Henwell already knows the Holy Lake Knights are trailing behind, but since they are following from a distance, he doesnât mind much.
Originally, the Holy Lake Knightsâ orders are to keep their distance and follow Henwell from afar.
Theyâre not to make contact with him unless absolutely necessary.
But now that Henwell has formally declared his identity and issued a threat, the centurion of the Holy Lake Knights feels this qualifies as a necessary situation.
To prevent this warmonger from causing trouble, the centurion immediately steps in with his men.
They drive away the mercenaries who might bring disaster to the Duchy.
Then, the centurion sets up camp nearby and openly begins escorting Henwell.
Henwell, not wanting to stir up more trouble, gets up and goes downstairs to Kleiosâs side.
At this point, Kleios is barely clinging to life, his vision blurry and doubled.
Henwell lifts him by the collar and carries him upstairs.
After over an hour of surgery, Henwell stabilizes Kleiosâs wounds.
Henwell is skilled in medicine, and since leaving the Western Federation, as a Paladin, he receives extraordinary supplies on missions.
He usually chooses the extraordinary potionsâthose with excellent healing effects.
Still, Kleiosâs injuries are severe; whether he lives depends on his will to survive.
Henwell isnât worried about that. This guy is tough and should hold on.
Henwell delays his journey by a full day for the mute ranger.
Itâs not until noon the next day that Kleios finally wakes, weak but conscious.
After drinking two more extraordinary potions, Henwell begins to speak with him.
Pulling up a chair, Henwell sits by the bedside. âTwo choices. One: to repay me for saving your life, you serve me for five years. Of course, youâll be paid. Two: pledge your loyalty to meâyour faith and life, and I will grant you even more.â
Kleios struggles to sit up, but Henwell raises a hand to hold him down. âThink carefully before deciding. I leave tomorrow, you have the whole night to consider. This is a big matter; you must be sure. Thereâs no such thing as betrayal here. Once you choose, you must take responsibility.â
With that, Henwell stands and leaves the room.
Kleios feels torn inside. On one hand, he has become mute and fallen to his current state. On the other, the more Kleios learns about Henwell, the more he admires this young man.
He acknowledges that it was Henwell who spared his life back then. After all, Kleios had come to kill him.
In their line of work, if your skills are lacking or your judgment poor, you pay the price.
But to say he holds no grudge against Henwell would be lying to himself.
Kleios knows full well that once he pledges loyalty to Henwell, there will be no chance for betrayal.
Yet he was once praised as a prodigy, can he truly accept serving under his âenemyâ?
Lost in these complicated thoughts, Kleios drifts into a drowsy sleep.
The next morning, lying in bed, Kleios struggles to salute Henwell and tries to cut his palm to swear allegiance.
But Henwell stops him. âNo need for all that fuss. Just knowing your intention is enough. Rest well, observe more along the way, and learn. One day Iâll arrange for you to come back here, youâll be working here then.â
Kleios is lifted onto a carriage, remaining in a dazed state throughout.
Itâs not that heâs touched by Henwellâs thoughtfulness in renting a carriage for him.
Rather, heâs stunned by what Henwell said just now. The content isnât as important as the way it was spoken.
Henwell didnât speak aloud; the words echoed directly inside Kleiosâs mind.
Having spent time in the Western Federation when he was younger, Kleios is no stranger to such things.
He knows only two kinds of people can communicate this way:
One, powerful spellcasters.
Two, Bloodline Practitioners with extraordinary mental abilities.
Compared to ordinary professionals, Bloodline Practitioners possess stronger abilities across the board, but thatâs just one aspect.
What truly makes them formidable are their bloodline powers, whether spells or various supportive effects.
The purity of their bloodline determines how many abilities a Bloodline Practitioner can awaken.
Their mental strength dictates how powerful those awakened abilities become.
So, Bloodline Practitioners usually have impressive mental fortitude, some rivaling even spellcasters.
A strong mind not only amplifies bloodline powers but also helps resist magical damage to some extent.
Now, from Kleiosâs perspective, Henwellâs mental intrusion is the hallmark of a powerful Bloodline Practitioner.
Of course, Henwell isnât a Bloodline Practitioner and doesnât possess any bloodline powers.
But he definitely has immense mental strength!
Otherwise, he couldnât have kept his true power hidden in Guardian City, a place teeming with experts.
Many spellcasters have ways to detect othersâ true strength.
The Divine Mages of the Holy Spirit Church especially employ numerous methods.
Only with such strong mental power can Henwell create a mental barrier, a false mental aura that fools those scanning him into thinking heâs a Grand Knight.
Henwell learned these techniques from Newwood.
Itâs a kind of combat trick Henwell adapted for playing the fool to surprise his enemies.
When mental power is strong enough, it can also be used for communication.
Among spellcasters, this is normal.
But when communicating with other professionals, strong mental power can leave a mark in the otherâs mind.
This mark isnât a magical effect, Henwell doesnât use mental magic.
Itâs more like a mental suggestion, deepening the otherâs respect and awe.
The mute ranger Kleios, only in his thirties, is already a Vague Epiphany-level Wandering Mercenary.
This advanced ranger rank is equivalent to a Battle Knightâs progression, proving Kleios has solid talent.
Henwell doesnât mind having an experienced mid-tier ranger under his command.
Heâs useful for intelligence work and training legion scouts.
So, amid Kleiosâs shock, the group moves steadily forward.
Now guardedâor rather supervisedâby the Holy Lake Knights, no fool dares cause trouble, and the journey proceeds smoothly for a full day.
At dusk, they settle in a town.
The Holy Lake Knights take care of all arrangements, leaving Henwell and Kleios free of worry.
Soon, Kleios is stunned again, not by Henwellâs personal power this time, but by Henwellâs influence.