't worry about the cost."

Arthur nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. However, will my twenty slaves also live in the warehouse?"

"No, no, young master," Bard interjected. "The slaves will be housed in the slave camp outside the dock prison."

"Of course, if you want to keep a few to look after the supplies, it wouldn't be an issue for them to stay in the warehouse."

As they conversed, the small boat became clearly visible.

A moment later, the small boat docked, and a man wearing armor and a knight's sword at his waist stepped off.

This man, around thirty to forty years old, was burly with a fierce face, exuding an imposing aura.

"I am Olaf Haraldsson, an Imperial Knight. Which of you here is the Son of the Wolf, Arthur?"

Arthur slightly furrowed his brow, thinking how arrogant this man was.

Bard, sharp-eyed, noticed the atmosphere was a bit off and quickly stepped forward to introduce, "This is the Son of the Wolf, Lord Arthur."

Olaf looked Arthur up and down, and arrogantly began, "I am sent by the Supreme Council to deliver supplies to you."

"But I have to tell you some bad news: the slaves on the way were unruly and staged a riot."

"Fortunately, we suppressed them in time, but most of the slaves were killed by us, with only six leaders remaining. I spared their lives for you to deal with."

For Arthur, those twenty slaves were important human assets; he was counting on them to do his bidding.

Considering the long journey from the capital, some casualties were inevitable, but he hadn't expected only six out of twenty to remain.

He suppressed his anger and said, with a forced smile, "Thanks to your escort, sir. If those rioters had succeeded, my supplies would have been in danger."

"Haha, no problem, no problem. They were just a bunch of useless slaves anyway." Olaf waved his hand. "Arrange a few small boats and send people to the ship to retrieve the goods."

"Sir, you must be tired from your journey. I've already had Bard arrange accommodation and food. Bard, lead the way," Arthur instructed.

Olaf gestured for his subordinates to follow, then strode over to Arthur and heavily patted the young noble's shoulder.

"I like straightforward people like you! The Supreme Council wishes you a smooth journey."

After speaking, he glanced at Airo, who stood beside Arthur, then led his men away from the dock.

Once they were far away, Airo approached Arthur and whispered, "I don't like these guys."

"Me neither," Arthur said. "Fortunately, they won't be staying long; they'll leave once the supplies are accounted for."

"Imperial Knights? What kind of organization is that?" Airo asked.

Arthur thought for a moment and explained, "Dogs kept by the Supreme Council, specifically to handle various matters for the Council."

"Most of them are descendants of the Merchant Alliance soldiers from the civil war, so they harbor hostility towards most nobles."

"Do they need a lesson? I've thought of a few good ideas."

Arthur shook his head: "The less trouble, the better. They won't be staying long anyway, so let them be. The most pressing issue now is manpower."

"Ever since you told me about the situation in Qingfeng Valley, I've wanted to form an armed force. You're familiar with the place; tell me, how many people would I need to establish a foothold there?"

Airo pondered for a moment, then replied, "That depends on the quality of the team. If it's a hastily assembled rabble, then no matter how many there are, it'll be useless."

"The dark creatures of Qingfeng Valley will gradually devour them. Arthur, you should know that those monsters, like us, can think and use tactics."

"But if we can form an elite squad, we might be able to reach Mist Town smoothly, use it as a stronghold, and then plan for the long term."

"There are many righteous individuals there who resist the Dark Tyrant; we can try to unite with them."

"The Dark Tyrant?"

"Yes, the true ruler of Qingfeng Valley. Some say he's a vampire who has lived for a thousand years, others say he made a deal with the devil."

"However, no one who has seen him has returned alive, so no one knows what he truly is."

Arthur smiled bitterly: "I understand now why the barons sent by the Supreme Council never returned."

Unexpectedly, Airo, who was usually cynical, uncharacteristically encouraged him: "Don't be so pessimistic, we still have time, don't we?"