Chapter 65
Caspian, who had lived with April for some time, had learned a special kind of “don’t make a child cry” skill.
While keeping an eye on the crowd and remembering that skill, he watched both the girl and his lord.
But when he heard Kylen’s words, his eyes widened.
He had served by Kylen’s side for over four years.
Many things had happened during that time.
But he had never seen Kylen this emotional before.
“Caspian.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“The village is small. Tell the knights to first check if there are any children who lost their parents. Take care of the children first—give them a place to stay and food.”
“Yes, I’ll see to it.”
Caspian went to one of the knights who was keeping watch around them.
“Marion.”
“Yes, Sir Caspian.”
“Pick three knights and look after any orphans or people who need immediate help. The rest will handle the cleanup.”
“Understood.”
Knight Marion bowed and then approached the little girl holding Kylen’s hand.
When Kylen nodded to reassure her, the girl slowly took Marion’s hand.
Even as she walked away, she kept turning back. Kylen watched her until she disappeared from sight.
The knights calmed the crying villagers one by one and sent them away.
Kylen then walked toward where the horses were tied.
“I’m going to the border as well.”
“Your Grace!”
There had been a report that the mercenaries fled across the border after the attack.
Caspian and the knights planned to head to the border of the Obert Kingdom to look for clues.
“Your Grace should stay here—”
“No. I’m going.”
The devastation of the village and Count Brodyshengster’s incompetence had filled Kylen with boiling anger.
He couldn’t stay still, worrying about whatever trap Ferdinand might have set.
Caspian sighed quietly and nodded.
When Kylen decided something, he followed through.
And when he had that look in his eyes, no one could stop him.
Just as Kylen mounted his horse, Isaiah appeared—still dragging the Count.
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“To the border.”
“The border? Why would you—? Wasn’t Caspian supposed to—?”
“We’re leaving.”
Before Isaiah could finish, Kylen struck the horse’s side sharply.
The horse shot forward, and Caspian and the knights followed immediately.
Dust rose in a thick cloud behind them.
“Cough— hey! Cough! Kylen!”
Isaiah was left coughing in the dirt as the group disappeared.
“They probably didn’t use the checkpoint. If so, they would have had to cross this mountain.”
Between the Livriden Empire and the Obert Kingdom was an entry checkpoint.
There was no chance the attackers passed through it.
The only way to sneak across the border unnoticed was to cross the mountain before them.
Kylen nodded and climbed down from his horse.
“Will you really climb it yourself?”
Caspian asked anxiously, but Kylen just drew his sword and checked the blade.
Caspian clicked his tongue softly and nudged the knights to prepare.
He went first.
It wasn’t a huge or deadly mountain, but it was steep and full of rocks.
“Since it’s winter… I suppose it’s lucky the leaves aren’t thick. We can see better.”
Caspian lowered himself, checking the surroundings.
“There are signs people have passed through. Not just footprints—something heavy was dragged. They definitely came this way.”
Kylen had just finished speaking—
When something flew past his cheek with a sharp sound and embedded itself in a tree.
An arrow.
“Enemy attack! Get down!”
At Kylen’s shout, the knights quickly ducked and looked for cover.
An ambush.
Despite the sudden attack, Kylen’s knights did not panic.
Kylen leaned against a boulder, gauging the direction of the arrows.
Judging by the low number of arrows, the enemy group wasn’t large.
He met Caspian’s gaze.
Caspian, hiding behind a tree, nodded.
Kylen raised one hand.
At the signal, Jared—the strongest knight—pulled the rifle from his back.
It was the kind used for Winterford’s winter hunts.
Jared loaded it, gave Kylen a nod.
Kylen dropped his raised hand.
Jared pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The explosion echoed through the mountains, sending birds scattering into the sky.
Startled by the counterattack, the archers faltered—the arrows stopped.
Kylen and the knights charged forward, swords drawn.
They reached the archers quickly.
“Three here! All subdued!”
“Two here! We’ve captured two!”
“One over here!”
Voices echoed from all around.
Kylen gripped his sword and glared down at the terrified mercenary.
“Are you the ones who attacked the village?”
“We—we’re sorry! Please spare us!”
It was too easy for people to apologize when their own lives were on the line.
Kylen sneered.
“Answer the question. Did you attack the village?”
“Y-yes! It was us! Just please—gah!”
Kylen redirected his blade, slicing the man’s shoulder instead of his neck.
“With what you’ve done, this shouldn’t even hurt.”
“Ahh! I—I’m sorry—!”
“If you even have a conscience.”
Kylen’s jaw tightened as he pressed his boot harder into the man’s chest.
He raised his sword—
“Your Grace.”
Caspian approached, dragging another mercenary by the hair.
“It seems the kidnapped villagers are safe. Another one confessed their hideout’s location. The knights went to retrieve them.”
Caspian clicked his tongue quietly at the murderous rage in Kylen’s eyes.
“For now… it’s better to keep them alive. We’ll need them when negotiating with the King of Obert.”
Kylen knew that.
But killing them felt like the only thing that would cool his anger.
He pressed harder with his boot.
The mercenary trembled and—wet himself.
Seeing the spreading stain, Kylen cursed and stepped away.
The mercenaries were completely broken.
Kylen, who had fought countless battles on the border, could easily tell.
He sheathed his sword and ran a hand through his hair, looking around.
The sun was already beginning to set.
There was no time to waste.
“We return to the village with the rescued people.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Kylen began walking down the mountain.
Thankfully, there were no casualties, and every kidnapped villager had been saved.
He had managed to keep the reckless promise he made to the little girl.
Yet his heart still felt heavy.
He wasn’t acting like himself.
He had seen terrible nobles and suffering commoners countless times—but this time, it shook him unusually hard.
At the foot of the mountain, just before mounting his horse, Kylen rubbed his neck and closed his eyes.
“Snort… huff…”
Sensing his troubled mood, the horse rubbed its face against Kylen’s neck.
“Yeah… yeah. It’s alright.”
Despite looking fearsome, the horse was affectionate.
Kylen stroked its nose, calming his stormy emotions.
The mercenaries were captured.
The kidnapped people rescued.
After interrogation and negotiations with the Obert King, he could return home.
He could keep the promise he made to April—to come back quickly.
Yes.
He would focus on that.
Kylen looked coldly at the mercenaries tied with ropes, then finally mounted his horse.
