Chapter 285 - 283: Condition of the Injured

Chapter 285: Chapter 283: Condition of the Injured

Duane rode straight back to Forest Castle.

The castle walls were now lined with numerous Guards, each armed with a longbow or light crossbow, all on high alert.

Duane spotted Benur, as well as several of the new low and Middle Level Warriors who had recently joined him.

"Look, the Lord is back!"

"The Lord is back!"

Amid waves of cheers, the main gate of Forest Castle swung open, and a crowd of people rushed out to greet him.

"You’ve finally returned, my Lord!"

The old steward, Ralph, seemed to have found his pillar of support. He rushed forward excitedly, his voice on the verge of tears.

Duane swung himself off his horse and ordered some men to unload the things from its back and take them to the kitchen. He appeared perfectly composed.

"Ralph, what’s the situation? Why is everyone at Forest Castle?"

It seemed as though all the Guards had gathered inside the castle, as if that group of people were about to attack it.

Ralph said, his voice filled with grief and indignation, "My Lord, while you were away, people from the Holy Radiance Court came..."

With additional details from Ralph and the Guards who had been involved in that day’s conflict, Duane finally understood the whole story.

To put it simply, the people from the Holy Radiance Court had attacked directly because Jack and the others wouldn’t let them ashore.

Not only did they injure all one hundred-plus Guards on the spot, but even Constance, who had rushed to provide support, was not spared.

Simone’s eyes were red. "Is Constance in the castle or at Broken Wave Bay?"

"She’s in the castle, with Vera."

Ralph immediately replied, "It’s just that Lady Constance used Magic to injure two of them, so her injuries are more severe. But rest assured, Dr. Ronald has already examined her. They’re all superficial wounds; she’ll recover after a period of rest."

Simone looked at Duane with reddened eyes. "My Lord, I’ll go check on Constance first."

"Go ahead."

Duane nodded. "Ralph, you continue."

The old steward then recounted the events of the past two days.

First, while Julian and Haien were inspecting the autumn harvest, people from the Holy Radiance Court found a flimsy excuse to shove them, injuring their ankles.

After that, some Guards on a routine patrol were provoked, a conflict broke out, and they were injured.

Now, Priestess Sarah of the Holy Radiance Court was already in the territory, preaching about the effects of the Great Blessing Technique and the benefits of joining the Church Court.

A small number of the subjects were incited, but most people, seeing their methods, not only refused to believe but deliberately kept their distance.

One of the subjects listed the various changes Duane had brought to Black Forest Island and refuted the people from the Holy Radiance Court, only to be accused of being a "blasphemer" and hung up outside the Medical Sanctuary, his fate unknown.

"My Lord, we didn’t know what to do, so we could only fall back to the castle and maintain order in Forest Village and Hutou Village."

Benur and the others felt aggrieved but helpless. The enemy was too strong; even if they all attacked at once, they were no match for them.

Even now, they still had no idea what the true strength of their opponents was.

Lune, worried that Duane would fly into a rage, tried to reason with him. "My Lord, they only injured people, they didn’t kill anyone. It seems they don’t want to create an irreconcilable conflict with you."

There was nothing wrong with what he said; he was genuinely considering Duane’s position.

But in Duane’s eyes, the conflict was already irreconcilable.

"They injured my subordinates, harmed my subjects, disturbed the peace on Black Forest Island, and undermined my authority. They have touched my reverse scale!"

Duane’s voice was calm, yet filled with an icy chill.

From Ralph’s description of the visitors, one of them was clearly Orisien.

’Looks like I’ve been too accommodating, given them too much face!’

Lune said no more. He already understood Duane’s decision.

Now it was time for him to make a choice: continue to follow Duane and fight the Holy Radiance Court, or back out at the last minute.

Without his recent experience in the Secret Realm, he might have chosen the latter.

But having witnessed Duane annihilate the Black Bear, Lune, after a moment of thought, stood firm behind him.

"Manny!" Duane called out.

"Count..."

Manny stepped forward. "My apologies, I knew nothing about this."

Duane didn’t take his anger out on him. "Go now. Get a horse and ride back to the Medical Sanctuary. Tell Orisien to think long and hard about how he plans to face my wrath!"

"Ye... Yes!"

Manny knew he had no say in the matter and could do nothing to change it, so he could only leave the castle quickly and hurry toward the Sanctuary.

"Everyone, rest where you are!"

With a grim expression, Duane walked into the castle. Before heading to the Sanctuary, he needed to confirm the specific condition of the injured.

Led by Ralph, Duane saw John wrapped in bandages and Jack leaning on a crutch.

Because they had led the resistance, these two were the most seriously injured. The other dozen or so Warriors would mostly recover after seven or eight days of rest.

Finally, Duane went to Vera’s room to ask about Constance’s condition.

Simone was there, his eyes red as if he had been crying. Calming himself, he said, "Her arm was slashed by a sword. Although the bleeding was stopped in time, you know her health isn’t good. She’s been very drowsy these past two days."

Duane used his Healing Technique to accelerate the wound’s healing. But he was helpless against her weakened vitality.

"My Lord, will you punish those bad people?" Vera asked weakly, tugging on Duane’s pant leg.

"Of course!"

Duane knelt, stroking the little girl’s long hair, and comforted her with a smile, "You stay here and keep your mother company. Your father and I will be back before you know it."

As he said this, he stood up and instructed Jasmine, who was standing nearby, "Take good care of Constance."

"Yes, my Lord!"

Duane and Simone left the room one after another.

"My Lord, are we going to kill them?" Simone was eager to kill his enemies with his own hands.

"People will definitely die over this," Duane said, his tone somewhat cruel.

If no one died, his prestige among his followers and subjects would be shaken.

The awkward part was, he couldn’t kill just anyone.

Orisien, for example.

Duane despised the man, but his status was special.

If the Holy Son of the Holy Radiance Court were to die on Black Forest Island, not only would the King hold him accountable, but the Church Court headquarters on the distant Sunset Continent would probably send people to investigate as well.

In short, dealing with this person directly and brutally would bring Duane a great deal of trouble.

If Duane were just a lone wolf, he could act more radically.

But he was a Lord now. Until he had the power to have a showdown with the Royal Family, he had to abide by the rules of the game—which meant not killing nobility lightly.

Of course, that didn’t mean he couldn’t do anything at all.

"Everyone!"

Duane came to the front courtyard and swept his gaze over the crowd. "Follow me to the Sanctuary!"

The Guards erupted in cheers. This was the moment they had been waiting for.

Lune and the others had just spoken privately and had all agreed to form a united front, resolutely supporting Duane’s decision.

Just as everyone was about to set out, the sound of urgent hoofbeats rang out.

"This is bad! This is bad!"

Someone ran anxiously into the castle. He had originally intended to report the matter to Ralph, but he didn’t expect to come face to face with the Lord himself.

The man froze for a moment, then was overjoyed. "M-My Lord, you’re back!"

Duane recognized him as one of the newcomers who had pledged their loyalty, a Middle Level Warrior, it seemed, though he had forgotten his specific name.

"What’s bad?" Lune asked.

The man replied, "It’s Priest Otto from the Holy Radiance Court! He’s brought a group of people to the outskirts of Forest Village and wants to come in to preach their doctrine."

Everyone simultaneously looked toward Duane. They hadn’t even left the village yet, and the conflict had already arrived at their doorstep.

Duane’s expression didn’t change. Instead, he looked at the messenger and asked, "What’s your name?"

The man was taken aback for a second before replying, "My Lord, my name is Paul. I was assigned to the Police Department."

"Very good. You’ve done well. I will remember your name!"

Duane praised him. "Now, take me to see these people."

Paul was thrilled. As an ordinary Middle Level Warrior, he rarely had the chance to speak with the Lord, so he never expected to receive the Lord’s affirmation by surprise.

"Please, follow me!"