Chapter 18: The Collapse of Maple Leaf Town and the Second Battle Experiment
In the castle of Peter's domain, Su Nan hosted a dinner for the guild leaders and merchants who had fled to seek refuge. Plates of exquisite soup, fragrant steaks, lamb chops, crispy roasted potatoes, and corn were served by the servants, filling the table with a comforting warmth that the guests hadn't experienced in a long time.
The guild leaders and merchants occasionally stole glances at Su Nan, who remained silent at the head of the table.
Five years ago, Su Nan was merely a young boy, but now his presence was extraordinary. Without uttering a word, he exuded an unspoken aura of stability—a subtle effect of his high mental strength.
Su Nan surveyed the guests. Among them were leaders of the fur, woodworking, and textile guilds, the three most powerful commercial entities in Maple Leaf Town. Additionally, there was Pig, the wealthiest merchant besides the town mayor, known for his ownership of inns and warehouses.
The flight of these influential figures underscored the chaos that Garth Pasha had wrought upon Maple Leaf Town. Invited by the mayor under pressure from Su Nan's werewolf messengers, Pasha's violent methods had nearly dismantled the town's foundations.
Pig, sensing the awkward silence at the table, finally broke it. "Lord Su Nan, I owe my life to your late father, who took me in during my most desperate days. He gave me the chance to settle in Maple Leaf Town and make a living. Now, once again, I am under your protection."
"I was once a believer in the Law God, an ordinary citizen of the Eastern Empire, before converting to the Storm God's faith. Without your father's help, I would have perished at the hands of the barbaric Avar tribes in the north."
The guild leaders, encouraged by Pig's words, began to speak as well.
"Lord Su Nan, you wouldn't believe what Garth Pasha has done!" exclaimed the president of the Textile Guild, a middle-aged man. "He killed a street vendor in a fit of rage!"
"Why?" Su Nan asked, raising an eyebrow.
The man explained, "Merchants may not always follow fair practices, even with marked prices. Pasha, enraged after discovering he overpaid for something due to missing a discount notice, tore the vendor apart with his bare hands. Worse, he ordered his soldiers to slaughter half the street's merchants."
"Pasha was known for violent outbursts even when he served under your father, but it seems he hasn't changed a bit."
Is, the leader of the Woodworking Guild, spoke next. Despite her neat attire and composed demeanor, her tone carried bitterness. "Not only does he resort to violence, but he also suppresses dissent. Anyone who dares oppose him is silenced—permanently."
"Maple Leaf Town, once a commercial hub, has fallen into its most desolate state in over a decade under his control. We tried to persuade the mayor to expel him, but the coward betrayed us. Thankfully, we escaped in the dead of night."
"Pasha sent pursuers after us, but fearing rejection from Sir Mear Balagan, the other knight in the region, we chose to seek refuge here with you."
Is's voice softened. "Lord Su Nan, it's clear Maple Leaf Town needs a true leader. The mayor may have a knack for business, but he's not fit to protect us."
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Su Nan's thoughts churned. Escaping under the cover of night?
A Storm Knight, with the strength and endurance of three peak-conditioned adults, could easily catch them if he wanted to. The fact that they escaped suggested one of two possibilities: Pasha either didn't know they were fleeing or allowed them to escape intentionally.
Given that he sent pursuers, it seemed the latter was true—this was likely a deliberate move to probe Su Nan or test the other formal knights in the region.
After some thought, Su Nan dismissed the matter. Garth Pasha, despite his bluster, was merely a mortal knight seeking to usurp power. His ultimate target was likely Su Nan himself, or more specifically, the baronial title bestowed by the Storm Kingdom.
Su Nan began devising plans to test the actual combat effectiveness of his werewolf army.
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Is spoke again, this time cautiously. "Lord Su Nan, we deeply appreciate your kindness in sheltering us. Now that the bandits have been dealt with, perhaps we should inform the royal court of our situation? The main branch of the Peter family resides in the Holy Empire to the west; they could send knights to aid us."
"With their help, the problems plaguing this domain could be easily resolved."
Su Nan glanced at her and the others before replying with a noncommittal "Hmm" and leaving the table for the attic.
His mind was preoccupied with strategies to use Maple Leaf Town as a testing ground for his werewolf army's capabilities.
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Is, feeling uneasy, turned to Warwick. "Steward Warwick, what does Lord Su Nan mean by this? Shouldn't we at least recruit soldiers? If money is a concern, we can provide funds. With the baron's authority, it should be easy to hire mercenaries, or even wandering knights."
Warwick smiled and replied calmly, "Perhaps there's another possibility—our forces within Peter Castle may already be sufficient."
"To Lord Su Nan, Garth Pasha has never been a problem."
"Besides," he added, his tone sharpening, "when you had the chance to support him, you turned a blind eye. Now you seek to curry favor, but it may be too late."
Is was stunned, as were the other guild leaders, who struggled to comprehend the situation. However, Pig, the shrewd merchant from the Eastern Empire, caught on quickly. His eyes gleamed as he whispered to his servant, "Prepare 500 gold coins from our reserves. Tonight, arrange for a beautiful virgin to accompany them. It may be late, but there's still an opportunity."
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Back in the attic, Su Nan sensed through the Wolfpack Effect that the werewolf hounds patrolling the estate's borders had detected the scent of unfamiliar people and weapons.
Using the Wolfpack Effect, he issued a command to one of the hounds: "Go. Tear them apart."
"Let's see how strong you've become."
"AI, record the combat data via the Wolfpack Effect and save it as Wolfpack File No. 4."