Field wore an expression as warm as springtime. "Then you must be here to escort us, right? As chivalry demands. Hail the Valkyries."
Connor was ecstatic, inwardly thinking Field was oblivious to his true purpose. He seized the opportunity. "Ah, yes, yes! Exactly!"
"Excellent! Dismount and have some ale. We're about to depart. You'll have ample opportunity to demonstrate that chivalry along the way," Field said, gesturing for Ashena to step back. He then casually invited the cavalrymen to drink.
The riders hesitated, their movements sluggish, burdened by guilt yet clinging to a sliver of hope.
*Confronting a Chosen One head-on now would mean annihilation. Fleeing is impossible too; Ashena took the Fog-Dispersing Lamp when she took Connor down. Charging into the Death Mist without a lamp is suicide.*
"It seems the Baron hasn't figured out our plan."
"True. Field has always been a fool."
Seeing Field's earnest expression and recalling his past kindness and perceived weakness, they began to nurture fantasies.
Persuaded by Field to dismount, they nervously gulped down some ale, their tense shoulders relaxing slightly.
"My Lord, I believe we should return to report our mission completed," Connor offered, searching for an excuse to flee.
Field nearly lost his composure. *These idiots really think they can fool me?*
"Your horses are requisitioned for carrying supplies. You'll get them back when we reach Duskhold," Field dismissed him perfunctorily. He then pointed towards the front of the caravan. "You just mentioned helping us clear the path. Off you go, lead the way."
A sudden sense of dread washed over Connor. "I regret this! I apologize, but I must return swiftly! The Countess must be growing impatient!"
"Hoho, seems you don't understand the situation~" Field sneered, giving Ashena a signal.
***CRUNCH!***
Ashena's massive wolf clamped its jaws around a rider's head. *Crunch… crunch…* The nauseating sound of chewing drowned out all other breaths. The headless soldier gushed blood, collapsing to the ground, his body convulsing violently from the sudden attack.
Everyone, even Field's own people, instinctively held their breath, frozen by terror.
The scene was brutally savage.
"I was wrong! Baron Field!" Connor instantly capitulated, throwing himself face down on the ground. "It was your second sister! Lady Liz ordered me!"
"Do I need to repeat myself, Captain Connor?" Field asked, his smile chilling. "Scout the path ahead, or die right now."
*Cold.* Connor felt it seep into his very bones.
*That inherent gentleness they spoke of? Utter horseshit! All those nobles chatting about Field being soft as a lamb...*
*Bah! Liars!* Connor cursed them fiercely in his mind.
Under the threatening halberds of the guards, the eighteen horseless riders soon formed a small square formation and trudged to the very front of the caravan.
Field's minimap showed a large cluster of Rotters rapidly closing in from ahead.
Taking a deep breath, Field gritted his teeth. "Move out!"
Duskhold lay in the southwest of the Northern Frontier Province.
Guided by his minimap, Field skirted the vast majority of monsters. After three more days, they finally reached the Great Manor. The Rotters in Duskhold seemed endless, a fact evident in Connor's trembling hand, his blade chipped and dull, his expression vacant, like a puppet with its strings cut.
The relentless fighting had broken him.
He was the last of the pathfinding riders. *Credit where it's due, he must have been a capable captain.* But he bore several deep gashes torn by Rotters; flesh squirmed unnaturally within the wounds – he was partially corrupted, not long for this world.
"Put him out of his misery."
At Field's words, Ashena released her bowstring. An arrow struck true, ending Connor. Slaves moved forward with practiced efficiency to strip his body of anything useful.
"We've reached Starlight Manor! Finally!" Field exhaled in profound relief as he saw the estate entrance.
Cheers erupted from the group.
*All thanks to Ashena and the minimap.*
Without the enemy positions marked on the map, Field knew they'd never have navigated through. The endless waves of Rotters on the roads would have swallowed them whole.
"It seems no living soul has set foot here for a long time," Ashena remarked, stepping forward to tear away the dense brambles covering the manor gates. A piercing *screech* echoed as the rusted hinges gave way, and the heavy gates crashed to the ground. Ashena leapt back cat-like, wincing apologetically. "Uh... looks like the gates need some repairs."
Beyond lay the entrance: tall, imposing wrought-iron gates in an ornate European style, flanked by meticulously crafted stonework and statues. A vast garden, though now horrifically warped and sinister by the grey mist, still hinted at its former grandeur and opulence.
Two slave-guards heaved the fallen gates aside. Field glimpsed human skeletons, Rotter remains, and other unidentifiable monstrous carcasses half-buried amidst the corrupted foliage.
Starlight Manor spanned 30 hectares – roughly the size of forty football fields.
It encompassed a swimming pool, gardens, farm cottages, woodlands, granaries, wine cellars, stables, villas, and at its heart, the main manor house.
The sheer scale was inhumanly extravagant. After all, Baron Sophia had ruled a prosperous city, a far cry from an honorary title. Generations of family wealth had clearly been poured into immovable assets. *And this is just a Baron's seat?* Rumor had it the Griffin Empire's Empress owned a sprawling estate of 500 hectares. The trope of a heroine waking up in a bed the size of a football field? Entirely plausible for Her Majesty.
Such a vast place naturally teemed with monsters.
"Ten years of corruption. Places like the granaries and stables hold no value now," Field stated, pulling out the manor map and comparing it to his minimap. "Similarly, purely ornamental areas like the gardens are worthless."
"Should we clear the main house directly? Or secure one of the villas first?"
Besides the main manor, the estate boasted three smaller villas, intended for the lord's relatives or guests.
Ashena looked excited; villas were a completely new level of luxury for her.
The slaves were even more awed, whispering amongst themselves, their faces alight with excitement.
For those at the bottom, simply having worked – even sweeping floors – in a noble's villa was a story worthy of a lifetime of boasting, a glorious tale to tell their sons on their deathbeds.
Field stared at the distant main house. Tattered windows revealed shifting shadows within. Suddenly, he felt an unseen gaze upon him, a crushing weight settling on his chest, making his breath catch.
*Something truly monstrous resides in there. Best not to provoke it yet.* He quickly averted his eyes, rubbing his temples. He glanced at his minimap, densely dotted with skull icons. But the most prominent marker was a massive red dot, pulsing deep within the main house's basement. *Skulls represent corrupted monsters... but what does the red dot mean? Likely some monstrous entity too.*