Ch. 135 - War Is Coming

At the same time, the doppelganger Alfred immediately emerged from his room. He changed into a black robe and quietly left the fortress, heading straight for Qingshui Town. He needed to confirm whether the foolish yet obedient Aberleigh had truly died. Thus, when the doppelganger used all his strength to reach Qingshui Town, what met his eyes were collapsed stone houses and wooden fences. A crowd of onlookers and armed bandits formed a circle. Within the circle lay Aberleigh, a colossal figure covered in four long spears, twelve arrows, over twenty sword wounds, and blood pooling around him like a web of threads.

Aberleigh's massive form had been mercilessly pinned to the stone wall, and the blood, tainted with a metallic scent, continuously flowed from his wounds. The bandits and thieves surrounding him stared in endless amazement at this gigantic humanoid monster. These armed bandits, though currently in the advantageous position, were still nervously encircling Aberleigh, not daring to step forward. Human fear stemmed from the unknown, and there were countless ferocious beasts in the world. However, these people were unafraid because they were familiar with such creatures. They knew their habits and origins, which dispelled their fear. But the Aberleigh before them was neither fully human nor beast; he was like a true monster, instilling them with an unsettling sense of the unknown and thus, fear.

In the background, wearing a black robe, the doppelganger could faintly hear the bandits' hushed discussions. "Heavens, what kind of monster is this? I've never seen anything like it!" "Actually, I saw a guy fighting this monster earlier. By Enos, there's someone in the world who had the courage to battle this creature without being at a disadvantage!" "What do we do now? Should we all attack and kill him?" "Wait for now; the boss said he wants to see the monster with his own eyes. We should keep watch." "Keep watch? Easy for you to say. When he roared at me earlier, I nearly wet myself!" "Useless wimp, your only way of showing strength is with women."

Listening to the bandits' conversation, the doppelganger roughly understood the situation. Perhaps when Macedonia and Aberleigh were locked in a fierce battle, the commotion drew the attention of the bandits. Aberleigh, besieged and attacked, fell victim to these lower beings. The doppelganger thought for a moment, then lowered himself to avoid the torchlight shining in his direction, lifted the black cloth covering his face, and unsheathed his cross-shaped sword from his waist.

Swish, swish, swish! Without a single cry of agony, three shining sword strikes flashed across the scene. The bandits who had been enthusiastically discussing just seconds ago immediately stopped, ceasing all movements as their bodies were marked with bloody gashes. Blood gushed out like fountains in a noble's estate, and they fell to the ground one by one in silence.

Roar... Hearing the sudden silence, Aberleigh, who was barely conscious and gasping for breath, managed to lift his head. He saw a masked figure holding a bloodied sword, stepping over the corpses strewn around. Aberleigh instinctively wrinkled his nose, immediately sensing the unmistakable aura of a Paladin. He let out a pitiful yet joyful cry. However, the doppelganger completely ignored him, moving forward to swiftly remove the deeply embedded spears and arrows from Aberleigh's body.

Aberleigh, despite his intense pain, obediently refrained from groaning aloud. He watched as the doppelganger discarded the bloodied spears and retrieved his arrows. The doppelganger then re-sheathed his cross-shaped sword at his waist, raised both hands, and a gentle golden light emanated from them, casting upon Aberleigh's battered wounds. As expected, under the effect of healing magic, the massive and numerous wounds covering Aberleigh's body miraculously healed at an astonishing speed. In just a few breaths' time, apart from the still-present blood, there wasn't a trace of any wounds left, not even a scratch.

"Hide, don't let anyone see you," the doppelganger commanded in a cold tone as he finished. Aberleigh, in full compliance, immediately whimpered, using both hands and feet to jump and vanish into the nearby dense forest, leaving no trace behind.

The next day.

The gentle morning breeze swept across the open plain, causing the bushes to sway. Against the backdrop of the fortress behind them, Paladin and the other priests stood solemnly in place, watching as several servants carefully placed coffins marked with the cross into the dug-out graves. As the coffins reached the bottom of the pit, the Archbishop held up the Cassily Holy Bible, his voice low as he began to recite the eulogy: "May the great Heavenly Father, Enos, watch over your departed soul. Lead you out of the dark path and into the supreme heaven. May your passing become the redemption of light and hope. Justice and goodness shall be your shield and sword to accompany you in the impending darkness..."

Meanwhile, the priests each took out white flowers, filled with grief, and cast them onto the coffins. Two gravediggers picked up shovels and began filling the pit with soil, covering the pitch-black coffins. Finally, when the coffins were completely concealed and the earth had reclaimed the pit, with a solemn "Amen" from Sarrier, all the priests bowed their heads and chanted in unison, making the sign of the cross on their chests, saying, "Amen."

Paladin, standing by the graveside, watched as the earth was heaped upon the coffins and the cross-shaped sword that was stuck into the burial mound. His expression showed no sadness, only a hidden sense of joy. Yes, the one who had died was Macedonia. With the testimony of the two guards, Paladin had managed to cover up the murder of Macedonia. Despite having treated Macedonia's life-threatening injuries, the venom from a deadly raindrop had caused Sarrier, inexperienced in dark alchemy, to misjudge the situation. The true murderer remained at large.

As the priests gradually dispersed and put away the holy scriptures, Sarrier shook his white beard. His once cloudy, aged eyes emitted a sharpness akin to an eagle's gaze, staring directly at Paladin, who appeared to be mourning but had an expression of anticipation. After a long silence, Sarrier spoke first, "They say he died at the hands of a monster." Paladin nodded slightly, his response heavy, "They say he appeared in Qingshui Town that night but was targeted by a creature that had been harassing the town. After a deadly battle, he returned, but due to severe injuries, he succumbed to illness."

"Did he say anything before he died?" Sarrier inquired further. "No, his severe injuries had clouded his mind, and he couldn't speak clearly."

In silence for a while longer, neither of them spoke again. Finally, Sarrier sighed and, without looking back, waved his hand at the grave, saying, "Let's go back. War will break out soon. Go

organize everyone and assign tasks." Paladin responded with a simple "Yes" and offered a few words of consolation to Sarrier. Seeing that Sarrier paid no attention to his attempts, he turned away, wearing a mournful expression.

However, Paladin failed to notice that Sarrier subtly turned his head and fixed his gaze on Paladin's retreating figure, his eyes revealing a mixture of emotions.

As Paladin returned to the fortress, he observed numerous civilians and merchants, laden with bundles and wagon boxes, forming a massive procession streaming out of the fortress gates in all directions. Paladin was well aware that this morning, a scout had reported that a coalition army from the Kingdom of Malta and the Duchy of Aesintha, over a hundred miles away, had been sighted, advancing toward the fortress.

It was unclear how such crucial information had been leaked. Regardless of how Count Carmon and the Duke tried to explain it, the people who were convinced that war was imminent had no doubts. They took their families and wealth without hesitation and fled from the fortress where they had lived for many years. In response to this situation, the Duke decided to withdraw the bulk of his army to defend the fortress. Trebuchets and crossbow carts were pushed back onto the city walls, and stones were sent into the fortress in long lines.

Paladin looked at the already desolate tents and the shops in the fortress, now only occupied by soldiers, as well as the crows and vultures circling overhead. The scent of gunpowder wafted through the air. A look of anticipation spread across Paladin's face as he murmured, "War, is coming."

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