The Amber Sword

Chapter 166 – Gambler’s Roulette (3)

“I’m not seeing any enemies.”

“The left street has no enemies too.”

“This alley has none of the damned skeletons either!” The yell echoed in the empty street.

Jana’s anxious eyes glinted under the dim light. Her fingers were on her rapier; her doubts in her heart were growing so deeply that she felt she was drowning. Everyone was under the same state as they searched around the streets for the undead.

When the mercenaries did not discover their presence, they regrouped and advanced in the darkness. Their hurried footsteps were not curtailed and shuffled against the soil loudly. Under the unknown presence that threatened to lurk at every corner, they felt a chill entering their soul. Fear gripped their throats as every shadow in the vicinity seemed to move.

They strained their ears to listen for the faintest hint of noise, afraid that the undead would suddenly gush out from a random alley and surround them completely.

They crossed than half of the distance required to go to the west gate and found nothing. The undead supposedly overwhelming the city was not there.

“Romaine.”

“Yes, yes,” She frowned with her eyebrows as she spoke in her dreams: “Get your queue number, next—”

When Amandina finally brought Romaine over, she found the female commander Jana in a grimace.

The latter was observing the Lycanthropes and Druids suppressing the undead with considerable ease.

Even if her mercenaries did not come, the results in the west gate would not change. Their strange appearances had led them to wonder what exactly they were and whether they worked for the young noble. If they were, did it meant that he had never trusted her in the first place?

[Perhaps that youth had also made countermeasures for Raban as well?]

She inhaled with displeasure. Even though she knew it was a common thing to do, she felt a sliver of discomfort. It was as if her determination to risk her life was denied by someone else. Despite her maturity, she had looked forward to achieving a miracle after witnessing the proof that the youth had killed Graudin. Her band of mercenaries thought the same way.

In this chaotic region, she and her mercenaries led a nomadic life. She had hoped that the young man was someone worth following, and at least allowed her followers to feel like they could swear loyalty to.

[He’s just like them. No matter how outstanding he appears to be, he’s only looking at us like pieces on a chessboard. He doesn’t trust us and sent additional forces to guard against the undead.]

Jana swung her hair back to her ears and looked silently at Amandina. The latter returned her gaze and stood calmly with showing any signs of being intimidated. For some strange reason, she found Jana and her mercenaries was staring oddly at her and the men here. She quickly came to a conclusion on what had transpired between Brendel and the mercenaries.

“May I know who you are?” Amandina was the first to speak.

Jana felt like she was being suppressed even though the person in front of her was much younger.

[Another damned aristocrat wench.]

“Jana, commander of the Mountain Swallows Company. We are sent here by Lord Gaston’s order, and who might you be, little girl?” She asked with a ridiculing tone, despite knowing who the girl possibly was.

Amandina’s expressions did not change, although she was smirking in her mind.

“I am also Lord Gaston’s subordinate. To be exact, I’m his chief advisor.” She said, and extended out a hand: “This is Lady Romaine, Lord Gaston’s fiancee.”

The merchant girl yawned as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

A streak of disgust and disappointment flashed in Jana’s eyes. Amandina did not miss her expressions, and she felt the same feeling in her own heart.

“Although, I wish to be clear,” Amandina’s expression turned cold, her voice with slight disdain creeping in: “I might have introduced myself as his advisor, but that does not mean I agree with his methods. Tell Lord Gaston this, miss Jana, if he thinks he can avoid hurting others by acting on his own, he should cast off that naivety. I don’t know what he’s trying to become, but a hero isn’t a saint who doesn’t commit mistakes, but one who takes up responsibility!

Even if he chooses to commit a mistake, he carries not only his life but our hopes and love for him as well. I might respect his choice today, but I will never forgive the act where he abandoned his subordinates— Finally, tell him in this world, freedom, and hope cannot be obtained without going to war and shedding blood.”

The Lycanthropes who had impossibly sharp ears of hearing turned towards Amandina with emotional gazes.

Jana looked at the Lycanthropes who reacted strangely before she asked: “What does that mean?”

Amandina did not reply.

Jana cast her gaze at Romaine for answers, but the latter merely smiled sweetly in response.

“Erm Miss J—, whatsyournameagain……” Romaine muttered under her breath before she continued: “Miss Dame, may I ask if you have Magic Signalling arrows?”

The corners of Jana’s eyes twitched.

============== Brendel’s POV =============

A signal rose from the west gate. The bright fire from the arrow sailed across the sky and lit up the city brightly.

Brendel and his men stopped running when they saw it. The light felt almost like a congratulatory note, informing them they had won.

Brendel sighed heavily.

[If I’m a gambler, then I must be one of the luckiest one around. The roulette has stopped and pointed to the biggest door possible to the future. The fact that the west gate is held means that the Viridien Village has set out to defend it. Since the Lycanthropes didn’t go looking for Sifrid, it must have been Amandina or Romaine’s idea to guard the west gate. Perhaps somewhere along the way, they probably spotted the undead moving…… Regardless of how it came to this conclusion, I have won the day.]

He did not know what the future lied beyond that door, or at least he could not see that far ahead, but the chess piece he placed down had survived Graudin and Madara’s resistance.

“My lord, does this mean Dawn is finally here?” Ciel asked with a smile.

“No, not yet,” Brendel shook his head while he looked at the light: “But— I can finally see Firburh’s ending.”