"Master Colin, it's really you!"
Colin was startled and turned to see a patrol of Knights grouped behind him.
The leader quickly dismounted, doffed his helmet to reveal a face Colin was very familiar with.
Raymond Mormon.
One of the three, oh no, now two knights loyal to Baron Angler.
"Master Colin, what brings you here?"
"I..." Colin looked at Raymond, who was bowing to him, and didn't know how to explain to this knight, so he changed the subject, "Where is my father? Is he in the camp too?"
Raymond's expression froze, and sadness was evident in his eyes, "Did you not receive the letter I sent back earlier?"
"What letter? How long ago did you send it?"
"About a month ago... The raven should have reached Grey Castle by now."
"I didn't receive any letters." Colin furrowed his brow, thinking his suspicion was correct - someone was blocking news from the frontline!
"How can this be?" Raymond was also taken aback.
"What did you say in the letter?"
Raymond lowered his head, his voice filled with sorrow and guilt, "I'm sorry, Master Colin. I wrote the letter to inform you that the baron... fell in battle over a month ago..."
"What?" Colin was stunned.
Although Colin did not have any emotional attachment to this stepfather, he was still caught off guard by such sudden bad news.
The protection he had imagined was gone.
And it was gone forever.
However, with this, wouldn't the title of Baron Angler fall unto him?
That's not right!
Nobility!
Colin suddenly realized a problem.
If he hadn't traversed time and space, his predecessor should have been assassinated and died.
So, after the death of Baron Angler, with Colin assassinated, the title of baron should fall to...
His sister - Kaitlin Angler!
Thus, Colin instantly realized that the person who benefited the most from this assassination incident was his sister Kaitlin!
Hence, she was also the prime suspect.
Colin suddenly felt a chill run through his body.
His own sister had been plotting to kill him!
Luckily, he didn't go to Fallen Eagle City.
Otherwise, wouldn't he be walking directly into the trap...
Also, Colin noticed another issue.
That was, his sister must have been notified of their father's death, otherwise she wouldn't dare to harm Colin.
After all, if Baron Angler were to return alive to Grey Castle and found his only son dead, he definitely wouldn't just let the matter rest.
Even if Kaitlin managed to cover her tracks well and the Baron couldn't find the killer, he was still in his prime and could remarry to have more children and the nobility might not fall onto Kaitlin.
In such a case, Kaitlin definitely won't take such a huge risk to plot against her own brother.
Therefore, Kaitlin must have found out about their father's death on the frontline through some means, and this seeded her malicious intent...
As Colin was deep in thought, Raymond suddenly choked a little, drew his long sword from his waist, and kneeled before Colin. He then offered the sword with both hands and said solemnly,
"I failed to protect the Baron, breaking my initial oath, Master Colin, you have the right to judge me!"
Colin snapped back to reality, looked at Knight Raymond who was kneeling before him, and suddenly asked, "Where is Knight Walra?"
Raymond visibly flinched, clearly not understanding why Colin would suddenly ask about this, but he honestly replied, "Knight Walra was scattered in the battle, I'm afraid..."
"So you didn't see Walra's corpse."
"No."
Walra Uman, the husband of Colin's sister Kaitlin, the illegitimate son of Count Uman, the lord of Fallen Eagle City.
Initially, Baron Angler was strongly opposed to this marriage.
Although Walra was an illegitimate son of a Count, his bloodline was impure and his status low.
And Baron Angler was not one to cling to the powerful. He was not willing to have his legitimate daughter marry an illegitimate son.
Unexpectedly, Kaitlin and Walra clicked, displaying a deep love for each other that bordered on recklessness, almost reenacting a parallel world version of Romeo and Juliet.
In the end, unable to oppose his daughter any further, and recognizing Walra's remarkable qualities, particularly his status as a second-rank knight at such a young age, the Baron finally agreed to their engagement.
Walra had also gone to the frontline in this expedition and, shockingly, he disappeared during combat...
Thus, Colin was almost certain that it was Walra who had passed the message to his sister.
As to why his information wasn't blocked, perhaps Count Uman had a hand in it.
Possibly, it was Count Uman who was the real mastermind behind the assassination.
After all, if Kaitlin succeeded to the nobility, her child with Walra would be the next heir.
With that, the Baronship of the Angler family would naturally fall into the Uman Clan's hands.
Count Uman...
Colin internally tasted the weight of this powerful name within the North Territory, his eyes flashing with a sharp light briefly.
Next, he took the longsword from the kneeling Raymond Knight's hands and slowly swung it towards his neck.
Raymond closed his eyes, unmoving.
The longsword came to rest on Raymond's shoulder.
But it did not advance further.
"Knight Raymond Mormon, do you swear loyalty to me?"
Raymond suddenly lifted his head, looking at Colin, his eyes filled with shock, guilt, and a hint of relief from surviving disaster.
Of course, Colin would not kill Raymond.
Through the previous test, he had confirmed Raymond's loyalty.
A traitor would not leave his neck exposed under his master's longsword.
Colin admired Raymond's near-foolish loyalty.
Especially after witnessing the betrayal of Knight Carter and observing Sael, the "filial son", who killed his father for glory, a sincere individual like Knight Raymond was especially rare.
"Thud!"
Raymond forcefully thumped his chest with his left hand, maintaining his half-kneeling posture. He swore aloud:
"I, Raymond Mormon, swear unwavering loyalty today to the spectacular Roaring White Bear — Baron Colin Angler!
For as long as I live, your wish will be my command, and the pointing direction of your sword will be my path!
I swear on the sacred honor of the Mormon family's ancestors, I will always be loyal to you!"
The Roaring White Bear was the badge of the Angler family.
As for the Baronship, strictly speaking, it had not yet fallen on Colin's shoulders. After all, he still needed the approval of Duke St. Hilde.
However, being the first in line to the Angler family inheritance, and given that the former Baron had died in battle, Raymond's reference to Colin as Baron was not out of place.
After all, as long as the Angler territory was not lost, and Colin did not betray the country, even Duke St. Hilde could not prevent him from inheriting the Baron's mantle.
"Get up."
Colin smiled and allowed Raymond to rise, handing him back his longsword. He then asked:
"Where is Marquis Charles' camp? I would like to visit him to learn about the current state of this army and its next move."
"The Marquis..." Raymond's face suddenly became difficult to read, "The Marquis is not in the camp."
"What?"