Chapter 20

"Dear Sally, the team is supposed to set off for Finks Village tomorrow as planned, but Uncle Smith, whom I need to find, seems to be returning only tomorrow. To avoid delaying the journey, would you go there today with the team?"

To outsiders, the young Earl Francis was always polite to his sister Sally, speaking and acting with impeccable grace.

He had sea-blue eyes and a handsome face. Even though he was not dressed in his finest attire, he still exuded an aura that commoners could never match.

Sally, standing before him, was sixteen years old, at the prime age for a girl's development. Her platinum blonde hair shone brightly in the sunlight, and her skin was very fair, without a single freckle that most children her age would have. With an oval face, the light gray linen of her dress was the same as that of the nearby peasant women, but her slender figure gave her a unique charm.

In response to Francis's words, Sally, who had been waving to some children in the distance, turned her head and said softly, "So... I need to go to Finks Village alone today?"

"It seems there's no other choice. Uncle Smith has helped me a lot—this sword, for example, was forged by him." Francis took off his sword and stared at the well-maintained blade in the sunlight. "This is my first sword, and it has been with me for over ten years, witnessing my growth in swordsmanship."

"Then I should thank this blacksmith properly." Sally smiled, revealing two adorable dimples. "But, to be honest, don't you need me to stay with you?"

To outsiders, this was a perfectly normal conversation between an innocent little girl and her brother. However, only Francis noticed the hint of mischief in Sally's eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm better suited to ride a fast horse. Father didn't let me ride in a carriage, and now he's making you suffer too—speaking of which, I still have reservations about Father's decision." Francis laughed and changed the subject, not intending to answer directly.

In the end, Sally didn't press further. She casually reminded him to be careful and soon set off with five guards and a maid for the next village.

Francis watched his sister's retreating back, his gaze gradually becoming focused, and his lips tightened slightly.

His eyes lowered, and the young earl's face seemed to show a hint of struggle. But he finally clenched his teeth, took out a letter written on grass sandpaper from his pocket, read it again, and tore it into pieces. He murmured a spell, summoning a small flame in his palm, and slowly burned the grass sandpaper, which only orcs would use, to ashes.

In the distance, the girl on horseback gently pulled the reins, as if suddenly remembering something. She turned to a middle-aged guard beside her and asked, "Uncle Gerson, how many years has it been since you last saw an orc?"

Sally was accompanied by five guards and a maid on her way to Finks Village. Gerson, the captain of the guards, was one of the veterans who had watched the young girl grow up. Though his physical condition was past its peak, his combat experience and knowledge far exceeded that of the young soldiers around him. After hearing Sally's question, Gerson thought for a moment and replied, "It must have been thirteen years. The last time I fought those guys, I got a scar on my knee, which still hurts when it rains."

"That must hurt... I'm sorry for reminding you of these things," Sally apologized sincerely, and Gerson, who knew her well, understood her kindness and did not reject her apology. Instead, he asked curiously, "Why did you think of these things, Miss Sally? Do you think the orcs will appear in the border villages?"

Sally shook her head but thought for a moment before asking, "If—hypothetically—if orcs were to raid the village, do you think the village's defense forces are sufficient to protect it?"

She still had a curious expression, but no one could see the coldness in her eyes.

"To be honest, after visiting these villages, I don't think they have the capability. The scouts set up by the Duke here are not a combat unit; they have no real fighting power. They are only for early warning and reporting. They have no ability to resist orcs," Gerson frowned. "Do you think there's a danger?"

After so long, Gerson did not look down on Sally because of her young age. In fact, after being with her for so many years, he was the one who understood her capabilities the most. So with just a few questions, he sensed something unusual.

"Finks Village is the most prominent and the closest to the orc kingdom's fort, Coen. I just had these thoughts, which led to these questions."

If it were any other girl her age, no one would know the exact location of Finks Village, let alone the name of the orc empire's fort. However, Sally spoke calmly and naturally, as if she were reciting a well-known fact. Her beautiful eyes glanced back, deep in thought.

Gerson, the veteran, was not naive enough to think that war would always stay away from the country. His understanding of orcs made him more aware of the validity of Sally's concerns. So he frowned and asked in a low voice, "Miss Sally... should I send someone to contact the people at Conseton Fort?"

Sally nodded, her eyes squinting as she looked into the distance.

"We should send someone to contact them, but I hope the gates of the fort won't refuse my request for protection."

...

As night fell, the fog spread, and the stars in the sky disappeared, replaced by a misty haze. The sound of hooves broke the silence, abruptly echoing outside Finks Village.

This might have been the first time Rodi showed some unease in front of the scouts.

He had rushed from Noland Village, thirty kilometers away, in just one hour. His mood had been intense, as he learned from the farmers around the village that Sally and Francis were about to arrive.

Thus, all of Rodi's questions and assumptions fell into place.

The tragedy he remembered from the past was likely to happen tomorrow.

He recalled the date mentioned in the orc letter—if the plan hadn't changed, over fifty orcs would attack, and the village would have no means to resist.

Rodi had few options. Requesting reinforcements from the fort? Perhaps Carter still held such hope, but Rodi knew it was too late.

He was familiar with the rules of the noble lords of Calen Kingdom—pulling a team from the fort required a noble of at least a baron's rank to write a letter and seal it with their emblem, proving their identity and intentions. After approval, the fort would begin a recruitment process, which could take anywhere from three days to a month. The standard procedure was already cumbersome, and if a border village scout ran to the fort claiming an emergency and requesting immediate support, no one would listen.

What if the orcs came suddenly?

No one considered such a question—"The war is over, and now is a time of peace." Everyone believed this.

So as Rodi looked at Finks Village, his mind was complex.

"Ultimately... it's come to this..."

A letter he thought was unrelated to him had made him busy again. Rodi took a deep breath, drank some water from his water sack, and splashed it on his face. He turned to the scouts beside him and said, "Once we enter the village, wake up every household immediately. Tell them they must pack and leave by midnight, or they will face certain death. Understand?"

"Yes!"

The soldiers on horseback were tired but serious, showing no signs of negligence.

Rodi then handed the forged letter to Ruge, instructing him and Carter to give it to the lieutenant of the scout team in the village and to coordinate the actions. The scout team was part of the Luciferon family's private army, so the fake letter written in the name of Lieutenant Soding would be useful.

With the tasks assigned, the team immediately began their work. The scouts rushed to various parts of the village, knocking on doors and loudly announcing the impending orc attack. This "act first, explain later" approach was necessary for Rodi, as he had no time to debate with those who might oppose him. Even if he were held accountable later, he could still blame Lieutenant Soding.

Rodi himself rode directly to the manor of Finks Village. With two curved swords at his waist, metal arm guards on his arms, and a horn bow on his back, Rodi looked far more imposing than the other scouts. If not for the emblem on his chest, anyone would have thought he was a private guard of the Luciferon family.

"An emergency letter from Anderson, something big has happened!"

Rodi feigned panic, speaking in a hurried tone. He had just splashed water on his face, making him look as if he were sweating profusely. He raised the letter he had written and waved it at the servants coming out of the manor, saying, "Let me in quickly, this is very important. If we delay, no one will be able to take responsibility!"

This behavior was clearly not a joke, and the servants, who dared not take responsibility, quickly led him into the stone main house of the manor. The manor's steward, Hall, frowned deeply, looking unhappy.

Just that morning, a scout from Noland Village had come to tell him that orcs would attack the village...

"Are you out of your mind?"

This was what Hall said when he kicked the scout out. He was angry because the scouts were part of the Luciferon family's private army, and their duties and obligations did not interfere with Lord Kirk's manor. What right did they have to come and meddle in Lord Kirk's affairs?

So when he saw the emblem on Rodi's chest, he was ready to dismiss him, saying, "What do you—"

But at that moment, another servant suddenly pushed past Rodi and rushed into the room.

"Steward Hall, Miss Sally's team has arrived!"

This statement immediately silenced Rodi, as he saw Hall's attention shift away from him, and he walked out without another word.

Clearly, compared to the Duke's children, Rodi was not someone Hall would give any face to. Rodi was left standing there, unable to say anything about helping the villagers evacuate...

The letter from Anderson was still in his hand, and he hadn't even had a chance to show it.

Hey... these snobbish bastards.

Rodi understood that his status was not enough to catch the eye of a manor steward. After cursing silently, he turned to go and urge Ruge and Carter to act quickly, planning to find Miss Sally and explain the situation—after all, time was short, and as long as he could get the villagers out of their houses, the rest would naturally fall into place.

But he didn't expect to run into someone he never thought he would see...

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