After warning Baron Harry sternly, Abium didn't stay any longer in the mansion building. He quickly left Nobles Street while covering his face with the red mask and returned to the Cabbage Inn.
He then returned to the booked room and stood near the window while gazing at the noble's street direction with an emotionless face.
'Hmm, there is no work for in this town now. I don't think Baron Harry will go back on his word. But I want to see how he is going to fulfill the promise.' He curled his lips upward and shifted his gaze towards the northern sky.
…
June 6th morning at 9 A.M, Town Square, Moondale Town.
Thousands of commoners stood nervously near the execution platform while thinking about the earlier announcent. Mason and Rody also stood among the crowd and looked at each other in puzzlent.
"Is Lord Harry going to raise land tax?" Mason asked. Just now, both of them returned from their duty and were about to take so rest in their ho but got startled as they heard that Lord Baron was going to make an announcent!
Both looked at the crowd with a clueless look and frowned.
"Lord Baron raised 2 percent extra taxes for the agricultural lands a few months ago, right? I don't think he will increase it again. Let's go and ask others." Rody said while mingling into the crowd.
anwhile, Mason followed Rody and soon noticed two tall, familiar figures standing in the crowd.
"Hey, aren't they Page and Glover?" Mason asked with a surprised tone and hastening his footsteps towards the duo.
"They are. Did Lord Harry release them out of pity? Well, it's our Lord after all. Not even Elder Randolph could predict what Lord Harry is thinking." Rody said with a chuckle. After so struggle, both arrived near Glover and Page and simultaneously gave a light pat on their shoulders.
"We thought both of you escaped from this town with Baron Abium's ransom money," Mason spoke from behind.
Glover and Page got startled when hearing Mason's sudden words and turned around with a startled faces.
But as they saw Mason and Rody, both breathed a sigh of relief in unison.
"Well, we didn't. The whole town will know the truth soon." Glover responded with a mysterious smile and shifted his gaze towards the town square.
anwhile, Baron Harry stood on the execution platform solemnly and looked at the citizens' confused faces. Next to him were a few guards wearing black-lined leather armor who stood firmly. They were his private guards, and their only job was to protect him with their life on the line.
It was Elder Randolph who taught them.
Baron Harry closed his eyes for a second to calm his thumping heart and spoke while opening his eyes.
"Thank you for gathering here, my dear citizens. I'm here to tell you all about a certain incident that happened recently on this execution platform. It's about the soldiers of Baron Abium." Baron Harry's words shocked many people. In truth, the town citizens had never heard of their Lord speaking in a polite tone to the masses and got stunned for a while.
anwhile, Baron Harry organized his thoughts and started to speak again.
"If I had stopped my family mbers from doing cruel things to Baron Abium's soldiers, those six soldiers wouldn't have died a few days ago. It was my mistake, and I'm solely responsible for their lives. I feel ashad that it was my father who killed those soldiers. Baron Abium even gave us two thousand gold coins as a ransom to return his soldiers, but our arrogance and greed blinded our eyes." He said with a regretting tone, which made the whole area to be filled with dead silence.
Not a single soul made a noise after they heard those words. Everyone knew about the friction between Baron Harry and Baron Abium. They didn't forget the day when Baron Harry's grandfather ordered everyone not to set foot on Baron Abium's territory and even executed six soldiers.
During that ti, Baron Harry stood next to his grandfather and even mocked Baron Abium in front of everyone.
But now, Baron Harry was speaking in a sad tone and acting like he was feeling guilty for what he and his family mbers had done.
Everyone went speechless for a mont.
Baron Harry knew what his people were thinking and continued to speak.
"I know Baron Abium must be furious after knowing that my father killed his soldiers." He paused while giving a strange gaze at his citizens.
"I don't have the strength to execute my father for his cri. So, I will bear the responsibility and present my right arm to Baron Abium as an apology." Baron Harry finished his words in a quivering voice and instantly unsheathed his short sword from his waist.
An eerie silence descended in the town square.
"No!" "Lord! Don't punish yourself!" "Protect our Lord! "…
Suddenly, panic cries echoed from the citizens. At that mont, the soldiers who stood a few ters away from Baron Harry dashed in his direction to stop him from doing sothing reckless.
"It's okay. I must bear responsibility for my father's action." Baron Harry said with a sad smile and slashed his sword using his left hand with full force. In a flash, the sharp blade made a cold light and cut through his flesh and bones where the elbow was located.
Blood splattered on Harry's face. The next instant, he felt imasurable pain assaulted from his right hand. He felt that his head began to dizzy due to the pain and soon found himself surrounded by multiple soldiers.
At the sa ti, Page, Mason, Glover, Rody, and other thousands of peoples who stood in the town square was shocked beyond words and quickly cried out in panic.
Harry bit his tongue to stay conscious and tapped his ring. A second later, a white vial appeared in his hand.
It was a low-tier healing potion!
Gritting his teeth, he poured the healing potion on the severed area and stopped the blood from oozing. A few seconds later, Harry looked back at the silenced crowd and then shifted his gaze towards the fallen arm. Shaking his head, he picked up the sliced arm from the platform and shifted his gaze to Page, who appeared in front of him.
"Soldier, send my hand to Baron Abium's territory. Tell his people that I'm truly sorry for their loss." He said with a bitter smile.
"Yes, my lord." Page said with a firm tone and almost cried inside his heart. Who wouldn't if a Noble Lord cut his hand for his father's mistake?
Soon, everyone dispersed in different directions with sorrowful faces. anwhile, Page, Mason, Glover, and Rody walked towards the Frozen Mountain range with Baron Harry's hand stored in an icebox.
Of course, their destination was Amaryllis town.
Although the Moondale town returned to normal, everyone felt mixed emotions appear in their hearts. At that mont, a strong hatred began to form in citizens' minds against Baron Harry's father and other family mbers.
Not only that but also an imasurable sense of pride arose in every citizen's heart. They now could proudly boast that their Lord was a brave man who sacrificed his hand to seek forgiveness for his family mbers' mistakes.
…
In Baron Harry's mansion, Harry's room.
Harry stood with a bitter smile while glancing at his right hand. Today, he lost sothing precious to him. But because of that, Harry saved his father's life. If he chose his arm instead of his father's life, he wouldn't forgive himself for the rest of his life.
'It's all good now. All that is left is to execute the ones involved in the ploy and bury this whole matter. Hmm, it will take at least a month or two for Grandfather and others to return from the capital. Before they could arrive, I need to gain full control over this town's security.' Harry sighed inwardly and soon noticed a red-masked figure standing in the corner of his room.
"I didn't expect you would cut your arm without even flinching." Abium walked out from the shadows and spoke with a cold smile under his mask.
"If I didn't cut my hand, you would have done that, right?" Harry said while looking at him with a weak smile on his face.
"Hehe, you guess," Abium replied mysteriously and then added, Fresh chapters posted on novel⁂fire
"A few weeks later, my carriage will co through the underground tunnel. My friend will be traveling to the capital to attend the Grand Nobles' gathering in my stead. So, don't cause any unnecessary trouble for her." Abium warned him and disappeared from there before Harry could nod his head.
"Ha, now I look like a servant." Removing the black coat using his other hand, Harry smiled bitterly and slumped on the wooden chair.
anwhile, Abium moved to the Commoners' street and brought a garron from the market for two white gold coins. Then, he hopped on the brown garron and moved out of Moondale town.
Reviews
All reviews (0)