Chapter 7: Blood Fang (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: Blood Fang (3)
News travels faster than feet.
The moment the Dmitry branch of Blood Fang fell, the report was delivered to their headquarters in Lawrence.
"Is that really true?"
"Yes. According to our informants, Roman Dmitry wiped out the entire Dmitry branch by himself. What should we do? The Dmitry Knights have mobilized. If we stay here, we'll all be in danger."
"Damn it."
Ben Miles, the leader of Blood Fang, grimaced.
"I can't believe it. The Roman Dmitry we know is nothing like that. The man they call the Fool of Dmitry—the one who was rejected by the Royal Academy of Swordsmanship—wiped out our entire branch? That makes no sense."
Just a few days ago, when he heard that his subordinates had been defeated by Roman, Ben Miles had seen it as a golden opportunity.
Most groups wouldn't dare seek revenge against a noble. Nobles were the sort who valued honor above all else, and they would rush to avenge any slight against their family. It was usually best to resolve such matters amicably. But that was precisely how Blood Fang had earned its notoriety. Despite not being a major power, they had risked their lives terrorizing nobles.
This incident was no different.
By executing Roman Dmitry, Ben Miles planned to reignite Blood Fang's fading reputation.
The target was perfect, too.
The Fool of Dmitry.
Though Roman was the eldest son, rumor had it that Baron Romero wholeheartedly supported his other two sons. He might even welcome Roman's death. After calculating the potential profits and losses, Ben Miles had boldly ordered his men to kill Roman in the middle of Dmitry.
He never doubted they would succeed.
Nobles were human, after all. A blade from the shadows would make them bleed and die just like anyone else.
The outcome, however, defied all his expectations.
Not only were the assassins defeated, but the entire Dmitry branch of Blood Fang had been annihilated.
If we run away now, our reputation is finished.
The problem was Roman’s reputation. He had taken Roman lightly because he was known as the Fool of Dmitry. If word got out that they had been defeated by such a pathetic loser, their future operations would be crippled. He had to make a choice. Scattering their members, as they usually did, would ensure their immediate safety, but it would be impossible to maintain their reputation.
Ben Miles asked, "Where is Roman now?"
"We heard he just left Dmitry. It seems he got information from the Dew of Dawn. He's moving separately from the Dmitry Knights, so he'll probably reach Lawrence first. But if he gets on our trail, we won't be able to escape."
"So he's alone."
Ben Miles let out a cold laugh.
It was absurd.
How little did he think of Blood Fang to dare attack their headquarters in Lawrence all by himself? And to travel dozens of kilometers just to do it.
This was not something they could back down from.
They had no intention of clashing with the Dmitry Knights, but they had to eliminate this brat who didn't know his place.
"Assemble our forces immediately. Today, we kill the brat from the Dmitry family and spread the name of Blood Fang once more."
It was a leader's decision. At that moment, Ben Miles was certain his judgment was correct.
* * *
The sun was beginning to set by the time the Dmitry Knights reached Lawrence territory.
The journey had taken longer than expected. The incident had erupted in the middle of their training, causing several delays.
The walls of Lawrence finally came into view.
Riding at the head of the column, Knight Commander Jonathan announced their purpose.
"I am Jonathan, Knight Commander of Baron Dmitry's family! I believe Young Master Roman, the eldest son of the Dmitry family, has entered Lawrence! Open the gates at once! Blood Fang is targeting the young master's life as we speak!"
Every second counted.
He shouted until the veins in his neck bulged, looking as if he might tear through the walls himself, but the gates of Lawrence remained shut.
Atop the wall, a man who appeared to be the guard captain peered down. The square-jawed, stern-looking man showed no reaction to Jonathan's urgency.
"I apologize, but we cannot open the gates to an armed force. If you wish to enter Lawrence, you must disarm completely and follow official procedures."
"Did you not hear me?! Young Master Roman is in danger! We need our weapons to save him!"
"Please understand our position. What territory opens its gates to an armed force that arrives unannounced? I understand your urgency, but if Young Master Roman Dmitry is in danger, we will dispatch our own troops. So, make your choice. Turn back, or discard your weapons and quietly follow procedure. Those are your only options."
"Grr!"
Jonathan's face flushed red with anger.
The Lawrence and Dmitry families were not strangers. Yet even after he explained the situation, they refused to open the gates. He understood the logic, but fury boiled within him.
"You bastards. If anything happens to Young Master Roman while we waste time here, I will not let you off easy. I am Jonathan, Commander of the Dmitry Knights. I keep my word, and I will remember your faces. Now open the gates! This is no time for rigid procedures! We should be joining forces to find the young master!"
Rumble.
The sword at his waist began to vibrate.
A 3-Star Aura Knight.
Jonathan's overwhelming pressure was not something a mere guard captain could withstand. Only then did the captain seem to realize the gravity of the situation, but he still couldn't make a rash decision.
The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Just then, a soldier scrambled up the wall.
"Captain! An emergency!"
He rushed frantically to the guard captain and whispered something inaudible to those below.
The guard captain's face turned pale. He gasped in shock.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. Lawrence Square is in chaos."
"Oh, no."
Something was happening in Lawrence.
As the captain's heart sank, Jonathan's patience finally snapped.
"Open the gates, you sons of bitches!"
* * *
Just a few minutes ago, Lawrence Square had been peaceful.
It was a place of ordinary, everyday scenes, but the appearance of one man shattered that peace and plunged it into an abyss.
"Kyaaa!"
"W-What is that?"
Drag, drag, drag.
Roman appeared.
He had arrived in Lawrence an hour before the Dmitry Knights. Now, he gripped the hair of a man whose face was a mask of blood, dragging him toward the center of the square. People shrieked and parted before him. Drawn by the bizarre spectacle, a crowd began to form.
"My goodness."
"What on earth is happening?"
"Shouldn't someone stop him?"
The crowd panicked, but Roman paid them no mind. He tightened his grip on the struggling man's hair, and the man pleaded desperately through parched lips.
"...P-Please, spare me."
The man was none other than Ben Miles, the leader of Blood Fang.
When he had ordered Roman's death, he had never imagined a situation like this. His target was the Fool of Dmitry. He had figured they would dispose of him quickly and go into hiding, but what happened next was still hard to believe.
Roman had appeared at Blood Fang's headquarters. From that moment, a massacre began. Dozens of gang members rushed him, but Roman didn't yield an inch. Every flash of his sword left another man collapsing in a pool of blood.
It was overwhelming.
His head spun. The boundaries of common sense crumbled.
This is the Fool of Dmitry?
He couldn't believe it, even seeing it with his own eyes. For a criminal organization, information was lifeblood. They knew exactly how pathetic and insignificant Roman was supposed to be. Even their acts of retaliation were selective; if Roman had been formidable, they would have never dared.
But reality was different.
Confronted with a Roman who was nothing like the rumors, Ben Miles was gripped by sheer terror.
I have to run.
The realization came too late. The moment he had shown his face to deal with Roman, his options had vanished.
As a result, he had ended up like this. The throbbing pain made it impossible to think, and the blood streaming from his forehead blinded him.
I'm going to die.
It was pure instinct.
So he begged. He clung to Roman's leg, sobbing.
"I was wrong. I was truly wrong. If you spare me, I'll do anything, Young Master Roman. I'll give you the entire Blood Fang organization. I'll give you all the gold and treasures we've gathered. So please, just spare me. Think of me as a worthless dog that didn't know its place. If you show mercy this once, you'll gain a dog willing to lay down its life for you, Young Master Roman."
He was desperate. The stares of the onlookers meant nothing. He threw away all his pride, struggling frantically just to live.
Stop.
Roman halted.
"A dog willing to lay down its life for me, you say?"
He smirked.
Having reached the center of the square, Roman looked down at Ben Miles.
"You should have thought of that before you bared your fangs at me."
"Y-Young Master, please..."
Grab!
Roman yanked his hair, forcing his head up, and addressed the crowd.
"This man is the leader of Blood Fang, a group that has sucked the lifeblood from innocent citizens through usury. You all know how heinous and atrocious they are."
Whispers rippled through the crowd. The identities of Roman Dmitry and Ben Miles sent a shockwave through the onlookers. Their blood began to boil.
As the atmosphere reached a fever pitch, Roman did exactly what he had intended from the moment he set foot in Lawrence.
"Blood Fang extended its evil clutches to Dmitry. They plunged our residents into despair with their filthy schemes, and they even tried to assassinate me for interfering. Their crimes are clear. Therefore, before your very eyes, I will tear out the root of this evil."
There was no time to blink.
The moment he finished speaking—
Thud!
Roman slammed Ben Miles's face into the ground.
Blood splattered.
His face was crushed, and his eyes rolled back into his head. That was the end. Ben Miles, who had begged for his life just moments before, went completely limp.
The crowd held its breath. In a world where death was common, the scene they had just witnessed was still shocking.
Just then, a familiar voice cried out.
"Y-Young Master?!"
Jonathan and the Dmitry Knights, their faces masks of sheer astonishment, had finally arrived.
* * *
While the incident unfolded outside, Flora paced in front of her father's office.
"...Sigh."
She let out a deep sigh. Immediately after her visit to Dmitry, she had declared her intention to cancel the engagement. But since returning to Lawrence, she hadn't found the courage to tell her father.
The cancellation was a crisis for Lawrence. Her father's plan to use Dmitry's capital to resolve their financial issues would be ruined. And her father, who had raised Flora as the apple of his eye, would be deeply disappointed. She couldn't bear to see that look on his face. When she had made the declaration, she believed it was the right choice for her life, but now, faced with reality, she had become a coward.
Just tell him. It's my life. I can't be sold off in a political marriage to a man I have no feelings for.
She steeled her resolve. Even if it had to be a political marriage, she wanted a man she could at least respect, not someone like the Fool of Dmitry.
This was the right choice.
Just as Flora was about to open the door—
"My Lord! My Lord!"
A soldier came running, completely out of breath. He looked as if something major had happened, barely offering Flora a hasty nod before rushing straight into the office.
Left in the dark, Flora stared at the door that had slammed shut in her face, her expression one of utter confusion.
"...What's going on?"
She had no way of knowing.
She had no idea what a shocking incident Roman—the very man whose engagement she had just unilaterally canceled—was causing right outside.