Chapter 73

Chapter 73

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Chapter 73

Yuder had purposefully obscured his true intentions. His original aim was to find traces of Devran Hartude, but to do that, he needed to meet the Lord anyway. This question could also confirm the extent to which the information given by the bandit was true.

Sure enough, the expressions of the guards darkened instantly, suggesting Yuder was not wrong in his thinking.

"You seem to have come from afar and have not heard the news yet. Our lord passed away in an accident a few days ago."

"Is that so? Then, who is currently in charge of the village?"

"The Lord's eldest daughter, Lady Sabelrina, and her husband, Sir Ryel, also met with misfortune on the same day... Currently, the youngest son, Lord Zakail, is taking care of the funeral arrangements and the aftermath."

"Then, I must meet him."

"Please do so. In fact, today is the last day of the funeral, and all the villagers are finishing the rites at the back of the mountain. You should find them there. Ah, and before that, outsiders are required to leave their horses at our stables. Please hand over your reins."

The guard returned Yuder's identification. They watched, their eyes full of suspicion, as Yuder pocketed his ID.

Yuder watched as Gakane and Jimmy handed over their reins to the guards, and then he carefully opened the door of the small birdcage hanging from his saddle.

Feeling the gaze of the bandit leader on him as he took out the small bird and turned it over his shoulder, Yuder sensed a curiosity about what he might do next.

Ignoring the man's gaze, Yuder quickly conjured up a dust storm. As the gritty wind blew dirt onto the faces of the guards, startled voices echoed from all directions.

"Damn, what is this?"

Taking advantage of the moment when the guards closed or covered their faces, Yuder released his messenger bird. The bird, trained to fly around for a day without a letter and then return, would be back by the time Yuder called for it within a day.

'Even if they see the birdcage, they'd realize it had a messenger bird. But there's nothing I can do about it.' Geett the latest novels on no/v/elbin(.)c/om

As he passed the guard post and entered the outskirts of the village, the first thing he noticed was the heavy smell of burnt wood that pricked his nostrils.

Yuder picked up a stick from the ground and lit it. He could have conjured fire with magic, but using a torch would raise less suspicion should he encounter anyone.

Under the flickering torchlight, the sight of scorched earth and burnt plants confirmed the truth of the rumor that half the village had been set ablaze.

"Over there, is that the castle?"

Unable to hide his anxious voice, Jimmy whispered to Yuder and pointed at something black in the distance. It wasn't very large, but it was unmistakably a castle. The sight of its excessively dark silhouette in the night provoked an eerie sensation.

"There really is no one in the village. They must all have gone to the back mountain."

"That over there looks like a cornfield... It's all burnt. It's the harvest season now..."

As Gakane mumbled, scanning the surroundings, Jimmy added another comment, looking at the blackened field. Yuder turned his head towards the bandit leader, who was quietly walking. The man was still wearing the image of his subordinate in military uniform.

"How long do you plan to keep this charade?"

"Isn't it strange if I'm the only one dressed differently? I know it's uncomfortable, but maintaining this guise is to lessen the suspicion and wariness you all might incur."

In response to Yuder's question, the bandit leader calmly retorted. He certainly had a way with words.

"Yes. But we were told at the entrance that, unfortunately, your Lord has passed away. We offer our condolences."

Though Yuder's voice was cool and emotionless, the courtesy he displayed was impeccable. After serving as the Cavalry commander for so long, this level of etiquette had become as natural to him as breathing.

"Spare the pointless talk. What's your business here?"

"We were told that Zakail is currently in charge. We would like to meet him."

"He's currently busy. If you wait in the castle, I'll inform Zakail and ask him to come see you."

"Understood."

"Heng! Escort them to the castle. The steward will guide them once they're there."

Seeming to find the mere act of conversation displeasing, the captain of the guards turned away abruptly, raising his voice towards a young guard. The guard, with a reluctant expression, mumbled a few words in an unintelligible dialect and made a vague hand gesture towards Yuder.

"Follow me."

Their ill-treatment continued even after they arrived at the castle. The elderly steward, after hearing the situation from the young guard, alternated his gaze between the scorched castle gate and Yuder's face, before eventually clicking his tongue as if to signal they should enter. He led them to a worn-out, dark room with no place to sit.

"Please wait here."

"Just a moment. Here, really?"

Gakane, who had quietly followed all this while, finally voiced his disapproval. It felt too unreasonable to be asked to wait indefinitely in a room that looked more like a storage, especially at this late hour.

"It's the only place that's not damaged and still decent. I'm really sorry we couldn't provide a better place for visitors who came from far away."

"..."

Leaving behind an apology that didn't seem sincere at all, the steward quickly shut the door and disappeared, leaving behind only a small lantern.

"What is this all about? Such blatant disregard. No one even mentioned Devran first, despite seeing us."

"The guard who escorted us was openly abusive."

"Abusive? When?"

"You wouldn't have noticed because it's an Eastern dialect."

As Jimmy replied with a defeated look, Gakane let out a short, bitter laugh.

"So, is all this related to Devran's disappearance... Yuder, are we really going to wait here quietly?"

"For now."

Yuder quietly responded while examining the room. The damp, dark room was filled with the stench of rotting old boxes and not even a single surviving lamp. There was a small window which barely allowed air in, but that was all.

"Well... Standing around will only tire us. Let's sit and wait."

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