The battle had long ended. Conrad, along with the Dark Priest of the Black Fire Sect, was patrolling the battlefield littered with corpses. White smoke from the remaining embers wafted into the air, and the entire area was filled with the dead. Corpses of black-robed sect members, demons, and mercenaries lay strewn around; not long ago, these beings had been lively, existing in this world. But now, as their blood cooled within their bodies, their skin turned into something like rubber, making them resemble lifeless molds. He took a few steps and flipped over the body of a mercenary dressed in leather armor. The latter groaned—a sound that made the Demon Commander frown. He swiftly ended the man's life with another thrust of his sword.
Conrad looked up, his impatience evident as he spoke, "No, Duke Lune's only heir is not here. That guy Macaro—"
"If you are so familiar with him, why bother chasing him into this battle?" The Dark Priest replied in a sinister tone, "We lost quite a few men, all because of that tall guy with Macaro."
"No investment, no gain," Conrad looked up and laughed darkly, licking his bloodthirsty lips. He withdrew his blood-soaked sword from the corpse and pointed to a few subordinates nearby, shouting, "Bring the remaining prisoners!"
A few trembling Grey Wolf mercenaries were quickly brought forward. During the earlier battle, these men had fought like the most heroic warriors. However, outside of battle, stripped of the aura called courage, they found themselves utterly powerless. Especially after witnessing their comrades being torn to pieces by demons, they came to realize that their strength was incapable of mastering their fate.
Understanding this, fear of the unknown gripped their hearts.
Among the five was a white-haired youth familiar to Brand. He looked with disdain at his terrified companions. He had stayed behind to cover Yura and the others' escape, so his capture was anticipated. He looked up and saw the guy called Conrad—he had thought this guy was merely the leader of the Paper Card Mercenary Group, their archenemy—but to their surprise, Brand was right. Not only were they colluding with the Black Fire Sect, but they themselves were also minions and lackeys of the Shepherd Tree Man.
Conrad, that guy, was about the same age as Brand. Just the thought of him made Redi's teeth itch with anger. No one had dared to discipline him like that, except for his father, making it a humiliation that made him grit his teeth. And at this moment, Redi had already categorized Conrad and Brand together, finding both of their faces equally repulsive. He looked at the other with the utmost contempt, trying to provoke his anger.
"As long as he comes to trouble me, I can humiliate him well, showing those useless guys what Grey Wolf mercenaries' courage is about."
With this calculation in mind, he didn't expect Conrad to merely pause when meeting his gaze and then smile. Conrad then moved his attention to another mercenary.
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Redi was furious. He struggled to charge forward. However, his shoulder was tightly held by a Dark Mercenary, rendering him immobile. Trying to curse was also impossible, as his mouth was gagged, allowing only muffled sounds. He saw Conrad walk to the side of another mercenary and exchange a few whispered words. The mercenary froze, then shook his head with effort.
Redi had thought Conrad would at least interrogate him further, but the demon merely shook his head before his companion was dragged away. Though Redi couldn't see what lay behind, from the mercenary's ensuing scream, he knew it wasn't anywhere good. He then heard a sound like bones being torn from flesh, innards sliding out—a scream gradually losing strength, turning to a whimper, then into a harsh, raspy sound—followed by a low growl.
The last sounds disappeared, making the remaining mercenaries shiver in unison.
Conrad then approached another mercenary and asked something. That mercenary was so terrified that he collapsed to his knees, utterly speechless. With a regretful shake of his head, the young Mercenary Group Leader straightened up, then swiftly drove his sword into the mercenary's eye socket, kicking him aside thereafter.