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After a moment of stunned silence, everyone began to report in.
“Felix Quinton reporting in!”
“Joshua Cooper reporting in!”
“Benson Cooper reporting in!”
“Scott Prince reporting in!” “Wilfred Prince reporting in!” “Tobias Jensen reporting in!” “Homer Larkin reporting in!” “Ivan Lewis reporting in!”
“Bruce Stone reporting in!”
Rafael turned his face away, tears he had held back for so long sliding down his cheeks. After a while, he managed to regain his composure and said, “On behalf of the Devin Army, welcome back to the team.”
Eleven of them had survived. Eleven of them were alive. No one could know how deeply moved Rafael felt at that moment.
The ten men covered their faces, tears seeping through their fingers. They didn’t dare to cry out loud. The Devin Army- they would never forget they were part of it, even though their marshal had sacrificed his life in battle.
They could finally boldly declare themselves as part of the Devin Army.
A weak voice came from the ground. “Lawrence… Zielger…reporting in!”
Rafael held tightly onto the hand that Lawrence struggled to raise. He couldn’t lift it high like the others but managed a weak gesture.
Lawrence opened his eyes, but only one was open. The other was so swollen he couldn’t pry it open. His his face was a mass of bruises, with mouth split and his nose crooked. The left side was more swollen than the right, but the right eye was even more grotesquely swollen. He barely resembled a human being.
He was thin, and his bones were jutting out. The injuries from the torture were heart-wrenching. Dylan wept as he tended to him.
Burns, whipping, fingernail extraction, and steel needles had been pierced through his fingers, leaving numerous small holes. After such prolonged suffering, all his fingers were swollen, red, and inflamed with pus-filled blisters.
Lawrence forced a smile through gritted teeth, his once handsome face now unrecognizable.
Rafael couldn’t bear to look at his smile or his face. It felt as if a heavy pressure was pressing down on his heart, making it hard to breathe.
One could only imagine what Lawrence had endured.
Rafael stepped outside, sitting by the door and gazing at the moon. The road home was still a long way off, but he was determined to bring them all back.
As he composed himself, he heard Thomas ask Jacob, “Sir, how are my parents and my wife? And what about Timothy? Are they well?”
Jacob paused for a moment before replying, “They are all well. However, they thought you were dead, so they let your wife return to her natal family. She is now married to another man.”
Jacob didn’t want to deceive Thomas, to avoid giving him false hope. He had to prepare Thomas for this reality, so the latter could face it calmly when he returned.
Thomas fell silent for a long time. He lay on the ground and wrapped his arm around his head, burying his face in them.
Everyone looked at him with sympathetic eyes, but at the same time, they were also reminded that their own wives might have married someone else in their absence. Among the group, only Ivan was unmarried. He was the maternal nephew of Thomas’ mother, a young soldier on his first battlefield experience.
Scott and Wilfred were from Stonebrook District. Like Ivan and Tobias, they were just ordinary soldiers.
Felix was Logan’s elder brother. He had been adopted by Audrey, and was not her biological son. Lacking success in his studies and with a passion for martial arts, he had ended up on the battlefield. After several years of service, he had become a centurion before being captured.
Before Felix went to war, he was engaged. But with news of his death reaching home, it was likely that his fiancee had found another suitor. The head of the Quinton family was kind and virtuous. He would never ask someone to remain a widow and condemn her to a lifetime of misery.
Felix also hoped his fiancee would find happiness.
Still, he felt for Thomas. Over the years, Thomas had often mentioned his wife and shared stories about their life together.
Lawrence would also talk about his own wife. He mentioned she was timid and couldn’t handle such a loss well. If she knew of his death, she would surely grieve for a long time. Lawrence had hoped she could return to her natal family home rather than stay in the Marquis of Elderglen’s family, as there was a good chance he and the others might never return.
These years had been truly perilous, with the constant risk of capture. If they were caught, there would be no way out.
They had chosen loyalty, forsaking trust, and it was their fault for not being there for their wives.
Joshua and Benson were the sons of the Minister of Protocol, Richard Cooper. Joshua was the legitimate son, while Benson was a son of a concubine. Above them were three older brothers who were scholars and officials, leaving only the two of them to take up arms and fight on the battlefield.
When they “died”, Richard was still a deputy minister. It could be said that the military achievements of his two sons, combined with his own diligence, had elevated him to the position of Minister of Protocol.
Richard had also been the one to officiate Rafael and Sophie’s wedding.
After a long while, Thomas finally raised his head and smiled bitterly. Tears welled in his eyes, though he fought to keep them from falling.
“It’s for the best. She’s married now, and she won’t have to endure the loneliness of these years. She’s a lively person and deserves more than to be left alone in an empty house. It’s my fault she had to suffer. If she has found a good match, I wish her happiness.”
Everett disregarded the conversation. He went outside, and sat down with Rafael. His usually stern face was even more solemn now. “Both of them are severely injured. It seems it will take a few days before we can set off
“We can’t delay for too long. Our food supplies are running low.” Rafael sighed heavily, looking up at the moon as it wove in and out of the clouds, its light shifting between bright and dim. “We’ll have to depart within three days at most. We’ll carry those who can’t walk.”
Returning to Simonton City was the only safe option.
Everett sighed. “Then we’ll do as you say. I’ll do everything in my power to help. I also want to return to the Pathfinders Guild as soon as possible. Without my supervision, those monkeys might run amok.” He glanced back at the room. “I can’t bear to listen to this any longer. I’ll go out and patrol.”
“Be careful, sir,” Rafael advised.
Everett scoffed. Alone as he was, who could spot him flying around the border city?
Dylan was already distributing food-sausages, cured meat, flatbread, buns, and water.
Lawrence couldn’t eat the meat. He could barely chew. He could only eat the buns after they were soaked in water, which Dylan fed to him.
The night was silent, and the wind had ceased. Even in the sweltering heat of early July, the Sandoria border city, which would soon be frozen for the winter, was uncomfortably warm.
Aside from the sounds of chewing, there was no other noise.
After a long time, Thomas finally asked Jacob, “Sir, could you tell me… Who did she marry? Is her new family treating her well?” Jacob patted his shoulder. “Now that she’s married, you don’t have to worry whether her new family treats her well or poorly.” Thomas stared blankly for a long time, understanding the implication of Jacob’s words.
The weather grew hotter, and the people in Hell Monarch Estate had already begun using ice on a daily basis to keep the place cool.
Rafael still hadn’t sent any letters back, and Sophie was growing worried. Although he had gone with her martial uncle, the mission to rescue the hostages in the Sandoria border city was extremely dangerous, especially with Sandorian soldiers stationed there. According to the information Claire had gathered, there were plainclothes guards stationed around Valor Estate. They changed shifts day and night. It seemed the king was aware that someone intended to harm Freya.
The situation in Westhaven remained unclear. However, the special investigator, Patrick, had returned to report on the case in Brightmoor District. The massacre of Lola’s family had been clarified-someone had used a Soulgrip Threadworm on Lola, causing her to lose her sanity and murder her entire family. The culprit was a local small merchant named Mason.
The murderer had already confessed, and faced justice. The motive behind the crime was that both families were engaged in the same business, but the deceased’s family had built a reputation for philanthropy, which allowed them to seize Mason’s business. Enraged by this, Mason bribed James to use the parasitic worm on Lola, driving her mad and leading to the murder.