CHAPTER 210: CHAPTER 161: DIRECT ARREST

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On a hillside of Eagle Ridge.

The golden glow of the sunset spilled over the snow-white landscape.

The light reflected off the snow like a layer of golden armor, adding a touch of warmth to the cold winter day.

Three gallant horses were slowly moving along a winding mountain path.

Behind the horses, well-equipped soldiers and militia followed.

There were not only infantry but also longbowmen, totaling nearly fifty people with the militia included.

"Lord Frank, if we keep this pace to Desolate Hill Village, those robbers might have already fled far away."

Honier inquired from horseback.

Frank is a knight of Eagle Ridge and also a stationed commander in a nearby village of Eagle Town.

Frank is tall and robust, with distinctly angular features, wearing armor covered with tiny scratches, clearly weathered by countless hardships.

Frank himself is also nearing fifty, with time having etched fine lines at the corners of his eyes and forehead.

Yet Frank still possesses a strong physique, with a calm demeanor carrying the authority of a Lord Knight.

To Honier’s urging, Frank replied impassively,

"No rush."

"But if you keep on like this, we won’t be able to complete the task given to us by Lord Zane!"

Honier’s voice trembled slightly from the cold, or perhaps from the excitement of wanting to apprehend the robbers.

Frank squinted slightly, looking straight ahead without turning: "I have my own pace. If you’re in a hurry, you can go ahead on your own."

"Lord Frank, you can’t do this!"

Honier’s cheeks trembled with anger as he shouted, "Lord Zane is the future Lord of Eagle Ridge, the great Count Hawk!"

"Are you going to betray the Hawk Clan, Lord Frank?"

"If I were to betray, your head as the messenger would have been gone by now."

Frank’s tone was calm, but his gaze was extremely sharp.

"You!"

Honier’s face turned red, he was about to curse when he saw the attendant beside him already with his hand on his sword, so he had to suppress his outburst.

Ultimately, Honier could only snort coldly, flick the reins to speed up, leaving Frank behind.

After he left, Frank’s squire spoke in a lowered voice: "My lord, won’t we offend Zane by doing this?"

"So what? He is not yet the Count Hawk."

Knight Frank remained expressionless, "Who will actually be the future Count Hawk is yet to be determined."

The squire’s body visibly stiffened, carefully looking at Frank’s profile, unsure of how to respond to this almost rebellious statement.

"You’ve heard the rumors too, right?"

Frank continued, "The witness that Baron Harun found swears he saw Count Hawk push his brother off a cliff personally."

The squire hesitated a bit and said, "A single witness doesn’t seem to mean anything..."

"Really?"

Frank’s voice suddenly turned icy,

"After that Count took over, all the guards who went hunting with him disappeared without a trace."

"And the current witness is one of those vanished guards, doesn’t this already point to something?"

The squire was slightly taken aback, "Do you... do you believe this rumor?"

Frank took a deep cold breath, exhaled a cloud of white mist, and did not speak.

But the thoughts in his mind kept swirling.

Frank still remembers being recruited into the Knight Training Camp by Baron Harun’s father when he was young.

He was a handsome young man with a gentle smile, caring for every knight who was just learning the Breathing Technique.

Frank still remembers, at that time, everyone thought Baron Harun’s father would surely become a virtuous lord.

Unfortunately, he met an untimely end.

Frank served Count Hawk purely out of a knight’s loyalty and duty.

Now, however, the rumors of a usurper have shaken him internally.

If it proves true, he would prefer to support Baron Harun as the heir.

In fact, quite a few knights in Eagle Territory feel the same as him, undecided on whom to pledge their allegiance.

The accusation of being a usurper is too grave to be ignored easily by anyone.

Many older knights are loyal to the Hawk Clan itself, rather than any specific individual.

They would prefer to accept the leadership of a legitimate successor, rather than a usurper who might have risen by murdering his brother.

Similarly, the other two barons of the Hawk Clan, Baron Red Feather and Baron Talon, have not yet expressed any intention to support Zane as the new Count.

This indicates that a third of the Hawk Clan’s power has already slipped out of control.

If even stationed commanders like Frank do not obey Zane, then whether Zane becomes the new Count Hawk truly remains uncertain.

Frank’s silence made the squire understand his intentions, and he then asked quietly:

"Lord Frank, then why are you following Zane’s orders to come here and root out robbers?"

"Eagle Town is too chaotic at the moment, I detest conspiracies and suspicion."

Frank gazed forward,

"Rooting out robbers is much simpler than those struggles for power."

"Indeed it is."

The squire nodded slightly, fully agreeing with Frank’s perspective.

No matter when, power struggles are what give people headaches the most.

Frank didn’t speak, his gaze distant, fixed on the village ahead.

The two fell silent, with only the sound of footsteps in the snow echoing through the forest.

Frank timed the distance perfectly.

At the moment the sun set, the group just arrived at Desolate Hill Village.

However, at the time when smoke should be curling up, the village looked cold and deserted, with only a few chimneys emitting smoke.