Chapter 266: Luring the Snake Out of Its Hole

“Bang!”

Warwick was slammed to the ground again, his bones feeling as though they had shattered apart—he could not rise, not even an inch.

“Bablin.” Ronin called out.

Bablin, who had been waiting atop the hill, sprinted over. “My lord, you’ve returned. What orders do you have?”

As he spoke, he stole a glance at the stranger lying motionless on the ground, bruised and battered, silently guessing at the man’s identity.

“Go summon Toru, Marvin, Philip, and Thorstein. Tell them I have urgent matters to discuss with them.”

“Oh, and if Baron Kryen is still in camp, bring him too.”

“As you command, my lord!” Bablin bowed and hurried off.

After Ronin had moved out of Giantrock Castle, Toru and the others had all left as well, preparing to spend the night in the camp.

Bablin quickly found them.

“It’s so late—what could Ronin possibly want?” Toru asked, bewildered.

Bablin shook his head. “The lord didn’t say, but I suspect it’s something critical. Please, Sir Toru, go to him.”

Toru didn’t press further. “Alright, I’m coming.”

Bablin then went to find Marvin and the others. They too were puzzled, yet none refused the summons.

Soon, all gathered in Ronin’s large tent.

Ronin swept his gaze across them. “Kryen isn’t here?”

“My lord, Baron Kryen has returned to his castle.”

Ronin nodded, waving for Bablin to withdraw.

Marvin could no longer hold back. “Ronin, why did you summon us so late?”

“There’s something vital I need to discuss with you.”

He turned first to Toru. “Sir Toru, as captain of the First Knightly Order of Mount Wu, would you betray Mount Wu? Would you betray Marquis Rulans?”

Toru frowned, confused by the question.

“Do not doubt my loyalty, Ronin,” he declared solemnly. “Since the day I pledged myself to Lord Rulans, my sword has swung only for him!”

Ronin’s gaze shifted to Philip and Thorstein.

Both men wore solemn expressions, uttering words identical to Toru’s.

Marvin had his reply ready—but Ronin did not ask him.

Ronin didn’t need to. He knew Marvin well enough: passionate, wise, yet often reckless—impulsive, in short.

“I know your loyalty to the Marquis,” Ronin said slowly, scanning the four men. “But not everyone shares it.”

“According to my sources, Baron Kryen has already become a traitor to Mount Wu.”

Boom!

The words stunned the four men to silence.

“Impossible!”

Toru was the first to speak. “Ronin, though Kryen performed abysmally at Red Mountain Town, I’ve seen the wounds on his body—fresh, from recent combat. I’ve inspected the wounded of the knightly orders too. They all remember the brutality of that night. They could not be traitors!”

“Yes, Ronin—you can’t just make accusations like that,” Marvin added, grave now.

Accusing a noble without cause was a small matter—or a great one. Either way, it damaged Ronin’s own reputation.

Philip and Thorstein, though merely deputy captains, also regarded Ronin’s claim with deep skepticism.

They could believe Kryen had embezzled Mount Wu’s wealth—but treason? That was too grave.

Unless Rulans were dead and the House of Wu utterly ruined, the cost of betrayal was too high.

And even then, treason was a secret affair.

Ronin had arrived at Giantrock Ridge at the same time as they had. They’d heard nothing. How could he know?

“Did you hear something?” Toru asked, regaining his composure.

His earlier outburst had been fueled by emotion—he was captain, and seeing the wounded of the Fifth Order had pained him deeply. He refused to believe such brave men were falsely accused.

“Not just heard—I caught a witness.”

Ronin clapped his hands.

Outside, Joffrey dragged in the wounded Warwick and dumped him onto the ground.

“Who is this?”

Toru and the others exchanged glances, baffled.

“One of the core figures of the Polant Bandits—the Silver Knight, Warwick.”

“What?”

All stared in shock at the motionless, broken man on the floor—a Polant Bandit?

Marvin dropped to his knees beside him, rolled up the man’s sleeve, and pressed into his flesh.

“Skin and muscle show clear signs of enhancement. He’s a Silver Knight, without doubt.”

Toru realized the gravity of this. Ronin wouldn’t fabricate a Silver Knight as proof—even if he were lying, he wouldn’t dare.

He too knelt, examined the man, and confirmed Marvin’s conclusion: this wounded man was indeed a Silver Knight.

“Ronin—what in the world is going on?”

Ronin smiled faintly. “Warwick, tell them who you are. And tell them what Kryen has done.”

At the sound of his name, Warwick trembled involuntarily.

The fight in the woods had been the most terrifying, the most helpless battle of his life.

He had been certain of victory—until the first strike, when he was instantly overpowered, then utterly crushed.

Warwick realized in horror: Ronin was a Silver Knight.

A Silver Knight so young—it shattered his understanding of the world.

He wanted to scream to Amicus and Kryen and all the others: You’ve all been deceived by this boy! He’s the true mastermind!

“I—I am indeed of the Polant Bandits...”

Warwick began speaking, weakly, haltingly, recounting the events at Red Mountain Town.

Inside the tent, only his voice broke the silence—along with the increasingly heavy, ragged breathing of Toru and the others.

When Warwick revealed the true purpose of the war—to annihilate the entire noble alliance—Marvin, ever hot-tempered, erupted.

“Damn Kryen! I’ll kill him!”

Toru gritted his teeth. “Damned traitor!”

Philip and Thorstein rose at once. “My lord, let us lead a knightly squad and surround his castle—take him alive!”

“Yes, surround his castle tonight!” Marvin wholeheartedly agreed.

Toru nodded as well: “Though Stonekeep is heavily fortified and Corien commands three knight squads, two of them are currently stationed at the camp—we can seize control of those two units first, then move to encircle Stonekeep and end this battle with the utmost speed.”

Of the two deputy commanders, Toru’s thinking was clearer; Marvin was more akin to a battle-hardened general.

At that moment, the tent flap was pulled aside, and Riedal stepped inside.

He nodded to the others, then reported to Ronin: “My lord, in the evening, most of Corien’s two knight squads were withdrawn—claimed to be needed for the defense of Stone Ridge.”

Now, everyone was certain of Corien’s betrayal.

These two knight squads had already been formally conscripted; Corien had no authority to redeploy them, especially not without notifying the commander or his deputies.

Ronin’s brow furrowed slightly. He had not yet captured Warwick by evening, so Corien’s move could not have been driven by panic over exposure.

“Riedal, how many of his troops remain in the camp?”

“Six professional knights, and half the cavalry and infantry left.”

Ronin nodded. “Joffrey.”

Joffrey, who had been standing guard outside, entered.

“Inform Sir Macken and Sir Taren: tonight, no one—especially not Corien’s men—is to leave the camp under any circumstances.”

“Understood!”

Toru watched Joffrey stride away, and suddenly realized: this war did not seem to require his guidance. Perhaps Rulans still did not fully understand his grandson.

Perhaps this battle against the Polant bandits at Red Mountain Town would be Ronin’s moment of glory.

“Ronin, how do you plan to deal with Corien?” Toru asked, unable to hold back. “We’ll follow your lead.”

Marvin and the other three turned to Ronin as well. With the strongest knight among the allied forces speaking thus, it was clear Ronin now held full command.

Ronin considered for a moment, then said: “Attacking at night is already rash—poor visibility, unfamiliar terrain, Stonekeep’s formidable defenses… launching an assault on Corien now would be unwise.”

“And don’t forget—we still have an enemy in Red Mountain Town. If we suffer heavy losses capturing Corien, that’s something I cannot afford.”

“You’re right,” Marvin exhaled deeply, steadying himself. “We were blinded by rage just now.”

He looked at Ronin. “I’ve studied Corien’s Stonekeep—the walls are thick. Even with martial arts, you couldn’t easily breach them. Breaking in won’t be simple.”

“What’s your plan?” he asked.

“We don’t need to go in.”

A calculating gleam flashed in Ronin’s eyes. “We simply act as if nothing has happened. Tomorrow morning, summon him to the camp under the pretense of discussion—and then apprehend him together.”

Toru’s eyes sharpened with sudden insight. “That’s an excellent plan.” (End of chapter)