43: Go out of the city to fight the thieves

Blue Intelligence: The bandits of Howling Mountain are actively deploying their camp to prepare for the upcoming punitive expedition.

White Intelligence: The Little Finger Merchant Guild is using all its connections to sever all ties with the smuggling ship.

White Intelligence: Due to your successful killing of Imperial Knight Olaf, the favorability of all his attendants, except Godwin, towards you has greatly increased.

White Intelligence: This morning, the bandits of Howling Mountain plundered a merchant caravan, and the family of merchant Jason was tragically killed.

Arthur sat by the bed, reviewing today's intelligence, and couldn't help but frown repeatedly.

Of the four pieces of intelligence, only one could be considered good news.

The other three were either temporarily useless or warnings of danger.

Especially that blue intelligence.

He hadn't expected the bandits to know so quickly that they were coming out of the city to attack them.

This meant that they likely had informants planted in the city.

This made Arthur even more certain that these bandits were by no means ordinary marauders.

Seeing his young master's worried expression as soon as he woke up, Vanka cautiously reminded him, "Young master, the bathwater is ready, isn't it?"

Arthur put away the information panel and got up to walk towards the bathroom.

Considering that he didn't know when he would return from this trip out of the city, and he hadn't had a proper bath in two days, he had specifically instructed Vanka last night to help him prepare bathwater early in the morning.

He absentmindedly took off his shirt, but when his hand touched his belt, he suddenly froze.

He turned to Vanka, who was approaching with a bath towel, and said, "Just put the towel aside; I can do it myself."

The young girl seemed a bit unwilling and insisted, "Don't worry, young master.

"I used to bathe my younger siblings at home all the time, so I'm familiar with the process.

"If I do anything wrong, just tell me, and I'll correct it next time."

Arthur waved his hand, "I want to be alone for a bit.

"Go outside the castle and check.

"If Drax and the others have arrived, tell them to wait at the inn first.

"Then go to the kitchen and get them something to eat.

"If anyone else asks, just say it's my order."

Vanka obediently placed the bath towel on the rack next to the bathtub and asked, "Should I bring your breakfast too?"

"Yes. Just leave it outside; I'll eat it after I'm done bathing."

Vanka bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Only then did Arthur take off his trousers and slowly soak into the bathtub.

The comfortable hot water relaxed both his body and mind.

He let out a long sigh, enjoying this moment of peace.

If there was any benefit to his busy past three days, it was that his status had undergone a qualitative leap.

Previously, due to his various inappropriate behaviors, servants and retainers all avoided him, fearing to get involved with such trouble.

Even when he gave orders, they were perfunctory and rarely done with full effort.

Now, it was different; as the Count valued him more and more, his instructions were always quickly implemented.

Because those people began to understand that once he was displeased and complained to the Count, they wouldn't just receive minor punishments as before.

Unfortunately, his time here was limited.

Thinking of this, Arthur felt a pang of regret.

He hoped his father would allocate him more supplies, considering how hard he was working.

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

Around nine in the morning, Arthur arrived at the military camp.

Because of his uncle Robert's order, this time, he was able to bring Drax inside.

The five of them were all on horseback.

Although, apart from Arthur, the other four were riding the plow horses provided by the council's supplies.

However, fortunately, those plow horses were light draft horses.

Their size was similar to warhorses, so riding them didn't seem too out of place.

To ensure the smooth execution of this mission, Robert had carefully selected seventeen elites from the cavalry and infantry regiments.

This elite squad was led by Knight Dylan.

This family knight looked much older than Arthur remembered.

But Arthur would never underestimate this tall, sturdy knight.

It was well known that when he was learning swordsmanship, Dylan had given him a hard time.

"Young master."

The family knight opened his arms and gave Arthur a firm hug.

"I heard Lord Robert say that your recent performance has been quite impressive.

"I knew you would shine brightly one day!"

These words were not flattery; although Dylan had been quite disappointed with Arthur's swordsmanship, he had always admired his agile mind and excellent eloquence.

"Old man, it's been many years since we last met," Arthur said.

The family knight released Arthur and patted his shoulder, "We haven't seen each other since you went to Esputa.

"It looks like you've been exercising."

"Alright, let's stop with the pleasantries," Robert interjected, "While it's still early, let's quickly prepare and set off.

"I've explained the specific situation to Dylan, so Arthur, if you have any questions, just ask him."

"Then let's talk as we go," Arthur suggested.

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

The team departed from the West Gate and quickly set off on the merchant road.

Dylan's squad consisted of five cavalrymen, ten infantrymen, and two mounted scouts.

The scouts went ahead of them to reconnoiter the path.

The remaining people escorted Arthur and his group in the middle.

This must also have been Dylan's arrangement.

This way, Arthur's safety could be protected to the greatest extent.

"Are these people reliable?" Arthur quietly asked the family knight.

Dylan nodded, "These are the best men Lord Robert could gather.

"Don't let their age fool you; they're all veterans who retired from the border.

"They survived battles with Orcs; their combat experience and skills are impeccable.

"Of course, that depends on who you're comparing them to.

"If compared to the family elites your brother Robert took to fight on the border, there's naturally still a gap."

Arthur nodded and then said, "As long as they're obedient enough.

"You know, my reputation isn't as good as Robert's, and these are old soldiers."

"Don't worry about that; Lord Robert already gave instructions before we set off.

"Besides, with me here, these guys wouldn't dare to slack off."

With that assurance, Arthur felt relieved.

He continued, "Old man, I must say this won't be an easy mission."

The family knight's expression darkened, and he asked, "Young master, if you know something, please speak directly.

"There's no need for these games between us."

"I think those bandits already know we're coming to attack them.

"They should have prepared in advance."

"How is that possible?" The family knight looked incredulous.

"I don't think my uncle told you that the smugglers we arrested last night might have connections with the bandits outside the city."

"What? Is that true? Someone would even collude with Orcs!

"So you're worried that the news has leaked and the enemy is prepared?"

Just then, a hurried sound of hooves approached.

Arthur stopped speaking and looked ahead.

The two cavalrymen at the very front had already drawn their weapons.

Everyone else also had their hands on their weapons.

Only after seeing that the approaching figures were their own scouts did the two cavalrymen sheath their weapons, though their hands remained on their sword hilts.

"Young master, officer, there's something ahead," the scout reported, "There's an overturned carriage; it looks like a small merchant caravan."

This reminded Arthur of the intelligence from the morning.

Dylan looked at Arthur, waiting for him to make a decision.

"Where is it?" Arthur asked.

"It's right on Rolling Stone Trail, not far from here."

Arthur recalled Rolling Stone Trail from memory and then asked, "Have you checked the surroundings?"

"We searched once; we didn't find anything unusual."

"Let's go, then, let's take a look," Arthur ordered.

Dylan nodded secretly, highly commending Arthur's caution.

Rolling Stone Trail was a narrow mountain path that cut through the hills, with treacherous terrain, making it very easy to set an ambush.

If the bandits used the remains of the caravan as bait to ambush them here, the consequences would be unimaginable.

So Arthur's caution was not without reason.

When the team reached the entrance of the trail, they saw the remaining scout battling a pack of wild dogs.

The scout cursed as he used his short sword to drive away the wild dogs trying to attack the horses.

Seeing this, the two cavalrymen at the front, without needing orders, rode forward to assist.

The other three cavalrymen spread out to guard.

The leading scout rode up the hillside.

On one hand, it was to gain higher ground for easier archery, and on the other hand, it was to further investigate if there was an ambush.

Dylan then directed two infantrymen to rush to the other side of the hillside.

The remaining infantry systematically advanced towards the wild dogs.

As soon as the soldiers left, the Orc and the Water Ghoul proactively moved closer to Arthur to protect his safety.

Although the wild dogs were numerous, they were no match for the fully armed soldiers.

The battle did not last too long; after killing half of the wild dogs, these repulsive creatures began to scatter and flee.

"Disgusting creatures!" Dylan cursed, "Every year, the patrol team has to clear out a batch of these beasts.

"These dog-like things have become increasingly bold after eating human flesh and drinking human blood, sometimes even forming packs to attack villages.

"Come on, young master, let's go see what happened."

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

A carriage lay overturned by the roadside, its front severely damaged.

It appeared to have overturned after losing control due to running too fast.

The corpses of two horses lay nearby, emitting a strong stench of decay.

The horses' abdomens were hollowed out, and their bodies were covered with bite marks.

Arthur covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and, upon closer inspection, found that both horses' hind legs had been cut off.

Four bodies lay near the carriage: three men and one woman.

Each body had wounds of varying sizes and also showed signs of being gnawed.

One of the men had white hair, while the other two were in their prime.

The woman lay dead beside a basket, as if she had tried to shield it with her body.

"Am I seeing things, or do you see it too?"

Arthur asked the family knight beside him.

Dylan didn't reply; he just silently drew his sword.

Arthur's attendants also drew their weapons and surrounded the slightly trembling basket.

Once everyone was in position, the family knight stepped forward and kicked over the basket.

A child of seven or eight years old rolled out of the basket.

His face was full of terror, and tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.

"Who are you, kid?" Dylan asked, lowering his sword.

"Ja... Jamie, I'm Jamie," the child sobbed in reply.

"Are these your family?" Dylan asked again.

Little Jamie nodded.

"Are you sure?" Arthur suddenly asked.

The child was startled at first, then pointed to the woman and said, "Th... That's my mom, Emma."

Then, he turned around and pointed to the other three in order, "That's my dad, Jeffrey, my uncle Jack, and my grandfather Hanne."

Arthur narrowed his eyes and asked again, "What's your surname?"

This question made everyone a bit confused.

Little Jamie also didn't react immediately.

"The lord is asking you a question, child," Godwin reminded him.

Jamie then replied, "Ben... Benson."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully, "So, Jamie Benson, do you have anywhere to go? I can send someone to take you."

Jamie wiped his tears and quickly said, "Red Maple Village!

"The village chief of Red Maple Village is my dad's friend."

The family knight interjected, "Perfect, we're also going to Red Maple Village, so you can come with us."

Arthur said no more and continued to inspect the scene.

He recalled that the intelligence clearly stated that Jason's entire family had been killed.

So what was the deal with this suddenly appearing Jamie?

Either the information provided by the system was incorrect, or this child was lying.

Arthur wouldn't be foolish enough to suspect that the intelligence provided by the system was misleading him.

However, what he couldn't figure out was why a child would lie.

What was his purpose?

Godwin noticed Arthur's unusual behavior and approached, asking, "My lord, what's wrong? Is something amiss?"

Hearing his words, the others also gathered around.

After successfully killing Olaf with a trick and stealing those artifacts, Airo and the others were completely convinced by Arthur.

Now, hearing that something was wrong, they instinctively wanted to hear Arthur's judgment.

But Arthur just shook his head and instructed, "Godwin, go talk to that child and get a clear account of what happened.

"Airo, scout around.

"Drax, go examine the bodies and see if those wounds were caused by Orcs.

"Philip, keep a close eye on that child.

"Later, let him ride your horse and try to get close to him, and get more information out of him."

Everyone who received orders dispersed.

"Your attendants are quite interesting," Dylan said, walking over, "Young master, I have an impolite request."

"Old man, you just said yourself that we shouldn't play these games between us."

"Haha, look at my memory.

"I'd like to collect the bodies; they're all poor souls, and it's not right to just leave their bodies to rot by the roadside."

Arthur looked at the sky and asked, "How much longer until Red Maple Village?"

"After passing through this trail, it's another two or three hours," the family knight replied, "We should arrive at the village before dinner."

"Go ahead, but hurry up."

Dylan bowed and left in a hurry.

Arthur exhaled and continued to examine the scene.

He always felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't pinpoint what the problem was.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something reflective.

He quickly stepped forward, bent down, and picked up the reflective object.

It was a silver heart-shaped pendant.

Two names were engraved in the center of the pendant—Jennifer and Jeffrey.

If the dead woman was named Emma, then who was this Jennifer?

Arthur snorted lightly and put the pendant into his pocket.