Minutes quickly went by. Eleanor stared silently at the unconscious Roger, who was sleeping on the bed right next to her.

The memories of her childhood flashed before her eyes, and Roger's figure could always be seen in the background.

Though the two were not related by blood, Roger had truly earned the title of "Uncle".

Unfortunately, people sometimes had to go in different directions.

Since Alex opposed the two siblings and Eleanor had decided to kill him, her relationship with Roger was bound to no longer be the same.

When he woke up, the two would meet as enemies rather than non-blood-related relatives.

Thinking of this, the hesitation in Eleanor's eyes quickly vanished.

She knew that for her brother and her to survive and even develop the Earldom further, some things ought to be sacrificed.

She wasn't doing it for her own sake, but for her brother. A True Knight enemy would threaten his rule sooner or later.

The moment that thought arose, a red glint flashed in Eleanor's blue eyes.

Unknowingly, the dagger in her hand pierced Uncle Roger's heart as she thrust it forward.

Blood splattered, making her face even more bloody.

When Eleanor woke up from the momentary stupor, Uncle Roger was already dead.

He died in his sleep at her own hands.

It was then that she realized what she had just done.

Although she had already planned for this to happen and had long braced herself, she found it difficult to handle the impact.

Confusion, sorrow, and shock mixed on her face as she subconsciously grabbed Roger's lifeless hand and attempted to check on his pulse.

But there was nothing.

Tears welled up in Eleanor's eyes.

Before long, the sound of sobbing was the only thing that could be heard in the infirmary.

--

No one knew what had taken place in the silent night, nor did anyone notice that Eleanor had quietly undergone a massive change in mentality and character.

Perhaps, even Eleanor herself didn't know.

The only person who noticed the changes in her was the unseen audience, Liora.

While on her way back to her room, she couldn't help but think of what she had just witnessed.

"The violent tide pushes the waves forward. Some things seem to be within our control, but they are secretly inevitable.", she muttered.

Her words seemed inexplicable as she raised her head and looked at the dark sky.

It was unknown if she was looking at the gorgeous silver moon or was trying to peek at something else.

--

The following day, a shocking piece of news spread in the Black Tulip mansion.

The previous night, an intruder had entered the mansion and silently assassinated Alex, his wife, and his father, Roger.

Then, he went on to try to assassinate the Earl's older sister, Eleanor.

Fortunately, what the assassin didn't know was that Eleanor had secretly advanced and become a True Knight.

After a fierce battle with the intruder, during which she got seriously injured, Eleanor managed to kill the assassin after paying a certain price.

Soon, this news spread beyond the mansion and reached the entire Earldom.

Originally, many people were shocked by the deaths of the once-famous True Knight and his only son.

But they soon forgot about them.

The only thing that remained in their minds was admiration for Eleanor and a belief that, with her support, the young Earl would end up as a great ruler.

At the end of the day, the politics of nobles didn't matter to the Earldom's citizens.

All they wished for was a wise ruler who could improve their material lives, ensuring their safety and giving them more food.

--

As Liora walked through the Earldom's capital, she keenly sensed the thoughts of common people.

Wandering through the bustling streets, she listened to the residents talking with great interest.

The reason that she decided to visit the city was not purely out of boredom, but also because she wanted to get out of the Black Tulip mansion as soon as possible.

The death of Alex and his father was bound to cause political turmoil.

With her strength, she would almost certainly be involved one way or another.

Although she could always refuse to take action and no one could force her to do anything against her will, Liora didn't want to be bothered all the time.

Hence, she chose to take a walk in the closest city.

Her steps were slow yet steady as she silently took in everything that happened around her.

The cheerful laughter of children, the loud yells of nearby peddlers, and the sound of rushing footsteps.

Before long, Liora had arrived in a somewhat familiar place.

It was a bar.

Stepping into the building with surprising familiarity, Liora discovered that although it was still early in the morning, the place was packed with people.

Some of the customers were peddlers, others were hunters who were about to leave the city and look for prey, while Liora even noticed a team of young Knight Apprentices.

Sitting at the corner of the bar, the Knights chatted in a low voice, their thoughts written all over their constantly shifting expressions.

As Liora approached the table closest to them and took her seat, their conversation reached their ears.

"I didn't expect that something like this would happen as soon as we entered the Black Tulip fiefdom."

"Fortunately, the Earl's sister managed to kill the assassin. Otherwise, as unfamiliar Knights, we would end up being suspected."

While ordering her drink from the young waitress, Liora listened to what the Knights were talking about.

Immediately, their identity became clear.

They were wandering Knights—Knights who had lost their hereditary noble titles or were simply unwilling to receive them for some reason.

Such people were not rare.

Many noble families had been destroyed over the last couple of centuries, with only a few members of them surviving.

Once these people or their descendants grew into Knights, they would most likely become wandering Knights.

These Knights usually wandered around the Iron Armor Empire, looking for ways to make money and improve their strength.

Hence their name—wandering Knights.

From their conversation, Liora understood that the destination of this team was not the Black Tulip Earldom. They were merely passing through it on their way to the Ancient Beast Wilderness.

Just when the waitress came back with her drink, and Liora was about to take a sip of it, her ears suddenly perked up.

The topic discussed by the wandering Knights piqued her interest.

"I've heard that some changes have taken place in the Ancient Beast Wilderness..."

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