"Lord Rus, we've arrived," Erik announced as the carriage pulled up in front of Snow Maple Fortress.
But the moment he lifted the curtain, he froze in shock.
Was this really Baron Rus?
His clothes were the same as usual, but now wrinkled and disheveled. His hair looked like a bird's nest, his face pale and bloated, and his bloodshot eyes betrayed a complete lack of sleep. He looked utterly haggard and broken.
"My lord… what happened to you?"
Rus let out a long yawn. "How do I look?"
"Uh…" Erik chose his words carefully. "I think you should get some rest. You look like someone the Church would mistake for a vampire."
"Perfect," Rus replied as he jumped out of the carriage. "That means my hour-long face-rubbing session wasn't in vain."
Unlike Eagle's Nest, Snow Maple Fortress was perched on a mountaintop. It had no moat; instead, it was built along a ridge that climbed higher with each tier. It resembled more of a stronghold than a castle.
The garrison stationed there was understandably surprised by Rus's sudden visit. But once his identity was confirmed, they lowered the rope basket and brought him up to the ramparts.
Under a soldier's guidance, Rus arrived at the entrance to the main hall. He looked like a headless fly, pacing in circles in front of the door, raking his fingers through his tangled hair, entirely devoid of any noble composure.
Up on the third floor, Viscount John leaned against a window, observing Rus's strange behavior.
"Kent, what do you think?" he asked, eyes narrowed. "What's that little brat scheming, rushing here in the dead of night?"
Kent, the steward, bowed respectfully. "Judging by his anxious state, I'd say it's something urgent."
John pondered for a moment. "Could he be faking it—putting on a show to earn pity?"
"Highly unlikely," Kent replied, shaking his head. "Look at his movements—completely erratic, pacing, circling, no rhythm at all. And those eyes and eye bags, they're not the work of makeup. If this is acting, then it's award-worthy."
"Fine," John said. "Let him in. Bring him to my study."
John made his way to the study. A few minutes later, the exhausted-looking Rus entered, led by Kent.
The moment he saw John, Rus's eyes lit up as if he'd just seen his savior.
"Oh, honorable Viscount John! Thank the heavens—I finally found you!"
He plopped into a chair and exhaled deeply. "Praise the gods, thank you for agreeing to see me!"
His dramatic relief immediately lowered John's guard.
Snow Maple and Eagle's Nest shared a border. Naturally, John had already heard about what happened at Eagle's Nest.
As the old saying goes—what glitters isn't always gold.
Rus might've had the look of a noble, but in essence, he was a glorified street thug. Though he'd somehow come out victorious, the fear had clearly shaken him to his core. He must have come to borrow troops to reinforce his defenses.
"No need to panic. This is Snow Maple Fortress—no one can harm you here," John said warmly. "Kent, pour Baron Rus a drink."
The kind words seemed to have some effect. Rus visibly relaxed, took the goblet from Kent, and sipped it lightly.
"Baron Rus," John began, "I'm truly sorry to hear about what happened at Eagle's Nest. As fellow nobles, I'm more than willing to help you strengthen your defenses. But I also understand your finances are… tight."
He leaned forward, revealing his true intent. "So, if you're willing to hand over full control of Goldspark Town to me—"
Rus suddenly sat upright, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Goldspark Town is the key!"
John thought Rus had come around and smiled. "Exactly. If you agree to give it up—"
"No, not me!" Rus interrupted, sounding almost delirious. "You! I need you to immediately return Goldspark Town to me! If not, disaster is coming!"
"What?" John blinked, wondering if he'd misheard. "You want me to give it back?"
Rus nodded emphatically. He leaned in close, dug his right hand into his chest and pinched hard under his armpit. Tears instantly welled up.
"Viscount John, the attack on Eagle's Nest wasn't random—it was orchestrated from the shadows!"
"The one behind it all is Hyde of the Slater family! He wants my barony! I refused to give it up, and now look what's happened!"
John's brows furrowed. "Hyde Slater?"
As the actual controller of Goldspark Town, John already knew Hyde had been living there recently. He'd even sent people to pay their respects. But he'd never imagined Hyde had ambitions like this.
No wonder the bandits bypassed the closer quarries and went straight for Eagle's Nest.
In the nobility's hierarchy—Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, Baron—Viscounts and Barons held only minor domains. True authority lay in the hands of Earls and above.
In the Nord Province, the Slater family controlled most of the land. If they had their sights set on someone, even a Viscount like John would be wise to stay cautious—let alone a lowly Baron with no solid foundation like Rus.
John hesitated. "The Slater family may be powerful, but even they must obey imperial law. Since you've already repelled the bandits, there's no need to—"
"Repelled? You give me too much credit." Rus let out a bitter laugh, drained the wine in one gulp, and trembled as he spoke. "There was no defense… All the servants in the castle are dead. More than half my personal guards were slaughtered. Aside from Erik, the entire castle is now under Hyde's control, filled with his mercenaries!"
"What!?" John shot up in alarm, but a flicker of understanding soon crossed his face.
Of course. Rus's guards only looked impressive. With inferior equipment, how could they possibly stand against ruthless marauders?
He had wondered how Rus's forces had held out against such brutal raiders. Now it all made sense.
"Hyde is so desperate for a title that he's willing to collude with bandits," Rus said bitterly. "That's why I've come to you… I need your help."
"This is outrageous!" Viscount John slammed his hand on the desk. "An absolute affront to noble dignity and order!"
"Baron Rus, go back for now. I will head to Moen City and personally speak to Count Tyron! He must rein in his son!"
Despite his righteous words, John had no intention of following through. Sure, he was a fourth-tier Ice Knight and a Viscount—but before a true Count with real power, he was nothing. He was only saying this to reassure Rus and shake him off.
"It's no use, Viscount John," Rus said despairingly. "Hyde has lost his mind. He forced me to come here and demand that you return Goldspark Town to the Eagle's Nest."
"He said… he needs a complete Eagle's Nest territory. And if you refuse… then what happened at Eagle's Nest will happen here in Snow Maple."
John's expression darkened.
He'd heard of Hyde—a spoiled playboy, the youngest son of Count Tyron.
If he were the primary heir or had any notable strength, John might take him seriously. But Hyde had neither.
And he dares threaten me?
"Hyde actually said that? He thinks an empty threat can make me hand over Goldspark Town?"
"It's not just a threat!" Rus said urgently. "Lord Hyde gave me four thousand gold coins. If you agree to return Goldspark Town, the money is yours. The chest is in my carriage right now!"
John tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the desk.
When he first leased Goldspark Town, he paid ten thousand gold. Over the past ten years, he'd recouped around forty-six hundred. If he now took four thousand more and gave it back, the loss wouldn't be too great.
But it wasn't as simple as crunching numbers.
Goldspark Town wasn't just a source of tax income—it was a strategic transportation hub. Surrounding it were two baronies and a viscounty, all reliant on Goldspark for the trade and movement of goods.
Thanks to this unique position, Goldspark Town was home to nearly every kind of artisan a noble might need—blacksmiths, carpenters, masons, potters, architects, even beast tamers. The Mercenary Guild had even set up a branch office there.
With Goldspark Town, the entire Snow Maple domain had experienced an unprecedented revitalization. Though tax revenue had only amounted to about 4,600 gold coins over the past decade, the broader benefits it brought far outweighed that sum.
And now some nobody like Hyde expected him to just hand it over? As if! What kind of fool would that make him?
"I'm afraid Baron Rus will be disappointed," John said coolly. "Goldspark Town was leased to me by Baron Donald. I have no intention of giving it up before the contract expires."
"But—Viscount John!" Rus cried out, clearly unable to accept the answer. "If you refuse… what am I supposed to do?!"
"If I don't succeed, Hyde won't spare me… and he won't spare you either! The bandits of Bloodsoaked Heights will come for you next!"
"Let them come!" John narrowed his eyes, visibly annoyed. "Baron Rus, you are a noble of the Empire. Act like one—with dignity and self-respect! That someone like Hyde could reduce you to this state… it only proves you're not yet a true noble."
"I don't have a choice…" Rus gave a bitter smile. "Viscount, what about five thousand gold? I still have another thousand I could offer—"
John shook his head coldly. "Apologies. I cannot help you."
"If that's not enough, I can throw in three hundred bottles of Angel's Tear—"
"That's enough, Baron Rus," John interrupted. "If you're tired, you're welcome to rest here for the night. I assure you, no one will dare disturb you in Snow Maple Fortress."
Faced with such a firm rejection, Rus looked as though his soul had left his body. He slowly shook his head. "...No… no need…"
He stood, but staggered and knocked over the chair. Kent moved to help, but Rus waved him off and stumbled out on his own.
"Hmph. Pathetic little wasp," John scoffed. "So what if Hyde's from the Slater family? He doesn't represent them. If Rus can't even see that, he's unfit to be a noble."
But Kent spoke up quietly. "Are you certain the Slater family isn't involved behind the scenes?"
John paused. "What are you suggesting?"
"I was just thinking about something Baron Rus said earlier," Kent replied. "He claimed he still had a thousand gold coins."
John frowned. "And what about it?"
"Rus shouldn't have that kind of money. Elaina's own son wasn't even granted inheritance rights—why would she give anything significant to Rus? And between formalwear, castle repairs, and general expenses, where would he get the funds?"
John pondered. "You're suggesting… he lied?"
Kent shook his head. "No. I believe he was telling the truth. No one could fake a breakdown like that."
"Then what are you saying?" John glanced out the window at Rus's slumped figure disappearing into the distance. That hunched back certainly didn't look like an act.
"Did Donald leave him an inheritance?"
"Angel's Tear," Kent said softly.
"Angel's Tear!?" John suddenly remembered. "Right, that new wine he introduced last month… Are you saying he's already made over a thousand gold in profit from it?"
Kent nodded. "Elaina may have provided the initial investment, but even so, I'd estimate his profits at no less than 300 gold in a single month. Otherwise, there's no way to explain the Slater family's sudden interest."
John rubbed his chin. "You mean to say… Hyde wouldn't dare come after me alone. Only with the full backing of the Slater family would he be bold enough?"
Kent didn't answer, but his silence was confirmation enough.
He returned to his earlier point. "I've tasted Angel's Tear myself. It's a rich, decadent red wine—extremely palatable, with no competition on the market. If they scale up production, the profits could be immense."
"And the Eagle's Nest is so close to the Bloodsoaked Heights… not to mention the Slaters' rumored ties to the horse bandits in the region…"
John drew a sharp breath. "So the Slater family wants the Eagle's Nest not just for a barony—they want to control production of Angel's Tear. Then, by smuggling it through the Bloodsoaked Heights, they can sell it to the Phaeton City-States and even the Insar Empire—for astronomical profit!"
The more he thought about it, the more the pieces fit.
No wonder Hyde demanded Goldspark Town first, instead of easier targets like Eagle's Peak or the Needlewood Forest.
With the skilled artisans in Goldspark, they could immediately ramp up production while minimizing the risk of leaks!
Even with current production, the wine was generating 300 gold per month—3,600 per year. Scale that up tenfold, and that's 36,000 gold a year!
That was well beyond what any viscounty could yield—enough to tempt even a count's family.
So Hyde was just the front. The real mastermind… could very well be Count Tyron himself.
The thought of going up against the entire Slater family sent a chill down John's spine.
"Why didn't you warn me earlier!?" he snapped.
Kent resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
His master was notoriously proud. If he'd contradicted him in front of an outsider, there'd be no end to the fallout.
But of course, he couldn't say that. "It was only a theory, my lord. We still need to speak with Hyde himself before drawing conclusions."
"A fair point." John nodded. "Write a letter on my behalf. Then take it and go see Hyde Slater. We need to find out what he really wants."
Kent bowed and withdrew.
Now it was John pacing the room like a headless fly, anxiety gnawing at him. Even his beloved Angel's Tear had lost its flavor.
It wasn't until dawn that he finally slumped onto the bench in his study to rest. But just as he closed his eyes, a rush of hurried footsteps echoed in the hall.
Bang! The door burst open. His retainer, Penglei, stood breathless.
"My lord—it's bad! Kent, he… Kent—"
"Calm down!" John stood. "Speak clearly. What happened to Kent?"
Penglei didn't answer. Instead, two soldiers entered, carrying a stretcher.
Kent lay on it, blood streaming from both legs, twisted like a broken doll.
"Lord… John!" Kent struggled to sit upright.
"Take it slow." John pressed his shoulder down and leaned in to listen.
"Hyde… wouldn't see me. He had his men break my legs…!"
"And where is Hyde now?" John asked, voice like steel.
Kent coughed, then murmured, "…Already… returned to Moen City…"
A deep, bone-chilling cold crept down John's spine.
Hyde had made it crystal clear—he wasn't interested in negotiation. Leaving Goldspark Town now was a move to sever any visible ties to what was coming.
He's distancing himself… from the bloodbath to come.
John roared, "Prepare the carriage! I'm going to Eagle's Nest!"