The raging fire illuminated the dark sky, and the blood was crimson.
The battle had started abruptly, but in stark contrast, it had ended quietly.
Unknowingly, the sounds of fighting and roars became sparse and almost inaudible. The movements of the combatants gradually changed from fierce swings to precise stabs, and the last hit.
The orcs at the very front fled further and further away. They ran out of the sand dunes and the illumination of the fire, disappearing into the night.
The Stardust Unit, who were charging back and forth, gradually stopped. They reined in their horses amid the corpses and blood on the ground to check and confirm the results of their battle.
On the other side, the Kroma Family's cavaliers had long since gotten rid of the orcs at the rear. They met up with the Stardust Unit in a mighty manner.
But all of this had nothing to do with Thales and the human captives who were being escorted down.
They were not ignored.
After the battle ended, the cavaliers with single-winged ravens painted on their robes and shields rushed up the small sand dune. They chased the orcs down the sand dune unceremoniously after they berated and chased them away.
Thales believed that if they showed even the slightest bit of resistance and dissatisfaction, the group of unhappy cavaliers would not mind drinking more blood with the weapons in their hands.
Hence, the people in the merchant group, including the mercenaries, became captives for the second time. Under the close supervision of a team of Kroma Family cavaliers, they obediently walked down the sand dune and walked towards the messy battlefield.
"Walk faster, desert bandits!"
A cavalier with a longspear urged impatiently.
"We are not desert bandits, honorable sir," Tormorden tugged at his collar and protested sternly.
Perhaps because he was no longer facing the ferocious and evil orcs, the master of the merchant group regained a lot of his courage.
"It's a merchant group! A legitimate, legal, and qualified merchant group! My ancestors used to be … "
The cavalier with the longspear smiled.
"I'm not an adult. My ancestors for seven or eight generations were probably farmers. As for you …"
"The people of the Great Desert, desert bandits, merchant groups, and exiles." He shook his head while he rode on his horse. "Do you know what's different about you to me?"
Tormorden listened attentively.
"The answer is," the cavalier said coldly, "I don't know.
And I don't care. "
Tormorden's smile froze a little.
In the next second, the knight's spear struck Tormorden's butt.
"So move your ass, desert bandit!"
As Tormorden screamed miserably, the group of people anxiously arrived at the center of the battlefield.
The fire caused by the Eternal Oil was much smaller, but it was still burning, illuminating everything around it.
The Kroma Family's cavaliers laughed brazenly as they cleaned up the battlefield. Quite a number of people cast their gazes on them, and the malicious gazes in their eyes made them feel uneasy.
"Wait here." The knight put away his spear and stepped off the saddle. He said coldly, "The lords will decide how to deal with you."
"My God." Tormorden panted. He covered his butt with one hand and wiped his sweat with the other. He whispered among the captives, "These people are practically barbarians … Listen, we have to match our statements. We didn't come out from Blade Fangs Dune, but from the Tower of Eradication to the south. That's why we didn't know about Constellation's blockade order …"
"Desert God … Seth." Dean sighed. "Do you think they don't know our background?"
Tormorden was slightly taken aback.
"They have two squads, the Kroma Family and the Stardust Unit. One of them is lying in ambush in the distance and attacking from different directions. This means that they planned this a long time ago."
"This group of Constellatiates might have discovered us a long time ago. I'm even willing to bet that they know that our merchant group came out from Blade Fangs Camp." Dean looked at the cavaliers around him.
"They only followed the trail of the camp we left behind from a distance. Their goal was to make us bait those cunning orcs, and they did it. Our merchant group made those orcs lower their guard. If it wasn't for that fire, this would have been a perfect pocket. They would have slowly closed it under the cover of night and captured all the orcs who were sleeping soundly on their spoils of war and supplies. "
Louisa's expression was unpleasant. "They used us as bait?"
Dean sighed and nodded. "So, I suggest that you tell the truth. Don't try to hide it."
Tormorden opened his mouth wide in disbelief. "But our goods …"
"Who cares?"
Mickey interrupted him coldly, "Do you know how many people we've lost?"
"We shouldn't have come this time, or we should have turned back yesterday."
This sentence made everyone in the merchant group fall silent.
A group of soldiers surrounded the place where the cavalier walked towards with torches in their hands. Two officers, who were dressed differently from ordinary soldiers, stood on the ground. They led their horses and discussed something loudly.
It was worth noting that the Constellatiates stood on two sides, and there was a clear distinction between them.
One side was surrounded by a stern-looking young noble under a single-winged raven flag.
The other side, which included the freak squad, held the Stardust War Flag and followed behind a strong officer. Thales recognized him. This officer's left arm was slightly thicker than his right. He was the 'boss' of the freak squad, the one who had just killed an orc Holy Guard with a single punch.
Thales exhaled a long breath and thought about his next step.
Constellation's army was right in front of him.
According to the original plan, the people from the Secret Intelligence Department would bring him into the desert and meet up with Constellation's army. But now …
The Kroma Family's conscripts, and the Stardust Unit, which was the regular army of the royal family.
'Can these people be trusted?
If I reveal my identity at this time … will it be a wise choice? '
"What are they talking about?" Quick Rope narrowed his eyes. "They look like they're arguing?"
Thales looked up and saw that the argument between the two officers was getting more and more intense.
Old Hammer stared at him for a while and shook his head.
"I'm not surprised. In the Western Frontlines, conscripts and regular soldiers have never mixed together."
"Are they on bad terms?"
"Let me put it this way." Old Hammer coughed. It was obvious that he had not fully recovered from his injuries just now. "In Blade Fangs Camp, if a suzerain's conscript and a regular soldier of the royal family enter the same latrine pit …
"Usually, only one person can come out after wiping his butt clean."
Quick Rope asked in puzzlement, "But they're all Constellatiates, and they're even guarding the same camp. Why are they so …"
"The current King of Eckstedt and his brother share the same mother." Old Hammer snorted softly.
"When he stabbed his brother to death, he didn't show any mercy."
The Barren Bone man shook his head. "Bloody Thorn Lizard."
This sentence reminded the captives of something. Soon, no one said anything else.
The officers' argument finally came to an end.
"So, this is the merchant group?"
A gentle voice was heard. The 'boss' who had said 'f * ck your mother' on the battlefield clapped his hands and walked forward.
Thales noticed that the so-called 'Freak Squad' stood behind this officer.
"That bonfire party was really lively. There were 'sounds' and 'colors'." The so-called boss spoke in a Western Desert local accent. He waved his hand at the burning Eternal Oil in the distance and said with a steady expression, "Who's in charge here?"
At that moment, Thales thought that he had returned to dozens of minutes ago, when he was being interrogated by the orc Kandarll.
The captives looked at each other.
"Respected sir." The master of the merchant group finally exhaled. He put on a smile and took a step forward. "I am Seth Tormorden, sir. I often travel the trade route from Blade Fangs Camp to the Three Kingdoms of the Mystery Sea. My ancestors once served under the Virtuous King —"
"I am Duro." The leader of the Psionics looked at Tormorden. He swept his gaze over the dozen cautious people in the merchant group, but he interrupted him without showing any respect. "I am Cusack Duro, but I am not a lord. My ancestors were farmers for three generations, until Baron Williams chose me to become one of his vanguards and lead a small team."
Tormorden instantly felt a little awkward.
But he quickly changed his mind and immediately clasped his hands together. His face was full of admiration. "Oh, so you are the baron's …"
At this moment, the young noble from the Kroma Family exhaled impatiently. "Hurry up, you freaks. Don't waste time. Haven't you wasted enough today?"
Thales suddenly noticed that this was the knight who gave the order to "leave no one alive" on the sand dune. By the looks of it, he was the commander of the Kroma Family.
When he heard the word "freak", Captain Duro turned to the young noble. His smile did not diminish, but his eyes shone with a cold glare.
"Baron Gurtz, according to what we agreed on, can I negotiate with you?"
The young nobleman, Guz, shrugged.
"Whatever."
Duro nodded. He then turned around, narrowed his eyes, and carefully sized up the merchant in front of him.
"Eternal Oil."
The Psionics' next words made Tormorden tremble slightly.
He pointed at the burning camp in the distance. "How much oil did you get to start a fire of this scale? Ten barrels? Twenty barrels? "
At that moment, Tormorden smiled awkwardly and ingratiatingly.
He looked left and right, and his gaze kept moving between the flames and Duro. "Sir, we-we just met some illegal smugglers on the way and bought the oil. I mean, we can't let it flow into the Great Desert, right? But I swear I didn't participate in any … "
Dean sighed quietly behind him.
"Bullsh * t."
"Aside from those orcs just now, our people have already cleaned up the surrounding area." Duro snorted coldly. "You braved the blockade order to bring this Eternal Oil out of Blade Fangs Camp, Tenny."
Tormorden's expression froze. He did not even care that Duro had called his name wrongly.
"I can tell that you are not a small merchant group of five or six people.
I bet that if we search your goods, we will find a lot of contraband goods. "
"Smuggling banned goods into the Great Desert, and under the blockade order …" Duro sighed, and his gaze became fierce. "I don't think this is a legal business activity.
You know, it can be convicted. "
The captives frowned.
Tormorden panicked. "Honorable sir, we —"
The leader of the Psionics raised a finger and stopped him from speaking.
"But at least you helped a little and slightly distracted those gray mixed breeds." Duro slowly raised his head and revealed a heart-warming smile. He nodded in approval. "For our victory …
"We made a small contribution."
Hope reappeared on Tormorden's face.
"It's what we should do, what we should do. To be able to help you, sir … I am very ashamed …"
He was a little excited. "So …
"But you still let the orc leader escape," Baron Gurtz said coldly, and he sounded like he was in a difficult position. "It's all thanks to your 'touching' tactical cooperation, Stardust Unit."
The smile on Duro's face disappeared. "We will discuss this issue later, Baron Gurtz.
Not now. "
Gurtz snorted coldly.
Thales was deep in thought as he watched the two groups of people who stood on two sides and seemed to be in a stalemate with each other, as well as the two commanders who seemed to disagree with each other in their words.
Duro turned his head around and looked at Tormorden, who was at a loss.
He smiled and said, "So, even though your violations of the law are despicable, Tenny, I am still willing to put in a good word for you in front of the judge and give you a chance to choose."
'A chance to choose?'
Thales frowned slightly.
He noticed that the "freaks" behind Duro looked at each other and smiled mysteriously. Opposite Duro, Baron Gurtz looked to the other side in disdain.
Tormorden sucked in a breath, and tears almost filled his eyes.
"Sir! Thank you very much … By the way, my name is Tormorden, not Tenny … "
The leader of the Psionics accepted his gratitude with a smile. "So, Tenny …"
"Colluding with the enemy, being a spy … Which of the two crimes will you choose?"
His words stunned the entire group of captives.
'Colluding with the enemy?'
'Spy?'
Even Thales could not help but be stunned. He wondered if he should reveal his identity.
Tormorden widened his eyes. "What?"
Duro sighed.
"Don't be surprised, Tenny. Judging from the large pile of resources you have as evidence, you will definitely be charged with these two crimes, and it will be enough for you to be sent to the Prison of Bones." The leader of the freaks in the Stardust Unit looked at them with a troubled expression. He then smiled. "But I still gave you a choice. You can choose one of them. Isn't that great?"
Tormorden's face turned from red to green.
"No, no, no, sir, I swear … we are not … you can't … we … make a small contribution …"
While Tormorden was rambling incoherently, Duro raised another finger!
"But!"
The captain's eyes flickered slightly. "If there is not enough evidence, I think it will be very difficult to establish the crime, and the judge will not be able to do anything to you."
Tormorden froze.
"Not enough evidence? What … what do you mean? "
He stared at Duro, not knowing why.
"Look? Your Eternal Oil is almost used up. "Duro sighed and pointed at the burning camp in the distance." Without evidence, I don't think the judge will be able to make things difficult for you regarding the smuggling of Eternal Oil. "
Tormorden stared at him in a daze.
Duro walked forward and wrapped his thick left arm around the merchant's shoulder. He brought him around in a circle, unable to resist, and took in the scene around him.
It was the camp and small tents set up by the merchant group. The goods piled up there were scattered during the fierce battle, and the ground was in a mess.
"But look at your surroundings. Your goods … Be it smuggling, violating the blockade, or contraband … By the Sunset Goddess, you still have so much evidence of your crimes here. Even if I want to help you get rid of your crimes, it will be very difficult to prove your innocence …"
Duro patted his shoulder with a stern expression. "Do you understand?"
Once he said this, Dean and Old Hammer's expressions instantly became strange.
Tormorden looked at the goods around him. His lips trembled, and he was speechless.
Duro wrapped his arm around Tormorden's shoulder like a brother and stared at him emotionally.
A few seconds later, Snake Shooter, who was behind Duro, shrugged. "I don't think he understands, boss."
On the other side, Baron Gurtz could not help but laugh.
The Psionic instantly felt a little awkward.
He sighed, let go of Tormorden, and pushed him back into the ranks of the captives in disappointment. His thick left arm made Tormorden stagger. "Alright, then, the two crimes of collaborating with the enemy and being a spy …"
As Duro spoke, the Constellatiate soldiers beside him placed their hands on their weapons.
Thales was shocked.
At this moment, Dean took a step forward.
The mercenary stomped on Tormorden's foot and whispered into his ear, "Give it to them!"
Tormorden shuddered and immediately reacted.
"I understand!"
He squealed like a pig being slaughtered and raised his hands high. "I understand! I understand, sir! "
His voice was so loud that it spread through the sand dunes around them.
It caused the soldiers who were cleaning up the mess to turn their heads repeatedly.
Captain Duro, who had his hands on his hips, paused for a moment before he slowly raised his eyes.
"You … really understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
At that moment, Tormorden's face was full of grief, but he answered without hesitation. He spread his arms and gestured at the camp around him. "Goods … all of our merchant group's goods, everything from the sixteen merchants, from pots and utensils to spices and seeds, from clothes and jewelry to precious collections … Take all of it, take all of it! We don't want anything! As long as, as long as you let us go safely … "
The merchants' faces immediately turned gloomy.
But Duro did not reply with a smile as expected.
The squad leader let out a painful sigh and slapped his forehead with a look of exasperation and disappointment.
"Oh, my … No, you still don't understand!"
The captives stared at him in shock and bewilderment.
Duro put his hand down with a disappointed look on his face.
He raised his voice. "Take your goods … and let us take them?"
Duro's face was full of resentment. He continuously slapped the hilt of his sword and armor with both hands, making loud sounds. Tormorden was so frightened that he kept retreating. "Do you think that His Majesty's army will covet your things, your belongings, even if it's just one copper coin? What do you take us for? Corrupt officials who accumulate wealth or shameless bandits?
"It's hard to imagine that this is the image of the great kingdom's army in your hearts?
"Sunset Goddess, we are Constellation's army. We have our own rules and creeds, and we exist to protect the kingdom and its people!"
The leader of the Psionics paced back and forth, as if he could not understand the captives' thoughts. His righteous look made many people feel ashamed.
The more he spoke, the angrier he became.
"Don't insult us like this, alright?!"
The captives were dumbfounded as they stared at the leader of the Psionics who spoke righteously.
"What's wrong?"
Dean asked in a low voice, puzzled. "Does he think it's too little?"
"I don't know," Old Hammer answered him while coughing. "That's all the merchant group has."
Tormorden stared at Captain Duro, who flew into a rage and sighed in hatred. He looked at the others in fear and asked for help, but the other Constellation cavaliers looked at him calmly.
"If you are not satisfied, I still have a sum of money after we return to Blade Fangs Camp …"
Duro stopped moving.
He spread his hands and stared at Tormorden in disbelief, as if he had seen the most unbelievable thing in the world.
"What are you doing, Tondi?
You actually … tried to bribe me? Bribe me? Bribe the glorious kingdom's army and His Majesty's soldiers? "
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