From Blade To Spell

Fodo's face flushed red with rage. But seeing the boy raise his bow again, he didn't dare hesitate.

"Wait! I'm the captain of the Black Guards under Lord Rudolf of Cotton Town! Spare me, I'll give you treasure, gold coins… even girls!"

Aaron's eyes didn't waver. His voice was like ice, "What task did Rudolf assign you?"

Fodo's heart sank. Something was wrong. The boy's tone… his presence…

He stammered, "He ordered me and my men to disguise ourselves as bandits… To kill the Baron of Green Fort."

Then his eyes widened in horror.

His voice trembled.

"You… You're not… You can't be the Baron of Green Fort… can you?"

Aaron smiled coldly, "Indeed, as you guessed."

He raised his bow and fired. The arrow struck Fodo's head cleanly, ending his life.

He opened the map again. The red dots were now scattered across the forest. Without hesitation, Aaron resumed the hunt.

Viscount Rudolf had made his move. Aaron knew that letting these soldiers escape would only invite future danger. Better to eliminate them now, cripple Rudolf's forces and perhaps force him to reconsider.

Back at camp, Torvald stood anxiously, scanning the horizon. It had been three hours since Aaron left. The sun was beginning to set, darkness would fall within half an hour.

Just as worry crept deeper into his heart, Aaron returned.

Torvald exhaled in relief.

Aaron had hunted the scattered soldiers with ruthless efficiency. With the map's guidance, it had been a one-sided massacre.

He approached the camp and said, "Captain Monga, prepare torches, and gather all your sailors. You're coming with me."

Captain Monga was stunned, but quickly responded, "Jack, Blake, gather everyone!"

While Monga organized the crew, Aaron turned to Kelly.

He unsheathed the sword he had looted from the Knight Captain and handed it to her.

"Protect the people here until I return."

Kelly nodded, gripping the blade with quiet determination.

Torvald approached, confused, "Aaron… what happened? Were we attacked?"

Aaron replied calmly, "A group of soldiers was heading to Green Fort to kill me. I killed them first. Now, we're going to loot their corpses, collect their armor and weapons."

Torvald's eyes lit up, "Did you get Knight horses?"

Aaron blinked, then shook his head, "I didn't see them riding."

Half an hour later.

Aaron led Captain Monga, who held a torch in hand, through the forest toward the site of the massacre.

When they arrived, Monga and the sailors turned pale. The sight of so many corpses, fallen without resistance sent chills down their spines.

They realized, with quiet awe, Lord Aaron's strength was anything but ordinary.

Aaron guided them further. They found two dense clusters of bodies, where the fighting had been swift and brutal. The rest were scattered across the forest floor.

The sailors said nothing. But the silence was heavy with fear and respect.

Aaron, meanwhile, focused on the map. A glowing upgrade icon pulsed inside the cave where the soldiers had first been stationed.

He frowned, muttering to himself, "So the upgrade crystal is still inside the cave."

Aaron took a torch and asked, "Captain Monga, can you find the way back?"

Monga nodded. Though his face was pale, the torchlight masked it, "Lord Aaron, I marked the trees along the way. We can retrace our steps."

Aaron replied calmly, "Good. Return to camp. I'll join you shortly."

With that, he turned and headed toward the cave.

Meanwhile, Captain Monga gave quick orders:

"Jake, stay in the middle. Blake, take the lead. I'll cover the rear. Move your asses, we need to reach camp and wash the armor."

As they walked, the sailors whispered among themselves.

"Hey Jack, did you count the bodies we looted?"

"Of course. We looted around fifty corpses, 50 leather armors, 30 shields, 30 swords, 20 bows, 20 quivers full of arrows, and 50 daggers."

"Hiss… that means Lord Aaron killed fifty people?"

"Idiot. You think that's all? Judging by his expression, he probably found it too troublesome to search and just told us to leave."

"Blake, how many soldiers do you think Lord Aaron actually killed?"

"No idea, idiot. But I'll tell you one thing, every corpse had a look of pure terror frozen on their face."

Blake hesitated, then added, "While removing the armor, I noticed something else… Every single one of them was killed with a single arrow."

Captain Monga, overhearing their chatter, interrupted, "Enough. Just remember, every person Lord Aaron killed was an enemy."

He paused, then added quietly, "You might not know this, but I recognized one of the faces. I saw him in Starfall Town with Viscount Rudolf. He was part of the Black Guards, they came to craft furniture for the Viscount."

"Later, I asked around, The Black Guards are an elite unit, mostly late-tier Knight Apprentices. Their captain is said to be a late-tier Knight Realm warrior."

He fell silent.

But Jake, Blake, and the other sailors now understood. Lord Aaron's strength was far beyond what he had shown them.

Inside the cave.

Aaron moved quietly, the torchlight flickering against the damp stone walls. The air was cool and still, carrying the faint scent of blood and moss. He stepped over the dried footprints of the soldiers who had once camped here, now lifeless bodies scattered across the forest.

As he ventured deeper, the torch illuminated the narrow path ahead. He checked the map and confirmed he had reached the location of the upgrade crystal. But in front of him stood a massive boulder, blocking the way.

He scanned the area and found a suitable spot to place the torch. Then, taking a deep breath, he moved to the left side of the boulder and began to push.

Even with his Great Knight strength, it took everything he had to shift the stone aside.

Once cleared, he retrieved the torch and continued deeper into the cave.

The light revealed a haunting sight, two skeletal remains, long decayed, yet strangely preserved.

Aaron examined their attire and was stunned to find they wore cloaks. Despite the passage of time, the cloaks were clean, soft, and intact.

He searched the skeletons and found a small pouch on each. Curious, he inspected the cloaks and, finding no signs of danger, slipped one on.

To his surprise, the cloak automatically adjusted, fitting him perfectly.