While Gallagher is busy packing up and heading to Peace Haven with his family, Henwell turns to Kleios, the ranger still crouched on the table, and waves him over. âStop posing all cool up there! Come down and talk to me.â
Given Henwellâs permission, Kleios, whose legs have long gone numb, tumbles headfirst off the table. After his muscles stop cramping, he scrambles up awkwardly from the floor.
Henwell kicks a chair toward him. Kleios cautiously sits down, eyes flickering nervously at Henwell.
Henwell pours himself a drink. âYouâre a freelance mercenary, an advanced class of ranger. Honestly, youâre somewhat useful, but your arrogance makes me lean toward executing you. However, a lot of people died today, and Iâm in a good mood, so Iâll give you a chance, a chance to live. From now on, you have three sentences to convince me not to kill you.â
âI swear loyalty to you, my lord!â
Henwell shakes his head. âYour loyalty means little to me and isnât trustworthy. Thatâs your first sentence.â
Panicked, Kleios blurts out, âPhiney from Tule City wants you dead. Heâs offering ten thousand gold coins. I can take you to him!â
Henwell chuckles. âOnly ten thousand? Someoneâs taking a cut. Like I said, your loyaltyâs unreliable. Looks like I wasnât wrong. You have zero professionalism, selling out your employer just like that. Besides, I donât need to hunt down your employer. Plenty want me dead, I canât kill them all. And a small-time snitch taking bribes isnât worth my trouble.â
Henwell smirks, âBy the way, that was your second sentence. Think carefully, only one sentence left, and timeâs running out.â
Sweat beads on Kleiosâs forehead; his hands tremble uncontrollably.
What now? Should he reveal his treasureâs location? Share some secrets he knows?
No way! The man in front of him doesnât care about any of that. Heâs toying with him.
Henwell never intended to spare him. Better to run desperately than wait to die, at least thereâs a sliver of hope.
But then Kleios dismisses the thought.
He just saw Henwell strike; he didnât even catch what happened before two cloaked figures were killed.
Kleios knows clearly: if he tries to run, he might not even make it to the gate.
No. Just standing up could get him cut down on the spot.
Kleiosâs expression shifts wildlyâanger, despair, regret all flashing across his face.
No one knows how much time passes before his gaze suddenly hardens with fierce determination.
He springs up abruptly, drawing a dagger from his waist.
Hubert, standing nearby with his hand on his sword hilt, draws his blade halfway and steps forward.
Henwell raises a hand, signaling Hubert to hold back.
Facing them, Kleios suddenly drives the dagger into his own mouth and twists it.
In stunned silence, everyone watches as Kleios spits out blood mixed with bits of his broken tongue.
He opens his mouth to show the ruined tongue.
Henwell claps softly. âImpressive! You really are a gambler at heart. But you bet right. Iâll acknowledge this loophole. From now on, you have no third sentence to say, and I wonât kill you anymore. Youâre quite the talent. So, what do you say, want to join me? Iâm starting to see you as someone special. That ruthless streak of yours makes me believe in you even more than your skill.â
Kleios shakes his head gently at Henwell, then points outside.
Henwell gestures. âGo ahead! Youâre free to leave. Remember, my nameâs Henwell. If one day you change your mind, come find me in Peace Haven, in the Kingdom of Vorry. Iâll have a fitting job for you.â
Kleios bows to Henwell respectfully, then decisively steps out of the tavern.
Hubert looks worried. âSomeone that ruthless, wonât he cause trouble for us?â
Henwell chuckles. âHeh⊠You mean, since I pushed him this far, why did I let him live? Donât worry. He wonât come back for revenge. He knows well enough that failure comes with a price. And I only took away his ability to speak, thatâs already a generous mercy. Heâll avoid me for the rest of his life.â
With that, Henwell leads everyone out of the tavern and back to the camp to rest.
The next day, the Western Expedition group leaves the village first, with the Mountain Antelope Trade Caravan following behind.
Word of last nightâs events has already spread among the caravan members.
The infamous Black Ring Ridersâover two hundred strongâattacked the expeditionâs camp on the vast wasteland. But before they could even get close, more than half were shot down.
The nearly fifty knights left behind by the expedition display incredible marksmanship. Combined with the brutal penetration power of their military-grade crossbows, itâs almost one shot per rider.
Before the knights fire their fourth volley, the Black Ring Riders lose their nerve and flee.
But they were attacking a group of knights!
Thirty knights swiftly mount their horses and give chase.
Within half an hour, each knight returns dragging several unclaimed horses and a string of heads.
Out of over two hundred Black Ring Riders, only a handful manage to escape.
Everyone else, including their leader, falls on the outskirts of this remote village on the wasteland.
The next day, everyone falls silent as they look at the neatly stacked bodies.
Henwell tosses some money to the villagers to bury the bandits, preventing any diseases from spreading as the weather warms.
Now, the expedition has gained over three hundred extra horses, but Henwell doesnât plan to sell them.
Instead, he orders Tony, leader of the Mountain Antelope Trade Caravan, to find a place to board the livestock.
Such a place exists only in Tule Cityâtheir next destination.
The journey ahead passes without incident.
They arrive smoothly at the outskirts of Tule City.
This city-state belongs to the Western Federation and isnât small.
Though Tule City itself has fewer than 100,000 residents, itâs surrounded by numerous towns and estates.
The population under Tule Cityâs jurisdiction exceeds 300,000.
Seven powerful families vie for control here, each having ruled the city at some point.
Every twenty years, Tule City erupts in political turmoil.
The seven families battle for the title of city lordâthe victor takes the throne, while the losers become city councilors, barred from bringing military forces into the city.
Henwellâs arrival is poorly timed; the contest for lordship ended three years ago.
Otherwise, he might have witnessed a thrilling political showdown.