Setelah semua monster di luar gerbang dibersihkan, para ksatria yang tersisa memeriksa jumlah korban tewas. Di depan gerbang utama, mayat-mayat manusia yang terkubur sulit ditemukan karena harus menyingkirkan berbagai monster terlebih dahulu. Sebagian besar korban tewas adalah para tahanan. Mereka yang selamat kembali diseret ke penjara di bawah pengawasan para prajurit dan ksatria. Grobel juga berhasil selamat dan ikut dalam prosesi penyeretan itu. Wajah para tahanan tampak seperti orang yang sudah mati, namun mata Grobel masih jernih. Mungkin tekad itulah yang membuatnya tetap bertahan hidup.
"Benar. Kau punya sesuatu yang kau yakini."
Seorang ksatria mendekatiku. Itulah pria yang bertaruh tentang kematianku hari ini.
"Sepertinya kau sedang dalam suasana hati yang baik. Kau kalah uang taruhanmu."
"Ya, aku kehilangan uang itu. Tapi tetap saja."
"Benar, tidak ada yang mati."
Ya, tidak ada yang mati. Setidaknya di antara para ksatria. Untuk sekarang, kurasa aku memenangkan taruhannya.
"Ada beberapa orang di ordo ksatria yang aku sukai. Kupikir pantas untuk mengeluarkan sedikit uang agar bisa melihat mereka lagi besok."
Ksatria itu tertawa dan pergi. Masih tertawa kasar, masih dengan nada vulgar. Tapi aku memanggil punggungnya yang menjauh.
"... Maaf, siapa namamu?"
"Hector Dutoit. Sebuah nama yang akan dikenang di seluruh benua untuk waktu yang lama."
Aku mengingat-ingat nama itu. Singa Putih, Hector. '...... Putra Ludwig.' Meskipun Hector memperkenalkan dirinya sebagai 'Dutoit,' dia tidak diragukan lagi adalah putra Ludwig von Urfa. Dan dia akan mengambil alih Tyburn ini, menggantikan posisi Ludwig.
"Hector, Singa Putih," mereka menyebutnya, yang meraung di depan binatang buas yang besar. Sesuai dengan namanya, itu akan menyebar luas ke seluruh benua.
Aku menuju penjara. Petugas itu bertanya dengan heran karena ini adalah pertama kalinya seorang ksatria datang berkunjung. Tampaknya aku sudah dikenal sebagai ksatria di penjara. Apakah karena aku ikut dalam pertempuran terakhir?
"Siapa yang ingin kau temui?"
"Seorang pria bernama Grobel."
"Apa hubunganmu dengannya?"
"Kami musuh bebuyutan."
Petugas itu menuntunku dengan sopan. Aku melihat Grobel duduk di sisi lain jendela pemisah. Grobel meringis begitu mengenaliku.
"Jadi kau masih hidup."
"Kau pikir aku akan mudah menyerah? Aku punya adik laki-laki. Tidak mungkin aku mati di tempat seperti ini."
Dia punya adik laki-laki bernama Rokbel. Dia mencoba menikamku juga, tapi dia dinyatakan tidak bersalah karena Serf yang mengendalikannya. Namun, saat kebenaran terungkap, Grobel sudah dikirim ke Tyburn.
"Sejak aku tertangkap, aku terjebak di sini, jadi aku tidak tahu apa yang terjadi pada adikku."
"Dia mungkin pergi ke panti asuhan."
Tampaknya Grobel dan Rokbel adalah anak yatim. Rokbel satu-satunya wali adalah kakak laki-lakinya, Grobel. Wajar jika dia berakhir di panti asuhan setelah kakaknya dipenjara.
"Anak-anak diperlakukan dengan baik di Constel. Lagipula, Rokbel tidak bersalah. Seharusnya tidak ada masalah."
"Itu bukan masalahnya. Masalahnya adalah bajingan Gregory itu."
Namanya terdengar samar, lalu aku teringat. Dia adalah orang yang bertanggung jawab atas pengintaian dan mata-mata di dalam Indus. Dia punya kemampuan untuk mengendalikan hewan, menggunakan mata dan telinga mereka untuk menyampaikan berbagai informasi kembali ke Indus.
"Bagaimana kau tahu Gregory?"
Grobel adalah tentara bayaran yang disewa oleh Serf. Gregory, sebagai anggota Indus, seharusnya tidak dikenal olehnya.
"Serf memperkenalkan kami kepada Gregory ketika dia menyewa kelompok tentara bayaran kami. Dia menunjukkan kemampuannya, mengatakan itu bisa membantu jika kami perlu kabur. Meski sekarang aku tahu itu semua bohong."
Grobel mendecakkan lidahnya karena kesal.
"Tapi kenapa Gregory? Dia hanya bergerak sebagai burung gagak saat itu, dia sendiri berada di tempat yang aman, bukan? Apakah dia aktif di Indus lagi?"
"Apakah kau tidak tahu? Gregory pergi ke tempat Serf tanpa mengetahui Serf sudah mati dan tertangkap. Ya, burung gagak yang dikendalikan itulah yang tertangkap, bukan dia. Jadi, mereka mencarinya tapi belum menangkapnya."
"Jadi, dia buronan sekarang. Indus pandai memutus hubungan, jadi mereka tidak akan menerimanya kembali."
Hanya Serf dan Gregory yang menjadi anggota Indus yang terlibat dalam insiden kabin itu. Serf sudah mati, dan Gregory melarikan diri. Mengetahui apa yang Gregory ketahui tentang Indus, mereka tidak akan membiarkannya begitu saja, jadi dia pasti sedang menghindari polisi dan Indus.
"Ya, benar. Sudah pasti dia tidak berada di pusat semuanya."
Gregory tahu banyak tentang sekitarnya, bahkan tempat-tempat di luar pandangannya, mungkin dengan bantuan hewan untuk menghindari mata orang lain.
"Jadi, menurutmu Gregory akan mendekati Rokbel?"
"Ya. Uang komisi yang diberikan Serf kepadaku sudah lenyap, bukan? Aku satu-satunya yang tahu di mana uang itu berada. Tapi Gregory tidak akan tahu itu. Jika dia putus asa membutuhkan uang, dia mungkin teringat uang yang aku terima dan datang mencari adikku."
Bajingan itu, aku memang tidak menyukainya sejak awal. Bahkan dari saat-saat dia bergumam di belakang kami, meminjam mulut burung gagak... Grobel berbicara dengan semangat tanpa diminta. Dia berbicara lebih banyak dari yang kuduga. Sebagian besar ini salahku karena dia datang ke Tyburn, tapi permusuhannya padaku lebih rendah dari yang kupikirkan. Mungkin karena dia tidak bisa memikirkan hal lain selain keadaan adiknya.
Hmm. Aku merenung sejenak. Grobel tampaknya sangat mengkhawatirkan keadaan adiknya, dan ini bisa menjadi alat tawar-menawar yang bagus untukku. Namun, telepon di ruang kunjungan merekam semua percakapan, jadi aku tidak bisa mengatakan hal yang ceroboh. Tapi Grobel adalah pria dari dunia bawah. Dia mungkin punya metode yang bagus.
Aku memandang Grobel dengan kemampuan 'Analisis'-ku.
- Mantan pemimpin kelompok tentara bayaran 'Regid'. Disewa oleh anggota 'Indus' 'Serf Daniel', tetapi saat ini dipenjara.
- Sangat menyayangi adiknya 'Rokbel'.
- Mempelajari 'Bahasa Isyarat' dan 'Ketahanan Racun' untuk komunikasi rahasia dengan anggota Indus.
Aku sedikit menggerakkan kepalaku untuk menyembunyikan wajahku dari penjaga di belakang Grobel. Meskipun aku bergerak secara alami, jika aku terus begini, aku akan ketahuan. Aku menggerakkan bibirku tanpa mengeluarkan suara: "Grobel, mari kita buat kesepakatan?"
Mata Grobel terbuka lebar. "-Aku akan melindungi adikmu, jadi bantu aku kabur dari benteng ini."
After all the monsters outside were cleared, the remaining knights checked the number of dead.
In front of the main gate, it was a struggle to find the buried human corpses by kicking aside the various monsters.
Most of the dead were prisoners. Those who survived were once again dragged back to the prison under the control of the soldiers and knights.
Grobel also managed to survive and was part of the procession being dragged away. The faces of the prisoners looked as though none of them were truly alive, but Grobel's eyes were still clear.
Perhaps that resolve was what kept Grobel alive.
"Right. You had something to believe in."
A knight approached me. It was the man who had bet on my death today.
"You seem to be in a good mood. You lost the money you bet."
"Well, I lost the money. But still."
"Really, no one died."
Yes, no one died. At least not among the knights.
For now, I suppose I'm winning the bet.
"There are guys in the knight order I've grown fond of. I thought it was worth some money to see them again tomorrow."
The knight chuckled and left.
Still a vulgar laugh, still a vulgar tone.
But I called out to his retreating back.
"……Sorry, what's your name?"
Without stopping or turning his head, the knight answered as if leaving.
"Hector Dutoit. A name that will be remembered throughout the continent for a long time."
I racked my brain wondering if I knew the name.
The White Lion, Hector.
'......The son of Ludwig.'
Although Hector introduced himself as 'Dutoit,' he is undoubtedly the son of Ludwig von Urfa.
And he would take over this Tyburn, succeeding the position left by Ludwig.
"Hector, the White Lion," they call him, the one who howls as he stands before a great beast.
True to his name, it will surely spread far and wide across the continent.
I headed to the prison.
The officer asked, sounding surprised.
"Yes. Is that not allowed?"
"No, it's not that, but it's the first time a knight has come to visit."
Apparently, I was already known as a knight in the prison.
Was it because I participated in the recent battle?
"Who are you here to see?"
"A man named Grobel."
"What's your relation to him?"
"We're sworn enemies."
"Haha, I see. This way, please."
The officer guided me courteously.
Well, I told the truth, so it's not my fault.
I saw him sitting on the other side of the partition window. Grobel entered the room, opening the door as soon as he saw my face.
Grobel grimaced as soon as he recognized me.
Creak, creak. He sat down on a chair and picked up the phone.
He remembers me. I smiled.
"So you're still alive."
It wasn't meant to be sarcastic, but Grobel glared at me.
[Do you think I'd just give up? I have a younger brother. There's no way I'd die in a place .]
That's right, he does.
This guy has a younger brother named Rokbel.
He tried to stab me too, but he was found not guilty because Serf was the one controlling him.
However, by the time the truth came out, Grobel had already been sent to Tyburn.
[Ever since I was caught, I've been stuck here, so I have no idea what happened to my brother.]
"He probably went to an orphanage."
Apparently, Grobel and Rokbel were orphans. Rokbel's only guardian was his older brother, Grobel. It was only natural that he would end up in an orphanage after his brother was sent to prison.
[I can't believe this.]
I tilted my head in confusion at his words, spat out as if he were grinding his teeth.
"Children are treated decently in Constel. Besides, Rokbel was innocent. There shouldn't be a problem."
[That's not it. The problem is that bastard Gregory.]
The name sounded vaguely familiar, then it clicked.
He was the one in charge of scouting and espionage within Indus. He had a knack for controlling animals, using their eyes and ears to relay various kinds of information back to Indus.
"How do you know Gregory?"
Grobel was just a mercenary hired by Serf. Gregory, being a member of Indus, should be unknown to him.
[Serf introduced us to Gregory when he hired our mercenary group. He showed us his abilities, saying they could be helpful if we ever needed to escape. Though, I know now it was all a lie.]
Grobel clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"But why Gregory? He only moved as a crow back then, he himself was in a safe place, wasn't he? Isn't he active in Indus again?"
Grobel countered my question.
[Don't you know? Gregory went to Serf's place not knowing Serf had died and got caught. Well, it was the controlling crow that got caught, not him. So, they are looking for him but haven't caught him yet.]
[So, he's a fugitive then. Indus is good at cutting ties, so they won't take him back.]
Only Serf and Gregory were members of Indus involved in the cabin incident.
Serf is dead, and Gregory is on the run. Knowing what Gregory knows about Indus, they wouldn't just leave him be, so he must be dodging both the police and Indus.
[Yes, that's right. It's certain he's not in the center of it all.]
Gregory knows as much about the surroundings as he can gather, even the places beyond his line of sight, likely with the help of animals to avoid others' eyes.
"So, you think Gregory will approach Rokbel?"
"Yes. The money Serf gave me as a commission has just floated away, hasn't it? I'm the only one who knows where that money is. But since Gregory wouldn't know about that, if he becomes desperate for money, he might remember the money I received and come looking for my brother."
That bastard, I've never liked him from the start. Even from the times he'd mutter behind our backs, borrowing the mouth of a crow…, Grobel was talking eagerly without being asked.
He talks more than expected.
It's mostly my fault that he came to Tyburn, but his hostility towards me is lower than I thought.
Maybe it's because he can't think of anything else due to his brother's situation.
Hmm. I pondered for a moment.
Grobel seems to be quite worried about his brother's situation, and this could be a good bargaining chip for me.
However, the phone in the visitation room records all conversation, so I can't blurt out anything careless.
But Grobel is a man from the underworld. He probably has a good method.
I looked at Grobel with my 'Analysis' skill.
- Former leader of the mercenary group 'Regid'. Hired by 'Indus' member 'Serf Daniel', but currently imprisoned.
- Cherishes his brother 'Rokbel' terribly.
- Learned 'Sign Language' and 'Poison Resistance' for confidential communication with Indus members.
I slightly moved my head to hide my face from the guard behind Grobel.
Although I moved naturally, if I keep this up, I'll be caught, so let's hurry up and talk.
-Grobel, shall we make a deal?
I moved my lips without making a sound.
Grobel's eyes snapped open.
-I'll protect your brother, so help me escape from the rampart.
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