NOVPUB
Chapter 65: 65:So, Who Is It?
The night air was thick with the scent of blood and charred remains. The battlefield, though now silent, still carried the echoes of clashing steel and dying screams. The knights moved through the wreckage, retrieving bodies, some their own, some their enemies. The work was grim, but necessary.
Ramos emerged from his tent, stretching his stiff shoulders as he surveyed the aftermath. His sharp eyes swept over the gathered men, then he called out, "Are you all done?"
"Yes, Sir!" Chandler, the senior knight, responded immediately, his voice carrying over the weary soldiers. He turned to his squad. "Clean up the battlefield!"
A younger knight hesitated. "Should we just throw them?"
"No," Ramos said, his tone firm. "Bury them. Leaving bodies out attracts beasts and predators. The last thing we need is some poor traveler getting mauled because we were careless."
Nearby, Chris sat on the ground, wincing as he pressed a hand to the deep scratch running along his back. The sting was sharp, but what annoyed him more was how easily he had been struck.
Baret crouched beside him, watching with mild amusement. "How does it feel?"
"It hurts like hell," Chris grumbled, trying to keep his pride intact despite the pain.
Baret chuckled. "That’s how it is. Fighting means getting hurt. Unless you’re so strong no one can touch you, pain is part of the job. Learn to endure it, or you won’t last long as a knight."
Chris exhaled heavily and nodded. "I understand."
Before he could say anything else, the sound of something heavy dragging against the dirt made everyone turn.
A man emerged from the darkness, dragging a body across the ground, leaving behind a trail of blood.
Chris’s breath caught in his throat. Even the older knights stiffened.
It was Kael.
He walked with his usual arrogance, his boots kicking up dust, his cloak fluttering slightly in the wind. He had one hand gripping the unconscious body, and despite the effort it should have taken to haul a full-grown man, he moved like it was nothing.
Chandler, the old knight, stepped forward and stood before Kael making him frown.
"Sir Chandler."
"What happened?"
They frowned wondering if Chandler was gonna confront Kael for some reason but to everyone’s shock dropped to one knee, giving Kael a salute.
Kael stopped, raising an eyebrow. "The hell is this?"
Chandler kept his head bowed. "Sir, we have taken care of the assassins who attacked us."
Kael smirked. "Good. So why the sudden change in attitude?"
Chandler lifted his head, meeting Kael’s gaze with something close to respect. "Because you warned us. If not for your warning, we would’ve been caught off guard. No matter how strong we are, an ambush like that could’ve cost us lives. You saved us from unnecessary casualties."
At his words, the other knights exchanged glances before one by one, each of them bowing their heads toward Kael.
The young lord’s smirk widened. He glanced at Ramos, grinning as if to say, "You hear that, old man? I’m a hero."
Ramos rolled his eyes. "Don’t let it get to your head."
Kael tossed the body forward, letting it hit the ground with a heavy thud. "He’s not dead. Patch him up. We need him alive for questioning."
.......
SPLASH!
"KUAHAHAH!"
Fabi gasped, jolting awake as cold water slammed into his face. His vision was blurry, his body aching all over. The last thing he remembered was that crazy bastard—Kael.
"Who—Where—?" he mumbled, trying to process where he was.
A voice answered from the side, lazy yet filled with amusement. "It’s me, your daddy."
Fabi’s eyes darted toward the fire, where two figures sat. One was an old grumpy bastard sipping from a bottle, while the other...
His breath hitched seeing Kael.
He tried to get away but he was chained.
Sitting there, chewing on a piece of roasted meat, looking like he was having the time of his life.
Before Kael could speak, Ramos jumped up.
"Hey bastard...Tell me do you know me?"
Fabi squinted his eyes staring at the old man and then shook his head causing a burst of laughter.
"SHUT UPPP!"Ramos shouted.
"Old man, calm down.Anger isn’t good for your health."
"Calm my ass! I am gonna kill him."Ramos spoke with a mad glint.
"You can but before that..."Kael paused with a smile.
’FUCKKKK!’ Fabi screamed in his mind. ’I shouldn’t have taken this job. Everything about this guy was wrong!’
Kael swallowed his bite and leaned forward. "So, which assassin group do you belong to?"
Fabi clenched his jaw and stayed silent.
Kael tilted his head, chewing slowly. "Huh. Judging by your fighting style, you’re more of a mercenary than an assassin. No finesse, just brute force. Whatever." He shrugged.
"Doesn’t matter. Let’s cut to the chase which motherfucker sent you?"
Fabi felt a chill run down his spine at the way Kael’s voice dropped. His deadly eyes glowed in the firelight, and for the first time, Fabi truly understood this guy wasn’t normal.
He gritted his teeth and forced out, "Even if you kill me, I won’t tell you anything."
Kael blinked, then turned to Ramos with a confused look. "Now, what kind of bullshit is this? Since when do mercenaries grow a spine?"
Ramos scoffed, taking a swig of his rum. "Who knows? This bastard clearly has a few screws loose. Unfit for being a mercenary leader."
Kael nodded. "Yeah, makes sense. You gotta know when to bend if you wanna survive."
Ramos smirked. "Exactly."
Kael turned back to Fabi, studying him like a piece of rotten meat. "Alright, buddy, let’s do this another way. You got kids?"
A silence followed.
"A wife?"
No answer.
"Parents?"
For the briefest second, Fabi’s eye twitched. But just as fast, he buried the reaction.
Kael’s grin widened. "Oh? So, you DO have someone, huh?" 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
Kael got up, grabbing a piece of meat and tossing it aside. Then, without warning he grabbed a fistful of Fabi’s hair and yanked his head back.
