Master Ordennel slowly rose from the ground, dusting off his clothes. His expression had returned to calm, no longer the ferocious demeanor he had while casting spells.
“In the garden behind the mansion, there’s a disguised artificial hill. If you move a turtle-shell shaped stone ornament on the hill, it will open a passage leading underground. That’s where our target is,” he explained.
Denson and Andy exchanged glances.
“I’ll go inform the others!” Denson hurried outside. After all this time, they hoped their target hadn’t suffocated from the smoke.
Ordennel instructed Andy, who stayed behind, “Clean up this place, especially the magic circle. Don’t leave any trace. As for this man…” He glanced at the still prostrate Somolette.
“Throw him into the fire outside.”
“Yes, Master,” Andy responded, nodding.
Half an hour later, in the backyard of the Somolette family mansion, now reduced to ashes, a smoke-blackened artificial hill stood lonely. With several rumbling sounds, a square meter of floor tile moved aside, revealing a dark entrance.
Baldes prayed the target was unharmed. The tunnel was not a labyrinth, just a straight path, likely meant as a temporary hideout.
Finally, they reached the end, a stone chamber about twenty square meters in size. Apart from candles for lighting, there was nothing else in the room.
In the corner, they found their target. A servant, clutching his chest, lay motionless on the ground, apparently dead for some time.
Beside the servant’s body was a young boy, younger than Andy, the mage left outside. He watched them warily. Hunched over, he covered his mouth and nose with his left arm, while his right hand held a blood-dripping candlestick. Its sharp spike gleamed coldly.
The boy’s eyes were sharp, like a young leopard trying to hunt on its own for the first time.
Baldes gestured for his companions not to act rashly.
“I’ll do it,” suggested Carol, the only woman in the team.
Carol stepped past Baldes, approaching the boy slowly.
“Who are you?” the boy asked, his voice betraying his inner fear and tension.
Carol gently removed her helmet, revealing her face, and spoke softly, “Child, don’t be afraid. We are here to rescue you.”
Her beautiful face and gentle words eased the boy’s wariness. He straightened up, still clutching the candlestick.
“Rescue me? My God! What has happened? First, a group of people said they would take me to live a rich life. When my parents refused, they killed them and brought me here. Now you appear, claiming to be my saviors. Should I believe you?”
As he spoke, the boy began to cry, overwhelmed by the drastic changes and immense psychological pressure he had endured recently.
Carol, seizing the moment of distraction, swiftly stepped forward, snatched the candlestick from Jonny’s grasp, and threw it to the ground. Without further ado, she embraced the boy in her arms.
Jonny struggled for a bit but, lacking the strength, eventually ceased his efforts. The source of this content ɪs NovelHub(.)net
“I know you’re in pain right now. Please give us some time to prove ourselves. But first, we must leave this place of trouble as soon as possible. I assure you, your safety is guaranteed now and in the future—the ones who kidnapped you have been dealt with by us,” Carol said.
Baldes waved his hand, “It’s getting late. Let’s leave here before dawn.”
The group, with Jonny in tow, returned to the surface, traversing a safe path through the flames and arriving at a forest outside the town, where six carriages quietly awaited them.
Carol and Jonny shared a carriage. As they departed from River Sand Town, she asked, “What is your name?”
“Jonny, Jonny Landry.”
“Child, did you kill the man in the basement?”
“Uh… yes.” Jonny, the boy, lowered his head, his expression a mix of fear and guilt for his actions.
“When the fire started, he dragged me into that basement. Later, hearing noises above, he frantically yelled that it was all over, saying he would ‘send me on my way.’ Luckily, I was prepared. After entering the basement, I had grabbed a candlestick and hid it in my clothes, then, seizing the moment he was off guard—thinking I wouldn’t resist—I plunged the spike into his chest. And then you appeared.”
Carol smiled, stroking his head, “You did well. That’s how bad people should be dealt with mercilessly. A relative of yours would be proud of you.”
Jonny looked up, puzzled, “Which relative?”
“You’ll find out when we reach our destination. We will explain everything to you then.”
As the carriage jolted along, Jonny, perplexed, fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from the tumultuous events in his life.
Baldes, sharing the carriage, remarked thoughtfully, “Such ruthlessness… or rather decisiveness in the face of danger at such a young age… Could it be said he truly is of the Griffin family’s bloodline?”
“Hopefully, he will become an aid to His Highness, not a threat.”
A cold glint passed through Baldes’ eyes.
The residents of River Sand Town worked through the night and, at the break of dawn, finally extinguished the large fire in the southwest corner of the town.
As they entered the disaster-stricken area, everyone was saddened by the devastation. All the buildings had been reduced to ashes, and numerous bodies lay on the streets, either severely burned or suffocated by the smoke from the fire. Many more had been turned to ash.
The residents, most of whom were closely connected, were engulfed in grief.
The largest building complex in the area, the Somolette family mansion, was also reduced to a scorched wasteland. More horrifyingly, near the original fountain in the mansion’s front courtyard, people found many ashes—likely those who tried to flee to the area for shelter but were ultimately overtaken by the flames.
“Master! Ah, Master!”
A person cried out in grief. It was noticed that he was a servant from the mayor’s house, wailing over a body that, though not reduced to ash, was burnt beyond recognition.
The servant recognized his master through the gold ornaments on the body. Beside the mayor’s body lay several others, likely those who had rushed into the fire with him.
A profound sorrow enveloped the entire River Sand Town.