Rion acted as if he were forcing himself to climb the cliff.
As he neared the herb, he let out groans and pretended as if he was about to fall to make it even more believable.
And because Calvus, Jamie and the knights were watching him from the ground, they weren’t able to see the wide grin across his face.
Jamie, who was still in disbelief, mumbled with a frown, "How did an adventurer co here?"
Calvus and the knights had the sa question.
From the day Count Alger Barley was entrusted with the county by the forr count, he enacted a law prohibiting all citizens, visitors, adventurers, and any other parties — whether affiliated with the county or not — from entering the red and black mountains and the forests surrounding them.
The punishnt for violating the law was as follows: offenders without family or dependents were sentenced to three months of unpaid labour, while those responsible for supporting parents or family mbers were assigned three months of labour at minimal wages, sufficient enough to keep their households afloat.
For a citizen, the punishnt was not particularly severe, but for a visitor or an adventurer, it was devastating.
Not that many wished to go near the mountains and forests that were considered to be one of the five most dangerous locations because of the countless ether beasts that dwelt in them.
"Young master, you should return to the carriage," Salis said evenly.
Calvus looked at him with a frown. "What?"
A dumbfounded expression appeared on his face, his gaze passed by the other three knights, and he asked, "Why would you suggest I go back to the carriage when I have four knights with ? That too the silver lion knights."
Salis looked at Rion, who was just an inch away from the yellowspint and mumbled, "That man is dangerous."
A baffled chuckle escaped Calvus, and he scoffed, "How dangerous can he even be?"
His expression turned curious, placing a hand under his hand, he asked, "Are you implying that he is a superhuman?"
The three knights also turned their heads towards Salis, as he was the oldest and thus more experienced than they were.
Shaking his head, Salis muttered, "I do not believe that he is a superhuman. If he were, then he would’ve been using his aura."
Calvus’s curious expression crumbled instantly, and he mumbled, "So he is just an ordinary adventurer, huh..."
"I wouldn’t call him ordinary," Jamie chid in and added, "I think he is physically gifted."
Salis and the other knights nodded with Jamie’s statent, and Rion’s tired voice reached their ears, "Haff... finally... I will finally... be free..."
Everyone raised a brow at his words, and Calvus mumbled, "Free? What is he talking about...?"
Rion began to descend the cliff.
"Guard the young master," Salis commanded, and all of the knights, including Salis himself, covered Calvus and Jamie from all sides.
After a few minutes, Rion reached the ground, and just as his feet touched it, he fell onto his back.
Huffing, he raised the herb high in the air and shouted in Soline — the common tongue of humans, "Everyone! I did it! We’ll finally be free!"
At the sa mont, Salis asked in a slightly loud voice, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"Huh?! Who—" Rion turned his gaze to the right and just as the six of them fell into his vision, he sat up and stamred with a terrified expression, "K-Knights! Why are you following us?! We are simply following the Lord’s command!!"
Salis and the other frowned. His lips parted to speak, but before he could, Calvus spoke, "We are not the people you are thinking of."
A confused expression appeared on Rion’s face, tilting his head. He asked in a slightly worried tone, "You are not the knights...?"
"We are knights!" Shouted one of the knights.
Salis sighed, and Rion’s expression once again turned terrified.
He pointed a trembling finger at Calvus and muttered. "W-Why did you lie to ?!"
A baffled expression appeared on Calvus, and he explained, "A noble does not lie. These four are knights — my knights, not of the person you call lord."
Rion scratched his head and said, "So you are saying that not all of the knights belong to the lord...?"
Calvus nodded and asked, "Indeed. So, tell , adventurer, who are you?"
Rion blinked a few tis and answered with a beautiful smile, "I am Rion," tilting his head, he added, "What’s an adventurer?"
All of them fell silent, and Jamie whispered in Calvus’s ear, "He is strong, handso and stupid... a perfect person to exploit... not that the young master would do such a thing."
Calvus sighed, stepped forward and began to walk towards Rion, but Salis blocked his path.
"What?" He muttered.
"All of this can be an act to deceive us," Salis whispered while suspiciously staring at Rion.
"I know." Calvus nodded, placed his right hand on Salis’s left shoulder and said, "But my heart is telling to believe him."
Salis frowned. "But—"
"I will be fine," Calvus stated and continued his steps towards Rion.
Salis’s hand moved to his sword, ready to attack at a mont’s notice.
’I don’t know if I should call him stupid or smart...’ Rion remarked inwardly while staring at Calvus with a dumbfounded expression.
Calvus stopped beside him and said, "I am Calvus Barley, son of Count Alger Barley of Barleyhen Town."
A faint smile appeared on Rion’s face. He offered a handshake to Calvus. "I am Rion."
The knights looked at his hand as if they were looking at a life-ending threat.
"Calm down, all of you," Calvus muttered in an irritated tone.
He took Rion’s hand, shook it and said, "It is a pleasure to et you, Rion."
"Ah, yes! Sa sa!" Rion replied with a stupid grin.
However, in his mind, he was having an ecstatic laugh.
’Hahahaha!’
Calvus sat down and asked, "So? Why are you in this dangerous forest?"
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