Gerald stared at the boy who stood behind Lucas. "His nephew?" It seemed that he'd stumbled upon something interesting. If his thoughts turned out to be true, then he'd just come across a walking treasure. Simply sending this Frederick to his uncle could earn one both gold and favor from a powerful noble in the Warring Duchies.

The Warring Duchies were quite far though. The Maric Kingdom was in the southwestern subcontinent of the Asura continent, while the Warring Duchies were in the westernmost part of the Asura continent. The Andross Empire took up the northern part of the southwestern subcontinent, and it was separated from the Warring Duchies by the Wild Plains in the northeast.

That part of the continent had earned its name. Gerald had read about the history of the Asura continent, and the Warring Duchies were quite an interesting subject. A considerable Empire had risen in the west of the continent hundreds of years ago. That Empire hadn't been very stable, or so the book had said. Eventually, it had collapsed and disintegrated into many Duchies. All the weaker nobles had been swallowed or subjugated by these Duchies. Some said that the Babylon Empire had a hand in the collapse of the western Empire. But there was no certainty to the claim.

Now the Duchies warred for more territory, each of the Dukes wishing to establish their own Kingdom. Supporting some of these Dukes was the Babylon Empire, while others were influenced by the United Archipelago which used the Warring Duchies as a foothold and an area of influence in the continent. A war of both religion and influence was now raging in that part of the continent for years unending. Eventually, the west of the continent was simply called the Warring Duchies by mapmakers.

Gerald kept his gaze fixed on Frederick, awaiting an answer to his question. The boy didn't seem reluctant, but Lucas near him was grimacing.

"Yes," Frederick said with a straight, decisive face. "I'm the rightful heir to the Fortis Duchy. My uncle, Melain Fortis, usurped my father's title and murdered him. He only needs my head to guarantee himself and his children the Duchy forever."

A smile stretched across Gerald's face. His assumption was right. He glanced at Lucas who was already gripping his sheathed sword with a tense fist. It seemed that this knight had been hiding more than he could have imagined. The knight also seemed adamant on preventing Frederick from surrendering to him.

Lucas glared at Gerald and their eyes met, glued to each other. The knight's determined expression stood proof to his resolve and he enunciated his next words slowly. "You will not have him. If you wish to, then you'll have to kill every one of us, and in the end you'll still not have him."

Gerald raised his brows. The knight's words suggested that he'd even end Frederick's life or let him die in battle if Gerald insisted on taking him. It was an odd but daring threat. It meant that Gerald would be spending his men's lives for nothing if he got too greedy and wanted to take Frederick.

He wanted to laugh. For others, Frederick was a walking chest of gold. But for Gerald, it was different. He saw something more valuable. Something he truly needed. Gold would certainly come someday. Besides, he didn't just want a one-time rush of gold to enter his coffers. He wanted to make his territory capable of supporting a thriving treasury every year.

Gerald looked at Lucas. "I see you've been caring for a fool." He gestured towards Frederick.

Lucas stiffened, apparently puzzled.

Frederick frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You said that many men have died for you," Gerald said. "Yet here you are, offering your life, which they paid for with theirs, to me. Tell me, isn't that what a fool would do?"

"I don't want more of them to die."

"Yet many already have," Gerald chuckled as he shook his head. The boy really was fool, or perhaps his frustration had taken a hold of him. "You make their sacrifice worthless by throwing your life away, do you not?"

"At least those who survive today will get a chance to live on," the boy said with a hoarse voice. "It's better than all of them dying for me."

"If all of them die for you, then at least they'll die knowing that they have fulfilled their duty," Gerald's eyes turned serious, his face straightening. "If you die now, then they've sacrificed years of their lives for nothing, and their brothers have also died for nothing."

"Why are you . . . " the boy was choking on his words and the tears he was holding back. "No more deaths. Isn't it enough already?"

"Indeed, it is. I've decided," Gerald smiled again. "No blood needs to be spilled today."

Lucas's face brightened, while Frederick seemed to have glimpsed a ray of hope.

"Of course, there is a condition," Gerald's smile turned into a smirk.

Lucas's smiled froze and it slowly receded as if he'd already expected things to be anything but simple.

"Lucas and his men will have to serve me."

"Impossible," Lucas yelled.

"I have not finished," Gerald stared the knight down. "Lucas and his men will serve me, and in exchange, I will shelter the young heir to the Fortis Duchy. He will be my squire. I will keep your secret, and you'll do my bidding. I will protect your lord, and you will provide me with counsel."

Lucas's eyes moved from side to side, obviously shocked by the offer but also uncertain. "How do I know you won't just kill us as soon as we let our guards down?"

Gerald cleared his throat and announced, "I, Gerald Tellus, swear by the name of my family that I will uphold the promise I have given on this day. I will give shelter to Frederick Fortis until the day he may take back what is his. I will uncover no secret that may bring harm upon him, and I will do all that is within my power to preserve his life."

Lucas seemed conflicted enough for Gerald to hear his ragged breaths. Frederick stood silent on the side. The boy seemed inexperienced when it came to actual negotiation. He was still silent and astonished by what was happening.

"Nothing guarantees that you'll really uphold your promise," Lucas said. "Perhaps you don't care about your family's honor. There is still no guarantee for our safety."

Gerald expected the knight's doubt. Even though his oath was sworn in front of two of his subordinates, Gasper and Uncle Rudolf, it was still not enough to make Lucas trust him. Breaking his oath would make his subordinates who'd witnessed him disdain if not outright abandon him. But that was no consolation to Lucas. The knight was more concerned about his Lord's safety than anything else. "I'm afraid you have no choice," Gerald said. "It's either my offer or death . . . for every one of you."

Lucas pressed his lips and glanced at his lieutenant. Gerald saw both resignation and agreement in the pair's eyes.

Lucas ended up nodding slowly. "We will accept your offer, hoping that you will fulfill your oath, Lord Tellus."

Gerald smiled, truly from the heart this time. Things had gone unexpectedly, but he'd reaped unexpected gains as well. He would keep his promise. Lucas was a loyal knight, and loyal was a rare commodity, much rarer than most people imagined. As long as he kept his promise, Lucas and his men would be as loyal to him as his own men were, or perhaps even more. His men had known him for only a few months, after all. While Lucas's loyalty would be based on his years of loyalty to Frederick and his murdered father.

"I will bring the men out of the fortress," Lucas continued.

Gerald was about to tell him to keep his men in the fortress for the next few months, but he decided against it. Since he'd promised to take Frederick as his 'squire', Lucas would likely want to stay nearby. The knight wouldn't fully trust him at first. And telling him to stay in the fortress while Frederick leaves for Ard might make the knight rethink his decision.

Gerald moved his gaze to the northwest. Robard was supposed to meet him here after the ambush, so that they could raze the fortress. They were both supposed to eliminate the bandits on their side and converge in the south to have the men raze the mud walls. Yet a day had passed since he'd ambushed Viper and Robard still hadn't arrived.

Ambushing the western bandit who'd participated in the attack on Edgar should have happened yesterday. And even if Robard had gone after that Edith who'd been absent, he should have arrived by now. Hopefully, nothing drastic had happened.

Lucas's men soon came out of the fortress and the knight waited along with Gerald. Not many words were exchanged. Lucas was still too wary to speak, while Gasper and Uncle Rudolf had an ungainly history with the knight, and so they didn't speak either.

..

By noon Gerald's riders reported Robard's arrival. Gerald rode out to receive his knight. The sight that welcomed him, however, promised ill news. The arriving men were covered in soot and grime that he could see from the distance. He also spotted a trail of wounded men marching in the rear.

Soon, Robard appeared from the thick of marching soldiers and rode to meet Gerald. The head knight's face and armor were covered in soot and his hair was disheveled. He seemed to have just come out of an oven. The size of the two regiments Robard had led seemed to have shrunk by a quarter. Gerald dreaded the questions he was about to ask.

"What in the hells happened to you, Robard?"