~Chapter 53~
After hearing the soldier’s rambling, there was nothing useful to gain.
The soldier they had captured only knew that they had received some food and were trying to leave.
“What was their size? Where were they heading?”
“The size… wasn’t that big. They were leading a few dozen people… just moving around. As for the direction, I’m not sure. We were just moving. Sir Shane said there was a place to shelter us, but I don’t know where.”
“It must have been tough to survive.”
“…We had to steal food sometimes.”
“So, it seems like a group of bandits is on the move.”
Reports about carts being attacked and villages being raided had been coming in more frequently than usual, especially from the outskirts. It seemed like they were the ones behind it all.
The soldier’s shoulders slumped, and he tried to explain further.
“Sir Shane said he couldn’t go back on his loyalty to the Finikel family.”
“His honor ended the moment they started raiding innocent people.”
The soldier seemed to lose his confidence, unable to say more.
“The lord, though… I think he tried to persuade them to surrender. Then, I heard you… were coming, my lord.”
But Cedric’s arrival had coincided with Sir Shane’s unfortunate decision, which led him to distrust and kill his own ally.
There was nothing more to hear from the soldier. Cedric turned to the knights who were organizing things.
One of the knights, who had gone to check the tracks, returned.
“There’s another road on the other side, it looks like it goes around the mountain and down the opposite side. There are many footprints.”
Cedric looked at the cloudy sky. His breath was visible in the cold.
“It’s the right direction, heading toward the bottom of the mountain. They’ll regroup there and leave in two days. So…”
“If we don’t return by that time, they’ll know we’re onto them.”
At this point, the hunt had already begun. If they let them slip away, they could disappear into thin air again, but it was uncertain where they would go.
If they froze in the harsh winter, they wouldn’t survive, but the man leading them seemed to be someone they could rely on. It wasn’t certain.
Cedric paused in thought, and one of the knights asked cautiously.
“Shall we track them now?”
“No.”
The timing was off, especially with the weather being so unpredictable. They had already moved deep into the mountains, so it was better to turn back now.
They couldn’t risk losing their people without knowing the size and strength of the enemy.
Time was still on their side.
“For now, we’ll return.”
***
As Cedric headed back to the estate, his thoughts were troubled.
What seemed like a successful suppression had actually exposed his weaknesses in leadership.
The fact that they refused to surrender showed that their loyalty was a façade. True loyalty couldn’t have been shown after raiding innocent people.
‘I still don’t have control over this vast territory…’
That’s why they were able to roam freely. If Lord Noheel had been in charge, would he have dared to act that way?
If Cedric’s father had been here, Noheel would have feared the consequences. He would have reported and waited for instructions. No one would have dared to act without orders.
In fact, no one would even have thought of resisting in the first place.
“Sir, you’re back. The lady has been waiting for you, worried.”
It was then that Aaron, the knight Cedric had left behind to protect Eileen, rushed up to him as soon as they arrived back at the estate.
“What happened?”
Cedric snapped out of his thoughts and dismounted. The snow was thick beneath his feet, but it would melt quickly with the midday sun.
Everything around was still. Thankfully, the heavy winter snowstorm hadn’t arrived yet.
‘I’d rather it come now.’
That way, the enemy’s movements would be slowed down, and they would have a higher chance of being wiped out. At least they had a safe place to shelter. The enemy only had caves.
“Did something happen?”
Aaron hesitated as he responded to the seemingly casual question.
“There’s nothing wrong. But someone has come to visit.”
“…Someone came? Who?”
“I’m not sure. But someone who looked like a noblewoman came out of the guesthouse where Lord Rotner’s caravan is staying.”
Aaron had secretly gone to check it out. Eileen had told him not to follow her, but he had broken her command while she was alone. However, he had done it for Eileen’s safety.
“Was she armed?”
“No. I didn’t see her face, but she had attendants, and she seemed slow in her movements. She seemed older.”
“Alright. That’s enough. You can go now.”
Cedric stopped, taking a deep breath after Aaron left to rejoin the knights.
‘Eileen…’
Had she moved without telling him? The thought stirred a complex emotion in him.
“Does she have something against me?”
He wasn’t sure what to think. Eileen always did things her own way. He often felt frustrated, not knowing where her thoughts were leading.
It would be nice if she told him what she was thinking.
‘I wish she was my enemy, at least I could understand her actions.’
But that wasn’t the case. The problem was that Eileen didn’t act with hostility. She just moved on her own, leaving him in the dark.
***
Eileen stood in the courtyard of the estate. The snow continued to fall, and the cold was creeping in, but she didn’t feel like going inside.
She didn’t know why Cedric was so late, and it made her anxious. Aaron had gone outside to check the situation for her.
‘Can he really find out what’s going on…?’
She had realized that she should have insisted on him taking more knights with him. She understood why he had left so many behind, but now she wished he had taken more.
With Theorn Arwyn still at the estate, Eileen felt somewhat safe. It wasn’t because she believed in his kindness, but because he wouldn’t go out of his way to risk things for the Lowells.
At least he could protect her if something happened.
‘Maybe I’ll have to use that hidden card…’
She thought of using Theorn to help find Cedric, but at the moment, it didn’t feel like the right time.
“Eileen.”
Just then, a familiar voice broke through her worried thoughts, and she felt a wave of relief.
She turned to see Cedric standing at a distance, looking at her. He seemed fine, and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with him.
He had been outside long enough that snow had piled up on the fur cloak draped over his shoulders.
“Cedric. What happened? The atmosphere was strange. Why are you so late…?”
“Lord Noheel is dead.”
Cedric looked down at Eileen, then said a few words without emotion.
“…It wasn’t an accident, was it?”
Eileen asked, her voice gradually calming. The silence between them confirmed her suspicion.
If it wasn’t an accident, then it meant Lord Noheel had been killed by someone.
What seemed like an easy resolution had unexpectedly become complicated.
