Mount & Blade: Pendor Becomes a Dominator Starting with the Creation of a Self-Established Knigh

Chapter 90 Bloodstained Alley

Inside the lord's main castle, Ian's fingertips traced the rough parchment, on which was a withdrawal slip for one thousand dinars, personally signed by Steward Terry!

The usually arrogant castle steward actually chickened out and was extorted out of a whole thousand silver dinars by a country girl!

It's unbelievable just thinking about it!

Terry is most likely finished this time!

Ian knew all too well that what Lord Harald hated most was the incompetence and embezzlement of his subordinates, especially when it was the lord's own money that was being wasted!

The lord had already given Terry a severe dressing-down over the pirate intelligence, threatening to dismiss him if he failed to perform his duties again.

If at this point we were to expose the fact that Terry was swindled out of a thousand dinars by a country girl, and then present this irrefutable evidence—

There is absolutely no chance that Terry will escape unscathed!

As for himself, as the lord's most trusted attendant, he was qualified enough to succeed Terry as the new castle steward, which was almost a certainty!

Thinking about this made Ian feel much better.

He decided to strike while the iron was hot; he immediately went to report to the lord and, while the lord's anger towards Terry was still burning, delivered a fatal blow!

But when he looked around for the lord, the gatekeeper told him that the lord had already gone out!

Nobody knows where they went!

"Didn't the lord say when he'd be back?" Ian's smile froze instantly as he eagerly pressed for an answer.

The guard shook his head.

"No. The lord only instructed that we not to follow him when he left—"

Ian's heart sank completely.

He knew he couldn't wait; if he waited for the lord's anger to subside, all his efforts would be in vain.

But what could he do?

He was merely a servant and had no right to inquire about the lord's whereabouts.

With a heavy heart, Ian returned to his room, hoping that the lord would return soon.

The sky outside the window darkened completely, and the last glimmer of light was swallowed up by the darkness.

He sat blankly on the bed, completely immersed in the darkness of the room. This matter concerned his future prospects, and he could not afford to take it lightly.

Just as he was feeling restless, there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!"

The knocking wasn't loud, but it sounded urgent, and it was particularly jarring in the deathly silent room.

Ian jumped to his feet. "Who is it? What's the matter?"

"It's me, Wall!"

A voice that Ian both hated and found frustrating came from outside the door.

Ian frowned.

Wall was Terry's number one lackey, and he often acted arrogantly in front of the servants, relying on Terry's power. Ian always looked down on him.

Why is he looking for me so late?

"I'm already asleep. We can talk about it tomorrow," Ian said coldly through the door without opening it.

"The lord has asked us to go to the lower city—he's waiting for us there!"

Wall's voice carried a hint of urging.

"Open the door quickly, we're about to leave, don't keep the lord waiting!"

Ian was stunned.

How is that possible?

Lord Harald has always loathed the filth and chaos of the lower city, where the filthy and lowly women reside. The lord has never looked down upon them, and is filled with disgust.

"What is the lord doing in the lower city?" Ian asked, puzzled.

"How should I know!"

"How dare we inquire about the lord's affairs? Are you going or not? You dare disobey the lord's orders?"

Wall's voice grew even more impatient.

If Wall could reveal even a fraction of the details, Ian might be able to deduce some clues.

But it was this ambiguous answer that left Ian confused on the spot.

But he dared not disobey the lord's orders!

"Are you going or not? If you delay the lord's business, we'll both be in deep trouble!"

Urged on by Wall, Ian pretended to tidy his clothes and eventually opened the door.

He instinctively felt that something was wrong, but Wall's words hit a nerve.

The lord's authority is unquestionable. If this is true, and I disobey orders, I won't be able to keep my current position, let alone become the steward.

Moreover, the lord is indeed not in the castle.

Seeing that Walter was empty-handed, he retreated back to the servants' quarters.

"Wait me a moment."

Ian quickly pulled the parchment from his shirt pocket, stuffed it into the lining of his waistband, and only left after making sure it was safe.

Wall stood in the doorway, his face full of obvious impatience, with a hint of barely perceptible anxiety hidden in his eyes.

Seeing Ian come out, he urged, "Let's go, it'll be too late if we're any later."

Ian nodded and followed Wall out of the servants' quarters.

Night had fallen, and most of the main castle was shrouded in darkness.

The two men, each carrying a torch, walked through the dimly lit alleyways of the main castle.

No one spoke the entire way.

Ian was filled with doubt and kept looking at Wall, trying to see something from his face.

But Walter just walked quickly forward, his face expressionless.

They walked down the uneven cobblestone path and soon entered the lower town.

Unlike the cleanliness and tranquility of the main castle, the lower town was littered with excrement and sewage, and the walls were covered in black stains.

The air was thick with the sour smell of cheap ale, mixed with a nauseating stench.

Wall suddenly turned into a narrow alley.

"Why are we walking this way?" Ian stopped and asked.

The alley was pitch black; it didn't look like a place where a lord would come from at all.

"I'll show you the shortcut."

"The lord is still waiting, don't dawdle."

Ian frowned, and despite his doubts, he followed.

Ian's steps slowed down, and his doubts grew stronger. Wall seemed completely unfamiliar with the place!

This doesn't look like they're here to pick up the lord at all!

Ian stopped abruptly, demanding sharply, "Wall, where are you taking me?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Wall turned around, feigning composure as he looked at Ian. "Let's go!"

As Wall was speaking, Ian saw a dark figure slowly emerge from the depths of the alley behind Wall!

Upon seeing this, Ian's heart clenched, and a chill instantly shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

Without hesitation, he turned and left.

But as soon as he turned around and took two steps, he felt as if he had run into a wall.

A sudden, sharp pain in my abdomen!

A sharp pain instantly swept through his body. Ian staggered backward, looked at the dagger stuck in his abdomen, and turned to run.

But the moment he turned around, an even more horrifying scene came into his view.

The first dark figure to appear was now grabbing Wall by the hair and slitting his throat open with a knife!

Wall's eyes widened, filled with shock and resentment, before gradually losing their light.

"Stop struggling, your time is up."

"9

A chilling voice came from behind Ian, like a death whisper from hell—

He shuddered, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant, and he collapsed to the ground.

Ian's eyes were wide open, and he shook his head desperately, his eyes filled with fear and pleading.

"No—don't kill me—"

He struggled to move backward, "Don't struggle, this is just business!" the cold voice said again.

The man slowly stepped forward, grabbed Ian's hair, pulled out the dagger stuck in his abdomen, and the warm blade sliced ​​across his throat again.

The world fell silent instantly, save for the mournful cries of a few grey owls echoing from the distant forest.

Ian's body slumped to the ground, and the 1,000-dinar approval note ultimately became his burial offering.

The two assassins nodded to each other, then quickly walked away in opposite directions, disappearing completely into the darkness of the alley as if they had never existed.

The next morning, an old woman who collected sewage noticed the commotion in the alley, and a scream shattered the tranquility of the lower town.

The news quickly spread throughout the entire downtown area.

Terry paced anxiously in his room. He had barely slept all night, and now his eyes were bloodshot and his face looked extremely haggard.

"Those rats in the gutter, they won't take the money and not do the job, will they?" Terry cursed inwardly.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Five hundred dinars! If the Red Brotherhood assassins failed, he would be doomed!

Just as he was feeling restless, a guard rushed in.

"My lord, something terrible has happened!"

Terry's heart leaped: "What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic!"

"Two bodies have been found in the back alleys of the downtown area —"

"It's—it's Ian!" the guard gasped, panting heavily.

Upon hearing this, Terry finally breathed a sigh of relief. "And—and Wall!"

"Wall is dead too?!"

Terry's face turned grim.

He only ordered the Red Brotherhood to get rid of Ian, but Wall is one of his men!

This has really blown things up!

The lord will surely be furious at the sudden death of two servants from the main castle!

Terry felt a pang of panic, but quickly forced himself to calm down.

He suddenly realized that Wall's death might not be such a bad thing for him!

Now that things have come to this, his most important task is to completely extricate himself from this matter!

Terry straightened his clothes and strode towards the lord's bedroom.

Harald returned late at night and was getting dressed with the help of his maids.

Hearing Terry request an audience, he frowned. "Come in!"

Terry entered the bedroom and bowed respectfully: "My Lord."

Harald didn't look at him, letting the maid button his vest, and asked indifferently, "What is it?"

"My lord, something terrible has happened."

Terry said in a deep voice, "This morning, civilians in the lower city discovered two bodies: Ian and Wall, servants of our main castle!"

"They were brutally murdered!"

The maid's movements suddenly stopped, her hands trembling, and she couldn't button up her clothes in a few tries.

Harald frowned, snatched the button, and started buttoning it himself.

He slowly turned around and looked at Terry, his face expressionless, his eyes as calm as a deep pool.

But Terry knew that this was the calm before the lord's wrath.

The air in the entire bedroom froze instantly, and the maids were so frightened that they dared not breathe.

"How did you die?" Harald's voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of icy coldness.

"According to the guards' report, he was killed by having his throat slit with a dagger!"

"Have they offended anyone recently?"

Terry was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly replied, "My lord, I have checked."

"Yesterday afternoon, Vol had a fierce clash with the mercenary group from Broken Amber Village at the main castle gate. Both gatekeepers witnessed it!"

"Those mercenaries are all desperate criminals. They must have held a grudge because Wall refused to pay their bounties, which is why they killed them!"

"Ian must have been with Wall when they killed him!"

Terry spoke with such conviction, as if he had witnessed it himself.

Harald frowned, scrutinizing Terry's unchanging expression. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Why not exchange the bounty for them?"

Under the lord's watchful gaze, cold sweat gradually seeped down Terry's back.

"My lord, it was my decision not to pay the bounty."

As soon as Terry finished speaking, he suddenly felt as if he were being stared at by some ferocious beast, and his whole body went cold.

"My lord, that mercenary squad—they got some ears from who-knows-where, and they claim they're the ears of pirates. They even claim to have killed at least seventy or eighty pirates!"

How is that possible!

I also suspected their ears were obtained improperly, and fearing it might cause losses for the lord, I didn't pay them the bounty!

Harald's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Go and call the two security guards who were on duty yesterday!"

A moment later, Harald went to the study.

Two security guards were also brought in.

"Did Wall have a conflict with that mercenary from Broken Amber Village yesterday?" Harald asked.

The two guards had also heard the news. They exchanged a glance and nodded, saying, "Yes, lord."

Yesterday, the mercenaries from Broken Amber Village came to exchange thirty-five pirate ears for their bounty. Vol said that ears alone couldn't prove they were pirates and refused to give them the ears, leading to a standoff. We even stepped in to help Vol maintain order.

Harald's face instantly darkened.

It's actually true!

Whoever it was, they were incredibly audacious! They actually dared to kill his men inside his fortress!

"Investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Harald's voice carried an undeniable authority, "I'd like to see who dares to challenge my authority!"

Upon hearing this, Terry was overjoyed and quickly said, "My lord, I am willing to take responsibility for this matter! Please allow me to lead the city guards to investigate!"

I will apprehend the culprit as soon as possible and give you an explanation!

He assumed the lord would agree, after all, he was the castle steward and had certain responsibilities.

Harald shook his head.

"Someone will go."

Terry's heart sank as he heard the familiar footsteps.

A moment later, Sheriff Ramsay walked in.

Ramsey entered, bowed to the lord, and didn't even glance at Terry.

Harald looked at Terry first, "You can go down now."

"Yes, my lord." Terry dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction, bowed and slowly withdrew.

"Ramsey!" Lord Harald looked at the fat man in front of him and said, "You should have heard about what happened. Terry suspects that it was the Little Bowl mercenary group from Broken Amber Village outside the city who did it."

This case is assigned to you.

"Yes, my lord!" Ramsey bowed respectfully, a barely perceptible gleam of ecstasy flashing in his eyes.

It's like searching high and low without finding it, only to stumble upon it effortlessly!

He was worried that it wouldn't be a good time to cause trouble for Rolf!

Last night, his old butler succumbed to his injuries and died.

After all, even if we spend a lot of money to save him, he'll still be a cripple. It's better to save him some money!

But in his view, it was all Rolf's fault!

If Rolf hadn't injured someone, how could the old butler have died?

Now that he had the lord's order, he could finally legitimately lead the city guards to cause trouble for the Broken Amber Village mercenary group!

This time, he's determined to make Rolf pay a terrible price!

"My lord, may I be permitted to mobilize the city guards to leave the city?" Ramsey asked.

"no."

Surprisingly, Lord Harald rejected Ramsay's proposal.

"Go find Sigurd and have him lead a small private army to accompany you."

"My lord, this—" Ramsey hesitated.

"Just go when I tell you to," Harald said calmly.

Ramsey was startled, but dared not ask any more questions, and quickly bowed and withdrew.

Harald walked to the window of the castle, opened it, and looked towards the East Lake outside the city.

"I can kill seventy or eighty pirates—" Harald murmured, calculating in his mind.

Sunlight shone on his face, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes. He muttered to himself, "Sea pirates from a large tribe?"

"It's time—"