Chapter 3 - Change

“I…” Rogan had no idea what Gaven had in mind, and he simply didn’t want to move, his eyes relentlessly darting to the great hall of the castle, pinning his hopes on his Guard Commander, Oster.Gaven wasted no words, forcefully thrusting the pig slaughtering knife in his hand forward, sinking the blade three inches deep.

Anyway, their grudge was set in stone; he didn’t care about adding a little more suffering.

Rogan only felt a chill at his waist as the cold blade pierced deep into his body, scaring him into no longer resisting and obediently following Gaven to the battlements.

Gaven was acting out of character today; there was no trace of that timid boy who once cowered under Zalanda’s wings.

By the time they reached the battlements, the battle outside had already reached its climax.

Zalanda led the Cavalry Squad in charges from left to right, weaving in and out.

It seemed as though they specifically targeted dense clusters of troops, but on closer inspection, they were facing only the cannon fodder goblins.

They always avoided facing the larger, more organized hobgoblins and never gave the Hobgoblin Wolf Cavalry a chance to bite down.

Thus, while the Cavalry Squad appeared to be in deadly peril, they had not actually encountered a real crisis.

Besides, Gaven knew that the Cavalry Squad still had an ace up their sleeve—a mage equipped with a fireball magic wand, which was a heavy weapon on the battlefield.

As long as their retreat wasn’t cut off, their safe return should be assured.

“Oster, what do you think you’re doing?” Gaven shifted slightly, allowing Rogan’s corpulent figure to shield him.

A warrior was stealthily approaching them with agility that belied his bulky figure.

Who else could it be but Oster, the Guard Commander, not quite on the same page as Rogan?

Seeing his approach exposed, Oster pointed his blood-dripping longsword at Gaven and scolded sharply, “Young Master Gaven, you have some nerve, daring to hold Lord Baron hostage.”

“Hostage?

You’re slandering me!” Gaven retorted righteously, “I’m merely inviting my dear brother to observe the situation of the war outside the castle.”

“If it’s an invitation, what do you mean by the weapon in your hand?” Oster gave him a look of ‘you’re fooling no one.’

“Weapon?

The Guard Commander calls this a weapon?

Ha…

Look closely, this is but a child’s toy.” Gaven waved the weapon in his hand at Oster.

Sure enough, it was a crudely made wooden sword, likely a homemade weapon of some child.

Rogan couldn’t help but touch his own waist where he expected to find a wound, but there wasn’t even a tear in his clothing.

The entire ordeal had been a figment of his imagination.

His fat cheeks flush with disbelief: “Impossible.

I clearly saw you with a pig slaughtering knife, and you even used it to kill two wolves…

How could it be…”

“It’s a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding,” Gaven hastily denied, “Look, apart from this wooden sword, where do you see a pig slaughtering knife on me?

Dear brother, how can you harbour such malicious thoughts against your dear brother?

How could I possibly hold a knife to you…”

Rogan broke into a run towards Oster while shouting loudly, “You just threatened to kill me!

Oster, kill him, kill him…”

At this moment, he was completely dominated by rage.

He felt both humiliated and overwhelmed by creeping extreme fear. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt

Regardless of whether Gaven had held a real knife or a fake knife to him just now.

The intent to kill was genuine.

If he hadn’t done as he was told, he would have already become a corpse.

Gaven raised his wooden shield while carefully backing away, loudly declaring, “My dear brother, what do you intend to do?

Even if you are the baron of Nort Castle, murder requires a reason.

Could it be just because I played a harmless joke on you?”

Confronting a fully armed fifth-level warrior, even with the experience of a Legendary Warrior, Gaven had to be cautious.

This wasn’t Earth, this was Felen.

Here, magic existed, and even warriors because of their attunement to magic power, would have physical abilities far surpassing that of a normal person, especially those combat profession practitioners who unlocked their professional templates and received the blessing of magic power.

Five professional levels might sound low.

In reality, it marked the step beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Every professional level granted warriors extraordinary power and means.

In the entire Nort Castle, with Nola being the highest in professional level at nine, the Zalanda who was leading the Nort Knight Cavalry downright rampantly outside was only a seventh-level warrior.

“Lord Baron…,” Oster’s face showed a hint of struggle and hesitation.

It wasn’t that he had a conscience, rather it was because of Gaven’s identity; after all, he was Gaven Nort, a member of the family he served.

If he killed him, apart from the legal consequences, the madwoman outside the city would certainly tear him to pieces.

“Kill him, I’ll take responsibility for all the consequences,” Rogan had lost all reason, seeking only revenge.

Realizing the extreme urgency in Rogan’s voice and knowing his nature well, Oster understood that if he didn’t act, he would surely suffer later.

Reluctantly, Oster had no choice but to lunge at Gaven.

Seeing Oster’s longsword wielded with feigned weakness, it was clear he was simply going through the motions.

Of course, Gaven had to go along with the act, parrying and blocking in a seemingly desperate struggle.

Deliberately, he drew the fight away from the direction where Rogan stood.

“They’ve broken through, they’re back,”

“Everyone, clear the city gate, let the cavalry back into the city!”

“Don’t bother with those goblins, once the cavalry returns, even if they rush in, they are dead.”

Excited shouts erupted from both atop and below the walls.

The intense sound of galloping hooves was almost upon them; the Nort Knight Cavalry had fought their way back.

Gaven whispered urgently to Oster, “Quick, quick, strike me with all your might.”

Faced with this bizarre request, Oster looked thoroughly puzzled, beginning to wonder if Gaven had taken a rock to the head.

“If you don’t want Rogan to come after you later, then do it!” Seeing no action from Oster, Gaven hastily added.

Oster’s eyes hardened, as if sensing a chill behind him.

Rogan might be foolish, but he wasn’t stupid.

He clearly knew he was acting, clenching his teeth and stomping his foot, grasping his sword in both hands, charging for several seconds until a blinding white light shone on his longsword, and he leapt forward at a terrifying speed, slashing downward.

Jump Slash!

A standard skill for warriors, it was a slash that combined magic force and the momentum of the charge.

Bang!

What took Commander Oster by surprise was that Gaven didn’t try to dodge; instead, he charged directly at him.

The longsword struck heavily against the wooden shield.

The sword in his hand was no ordinary longsword.

It was an enchanted +2 magic longsword with the sharpness effect—cutting through iron like mud.

How could a wooden shield withstand such a slash?

It was cut into two halves on the spot.

Then there came a tinkling sound.

The pig slaughtering knife Gaven had hidden under the wooden shield was also slashed into two pieces.

The blow had struck his arm, which was wrapped in burlap.

Even after two defenses, the magic longsword still struck Gaven’s arm, leaving a deep bone-deep wound from which blood spurted out.

Gaven retreated wildly while shouting loudly, “Captain, save me!

Rogan and Commander Oster are trying to kill me!”

At this moment, Zalanda was leading her team to the gates of Nort Castle.

Hearing the call, her eyes immediately narrowed, she kicked off her stirrups, and using the momentum of her charging horse, she leapt straight onto the battlements.

Her move was clean and decisive, executed in one breath, exuding an indescribable elegance.

Upon seeing the gory state of Gaven’s left arm, frost instantly surged in Zalanda’s eyes, and without a word, she brought her sword down in an attack.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Facing Zalanda’s barrage of attacks like a tempest, Commander Oster could only defend passively.

He was now like a man who had swallowed Huanglian; he had bitterness but couldn’t express it.

Nor could he say in front of Rogan that it was Young Master Gaven who had asked him to strike.

But he truly had not had the slightest intention of committing treachery.

The hatred in his heart for Gaven peaked.

Had he known it would come to this, he should have struck with lethal intent when he had the chance.

Meanwhile, Gaven nonchalantly took a small steel flask from his combat belt and drank it down smoothly, feeling the warmth in his stomach and couldn’t help but sigh—still the familiar taste.

Heal Minor Injuries.

This was a healing method from Felen.

A healing potion made with positive energy channeled by a priest combined with extracted magic essence.

Though it didn’t restore shattered bones to flesh, it was far beyond the capabilities of ordinary medicine.

The effect of the Healing Potion for moderate injuries was incomparable to minor ones.

With one potion, not only was the terrible wound on Gaven’s left arm healing at a visible rate, but even the broken bone beforehand was now completely mended.

Bang!

After Commander Oster was kicked and sent flying by Zalanda, he somersaulted and positioned himself behind Rogan.

As expected, Zalanda involuntarily halted her steps; after all, the man she was facing was her lord, whom she could not easily strike with blade or sword.

Zalanda, with a somber expression, asked, “What exactly is going on?”

Gaven, having recovered, played the role of the victim and complained: “Just now I made a harmless joke with my brother, and he ordered the Guard Commander to kill me.

If it hadn’t been for the captain’s timely return, I would be dead now.”

His expression and demeanor were like a bullied young wife, as pitiable as could be.

Not going to Hollywood to win an Oscar would have been a waste of his talent.

Rogan said with indignation, “It was clearly you who wanted to kill me!”

He had seen shameless, but never this level of shamelessness.

The trouble had clearly been started by the other party, so how had it become his own fault?

“How could I possibly have the power to kill you?

You have Commander Oster guarding you,” countered Gaven.

“Regardless of the cause, as the Guard Commander of the Nort Family, you should have never crossed swords with Young Master Gaven,” Zalanda said sternly.

“If not for the special circumstances today, I would have no choice but to execute you on the spot.

Young Master Gaven, how about he makes amends to you by apologizing?”

“Then let’s do as the captain says,” Gaven replied demurely, adopting a wronged look.

And the more he acted like this, the more he enraged Rogan and Commander Oster.

Grinding his teeth, Commander Oster said, “Young Master Gaven, I apologize.

I shouldn’t have…”

“Hold on, I haven’t agreed yet!” Rogan interrupted forcefully.

“What more do you want, Lord Baron?” Zalanda asked coldly, looking at Rogan.

The blood that drenched her made her appear fiercely majestic without even being angry.

“This…” Rogan found himself at a loss for words.

Zalanda was obviously biased, deceived by Gaven’s insincerity.

This trick was what the little scoundrel excelled at, one he had used against his father before, and now he was employing it on Zalanda.

No matter what he said now, she would not believe him.

To settle this account, he couldn’t rely on Zalanda; he had to do it himself.

Rogan bit his lip and said, “Since no one is seriously injured, let’s consider the matter closed for today.

Commander Oster, let’s go.”

“Wait,” Zalanda stopped Rogan, “Lord Baron, what do you think about the proposal I made earlier?”