When the Han and Yaver arrived at the first town on their journey, they followed Pal Padraig's instructions and stopped by the trade association branch to proceed to the next town. They looked for a caravan they could join to go to their next stop.
In the first town, there was a branch of the national trade association, run by the royal family. Applying for permission to the branch and obtaining it was no easy task. Therefore, Pal Padraig gave his aide the family emblem. They were only able to get permission after using the family emblem.
This permission put Pal Padraig's plan into motion. If anything happened to his men during the journey, it would be certain that their potential enemies were within the royal family. However, the expected events did not occur, and the journey proceeded smoothly.
The next town was slightly larger than the last. After hanging around for about half a day, without bothering to hide themselves, Han and Yaver bought horses each from a local vendor and continued on their way.
Now that they were on horseback, they could travel faster. Sometimes they would veer off the road and change direction, as if heading in a different direction. Sometimes they would ambush a secluded corner along the road and wait for a while.
They were always on high alert, fully prepared for a sudden attack. But the expected attack never materialized. This was a good thing, but they continued to be careful and vigilant until they reached the next town, and the next.
Days passed, their journey continued, but the expected attack never materialized. They continued their journey without any problems, passing through the fourth, fifth, and sixth towns. After approximately two weeks of travel, they arrived at their final destination, the Northern Border Town.
Although this settlement was simply a town, it was no different from any other city in the kingdom. It was vast and capable of meeting every need. Whatever you were looking for, you could easily find it there.
The Northern Border Town was initially a military camp established to protect against attacks from neighboring kingdoms. After the two kingdoms signed a non-aggression pact to meet their strategic needs, the situation in this military camp changed.
Peace was now established. Therefore, this military camp was converted into a training camp, and settlements began to be established around it. With the addition of a trade agreement to the non-aggression pact between the kingdoms, life in the town began to boom and flourish.
The kingdom decided to appoint a governor to this newly developing town to consolidate the administration, establish the state's authority and control trade. Given the town's strategic location, they could not appoint an ordinary governor. Considering the possibility of future need, they deemed it appropriate to appoint a governor with a military background.
When the governor with military-minded mindset established control over the town, things did not go well for the civilian population. Any action or subversion that might disrupt order within the town was forbidden and was severely punished.
Those who disrupted order, except for minor conflicts, were expelled from the town along with their families. This was the best option for them, unless they were executed. Of course, this rule applied exclusively to civilians. It was never applied to citizens with military backgrounds.
When Han and Yaver came to the town, the soldiers on duty were unable to allow their horses into the town. Riding horses within the town was prohibited, except for military personnel. Instead of abandoning the horses, they donated them to the military as a gesture of goodwill and then entered the town.
After walking through the town together for a while, they began executing their pre-arranged plan. They had the town's settlement plan in hand. They decided to split up and conduct their research in two groups to gather more information within the same timeframe.
For this reason, while Yaver tooked a room in one of the hotels in the district where there were many military settlements, Han tooked a room in one of the hotels in the area where more ordinary people lived.
After dinner, Han took a hot bath to soothe his aching body. The two-week journey on horseback had worn him out. His entire body ached, his legs especially very ached. Thankfully, the hot bath helped alleviate the pain.
Han emerged from the bath and threw himself onto his bed, exhausted. It didn't take long before he succumbed to sleep, but he couldn't fall into a deep sleep because of the pain in his legs and the fact that he had been on high alert for days, as if they might ambush him at any moment.
…
Later that night, Han suddenly opened his eyes with the sound of his room door opening. The moonlight filtering in through the open window cast a twilight within the room. The moment he saw the men enter, he grabbed his dagger from under his pillow and leaped from his bed.
But as soon as he stood up, his head began to spin. As he leaned against the wall to avoid falling, he realized what had happened to him. He must have been poisoned. But how? Then he suddenly remembered. "An attack comes when least expected."
When their two-week journey ended and they landed in town, they felt safe. It had been a long and arduous journey. After two weeks on high alert, they had eluded their enemies and reached the town. They no longer had to worry about a sudden ambush. Was that really so? No! They had arrived right in the enemy's lap.
They were lulled into a false sense of security, and their vigilance was gone. They advanced, lulled by irrational thoughts, unaware that their enemies were watching them. Here was an opening their enemies had sought but failed to find. Of course, his enemies didn't miss this opportunity and launched their attack.
Han knew he had been poisoned. Fortunately, his enemies didn't want him dead. Otherwise, the poison they'd put in his food would have killed him long ago. He felt numb and weak. Surrounded by four enemies, Han wondered how to escape.
He didn't think it would be any use to attack the enemy, because he could not even find the strength to lift his arm. He was as certain as his name that his enemy knew this. They were the ones who poisoned him. Fortunately, his enemies were cautious because of the dagger he held and didn't attack immediately.
Han backed up against the wall, his dagger pointed at the enemy as he backed toward the window. By the time he reached the window, two enemies had climbed onto the bed, looking as if they might jump on him at any moment.
The enemy wouldn't wait any longer and would definitely attack. Falling into enemy hands from the very first day was unthinkable. Han backed up a little further and threw himself out the window to escape his enemies.
The window opening onto the back street was about six meter above the ground. This height meant nothing to Han, but since he was in a dazed state, he couldn't stop himself from rolling when he fell to the ground. Then, when he lifted his head from where he fell and looked up at the window, his enemies were also staring at him.
After a while, one of the enemies climbed through the window and jumped on Han. When the Han rolled over and stepped aside, the enemy fell on the hard ground and broke one of his legs. While the man was holding his broken leg, Han, taking advantage of the situation, attacked the man and slit his throat, and killed him.
When he again ooked back at the window, no one was there. They were definitely coming after him. He couldn't stop here. Even though it was difficult, he increased his walking speed and walked away from the back street, holding on to the wall. Then, turning every corner he found, he vanished.
A little later, the enemies came into the back alley. His friends were dead. They couldn't leave him there. While two of them pursued Han, the remaining enemy tended to his dead friend, picked him up, and carried him to the waiting carriage in front of the hotel. Then he returned and disposed of the blood on the floor.
…
Four people were waiting around Yaver, who was tied to a chair under the hanging light. The man checked his watch, then picked up a bucket of water from the side and poured it over Yaver.
Under the influence of the cold water, the Yaver woke up with a start. While he was trying to move his legs and arms involuntarily, he fell to the ground with his chair. He came to his senses when his sleepy eyes fell to the floor.
While one of the men was adjusting the chair and the Yaver tied to it, Yaver looked around, trying to figure out where he was. When he noticed the stacked boxes in one area of the room, concluding that the place was a warehouse, one of the men slowly approached him.
The man moved closer, then leaned forward slightly and grabbed the chair's armrests. Meanwhile, the Yaver tried to understand how he had fallen into enemy hands. The man began to speak calmly but in a threatening tone.
- Tell me! What's the reason you left your comfortable and peaceful life in the capital and dragged yourself all the way here? Is there something you're looking for? Or is it just a trip? I'm curious, honestly. Tell me, I'm listening you...
(As Yaver is astonishment grew the man added.) We have no intention of harming you. If that were the case, you'd be dead long ago. If you tell us honestly and why you're here (He held out his hand and pointed to the door), you're free to go.
Yaver, with his years of experience, wasn't about to fall for such a bluff.
- If I tell you, you'll let me go, and I can go wherever I want, right?
- Of course...
- Alright, if I want to go to your mother's home... I can...
Suddenly enraged, the man punched the Yaver's mouth hard, causing it to bleed. His bluff hadn't worked. He reached out, grabbed the Yaver's hair and tilted his head bent back, then asked again.
- Looks like you won't take the easy way out. That's fine with me. We have plenty of time. Even though dealing with you after that girl is a real pain, I'll still try to have a good time with you.
- (Yaver did not pursue on the clue that suddenly appeared before him.) Which girl are you talking about? YIf you attack so sneakily, you don't have an ounce of courage.
I bet you couldn't handle that girl either. Look, my hands are tied, and you're completely free. And here you are, trying to dominate me. That's what you did to that girl, right? You approached her cowardly and attacked her from behind.
You cowardly bastard. When I get out of here, I'll have to stop by your mother and ask her why she raised you like this…
Enraged by Yaver's words, the man began punching Yaver with all his might. He kept punching, but his anger never abated. When the punches didn't stop him, he moved to grab one of the boards lying on the side.
The man's friends, thinking Yaver was going to die, immediately intervened. Two of them grabbed the man's arm, took the board from his hand, and prevented him from approaching Yaver. The other waited in front of the Yaver, just in case.
The Yaver's lip was split and his eyebrow was split. Gastric juices from the punches to his stomach mixed with the blood at the corner of his mouth and spilled onto him. When the Yaver raised his head and tried to look at the man who had hit him, the door of the room opened and a young man in elegant clothes entered.
The clothes he wore and the charisma in his walk revealed that he was one of the nobles. When the young man came a little closer and saw the situation of the Yaver, he turned towards the man he had hired to bring the Yaver. He was undoubtedly the one who had brought the Yaver into this state. He approached calmly him.
- Didn't I tell you not to let anything happen to the package?
Sensing the anger in his voice, his guard, hidden in the shadows, intervened immediately, rushing forward and slitting the man's throat. He then retreated back into a dark corner of the room, disappearing from his sight.
The sudden turn of events unsettled the other men, but they dared not move or make a sound. Meanwhile, the young nobleman turned toward the Aide and approached him. When he arrived in front of the Yaver, he crouched down and reached out his right hand, placing it on the Yaver's knee.
- I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you in the hands of these bullies. But I thought you wouldn't listen if I called you. But I see I made a mistake. I apologize. Please forgive my rudeness.
(He stood up, as the Yaver looked at him with astonishment, and turned to the men behind him.) Clean up our guest. Then bring it to our office. Be courteous.
The young noble paused for a moment before leaving the room, quietly saying, "Don't leave any evidence," before walking out the door. The one who needed to hear had heard the order. It didn't take even ten seconds for the three men remaining in the room to die.
After killing everyone except the Yaver, the nobleman's bodyguard left the warehouse and others entered. These people looked like they had done this before. They took the four dead men away and cleaned out the warehouse.
Finally, a well-dressed old man approached the Yaver, untied him, and took him towards the office…