Free Web NovelChapter 150: Chapter 96: Lynch! You Refuse the Path to Heaven
One of the knights carried a banner that billowed in the wind. Its field was deep blue, embroidered with a roaring tiger beneath an emblem of a crossed sword and shield.
Below the emblem, a line was embroidered in the clear script of the continent’s common tongue: "Radiant Battle Group—Tiger Battalion, Third Company."
The Radiant Battle Group was one of the three main battle groups under the North Wind Legion’s command. Renowned for its formidable combat strength and aggressive tactics, it was the Empire’s iron fist on the southern border.
It was leagues beyond Raymond’s "motley crew" of the Thirteenth Battle Group.
And its Tiger Battalion was the elite of the elite.
However, to the surprise of many, the leader of this elite company was a strikingly young and beautiful female knight.
She was clad in a suit of bright silver armor that faintly radiated Holy Light. A kite shield was slung across her back, and a Holy Knight’s warhammer hung at her waist, giving her a valiant and heroic air. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Flanking her were two fully armed cavalry squires, carrying her family’s Heraldic Banner.
This was none other than the top graduate of the Holy Knight specialization from the Hurst Royal Extraordinary Academy, the woman known as the "Ice Rose"—Catherine Adela.
The column moved at a swift pace.
Before long, Catherine had led her troops into the vicinity of Lakefront Town.
As her gaze swept over the town, her sharp brows furrowed slightly.
The town before her still showed traces of disrepair, but it was a far cry from the "nearly abandoned and lifeless" description in her intelligence report.
She saw townspeople bustling about, mending roofs. She saw fishing nets and dried fish hanging to dry under the eaves. She could even hear the sounds of children playing in the alleyways.
"Deputy Captain Hans," Catherine said, tilting her head slightly toward a middle-aged, bearded officer beside her. "Weren’t we told Lakefront Town was deserted? It seems rather vibrant to me."
Hans looked around, his expression also one of confusion, before nodding. "It is a bit odd, but it’s nothing to worry about."
He urged his horse forward a few steps and called out condescendingly, "Where is your mayor? Tell him to come and see me!"
Soon, Mayor Old John, having received the message, rushed over with Aus, who had been helping take inventory of supplies.
Seeing this well-disciplined and imposing military force, both men’s hearts tightened.
Old John hurried forward and bowed deeply. "My name is Old John, Mayor of Lakefront Town. An honor to meet you, my lords. To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit to our humble town?"
Without dismounting, Deputy Captain Hans replied casually, "We’re headed to the northern mountains to deal with some bandits and plan to rest in town for the night. Get enough clean houses ready for us to garrison, and prepare plenty of food and fresh drinking water."
He paused, then added as if it were an afterthought, "Right, also prepare an additional five hundred men’s worth of rations and cured meat for our marching supplies. We’ll take it with us first thing tomorrow. And we’ll be conscripting twenty able-bodied men as militia to join our baggage train for the expedition."
As soon as he said this, the faces of the listening townspeople fell. Fear, anger, and despair washed over them.
’Under Lord Lynch’s leadership, our Lakefront Town has only just started to recover. We’ve finally had a few full meals, and now the Empire’s army is here to bleed us dry?’
’Five hundred men’s worth of supplies all at once... they’re deliberately trying to leave us with nothing!’
’Everything the whole town has managed to save up probably doesn’t even amount to that much!’
’And they want to take twenty of our young men? How is the town supposed to function?’
A surge of anger welled up inside Aus.
He was about to speak, but with a swift movement, Old John pulled him back.
Forcing a smile, Old John bowed even lower. "M-my lord, this... this might be a bit difficult."
"Hm?" Deputy Captain Hans’s brow furrowed, his tone turning cold. "Difficult? This is a military order!"
"Please, my lord, calm yourself." Old John quickly waved his hands in a placating gesture. "It’s not that this humble servant won’t obey a military order, it’s just... Lakefront Town now has an official garrison officer, appointed by the Empire’s army."
"Matters as great as requisitioning supplies and conscripting men are not for us to decide. We need the garrison officer’s approval. If you’ll allow me, I’ll go report to him first. Would that be alright?"
"A garrison officer? Appointed by the Imperial army?" Deputy Captain Hans was briefly surprised, then a dismissive smile crossed his face. "A dilapidated hole like this actually has a regular army officer stationed here?"
"Which battle group is he from? What’s his name? I might even know him."
His tone dripped with contempt, clearly doubting that such a remote and desolate place would have any garrison worthy of the name.
Old John dared not hide the truth and answered honestly, "To answer my lord, our officer is the Commander of the Ninth Battalion, Thirteenth Battle Group of the North Wind Legion, Lord Lynch."
"The Thirteenth Battle Group?"
Upon hearing this, Deputy Captain Hans and the surrounding officers all wore expressions of contempt and disgust.
The Thirteenth Battle Group’s reputation as a "motley crew" was infamous within the North Wind Legion.
As for the name "Lynch," it meant nothing to them. They simply assumed he was some unknown, low-ranking officer exiled to this godforsaken place to guard a pile of ruins.
However, Catherine, who had remained silent on her horse with a cold, stern expression, visibly flinched at the name "Lord Lynch."
Her eyes narrowed sharply as she demanded in a low voice, "What is your garrison officer’s full name? And what is his profession?"
Startled, Old John stumbled back two steps and stammered, "T-to answer, my lady, our lord’s full name is Lynch Blackwood. He is... he is a noble Necromancer."
"Lynch Blackwood... a Necromancer..." Catherine repeated under her breath, each word seemingly forced through gritted teeth.
The next instant.
BOOM—
A powerful wave of Holy Light erupted from Catherine.
Her stunning face was now an icy mask, and a raging fire blazed in her eyes, as if she wished to burn everything before her to ash.
’During the academy’s year-end trial, she, Catherine Adela, the top student of the Holy Knight specialization, had not only failed to secure the top rank in her year but had also been utterly humiliated by that damn bastard Amadis Hayes.’
’That incident had become the greatest shame of her life.’ freeweɓnøvel.com
’In her mind, however, the true culprit wasn’t Amadis, but that Undead System maggot who had ambushed them from the shadows.’
’At the time, she had tried to find the bastard, but he had hidden himself too well. Then her family arranged for her to join the North Wind Legion, so she had no choice but to let the matter drop for the time being.’
’However, not long ago, she had received a piece of intelligence.’
’One of the suspects, Lynch Blackwood, had not only officially advanced to a Tier One Necromancer, but had also "performed a great service" in the case involving Viscount Golding’s collusion with an Evil God, for which he was exceptionally granted the title of Knight of the Empire.’
’The time, the place, the abilities, the speed of his advancement... all the clues clicked into place.’
’The truth was undeniable.’
"Good. Good. Good!" Catherine laughed, her voice sharp with fury, spitting out the single word three times.
"I was just thinking about when I might find the time to return to Saint Roland City to settle the score."
"I never thought you’d come crawling all the way to Red Ridge Mountain and even wrangle a position as some so-called garrison officer."
"They say heaven has a path, but you refused to walk it. Hell has no gate, yet you insisted on breaking in!"
"Today, I settle the score!"
...
