If You Leave Without a Word - Chapter 184

‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Mercenaries, for the most part, relied on their natural strength and size rather than formal training when it came to fighting.

Such ragtag mercenaries wouldn’t stand a chance against the Vernat knights. While the best approach would be to resolve the situation peacefully through conversation, if it came to it, they could always overpower them and retrieve the Duchy’s party.

Cain nodded, and the carriage, which had come to a halt, began moving forward again. As they neared the group in the distance, the mercenaries started lifting their heads one by one. The carriage door opened, and the knights jumped out.

“Everyone, stop!”

Lehman’s command had them all stopped in perfect unison, their attention immediately focused on him.

Cain quickly scanned the faces of those held by the mercenaries. Soon, he spotted a man who was at least a head and a half taller than the largest of the mercenaries. It was Rubens.

To be caught by mercenaries with such a massive build… it seemed he had willingly let himself be caught to avoid causing a disturbance.

Ruben spotted Cain and gave him an exasperated look. It seemed to say, You, stubborn one, followed me all the way here.

Cain flashed a quick smile at Rubens who shook his head and soon stiffened his expression and began to count the number of mercenaries.

“Who are you guys?”.

A man who appeared to be their leader stepped forward. With scars on his face and a large sword sheathed over his shoulder, he looked imposing, but to Cain, it was just funny.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

As her body had been getting heavier, many times Agatha found herself unable to fall into a deep sleep. Tossing and turning, trying to sleep again, but it was never easy. Lying there, staring at the ceiling, she sometimes felt pain in her back.

Eventually, Agatha decided to give up on trying to sleep and chose to take a light walk instead.

Creeeak.

When she opened the bedroom door, the hallway stretched out, bathed in the white glow of moonlight.

This island, which could only be reached by boat from Pahel, had no other residences except for the mansion where Charlotte lived. Because of that, Agatha didn’t have to worry about being watched by anyone during her time there.

It was the only place she could comfortably stay, away from the pressures of being the Marchioness or the lady Duke.

“…That’s all.”

“Yes, Sir Karon.”

While strolling down the hallway, Agatha noticed the sound of a voice coming from somewhere in the mansion, where there should have been silence. Following the sound, she saw Karon speaking to a knight who had come running from outside.

But Karon’s face looked unusually serious, and Agatha immediately sensed that something had happened with Rubens and his party.

“Are you awake? Didn’t you go back to sleep?”

“I can’t lie down, it’s uncomfortable. By the way, who was that person just now?”

Karon realized Agatha had caught him talking to the knight, and he looked uncomfortable. After a brief pause, as though he was pondering something, he finally decided there was no point in hiding the details and started explaining the situation.

“…I had stationed some knights at the port to bring the group here once they arrived.”

“One of them is here.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Given the time, it doesn’t seem like something trivial. Did something happen to the group?”

Karon rubbed his chin with his hand, looking troubled.

“In order to pass through the path leading into Pahel, a valid pass is required.”

“I know. I showed my pass when I entered Pahel.”

“An outsider can only pass through the path twice a day. Even then, if the weather is bad, the route is sometimes closed. It seems Rubens chose to bypass the route and take a ship to enter instead, in order to move quickly…”

“Something happened while he was boarding the ship?”

“Yes. The mercenaries stationed at the port detained everyone, claiming they were suspicious individuals with no proper identification.”

“Who detained Sir Rubens? Who has the authority to do that? Pahel isn’t anyone’s property.”

“Count Schuck.”

Pahel, a coastal town that relied on trade for basic supplies, was officially part of the empire’s southern territory. But in practice, it operated almost like an independent city.

Count Schuck had invested in this small town, not for immediate profit but because he realized the strategic advantage Pahel offered in trade, especially in dealing with central regions without relying on them.

Recently, Count Schuck’s mercenaries had been appearing frequently at the port , asserting his practical control over the area.

“That man… I’ll have to go and clarify the situation myself. The people must be exhausted after such a long journey.”

“While it’s not difficult to go and vouch for their identity, there’s a small issue.”

“What’s that?”

“Count Schuck… he insists that only you, Your Grace, can personally vouch for them.”

“…”

“He’s a sly one. No matter how many people he sent, you refuse to meet them, so now he’s come up with this scheme. He said the group won’t be released unless Your Grace personally confirms their identity.”