Chapter 60: After the Battle
Yam carried Akar on his back and swiftly left the battlefield.
The manifestation of a Bloodline User's abilities did not come without cost.
However, under normal circumstances, the cost was negligible, merely a matter of energy and stamina.
As long as one was not severely injured or on the brink of death, a short rest after a battle was enough to recover.
Even during rest, one was not completely defenseless.
At the very least, an ordinary person would never be able to exploit the situation.
But under certain circumstances, the consumption of bloodline abilities could not be recovered in a short amount of time.
For example, that last arrow Akar had shot at Andre.
That arrow had completely squeezed out all of Akar's strength to its absolute limit, then unleashed it all at once in a single burst.
Though it had not harmed the root of his bloodline thus not affecting his potential or future growth he certainly could not continue fighting any time soon. He had even lost the ability to defend himself.
At this moment, Yam's expression looked terribly grim.
Previously, when Knight Commander Dean had assigned the defensive zones, he had intentionally separated the sectors between Yam, Akar, and Andre to avoid suspicion.
However, because Dean's main deterrent zone happened to lie in the direction where Yam and Akar were stationed, as long as the Antre Family wasn’t made up of fools, they would never attempt to break through in that direction.
This gave the two brothers the opportunity to circle back and launch a surprise attack on Andre.
What they hadn't anticipated was that in these eight months, Andre's strength had advanced so drastically.
If Akar hadn’t also diligently trained during this period, giving Andre an unexpected challenge, tonight’s ambush would have ended in failure.
However—
Though they had succeeded in killing Andre, their own problems had not ended.
With Akar no longer capable of defending himself, Yam certainly couldn’t just leave him behind.
Yet, they also had no way to explain Akar's current state.
Given Akar’s condition, it would be obvious that a major battle had taken place in his defensive zone.
But due to Knight Commander Dean’s earlier effort to avoid suspicion by placing emphasis on the defensive layout, that very measure now became the greatest flaw in their assassination plan.
Yam, sprinting with Akar on his back, suddenly came to a halt.
“Brother?” Akar, seeing Yam stop, gripped his warbow tightly.
Yam did not speak, but he set Akar down and reached for the hilt of his sword.
“It’s me.”
A flash of cold light streaked through the chaotic crowd ahead.
The surging cold air instantly froze those unable to evade into icy statues. As a figure slowly walked past these statues, they all shattered, scattering limbs and shards of ice without a trace of blood.
Atork appeared before the two brothers, holding a longsword with calm and elegant composure.
He first glanced at Akar, then looked at the distant red star cloud still raining fire, though the rain and area had clearly diminished.
Then he glanced toward the city tower before finally turning his gaze to Yam.
“I bear no ill will toward you.”
Atork sheathed his sword and said in a calm tone, “Andre is dead, isn’t he?”
Yam and Akar showed no change in expression.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yam.” Atork shook his head slightly. “The Kasein Family covets the Gem Territory and the Red Soil Territory. Only the Billy Family and the Antre Family are blind to it. Why do you think the Viscount of Forest was the first to rush to swear fealty to the Kasein Family?”
“Marquis Visen’s original plan was to appoint the Billy Family as the lords of Forest Territory. But because Viscount Cardon was too shrewd, and your earlier clash with Andre gave Anna an edge, Marquis Visen made the decision to abandon the Billy Family.”
“But as long as Andre and Shuke are alive, Anna cannot become the heir.”
“Now that Andre is dead, with no wife or offspring, even if Baron Hess is reluctant, he will have no choice but to designate Shuke Billy as the heir to the Gem Territory. But I doubt Shuke will live much longer either. That woman Monica may appear gentle, but her methods are far from simple. If I’m not mistaken, Baron Hess will likely have to hold two funerals soon.”
Yam and Akar still said nothing, showing no change in expression.
But in truth, they already believed Atork’s words.
Yam believed him because he had long been disappointed in the Kasein Family and now fully understood their ruthless nature.
Akar, on the other hand, had already heard from Anna that the Kasein Family planned to use this campaign against the Red Soil Territory to eliminate all legal succession disputes in both territories.
In other words, regardless of whether the Antre Family members were from the direct or collateral line, they were all to be eradicated; and on the Gem Territory side, Andre had to die in this war.
Before Baron Hess could return to the Gem Territory, his second son, Shuke Billy, was also to be killed within the territory, Akar even suspected that, were it not for needing Baron Hess to announce Anna’s legal inheritance, he himself would not have survived this battlefield either.
As for why Baron Hess had to declare Anna's inheritance rights, instead of taking preemptive action and having Anna announce it herself afterward, it could only be said that the Kasein Family still wanted to preserve a final shred of decency.
“I hold great expectations for you two,” Atork spoke again when the two brothers remained silent. “The Senels Family also needs allies in the Red Eagle Territory.”
“We brothers are merely Bloodline Knights.”
This time, Yam finally spoke.
But with those words, he clearly established their positions.
He, Yam Soderbell, had sworn fealty to Giggs Bole; while his younger brother, Akar Soderbell, had sworn fealty to Anna Billy.
Thus, Yam’s meaning was very clear: if the Senels Family needed allies, they should negotiate with Giggs Bole and Anna Billy, not with them, mere Household Knights.
“Giggs Bole, I’ve been observing him for a month. To be honest, he is not a qualified lord,” Atork shook his head.
“But you’re right. Perhaps I should find an opportunity to talk with Baron Ster. After all, when you return to the White Mountain Territory, Baron Ster will also come to understand how ruthless the Kasein Family truly is, won’t he?”
Yam said nothing.
But it was just as Atork had said. Once he returned to the White Mountain Territory, he would certainly inform Lily and Baron Ster about the Kasein Family’s ruthless methods, so they would remain on guard.
After all, if Marquis Visen were to act like Count Shuvaric, then many people would surely die, and for Yam, who was about to become a father, this was something he could not ignore.
“Now, to show my sincerity, I’ve already captured two Bloodline Knights of the Antre Family for you. As long as you kill them, if Baron Hess causes trouble later, I’ll speak on your behalf. Then Akar’s injury can be concealed,” Atork said slowly after glancing at Akar. “Besides, with Lord Dean around, I believe he will surely choose to support you too. …Don’t you agree?”
Neither Yam nor Akar replied.
But Yam knew, if he wanted to protect Akar, then Atork’s offer was something he truly could not refuse.
…
When dawn approached faintly—
The chaos in Red Soil City that had lasted most of the night finally came to a complete end.
Though the undisputed victors were the allied forces of lords from the Red Eagle Territory, their losses were by no means minor.
Among the four Third-Tier Bloodline Knights, Karen Hod had been severely wounded by Viscount Ross Antre’ final, suicidal charge and was still unconscious.
Viscount Cardon was also significantly injured. Only Dali Stone and Baron Hess Billy remained unharmed.
But the most severe losses were among the Second-Tier Bloodline Users.
Yam Soderbell was lightly wounded, Akar Soderbell was severely injured, and in addition, one Second-Tier Bloodline User was gravely wounded and near death, while two others were killed in battle.
One of the dead, of course, was Andre Billy.
When Baron Hess heard the news, the joy on his face froze completely.
He clearly could not believe that his eldest son, the future heir of the Gem Territory, had died.
But when he saw Andre’s severed head, his body riddled with all kinds of wounds, his clothes stripped off entirely, and his death exceptionally tragic, he lost control on the spot.
Without a doubt, Andre’s corpse had been desecrated and humiliated after death.
Many residents of Red Soil City had vented their rage and fear upon him.
Yam knew that later, whether to appease Baron Hess’s fury or to calm his hysteria, the residents near the street where Andre died would not be spared.
They would inevitably be buried alongside him. But at the same time, he had to admit, this unexpected outcome greatly benefited them. At the very least, it helped clear much of their suspicion.
Yam and Akar did not participate in the post-battle reckoning or merit discussions.
As the representative lord of the White Mountain Territory and someone adept in diplomacy, Giggs naturally took charge of those matters.
Yam simply tended to Akar in the camp.
After all, his injuries weren’t serious, just a matter of exhaustion.
But upon learning that, by the war’s end, including those executed in Baron Hess’s vengeful purge, over three thousand residents of Red Soil City had died, Yam still felt sorrowful.
These civilians had nothing to do with the conflict. The war had stemmed solely from the interests and disputes of the noble elite.
Yet because they were born on the losing side, they had to endure such suffering and hardship.
Yam truly couldn’t feel happy.
But when he saw Giggs excitedly speaking about the benefits the White Mountain Territory had gained from the war, he could only force a smile and offer his congratulations.
“By the way,” Giggs, seemingly still immersed in the exhilaration of his first battle, did not notice Yam’s sadness, “Lord Atork Senels said he’d like to visit our White Mountain Territory later for an exchange and to discuss commercial cooperation between Bayor Territory and our land. Do you think… could we take this opportunity to request military support from the Senels Family?”