Chapter 55

Richard looked at the First Guard who were kneeling with one knee on the ground in unison. His expression momentarily froze, then he shook his head and glanced at Tuku. "What's this? Pledging allegiance? The knightly vows and all that? I don't have any territory to grant you. Are you a bit too eager?"

"Master Richard, I do not want land, only to swear my loyalty to you, separate from my current employment," Tuku replied, looking up with utmost seriousness. He then began to recite his earlier oath again, "I, Tuku Bastek Harms, hereby swear to you…"

"Stop, stop, stop." Richard interrupted Tuku, narrowing his eyes. "You know I dislike troublesome matters…"

Meeting Richard's gaze, Tuku responded with earnestness, "Master Richard, you have always been mysterious to us, so much so that we, who stand by your side, feel intimidated. The only way we can find a sense of security is through absolute loyalty—having no doubts about you. That's why I choose to pledge my loyalty to you, to become your vassal, rather than merely a hired hand…"

"Troublesome," Richard evaluated once more, noticing that Tuku still wanted to continue speaking. He raised his hand firmly: "Enough!"

Richard stepped forward, accepting the sword that Tuku offered with both hands, then lightly tapped Tuku on the shoulder. Letting out a sigh, he addressed the entire First Guard, "I can accept thy loyalty, but... thou knowest I detest troublesome situations and have no desire to take each of thy weapons one by one. So, Tuku, let us regard thee as representing all."

Once he finished speaking, Richard shook his head again, slightly impatient, and passed the ceremonial knightly sword back to Tuku before turning to walk towards a tree in the distance.

Meanwhile, Lucy the little maid had been standing up for quite a while, dazed by the loud explosion from earlier. She looked at the flames rising from the thatched hut and asked with confusion, "Master, what happened? I kept my eyes closed, did I miss something? Also, why are Tuku and the others kneeling down? Did they do something wrong...?"

"You didn't miss anything; the hut simply exploded," Richard answered briefly, not wishing to burden her with too much information. He quickly changed the subject. "By the way, let me quiz you—what is the definition of an explosion? You have half a minute."

"Ah!" Upon hearing Richard's question, Lucy immediately became tense, her curiosity replaced by the urgency to recall information. "The definition of an explosion... definition... ah, I remember! An explosion occurs when a large amount of energy is released in a very short time, resulting in... generating high temperatures, releasing a large amount of... gas, and causing a high-pressure chemical reaction or change in the surrounding medium. Right, Master?"

"Correct. Now, here's the next question: what are the different types of explosions?"

"Um... um... I think there are five types, no, six types…"

As the questioning continued, Richard lifted Lucy onto the horse and rode off into the distance. Behind him, the First Guard members got to their feet and mounted their horses to follow. There was a flicker in their eyes, a blend of fear and respect, but now with an added touch of fervor.

Meanwhile, Melissa, Mular, and Alex, having been spectators, stood frozen in place, feeling altogether abandoned. Eventually, after a long silence, Melissa turned to Mular and gasped, "Uncle Mular, what... what just happened with Richard...?" Her breaths came erratically, revealing that her emotions were highly unstable, as what she had witnessed earlier had completely challenged her worldview.

Mular, in a similar state of shock, held back his thoughts for a while before responding with a sigh, "Perhaps... perhaps there are many things in this world that we do not understand. Miss Melissa, you should avoid becoming too curious; safety is paramount. We need to deliver the goods quickly and then return to Myron."

Melissa fell silent, pondering deeply. She glanced at Alex, only to find his eyes wide open, brimming with pure fear. Meanwhile, his pants had become somewhat damp without her realizing it…

"Tch." Melissa Spat in disdain, turning away to retrace her steps…

That day, the autumn rain continued to pour.

Due to the terrible road conditions and other factors, the caravan eventually decided, with unanimous agreement, to halt and set up camp for a day of rest. Richard and the First Guard constructed a slightly larger encampment beside them.

As evening set in, darkness encroached while the rain lessened significantly.

Within the First Guard's camp, a faint light shone from the center of the largest tent.

Inside, Richard accepted a scroll inscribed on papyrus from Lucy, glancing down at it. The scroll bore clear evidence of two different handwriting styles: one was neat and mechanically printed, while the other appeared hurriedly scrawled, with several portions smeared.

Richard studied the scroll intently for a long while before finally setting it down and looking at Lucy.

Lucy gazed back at him, a sense of tension in her demeanor as she asked, "Master, how did I do? What score did I get?"

"95 points," Richard replied flatly.

"95 points!" Lucy's eyes brightened, her mood shifting as she exclaimed, "95 points!"

Richard cast a brief glance at Lucy's jubilant expression and commented with annoyance, "What's got you so excited over a mere 95? Don't forget, you missed five points! That means there are five knowledge points you haven't mastered fully!"

"Master!" Lucy protested, batting her eyelashes with a hint of grievance, "I'm not like you—I can't remember everything! A score of 95 is pretty good, okay?"

"Even so…"

"Alright, alright, Master." Lucy interjected quickly, pouting as she looked at him with curiosity. "Master, I've completed your examination now, so don't lecture me anymore. Instead, why not tell me what exactly happened today during the earlier incident?"

"What's there to say? Nothing much happened." Richard maintained a stoic expression, clearly not wanting to divulge too much.

Lucy was determined not to let this go. Although she had been busy reviewing her studies and hadn't witnessed the day's events, she wasn't foolish or oblivious; she was perceptive and had gleaned a good deal of the "secrets of the day" from the discussions of the First Guard and the caravan members.

The more she learned, the more curious she became, eagerly pleading, "Master, please, tell me what happened!"

Richard felt little inclination to elaborate, primarily because he didn't want Lucy developing any violent tendencies. He waved his hand dismissively, offering a brief response: "It was simply a case of someone trying to kill me, but they failed and ended up dead."

"Really? Someone tried to kill you again?" Lucy's eyes widened slightly as she absorbed the confirmation. However, her tone was more curious than shocked, since this sort of thing had happened far too often for her to feel much surprise anymore.

Lucy looked at Richard, hesitating before asking, "Who was it? Who wanted to kill you?"

"What do you think?" Richard snorted derisively. "It's just my older brother, Edward Angrel, who has been 'practicing' among the noble territories of our maternal relatives without inheriting any titles or lands. At least, I don't think he has the financial resources or manpower to hire a whole bunch of people.

I suspect some of those from his maternal lineage, like his uncle, Count William, are backing him.

Of course, we can't rule out other potential meddlers, such as Lord Lanster, who has a poor relationship with Baron Rio. While they maintain a facade of cordiality, if the opportunity arose, he wouldn't hesitate to take action. The fact that we entered his territory to escort the caravan may have given him ample time to prepare, making him quite suspicious as well.

Additionally, other neighboring nobles across from Baron Leo's domain may also have motivations to act against us, so we can't dismiss them either. All in all, it's likely to involve these people."