The Mad Dog of the Duke's Estate

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

A massive explosion rippled through the battlefield, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.

Caron slowly helped Hans, who had shielded him, to his feet.

"...That was actually dangerous," Caron muttered. A deep crater had formed where Zion's body had been, showing how narrowly they had escaped death. The unease Caron had felt earlier now made sense. It had been a premonition of this very moment.

"Dangerous? You almost died. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even have a scrap of flesh left," a voice echoed in Caron's head.

Caron instantly recognized the voice. He remarked aloud, "I didn't know you had a voice function."

"Of course I do. I'm no ordinary sword," the voice replied haughtily.

"An Ego Sword?" Caron asked, recalling some legends he had heard. Those were swords that had been forged by mad blacksmiths using souls as material. Considering that Guillotine had been the sword of the first head of the family, it seemed plausible.

However, the sword itself didn't take kindly to the comparison. It said, "Call me an Ego Sword one more time, and I'll cut off your head on the spot."

Caron smirked and retorted, "If you were going to kill me, why didn't you just let me die? Seems like all you do is talk."

"This bastard..." the sword grumbled.

Recognizing Guillotine's irritation, Caron decided to drop the subject for now and said, "We can discuss this later. There are more pressing matters at hand."

Caron stabbed Guillotine into the ground and took a deep breath before checking on Hans. Blackened blood trickled from Hans' mouth, which was a clear sign of internal damage. But at least he was still breathing. Hans had channeled his mana to create a protective barrier just before the explosion, sacrificing himself to shield Caron.

"That explosion was way too close. I managed to contain most of it so it doesn't affect other areas, but if it weren't for that guy, you'd probably be in a coma at best," Guillotine murmured.

As Caron listened to Guillotine, he took a look at the battlefield. The battle was over, but the scene before him was odd. Only three enemy corpses remained. The rest had left small craters where they once lay.

"...A chain of self-destructions?" Caron speculated.

"It looks like the work of a dark mage, probably of at least the 7th Circle. Damn mages, they were crazy back then, and they're still crazy now. I had to waste my stored mana because of those bastards. Ugh," the sword grumbled.

One thing was clear. Just as Guillotine said, this place could have been Caron's grave. Caron frowned as he let out a deep sigh.

Not long after, the Oceanwolf Knights and Leo came rushing over.

"Young Master Caron!" the knights called out.

"Caron!" Leo shouted.

As the adrenaline subsided, fatigue began to set in.

"Caron, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?" Leo asked in a trembling voice. He was covered in cuts, but he anxiously checked Caron for injuries.

"Thanks to Hans, I'm fine," Caron reassured him. Then he turned to Ian, the squad leader who had arrived with Leo, and asked, "What's the damage?"

Ian responded in his usual stoic tone, "Three casualties from the last explosion. The rest of the men are still capable of fighting."

"...There are still many survivors, then. How are the people on the train?" Caron asked.

"The explosion's range was contained, so everyone on the train is safe," Ian confirmed.

"That's a relief. I'm fine, so take care of Hans first," Caron instructed as he passed Hans to Ian before sinking down to the ground, utterly exhausted. He looked at Leo and added, "Leo, help the squad leader clean up the battlefield. I need to sit for a moment. I'm completely drained."

"Alright, but call me if anything happens. Okay?" Leo replied.

"Grab a potion for those cuts on the way. There should be some on the train. Bring me one too while you're at it," Caron said.

"Just wait a bit. I'll be right back." Leo nodded, then quickly headed back toward the train.

As Leo walked away, Caron noticed the bloodstains on the other boy's sword. A small smile crept onto his face as he nodded to himself and said, "Leo has grown up."

"You've got an old soul. Not like your ancestor, Rael. Then again, you're a guy who reincarnated, so it's not that surprising," Guillotine's voice rang in Caron's ear.

Caron gave the sword a light kick and asked, "How did you know I reincarnated?"

"It's alright. They're not hostile," Caron reassured him as he recognized the trident emblem on the riders' armor. It was the symbol of the Thebe Autonomous Territory.

The soldiers dismounted, and their leader stepped forward and introduced himself. "It's an honor to meet you. I'm Hyri, Captain of the Vigilante Corps of the Thebe Autonomous Territory."

"I'm Caron Leston," Caron responded.

"I deeply apologize that the esteemed Ducal Family of Leston has been caught up in such unfortunate circumstances. The mayor has ordered us to escort you and ensure your safety by any means necessary," Hyri said earnestly.

With the train destroyed, there were no other options. The best course of action was to wait in Thebe until they could contact Azureocean Castle.

Caron nodded in agreement and said, "We have many wounded. Please take good care of them."

And just like that, an unexpected turn of events added a new leg to their journey.

***

Some of the Oceanwolf Knights, along with a few of the Vigilantes, stayed behind at the site of the overturned train to investigate the scene. The rest of the group headed directly to the city under the protection of the Vigilantes.

Inside the jolting carriage, Hans, who had regained consciousness, frowned. He said, "I'm not sure going to the Thebe Autonomous Territory is the right decision."

"You're right, but we don't have any other options. We can't move while we have dead and wounded. This is the best we can do for now, Hans," Caron replied.

Hans sighed heavily.

"At least Thebe will be safer for now. The imperial guards must have already set out from the capital, and I've already contacted Sir Zerath. So let's just wait until Sir Zerath arrives, since he's on his way," Caron added as he pulled a piece of jerky from his pocket and chewed it thoughtfully.

The fact that a direct descendant of the Duke's family had been attacked was an unprecedented emergency. Ever since Halo became the head of the family, nothing like this had ever happened. Azureocean Castle was likely in turmoil by now. It would be foolish to make any rash moves without fully understanding the situation. It was better to wait until the full picture was clear before acting.

"Leo, have some jerky," Caron said, then tore off a piece and handed it to Leo.

Leo took it with trembling hands and replied, "...Thanks."

It seemed that the reality of having killed someone had just begun to sink in for Leo. The first kill was always like that. Even if one had to kill to survive, the guilt didn't completely disappear.

This was something Leo would have to overcome on his own. No words of comfort could help him with this. It was a necessary process on the path to becoming a knight. For someone like Leo, who had been raised in comfort, this would be a painful growth experience.

Raising a kid isn't easy, Caron thought as he patted Leo's back silently before turning his attention back to Hans.

"You seemed to know the 6-Star knight who blew himself up earlier. Who was he?" Caron asked.

"Zion Hakimi. He was a knight of the Pajar Sultanate," Hans replied.

"The Pajar Sultanate... This is going to be a headache," Caron muttered.

The Pajar Sultanate was a neighboring country that shared a border with the empire through the Silent Desert in the east. As neighbors, they naturally had a strained relationship. The fragile peace had been maintained through a non-aggression pact personally negotiated by Halo. But in recent times, it wouldn't be surprising if the treaty had been broken.

But even so, this doesn't make sense, Caron thought. He and Leo were still relatively unknown, with no real significance beyond being the grandsons of Grand Duke Halo. There was no reason for the Sultanate to target them and risk proposing a war. It was sheer madness.

"What do you think, Hans?" Caron asked.

Hans sighed and shook his head, then said, "Even though relations between the empire and the Pajar Sultanate have deteriorated, they haven't reached a point where they'd do something like this."

"But the evidence we've seen could still serve as a justification for war," Caron noted. Despite the flimsy nature of the act, the fact that the attackers had not only targeted members of the Leston family but also committed treason by sabotaging the railway made it undeniably severe.

"Getting to the capital is much more difficult than expected," Caron sighed, sinking back into his seat. In truth, discussing this with Hans now held little meaning. It wasn't his decision to make. That responsibility fell to the elders of the family, including Halo.

"We're almost there," came the voice of Hyri, the Vigilante captain, from outside the carriage.

Caron turned his gaze to the window. They were approaching a bustling city filled with tall buildings, the second most prosperous place in the empire after the capital. This was Thebe, the heart of the Thebe Autonomous Territory.

As Caron looked at the grand entrance to the city, he clenched his teeth and muttered, "Damn, it's too fancy."

"...I agree," Hans responded.

A storm was going to hit this place soon, whether they wanted it or not.