บท 19: CH19
"Captain Emil!" Guard Jimmy arrived with eight others.
These men were covered in blood, some injured, looking like they had just been through a fierce battle.
Helag asked, "You didn't leave?"
Jimmy grinned, "We're not like those heartless ones. We just took out some Beharad men. We have nowhere else to go, so we'll stick with Captain Emil."
Emil said nothing, embracing each of the guards.
"Let's bury the lord and the others first," Emil said after a moment of silence.
Jimmy asked, "What about those looting the place?"
"We need to leave quickly. With the lord dead, Dur Valley's ownership is uncertain, but it won't go to Miss Melissa. She'll be in danger if she stays, as she's an obstacle to others' interests," Emil explained.
With Baron Buck's family dead, the barony couldn't be inherited, but Melissa could inherit the existing wealth.
Despite the Bloodline Curse suggesting Melissa wasn't Baron Buck's biological daughter, and Emil might be, it no longer mattered.
Melissa was only a nominal heir; the real heir would be decided by power struggles.
Melissa lacked power and influence, so just surviving was a challenge. She couldn't hope to claim the land, mines, and other wealth.
Jimmy and the knights following her were taking a significant risk.
If someone decided to eliminate Melissa, they would die with her.
Helag returned to the rear garden, looking at the well-tended flowers. He sighed, "Old Henry, I don't have time to care for these flowers. The castle won't have a new owner soon, so let them grow wild."
Old Henry had prepared his coffin long ago. Helag brought it from a small shed and gently placed Old Henry inside.
He glanced at the bow on the wall, then decided to place it in the coffin as well.
Sorting through Old Henry's belongings, Helag found the silver coins he had given him, all untouched in a pouch.
Behind the castle.
Helag and the others dug graves, burying Baron Buck's family and Old Henry.
"Henry Brand's Grave"
Helag erected a stone marker, fulfilling a promise he made when he first borrowed the bow.
At the foot of the hill, three carriages were ready.
Melissa directed the guards to load items into the carriages.
She looked composed, though her eyes were still red.
Much of the castle's wealth had been looted, but some hidden treasures only Melissa knew about remained.
These were enough for her to live a comfortable life, but she clearly had bigger ambitions.
Once everything was ready, the convoy set off.
Helag and Emil rode at the front, while Melissa slept in the carriage.
She hadn't slept since the previous day, exhausted in body and mind.
"How long to Northon Academy?" Helag asked.
Emil replied, "About three months if all goes well."
"Three months, quite a journey," Helag said, looking ahead, the future uncertain.
They were heading to Northon Academy in Pearl Province, seeking the protection of Melissa's mentor, Scholar Claude.
Melissa and Claude had a genuine teacher-student relationship, not one maintained by money.
Claude was highly respected throughout the Norton Kingdom, and he took Melissa as a student because of her exceptional talent.
Baron Buck, despite his title, was far below Claude in status.
Given the current situation, only Claude could protect Melissa.
Helag watched the sunset on the horizon and said, "Once I get you to Northon, I'll be leaving."
Emil was surprised. "Leaving? Where will you go?"
"I don't know yet, but I want to become a wizard. I'll search for clues," Helag said firmly.
After recent events, Helag was more determined to become stronger, to become a wizard.
He didn't want his fate controlled by others. Even a great knight like Baron Buck was powerless against a wizard.
Helag would never forget Malcolm's gaze, looking at them like insects.
"Then you should ask Scholar Claude. He's the most knowledgeable person in the Norton Kingdom," Emil suggested.
Visiting Claude was one of Helag's goals, but he also wanted to explore Northon Academy's library.
Since arriving in this world, Deep Blue had little substantial knowledge input.
Deep Blue's database was nearly empty, lacking information on history, culture, geography, and more.
Helag had asked Melissa, and Northon Academy was the only place in the country with a library, housing many books.
As the convoy traveled, people along the roadside stopped to watch.
Some placed their fists over their hearts, and soon everyone was doing the same, bidding farewell to Melissa's convoy.
News of the castle's events had spread, and Melissa was the sole survivor.
Baron Buck had not been harsh on his people, ensuring they didn't starve.
With the lord dead, the future was uncertain, and they didn't know if the new ruler would be better or worse.
Jimmy and the others, though prepared, felt a pang of sadness.
This was their home, and leaving meant they might never return.
Melissa had grown calmer in recent days, but it was clear she was determined to restore her family's honor.
She didn't care if she was Baron Buck's biological daughter; she was always part of the Salla family.
***
Half a month later, deep into the night.
The convoy camped in an open area, and Helag lay on a haystack, gazing at the sky.
On clear nights, the starry sky was always mesmerizing.
Unable to sleep, he took out the pocket watch and fiddled with it.
The watch's hands still moved.
"This tower feels strange…" Helag stared at the hexagonal tower in the background, inexplicably drawn to it.
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