Chapter 53: Conquest { XIII }

Rowan was just a few steps away from ending Oliver and Judus when Oliver suddenly yelled out a name at the top of his lungs."Who is Stanis? Why is that bastard traitor calling the name?" The soldiers whispered amongst themselves, and even the captains were confused.

Bryce looked at Rowan as if requesting permission to attack, but Rowan declined his request.

"STANISSSSS!!!" Oliver's voice thundered across the northern border.

His voice was so loud that even his own throat began to ache, but he didn't stop — this was his only hope of surviving. If Stanis was really here, as his son said, after hearing his call, he would attack, and the soldiers would be distracted, giving him the chance to escape death.

With such a plan in his mind to save his head, he didn't bother slaving his own throat.

Judus looked at his father with puzzlement etched on his face and tried to stop him by yelling, "Dad, why are you calling his name?"

But even that wasn't able to stop him.

Roland and the other captains looked at Rowan, who stood just a foot away, wondering why he hadn't taken Oliver's life yet.

Rowan was standing very close to Oliver. He only needed to swing his hands to kill Oliver and Judus from this position, but he didn't.

He simply stared at them with a cold gaze as his mind wandered, 'You think drawing the attention of the bastard hiding in my territory will save you from getting killed? You're even more useless and stupid than I thought. Now you will not only die but also help me catch the bastard hiding in my territory.'

Rowan waited for Oliver to halt his screaming. After Oliver stopped screaming, he turned to look at Rowan with a smirk.

"There is a group of soldiers hiding close to our territory, and with the sound of my voice, they will attack the village and slaughter everyone if they find out I was killed," he said with a shaky voice, trying to sound threatening.

But Rowan just looked at him as though he was looking at a madman.

"You have to leave me alone and let me leave in peace. Only then will they spare you." Seeing that Rowan was cracking to his threats, he added more, but it had no effect.

Only Bryce and Roland were triggered.

"Lord Rowan, he is talking shit. Give me permission to kill him!" Bryce let out with anger in his voice.

Josh and Bruce also joined him, their hatred for Oliver grew after hearing him threaten to kill his fellow people. As for Roland, the last strand of friendship he had for Oliver died at that moment. Now he wanted nothing but to see him dead.

"Lord Rowan, he has threatened our village. Give me the opportunity to crush his balls."

"Let us beat him to death."

"He deserves to be stoned to death for disrespecting you."

The young soldiers yelled out in anger.

The whole border was shrouded in killing intent.

Everyone wanted the traitor dead.

But Rowan had something else in mind.

He held the dagger up with a cold expression.

Seeing this, Oliver got scared and screamed for help once again. But this was what Rowan wanted.

"STANIS! THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!!" he screamed out.

'Yes, call him out,' Rowan grinned.

He waited for a few minutes, and just as he expected.

From the bushes not too far away from the northern border, fifteen Glenwood soldiers on horses appeared, riding toward the village with their swords lifted in the air.

"Glenwood soldiers?!" Winterseed soldiers cried out.

Roland and the other captains were shocked, but they didn't hesitate before grabbing their swords and stepping forward towards the soldiers arriving.

With the current pace of the horses and the distance between them, the Glenwood soldiers would likely arrive in the next two minutes or more.

"I told you! Those soldiers are stronger than everyone gathered here. They have trained in the arts of war and bloodshed from a young age," Oliver boasted with a crazed voice, grinning menacingly at Rowan.

"You have to beg me to stop them, or else everyone will die, and then you will surrender and let me become ruler of Winterseed," he continued.

Judus looked at his father with relief. He was glad his father was smart enough to negotiate for their life with an intelligent plan. He was really proud.

"Lord Rowan, you have trained us. We are prepared for war. Do not listen to him," the young soldiers assured Rowan.

They would rather die in war than let a heartless traitor rule over them.

"You guys are nothing before them! They will kill you before you even know it," Oliver scoffed at the soldiers.

He held Judus, and both of them struggled to stand up despite the aching pain inflicting their bodies.

"Who asked you to stand up?"

Nevertheless, before they could stand up and walk away, Rowan's chilly voice reached their ears. His voice held no emotion, causing them to shiver.

'Didn't he hear what I said?!' Oliver panicked.

Some of the soldiers watched Rowan with puzzlement, while the others, with swords in hand, went forward with the captain to stand against the approaching soldiers.

"Oliver, you are old, but your wisdom is almost non-existent despite the experience you've gathered," Rowan began chillingly.

"You betrayed my people, which is already too much and punishable by death. But now you have made it worse by threatening their lives," he continued.

Oliver looked at him with fright, wondering how Rowan, who was no more than nineteen, was able to exude such a scary killing intent. Judus was more afraid. He hadn't lived enough and was sadly still a virgin—he wanted nothing more than to escape right now and never return.

"Y-You should be pleading for your life right now, Rowan!" Oliver's voice thundered.

"Pleading for my life? I think you've reversed the roles here, Oliver."

"W-What! Only I can stop them! You can't do anything!"

Rowan laughed menacingly at his foolishness.

The Glenwood soldiers were just 60 seconds away from reaching them now. He had to act fast.

He lifted the black dagger in his hand and walked towards Oliver, who kept threatening while shivering in fear.

He raised the dagger, and Oliver closed his eyes.

'Is this how it is going to end?' he thought, as he heard the sound of the dagger slicing through the air.

Death was so close. He could feel it.

"F-father..." S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

But suddenly, he heard the weak and pained voice of Judus.

He quickly opened his eyes and was met with the most horrifying scene.