Chapter 68: Battle Report

The master of this household generously provided two sets of brand-new garments, as well as two pairs of boots made from bear hide—thick, warm, and fitting perfectly. Lin Qi and Enzo, their faces pale from blood loss, were now clothed anew and gathered before the hearth by the assembled company. Each held a steaming cup of medicinal tea, brewed from the roots of the “Bear’s Blood Flower,” renowned for restoring vitality and replenishing the blood. As they sipped the scalding infusion, they recounted their ordeal to their attentive audience.

“Enzo and I are close friends. He’s a top scholar at the Imperial Military Academy! The Imperial Military Academy, gentlemen—you all know of it: the very institution that, in the thirty years since the war, has produced hundreds of generals for the Imperial Army!”

Lin Qi lightly patted Enzo’s shoulder, wincing with pain as he spoke: “Enzo is without question the finest student the Academy has ever seen—no one else compares. He is the most gallant, the bravest, the most dauntless man I have ever met, wholly loyal to the Empire and her people!”

Enzo’s cheeks colored at just the right moment, a flush rising despite the fact that Blackbeard had struck him over thirty times. Although Blackbeard had sealed his wounds with battle energy, and Enzo had not lost too much blood, the amount was hardly insignificant. To see him blushing after such blood loss made the young man appear all the more ingenuous to the onlookers.

Bold, fearless, chivalrous, loyal, yet so unassuming—and a star of the Imperial Military Academy! Some of the leading figures of Donerk present began to ponder: perhaps it was time to consider investing in Enzo’s future by pairing him with a worthy daughter from their families?

If Enzo should one day become a general of the Empire, would their clan not then have a powerful patron for decades to come?

Lin Qi coughed and shifted his body with difficulty, his expression darkening as he continued, “Enzo is a guest of my family. I accompanied him to the Golden Rose for a bit of light amusement, only to encounter two women—rude, unreasonable, claiming to be from the top aristocratic houses of the Vias Commercial Federation! Yet their conduct was nothing but haughty, arrogant, and utterly uncouth. I saw no trace of noble breeding in them.”

He recounted the clash that had erupted at the Golden Rose Lounge, though certain details had been subtly altered in the telling. Lin Qi spoke through clenched teeth, “Enzo is a good man. He was struck unconscious by that vile, filthy, despicable, shameless middle-aged brute! As for me, with my companion’s life in their hands, I could do nothing but endure the humiliation and leave the Golden Rose, hoping to appeal to you, honored gentlemen, for justice!”

Baron Miro and Lieutenant Colonel Wotu exchanged glances. In such circumstances, there could be no doubt: Lin Qi had no choice but to leave the Golden Rose. With Enzo’s life in the hands of others, Lin Qi could not act rashly. Seeking help from the authorities of Donerk was the most reasonable course.

“And what happened after that?” Baron Miro asked, curiosity piqued.

Lin Qi’s face grew even more grim. He gave a cold laugh. “No sooner had I left the Golden Rose than I noticed that all the streetlamps along the seaside boulevard had been smashed. Several shadowy Darklings were aiding a passenger ship that had slipped into the harbor under cover of night!”

Lin Qi’s voice was icy. “You all know that in winter, no ships are allowed to enter the harbor district at night in Donerk.”

Lieutenant Colonel Wotu nodded, “That’s correct—such a rule exists. What did you discover?”

Clenching his fists in anger, Lin Qi ground out, “I saw those Darklings helping a group of orcs disembark—and those two women, weren’t their names Aya and Ailin? And their thug, their lackey, that sly, treacherous middle-aged man—they actually followed me after I left the Golden Rose. That man caught up with me and tried to attack me!”

Enzo added, “They left me lying in the snow, so I regained consciousness. I saw those orcs coming ashore, and they were acting in concert with that middle-aged man to intercept Lin Qi. Clearly, they knew each other—and from what I heard, they came to Donerk with a very specific goal in mind!”

The faces of Baron Miro and the city notables darkened further. A clear purpose?

The orcs had landed on the seaside boulevard, barely two hundred meters from the Golden Rose Lounge—a single charge and they could storm the establishment. Worse still, many of the sons and daughters of the very men present were even now enjoying themselves at the Golden Rose!

Their thoughts leapt to a notorious practice from the century-long Island Wars—a pastime among the northern isles and the Odin Icefields known as “catching live treasures.” The orcs, in their brutish humor, called it that; in plain terms, it was kidnapping for ransom. They would seize the sons and daughters of noble houses, demanding astronomical sums in exchange, and make off with vast profits.

Now, everything made perfect sense. Those two women who claimed noble birth were vanguards—scouts sent ahead to assess how many valuable targets the Golden Rose held, and whether it was worth the orcs’ effort. Once they identified their quarry, they deliberately provoked Lin Qi, intentionally breaking the unwritten rules so that Jin, the proprietor, would expel them, allowing them to slip away and report back.

But why, then, had the orcs landed so hastily, before the women had even left the Golden Rose? Was further explanation needed? Orcs were notoriously impatient, hot-tempered, and slow-witted. The women may have sought to maximize their gain by scouting the lounge thoroughly, but the orcs would never heed their signals!

With such temperaments, how could two women ever hope to control them? Perhaps the orcs, growing restless on the ship, lost patience and stormed ashore without waiting for a report.

Lin Qi spoke gravely, “Enzo is the very model of an Imperial soldier! A true warrior! When I found myself beset on all sides, my life hanging by a thread, he faced over a hundred savage orcs, drew his sword, and charged alone to rescue me!”

He swung his arms emphatically, shouting, “He struck down the Darkling leader in a single blow, and wounded eight orcs besides!”

Enzo’s cheeks flushed even deeper, and he bowed his head. Every dignitary present marveled inwardly: “What an honest youth, what bravery and self-sacrifice! To face more than a hundred bloodthirsty orcs alone!”

Lin Qi gave a bitter smile, his whole body shaking. “But what neither of us expected was that the vile, filthy, despicable, shameless middle-aged man was actually a Heaven-ranked Knight!”

Lieutenant Colonel Wotu started violently, exclaiming, “Heavens, is that true? A Heaven-ranked Knight?”

Baron Miro’s face had gone ashen as well—a Heaven-ranked Knight? How had these two young men escaped with their lives?