CHAPTER 17: Home Return

On the farming field site.

Estrella and Angie was busy on supervising the slaves works.

"The 10 of you, finished the water ways before sunset. The plants need to have proper irrigation after they were planted."

"Okay good job on finishing the task, please give assistance on those who are digging for the irrigation in the corn site."

"You women, assist the men on distributing the seed. We need to plant it all in just one day"

"You can now stop pulling the weeds on the side, immediately help the others on their work"

"Faster, faster the earlier you finish. The earlier you can rest and go home."

Angie instruction and Estrella shout could be heard within the field. Their shouts are like an ultimatum to the slaves.

Everyone was rushing and busy with their field works.

Amella on the side was holding a bottle of water on one hand and with a small chair on her other hand, she is always prepared to serve this things to Estrella once she is done with her homily.

Estrella was satisfied with the response from the slave. Her strategy of using an 'early rest' was quite tempting to the slaves.

They are now giving their 120% of strength and effort to finish the works.

Having her industrious workers is equivalent to giving her more time to rest for the next day.

She was analyzing the slaves work division when Manny suddenly came rushing on the field.

Estrella immediately took notice of him, she stopped her work and meet Manny.

She knows that this kid is working with the knights on the guards post.

Seeing him coming in a rush means that someone was coming or there are emergency invasion.

Looking at Manny expression, she knows that this was an emergency relating to the territory security. This was giving her a bad premonition.

"Why are you here? Is there someone that coming to our territory?" she immediately asked. She didn't wait for Manny to get down on the horse back.

Manny was not able to answer Estella questions and only handed the letter of Captain Martin .

She opened the letter, and her expression turn sour, just from reading the letter content.

Her eyes were moist and started to turn red. She didn't know what do, she was really worried about Eduard.

"Damn brother, your always making me worried" she cursed in the air.

Manny on the side heard her words, he was stunned. The words and facial expression of Estrella was quite opposite.

Estrella turned back to the field and look for Angie.

"Angie, I will leave the supervising of the slaves to you. You let them rest when they finish their tasks" she instructed to Angie.

Angie nodded and didn't dare to ask what happened and why Estrella is too anxious.

She was also curious about what happened that make Estrella too worried. But deep inside she knows that something must have happen to the journey of Eduard.

Estrella takes the horse of Manny and ride it. She was rushing to reach the guards post.

Her maid Amella was left with Angie on the field.

....

Inside the East forest.

Eduard was still running, he intentionally rammed on tree stem from his way. This is to make his trails too obvious.

On the way, he met some Iron and Bronze Level beast there are even Silver Level, but he can only look at them and keep away to them.

His heart was bleeding from seeing those Iron level beasts. Each of them are progress bar for his Beast Hunting Mission.

Sadly, he can't engage to fight with them. Possibly, someone already noticed the corpses of the scout on the ground and was now following his trail.

He's running pace is steady to avoid draining his stamina immediately.

After a few moments, he saw the exit of the forest. It was a grassy plain.

He continued to make trails on the grasses. When he already created trails that almost one kilometer far, he turned back.

His direction was following the trails that he made up before, going back to the forest entrance. When he reached the entrance , he climbed on the tree and jump to another another tree.

This move was to avoid following his trails. He will now head back to his territory.

"I should eradicate that group immediately, or else it will create trouble to me and my people" hint of determination was appearing in his eyes.

It was already turning dark when he reach the forest exit, near the guard post.

" Phew, that's dangerous" he muttered while breathing in relief.

He can now relax, his mind. Being vigilant of his surroundings for almost 4 hours was more tiring than running for half a day.

His mental and body fatigue build up after he relax himself. He didn't feel it before, since he was on his adrenaline rush when getting away on the bandits' lair.

He is now slowly walking, his body was really tired and may fall at any moment. The wound on his arm was not too deep and started to heal up.

Eduard was thankful, if this wound was created on his former body. It may heal after a month and can be shorten if he took medication.

But because of his strong physique, the wound that was around 2 inches deep before was now almost half inch deep only. This regenerating ability was out of his norm.

He stopped minding the wound and look in front of him.

Seeing clearly, quite number of people was standing on the guard post.

He easily spotted Estrella on the group, who is currently walking towards him. She was the only female in the group and her outfit was quite distinguished, compare this armored knights.

When Estrella came close, she immediately hugged Eduard.

" It's good, it's good. As long as your safe" Estrella muttered weakly.

Eduard was stunned hearing her murmur. He didn't realize that this girl cares too much for him.

Sadly, his original brother was gone and was replaced by him. Still, he will treat her as her own sister, in respect of the old Eduard.

Eduard caressed her back gently to calm her down.

"Don't worry sis, nobody can hurt me easily. I'm quite strong you know" Eduard told in a boasting manner, it is to lighten up her mood.

Estrella stopped hugging him and suddenly hit his shoulder.

"Strong my ass, Why should I worry about you if you were strong?" She said with an anger tone. She stomped the foot of Eduard.

"Uaahhh, your a demon sis." He told to her.

He would be catch by her angry expression, if only her eyes had no tears falling.

They both walk to the Guard post.

The knights on duty meet him and gave him a bow.

"Welcome Lord, we are happy for your safe return" they chorusly said.

Eduard smiled at the gesture of his knights, he suddenly turned into his serious mode.

"Okay, dismiss. Get back on your duty. Keep in touch and don't let your guard down".

The knights in front of him suddenly dispersed in an orderly manner. The only one that was left is Knight Captain Martin.

"Captain, please report" he directly said to Martin.

Captain Martin moved forward in front of Eduard, "Lord, everything is okay around the vicinity, we leave only two knights on your territory. The rest will be staying here to guard in the guard post, to be prepared if the bandits' appeared" .

Eduard was impressed by Captain Martin attentiveness, his arrangement was enough to defend if the bandits suddenly appeared.

Instead of waiting for back up, they should be staying here to make sure that they can all respond if something happened.

"Good job Captain. By the way, you should visit at my residence later, after your dinner. Leave only one knights on the post. Also bring the young kids on duty." He said in an authoritative voice.

Martin complied and proceed to go back in his post.

"Im quite hungry Sis, Lets go home. I'm sure that they already prepared our meal" Eduard was holding his tummy, showing that he is really in hunger.

Estrella nodded and get the horse for them to ride.

....

On the bandits Lair

Mario was shouting in anger.

Mario was the Vice Leader of the bandits group that Eduard encountered, he was in charge today of their group security.

This afternoon, he was sleeping soundly inside their lair, when one of his subordinate suddenly informed him that their scouts was murdered outside.

"The trails stopped at the grassy plain? Are you sure?" He asked again to the guy that he assigned to investigate. "Have you look around in the trails corner, they he may just use that route as diversion" .

This was a dangerous times so he was alert if some cases like this happened.

"Is the guy that I asked to inform Leader Dan departed?"

The guy that Mario asked replied, "Yes boss, they are informing the boss. But they would possibly come back by tomorrow morning or afternoon"the guy narrated.

Dan was the leader of this bandit group, he was the one that Eduard and Dencio saw on the road before. The one that is boasting toward the other men in their group.

This group of bandits was just small, beside the five that leave their lair before, they only have 15 people. But now, three of them died to an unknown person leaving them to 12 people only.

'The culprit of killing may come from the cape town or might be at the Naga City. The killer is quite skilled, leaving my subordinate to die in just one or two hits' Mario thought.

"Fuck, we are on the alert while they are enjoying themselves over there. They really don't want to keep a low profile just for a while" he cursed loudly inside the lair.

The other members frown when they heard him, but nobody retorted.

"Immediately increase the security tonight, we might be ambushed at anytime. Make the scouting range within one kilometer to be safe." He commanded to the people inside.

Everybody nodded and proceed to do the task.