Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 65: The Peacemaker

Once the masked man disappeared from sight, Karon turned around without a second thought.

He could have chased and captured him, even risking the possibility of triggering hidden explosives, but he didn’t feel the need. They had already captured two of the assailants, and he didn’t want to go to unnecessary lengths to catch a third.

More importantly, he had a sense that he would meet the masked man again eventually.

“Beware of the Count’s estate.”

Reflecting on the masked man’s warning, Karon started running back.

When he returned to the scene, the two captured assailants were already tightly bound. Without their masks, they turned out to be surprisingly young men.

“Hmm? Did you let him go?”

Hinshan looked around, surprised that Karon had returned alone. He clearly didn’t believe Karon would have lost track of the man.

Karon simply nodded and gestured toward the two bound captives.

“Are these the ones?”

“Yes. According to Mr. Gletch and Mr. Utallo, they’re wearing the exact same masks and outfits as the attackers. If we bring these two to the Count’s estate, it should be easy to clear the Condor Mercenaries of any false accusations.”

“Did you get anything else out of them?”

“They’re not very talkative.”

As Hinshan sighed in frustration, Karon looked around and spoke.

“It’s best if we leave this area.”

“Understood. We were preparing to do just that.”

Hinshan nodded, then gave orders to Baron Johan.

Baron Johan, who had been watching Karon and Hinshan with a mixture of awe and intimidation, quickly instructed his men. He glanced back at them, thinking,

“The Imperial Guard truly is something else.”

Their actions when the attackers appeared were beyond what any normal person could achieve.

They quickly secured the prisoners, tying them up and mounting them on horses. The patrol unit led the way with torches, carving a path through the forest. By late evening, they had emerged from the forest and reached an open plain where they took a brief rest.

Although they paused to catch their breath, the group remained vigilant, wary of potential attackers.

Meanwhile, Karon sat across from the two captured men, chewing on a herb as he silently observed them. After a long stretch of silence, his intense gaze began to make them visibly uncomfortable.

“Ah, Sir Karon, you’re here already.”

Hinshan approached, as though he were a savior, breaking the silence.

“There are a few questions I’d like to ask you.”

The two men glared suspiciously, clearly on edge.

“Don’t worry. I’m not here to ask anything too difficult.”

Hinshan smiled warmly, continuing, “Do you happen to know anything about Count Fillmore’s estate?”

The unexpected question caught the two men off guard. Instead of interrogating them about who they were or what they wanted, Hinshan was asking about the Count’s estate.

Are they testing us? What answer do they want?

Noticing their inner struggle, Hinshan held up his hands reassuringly.

“Ah, I know it might be hard to believe, but we aren’t from the Count’s estate. Depending on the information you give us, our position could change.”

His words sparked a glimmer of hope in the eyes of the two captives.

At dawn, after a grueling march, they finally arrived at the Count’s estate. Informed of their arrival, Count Fillmore came to the gate with his knights and soldiers.

The Count appeared to be in his early fifties, with a sharp face, slanted eyes, and a neatly combed hairstyle that gave him a particularly stern appearance.

The townspeople gathered around, curious about the commotion.

At the forefront of the procession was Baron Johan, the head of the patrol, and Hinshan. Behind them, soldiers escorted the two captured men, who were still bound. Utallo and Gletch were also shackled alongside the captives, as their innocence was yet to be officially proven.

Karon followed at the very end, blending in as if he were one of the patrol members.

Count Fillmore’s welcoming expression faltered the moment he saw the captured assailants. Although Karon was at the back and his view was obscured, he didn’t miss the subtle change in the Count’s expression.

“Count Fillmore, as ordered, we’ve captured the real culprits behind the theft of your estate’s goods. Interrogating them should lead us to the rest of the gang.”

“The real culprits….”

The Count’s eyes narrowed, clearly displeased.

“Yes, with the direct assistance of Baron Hinshan of the Imperial Guard.”

“Wh-what? The Imperial Guard?”

Count Fillmore’s slanted eyes widened in shock.

“The Imperial Guard? Could they be investigating me?”

An Imperial Guard showing up in such a remote region was highly unusual. It was only logical for him to suspect they were here with a purpose.

But whether he knew or cared, Hinshan smiled pleasantly and gave a polite bow.

“Greetings, Count Fillmore. I am Baron Hinshan Altord, in service to Prince Merka de Agrofon.”

“Oh, well, what brings an Imperial Guard member to such a humble place?”

As a noble, Count Fillmore would typically outrank a baron like Hinshan, but Hinshan’s position in the Imperial Guard left the Count hesitant to speak too casually.

“I happened to come across the patrol chasing these assailants while passing through. We’re all part of the Empire’s forces, after all—I couldn’t ignore them.”

“Oh, I-I see. Please, let’s discuss the details inside. This way,” said Count Fillmore, motioning toward the gate and then giving orders to his attendants.

“Take the thieves to the underground prison and provide food for the patrol to ease their hunger.”

With Count Fillmore, Hinshan, and Baron Johan heading into the main hall, the Count’s knights followed suit, while the waiting servants began leading the patrol to a separate building.

The two captured men, along with Utallo and Gletch, were taken down the stairs to the underground prison.

As Karon made brief eye contact with Utallo, he gave a slight nod. By the time the patrol had entered the annex, Karon’s presence had disappeared.

***

Not far from the Count’s estate, on the edge of a nearby village, stood a dark, secluded cabin surrounded by towering trees.

Inside, a group of individuals with demon-shaped masks stood around a circular table.

“We can’t just keep watching Fillmore’s atrocities,” said one member, his voice tinged with anger and youth.

An older-sounding man wearing a worn mask replied with a deep voice, “Have you forgotten our mission? Our role is solely that of observers.”

“How long are we going to stand by? Yet another innocent mercenary group took the blame because of us.”

The younger one’s frustration was evident. In fact, they had indeed used the Condor Mercenaries to cover up their own covert operation to intercept the Count’s convoy. But Count Fillmore had never spared the mercenaries he used, killing them off once they had served their purpose.

The older man sighed, shaking his head, “They would have been silenced anyway. They should be grateful to us for the small mercy of a quick death.”

“And what about the mercenaries who were killed without any reason? What crime did they commit?”

“It was an unavoidable sacrifice.”

“Enough with the ‘sacrifices’! Do you have any idea how many innocents have been sacrificed up to now?”

As the young man refused to back down, the older member raised his voice in frustration.

“You insolent fool! Do you understand nothing? The moment our existence is revealed, they’ll vanish without a trace. We’ve barely managed to track their movements after countless sacrifices by the ‘Peacemakers,’ and you’d throw it all away?”

This secret organization was known as the Peacemakers.

Operating in secrecy, they were dedicated to preserving peace and safety across the continent. Their mission here was to monitor Count Fillmore, who had been involved in heinous activities.

The Count was known to abduct children under the age of ten, selecting only those who didn’t reject the power of “demonic weapons” and sending them to the magical nation of Kolima. Kolima sought to revive the declining magical arts by using these demonic weapons.

The secret shipments the Count arranged often included children under a sleeping spell, transported under the guise of regular goods.

As the argument escalated, a slender woman with a surprisingly beautiful voice intervened.

“Both of you, calm down. The critical issue now is that two of our members have been captured. If this continues, not only will they be in danger, but our entire operation could be exposed. What is your plan, leader?”

All eyes turned to one man: the masked individual who had crossed paths with Karon.

“Who are these people exactly?” one of the others asked.

“Are they agents planted by the Count?”

As questions flooded in, he finally spoke after a thoughtful pause.

“I can’t say for certain,” he began, pausing to gather attention before continuing, “but they don’t appear to be from the Count’s estate. They seem to have stumbled into this by coincidence.”

“What makes you say that?” asked another member.

“They discovered our traps at the scene based purely on the traces we left behind. They likely suspect there’s an informant within the Count’s ranks.”

“But even so….”

“The more critical point is that their skills are either equal to or above mine.”

“What?”

The group murmured in shock. The leader was highly skilled, entrusted with significant responsibilities within the organization.

“It’s true. I tried to silence them, yet Alan and Bostin were captured, while I barely escaped.”

“But that’s because there were also the patrol guards—”

“Regardless, the Count is not capable of gathering such skilled fighters. That’s why I doubt they’re connected to him.”

His explanation seemed to convince the others, who nodded in agreement. The leader continued,

“What matters now is that the presence of these outsiders could jeopardize our agents embedded within the Count’s estate.”

He placed his hands firmly on the table and raised his voice.

“From now on, we need to find a way to extract our captured members without revealing our presence. We’ll act tomorrow! We don’t have much time.”

***

Meanwhile, Hinshan, having entered the main castle, was being treated with utmost courtesy as he made his way to the dining hall.

Count Fillmore, Hinshan, and Baron Johan gathered around a round table as dishes were served.

Hinshan poured himself a glass of water, then asked casually,

“I hear you arranged a nighttime convoy.”

“Ah, yes. There was something urgent that needed to be sent out.”

“Would it be too forward of me to ask what the contents were?”

Hinshan inquired with a slight smile.

Count Fillmore felt a bead of sweat form in his clenched fist.

“I can’t read him at all.”

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