The Devil's Cage

Right after Kieran's words subsided, the youngsters got further riled up.

The observers had the clearer picture but could never understand the situation more than the people involved because it was a personal experience.

Kieran knew it very well, so he continued.

"Maybe Victor deserved your love before this, but after he treated us like disposable pieces of trash, the love should die. Replace it with hatred instead! Some may ask for forgiveness on his behalf, but sorry. As one of the participants in this Battle of Winter Night, I cannot forgive him. Those who speak of forgiveness but were never in the battle have no rights to plead for him."

Kieran paused and looked at the youngsters.

Even though the youngsters were safe in this temporary camp, everyone of them was troubled by sorrow, definitely having seen better days.

Kieran took a deep breath.

"These people are just making irresponsible comments. Pretty words can come out of everyone's mouth, except for the dead! Who is responsible for them? Those who were irresponsible? Or us, who grazed death because of someone's selfish gains?"

Kieran's voice sounded like battle drums, beating at the youngsters' heart.

Every beat further riled up the youngsters, fueling their motivations and emotions.

One Herder, who still had blood on his face, stood up.

"Daliphen, Sir Ciroc, I wish to know the truth," he said.

"I wish to know the truth too!"

A hairy Inhuman with long nails and bandages all around his body looked at Mian Yi.

"Truth!"

"We want the truth!"

Kieran's words started a chain reaction, everyone standing up and demanding the truth, like falling dominoes.

One after another, the youngsters stood up for themselves, looking at Daliphen, Ciroc. And Mian Yi for answers.

The three of them looked at each other.

Ciroc gave an unhappy glare to Kieran but that was soon replaced by helplessness.

He didn't want things to unfold this way because Victor was involved in too many things. If Victor's name and image as Judge were overthrown, many more things would only further complicate itself.

However, if Ciroc didn't provide the truth for the angry youngsters, they wouldn't stop either and might further exacerbate things.

Ciroc had reasons to believe some smarter ones had already learned the truth. They didn't speak a word because they were observing the situation and if Ciroc were to disappoint these smarter ones, the so-called Herders might end up as a big fat joke.

In fact, not only the Herders' name would be jeopardized, even the Dark Moon Treaty and many others that followed. All would be nothing but a bunch of blank papers.

The whole world would go back to the dark days where chaos and slaughters roamed free.

The hesitation sank in while Ciroc considered the pros and cons of telling the truth, and then he chose to speak.

"Royan is right. Based on what we know, this year's Battle of Winter Night was indeed Victor's scheme."

Right after Ciroc finished, the youngster reacted in clamours.

"Damn it!"

"It's real then!"

"My brother died in this chaotic scheme?"

"Kill him!"

"I want revenge!"

…...

The voices clamouring for revenge sounded in succession.

Some of them started to weep but they wiped their tears away and clenched their teeth in grievance.

"Calm down! Everyone calm down! We still don't know why Victor did this…"

"Don't know? Let me tell you idiots! He did this because of Ring City's wealth! He's already on the run with the treasures!"

Ciroc attempted to explain but before he could, a hoarse voice interrupted him and a scarlet red figure appeared in the temporary camp.

Mian Yi, Daliphen, and Ciroc noticed the scarlet red figure at first glance and they were alarmed, as though they were facing their greatest foe.

Lumor glanced over the red skull and then shifted his gaze at the predator skewers on the fire.

To him, meat was far more attractive than bones.

"Now, now, don't get too excited. I come in peace! I come bearing the goodwill of the three kings of Ring City. We are all Victor's victims after all. We should commiserate with each other, right?"

Scarlet laid open its skeletal hands and looked around, then bowed at Mian Yi, Daliphen, and Ciroc. If it wasn't for its red skull, it would qualify for a real gentleman and not a gentle-skull.

"Why should we believe you?"

Mian Yi looked at Scarlet with utmost cautious, subtly placing Song Shi behind him.

"Because I am telling the truth and if I really wanted you all dead, none of you would be able to escape from me."

Scarlet then raised its hand to the sky to prove its intentions.

The bright day instantly turned into the dark night!

The sun vanished and the moon took its place.

Growls and howls sounded in the area.

Everyone was shocked, especially the youngsters, every one of them holding their weapons tightly.

They did suffer a lot here because of the sudden change of the day.

"Relax, relax, don't get so riled up. I said I come in peace, I am an emissary of goodwill."

Scarlet pointed its hand at the sky again.

The moon vanished and the sun came back up.

While bathing under the sun, the red skull smiled but it felt more like a ferocious grin.

It slowed down and said, "Victor lied to me and the three kings with the Philosopher's Stone as bait. He distracted us by diverting our attention to you, intruders to our land, and then robbed the city treasure vault clean. A hundred years of accumulated wealth of Ring City was taken away, just like that. The three kings are furious. They don't have the time and patience to talk anymore, that is why I am here. I hope everyone can calm down and have a good talk, we do have a common enemy. right?" said Scarlet. It bowed politely at Mian Yi, Daliphen and Ciroc again.

The wealth of Ring City?

Mian Yi, Daliphen and Ciroc exchanged gazes, half of the questions in their heart met with answers.

They finally understood Victor's goal, but they did not fully trust Scarlet yet.

However, none of this had anything to do with Kieran anymore.

The moment Scarlet appeared, he knew Victor must die!

No matter Ring City or the outside world, Victor would have no place to stand anymore, he would be hunted down.

Thank you.

Kieran sincerely thanked Victor, the Judge that he had never met, in his heart, before walking to a side of the temporary camp.

As for the conversation between the trio and the red skull?

Both sides had no intention to continue their squabbles, their conversation would be nothing except compromising and disputing over trifles.

Kieran had zero interest in that, similar to the three kings without their wealth. They were worthless to Kieran now.

Enemies that couldn't provide spoils were the kind that Kieran wouldn't want to meet, they were unworthy of his time and energy.

Though Kieran was stopped by someone else.

"You have the scent of my son! You know Lucan?" The big and tall Lumor looked at Kieran.

"Em," Kieran nodded.

There was nothing to hide about it, Lucan was on the other side of the camp watching the two carts together with the minotaur and horseman anyway.

Of course, the most important point was this man in the white bear rug shared a heavy resemblance with Lucan.

His looks and equipment, other than the color of the bear rug, looked almost the same.

Kieran didn't doubt the man a bit when he claimed he was Lucan's father.

"Great! Can you bring me to him?" Lumor asked again.

"Follow me," Kieran then went on ahead.

Lumor grabbed the half-roasted predator, chewing on it as he followed Kieran, even asking Kieran, "Do you want some?"

Kieran glanced over at the weird looking predator's head.

Although it was half-roasted, the taste wasn't anything stellar, especially when he still had the food Starbeck prepared for him.

There was no need to choose at all.

Kieran grabbed a white biscuit from this backpack, which was kept in the specially made thermal container that Starbeck bought, ensuring Kieran's access to warm food at all times.

The biscuit was crispy and hot on the outside and soft on the inside. It was like minced pork sandwiched in between, the balance between lean and fat coupled with the right amount of juices a delight to bite on.

The taste lingered on Kieran's lips and teeth, especially the taste of bell pepper and egg.

The bell pepper was fried beforehand, the oiliness locking in the special aroma of bell pepper and making it extra crispy.

The egg wasn't chicken egg but quail egg, cooked together with a big piece of pork so the essence of the meat was infused into the egg, yet it retained the creamy texture.

"Treated in cold water after it's cooked?" Kieran wondered in his mind.

Although he didn't have Starbeck's cooking skills, he had the tongue to taste and appreciate all of Starbeck's dishes.

It allowed him to taste Starbeck's dishes better, but the downside was he couldn't really eat anything else.

Slurp, Slurp.

Lumor was walking beside Kieran, looking down at the biscuit in Kieran's hand and drooling a river. He couldn't help but gulp back the saliva and would wipe it away with his hand when his saliva began to overflow.

He would stuff a piece of meat into his mouth to stop his drooling but the meat that he felt was very tasty suddenly tasted like wood.

It was dry and tasteless, hard to swallow.

"Can you…"

"Cannot."

Lumor wanted to ask for a taste but Kieran rejected him before he could finish.

Lumor scratched his head and thought to try another approach, like money, but he searched every inch of his body and found none.

As one of the protectors of the Northern Woods, Lumor was well known for being poor.

It wasn't just because his vows forbid him to be rude or bully others, it was also because of his family's great appetite. Being able to rely on aids from the Herders to meet ends on a daily basis was considered a blessing for them already, there was no such thing as savings for them.

As for robbing others?

No matter how hard, the protector of the Northern Woods would not resort to such savage acts.

Going against an ally defied their vows but what about the enemy?

As long as the enemies weren't idiots, no one would bring hostility to the Northern Woods.

Therefore, most of the time, the protectors of the Northern Woods chose to barter for things rather than using money.

Using the skin and teeth of animals and monsters to barter for daily resources.

However, right now, Lumor had nothing.

He didn't think his roasted predator could be swaped for that white biscuit.

"Do you have anything that you want to achieve but couldn't?" Lumor suddenly asked.

If he couldn't barter food with food, he could try to trade food with labour, like how he appeared in Ring City in the first place.

"No," Kieran shook his head.

Of course he had goals that he ought to achieve but was unable to, yet it was his secret to keep, not something to tell others.

More so, he was used to working alone, not relying on others.

"Is that so?" Lumor showed a pitiful face, but soon it was replaced with a smile because he saw Lucan.

Lumor ran over and hugged Lucan, the 3 meters tall father managing to hold the more than 2 meters tall son in a single hug. He laughed and said, "Son, you've thinned down! Do you have enough to eat? Here! Try this!"

Lumor shoved the roasted predator into his son's mouth and at the same time looked at the minotaur and horseman with glimmers.

The gaze of hunger sent chills down the monsters' spine.

"Ahem… They are allies, not food!" Lucan said in embarrassment.

"Really?" Lumor said and then looked at the cart beside them.

"This is Royan's spoils, he saved me so I am helping him to guard it," Lucan answered honestly.

"Very good son! The warriors of the Northern Woods are considerate in return!"

Lumor nodded and then praised his son.

His gaze then naturally landed on Paladia.

"He is Royan's captive from the Battle of Winter Night. He acted as bait but was not very good at his role. He always had his eyes on Royan's spoils, so he's not an honest man," Lucan introduced Paladia.

"You should break this kind of dishonest man's legs," Lumor lectured his son seriously.

Paladia rolled a white eye at the father and son, his heart scolding endlessly, but he kept it to himself.

'What is not so good as bait?

I did my best and put my life on the line!'

Paladia turned away from the father and son while he criticized them.

He deemed the father and son a bunch of muscular idiots, their head filled with muscles instead of brain and they were the type that he couldn't communicate with.

In fact, after returning to this temporary camp, Paladia had the thought of running away. If he wasn't scared of [Seodi Stone], he would have been gone without a sign.

Paladia thought he had to talk to Kieran about this.

"Royan, can I redeem myself with money? This goes along with the Herder's rule and I swear I will keep my mouth shut about everything that I've been though as your captive," Paladia walked to Kieran and spoke softly.

"100 Crossing Gold Coins."

Kieran's price almost suffocated Paladia.

Paladia wanted to say 'f*ck you' but before he could do so, he realized Kieran's eyes weren't on him from the start but behind him.