Chapter 39

Upon glancing once more at the shouting worker, Richard observed with growing alarm that the young man's cries grew more exaggerated, his face contorted in an expression that suggested he might expire immediately from the exertion. Gradually, the worker began to hurl invectives with vague insinuations.

"Damn the heavens! Why must it be so unbearably hot? Damn the man! What insanity drives to travel such a great distance in this weather? Lost mind? Cursed be this day!"

Richard squinted, his expression shifting to one of menace as he regarded the shouting man for a prolonged moment. Suddenly, he descended from his horse and strode towards the worker.

The fellow, sensing the approaching danger, quickly diminished his volume, stammering, "W-What do you intend to do?"

"I wish to inquire," Richard replied, his face devoid of emotion, "Have you finished your little tantrum? Have you shouted enough?"

"I… I am near to suffocating! Am I not entitled to voice my distress?" The worker mustered his courage to retort. "Moreover, in weather such as this, we should not be compelled to travel long distances!"

"Evidently, you have yet to exhaust your complaints," Richard said coolly.

"And what of it?"

"Nothing at all; you may continue," Richard allowed.

The worker, taken aback, glanced at Richard's face, reading no sign of fury. Feeling unexpectedly emboldened, he resumed his shouting, this time with even greater fervor: "The heat is palpable for all to feel! In such conditions, one ought not to traverse even a single inch, but seek refuge beneath the trees! We may wait until the rains cool the air before proceeding! Waiting a few days is also tolerant, for we are human…"

"Enough!" A sharp voice pierced the air, not from Richard, but from the fierce Red Eye accompanying him.

With a resounding crash, Red Eye dismounted, the weight of his iron armor creating two dents in the ground.

"Clang, clang," announced the relentless echo of his armor as Red Eye stormed toward the shouting worker. His red-rimmed eyes had inflamed from conjunctivitis. Now they were more scarlet, blazing with fury.

He leaned in close, reprimanding the worker with menace, "Silence! Who are you to air such grievances? You are nothing more than a lowly worker, worse than a dog in this caravan. Master Richard procured your employment through the Baron, not to have you idle in leisure. The Baron has compensated you, thus you and your ilk must labor with utmost speed to deliver our cargo to the castle!

"Know this, you worthless insects, to ensure your safety, Master Richard led us through four days of relentless travel, even daring to venture into the domain of Lord Lanster. And yet here you are, lacking even a single word of gratitude, seeking only to delay! Do you seek death? I warn you, mount your carriage at once and proceed! Or else, I shall make you suffer far worse than a dog!"

"You!" The worker, upon hearing Red Eye's scathing words, recoiled in fear but soon erupted in a fit of anger, "You dare call us garbage? You call us insects? Cursed country bumpkin! We hail from Myron and have seen far greater things than you dare imagine!

"True, our caravan did accept your coins, but so what? It does not grant you ownership over our lives! We possess the right to decide how far we shall travel each day! The right to eat when hunger strikes, drink when thirst arises, sleep when fatigue takes hold, and rest when tired!"

"I care not for how long you have suffered! You chose this undertaking willingly! What if you have journeyed for eight days? Do you expect us to kneel before you? Mark my words, today we shall rest, without fail."

The worker's declaration found chorus among his peers, who nodded in reluctant agreement.

Yet Red Eye, engulfed by rage, witnessed the worker's insubordination and resolute defiance explode within him. In a sudden, violent rush, he lunged forward, grabbing the man by the throat and lifting him high, his bloodshot eyes glimmering with a red menace. "You wish for death? Speak once more, and I shall grant it!"

The workers surrounding them exchanged glances, a tension thickening in the air, slowly converging around the two, ready to intervene should Red Eye persist in his aggression.

However, Red Eye remained oblivious to their intentions, focusing all his might on the worker's throat, intent on choking the life from him.

Suddenly, Richard, who had remained eerie silent thus far, interjected, emanating an authority that brooked no refusal. "Red Eye, release him!"

At Richard's voice, devoid of any trace of warmth, Red Eye's body jerked involuntarily, his grip loosening. The half-strangled man fell to the ground with a thud, gasping for air, coughing up sticky spittle, tears streaming from his eyes, and yellow-green snot dribbling from his nose.

He heaved ragged breaths, wiping his face, and pointed a trembling finger at Red Eye as he cried, "He… he tried to choke me! He truly wished to kill me!"

The other caravan members exchanged glances, their expressions tightening as they processed the unfolding scene. Though they had initially stood behind Red Eye's attempted violence, their loyalties shifted in light of this new terror—an act of brutality wrought by Richard.

As Red Eye's fury waned, the realization of the peril he had incurred dawned on him. He looked up at Richard, fear dawning in his eyes, and stammered, "Master Richard, I… I was mistaken…"

"What was your mistake?" Richard inquired, his face a mask of stoicism, his tone growing colder.

"I… I should not have acted so impulsively."

"Incorrect." Richard shook his head, narrowing his eyes.

"I… I should not have used my words so harshly," Red Eye tried again.

"Still wrong." Richard continued shaking his head.

Now trembling with palpable fear, Red Eye's throat dried, his mind racing. It became clear he had faltered, and he desperately sought a path to redemption. "I… I should not have acted in aggression, thus falling into that wretched man's trap, provoking the ire of the others and jeopardizing your affairs, Master Richard."

The instant he uttered his confession, he looked up at Richard with trepidation.

Yet Richard's response was to shake his head once more, his verdict chilling. "Still incorrect." After delivering that sentence, Richard narrowed his eyes further, an ominous sign sending shivers down Red Eye's spine.

Having served within the First Guard for many years, Red Eye understood that Richard's current demeanor signified extreme, extreme danger. He recalled how others, who had disobeyed Richard in the past, had met with swift retribution, their fates sealed by that very expression.

Now…

"No! No! No!" Red Eye's mind screamed as he reached toward his sword at his back, but cowardice paralyzed him. Under Richard's unwavering stare, he gradually felt the warmth leave his body, his blood growing cold.

"Master Richard… I…" Red Eye stammered, a plea for mercy rising in his throat.

Richard shook his head once more, and then…