After calming Jon, who was struggling with the weight of his first kill, Kal told him to go rest. He didn't need to worry about anything else.
Jon said nothing more. He looked earnestly at Kal's back, then, after a brief silence, wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes and left with his head lowered.
But just as Kal finished consoling the boy burdened with guilt over killing, and was preparing to turn back to business—naly, assessing the current state of this village—Kossi, who had been waiting at the side all along, imdiately stepped up beside him.
"Boss, we interrogated one of the survivors," Kossi muttered, rubbing his hands with so embarrassnt as he glanced after Jon's departing figure.
Hearing this, Kal turned his head to look at him, puzzled. Still, he did not voice the question in his mind, and instead followed along as if casually: "A survivor? Interesting. Tell ."
"That bastard was in the middle of forcing himself on a woman inside a house, so he didn't get killed by you, Boss…" Kossi's embarrassnt deepened, his tone carrying an odd edge.
"Oh? Then I'm curious what good news you managed to get from him."
Kal's gaze fixed on the old fox, his brow arching slightly as a faint, cold smile spread across his face.
The blood and flesh that had dried half-hard on his body over ti, lit by the flickering firelight, made him look like a demon straight out of hell.
Seeing Kal's expression, Kossi instinctively shrank his neck in fear. But of course, he knew exactly what he ought to do—and say—at this mont.
So he quickly straightened his head again, forcing a twisted grin onto his face.
"To get what we wanted, we smashed his fingers and toes, cut off his eyelids, the two black tips on his chest, and half of each ear."
"Then, right before his eyes, we stitched it all back into one whole again."
"And finally, Hall sliced his manhood into thin strips… and fed them to him, piece by piece—"
At this, Kal nodded in satisfaction. "Good. And then?"
He fixed his gaze on Kossi.
"Well… then he beca very sincere and told us plenty—"
As he said this, Kossi's tone turned sly and lewd, his eyes darting about. But soon, he wiped away the smirk, and in a steady, formal voice, gave Kal the first piece of truly useful information.
"But Boss, from his mouth we learned that just two days ago, Raventree Hall had already fallen. And Lord Titus Blackwood isn't there—word is that Tywin Lannister has him trapped inside Riverrun."
Hearing this, Kal's brows knitted once again. "That's bad news. Looks like we'll need to figure sothing out. If there are enemies still at our back, it won't be favorable for what we're about to do next."
Kal muttered, his hand absently brushing the gilded hilt of the longsword at his waist.
Noticing the gesture, Kossi once more bared his crooked "dog's teeth," rubbing his hands together in barely contained excitent.
"Boss, next ti you can take us with you. That fifty gold dragons from the king—I don't feel right holding onto it!"
At Kossi's eager, battle-hungry look, Kal rely gave him a faint, knowing smile. "If you're willing to admit that it was your own hands that sliced that thing into sashimi earlier, then maybe I'll consider it."
"Nothing escapes your eyes, Boss! Heh-heh~" Realizing his attempt to pass the bla had failed, Kossi scratched his head with an awkward grin and flattered him without restraint. "But Boss, please believe in my loyalty!"
Loyalty?!
This was the second ti he had heard that word in quick succession.
Kal's gaze shifted slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the Blackstone n, who had been loitering around the edges, now subtly drawing closer, surrounding him under the pretense of milling about.
And further out, Stark's cavalry under Jory Cassel were also watching—not just him, but them.
Seeing this, Kal instantly understood.
He smiled lightly, clapped Kossi on the shoulder, and said, "If you want to bring you along, of course that's no problem."
With that, he gestured casually to the other Blackstone n gathering around.
Then, raising his eyes, he looked at the rcenaries who had been pretending to busy themselves, ears pricked, all listening intently to his exchange with Kossi.
He spoke openly: "Lads, I know what's on your minds. And what I can tell you is—scenes like this won't be rare in the days to co!"
At these words, the Blackstone rcenaries dropped their act, stopped what they were doing, and turned their sharp gazes on him.
Facing their eager eyes, Kal did not toy with riddles, but directly addressed the very question they all cared about.
Kossi too, seeing Kal speaking in earnest, dropped his act and grew serious.
"But as the commander leading you this ti, I must also take responsibility for your lives," Kal said, his expression grave and sincere as he looked at them.
Then, all at once, his stirring tone shifted.
"Because I don't want to see any of you end up among these corpses."
"Even more, I don't want to see you hurt. Otherwise, how could I ever answer to your families?"
As he spoke, Kal gestured to the dead bodies strewn before them, his tone softening.
Yet at these words, the Blackstone rcenaries exchanged uncertain looks, a complicated light flickering in their eyes.
Just then, from within the group ca a sudden shout: "Boss! So long as it's your command, we'll follow! We just want a chance!"
"Even if the price is death!"
At the sound, Kal lifted his head and saw Hall, who had sohow slipped in among the crowd.
When Hall noticed Kal's gaze, he bared his teeth in a grin and waved.
Seeing the brat slacking off, Kal couldn't be bothered to scold him.
"Quit flattering !" he laughed and cursed, then turned his eyes back to the rcenaries, who still looked torn between hesitation and determination.
"Since that's the case, what Kossi ntioned earlier—I think you all understand it better than I do. And having followed for so long, you already know what kind of man I am."
"So I have only one thing to say!"
"Follow —as long as you have the will, as long as you have the strength—then you will succeed!"
At last, their leader had spoken. The eyes of the Blackstone n lit up.
Quick to seize the mont, the sly Kossi drew the longsword from his waist, lifted it with both hands above his head, and, imitating sothing he had once heard in tales, lowered his head and dropped to one knee before Kal.
"Boss, so long as you will it, I shall be the sword in your hand!"
Kal's face broke into a knowing smile. He reached out and pressed his hand against the blade.
"Perhaps you could start calling Ser Kal… or 'my lord,' Kossi."
Witnessing that bastard Kossi being the first to bite the crab, Hall grew anxious.
He had already drawn his own weapon, raising it high, ready to rush forward and swear his loyalty as well—but Biden moved faster.
With a sharp ring, Biden unsheathed his longblade, fell to one knee just as Kossi had, and with sincere eyes fixed on Kal, declared his oath: "Wherever your gaze falls, there shall lie the honor of my life!"
Then ca Hoover: "Your glory and sha will be my very life!"
"I will beco the shield in your hand!"
"I—"
Watching these usually unruly comrades dropping to their knees one after another, each faster than the last, Hall grew frantic, his eyes even reddening.
In a fit of irritation, he ramd his shoulder against the companion blocking his way, broke into a run, and with a clumsy sliding kneel, skidded right up to Kal's feet.
Clutching his short sword, his eyes locked stubbornly on Kal's face, he shouted at the top of his lungs, as if afraid he might not be heard: "Boss, too!"
But seeing that he couldn't co up with anything grand, only parroting what the others had done, the Blackstone n turned on him with looks of open contempt.
"Shaless!"
"Exactly!"
The "unexpected" subjugation of this band of scattered stragglers ant that Kal had now turned them into true sworn guards, n who pledged their loyalty to him—one could even say they were half his retainers already.
For if Kal were ever to establish his own house and castle, these n would clearly be the most loyal and capable under Kal Stone's command.
Though unlike the case with Jon Snow, Kal had not yet acknowledged them as his squires, nor promised them any future knighthood.
But for Kossi and the others, they knew full well: only by following this knight so clearly favored by the king, Ser Kal Stone, could they hope to seize their one chance at becoming true "lords."
And this, it seed, was the only opportunity in their otherwise ordinary lives.
Thus, through iron and blood, Kal had co to possess a sworn band of followers—n he could trust.
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