43: Chapter 38: Desperate Rescue_2 43: Chapter 38: Desperate Rescue_2 “Mercenaries, halt!”
The attendant at the entrance of the large house stopped the three hired cavalrymen approaching with a contemptuous tone.
“Hmm?” The Spear Knight, hearing the call, looked up to see several mercenaries had arrived at the entrance of the large house.
One of them was carrying a plate laden with eggs, bread, and cheese, which was quite a feast.
Beside him, two others, one carrying a water jug and the other a small barrel of liquor.
“What are you lot doing here?” The Knight, without getting up, asked the three mercenaries in a proud and lofty tone.
“…Baron fears the girl might be hungry, and asked us to bring some food and drink along.”
Azeryan, carrying the plate, tried to relax his tone, bowed respectfully, and fortunately, the helmet and mask concealed the noble youth’s tension at the moment.
The Spear Knight sighed, thinking to himself how the Lord truly cared for the girl, sending food and drink with such concern.
He, who had served loyally and battled enemies, had never been afforded such consideration.
The attendant at the door glanced at his knight master, seeking instructions.
The Spear Knight waved dismissively to the attendant, his tone mocking, “Open the door.
Don’t let the little beauty starve.”
The two attendants, having received their master’s sardonic command, opened the door with suppressed laughter.
Behind the mask, Leon’s gaze sneakily sought a view inside the house.
Much to his disappointment, he didn’t see Olivia; there were corners on both sides of the village hall, and the girl might have been further back.
The three were about to step into the large house when they were suddenly blocked by the pole of the Knight’s halberd.
Leon, who had been following behind Azeryan, felt his recently relieved heart tense up again.
“My Lord?” Azeryan asked cautiously.
“Alright, we don’t need you here.
Hand the food to my attendant and go inside; be quick about it,” the Spear Knight dismissed them with a languid tone.
Although Leon couldn’t understand what the Kantadar Knight was saying to Azeryan in the lead, it was clear that the opposing party’s obstructive attitude was unambiguous.
Their last-minute plan seemed to have unexpectedly hit a snag after all.
Hearing the Spear Knight’s words, Azeryan’s expression twitched slightly behind his helmet mask.
He knew that Leon’s reason for bringing food was already the most suitable excuse they could find.
If they simply handed over the food to the attendants to pass on, they would have no other reasonable excuse to get close to this place.
It is said that necessity is the mother of invention, and Azeryan quickly came up with a plan.
He handed the food to Leon, who held the water jug, then snatched the small liquor barrel from Lokhak’s hands, presenting it humbly, with both hands to the Spear Knight.
“My Lord, I’ve had a taste of this village’s ale before, and the flavor is truly not bad, please accept.”
The Knight raised an eyebrow: “What do you mean?”
“Actually, we volunteered to help deliver the food and drink.
We heard that the girl killed several of our brothers and wanted to come over and satisfy our curiosity, to see what she really looks like.”
Azeryan spoke, fearing the other party would mistake their disguised mercenary identities for being too forward, and hurriedly waved his hand.
“No other thoughts, we definitely won’t touch her.
Just want to see what she looks like.
I bet with my brother that she must look like a witch with eight eyes and four legs.”
Weighing the small barrel of ale, the Spear Knight – though he would have scorned such poor quality liquor in normal times – appreciated any drink during the escapade.
Looking at the mercenary in front of him, bowing and scraping, even without seeing his face beneath the helmet, he felt much more favourable towards him.
“Alright, enough with the nonsense.
If she really had eight eyes and four legs, the Baron would have killed her outright, not kept her until now.
Go in, but don’t stay long.
you might try if you have the guts and wish to die.”
The Spear Knight laughed inwardly, these three pathetic mercenaries before him, if they had the strength to touch that girl, the Baron would have had them knighted and recruited into his Inner Court.
Azeryan took it as a threat and warning, nodding hastily in agreement and tilting his head back to signal Leon and Lokhak to follow.
Leon, listening to his comrade’s gibberish conversation with the Knight, saw that the latter finally lifted the halberd to let them pass, and the tension in his heart eased once more.
Carrying the food and water jug into the large house, they turned the corner, Leon looked around and finally saw Olivia tucked in a corner.
Truth be told, he was sad for the girl, yet he had mentally prepared himself for potentially horrific sights.
It’s not that he had such low expectations; given the Kantadar army’s vile character, it seemed unlikely they would spare a beautiful girl like Olivia.
Yet what he saw astonished him beyond belief.
Not only was her dress neat, but she also showed no signs of being bound.
In her hands, she even held a blood-stained long sword.
They did not even disarm her weapon!
How had the girl managed to negotiate with those brutal Kantadar people to receive such favorable treatment?
Seeing this, he even briefly wondered whether she really needed his rescue at all.
It was only when he saw Mr.
Brian Sr., the blacksmith, lying on a sackcloth mattress corner barely clinging to life, that he confirmed the girl was indeed trapped here.
Clearly, no matter how skilled her swordsmanship or negotiating abilities, it was impossible for her to escape with her seriously injured and unconscious father.