Chapter 7: Before the Storm Breaks

In his room, Gwynnis let out a long sigh and handed a carefully written letter to Baldwin. He needed a reliable messenger, someone sharp and able to improvise. The messenger's task was to find a mercenary band, about twenty strong, traveling towards Dumfries, and deliver the letter to their leader. These mercenaries had accompanied Gwynnis from Dumfries but lagged behind due to a lack of horses.

Baldwin pocketed the letter silently. "Let my son do it. He's a good horseman," he suggested. Gwynnis nodded, glancing out the window to the courtyard below.

The reinforcement troops sent by the Duke of Inverness to support Lady Sofia had turned the castle into a chaotic mess in the past two days. The guards couldn't control these outsiders, and Sofia adopted a laissez-faire attitude. Aside from guarding the Baron's bedroom and Sofia's study, these troops were left to their own devices.

Their lack of discipline and arrogant behavior created a stark contrast with the ill-equipped, poorly trained local guards, whom they evidently looked down upon. They roamed around, whistling at maids, stealing food from the kitchen, and harassing guards on tower duty. The atmosphere was tense, filled with grievances and unease. To avoid their unwelcome advances, the maids took detours upon seeing them.

In short, these reinforcements, with nothing better to do, were causing trouble for their amusement. The local guards, in principle, couldn't confront them as they were considered guests of the Lady, but their constant provocation was testing everyone's patience.

Now, another dispute had broken out. Gwynnis observed from his window as the Inverness men, after pilfering and contaminating a pot of freshly cooked soup, clashed with the guards. Baldwin quickly descended to intervene.

Despite Baldwin's presence, the situation escalated when one of the Inverness men spat into the soup pot in a final act of provocation. This ignited a brawl that spilled from the kitchen into the courtyard. Gwynnis watched the chaos unfold before closing the window and heading to the corridor, deciding to visit his father.

However, his path to the Baron's room was blocked by two towering figures from Inverness, almost 1.9 meters tall, their muscular bodies clad in chainmail, swords at their waists.

These guards were clearly from Inverness, and they blocked Gwynnis's way, staring down at him without a hint of moving aside. "Move," Gwynnis commanded in a low voice, but they didn't budge, merely giving him a disdainful glance and then resuming their indifferent stance.

Gwynnis, trying to contain his anger, pushed against them, but they tensed up and resisted. Realizing he couldn't budge them, he shouted again, "Move!" They responded with disdainful snorts and subtly moved their hands towards their sword hilts.

Frustrated and laughing bitterly at their defiance, Gwynnis stepped back, preparing to leave as he didn't have his sword with him. At that moment, the door opened.

Lady Sofia appeared, puzzled. "What's this noise about?" Upon seeing the standoff at the door, she scolded her guards, "Let him through, that's my son." The Inverness men slowly and reluctantly made way for Gwynnis to squeeze through.

Inside, Sofia's face softened with maternal concern. "Don't be upset, Gwynnis. Those thick-headed brutes are like that. Don't stoop to their level."

Sofia personally moved a chair for Gwynnis, inviting him to sit. "Please, sit down."

"I have no reason to be angry. They were just following your orders, standing guard firmly at the door, not letting anyone in. That's a display of loyalty, deserving of praise, not scorn," Gwynnis responded with a light chuckle.

Sofia smiled gently. "Oh, I didn't want it to come to this. It's all because of my father and grandfather. They were worried I might be mistreated here, so they sent these men. Don't worry, they're quite obedient."

Gwynnis nodded and turned his attention to his father. The room fell into a momentary silence.

After a while, Gwynnis asked, "What exactly is father suffering from? Has a priest been asked for treatment?"

"The exact nature of his illness is still unclear," Sofia replied, her head lowered. "We've had priests look at him, but to no avail. I even called for a priest from the Annon Valley. After their treatment, his condition seemed to improve momentarily, but then it worsened, and now he appears to be in even more pain. I feel so useless, I'm really sorry."

Gwynnis didn't speak or doubt Sofia's words. Priests, who follow the compassionate Goddess Agnes, can effectively alleviate and treat various injuries through divine power. Some priests, especially those in the capital, are even said to be capable of regenerating limbs. However, these healing spells are not omnipotent and might be ineffective against certain illnesses, including poison.

Looking at his father on the bed, Gwynnis could see that the Baron was not just sleeping peacefully but was enduring great pain, sweating profusely, with occasional twitches at the corners of his eyes and mouth. Sofia quickly used a handkerchief to dab the sweat off her husband's forehead.

Gwynnis silently left the room, his expression grim as he walked along the corridor. He could only wait now. The mercenary band he had written to was still on the road. In his letter to their leader, Gwynnis promised payment after the task was completed, formally issuing a hiring request and asking them to hasten their journey.

The mercenaries were the only card Gwynnis had to play. Meanwhile, Sofia could command not only the reinforcements sent by the Duke of Inverness but also the eighty-strong baronial guard.

Gwynnis's primary concern was this very point. He hoped that Sofia would not be able to command those guards. However, hoping was not enough; he needed a way to keep these guards out of the struggle for the baronial title. Even if they were disorganized and poorly trained, they were still eighty in number, a force that neither the eight Inverness reinforcements nor the twenty mercenaries could match.

Standing at the end of the corridor, Gwynnis watched the Inverness men and the castle guards tangled in a fight in the courtyard. He then looked toward the manor a few hundred meters away and the family quarters there.

But the question was, would there be enough time? The Baron could pass away at any moment, possibly even tonight, while the mercenaries wouldn't arrive until the day after tomorrow.

Gwynnis sighed deeply. The sky was darkening, and rain was imminent.