Chapter 147: Acting

After the Red Eagle Territory came fully under the control of the Kasein Family, while it couldn't be said that the people lived in abundance, their lives had certainly improved compared to before.

This was especially true for the Red River Territory and the Gem Territory.

A few years ago, even though the war between the Red River Territory and the Gem Territory had ended, the chaos within the Gem Territory had not seen much improvement. It wasn't until Anna became the lord of the Gem Territory that the public order throughout the territory rapidly improved at a visibly noticeable pace. Consequently, the Red River Territory also experienced virtually no roaming bandits or brigands, making its public safety relatively stable as well.

Thus, when Monica had Knight Foss escort Arka back to the White Mountain Territory along with a group of guards, it was merely a formality.

Throughout the journey, there was no need for Foss to even display the banner of the Kasein Family—they didn’t encounter a single bandit.

About half a month later, the convoy finally arrived at White Mountain City.

Because Foss had previously arranged for a messenger to send word ahead, both Lily and Ion were already waiting at the city gate when the convoy arrived.

“Father.” Arka quickly approached along with Foss. “This is Knight Foss. I encountered some trouble over in Kalel Village this time, so Miss Monica specially arranged for Knight Foss to escort us back.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Knight Foss.” Ion greeted and saluted Foss kindly.

“You’re too polite, Lord Ion,” Foss replied, a faint trace of surprise flashing in his heart as he looked at the one-armed elder. “I was merely fulfilling my duty as a knight under Miss Monica. It wasn’t any trouble at all—it’s simply my responsibility. … Regarding the series of incidents your grandson encountered in Kalel Village, I extend my sincerest apologies on behalf of Miss Monica and the Kasein Family.”

“This was not Miss Monica’s fault, nor the fault of the Kasein Family,” Ion said with a look of humble surprise. “Rather, it was Arka who was too impulsive. I’m deeply grateful that Miss Monica chose not to pursue the matter.”

Foss gave a slight nod and didn’t delve further into the topic.

He turned to look at Lily, then said, “You must be Baroness Lily Bole? It’s an honor to meet you.”

“You’re too kind, Knight Foss,” Lily responded with a smile and returned the greeting.

Although Lily was currently only a Second-Tier Bloodline User, she was the lord of the White Mountain Territory and a legitimate baroness of the Tyrella Kingdom. Therefore, even though Foss was a Third-Tier Bloodline User, his noble rank was still a step below Lily’s in the aristocratic hierarchy. Thus, he naturally had to salute her upon meeting.

However, in informal situations, noble lords like Lily, who had weaker strength than their counterparts, generally did not act overly arrogant, so as not to create an awkward atmosphere.

“Why don’t I see Lord Yam?”

“My husband suffered some injuries, so he’s currently recovering. I apologize that he couldn’t be here to greet you,” Lily said with a trace of concern on her face. “However, he’s already able to move about, so once we return to the Lord’s Manor, I believe you’ll be able to meet him.”

“Lord Yam is injured again?” A look of surprise appeared on Foss’s face. “What happened? Before I departed, Miss Monica specifically instructed me to ask Lord Yam about some matters.”

“Sigh,” Ion let out a light sigh. “Lord Foss, Yam had indeed intended to report some things to Miss Monica. But since you’re here now, you can relay the information to her as soon as possible. … I only learned about this after returning to the White Mountain Territory and meeting with Yam a few days ago.”

Hearing Ion’s words, Foss’s expression grew noticeably more serious.

At that moment, Jinna had already brought Aches down from the carriage and was walking toward Ion.

The others also began disembarking one by one.

Previously, when Foss had arranged for a messenger to send word, Arka had already explained the general situation. So naturally, Lily had made appropriate arrangements by now.

She gestured to two Bloodline Knights, who then led a guard squad to begin handling the matters concerning the others. Although White Mountain City had gradually become more prosperous over the past year, it still had a substantial population gap. Therefore, it wasn’t particularly difficult to settle this group of people. It was just that Lily had the two Bloodline Knights handle it personally, as a gesture of respect toward Aches’s family.

“Aches, this is your grandfather, Ion Soderbell,” Arka introduced Jinna and Aches. “This is Baroness Lily Bole, the lord of the White Mountain Territory, and also your second aunt.”

“This is Jinna, Arsen’s wife.”

“This is Aches Soderbell, my eldest brother’s son.”

Jinna and Aches were still not accustomed to their new identities, so when faced with someone like Lily, a territorial lord, their expressions were naturally filled with fear. They hurriedly greeted her, terrified that any improper behavior might offend such a prominent figure.

However, Lily was not a harsh or arrogant person, so she responded with great warmth and friendliness. “Your second uncle is currently injured and unable to move freely, but he’s waiting for you at the Lord’s Manor. Once we return, you’ll be able to see him.”

“Y-yes,” Jinna replied quickly.

After sensing Lily’s warmth and gentleness, Aches also felt far less nervous and had gained some courage.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group soon set out once more.

The Lord’s Manor in the White Mountain Territory couldn’t accommodate so many people, so the guards brought by Foss could only stay in the military barracks.

Foss, meanwhile, accompanied Jinna and her son to the Lord’s Manor.

At the manor, Aches soon met the second uncle he had heard so much about.

The bearer of the Red Eagle Sword—Yam Soderbell.

But contrary to the image Aches had formed from the stories he had heard along the journey, Yam’s face at this moment was quite pale. The sense of weakness radiating from his body was so evident that even Aches could feel it, not to mention the others. What struck Aches as unbelievable, however, was that despite his clearly ailing health, his second uncle sat upright at the head of the reception hall with an imposing aura—so much so that Aches felt it was even more formidable than his third uncle Arka’s.

“Aches, come here, let me have a good look at you.”

When Yam saw Aches, a visible blush appeared on his pale face—the kind of flush that came from overwhelming joy.

Aches obediently stepped forward and called out to his second uncle.

Yam patted Aches with a smile and said, “Good child. … Let Lily take you and your mother to eat first. We’ll have plenty of time to talk later. Right now, I have some matters to discuss with Knight Foss.”

With that, Yam also greeted Jinna.

As for his sister-in-law, after reading the letter Arka had sent, he felt nothing but respect for her.

After all, raising a child alone during the three-year war in the Red River Territory, without ever considering remarriage—just that alone earned Jinna the respect of both Yam and Arka.

Soon after, Jinna and Aches left with Lily leading the way.

The reception hall was left with only the two brothers, Yam and Arka—Ion, being “in the know,” had naturally left first, as he still had many things to discuss with Jinna and Aches.

“Knight Foss, please, take a seat,” Yam said, gesturing to a nearby chair.

“Lord Yam, what’s going on with you?” Foss looked at Yam, sensing that his weakened condition wasn’t an act but the result of genuine, severe injury. He asked anxiously, “What exactly happened?”

“Forest Witches,” Yam said in a low voice. “After my last conversation with Miss Monica, I started to suspect something, so I began secretly investigating within the White Mountain Territory. And sure enough, I found traces of the Forest Witches.”

“Forest Witches!?” A flicker of shock crossed Foss’s face.

“Yes.” Yam nodded solemnly. “There were eight of them, but they operated in two separate groups. I don’t know what they were plotting because they refused any communication. So when we encountered them, they attacked us outright.”

“So your injury… was from fighting the Forest Witches?”

“Yes.” Yam nodded again. “They attempted to enter the Eastern Mountain Territory through the White Mountain Territory, so we tried to intercept them. The result… could be said to be half a success.”

“Half a success?” Foss frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

“At the cost of one knight and dozens of brave warriors, we killed five Forest Witches. But the remaining three still escaped,” Yam said in a grave tone. “I ordered a pursuit, but after losing more soldiers, we completely lost their trail. Based on the final intelligence, it appears they fled to the Red River Territory—and I suspect someone was helping them.”

“This is such an important matter, why didn’t you tell me!” Arka interjected with visible frustration.

“I heard that your Gem Territory had also run into some trouble, and you and Anna were already overwhelmed. Besides, at first I didn’t think this would become a big issue, so I didn’t request assistance from the Gem Territory,” Yam sighed, then said to Arka, “If Father hadn’t told me that your problems in the Gem Territory were already resolved, I actually wouldn’t have asked you to fetch Aches.”

“Yam!” Arka snapped. “Do you even consider me your brother!”

“It’s because I consider you my brother that I didn’t ask you,” Yam shook his head gently. “Arka, you’re now the Household Knight of Baroness Anna Billy. So I can’t ask you to help with everything like before—it could easily cause misunderstandings with Baroness Anna. Do you understand?”

“Just like this time, didn’t the Gem Territory also get attacked?”

“If I had asked for your help beforehand, and the attack ended up causing major losses to the Gem Territory, then when Baroness Anna held you accountable, your position would have become very difficult. Do you understand what I mean?”

Foss turned with a serious expression and looked at Arka. “The Gem Territory was attacked as well?”

“Yes.” Arka replied grimly. “A group of magical beasts suddenly emerged from the Withered Wood Forest and attacked Ruby Village. They even nested within the Gem Territory, causing problems for many of our people. … Though the problem was severe, the gain was substantial. After Lord Anna put in a great effort to exterminate all those beasts, their materials were packed up and entrusted to Lord Joshua for delivery to the Red River Territory.”

“However, the timing of the attacks in the Gem Territory was very suspicious, so Lord Anna ordered an investigation. According to the findings of Shunes, the attacks by those magical beasts were deliberately orchestrated—someone was trying to destabilize the Gem Territory. But we haven’t identified who, because once we exterminated the beasts, all leads were cut off.”

Foss nodded, then swiftly stood up. “I understand. If there’s nothing else, please allow me to depart immediately.”

“I understand.” Yam nodded. “These matters don’t seem simple. I hope Knight Foss can report all of this to Miss Monica as soon as possible. Please forgive me for not being able to see you off personally due to my condition.”

“No problem.” Foss nodded. “I’ll prepare to set off now. However, the guards are very tired from the journey. I hope they can rest here for a day and depart tomorrow.”

“Of course.” Yam nodded. “I’ll inform Lily.”

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