Translator: Cinder Translations
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At this moment, most of the rebels were busy dodging bullets, and few noticed that their temporary leader, Ferguson, was escaping. Those who did were all too eager to follow Ferguson and flee with him.
They moved through the ranks amidst screams and terrified shouts.
"Go!" Ferguson kept shaking the reins, his legs tightly gripping the saddle as if they had grown together. He leaned forward, trying to reduce his chances of being hit.
However, after running about five hundred meters ahead, he yanked the reins with all his might. The galloping steed let out a whinny and struggled to come to a halt.
In the direction he was headed, a row of dark figures stood silently, making Ferguson feel as if they were waiting specifically for him.
From their stance, each one aimed a firearm at him, and Ferguson had no doubt that if he continued forward, he would be riddled with bullets.
With a clang, Ferguson drew his knight's longsword, eyeing the front warily.
The sound of hooves splashing through mud erupted as several knights emerged from the nearby forest.
"I never expected this!"
The leader spoke, and Ferguson felt a sense of déjà vu.
As the newcomers drew closer, aided by the reappearing moonlight—now that the rain had stopped and the dark clouds began to dissipate—Ferguson recognized the faces of the intruders.
"Carter Holley?" Ferguson furrowed his brow.
"It's me. Ferguson… my lord, I never thought you would betray Lord Paul Grayman and become one of the main figures in this rebellion."
Colonel Holley of the Eighth Infantry Regiment had an expression of heartfelt dismay. The knight standing before him belonged to a family that had loyally served the Grayman family for generations. How had he suddenly fallen so low? He had felt immense shock when he learned from the message brought by that bird that the rebellion was likely planned by Ferguson, and seeing this traitor now confirmed it. Colonel Holley's feelings were complicated.
"Hmph! Paul Grayman's tyranny has made him despised by all. He has completely degenerated into a tyrant, a butcher. How can our actions be called betrayal? We are delivering justice for the oppressed people and restoring Alden to its rightful path."
"Absurd! I have never heard such malicious slander. Alden is thriving now. You speak these words blind and conscience-less."
Colonel Holley and Major Cobb, standing beside him, were outraged by Ferguson's words, and any lingering pity they had for him vanished without a trace.
Colonel Holley said sternly, "Ferguson, if you lay down your weapons now and honestly reveal all your accomplices and the details of this rebellion, perhaps Lord Grayman will spare your life for the sake of your family's generations of loyalty."
"Holley!" Ferguson suddenly erupted in anger, "You're just a lackey of Bryce, and now you dare to speak to me like this!"
"A lackey?" Colonel Holley was taken aback, having not heard that term in a long time.
After regaining his composure, Holley replied, "Yes, but that was in the past. Now, I am the commander of Alden's Eighth Infantry Regiment."
"Bullshit commander!" Ferguson's face twisted, and long-buried resentment and bitterness erupted suddenly.
After the pirate rebellion was quelled, Ferguson felt that the army established by the lord had too many restrictions, so he didn't stay in Alden Town but returned to his village to manage his estate. However, at that time, he still maintained loyalty to the Grayman family. If the lord needed him, he would don his armor, bring his retainers and servants, and charge into battle without hesitation, even if it meant dying on the battlefield.
Among the knights of the Grayman family, Ferguson was not the only one who made the same choice.
However, after that, in all the wars Alden participated in, Paul never called upon those knights who had chosen to return home; he won battles entirely with his newly established army, which left the idle knights puzzled.
Especially during the Usurper War, this conflict had allowed previously obscure Alden to shine brightly, completely reversing the Grayman family's disadvantaged position in the Northwest Bay. For those involved, important wars meant great status, honor, and wealth. During that time, Ferguson even lost interest in managing his estate, sending people daily to inquire about the developments of the war. He awaited eagerly, longing for his lord's summons. On more than one night, he dreamed of a messenger from Alden Town knocking on his door, reading out the lord's orders for him to serve on the battlefield.
However, until the Usurper War ended, Ferguson never received the messenger from Alden Town.
After the war, according to the Earl of Grayman's highest directives, those who had performed outstandingly in battle were heavily promoted, even becoming the protagonists of plays. Several promotional teams went to various cities and villages, repeatedly reenacting their heroic deeds for the residents. These outstanding individuals included calm and collected officers and brave soldiers. The names and deeds of those who sacrificed themselves were inscribed in the Martyrs' Memorial in Alden Town, forever remembered by the people.
The Earl of Grayman held a grand celebration in Alden Town, publicly awarding medals and rewards to the heroic soldiers. Ferguson was invited to attend, but merely as a guest watching from the audience. Unbeknownst to the earl, amid the ocean of applause and cheers, a seed of resentment took root and began to sprout.
Yes, Ferguson still maintained a close relationship with his lord. Every letter he sent to Paul received a warm reply, and even during holidays, he would be among the first to receive greetings from the lord. But what did that matter? Ferguson was a knight, a warrior; his mission was to ride onto the battlefield until he heroically gave his life for his lord, not to grow old in his estate like an ordinary country squire.
What? Now the Earl of Grayman had completely treated him as an ordinary civilian friend?
Yes, strictly speaking, he was still a commoner. After the royal family restored the Grayman family's reputation, the friends he knew in Alden Town—Bryce, Old Ford, Claude…—were all granted noble titles.
Their bloodlines had become noble; wherever they went, they would be respectfully referred to as "My Lord."
The earl had also officially conferred a knighthood upon him, but a knight was merely an honorary title and did not count as a true noble.
This was also a great source of disappointment for Ferguson.
(End of the Chapter)
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