Rebellion 8

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

The normally peaceful village of Babol was destined to experience a restless dawn.

Around 3 AM, while all the villagers, except for a few with hidden motives, were sound asleep, the peace was shattered.

Suddenly, the village dogs began to bark furiously. Within just a few minutes, all the dogs in the village were barking loudly.

The commotion caused by the dogs was so overwhelming that most people were startled awake. Some, unaware of the situation, angrily cursed the barking dogs, while others worried if thieves had entered the village. But for those who knew a certain secret, their hearts felt as if they were being gripped by an iron vice.

Hoofbeats! A large number of hoofbeats echoed on the main road through the village. The sound was so dense that even the ground in the houses along the street vibrated, waking those inside from their sleep.

Even the bravest among them did not dare venture outside at this time. They could only muster the courage to peek through cracks in their windows, quietly observing the situation outside.

A loud bang! The Ferguson family mansion, located on the eastern edge of the village, was forced open.

A large group of Alden soldiers, armed with rifles and bayonets, rushed into the mansion, their weapons gleaming brightly in the courtyard's torchlight.

"You! Who are you? This is the residence of Lord Ferguson. Who allowed you to break in?"

Several servants, summoning their courage, shouted at the intruders. Most of the household had been taken hunting by Ferguson, so only a few remained.

"I was worried we wouldn't find anyone here," the leading officer chuckled, issuing an order that made the servants' hearts sink: "Tie them all up."

"What? Sir, please spare us!"

The servants collapsed to the ground in fear, their earlier bravado disappearing. They quickly switched to begging, knowing they had encountered serious trouble.

"Bind them, bind them!"

The officer waved his hand, unmoved by their pleas.

"We're all on the same side, no need to be rough."

A scrawny man with a mustache ran out from inside, smiling obsequiously.

He approached the officer, nodding and bowing humbly.

"Sir, there must be a misunderstanding. This is Lord Ferguson' mansion. He is a knight loyal to Lord Grayman. From your appearance, you must also serve Lord Grayman, right? We're all under the same lord, so we're on the same side."

The officer sized him up and asked, "Who are you?"

The man with the mustache smiled faintly. "I'm just the steward here."

The officer's eyes widened, "A steward? So you're the master's closest lackey! You must know where Ferguson is. Quickly, tell us his location."

Then, as if remembering something, the officer slapped his forehead.

"No, you're coming with me to find the battalion commander's instructor. Lead the way!"

Two soldiers stepped forward and grabbed the steward by the arms, dragging him out.

"Wait! No, no!"

The steward struggled desperately, shouting, "This must be a misunderstanding! You can't arrest an innocent man!"

Although he cried out about a misunderstanding, the steward knew the truth all too well. As Ferguson' most trusted confidant, he was well aware of what his master was planning. When he first heard about his master's plot, his jaw nearly dropped in shock.

It was the kind of thing that could wipe out entire families!

What the steward couldn't understand was how the news had leaked so quickly, alerting the army so fast.

He had already followed his master's instructions and taken control of the nearby signal station. Besides, Paul Grayman had no opportunity to send any messages through the signal station. He was still trapped in the mountains, surrounded.

"Misunderstanding?" the officer sneered. "We'll soon see if it's a misunderstanding."

He waved his hand, "Search the mansion! Bring everyone out!"

Within half an hour, a large group of people had been tied up in the village's threshing yard.

Seeing this, the steward made up his mind. No matter what, he couldn't reveal his master's hunting location. Only if his master and the people at Alden Town succeeded could the danger here be averted.

However, after just half an hour, the steward revealed the hunting location to the interrogating soldiers—he had overestimated his own willpower and endurance.

"The place is called Lynx Valley, with mountains to the north and south, and only two entrances, east and west."

The steward spoke through clenched teeth, partly because of the pain in his face, partly because he had lost several teeth.

"Lord Ferguson…no, the traitor Ferguson…along with his accomplices, has gathered over 600 people from nearby villages. They've trapped the lord inside and plan to assassinate him while his guards are off their guard tonight. If that fails…"

He clutched his swollen face and groaned in pain.

Colonel Carter Holly grabbed him by the collar. "If that fails, what's the backup plan? Speak!"

"They'll…they'll…"

The steward, terrified by the colonel's menacing expression, stammered.

"They'll set fire to the forest in Lynx Valley and use the blaze to achieve their goal."

Colonel Holly was shocked. How vicious!

"Quick, take a few people familiar with the terrain, and head to Lynx Valley immediately!"

The colonel made a swift decision, and his troops immediately sprang into action.

The soldiers of the 8th Infantry Battalion mounted their horses and galloped off again. But after riding for less than two miles, they saw a light flickering in the distance.

…

"They really set the forest on fire! Those scoundrels, I'll make them pay!"

Paul swore in anger. He shouted, "Everyone, retreat to the camp!"

The firelight grew brighter and brighter, the flames spreading rapidly. With the wind aiding the blaze, the entire forest was soon engulfed in a towering inferno.

To leave Paul and his men with nowhere to hide, the traitors had set fires in several directions.

The tents, which were flammable, had already been taken down. Not long ago, the uninjured soldiers left the camp and desperately began pulling up grass, hoping to stop the fire from reaching the camp. But without proper tools, the grass-clearing was inefficient. Besides, once the entire forest was ablaze, what use was a small firebreak?

Following Paul's orders, the soldiers stationed around the camp retreated.

In the center of the camp stood Ladia Setia. While everyone else was busy, the green-haired witch remained still, her eyes closed, as if lost in thought or deep concentration.

As the fire drew closer, she suddenly opened her eyes.

(End of the Chapter)

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Translated 4 Series, 1.65K+ Chapters and 2.01M+ Words.