As long as I kill all the witnesses, no one would know what happened. Even if by chance they found out the truth, I have the perfect scapegoat here.
Thinking about this, Fabian glanced at Justin Jillings who was watching the battle next to him.
"Sir Fabian, I think you need to send Sir Von now," Justin whispered with a nervous tone.
His subordinates were also in the battle and a few of them had already died. He couldn't afford to suffer any more losses.
Fabian snorted. "You don't need to tell me."
He then beckoned to the warrior standing behind him.
It was a one-eyed bald man with tanned skin. He was holding a flail, a weapon rarely used by warriors because of how difficult it was to use. To master this weapon, one needed months to even years of effort.
"What are your orders, sir?" The Elite Knight named Von asked with his head lowered.
"Except the girl, kill the rest of those people!" Fabian commanded.
The Elite Knight hesitated. This was because he recognized the insignia on the warriors' clothes. It was the famous insignia of House Silversword!
"Sir, those people are from House Silversword. Are you certain about this?"
Fabian raised an eyebrow and glared at him. "Are you questioning me?!"
Von sighed and shook his head. "No, my lord. I'll do as you say."
He didn't want to work for this man, but because of his family's tough financial situation, he had no choice.
Aru, I might commit a grave sin this time. I won't ask for your forgiveness since I don't deserve it, but I hope that you will look after my family…
After making this prayer, Von hardened his heart.
He looked around and searched for a target.
The one who had caught his eye was the young warrior wielding a spear. He was fast and agile with superior mastery of the spear. He was currently fighting two Knights all by himself, but he still had the upper hand.
Von locked his eyes on his target and rushed in with heavy strides. He raised his flail in preparation for an attack, but before he could brandish his weapon, he suddenly felt a sense of danger above him.
He quickly twisted his body to the right when he felt the killing intent from above.
In that instant, he heard the air produce a sharp, piercing sound.
"Oh? You dodged that?" A calm voice drifted into Von's ears. He turned his head and stared at the warrior in front of him.
It was an old warrior wielding a sword. His aura was not as strong as his own, but for some reason, he felt that the old man was more powerful than him.
This strange feeling made him frown.
"I am Henry, an Elite knight and a Company Commander in House Silversword. State your name warrior." The old man introduced himself indifferently.
Hearing this, Von was stunned.
Henry was a common name, but there was only one Henry in House Silversword.
He had gained some fame after the orc subjugation event. He might not be as famous as the Transcendent Knights, but he was regarded as one of the most powerful Elite Knights in the North!
The one thing that was scary about him was his swordsmanship. He had trained it to a level that ordinary swordsmen could only hope to achieve.
"Von," Von uttered his name. He had no permanent affiliation. He was just a mercenary, a warrior who would do anything for money.
Henry noticed the surprise on the man's face as soon he revealed his name. "You still have time to stop this, my friend. You don't look like you are affiliated with that man. Why don't you step aside? I promise that House Silversword will not hurt you."
If this man joined the battle, he wouldn't have the energy to help the others.
This man's aura isn't any weaker than Fredrinn's. Fighting him will be dangerous, especially in this kind of situation.
Von furrowed his eyebrows. Henry's words made him falter, but thinking about his sick daughter and his pregnant wife, he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I need the money."
"Money?" Henry smiled. "I can give you the double the amount he promised. How does that sound?"
This time, Von finally lowered his weapon. He was dumbfounded. His enemy was actually trying to make a deal with him mid-battle.
"Double? Do you even know how much they paid me?" Von narrowed his eyes.
"Surprise me." Henry nonchalantly replied. If this was a year ago, he would never dare say this, but things were different now. House Silversword was no longer struggling financially.
"5000 gold coins for ten years of my service." To a mercenary like Von, this was already a huge amount of money. He would never make this much by merely doing escort jobs so despite the notoriety of the client, he readily accepted the offer.
Henry nodded with a faint smile.
"Alright. I promise you that you will get at least 10000 gold coins if you join our side."
Before he could respond, he heard Fabian's furious outburst.
"Von, what are you doing you idiot?! Don't just stand there you fool! Kill them all!"
Von ignored his words and silently contemplated his choices. Accepting the old warrior's offer carried some risk. He might be lying or he could also deny his promise after the battle would end. However, if it turned out to be true, he would get enough money to hire a skilled doctor for his daughter and he would still have extra money for his children's future.
"Depending on your performance, I might recommend you to Lord Alaric to become a part of our army," Henry added.
Those words were the final nail in the coffin.
Von no longer hesitated. He stared deeply at Henry and said. "I hope you fulfill your promise."
He then turned around and joined the battle, but his targets were Fabian and Justin's subordinates.