Free Web NovelChapter 64: Chapter 64: Simone’s Daughter
「That same night.」
Inside the Broken Wave Gang’s castle in Forest Village, there was a dead silence. Every member was terrified, afraid that Bard’s fury would be unleashed upon them.
Fortunately, Bard was seriously injured and just resting in bed, showing no intention of holding anyone accountable.
Even Iron Hammer, who had lost his fight against Duane, had only received a harsh beating from Gaius and hadn’t lost his life.
In contrast, the atmosphere at the Holy Hand Association was completely different.
The candlelight brightly illuminated the manor’s grand dining hall. Daniels sat at the head of the table, and the attendees of this banquet were the core members of the Holy Hand Association.
As the hero of the hour, Simone was being treated with great ceremony.
A three-year-old girl was seated beside him.
It was hard to imagine that such a delicate child could exist on the old and rugged Black Forest Island.
She seemed out of place with everyone there, even her own father, Simone, because no matter how you looked at her, she looked like a child of nobility.
"Come now, Little Vera, come to Grandpa!"
Daniels smiled and picked up a piece of meat. "Here, Grandpa will feed you."
Little Vera seemed tempted, but then she looked up at her father.
When he didn’t nod, she shook her head, looking a little timid.
Simone smiled and said, "My apologies, Daniels. Vera is a bit shy around strangers."
Daniels didn’t mind. He just laughed heartily and put the meat in his own mouth.
"I really hope she grows up quickly, then she’ll be braver."
Simone looked at his daughter as she snuggled into his arms and stroked her head dotingly. "Yes."
’He didn’t like these kinds of banquets. If Daniels hadn’t saved Vera’s life when he and his daughter had first fled here, he wouldn’t want to be living in this place.’
"Simone, you’re our great hero today!"
Kalina, now in a vibrant red dress, approached with a wine glass, casually draping one arm over Simone’s shoulder.
"Vera is too shy to eat, but you’re not too shy to drink with us, are you?"
Simone shifted slightly to the side, very naturally moving her hand away.
He raised his glass. "Cheers!"
Kalina chuckled, then tilted her head back and drained her glass in one go.
The others also began to drink with them.
Only Uleir, with a gloomy face, drank sullenly by himself, his cold gaze occasionally falling on Simone.
’That guy has stolen too much of my spotlight!’
...
As the sky began to lighten, the third squad, on their shift change, opened the warehouse doors and released Hardy and the other prisoners.
The men hadn’t expected to get out alive. After nearly ten days of confinement without seeing the sun, they felt for the first time that the outside world was beautiful, and for the first time, they realized just how precious freedom was.
After walking out of the courtyard, everyone, as if by unspoken agreement, glanced back.
Many of them were very familiar with this place. Back when Monbodt was the master here, they could come and go as they pleased.
But things were different now. The place had a new master.
Most of them couldn’t remember what the Baron looked like, but they all knew he was a nobleman they couldn’t easily meet—and a person not to be trifled with.
If they didn’t want to be captured and locked up here again, living in the stench of shit and piss, they had to maintain a sense of reverence for the Baron. It was best to steer clear and avoid him at all costs.
"Hurry up and go!"
Willie shouted, "Remember the Lord’s orders! From now on, you are forbidden from setting foot in Lingang Village!"
"Sir, but my wife and kids are in the village. What about them?"
Willie glared at the man. "They are the Lord’s subjects. Naturally, they’ll live just fine in the village!"
"Sob... Can I bring them to Forest Village with me?" someone pleaded.
But Willie ignored him, saying only, "The Lord has always been merciful. He is willing to give you a chance to visit your families once every three months. If you keep dawdling, you’ll regret it when you don’t even have that chance!"
This was the task Duane had ordered Raymond to carry out.
His main purpose in doing this was to undermine the cohesion of the Broken Wave Gang.
If these men truly cared about their families in Lingang Village, they certainly wouldn’t be able to endure visiting only once every three months. They were bound to sneak back.
"Enough nonsense!"
Hardy shouted, "I don’t want to get locked up by the Baron again because of your defiance!"
Hardy was the leader of this group. His shout immediately made everyone shut their mouths.
They were afraid of being reprimanded by Hardy, but they were even more afraid of being captured and locked up again by the Lord.
And so, the twenty-odd men left the courtyard in a large, straggling group and headed for Forest Village.
With the return of Hardy and his men, the Broken Wave Gang’s combat strength increased slightly, giving them a bit more confidence in facing the Holy Hand Association.
Less than half a day later, Hardy finally met with his leader.
After returning, he had heard about the duel from others and confirmed that the Broken Wave Gang had not truly submitted to the Baron.
However, this did not shake Hardy’s conviction to side with the Baron.
Because, in his eyes, the fact that their leader was seriously injured was a sign that the Broken Wave Gang was about to fall apart.
"Hardy, you’re back!"
Bard sat up with the help of a maidservant.
Hardy maintained a reverent tone. "Yes, my lord. How are your injuries?"
"It’s just a minor injury. I’ll be mostly recovered after ten days to half a month in bed."
Although Earth Tier Warriors were strong, they weren’t so strong that they could recover from broken ribs in such a short time.
Bard looked directly at Hardy. Although this subordinate was only a Middle Level Warrior, he was the man Bard trusted most, aside from Gaius.
That was why he had assigned him to Lingang Village to guard the port.
"Tell me about your imprisonment. What did that Baron, Duane, do to you? What did he say?"
Bard asked, "What’s your impression of him?"
Hardy said helplessly, "To be precise, we never saw Duane after we were locked up. It seemed like he didn’t want to see us."
"Tsk, I thought he would’ve tried to turn you against me."
Hardy’s heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself: ’The Baron didn’t try to turn us. On the contrary, I was the one who voluntarily surrendered my loyalty.’
"My lord, I feel that the Baron’s men are very strong, and extremely professional."
Hardy recounted the scene from last night without hiding any details.
"I just went to the door to ask if they were really letting us out. They must have thought I was fed and looking to cause trouble, because in less than a dozen seconds, a dozen or so men appeared outside the cell door!"
Bard’s expression turned serious. "Of course they’re professional. They’re from the Pruck Kingdom’s Third Legion. They’re regular soldiers."
Hardy was stunned. This was the first time he had heard of this.
"Then, my lord, how are we going to deal with the Baron?"
Hardy asked with concern, "Should we continue to join forces with Daniels of the Holy Hand Association to drive him off Black Forest Island?"
Daniels...
The moment Bard heard that name, he gnashed his teeth in hatred.
’That Elder Mage can’t be trusted, but for now, at least, we’re still allies on a united front.’
’The three-way power dynamic on the island is currently in a delicate balance, so for the time being, I’m not in any great danger.’
According to Bard’s speculation, if Duane received reinforcements, the balance would be shattered.
If he didn’t, then it would be maintained for a long time.
So, Bard was now waiting.
"We’ll discuss everything after my injuries have healed!"
Bard ordered, "For the next two days, you will assist Gaius in preparing the things we owe that Baron. Our little Lord is very particular about these matters!"
"Understood!"
Hardy agreed on the surface, but inwardly he was very disappointed.
He had been prepared to pass on any information about how Bard planned to deal with the Lord as a gift to prove his loyalty.
He hadn’t expected his normally domineering leader to be so cautious this time, causing him to lose an opportunity to win favor by passing on information.
