Chapter 571 – Gathering Evidence.

“I think the main wave has ended. We should be fine now.”

Roland muttered, his voice carried softly by the wind as he touched down beside the hastily assembled command post atop the battlements. The morning light spilled across the landscape, casting a golden glow over the battlefield.

The scorched earth and shattered stone took on an almost surreal beauty under the gentle dawn. Wisps of steam still curled up from the pit where the turtle-like monster had fallen. All around the walls, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of smaller monster corpses littered the ground in grotesque heaps.

“High Commander, I’ve spread my golems around the perimeter, just as you ordered.”

Came a voice from behind. Roland turned slightly and nodded at Lady Curtana. Her voice had a hint of fatigue to it.

“Good job. You can rest for now.”

“Rest? Good, I could use a drink”

Armand said, grinning as he wiped monster gore from his arms. Curtana turned slightly, eyeing him with distaste. The man was drenched in fluids of questionable origin, and the stench was overwhelming. She silently thanked her helmet for filtering out most of it.

“Not you”

Roland said, shaking his head.

“We need someone here in case anything goes wrong.”

“Me? Why do I have to be the one who stays?”

Armand protested, his smile fading.

“You won’t be alone. The Guild Master and Sir Durendal will be with you.”

Aurdhan, leaning against the wall nearby, looked visibly annoyed, but he knew better than to complain as he was under contract. Veterans like him had seen worse and gone longer without rest. This was just another long day in a dangerous line of work, and he understood that speaking out now would change nothing.

“Sir Durendal, you’re in charge now. Report to me immediately if you see anything unusual.”

“Of course, High Commander”

Durendal answered in his usual knightly tone, but his expression shifted slightly as he caught Armand muttering under his breath.

“Can’t we have Curtana stay instead? Why does it always have to be such a sausage fest…”

Roland didn’t respond, but he noticed the slight twitch in his brother’s posture. For just a moment, Robert’s hand hovered near his sword. It was subtle, controlled, but unmistakable. The gesture made Roland wonder, if it came to a real fight, would he be able to take down someone like Armand, who was still a higher level despite his special class?

He pushed the thought aside. For now, they were all on the same side, and the city still needed protecting. Although the worst seemed to be over, there were other matters that required his attention. He had the deputy mayor on his side now, but that alone wasn’t enough. From past experience, he knew this city had more than its share of corruption, and before Theodore’s forces arrived, he needed to gather more evidence to support his case.

At this point, Aldbourne was a smaller city than Albrook, which had been expanding rapidly. The citizens here didn’t feel safe. The thieves’ guild was running unchecked, and people were disappearing from the streets without a trace. He was well aware of the illegal slave trade taking place and had even helped rescue a few victims not long ago.

“So, where are we going, High Commander Wayland?~”

“Awoo!”

As he descended a set of stairs leading into the city, Lobelia called out to him in a playful tone. There was a reason he had chosen her over her brother as compared to Armand, she had an intellect above that of a toddler. Agni, along with the golems controlled by Lucille, would remain behind as a deterrent and provide support if anyone tried to flee. While the mayor and lesser nobles had already abandoned the city, the criminal underworld had stayed behind. More precisely, they hadn’t been allowed to escape, thanks to one of his associates.

“We’re going to meet one of our allies.”

“An ally?”

“Yes, follow me.”

There was no one littering the streets, the houses stood eerily silent. The cobbled roads were stained with soot but the buildings were intact. Windows had been nailed shut hastily, and the planks were put in place unevenly. As Roland walked forward, accompanied by Lobelia, Lucille, and the loud wolf Agni beside him, the faintest signs of life flickered behind the wood and glass: silhouettes in closed windows, looking with a hint of distrust.

But it wasn’t just fear that Roland saw in those eyes. There was something deeper, something he wasn’t sure how to handle yet. It was hope and gratitude. He had come to take control of this place and add it to Arthur’s territory. These people weren’t supposed to mean much to him. They were simply a source of taxes to support their leader.

He understood that a happier population would bring greater profits, but he also felt something unexpected. It was a sense of responsibility. The plan had been his from the beginning. He was the one who gave Arthur the idea to seize this opportunity while Theodore focused on defending more important settlements. Now that he had promised to protect these people, he intended to keep that promise.

They reached a nondescript building at the end of a narrow alleyway. It looked abandoned, its walls cracked, the door partially rotted, and with mold clinging to the stone. But Roland knew better. He walked up to the side of the structure and placed his hand against what appeared to be a crumbling outer wall. Soon after, there was a faint click. The wall shimmered for a split second before vanishing like mist, revealing a stairwell descending into darkness.

“Oh, a mist wall. That one’s a classic, but not common in these parts.”

She was the only member of the thieves guild he truly trusted, so bringing her along had been an easy decision. He gestured for her to go in first, then turned to Agni and Lucille.

“Agni, make sure no one follows us. Lady Curtana, spread your golems out to the specific spots I give you.”

She nodded, and the visor on her helmet lit up as he transmitted the coordinates to all the potential escape points. As far as he knew, everything had already been taken care of below, but it was always safer to have a backup plan. With the golems stationed outside, no one would be able to slip away.

Roland descended the steps into the dark, damp corridor, the only sounds accompanying him were the rhythmic clack of his boots on aged stone and the occasional creak of timber above. The torch sconces along the walls had long since gone cold, with no one left to light them.

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Faint signs of battle marked the hallway. Burn marks scorched the walls, deep gouges scarred the stone, and dried blood stained the floor a dark brown. Lobelia moved ahead of him, her eyes scanning constantly for traps.

“No guards? No watchers? Not even a trap? That’s not like them.”