Nathan - POV

  The discussions about our looming conflict with Count Jan Nobesk were temporarily set aside as we approached the campsite.

  When we arrived, Mother and the girls were already waiting.

  “So, how was the party?” Dianne asked.

  “It was… pleasant,” Father replied, though his tone suggested otherwise. He gestured for all of us to enter the pavilion.

  “What happened?” she pressed.

  “I’ll explain inside,” Father said.

  As we stepped into the pavilion, Anda immediately posted guards at the entrance and around the tent’s perimeter. Once everyone gathered around the long table, Father motioned for us to sit. Present were Krizek, Anda, Belle, Lyle, Jennie, Mother, the girls, Jack, and finally me.

  “Krizek,” Father said, “tell us what you learned about the count.”

  “Yes, my lord.” Krizek bowed slightly. “I infiltrated the count’s barracks. His men are mobilizing a few kilometers outside the city. Their intent is to ambush us, rob us, and enslave any survivors. My review of the records in the count’s office confirms he is the primary recipient of slaves in the region... including those supplied by Baron Fredick’s son, Guy.”

  Audible gasps rippled through Mother and the girls.

  “Despicable…” Mother whispered. “What do we do?”

  “We strike first,” Father said grimly. “But the problem remains... we cannot possibly take on a hundred men.”

  “Forgive me, my lord,” Anda said, “but we can defeat them. We simply won’t escape without casualties.”

  “That is exactly what I want to avoid,” Father replied. “Walking willingly into a trap when we can avoid it is foolish. A preemptive strike is our best option.”

  “We can follow Lord Nathan’s initial plan,” Belle suggested.

  All eyes turned to me.

  I stood. “We let the Hellblazers infiltrate the castle and eliminate the count and everyone directly involved in his slave-trading operation. Enough personnel will remain for the count’s son to take over, ensuring the countship doesn’t collapse into chaos. Stability in this region benefits us.”

  “Who will we send?” Anda asked.

  “The Hellblazers,” I answered, nodding at Krizek and giving him a telepathic cue to elaborate.

  Krizek stepped forward. “Leshner and I will carry out a series of assassinations. It will be done tonight. I already have information on the structure of the count’s slave network.”

  “How many targets?” Father asked.

  “The count and his retainers; twenty in total. The rest are mere thugs,” Krizek replied. “The ambush site is a day away. We will clear it first. By the time the caravan arrives, the ambushers will already be dead. Afterward, we return to the city by nightfall and rejoin the caravan the following day.”

  “What do you need from us?” Anda asked.

  “Stay with the lord and the caravan,” Krizek said. “Some ambushers may flee. If they cross paths with the caravan, you must eliminate them.”

  “Will the three of you be enough?” Jennie asked.

  Krizek grinned; a sharp, unsettling expression that made several people shift uncomfortably. “More than enough.”

  Before anyone could comment, Father cut in. “Then it’s settled. What are the chances the count’s son will suspect our involvement?”

  “Low, but not impossible,” Krizek said. “We will take precautions to avoid implicating you.”

  With that, the meeting adjourned. Jack and I were immediately swarmed by the girls, demanding details about the party. Thankfully, Belle stepped in and answered most of their questions.

  As I stepped outside the pavilion, Krizek approached.

  “Master,” he said quietly, “I assume we will still transfer the count’s wealth to us?”

  “Of course,” I replied. “We need it. Be careful... and stay safe.”

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  “Always, Master,” Krizek said before slipping away.

  That night, I didn’t sleep outside. I returned to my section of the pavilion, where a large, comfortable bed awaited. Shive was already there, waiting patiently. She helped me change into a sleeping gown, something that no longer startled me. In fact, I’d grown used to her attentiveness.

  As soon as I lay down, Shive curled up beside me. She smelled… nice. Too nice. This was going to become a problem once puberty hit.

  My mind drifted back to the upcoming operation. I could only hope everything would go smoothly.

  That morning, the entire camp moved with a quiet, purposeful urgency. Servants hurried between wagons preparing breakfast, while the houseguards tightened straps, checked weapons, and packed gear for departure. Anda called a meeting of our houseguards just after dawn, his voice crisp as he relayed the final instructions. Men gathered around him in a semicircle, listening intently as he outlined marching order, scouting rotations, and protocols for unexpected contact. The atmosphere was disciplined, but beneath it all ran a current of anticipation; everyone knew we were entering dangerous territory.

  In the middle of the briefing, Krizek’s voice brushed against my mind like a cold whisper. Master, we are on the way to the ambush site. I will send another message before we strike. His tone was calm, almost casual, as if he were informing me of the weather rather than preparing to slaughter a hundred-armed men.

  I excused myself and walked straight to my father. “The Hellblazers have departed,” I told him.

  He paused, thinking it over. “Will they be able to handle a hundred men, Nathan?”

  “Don’t worry, Father,” I replied. “They’re extremely skilled. They’ll destroy the ambush group. Some may escape, which is why we must remain alert. There’s a chance we’ll run into stragglers.”

  He nodded. “Very well. We leave as soon as the rest of our people are ready.”

  The rest of the morning passed smoothly. Before long, the wagons were rolling westward again, wheels crunching over gravel as the sun climbed higher. Birds scattered from the treetops as our column advanced, and the forest gradually thinned as we approached the outskirts of the count’s territory.

  An hour into the journey, Krizek contacted me again. We have located the ambush team. We are ready to engage. The site is approximately five kilometers from the city.

  That meant we were already halfway to them.

  I gave him a mental nod to proceed, then rode up to my father. “It’s starting.”

  Father signaled Anda, who let out a sharp whistle that cut through the morning air. Our men immediately tightened formation, hands drifting closer to weapons, eyes scanning the surroundings with renewed vigilance.

  Not long after, the first notifications appeared in my vision; small glowing prompts announcing kills made by my minions. I dismissed them quickly; they were distracting. What caught my attention, however, were the levels of the slain enemies. Most were between level 20s and 30s. Hardly impressive.

  Strangely, the deaths didn’t bother me. Perhaps I was becoming desensitized to the violence of this world. Instead of guilt, I found myself lamenting the low experience gain. Maybe I would feel something when I killed someone with my own hands. Back on Earth, during my time as a soldier, I always felt a faint guilt after each mission. I buried it deep, of course; soldiers don’t have the luxury of dwelling on such things. Maybe I was doing the same here. I supposed I would find out soon enough.

  My thoughts were interrupted by another telepathic message. Master, all ambushers eliminated. No one escaped.

  Good work, I replied. Proceed to the city. Eliminate the count and all involved in the slave trade. Secure all his wealth.

  I rode to my father and Anda to inform them of the Hellblazers’ success. Anda simply nodded, though I noticed the faint tightening of his jaw. Even seasoned warriors are unsettled by unseen killers.

  It took us another hour to reach the ambush site. The carnage was… extensive. Bodies and body parts were scattered across the road and into the brush, as if a storm of blades had torn through the area. Blood soaked the dirt, and the metallic scent hung thick in the air. Some of our people recoiled, but Anda barked orders, snapping them back to discipline.

  “Strip weapons, armor, anything salvageable. Move quickly.”

  Our men obeyed, gathering equipment with practiced efficiency. Within minutes, we were moving again.

  By late afternoon, the sun dipped low, painting the sky in warm hues. We encamped near a small hamlet beside a narrow stream. The servants set up tents and prepared dinner as darkness crept across the land. The air was cool, and the sound of flowing water provided a strange sense of calm after the day’s grim discoveries.

  I stood at the edge of camp, gazing toward the distant horizon where the count’s city lay. Father approached quietly, stopping beside me.

  “Is everything alright, Nathan?” he asked.

  “All is fine, Father. I believe they’ll strike the count later tonight.”

  He was silent for a moment before speaking again. “I witnessed my first death at the age of five. An execution. By the age of ten, my father forced me to execute a criminal myself. That was my first kill.”

  I turned to him. His expression was distant, shadowed by old memories.

  “This is how the world is,” he continued. “One day, you will have to slay another being; human, elf, demon, it won’t matter. But once you take a life, something inside you will change. I wish you and your siblings could be spared from such cruelty, but this world has always been like this.”

  “Including Mother?” I asked quietly.

  “Including her,” he said.

  “How did it make you feel?”

  “Strange,” he admitted. “Disgusted… and powerful at the same time.”

  “Did you like it? Killing?”

  “No,” he said firmly. “But it was necessary. And one day, you will get your hands dirty too. I ask only one thing of you: do not enjoy it. If you do, you will lose your humanity.”

  I nodded, and my gaze drifted back to the horizon. I didn’t even notice when he walked away.

  The conversation lingered in my mind. It was the first time I had spoken openly about killing with anyone. Even on Earth, neither my team nor my family ever asked about such things. Perhaps politeness kept them silent. Earth, for all its wars, was still a place where life was sacred. Here in Hovdenia, life felt more like a privilege... fragile, cheap, easily taken.

  I could only hope I wouldn’t become like the people of this world, who treated death as casually as breathing.