Chapter 26: Father and Son
No one questioned the source of this information.
Just by looking at the blood-soaked figure that Ion had thrown to the ground, it was evident that the person had confessed under the unbearable torture.
Giggs, in his panic, failed to realize this.
He instinctively trusted Ion's words because he trusted Yam.
However, both Yam and Akar knew that their father had once served as a vanguard scout in the Tyrella Kingdom’s army.
Back then, he was active on the jagged frontlines clashing with enemy nations.
To gather and verify intelligence, he had to master both interrogation and counter-interrogation techniques.
Therefore, Ion knew exactly how to pry open an enemy's mouth, especially those lacking experience and willpower. Once in Ion’s hands, they could only hope for a swift end.
“Lord Baron,” Ion spoke again.
“I…”
The urgency on Giggs’ face was genuine. He understood that the situation was extremely critical; every minute of delay meant another minute of danger for his father.
Finally, after taking a deep breath, he spoke in a solemn tone, as if making a significant decision: “Have all the assassins been dealt with?”
Yam had killed one, Akar had also killed one, and there was one lying on the ground. So, if Akar hadn't been mistaken earlier, there should be one more assassin.
“Probably…”
“They've all been dealt with.”
Before Yam could answer, Ion interrupted, speaking in a low voice:
“This group of assassins consisted of four individuals. Two were responsible for assassinating Young Master Giggs and Miss Lily, one was tasked with eliminating others within the castle, and their leader was assigned to guard the main gate to fend off any potential reinforcements.”
“After Akar and I took care of the leader, Akar stayed to guard the main gate while I entered the castle, following the trail. As expected, I intercepted and killed another.”
“The person on the ground is the assassin who previously attempted to kill Miss Lily. Seeing the mission fail, he tried to retreat and rendezvous with his leader.”
“Unfortunately, aside from their leader, the other three only knew basic information and were unaware of the mastermind behind the scenes.”
Ion methodically relayed the intelligence he had gathered, his logic clear and coherent, allowing Giggs to quickly grasp the origins of this assassination attempt.
The assassins had received orders to eliminate all survivors within White Forest Castle immediately after Red River Territory was breached, aiming to fabricate the illusion of internal chaos and rebellion.
Thus, upon arriving in White Mountain City, they had been moving around, making arrangements.
Even the previous defiance of Giggs' orders by those wealthy merchants, which rapidly deteriorated the city's security, had their involvement.
However, they hadn't anticipated Lily's swift and decisive actions, which quelled the unrest within days.
Yet, due to the severity of her methods, they found another opportunity: their insider within White Forest Castle was actually someone bribed by a wealthy merchant in White Mountain City, who opened the gates under the cover of night to let them in.
While infiltrating White Forest Castle covertly wasn't difficult for them, having an insider made many traces traceable, altering the narrative entirely.
Unfortunately for them, lacking accurate intelligence from Yam, they lost a member at the onset of their operation.
Furthermore, Ion and Akar's timely arrival led to the complete failure of their mission, costing them their lives.
Giggs didn't understand why the assassins waited until Red River Territory was breached before acting, but now wasn't the time to dwell on such matters.
“Yam, take Lily into the city to find a physician immediately!”
It wasn't that he distrusted Yam's earlier assessment, but clearly, Lily's condition would improve faster under a physician's care.
Without hesitation, Yam removed his coat to cover Lily's abdomen, then carried her in his arms, heading straight for White Mountain City at the foot of the mountain.
Ion and Akar were soon invited into the strategy room by Giggs.
Ion raised an eyebrow at this gesture.
He realized that Giggs was extending goodwill towards him and his sons, indicating that he would trust them just as he trusted Yam.
This made Ion view Giggs in a more favorable light. Similarly, Giggs' earlier command to Yam revealed his deep regard for family, leading Ion to suspect that the rumors of discord between Giggs and his father were either false or deliberately fabricated by the father and son duo.
Soon, Ion reached a definitive conclusion: the strained relationship was indeed a facade they had intentionally created.
Because once inside the strategy room, the first thing Giggs said was: “If only you and Lord Akar set out, could you escort my father back to White Mountain Territory?”
…
Red Lion Peak was a low mountain extending from the Crimson Ridge, a branch of the White Red Mountains.
With an elevation of less than five hundred meters, it was already considered one of the highest "mountains" within Red River Territory.
It stood opposite White Valley Peak, which also extended from Crimson Ridge but was located within White Mountain Territory.
Unlike White Valley Peak's valley terrain, Red Lion Peak had suffered a landslide due to an earthquake, creating a cliff that severed it from Crimson Ridge, resembling a solitary island suspended overseas.
Therefore, attempting to bypass Crimson Ridge via Red Lion Peak to enter White Mountain Territory was evidently impossible.
Ken Andar held his silver spear, his sharp eyes surveying the temporary "camp" atop Red Lion Peak. After confirming that everything was in order, he returned to his lord.
“Baron, please have something to eat.”
The pale-faced Lord of White Mountain Territory, Baron of White Forest Castle, shook his head slightly, his expression despondent: “What day is it today?”
“It's the eleventh day since we broke through the siege,” Ken replied without hesitation. “Those brainless fools! Winter had already arrived; if we had just held out a few more days, we could have ended the war!”
His tone was filled with indignation, clearly dissatisfied with those responsible for their current predicament.
The one-sided situation in Red River Territory had finally been halted with the arrival of reinforcements from White Mountain Territory's lord, Ster Bole.
Subsequent field battles, all won by Ster, significantly boosted morale, uniting Red River Territory from top to bottom and bringing the war to a stalemate.
As winter approached, the enemy's offensive waned, and soldiers from both Red River and White Mountain Territories believed the war was nearing its end.
But no one expected that, just before dawn, all gates of Red River City would suddenly be opened from within.
The allied forces of Gem Territory, Red Soil Territory, and Forest Territory, led by over a dozen Bloodline Knights, stormed in from different directions, capturing the Red River Territory's lord's mansion in the first wave.
Baron Will Tinsk of Red River Territory and his son died in battle on the spot.
However, because the allied forces focused entirely on the Tinsk family from the beginning, Ster Bole managed to break through and escape.
Even so, Ster paid a heavy price: another Bloodline Knight under his command and three Second-Tier Bloodline Users sent by Count Shuvaric to assist all perished during the breakout.
Only his own Knight Commander, Ken Andar, successfully escorted Ster away.
Yet, despite this, Baron Ster and his men were eventually cornered in the Red Lion Peak area by pursuing forces.
They had originally entered Red River Territory from White Mountain Territory by breaking through the enemy's blockade in this direction.
Unexpectedly, over the past two months, the enemy hadn't withdrawn troops from this blockade but had instead reinforced it.
The result was self-evident.
This became the final straw that broke them.
At that moment, Ster finally understood that they had stepped into a trap from the very beginning.
The enemy's goal wasn't just Red River Territory but also his White Mountain Territory.
Ster Bole glanced at his Knight Commander and, after a long sigh, slowly said, “It's futile. From the moment we got involved in this war, we were doomed. The enemy had already made preparations, so even with winter's arrival, we couldn't have won.”
“Why?” Ken's face showed disbelief.
“When we tore through the blockade set by Gem Territory between Red River and White Mountain, the enemy didn't withdraw their forces. Instead, they reinforced the blockade over time, indicating their intention to seize our White Mountain Territory as well,” Ster shook his head. “Looking back at the previous battles, the enemy commander was ruthless, sacrificing five Bloodline Knights to lull us into complacency.”
Upon hearing this, Ken fell silent.
He now understood the crux of the matter.
In wars involving Bloodline Users, unless the enemy's Bloodline Users were slain, it couldn't be considered a decisive victory, at most, just gaining the upper hand.
Their so-called great victories had each resulted in at least one enemy Bloodline User being killed, which genuinely boosted morale.
Amidst such hope and joy, when Red River City's gates were opened from within, and they faced an unstoppable invasion, even the lord perished. The ensuing despair was overwhelming and inextinguishable.
One could say that the greater the initial hope, the deeper the despair when the gates opened.
“Baron, we still have hope!” Ken gripped his spear tightly, speaking in a low voice.
“Although the enemy has reinforced the blockade, the forces pursuing us aren't their main army. They're currently busy suppressing other areas of Red River Territory, so we still have a chance to break through!”
Ster was well aware that the allied forces of Gem, Forest, and Red Soil Territories were preoccupied with plundering Red River Territory's wealth, leaving them no time to dispatch large armies to eliminate his forces.
But precisely because of this, they had continuously reinforced the blockade to prevent his return to White Mountain Territory. After all, with winter here, they lacked the capacity for further campaigns.
Therefore, as long as they trapped his forces here, they wouldn't need to send more troops; his entire unit would freeze to death on Red Lion Peak.
“The enemy has five Bloodline Knights stationed at the blockade, three Second-Tier and two First-Tier, not to mention over four hundred soldiers,” Ster shook his head.
“Even though we still have nearly two hundred soldiers, only you and I remain as Bloodline Users. We can't break through. …Ken, you're close to reaching Tier Three, aren't you?”
“Baron!?” Ken's face showed a trace of fear.
“If necessary, kill me,” Ster sighed, his expression bleak. “Then you can surrender to the Gem Baron. You will surely be valued, as he suffered the most losses in this war. …But I hope you can provide a path of survival for Giggs and Lily.”