There, at the hitching post in the open area, two men had their hands tied behind their backs, facing upwards. Because the hitching post was somewhat short, they could only kneel on the ground.
Seeing these two, Linde frowned slightly, as he recognized one of them as Luo Li, who had asked him for sword-fighting advice last night. Although he was seeing the other white-haired old man for the first time, he could guess from the current situation that he was likely Luo Li's father, Almon's weaponsmith.
Almon Caswell walked to a short distance behind the two men, raised his hand to signal an executioner, took the whip from the executioner's hand, and then handed it to Linde, saying, "I have inquired about the cause of the incident. If this fellow hadn't sought you out for a sword duel, the incident wouldn't have happened. Therefore, he must be punished, and his father must also be punished for not teaching his child what is proper deference, and I think you, Bear Hunter, are very suitable to be the executioner."
Linde calmly looked at the whip extended to him and took it.
"Begin! Whip them until I am satisfied." Almon walked to the side, motioned for a servant to kneel and lie prostrate, then sat on the servant's back and said.
Linde said nothing, walked behind Luo Li and his father, and swung the whip in his hand, striking their backs.
Although this was Linde's first time using a whip, the Peace Envoy's memories contained skills for using a whip, which he was now putting to good use.
Due to his unfamiliarity, the first dozen or so lashes varied in force, causing some severe injuries to the father and son. However, as he gradually became familiar with the whip's use, the situation changed.
The lashes on the father and son looked severe; each strike left deep marks on their bodies, even tearing the skin and flesh. However, this was only superficial. In reality, they were just easily healed flesh wounds. Moreover, after mastering the whip's technique, he directly knocked the father and son unconscious, allowing them to temporarily not feel the subsequent flogging, and at the same time making them appear very miserable.
"Enough!" Not long after Luo Li and his father were knocked unconscious, Almon spoke, stopping the execution, and said, "If I let you continue whipping them, I'll have to find another weaponsmith."
After speaking, he stood up and left, returning to his council hall.
Linde returned the whip to the executioner, looked at Luo Li and his father, but did not go to untie them. Instead, he turned and left directly, because he knew very well that if he showed even a little concern, Luo Li and his father's days in Bitterbridge Castle would be even harder.
Although the matter was resolved smoothly, Linde was in a very bad mood and felt an even more urgent desire to possess noble status. Otherwise, incidents like today would continue to happen, and no matter how superb his swordsmanship, in the eyes of those nobles, he would be nothing more than a powerful thug.
"Is the matter resolved?" When Linde returned to the encampment, Fotimo called him over and asked.
Linde nodded and then recounted what had happened.
"Do you feel wronged?" Fotimo asked after hearing it.
"A little," Linde replied truthfully.
Fotimo nodded, then said earnestly, "You have ambition and capability, and you will achieve great things in the future. But before your wings are fully grown, you had best rein in your ambitions and ideas and not let anyone see them. I do not wish for incidents like today to occur again, do you understand?"
"Understood, Lord," Linde responded.
"Let today's incident be a lesson. You must clearly remember your current status. Once you forget your status, you will do things inconsistent with it. Some things may not be problematic, but some things can be fatal." Fotimo continued, "If Baron Caswell had intended to blow this out of proportion this time, he could have easily claimed that we violated guest rights, harming the host's descendant after eating the food provided by the host. In that case, even Lord Garlan would be implicated, and as for you, House Tyrell would hand you over without hesitation to appease Baron Caswell's anger."
Linde said nothing, but his expression had become solemn due to Fotimo's words.
"Although you possess superb swordsmanship and a bright future, that is only the future. For a long time to come, you will only be my squire, and in the eyes of great figures, you are no different from other soldiers. You became my knight's squire from the beginning, and your own abilities have given you some misconceptions. Now I need to correct your misconceptions." Fotimo pointed to the House Tyrell guard's uniform on the table and said, "You don't need to serve me during this time, nor do you need to do the things I've assigned you. You will stay in the scout team as an ordinary soldier. When you earn military merits, then you can return to being my squire."
"Yes, Lord." Linde did not argue or plead, but calmly responded to Fotimo's command.
Linde's calm reaction, however, surprised Fotimo. He sized Linde up, seemingly trying to ascertain whether Linde truly understood his meaning or was merely sulking. But Linde's expression remained consistent, giving him no information, so he could only wave Linde away and secretly observe Linde for the next few days to see if Linde had truly recognized his problem.
Regarding Linde joining the scout team, some of House Tyrell's guards gloated, while others felt regret, but regardless of their differing thoughts, they were all surprised by the matter. As for the scout team, Linde's addition filled them with immense joy, after all, the inclusion of such a strong individual like Linde would make their subsequent journey safer.