Chapter 104: Arrogance
Chapter 104: Arrogance
In the woods outside the Sterwin Farm's fence.
Valen's face was etched with anxiety.
Just moments ago, he thought he could not only rescue his daughter but also raid a child trafficking den.
However, upon contact, their group of seven or eight was repelled by just two guards at the entrance.
Yes, merely guards!
This realization dawned on Valen, and he quickly understood that the enemies inside were extremely powerful. He had likely discovered not just a den but a crucial stronghold or even the main base of operations.
Without hesitation, Valen dispatched the short Matteo to report to Lord Hamilton and request reinforcements.
"Boss, look! Two carriages are coming out from the back door of the farmhouse!" A Night Watchman responsible for observation whispered to Valen.
A squad of cavalry approached swiftly from the south, and almost simultaneously, a man in black robes slowly emerged from the second floor of the farmhouse.
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"Why didn't you say so earlier!" The Hammer Man sneered and lifted the little girl Abi up by her collar as if she were a mere object.
But letting them leave just like that was unbearable.
"Captain!"
"My apologies, I didn't expect to have captured the wrong person. What's your daughter's name? We'll release her immediately." The Black Flame Mage seemed slightly embarrassed and bowed slightly, speaking with a gentlemanly smile.
"Finally, a formal Knight. This might be a little troublesome. I wonder if they will accept my goodwill." A man named Mort, clad in black robes, muttered to himself.
"Yes, let's wait a bit longer. Lord Hamilton should be here soon."
Rain nodded, about to say something, when one of the Night Watchmen recited, "Night approaches, I am the night's sword, the empire's shield."
At that moment, the other children's eyes, filled with longing and anticipation, widened as they gazed at Lord Hamilton, Rain, Valen, and the other Night Watchmen in their uniform attire.
Suddenly, one of the children lunged forward, determined to rush to the rescue.
"Abi!" Valen's eyes flickered, stuttering a couple of times before finally uttering the name.
Just then, an excited elite Night Watchman beside Valen shouted, "Lord Hamilton and his men are here!"
"Alright, Captain, if Lord Hamilton doesn't arrive within five minutes, we'll accompany you." An elite Night Watchman, brimming with fervor, spoke up.
Lord Hamilton stared intently at the middle-aged man in black robes, his gaze lingering on the man's cuffs and collar for a few seconds.
Lord Hamilton didn't speak but recalled his brief encounter with a Black Flame Mage in the City Capital.
The man's demeanor and attitude were remarkably natural, showing no signs of guilt for engaging in child trafficking, which was against imperial law.
Soon, the seven or eight mercenaries on the other side seemed ready to depart, and they prepared to leave Sterwin Farm with the carriages.
One of them pulled back the black curtain at the rear of the carriage and shouted, "Who is Abi? If you are, nod your head!"
This further confirmed Valen's suspicion that the other party had deep connections within the noble circle of the City Capital and could even influence job assignments at his level.
Keff chuckled, removing the cloth gag from Abi's mouth and untangling the ropes binding her.
Then, he turned to Valen with a smile, saying, "Don't worry, your daughter will be back with you soon."
"It seems she's not in this carriage." Keff, the Hammer Man, grumbled as he was about to lower the black curtain.
The other children also seemed to be hoping for a rescue, just like the lucky girl.
Valen focused his gaze and noticed that the men were either in plate armor or chainmail, better equipped than the elite Night Watchmen.
"Wait, Captain, you're walking into a death trap. If their guards are this strong, their main force must be even more formidable!"
"Yes, if I die, Abi..." Valen's eyes lost some of their redness.
First, the enemies were incredibly powerful, and if a battle ensued, casualties would be heavy. Moreover, the fate of the twenty-plus children was uncertain.
Suddenly, a little girl whimpered a few times before quickly nodding repeatedly, her eyes filled with joy and fear. Following her gaze, Valen realized she was looking directly at him.
"Over my dead body! My daughter is still in your hands, you scum!" Valen couldn't help but roar.
Time ticked by, second by second.
"Oh? Is that so?" The Black Flame Mage was clearly taken aback but quickly burst into laughter.
The man with the hammer on the carriage shouted, "As you wish!"
Meanwhile, the other man glanced at Valen's group with a hint of provocation, his lips curling in a sneer.
This was the first time Rain had encountered such an arrogant individual.
"However, I'll only wait five minutes. If Lord Hamilton doesn't arrive in five minutes, don't try to stop me."
"But if you sacrifice yourself, what about Abi?"
"Abi must be in the carriage." Valen's eyes turned red at the thought of his daughter being so close. He slapped the tree trunk beside him.
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After Lord Hamilton and Rain arrived, they quickly exchanged greetings with Valen, who briefed them on the situation. Then, they turned their attention to the man in black robes standing at the farmhouse entrance.
"This is the Sheriff of our Shiny Gold Town, Lord Hamilton!" A short man named Matteo, who seemed a bit resentful of the other's attitude, said loudly.
Although the carriage was not close to Rain and the others, it was only a few dozen meters away, so almost all the Watchmen could see the scene inside the carriage clearly.
Seeing his daughter Abi found and returned, Valen was overwhelmed with joy.
"I'll go first!" Valen's expression turned solemn, and he turned to look at the other Watchmen and said.
Also, since that battle, his position as patrol captain in the county city was adjusted, and he was transferred to Shiny Gold Town as the sheriff.
At this moment, Rain also got a clear look at the other party's face, with narrow eyes that gave off a sharp, venomous snake-like aura. "Sheriff, I have a suggestion that would benefit both of us. I wonder if you're willing to hear it out." The Black Flame Mage spoke calmly, as if he were the official representative of the Empire.
Hamilton remained silent, his face expressionless as he stared intently at the other party.
However, the two elite Watchmen beside him immediately grabbed their captain tightly.
The other party's 'understanding' made Hamilton hesitate for a moment.
"These two are the kidnappers. I'll hand them and this hideout over to you, so you won't have come here in vain. Plus, it'll be a merit on your record." The Black Flame Mage glanced at the two men kneeling on the ground beside him and gestured.
It turned out that the little girl Abi didn't understand the situation at first and was afraid to admit it. But through the gap in the curtain, she saw the familiar figure of her father, and she nodded repeatedly.
"The enemy is strong. I'll hold them off for a while to stall them. You follow them from a distance, and let Lord Hamilton avenge me!"
Valen immediately looked up and saw two black carriages with large compartments slowly driving out of the farmhouse.
"Huh! You actually know us? It seems you're not an ordinary Knight." The Shadow Mage finally took a more serious look at Hamilton.
"Keff, go and bring over a little girl named Abi." The Black Flame Mage called out.
The Black Flame Mage clearly believed that releasing the little girl Abi was a significant concession.
Perhaps it was because he himself was also of commoner origins, unlike those born into nobility. "Can you take down this guy while I hold off the others and rescue the children?" Hamilton turned to look at the group of Watchmen, speaking softly, but his intense gaze through the visor lingered the longest on Rain.
Valen was deeply moved by this. He patted the young man's shoulder, wanting to say something but couldn't bring himself to speak.
"Sheriff, look, we can leave now!" Mort said with a smile, waving his hand to signal the Hammer Man and another burly man guarding the two gang members to leave.
Valen's heart was filled with impatience.
The other party walked at a leisurely pace, exuding a sense of composure as if strolling in their backyard garden.
Seemingly sensing something, he slightly raised his head and looked towards the south."
Each carriage was pulled by a pair of horses, and besides the two drivers who seemed to be the guards they had fought before, there were four or five fully armed mercenaries guarding the carriage.
The other party possessed the formidable physique of a formal Knight, along with the mysterious and powerful black flames, which had caused him a significant setback.
"Hmm," Hamilton frowned at these words, but considering certain reasons, he had to suppress his anger.
Rain could sense that Hamilton's left hand, which held the shield, tightened, indicating that the so-called Black Flame Mage was incredibly powerful, powerful enough to make even Hamilton wary.
This caused the elite Watchmen to change their expressions, their eyes slightly reddening as if a sense of humiliation washed over them.
"Then, we'll go our separate ways, a perfect plan, right?" The Black Flame Mage smiled.
Rain knew that this was a kind of arrogant condescension, a disdain for all the Empire's law enforcers present.
Upon hearing this, Valen's struggling body momentarily froze.
Although it was a question, his tone and actions were more like a notification rather than a genuine consultation of Hamilton's opinion.
"Even if Lord Hamilton eventually rescues Abi, how heartbroken she'll be if she finds out you're gone!" Another elite Watchman immediately came over to persuade.
"As a Lord and Sheriff, to watch helplessly as they take away over twenty children, Hamilton felt he could never get past this hurdle in his heart."
Subsequently, he waved his hand, and a plate armor-clad burly man emerged from the farmhouse, dragging two men who were crying and pleading for mercy.
The Black Flame Mage glanced at the agitated Valen and said, "Looks like this must be the little girl. Keff, let her go."
He then led her directly to the Black Flame Mage's side.
Inside the carriage, numerous children sat tightly packed, their hands and feet bound, and their mouths stuffed with cloth, resembling pigs awaiting slaughter.
Following him, the other elite Watchmen also recited in low voices, "I am the Dawnbreak Tower, illuminating the peace of the night."
Their voices grew louder!
"When danger looms, I am the Battle Horn, awakening the spirit of combat. I pledge my loyalty and fear not death."
At this moment, the voices of the twenty-plus Watchmen in the room had merged into a torrent, not deafening but filled with determination that caught everyone's attention.
(End of Chapter)
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