Chapter 63: Betrayal and Pledging Allegiance
Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Betrayal and Pledging Allegiance
Perhaps the day’s battle had left Duane in a state of excitement.
To calm himself, he took a bath and then sat down at the desk in his study to begin drawing.
He was still drawing Vigorous Grass, but now his hand was remarkably steady with each stroke, without any of the previous absurd mistakes.
However, relying on this single image was yielding significantly diminished returns for his Skill Level.
So, Duane decided to try drawing something new, though he hadn’t yet settled on what.
’Maybe I’ll do some sketching from life tomorrow?’
KNOCK KNOCK.
The soft knocking interrupted his train of thought, and he looked up in surprise.
This was his time to rest. Usually, no one would come to disturb him.
"What is it?"
The Male Servant replied from outside, "My lord, Raymond asks to see you."
"Hm?"
Duane was even more surprised. ’What could Raymond possibly want this late at night? Has a Demon Beast appeared near the courtyard?’
"Let him in."
Soon, Raymond entered the study.
"My apologies, my lord, for disturbing your rest."
Raymond bowed and said, "Hardy, the man we have in custody, just found Jack and tried to use him to request a meeting with you. I happened to be there, so I interrogated him. He says he wants to follow you."
He explained the whole situation, adding, "I wasn’t sure how to handle this, so I came to ask for your instructions."
Duane put down his pen and said with a smile, "This Hardy certainly has some nerve!"
He mused for a moment. "Since he wants to see me, go ahead and bring him over."
Raymond hesitated. "My lord, his... odor... In short, it’s not very pleasant. Are you sure you want to see him here?"
The Baron bathed almost daily and was clearly a man who valued cleanliness, which was why Raymond had asked.
Duane frowned. He had no desire for his study to be filled with a foul stench. "Then find a well-ventilated spot... Let’s use the edge of the pond outside the courtyard. I’ll go see him there."
"Very well!" Raymond turned and left.
Duane rose as well. Owington immediately brought a cloak and draped it over his shoulders, and then Duane walked out of the study.
By the side of the pond, Hardy was shivering uncontrollably.
He didn’t know why the Lord had chosen this spot for their meeting. Staring at the dark surface of the pond, a few unpleasant images surfaced in his mind.
Hardy even began to wonder, ’The Lord isn’t planning to drown me, is he?’
After waiting a moment, the sound of rustling footsteps approached, and the Baron’s figure appeared before Hardy.
"Please, my Lord, forgive my transgressions!"
Hardy immediately dropped to both knees, apologizing profusely for his offense the other day.
Duane stood upwind. "I hear you want to follow me?"
He asked playfully, "Aren’t you afraid Bard will give you trouble for doing this?"
Remaining in his kneeling position, Hardy raised his head and managed a glance at the young Baron. There were several people standing by his side, likely wary of him.
"You are the Lord of Black Forest Island. Everyone on the island is your subject, and all of us should be loyal to you."
He said, "Even Leader Bard has submitted to you, so it is even more imperative that I do the same!"
Ah, so that was it. Duane understood. The man thought Bard had already submitted to him, which was why he was being so apologetic.
In reality, Bard hadn’t formally submitted to him. He had merely lost their duel and, fearing Duane’s strength, had only temporarily bowed his head.
"In that case, you’re still just following in Bard’s footsteps."
Duane asked probingly, "Then, what if Bard were to betray me again one day? Would you follow him and do the same?"
"I..."
Hardy had never considered that question. He wasn’t sure if it was because the wind by the pond was colder, but he felt a chill in his hands and feet.
"No, my lord! I will be eternally loyal to you!" he pledged.
To say such a thing was, in essence, a betrayal in itself.
Betrayal might sound shameful, but as the saying goes, a wise bird chooses a good tree to nest in.
Duane didn’t mind accepting such a turncoat, as long as he could be put to good use.
"I’ve noted your loyalty."
Duane nodded, a playful glint in his eye. "But I have a particular quirk. I care far less about what people say than what they do. Do you understand?"
Hardy nodded repeatedly, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. "I understand, I understand!"
In truth, he didn’t understand at all. He had no idea what this young Baron actually wanted him to do.
"My lord, please give me any task, and I, Hardy, will do everything in my power to complete it!"
Duane turned and gazed at the moonlit surface of the water.
Hardy was a Middle Level Warrior. Although his actual combat prowess wasn’t impressive, that was only when compared to a powerful Warrior like Kaelon.
Against ordinary soldiers, or even a newly-advanced Basic-level Warrior like Jack, Hardy would definitely hold the upper hand.
A man like that could be quite useful to Duane. He could help defend against Demon Beast invasions from Thorn Valley, south of Lingang Village. He could also be used to establish control over Broken Wave City and Lingang Village more quickly.
However, rather than putting him to those tasks, Duane preferred the idea of him returning to Bard’s side.
"I have no orders for you."
Duane turned back to him. "Tomorrow, return to Bard’s side as usual. Follow his orders. If any... unusual situations arise, you should know what to do."
Hardy was stunned for a moment. But having knocked about for years, he of course understood the implication.
"You want me to spy on Leader Bard?"
He guessed to himself that although the leader had submitted to the Baron, he had yet to gain the Baron’s absolute trust.
The Baron was sending him back to the leader’s side to monitor him and prevent him from doing anything detrimental to the Lord.
Duane didn’t answer, instead giving Raymond a meaningful look. "You handle the rest."
With that, he walked back toward the courtyard.
Hardy watched the Baron’s retreating back in confusion. Only after Duane had entered the courtyard did he turn to look at Raymond.
The Warrior before him was not Kaelon, the man who had defeated him in an instant that day, but he had still left a deep impression on Hardy.
"Sir, what did the Baron mean?"
Raymond retorted, "The Baron was perfectly clear. Do you still not understand?"
Hardy certainly wanted to be clear on the matter. After all, this was the first task he’d been given after pledging his allegiance to the Lord; there could be no room for doubt.
So, he voiced his suspicion.
Raymond didn’t beat around the bush. "I’ll be honest with you, Bard has not formally pledged his allegiance yet. The Baron is merely sparing him for now. If he dares to entertain any improper ideas, his fate will be far worse than what he suffered today!"
The fact that Bard hadn’t officially pledged allegiance was no great secret. Even if Raymond didn’t say it, Hardy would have found out upon returning tomorrow anyway.
Therefore, there was no need to conceal it.
But upon hearing this, Hardy was dumbstruck. ’Wait, didn’t Jack say the leader had already pledged allegiance to the Baron?’
If the leader hadn’t pledged allegiance, then for him to come and surrender his loyalty in advance was an act of absolute betrayal.
And now the Baron was sending him back—undoubtedly sending him straight into a dangerous situation.
But it was too late for regrets.
If he didn’t do as the Baron ordered, all the Baron had to do was tell Bard what he had said and done tonight. Given Bard’s temper, he would likely be beaten to death.
"I... I understand!"
Hardy was now completely clear on what he had to do.