CH451 Loyalty and Competence I

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The party eventually halted their looting operation roughly half an hour after it began. By then, most of the items they were uncovering were little more than junk by their standards, and no longer justified the effort required to dig them out.

"We found twenty mid-grade Berserk stones, a little over two hundred low-grade stones, and a few thousand shards," Eleanor reported. "I won't know the exact value of the other items we gathered until I investigate the local market. But judging by what we've seen, Brieger was fairly poor."

"Well, that's not too surprising," Zora commented. "The whole reason they set up the toll gate in the first place was because they were short on money."

Alex didn't immediately know how to respond.

To be fair to Brieger, the women were unconsciously judging him against the haul they had acquired from the temple at Barnsil Fortress—where they had found nearly a thousand Berserk stones, and more than three hundred of which were mid-grade.

By comparison, anything would seem lacking.

Alex, however, felt that Brieger could actually be considered wealthy, given the standards of the Wildlands.

"Well, not that it matters," he shrugged, then smirked. "The money is ours now."

He gestured to the party.

"Let's head back."

Just before they left, Kavakan carried out one of Alex's final orders. He tied a rope around both Brieger's corpse and the body of the burly tollman, then secured the other end to his horse.

As the group galloped back toward their inn, Brieger's corpse was dragged openly behind them.

It was a vicious announcement to the entirety of Camp Red Rock—one that made it abundantly clear that one of its powerhouses had fallen, and precisely who was responsible.

Word spread through the camp at an astonishing speed.

By the time they arrived, Alex's party had already climbed to second place on the list of factions not to offend within Camp Red Rock—ranking above both Bram's and Rolfe's groups, and second only to the Copper-skinned Orcs led by Azgrug.

Alex had the two corpses displayed prominently on the fence outside their inn.

The sight made the innkeeper and the other guests deeply uncomfortable, but no one dared voice a complaint.

And with that, Alex firmly established his party's reputation within Camp Red Rock.

Just as the sun hung high in the sky, nearing the peak of noon, Bram and Rolfe arrived at the inn.

A subtle fluctuation passed through their eyes when they saw a former 'colleague' hanging from the fence.

Just the night before, the man had been sitting at the casino table, gambling with them. Now, less than half a day later, he hung dead—stripped of much of his dignity.

Such was the cruelty of the Wildlands.

'And to think… the one who played this hand was an outsider,' they both thought.

Alex's ruthlessness did not repel them. On the contrary, it only strengthened their conviction.

In the Wildlands, cruelty was not a flaw—it was a qualification. And decisiveness was the hallmark of a capable leader.

They ordered their men to remain outside the inn before stepping inside.

They were immediately met by the innkeeper.

"You're here to meet Young Master Alex, correct?" the Orc asked.

"Yes," Rolfe replied.

"He's been expecting you. I'll lead you to his room."

Rolfe and Bram exchanged a glance. Subtle glints flickered in their eyes.

"Please."

The innkeeper led them upstairs to Alex's suite.

Before they could knock, the door opened.

"Alex has been expecting you," Zora said calmly, stepping aside to usher them in.

Rolfe and Bram entered as the innkeeper quietly took his leave.

The suite itself was simple but respectable—one living room, a bedroom, and a private washroom. By Camp Red Rock's standards, this was the height of luxury unless one built their own residence.

Alex and Eleanor sat together on a wide sofa, a book laid open on the table in front them. Udara stood by the window, gazing outside with quiet vigilance.

Alex looked up from the book.

"You're here…" he said.

"Young Master Alex," Rolfe and Bram greeted in unison.

"Come. Sit," Alex gestured toward the two empty seats opposite him.

As they settled in, Zora brought out cups and poured tea for them.

The fragrance instantly caught their attention.

'What kind of tea is this?' Bram thought. 'Just breathing it in makes my spirit feel lighter.'

'A tea like this… I've never even heard of it,' Rolfe mused. 'Is this from the sky above skies?'

He took it as yet another unintended hint of Alex's—and his party's—true identity.

Rolfe wasn't entirely wrong.

It was a hint to Alex and his party's true identity—just not the identity Rolfe believed it to be. And more importantly, it wasn't nearly as unintended as they assumed.

Alex had deliberately asked Zora to serve the tea to observe their reactions.

"Humans are not born liars. Lying is a learned behaviour. As such, the truth always leaks subconsciously—one way or another."

Alex remembered that quote from his past life.

He didn't fully agree with it, but he acknowledged there was truth in it.

'Surprise… followed by resolve,' Alex read from their expressions.

'The tea is from Pangea—an unknown place to them. Even there, it is a high-class product. According to the information we gathered, these two are experienced men. Even if they can't identify the tea, they will recognise its value. Hence the initial surprise.'

'And since that surprise strengthened their resolve rather than making them cautious, their decision must be anchored in a preconceived belief—one that this tea reinforces.

'If they recognise the tea as valuable, then logically they must conclude it can only be obtained by someone with influence or a powerful background.

'And since their resolve hardened instead of wavering… that means they already believed I possessed such a background.'

Alex's eyes flashed as the chain of reasoning concluded.

"I am a straightforward person," Alex said calmly. "And I believe the two of you are busy men. In that case, let's not waste time circling the issue."

He looked at them directly, his gaze unwavering.

"What do you want from me?" he asked. "And what are you offering in exchange?"

Rolfe and Bram were momentarily thrown off balance.

They had expected polite pleasantries—some measured probing—before reaching the heart of the matter. But Alex jumped all of that.

They exchanged a glance. Their expressions grew solemn.

"Since you have spoken so candidly, I will do the same." Rolfe said slowly, "We wish to obtain the favour of your family."

He paused, then continued with conviction.

"We wish to step into the sky beyond skies."

"As for what we have to offer…" Bram took over, his voice firm. "We offer everything we possess. Our resources, our networks, our loyalty."

"We will do whatever you require of us."

A flicker of shock passed through Alex, Eleanor, and Zora.

However, none of them allowed it to show. Their expressions remained perfectly neutral, as if Rolfe and Bram's declaration had not shaken them in the slightest.

Udara had anticipated such this moment.

That was precisely why she had chosen to sit by the window in the first place. She wasn't confident she could completely suppress a visible reaction if she were seated directly across from the guests. Alex had refused to let her leave the room altogether, so she settled for the next best option—remaining slightly out of their direct line of sight.

That said, the women were veiled regardless. Even if their expressions had changed, it would have been difficult to tell.

Alex calmly lifted the teacup Zora had poured for him and took a measured sip. Every movement was deliberate, refined, and flawless—the epitome of etiquette.

Only after placing the cup back onto its saucer did he finally look at the two men.

"I suspected you would ask me to help you leave the Wildlands," Alex said slowly. "But this…"

His gaze sharpened.

"What kind of family do you think mine is?" he asked. "What kind of place do you believe the sky beyond skies to be?"

"And what makes you think that anything you have to offer would be enough to take you there?"

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