Chapter 266 - 265: Desperate Warwick

As twilight deepened, Ronin had Carlos find a deserted mountain forest to land in.

THUD!

The Giant Dragon released its sharp claws, casually tossing Warwick, whom it had been carrying the entire way, onto the ground.

Warwick, his heart already shrouded in fear, finally got a clear look at the full form of the monster that had captured him. That single glance sent a chill down his spine, as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.

"Wh-what kind of Magical Beast is this!"

He had seen his fair share of Magical Beasts, but he had never encountered one so enormous, so ferocious, so terrifying that it shook him to his very core.

Its eyes, in particular, were chillingly devoid of any emotion.

"His name is Carlos. He’s a Giant Dragon," Ronin said, offering the information.

"A D-Dragon?"

Dense beads of sweat broke out on Warwick’s forehead. ’Do things like dragons really exist?’

He didn’t dare to ask, because his intuition told him that the creature before him truly was a dragon.

’I was captured by a Giant Dragon?’

’How utterly absurd!’

It was then that Warwick finally noticed the tiny human standing by the Giant Dragon’s feet.

He was magnificently dressed and strikingly handsome, but when Warwick saw Ronin’s hair, his pupils contracted violently. "You’re from the Wushan Clan?" he cried out in shock.

Ronin sighed.

’This damned hair color,’ he thought. ’Anyone with the slightest bit of worldly knowledge recognizes it wherever I go. It’s impossible for me to even hide my identity.’

’Silver hair is just too rare.’

"As you can see. I am the Commander of this Noble Alliance Army, Roning Wushan."

His tone was as if he were speaking to an old acquaintance, without a hint of coercion.

"Now, tell me who you are. And remember, don’t even think about running or hiding anything. Otherwise, by this time tomorrow, you might just be... excreted by Carlos."

Warwick didn’t understand the statement for a moment, but he soon caught on. If he didn’t cooperate, he was going to become dragon dung.

Carlos couldn’t help but glance at his master, then eyed Warwick. "Master, he’s too skinny. There wouldn’t be much to excrete. Besides, I don’t really like eating human flesh."

"Don’t worry, I’m just trying to scare him."

’This Giant Dragon is so naive.’

This exchange between man and Dragon occurred via a soul-link, so Warwick heard nothing. However, he noticed the Giant Dragon’s eyes sizing him up and subconsciously assumed it was already contemplating eating him, which made him tremble uncontrollably.

While being carried through the sky just moments before, Warwick had watched with his own eyes as the Giant Dragon swallowed his warhorse in a single gulp. The sight had made his blood run cold.

"Speak."

Ronin urged, "My time is limited."

Ronin patted the Giant Dragon’s leg, and Carlos let out a perfunctory roar at the sky.

"I’ll talk, I’ll talk right now!"

Terrified out of his wits by the scene, Warwick hurriedly began to talk.

Through the "friendly" exchange that followed, Ronin learned the man’s identity. He never expected that his casual snatch-and-grab would land him such a big fish.

According to the man, the Polante Thief Gang had five core members.

Warwick was the weakest among them, having only recently broken through from the Bronze to the Silver Level. This was why he had been promoted to the core circle and was now in charge of mining and transportation at the Chishan Town Iron Mine.

The strongest in the entire Thief Gang was the leader, Amicus, a Golden Knight of long-standing fame. It was said that before forming the gang, he had wandered far and wide, defeating numerous opponents.

The Vice Leader, Hodan, was the second strongest, rumored to have one foot already in the Golden Level.

There were two other core members, Kilbat and Lanivisa, whose strengths were comparable to each other and slightly weaker than Hahn Knight.

Besides these individuals, the Polante Thief Gang also had six Bronze Knights, twelve Advanced Level Knights, and fifty-six Knights of Intermediate Level or below.

All in all, the Polante Thief Gang’s strength was formidable, comparable to that of an entire Knight Order.

The Wushan Territory’s Noble Alliance Army still had the advantage in terms of the sheer number of Professional Knights, but if the enemy was well-trained, it was hard to say who had the upper hand in overall strength.

Coren, in his fortress at Giant Stone Castle, had scoffed at the Polante Thief Gang, believing them to be a pushover. It was now clear that he had either underestimated them or intentionally provided false intelligence.

And if Ronin’s suspicions were correct, should Coren suddenly betray them on the battlefield, the balance of power between the two sides would be completely upended.

Warwick knelt on the ground and asked tentatively, "My lord, I’ve told you everything I’m supposed to. Can you please let me go?"

Although Warwick felt he would most likely die, he couldn’t help but beg for his life.

He had only just become a Silver Knight; he hadn’t even had a chance to enjoy the life his new status afforded him. He didn’t want to die just like that.

Ronin offered a warm, pleasant smile. "Don’t worry, Warwick. Seeing as you’ve been so cooperative, I will of course spare your life."

"And your Dragon?"

"He won’t kill you either," Ronin said reassuringly.

Only then did Warwick breathe a sigh of relief. But now, the fear in his eyes as he looked at Ronin was even greater than when he had looked at the Giant Dragon.

They had been planning to kill Ronin on the battlefield, but Warwick now knew that was an impossible task.

With a Flying Magical Beast like a Giant Dragon around, even if Ronin himself lacked strength, he could easily escape from any battlefield.

’Speaking of which, since when did Wushan Castle have a legendary creature like a Giant Dragon for a Magical Beast?’

’If word of this got out, there’s no telling what kind of storm it would create.’

"I have one more question for you."

Ronin continued, "On that night two months ago, how exactly did you all manage to breach Chishan Town?"

"Well..."

Warwick hesitated.

Perhaps Amicus was the only one who knew the full story of the battle at Chishan Town.

However, he had been promoted to the core circle, so even though he hadn’t participated, he had heard whispers and could guess about half of the truth.

"Don’t want to talk?"

Ronin chuckled. "Then let me take a guess."

He decided to try and trick the information out of him.

"Baron Coren of Giant Stone Territory is collaborating with your Polante Thief Gang. The two of you joined forces, which is how you so easily annihilated the five Knight Squads from Wushan Castle stationed in Chishan Town."

He paused, looking as if he already knew everything. "Am I right?"

Warwick was stunned. "How do you know that?"

He himself had only figured out this top-secret matter after hearing a few rumors. An outsider like Ronin should have had no way of knowing. Where did he get this information?

’Could there be a traitor in the Thief Gang?’

The faces of Hodan and the other core members flashed through Warwick’s mind. ’Impossible. None of them could be the traitor.’

’Could the leak have come from Coren’s side?’

Ronin paid no mind to Warwick’s thoughts. All he knew was that Coren’s betrayal was now all but confirmed.

’To think that this Border Baron, a man in command of Wushan Castle’s Fifth Knight Order, would actually do something like this.’

’Since you’ve chosen betrayal, you will have to bear the consequences!’

Ronin was already considering how to deal with the traitor.

’Should I take Toru, Marvin, and the others to capture Coren right away, or should I try to use him?’

’Using a traitor to spread disinformation and deliberately confuse the enemy is a viable tactic. I could even make Coren lead the Knight Squads from Giant Stone Territory into a premature clash with the Thief Gang at Chishan Town.’

’But that’s a high-risk move. If they sense something is wrong, Coren would likely take his Knight Squads from Giant Stone Territory and defect to the Polante Thief Gang outright.’

’Furthermore, now that I’ve captured Warwick, the disappearance of such a key figure is bound to alert the Thief Gang. Coren would probably find out as well.’

’In that case, all my efforts would backfire spectacularly.’

’Coren and that subordinate of his are both Silver Knights. I still don’t know the exact combat strength of his Knight Squad. All things considered, the best course of action is to neutralize Coren before the battle even begins.’

After some consideration, Ronin decided to take him down first and eliminate this hidden threat to their rear.

The forest was silent. Watching the frowning, pensive Ronin, Warwick secretly scanned his surroundings, looking for a chance to escape.

’As for Ronin, I’m confident I can handle him,’ he thought. ’After all, he’s just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old kid. How strong can he possibly be?’

’The real problem is the Giant Dragon.’

Warwick looked at the dense forest around them.

’The trees will obstruct the Giant Dragon, keeping it from flapping its wings freely. I might be able to use the dense woods to make my escape.’

’Staying here doesn’t guarantee I’ll live. If I run, at least there’s a chance.’

Warwick hesitated no longer. Seizing the opportunity while Ronin was lost in thought, he shot to his feet and fled at top speed.

Ronin was busy pondering how to capture Coren and hadn’t expected Warwick to pull a stunt like this.

"Master, I think he’s running away?" Carlos pointed out.

Ronin couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He had only missed Warwick’s escape because he’d been lost in thought.

’What was Carlos doing just now? Savoring the memory of that horse meat?’

"Thanks for the tip. I can see that."

He dared not delay and immediately gave chase. He couldn’t afford to lose this key witness.

SWOOSH!

Two figures streaked through the dense forest. Warwick glanced over his shoulder and was horrified to find Ronin rapidly closing the distance.

’What’s going on?’

He was completely baffled. ’I might not be a match for Hodan and the others, but I’m still a Silver Knight! How can I be losing a race to some kid?’

Ronin was now at the Silver Level Peak. Even without the aid of Swift Magic, his raw speed was far superior to Warwick’s.

"Daring to escape right under the nose of a Giant Dragon... I have to admire your courage."

Ronin threw a punch, sending a Flaming Fist Aura hurtling toward Warwick’s back.

Warwick dodged the attack and spun around, his face contorted in a snarl. "I may not be able to beat a Giant Dragon, but you think I can’t handle you?"

He stopped fleeing and instead turned to take Ronin down.

"As long as I take you hostage, I won’t have to fear your Magical Beast, even if it is a Giant Dragon!"