Hudan immediately stood up with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "What is this!"

Tesyb, who seemed to be leading the guards, looked around the hall like he was searching for a threat, before his gaze moved to Kivamus with relief. "Thank the goddess you are fine, milord. I thought you'd be dead already."

Hearing that made Kivamus' heart start beating faster and he stood up as well, forgetting about his fears of his secret being out. "What are you talking about?"

Tuilas stood up in all his plate armor's glory, his hand also on the pommel of his sword. "Who's trying to kill the baron?"

"Just a moment, milord." Tesyb looked at the other guards who had come with him. "You all, go and surround the manor, and keep a lookout for Dosol. If anyone suspicious is seen, capture them immediately."

Finally, Tesyb called up a guard wearing chainmail with shaggy hair and a long beard and pushed him ahead. "This guy reported that one of the guards who had come with the tax collector might be trying to kill the baron. I don't know if he's a part of it, so I brought him here as well so I can keep an eye on him."

"I'm innocent!" the man protested immediately.

Kivamus looked at the bearded young man. He couldn't remember seeing his face before today, and looking at his chainmail, the man certainly seemed to be one of the guards who came with Tuilas, since they didn't own even one chainmail for the manor guards.

The knight walked closer to them, and glared at the bearded man. "Aren't you one of the count's guards?"

The man had barely given a nod, before Hudan's towering form moved closer to him, and he thundered, "Tell me everything. Right now!"

The bearded young man looked hesitant for a moment before he started explaining. "I was just walking around earlier in the day when I heard Dosol talking with some servants and asking about the layout of the manor house. At the time I thought he only wanted to protect the tax collector from any attack, so I didn't think much about it."

He continued, "Later, when I went to the servants' hall for dinner, he wasn't there, even though he must also be hungry, since none of us had eaten anything after breakfast. He had to know that if the stock of dinner was consumed by others, it won't be made again for just a single guy who forgot to eat. That felt odd in itself, but when I remembered that he was asking about the layout, I realised that he must be trying to enter the manor house to kill someone."

"But how would you know that he's out to kill Lord Kivamus?" Hudan frowned. "There are many people who will live here."

"The only other possible targets would be the tax collector and Sir Tuilas," the young man explained, "and Dosol has no reason to try to kill them here, when he would get a much better opportunity when we are back on the road tomorrow. That means he had to be out for the baron's head."

"Shit!" Hudan spat, before he started to look around again, scanning for any threats.

However, Kivamus was still observing the young man. There was something in this guy which felt a little familiar to him. Perhaps it was something in his way of speaking, or maybe his posture... He wasn't sure, but for some reason, he felt like he had seen this guard before. But that didn't make any sense, since he had never been to the count's mansion, which is where all of the count's guards must be living.

That's when the outer door opened again, making Hudan move ahead of Kivamus as a precaution. However, this time it was Feroy, who was dragging another man by his collar, with two other manor guards walking next to them.

The bearded young man immediately pointed at the newcomer. "That's him! That's Dosol!"

Feroy took a glance at everyone in the manor hall, before he pushed the caught man on his knees, who already had his hands tied behind him, and was bleeding from a shoulder wound. "I found him trying to climb the manor house, right below the window of Lord Kivamus' personal room. He has hardly said a single word since then, but there is no good explanation he can give for it."

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"Weren't there two men on patrol around the house?" Hudan frowned. "How did he even get a chance to try that?"

Feroy shook his head. "One of the patrolling guards had gone to the servants' hall to bring food for both of them, saying they'd been too hungry since they hadn't gotten anything to eat since breakfast, and this guy, Dosol, must have taken the chance when the remaining guard was on the other side."

"We'll need to tell them the proper meaning of discipline," the guard captain growled, "but that's for later." He looked at the man who was on his knees. "Dosol, that's your name isn't it? Anything to say in your defense?"

Dosol glared at the bearded young man for a moment, before his eyes moved to others around him. "What's the point? Ya'll kill me anyway."

Kivamus shook his head, his heart starting to slow down only now. Another assassin? Just who was behind it this time? At least he felt glad that the bearded young man had told them about it on time, although he didn't think there was a real danger to him right now, with Hudan and two other guards already present in the room. "Who sent you?"

"I'm not saying nothin' !" Dosol spat.

Sir Tuilas walked closer to the man. "Where's your chainmail?"

Dosol just snorted, before the knight slapped him backhanded with his gauntlet-covered hand. "How dare you not give an answer when a knight asks for it!"

Dosol tried futilely to protect his face, but with his hands tied behind him, he fell backwards with the force of another slap from the armored hands of Sir Tuilas. However, Dosol still remained quiet, making the knight move forward to punch him this time.

"Stop it," Hudan grunted. "This isn't the place for it. Feroy, take him outside and try to find out everything he knows."

Feroy nodded, and gestured to another guard to take the man out of the manor hall.

Tuilas looked at Kivamus. "I know this is your domain, but I'd like to ask him a few things as well, since every guard who came with me on this journey is my responsibility. I have to confirm that he was after your life and not the tax gold or some other thing."

Kivamus nodded, seeing no harm in it. While he was still no fan of Tuilas's behaviour, especially his lecherous tendencies, he didn't think that the knight was after his life anymore. If he could find out more, it could only be helpful. "Go with Feroy and find his true motives so we can decide how to deal with him."

With that, Feroy and other guards dragged Dosol outside, Tuilas following behind them. Tesyb looked at the bearded young man. "Now come on, our food must be getting cold in the servants' hall."

Kivamus looked at both of them turning to exit the hall before the young man stopped and turned around. "Actually... Would it be possible for me to talk to Lord Kivamus for a moment?"

Hudan frowned. "You've been helpful, and I thank you for that, but I don't see any reason for you to have anything to talk about with him. Move on."

"It's... It's very important!" the guy insisted.

The guard captain was going to say something but Kivamus interrupted him, feeling curious about this man for some reason. "It's fine, Hudan. You and Tesyb are already here along with the usual guards. He can hardly be a threat to me right now."

The young man nodded enthusiastically, before looking at others in the room. "But I'd prefer if there were fewer ears..."

"What?" Hudan glared at him. "I'm not going to leave you alone with Lord Kivamus!"

"No, no, I don't mean that. Any trusted guards can stay here," the bearded young man argued, before looking pointedly at Ustaimo.

Kivamus frowned, wondering what could this man have to talk about which couldn't be heard by the tax collector. Wait, what if this was some insider information, which the young man couldn't afford to be heard by one of the Count's officials, like the tax collector. "Ustaimo, would you mind?"

Ustaimo nodded. "I'll be in my room." The tax collector immediately exited through the inner door after that.

"Speak!" Hudan barked, but the young man still looked uncomfortable, his eyes moving between the remaining two guards.

Kivamus looked around, and apart from him and Duvas, as well as Hudan and Tesyb who were standing next to the young man, there were two other guards in their usual positions in the corners of the hall. Knowing that the information he was going to hear was likely going to be very sensitive, he looked at those guards. "One of you, go to the inner corridor and guard the door from out there." Once one of the guards followed his orders, he looked at the remaining guard. "You, go and stand outside the outer door. Let me know immediately if anyone other than Feroy comes here."

"Are you sure, milord?" Hudan asked with a frown.

Kivamus nodded. "You and Tesyb are our best fighters. There is no way this guy can get away from you both to harm me."

Once the outer door had closed behind the second guard, only Duvas remained in the hall other than him, Hudan and Tesyb. He looked at the bearded young man again. "Speak. You are not going to get a more private audience with me than this."

The bearded man's eyes went to both of the closed doors for a moment, before he looked back at Kivamus and grinned.