Chapter 21 Decisive Strike

  Now, the Lannister, who has already payed his debts, has a new proposal," Ian announced loudly, holding the gold bar high. "I have one gold bar weighing more than two pounds, worth 150 gold dragons. Whoever cuts off Harui's head and delivers it to me will receive this huge reward. Additionally, I will appoint him as my new attendant, promising knighthood within three years." 

  Ian's words delivered a heavy blow to Harui's heart, and he roared at Ian, "You treacherous oath breaker!" He then cast a panicked glance at the few Carmel cronies around him.

  It was only at this moment that Harui realized he had underestimated Ian's ambition. He had believed that Ian's payment to the instigated mercenaries, disguised as 'remuneration,' was a strategy to force a draw and retreat.

  However, he hadn't anticipated that while Ian was seemingly retreating, he was also ruthlessly undermining Carmel's influence.

  Carmel's cronies felt the same. Harui's words had barely escaped his lips when a mercenary beside him yanked him off his horse, causing his fate body to crash to the ground. As he raised his head, he saw the glint of a dagger.

  The perpetrator was one of Carmel's cronies who pulled Harui down and slit his throat with a swift motion.

  In his dying moments, Harui was filled with regret. He realized that if he had accepted Carmel's offer earlier, he and the illegitimate child could have parted way peacefully.

  Why had he taken the lead in alienating Carmel's mercenaries? No one had ever dared to disobey Carmel's orders before.

  He had been the one to break the window first, allowing the bastard to exploit the opportunity to shatter his fortress into pieces.

  After the mercenary who killed Harui succeeded, he quickly distanced himself from Carmel and his men. As he retreated, he shouted to Ian, "It was me, sir, I killed him!"

  Ian replied coldly, "As promised, whoever delivers me his head." At the moment of Harui's death, Ian heard a notification sound from his auxiliary system.

  Now that he had achieved his goal, he was ready to escape, but before doing so, he needed to create some chaos.

  As he finished speaking, all the mercenaries sprang into action. They first wiped out the servants around Harui with their swords and then rushed toward the corpse, engaging in a fierce contest for his head.

  Carmel stood amidst the chaos, attempting to restrain these individuals, but his efforts were futile.

  At the next moment, Ian shouted, "Lannister always pays his debts!" and throw the gold bar into the crowd. Upon impact, most of the mercenaries abandoned their pursuit of Harui's head and turned their attention to the gold bars.

  Since a Lannister knight had already paid for the head, It seems like the Lord didn't care who took the money in the end.

  If this was how they could acquire wealth, why shouldn't it be them?

  Observing everything unfold, Ian's previously worried heart finally relaxed. He turned his horse and instructed the knight beside him to depart, saying, "Let's go."

  "Just like that?" The knight in green armor was somewhat surprised.

  "What's the issue?"

  "Look at all this," the knight gestured toward the carnage below, "there's a massacre happening, and the Tully family's investigative team will be here soon. I don't know your exact status within the Lannister family, but I doubt they'd risk a rift with the Riverlands over an illegitimate child. You'll become a wanted man."

  Ian was taken aback. He hadn't considered the legal ramifications. After all, it was a world reminiscent of the Middle Ages, and killing was common.

  However, Westeros had yet to plunge into total war. Given the Riverlands' public order, it was possible that the massacre in the salt mine would attract the Duke's attention.

  Many people has seen his faces even if he discarded the Lannister family bastard identity his face and deed will be spread through all Westeros, making it challenging for him to evade the law enforcement team.

  But the real problem was that he wasn't playing this game alone. There were nearly a hundred players in this land. How much trouble could he invite upon himself by exposing his identity this early in the gamer?

  Ian sighed, took a deep breath, and asked the knight beside him, "How confident are you if we try to eliminate all these people?"

  He didn't want to take a gamble.

  "Sir, if we join the battle now, they'll soon discover our intentions, and they might stop fighting each other and unite. Moreover, the terrain here isn't conducive to mounted combat. If we dismount, we'll be besieged. While most of them lack heavy armor, their sheer numbers and a few skilled fighters make it a risky proposition."

  The knight added, "Of course, if you give the order, we will charge without hesitation."

  "No," Ian promptly shook his head. These two knights were his most valuable assets right now, and he didn't want to risk them unless absolutely necessary.

  What was the difference between a 70% chance and giving himself away?

  So, Ian cast a gaze towards the mercenaries not far away.

  By this time, Carmel had already eliminated the guard who had killed Harui, as well as the old troublemaker mercenary, Adam. He was now leading other guards against the mutinous mercenaries.

  The mercenary who had accidentally seized the gold bar stood shivering amidst the tension.

  "After all, Carmel is an experienced captain with high prestige; he can manage the situation," Ian couldn't help but comment. Then he shook his head and said, "Entering the fray like this is too risky for us."

  "Sir Carmel, it seems you have many matters to attend to, I won't bother you any longer. We'll meet again later!" Ian deliberately shouted loudly and, after giving Carmel a provocative look, rode away.

  The two knights didn't seem to understand Ian's intentions, but they followed his lead and galloped out. Within a short while, they were on the King's Road.

  About two miles away, Ian reined in his horse, bringing it to a halt on the King's Road. He turned his horse's head to gaze in the direction of the salt mine.

  The two knights also halted.

  "I thought you intended to eliminate them all," the green armored knight said immediately.

  "Of course, I want to, but not with a reckless charge," Ian replied, shaking his head. He then explained, "I incited those mercenaries to kill Harui, tarnishing Carmel's hard earned reputation over the years. Then, I sowed discord within his mercenary team, almost destroying his manpower and his aspirations to reclaim his grandfather's title.

  Now that his hatred for me has reached the sky, he won't let me escape. When he sees us fleeing, he'll give chase, but they only have five horses, and the old horses from Harui's caravan can barely move. Therefore, the maximum number of pursuers will be five.

  We need to deal with Carmel here first, and then we can go back to handle the remnants of his defeated mercenaries."