On the day of Sean's departure, most of the residents of Oro City came to see him off. As supplies and soldiers were being sent to support the national war effort, even Sean, a count, personally escorted the convoy. The plan was to accompany them as far as the mountain road leading from Oro City to the northern towns. Of course, Sean hoped to go a bit farther to avoid endangering ordinary citizens.
Walking at the very front, Asrant kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings, constantly sending scouts ahead and behind. He and Joseph stayed close by Sean's side the entire time.
"There's no need to be so tense. We're still at the gates of Oro City. Unless they have the strength to face our army head-on, they wouldn't choose to ambush us here. And if they had that kind of power, they wouldn't have been hiding for so long," Sean said with a smile, noticing their strained nerves.
"We must ensure the Count's safety," they replied earnestly, treating Sean's words as a test of their dedication.
Sean could see the goodwill levels of those around him, so he knew best who was an enemy. But if he didn't give them a chance to prove themselves, it would be like snuffing out their enthusiasm for the fight.
Dante was a case in point. Back in Tylermian, as the town's sole guard captain, he was respected and supported. But after arriving in Oro City, both the caliber of the soldiers and the commanders around him far surpassed him. In Sean's view, Dante still harbored a small-town mentality—content to thrive in a limited circle without striving to improve. Even if he tried, he probably couldn't improve much; Dante was much older than Asrant, yet his level wasn't even half of Asrant's. That might be why he felt so pressured. After coming to Oro City, Sean had given him the position of deputy captain of the personal guard, but Dante kept asking to resign, wanting to live with the townsfolk who had migrated. Sean hadn't agreed, always persuading him with the excuse of having a family—even if not for himself, he should think about his future children. Having the title of deputy captain of the personal guard would make it much easier to educate the next generation.
Though Dante stayed, Sean could tell his heart was no longer in the work. Some had suggested giving Dante a sum of money and letting him retire, but Sean, mindful of Dante's years of loyalty to the Viger family, had never consented. As Ross had once said, those in power often need to learn to let go, but loyal people should never be abandoned.
"Then I'll leave it to you," Sean said with a nod.
"Rest assured, my lord. Nothing will happen today." Just one sentence was enough to encourage them.
Leaving Oro City's gates, they headed north, passing several small towns along the way. Most were waystations built for travelers or merchants, gradually growing into small markets centered around one or two streets where people lived. Some were expansions of old villages. Barnier and his four companions were most familiar with these places; mercenaries often lived in such towns or gathered intelligence. Sean now knew a bit about this common knowledge—when he first left his small town, someone had taught him that to learn about local folk matters, the best place was an inn outside the city. That's where merchants gathered most, and the low prices made it affordable for mercenaries.
"We used to stay in this area. Back then, there were many contracts heading to the swamp forests of Tacoma City. We've all been here, haven't we, Ratina?" Barnier asked, unsure, turning to his teammate.
"That was you. I've never been here."
"Oh, but I've been to Koga City a few times. They say it's close to where Lord Sean used to live..." Ratina suddenly shifted the topic to him.
Sean was a bit uncertain about this girl, who had shown admiration and goodwill from their first meeting. Should he get close or stay wary? He'd never seen her before, and he hadn't deliberately tried to earn her favor. Having someone admire him at first sight was still a bit unsettling. Later, Sean wondered if his growing reputation was drawing people's goodwill.
"It's relatively close, but Tylermian was almost completely isolated back then, with little contact with the outside world."
"I know that! Lord Sean personally led the townspeople out," she said, her face full of excitement as she spoke.
"Sean, emerging from that long-isolated town, shows your capability. But what do you plan to do next, Lord Sean? Build up Oro City?" Ratina asked curiously.
What did he want to do? Sean paused. He had eagerly moved from Tylermian mainly to escape Koga City's restrictions and develop freely. But managing a city wasn't easy. Since taking direct control of Oro City, he'd felt that. Besides establishing a foothold and developing, one thing had always weighed on his mind: the murder of his family. Once everything stabilized, Sean still intended to send people to the Edak region to gather intelligence on the Sun Crown.
"For now, yes," Sean finally said.
Sensing he didn't want to talk, Ratina asked fewer questions, mostly talking about herself.
They escorted the convoy past the towns on the city's outskirts until they neared the mountain road. The public story was that Sean would see them off this far, and then Joseph would lead the team to the capital. Before parting, there would be one last rousing speech.
"My lord! Count!" A soldier hurried up from the rear, panting.
"What's wrong?"
"Behind us, a few carts have broken down," the soldier said timidly. He wore the new combat uniform, part of the latest batch of recruits.
"How did that happen? Take me to see."
Sean, along with Joseph, Asrant, and the four-man squad, went to the back to check. The supplies were carried on horse-drawn carts, and now one cart's wheel hub was missing a chunk, tilting to the side.
"How did this happen?"
"We... we don't know. It just happened as we were moving."
Sean dismounted and took a coat from a nearby soldier—an ordinary gray coat. As a count, Sean usually wore fine clothes, but with this coat over them, he looked like an ordinary person.
"It's right here, Count," the soldier said, pointing under the cart.
But Sean didn't go over. Instead, he reached into his coat and pulled out a mechanical pistol.
The others were puzzled. What was he going to do with that?
"Actually, I've been waiting for you for a long time. I didn't expect you to be so cautious, only showing yourselves now."
He aimed the gun at the soldier in front of him.
Bang!
Before anyone could react, he fired a shot.