Chapter 10: A Failed Search
Arthur exited the inner gate of the castle into the fortified area surrounded by defensive walls. Just like he had seen before, the place was littered with animal dung and human waste. With each step, he shuddered in utter disgust, but he did his best to maintain a cold, indifferent look. After walking a short distance, he saw a group of soldiers standing beside their horses. At the front was a large black horse, much bigger than the rest, wearing a light leather armor marked with the raven sigil of House Ravenshade.
Arthur calmly walked over and stood next to the horse. With a haughty gesture, he pointed to a nearby soldier.
"Get down on your knees."
The surrounding soldiers were stunned. To avoid any trouble, the soldier quickly dropped to the ground, placing his hands and knees down. Without a care, Arthur stepped onto his back and climbed onto the horse.
Despite his cold and intimidating demeanor, he was praying from the depths of his heart not to fall. He had never ridden a horse before, and that arrogant act was merely a distraction to keep their eyes off him.
Once he was safely seated, he let out a sigh.
'This is... surprisingly comfortable.'
Almost immediately after, he saw Duncan approaching while dragging a solid metal chain tied around the necks of three thin men.
Arthur's eyebrows furrowed. He immediately understood what the prisoners were for—one of Arvan's twisted hobbies was releasing his enemies and hunting them down for sport.
As soon as Duncan reached them, he said, "My lord, I brought a few prey in case you'd like to make the hunt more enjoyable."
The hearts of the prisoners—and the soldiers—trembled alike. All of them glanced at Arthur with fear in their eyes.