Chapter 80: Your Mercy Isn't Worth a Fart

  "Talk. Two mornings ago, what did you see in that forest outside the capital?" Clovis looked at the woman huddled before him, and with the dignity of a lion confronting its captured prey, he issued his command.

  While slowly making her way out of the capital, she was overtaken and captured by a large group of soldiers. The harassment and fear along the way left Xuan in a pitiful state. Trembling, she said: "I saw nothing, I know nothing. Why are you arresting me?"

  Clovis did not lose his temper, issue a warning, or say anything more. He didn't even bother to confirm whether this was indeed the person he was looking for. He had always believed that such lowly commoners weren't worth wasting words on. He reached out, pinched a lock of hair at her forehead between two fingers, and yanked.

  The prostitute let out a scream. The soft, smooth hair she had always cherished was torn away, along with a bloody chunk of scalp, and blood immediately poured down her face.

  His fingers were slightly moistened by the blood. Clovis frowned and flicked the small piece of flesh from his hand as if it were a booger. Then he grabbed Xuan's hair and lifted her from where she crouched on the ground, commanding in a concise and powerful voice: "Don't make me waste too much time. Talk."

  The pain was so intense that Xuan could not speak. Blood flowed from her hairline, dyeing half of her face red. She barely managed to stand, clutching her head and whimpering. As soon as tears left her eyes, they mixed with the blood and disappeared without a trace.

  Clovis sighed in utter disgust. He found her extremely repulsive, wondering what purpose heaven had in creating such lowly and stubborn creatures, deliberately wasting the precious time of someone as noble as himself. He cast the woman aside like trash and walked toward the door. Because the content of the interrogation was temporarily confidential, he could not allow just anyone to approach this witness.

  Clovis said to the captain of the guards waiting outside: "Go and fetch the interrogator from the cells for me." He was too lazy to do it himself. When it came to making people who didn't want to talk speak, there were experts in that field who had developed this strange profession to the height they considered art. Clovis had great faith in them. He had once seen the most steadfast spy hold out for two days and nights, but after receiving only half of the "artists'" treatment, he completely broke down and told everything he could. At that time, except for the parts of his body that controlled speech, he was barely recognizable as a human being.

  Suddenly, a guardsman ran over and said to him: "Lord Duke Mrak is looking for you. He says there's something important and wants you to come at once. He's waiting for you at the palace gate."

  "I see," Clovis replied, hesitating for a moment. Going to the palace with the Duke must be an extremely important matter. In any case, the person had already been caught, so it wouldn't hurt to delay things here. He had originally thought to let the interrogator begin working here, so that when he returned, everything he wanted would be laid out like dishes on a table. But upon further reflection, he decided against it. The information obtained through torture would definitely be extraordinary, and if the interrogator learned something he shouldn't and went around talking about it, the loss would outweigh the gain. It would be better to oversee it himself. So he nodded and decided: "I'll summon the interrogator when I return." He gave the officer a menacing look. "Remember, under no circumstances should anyone be allowed to approach this woman. Do you understand?"

  "Yes," the captain nodded vigorously, as if using his head to speak. He was well aware of Clovis's temperament, and although serving such important figure was unpleasant, he could only do so carefully and diligently.

  Shortly after watching this important figure leave, another important figure arrived. But although this was also a young man of high position and talent, he gave a completely different impression. His face, which was always gentle, put anyone at ease upon seeing it. The captain quickly saluted: "Good day, sir."

  "Hello," the young officer replied with a smile. "You've been working hard on guard duty here. I hear you've captured a strange female prisoner who is some kind of witness. I'd like to see her, if I may?"

  Such a noble person, such a kind smile, such gentle and courteous words—listening to them made one feel comfortable all over. Besides, he could hardly be considered "just anyone." The officer nodded earnestly: "Of course."

  Ethan had been summoned by Bishop Ronis early in the morning to be questioned about the ambush. He had deliberately avoided mentioning anything about the prostitute Xuan, speaking only vaguely about how he had been lured into the ambush through their scheme, and how Sandro had arrived and killed those lying in wait. As for the fact that something had been stolen from Sandro, Sandro had already told Ethan beforehand not to mention it to Bishop Ronis.

  He was somewhat surprised that Captain Roland had already figured out the general outline of what had happened so quickly, deducing that a Necromancer had been responsible for killing those order members. He was even more surprised that even though Captain Roland and the High Priest had largely figured out what had happened and had sufficient reason to suspect he was connected to a Necromancer, the Bishop had brushed everything aside with a single, light, dismissive remark sentence.

  Bishop Ronis did not seem particularly concerned about whether the matter would be thoroughly investigated, saying only indifferently: "In any case, no one saw it with their own eyes. Speculation is nothing more than speculation, and suspicion can only remain suspicion."

  Ethan thought of Xuan, whom he had let go, and was silent for a moment. But then another strange thought occurred to him.

  After leaving the Magic Academy, he immediately walked quickly toward the large house, wanting to ask Sandro to explain exactly what had happened.

  As he was walking past the front door of the house, someone called out to him from behind. He turned and saw an imposing young officer striding toward him. Ethan was startled for a moment, but upon closer inspection, he recognized that it was actually Rodhart.

  Having not seen him for some time, Rodhart now appeared even more mature. The impetuosity of youth had become more restrained without losing any of its outward brilliance. Combined with his handsome and affable features and his upright knight's attire, he was the very embodiment of the concept of a "young hero."

  "Thank goodness you're actually here. I was looking for you about something extremely urgent," Rodhart said, wasting no time on pleasantries. He stepped close and spoke in a low voice. "The prostitute you released has been captured by Clovis."

  Ethan's face turned ashen. First, he was surprised that even Rodhart, who should have been uninvolved, could drop such a bombshell. Then he was shocked that Xuan had been caught by the very person most likely to cause him trouble. If Rodhart already knew, had the matter already spread everywhere?

  There was no one else around, but Rodhart's voice was still very low: "After over a dozen members of a Paladin Order detachment were mysteriously killed, the Captain surprisingly doesn't seem to have done much to investigate or make it public. But that Clovis, the squad leader, yesterday afternoon urgently mobilized the Capital Guard, first searching all the prostitutes in the capital, arresting many for questioning, and then sending nearly a hundred cavalry out of the city. I made some inquiries and learned they were hunting for a prostitute, supposedly a very important witness. And this prostitute was caught overnight and brought back this morning."

  Rodhart's expression was grave, but he did not appear the least bit flustered as he continued in a low voice: "I thought there was something suspicious about this, so when I was at the guard headquarters on business just now, I took the opportunity to have a look. Squad Leader Clovis had been urgently summoned to the palace by the Duke, so I took the chance to speak with that prostitute. I questioned her, and she told me everything about what happened that day."

  "She told you everything?" Ethan gasped. If she could tell Rodhart, she could tell anyone else.

  "Don't worry, she's only told me and no one else. Clovis hasn't had the chance to interrogate her yet," Rodhart's voice became even lower and more serious. "Although I know you could never be involved with a Necromancer, others won't think the same. You shouldn't have let her go. This woman is simply too dangerous for you."

  "Tch, you don't know, but he let that woman go on purpose," the door to the large house suddenly opened, and Sandro stepped out, looking at Ethan with an obviously mocking tone. Although Rodhart had deliberately kept his voice low, it couldn't escape Sandro's ears.

  "This elderly gentleman is..." Rodhart looked at Sandro and instinctively took a step back, a look of fear involuntarily appearing on his face. He had already heard Xuan's account and could tell that this suddenly appearing old man was the Necromancer. Although he knew he was presumably Ethan's companion, the fact remained that the strange methods with which he had killed over a dozen Paladin Order members in the blink of an eye were truly chilling.

  "This elderly gentleman, Sandro, who loves to talk nonsense, is actually a secret expert in the service of Bishop Ronis. He was the one who came to my rescue that day," Ethan said in a panic, hastily assigning Sandro a title that didn't seem too implausible. "But this expert knows how to use necromantic magic, which easily leads to misunderstandings, so his identity is highly confidential. If it were to be revealed, it would definitely cause considerable trouble for the Bishop..."

  Rodhart nodded at Sandro, then turned back to Ethan and said: "In that case, you should have killed her even more so." His voice was gentle, without the slightest trace of hostility, and his expression was sincere, as if he were simply advising a friend to eat another bowl of rice.

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  Ethan felt as if Rodhart's gaze was piercing his entire body. He remained silent for a long time, then sighed and shook his head, saying slowly: "But even if I wanted to kill her now, it's too late."

  "No," Rodhart said with a slight, confident smile. "I've already quietly helped her escape from the guard's prison."

  "What?" Ethan was shocked. Although he knew Rodhart would try to help him, he never imagined he had already helped Xuan escape.

  "Don't worry. No one will ever know it was me. I just rearranged the guard schedule, told her how to escape, and then created some 'accidents.' Everything happened very naturally; the prisoner's escape was merely an unforeseen incident."

  Rodhart's faint smile seemed to indicate how appeared effortless it had been. But as Ethan looked at him, his heart was filled with conflicting emotions. He knew this had been anything but easy.

  Rodhart was currently a probationary squad leader in the Paladin Order. Thanks to the military's deliberate cultivation, he had been distinguishing himself and rising through the ranks so quickly that even Ethan, who didn't pay much attention to such matters, had often heard people talking about it. And now, for his sake, Rodhart had actually helped an important prisoner, designated as such by the Paladin Order's captain, escape. This went far beyond "dangerous"—it was practically gambling with his own promising future and his very life.

  "She should already be waiting for me at the place I designated for her. I had intended to kill her quietly in a secluded spot after helping her escape. But since you once let her go, I thought I should ask you first. So for now, I've had her hide quietly in an inn and came to seek your opinion," Rodhart's voice was soft and gentle, as if he were asking advice from his elder brother. "We should kill her."

  "Naturally, you should let her go again, so she can be captured once more by the guards searching the entire city. Then you can expose your loyal but foolish friend as well," Sandro looked at Ethan, his mocking gaze and words making Ethan uncomfortable all over. "Or you could try secretly escorting her out of the city to make a new life for herself. Ha ha, I think you should just turn yourselves in; it would save you some trouble."

  For the first time, Ethan glared angrily at Sandro, then let out a painful sigh and closed his eyes.

  If Xuan were captured again this time, it wouldn't just implicate Sandro and Bishop Ronis, but Rodhart as well.

  There really was no other choice. Ethan looked at Rodhart with difficulty and said, word by word: "Alright, go and kill her."

  "We'll come with you," Sandro said suddenly, reaching out and grabbing Ethan's shoulder.

  To avoid attracting attention, Rodhart changed out of his knight's uniform and put on ordinary civilian clothes. He led Ethan and Sandro to a relatively remote slum area within the capital, where there were several abandoned, dilapidated houses.

  In front of one such ruin, Rodhart stopped and gestured for Ethan and Sandro to position themselves outside a broken window and remain quiet, then he went inside.

  "You're finally here," Xuan's anxious voice could be heard from within.

  "You weren't seen, were you?" Rodhart's voice asked.

  "No. I escaped quietly just as you told me. I was very careful along the way and wasn't spotted," Xuan's tone didn't much resemble that of someone who had just escaped; instead, it carried the excited panting of a girl meeting her lover in secret, and even a hint of coquetry. "I... I'm so happy. I was so afraid before. When they captured me, I thought I would go crazy, but the moment I saw you, I wasn't afraid anymore."

  Ethan understood now why Rodhart had been able to get Xuan to tell him everything so quickly. Seeing the hero she had long admired appear before her in her moment of despair, speaking gentle words of comfort—even the descent of a god wouldn't have been more inspiring.

  "Alright, now that you're here, you don't need to be afraid anymore," Rodhart's voice was both steady and gentle, truly possessing the heroic quality that could give any woman a sense of security.

  "Thank you for saving me," Xuan's voice trembled with overwhelming emotion, presumably never dreaming that the one who had rescued her was the hero she had admired for so long.

  "By the way, about the things you told me—the things you saw in the forest that day—have you told anyone else besides me?"

  "No. Don't you remember? You already asked me that."

  "He's saying this for our benefit, to put our minds at ease," Sandro whispered, patting Ethan on the shoulder. His hand was as cold as a corpse. "This boy is meticulous and cautious."

  "Since that person told you not to tell anyone about these things, why did you tell me as soon as I asked?" Rodhart's voice asked.

  "Because... because..." Xuan hesitated for a moment, as if unsure how to express herself. "Because you're a hero. With a hero standing before me, I'm not afraid of anything, so I told you everything." Her voice was filled with trust and infatuation.

  Rodhart's voice was so gentle that one could almost imagine his hand resting on top of her head, patting it gently like a cat. "Are you absolutely certain you haven't spoken about this with anyone else?"

  "No. Really, I haven't. I would never lie to you," Xuan's voice was certain. Her voice no longer trembled or hesitated at all. With such a hero before her, who could give her such a sense of security and warmth, what was there to worry about? The prostitute's voice even took on the shyness of a young girl. "You know... I've always..."

  A strange sound suddenly rang out, muffled yet with a crisp quality, abruptly cutting off all further words.

  Ethan knew well what this sound was. He had heard it many times before and had often felt it with his own hands.

  "It's done," Sandro's voice was as dry and crisp as the sound of bones hitting together, and he pulled Ethan to his feet. "Come, let's go have a look."

  Entering the ruin, Ethan saw Xuan, her body limp in Rodhart's arms.

  Her forehead was wrapped in cloth, with faint traces of blood beneath, but her face was very pale, and the bandage on her head seemed to have been applied as neatly as possible. Presumably, while waiting here, she had not forgotten to attend to her appearance, because she was about to meet the hero of her heart. Her face still bore traces of a gentle expression, frozen as if in the moment of excessive shock. One could not tell whether she was surprised by the sudden action of her beloved hero, or whether she was incredulous at suddenly seeing her own back.

  Xuan's head had been twisted completely around to face backward. She looked like a broken doll, her head and body joined at an unnatural angle. Rodhart gently lowered her body to the floor. His movements were still as composed as ever, and his expression remained calm.

  Rodhart left quickly; he still needed to return to help the Capital Guard search for the escaped prisoner he had just killed. Only Ethan and Sandro remained in the ruin.

  Sandro suddenly spoke: "This boy is really meddling. Actually, according to my original plan, I would have waited until things had escalated beyond control, then found a way to force you to kill this woman with your own hands."

  Ethan was startled and turned to look at him. "What?"

  "Because I want you to understand your mistake and then correct it yourself," Sandro's cold smile sent a chill down Ethan's spine. "You think because you let this woman go, she can really live? I told you before, once the Paladin Order investigates, they will definitely discover that the person who ambushed you had contact with her, and they will spare no effort to find her. And as an ordinary woman, she can never escape. No matter what, she has only one path—death. Your mercy is nothing but a joke. Worthless."

  "So you've had this plan all along," Ethan let out a long sigh. "No wonder I found it strange when Bishop Ronis mentioned today that the bodies had been discovered. I can understand forgetting to destroy the evidence as a novice, but how could you have forgotten and just left like that?"

  "I wanted them to see. Only then would they become anxious, only then would they pursue her with all their strength, and only then would they capture her so quickly."

  "Aren't you afraid the Paladin Order will come after you? Aren't you afraid of causing trouble for the Bishop?"

  "I told you, I'm not afraid of trouble. I just want you to see that your so-called mercy isn't worth a fart," Sandro's voice actually carried a hint of viciousness. "That way, in the future, when you act and make judgments, you'll know to use your head more."

  "I never thought about whether it was worth anything. I just did what I wanted to do at that moment."

  "I guarantee that in the end, you too will be willing to kill this woman with your own hands," Sandro's smile sharpened. "You're just too weak."

  "Weak?"

  "I still remember when you first arrived in the capital. Back then, I could see determination, wildness, and even a bit of cruelty in your eyes. That was the gaze of a man. But now, you're not even worth a fart."

  Ethan didn't speak, staring silently at Xuan's body.

  "Let's go. Don't waste any more time here," Sandro said, pulling Ethan's hand and leading him out of the ruin. After turning the corner, he snapped his fingers, and flames erupted from the ruin. By the time they returned to the large house, the fire had already spread to half the block.

  On the road within the palace, the Duke and Clovis were walking toward the exit.

  "What a surprise, what a surprise..." the Duke murmured to himself, his slender eyebrows and eyes curved into a smile. His usual signature smile had expanded to the point of being somewhat out of control, his excitement exceeding even his self-control, making his merchant-like face appear as if he had just closed an enormous deal.

  No. Not an enormous deal—more like stumbling upon an extraordinary stroke of luck fallen from the heavens.

  That morning, the Duke had suddenly received an imperial decree summoning him to the palace for an audience with His Majesty. This was completely unexpected. With his keen observations and thorough understanding of the court's political factions, he was prepared for any eventuality and never caught off guard. But he never anticipated that the Emperor would suddenly summon him.

  The Duke had never concerned himself with the Emperor's preferences or movements. To maintain his image of integrity, he could not join others in currying favor with the throne. Besides, the Emperor was merely a child without backbone，easily influenced by corrupt officials. As long as he controlled those unscrupulous elements and maintained the upper hand politically, what need was there to worry about him?

  But he was still, in name at least, and perhaps in fact as well, the ruler of this empire, so he could not treat the summons lightly. He immediately recalled his assistant Clovis to accompany him, and the two went to the palace together. The Duke was fully prepared for any possible situation—whether the Emperor had criticisms, praises, or had been influenced by others to question his actions, he was ready with appropriate responses.

  But when Grafenhardt XVII dismissed all attendants, including Clovis, and somewhat embarrassedly voiced his intention, the Duke was completely stunned.

  His Majesty wished to marry his daughter Chris. In other words, he was asking the Duke to become his father-in-law, to join the imperial family, and to receive an unparalleled amount of political capital.

  Just as those who can truly make great fortunes never become obsessed with winning the lottery, those with real ability habitually keep their feet on the ground. While this steadfastness filters out opportunistic thinking, it can sometimes cause one to miss exceptional opportunities. Moreover, the Duke enjoyed the sense of accomplishment that came from gradually elevating his position through his own efforts. He was confident in his ability to reach his desired height, so he had never considered such a shortcut to the top.

  But when this path suddenly appeared before him, inviting him to take a giant step forward, ordinary words like "overjoyed" or "ecstatic" were insufficient to describe his feelings.

  An inexperienced young Emperor was an extremely powerful card in the game of power. And now this card had fallen uninvited into his pocket, without conflicting with his image of integrity. What would happen when such a card fell into the hands of a skilled player like himself? Just imagining the possibilities made even the self-controlled Duke unable to hide his pleasure.

  But pleasure aside, the Duke was still the Duke. He immediately detected a discordant note in this joyful surprise.

  Although he had never concerned himself with the Emperor's preferences, and had been busy dealing with previous plans recently, the fact that he didn't know the Emperor was interested in Chris indicated a flaw in his intelligence network.

  "How has that boy Rodhart been doing recently?" the Duke asked, as Clovis had anticipated.

  "He went to suppress several heretic uprisings in the provinces and apparently did quite well. The military ministers are very satisfied with his abilities, and it seems the Bishop is preparing to send him and that fellow to Aery to suppress the heretics there as well."

  "But he should have known about Chris and His Majesty. And yet he dared to keep it from me. Heh," the Duke's smile remained as cordial as ever, but the light in his eyes was sharper than ever. "What scheming, what scheming."

  Clovis was uncomfortable with this assessment and spoke up: "He and that fellow are good friends."

  "I know. That's why I say he's scheming," the Duke nodded.

  It was already afternoon when they emerged from the palace. A captain of the guards was waiting for Clovis. Seeing him emerge with the Duke, he hurried forward to report that the female witness had escaped.

  "What did you say? Escaped? How did she escape? You incompetent fools!" If the Duke hadn't been present, Clovis would have torn the officer in two.

  "What female prisoner?" the Duke asked, frowning.

  After hearing Clovis's explanation, the Duke thought for a moment and asked the officer: "Tell me exactly how this female prisoner escaped, starting from the moment Clovis left."

  "After Lord Clovis departed, Lord Rodhart came to see her. When he left, he ordered us to increase the guard. But later, the warehouse caught fire, and prisoners from several other cells somehow escaped. Lord Rodhart is now helping us search everywhere."

  The Duke smiled faintly and waved the officer away. "Then go and continue your search."

  "Shall I go as well?" Clovis asked.

  "No need," the Duke said, watching the officer's retreating figure with an amused expression. "What need is there for you to search for a corpse?"

  "A corpse?" Clovis was shocked.

  "Or perhaps not even a corpse will be found," the Duke mused. "Gaining the favor of those military ministers, cozying up to old friends, and aligning himself with the Bishop... Heh, truly a promising future." He asked Clovis: "We must pay special attention to such outstanding individuals. When are they leaving for Aery?"

  "In the next couple of days."

  "I hear the heretics there are quite active. If the timber business your family entrusted to me suffers losses, the responsibility will be great. And since this also concerns your own affairs, you should go to Aery to look after the timber business. And, of course, keep an eye on their every move. From now on, I want to know all of their movements." The Duke's voice trailed off . "As for this Necromancer matter, let it be. The Bishop can probably handle these religious matters. But when it comes to politics at court, I'll see if these two have such good fortune."