The Lord Of Blood Hill

Henwell turns to Monroe, "Defense Officer, why do you say that?" His half-smiling, half-serious gaze makes Monroe instinctively look away.

Then, he lifts his head to meet Henwell's eyes. "Arius, you might not know, but those damn bandits have their bases across the border. The nearest point to the border from here is only seventy miles. By the time we catch up, they'll already be there."

Henwell replies coolly, "So, the ambush I faced from these bandits is just going to be brushed off? Is that what you mean, Officer Monroe?"

Monroe quickly shakes his head, "Of course not! Arius, rest assured, this isn't just an affront to you; it's a challenge to the entire order and rules of Peace Haven. You should go back and recover. This matter won't be left unresolved; I'll make sure you get an explanation!"

Henwell steps forward, casually breaking off a crossbow bolt embedded in his armor, and taps Monroe's chest with the broken arrow. "Translate for me, what does 'an explanation' mean?"

Monroe, clearly flustered, struggles to find an answer. Henwell presses the broken arrow harder, "Translate it! What the fuck does 'an explanation' mean?"

Under Henwell's pressure, Monroe finally responds in a low voice, "I will bring the head of the mastermind bandit leader to the young master!"

Henwell tosses the broken arrow aside and chuckles softly, "Really? That's your explanation? What kind of fucking explanation is that? That's just a brush-off! Now, let me tell you what a real explanation is, and how exactly I want it!"

With that, Henwell grabs the spear embedded in the pile of bodies, sweeps it across his chest, breaking all the arrows lodged in his armor. He shouts to his guards, "Mount up! We're chasing down those bandits! Leave no one alive! Kill them all!" Fresh chapters posted on novel※fire.net

Henwell strides to his warhorse and mounts it in one swift motion. The warriors in his guard, those still able to move, mount up and line up behind him. Henwell gestures to the Phoenix family banner nearby, "Mark! Carry the flag! Stay close to me!"

Then, Henwell reins in his horse and addresses Monroe and Umo, "Join me if you want; if not, stay here and watch. I'll show you what a real explanation looks like!"

With that, Henwell charges forward, racing towards the bandits in the dawn's early light. Knight Umo hesitates for a moment, then also mounts his horse, leading the baron's elite private troops in pursuit of Henwell's banner.

Monroe watches the departing riders, and his trusted aide quietly suggests, "Sir, why don't we just stay here like the young master said? After all, your duty is to protect the territory, not to play bodyguard for this headstrong young master!"

Monroe snaps around and slaps his aide, "Is your head filled with crap? If I don't go now, it would be a betrayal of the Phoenix family!"

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Monroe then rallies all the cavalry and follows behind Knight Umo's troops.

By the time the sun rises, Henwell has already caught up with the bandits. Riding warhorses, their speed and endurance far surpass the bandits' mounts. Faced with the organized charge of cavalry, the bandits have no intention of turning to fight back; they only wish their horses had two more legs.

Henwell quickly reaches the stragglers, thrusting his spear to unseat a bandit from his horse. The bandit barely has time to spit blood before being trampled into the ground by the oncoming hooves. After half an hour of relentless pursuit, the remaining bandits manage to cross the border.

Henwell reins in his horse, and the cavalry behind him slow down, gathering at his back. The bandits, having narrowly escaped with their lives, wear expressions of relief before breaking into manic laughter.

Scar Tiger even makes a throat-slitting gesture at Henwell, taunting, "You little bastard! Just you wait, your trade routes will never be peaceful again! And you better sleep with one eye open, lots of people want you dead. You won't last long!"

Henwell turns to Knight Mark, "Wave the banner! Prepare to charge!"

Knight Mark, bloodlust in his eyes, doesn't hesitate and immediately waves the family banner. Knight Umo hesitates, then approaches to caution, "Arius, that's the territory of the Ika Kingdom. If we cross the border, it'll be hard to justify to the duchy. This could spark an international incident."

Henwell replies calmly, "Assassination of a noble is condemned by all nations on the continent. The victim has the right to pursue across borders."

Monroe chimes in, "That's true, but we just ended a war with the Ika Kingdom not long ago. Crossing the border now might not sit well with them! A noble's honorable retaliation is more of an unwritten rule, not enshrined in the laws of different nations. Arius, you must consider carefully!"

Henwell laughs, hefting his spear, "Rules and justice are enforced by strength! The duchy lost tens of thousands of warriors not just to reason politely! We have witnesses and evidence! They deliberately plotted against me, an heir of a duchal noble. I'm sure the Duke would support my decision. Otherwise, what was the war for?"

With that command, Henwell shouts, "Form up!" The cavalry, guided by the banner, begin to gather slowly. No longer in a single line, they form ranks of ten riders each behind Henwell. The bandits, still oblivious, assume the cavalry are preparing to retreat and continue their mocking jeers.

But Scar Tiger, seasoned by battlefield experience, feels a jolt of realization—this formation signals a cavalry charge. Yet, instead of warning the others, he quietly retreats. Before he can turn his horse, Henwell suddenly spurs his horse across the border, spear raised, charging at the bandits.

As the cavalry accelerate, the bandits finally grasp that the enemy intends to cross the border and slaughter them. Half an hour later, all the bandits are killed at the border, except for the leader left intentionally alive.

Knight Mark, now clear-headed, advises with concern, "Arius, we should leave! Ika Kingdom scouts were nearby just now. It won't be long before their army arrives, and if we're still in their territory, there could be a conflict!"

Henwell lowers his spear, tapping Scar Tiger's head as he kneels on the ground, "Oh, we can't leave just yet! I didn't come all this way for nothing. We've lost a few brothers; we need some compensation! Can't let them keep profiting without consequence."

Henwell then dismisses the surrounding people and takes the bandits into the forest. His interrogation methods are quite brutal, not fitting his current noble persona—he mustn't lose his image as a calm and handsome young man!

Outside, hearing the blood-curdling screams from the forest, the others display peculiar expressions, instinctively reining their horses back a bit.