"My Lords," I greeted and bowed faintly to the Baron Harrods and others, leading the small army.
They did not reply, instead, just keep looking at me.
"Have the bandits been dealt with, Adviser?" asked Mage York after a few seconds of silence.
"Yes, High-Mage."
"Half of the bandits are dead, including the bandit leader and six of his lieutenant. Those who survived are in a cell of the keep," I replied and could see some people having a hard time believing it.
"How is that possible? You must be lying!" said someone from behind and immediately got a glare from Baron Harrods and others.
"You do not need to believe me. The proof is present there," I said and motioned toward the open gates of the keep.
"You four, go check it out," said Baron Harrods, but Mage York shook his head. "There is no need. Adviser Silver is telling the truth," he said.
He must have used a spell like an eagle eye or something. He could do it, with all the restrictions of the blood shaman disappearing.
"If you all have been satisfied. I would welcome you all to the castle. Though, I would request you to keep most of the army out before we cleared everything," I said to them.
"It is fine," said Mage York and moved his horse ahead and with him, other important people also rode toward the gate; I moved with them, matching their speed gracefully.
Soon, we were inside, and the first thing they looked at is the bodies of bandits. Including the bodies of the bandit leader and his lieutenants.
They moved their gazes and looked at nine guards who have sacrificed their lives fighting the bandits and then inventories, neatly laid out in the open.
"You have really killed them," said Major Jarvis. I smiled and turned to Mage York with the file in my hand.
"High Mage. This is the inventory. I hope you verify it; it will relieve the big load off me," I said.
He got off his horse and took the file.
"Everything is good," he said a minute later. "Captain Julian, please secure the bounty," ordered Mage York.
"Yes, High Mage," he acknowledges and begins to pack things.
"It must have been a bloody battle," stated Major Jarvis as he looked at bodies. "Yes, it was," I replied.
"It is quite harrowing what happened to Baron Lockridge and his family. He did not deserve this," said Baron Harrods and sighed. "He fought bravely," I replied. I have been asked to speak less about it.
I was talking to an old man when a red carried rolled inside the keep with heavy security, before stopping.
The door opened and Lancel walked out. He stopped mid-way and his whole body shook before finally coming out.
"My Lord," I greeted and bowed. "You have done great service, Remus. Father had high praise for you," he said without any expressions. "It is all thanks to you, my lord," I said, and a small smile appeared on his face.
Count Darrow and I have talked. We have decided to add a lot of Lancel's involvement in the battle than it is. I am the one who suggested it. It will look bad if people know he had run away.
In the city, the papers had already started printing the stories. I had myself written the articles with a nod from the Count.
Lancel walked out and looked around before his eyes stopped on the monsters and lit up.
"You were telling the truth; there is Lurois and is that Cobfor, I am seeing?" he asked, looking at the blue lizard-like monster. "Yes, my lord. It is a Cobfor, and this one is very young; a prime age for training," replied the High Mage.
Lancel nodded with a smile and turned to me.
"Where did those wretched bandits get them?" asked Lancel. Thankfully, I got information about it from the bandits. "They belong to orc shaman; the bandits do not know where it had got them," I replied.
"Its fine. They are now mine, except for this mutt," he said and looked at the mutt.
"High-Mage, check its bloodline?" asked Lancel, and a moment later, the staff of Mage York lit up.
"It mixed, my lord. There is no dominant race in it," he said. "Well, it is useless then. Killing it would be a wise thing unless any of you want it?" he said and looked around.
"A mutt is more trouble than it's worth," said Baron Harrods. Others also shook their head.
Mutts are hard to train, especially the ones that do not have the dominant lineage. Most importantly, they are not powerful, as pure-breed monsters could be.
The monsters are different from common dogs, or cats that you interbreed to make the breed you want. It is highly dangerous if their bloodlines clashed for dominance.
It is why mutts are usually put down, especially those who do not have common dominant ancestry; that could suppress the others.
Killing them is common practice; there is nothing inhuman about it. It is common on earth for pets who have grave medical problems.
"High Mage, kill it," said Lancel and the staff of Mage York lit up. "I'll take it," I said, to my own surprise. I don't know how it came out of my mouth.
"Mutts are not easy to train, Remus. Even the young tamer you have will advise you to do the same," said Lancel. "Thank you for the advice, my lord. If it gets difficult, I will put it to sleep," I replied.
"Since it is your wish, I will not say anything further," he said and walked ahead, before stopping at the entrance of quarters and turning to me.
"Did bandits really do it?" Lancel asked, with his expression turning serious. "They did not even spare the children," I replied. He nodded and walked to the room, where the bodies were.
We have secured them in an empty room, along with the body of Baron Lockridge, and covered them all with a cloth.
Zela had cast the preserving spell on them. The Count had ordered it, saying his family will be coming for the funeral.
Lancel looked at the bodies wrapped in white clothes and muttered a small prayer before walking away.
For the next few minutes, we walked to the different parts of the keep, including the dinner exit, before finally stopping at the office of Baron Lockridge.
"You had done a good job, Remus," said Lancel. "It all because of you, my lord. If not for orders, we wouldn't have succeeded," I said and smiled.
He asked a few questions, and check the file of inventory and a report on the battle I had prepared. It is for only the eyes of Lancel and High Mage; I can see others wanted to read it, but they did not.
After reading it, Lancel put it in his iles bag.
"Remus, I will be returning to the city. Father needs me for an emergency," he said, and I nodded.
"Yes, Lord Count had informed me about it," I replied. The bastard is running away again, but of course, I am not going to say it.
"So, you will be my representative here. Attend all the funerals and meet all the people in my stead, before returning to the city," he said.
"As you command, my lord," I said before my expression changed. "Do you need anything Remus?" he asked, seeing my expression.
"Yes, my lord. I have one presumptuous request," I said hesitantly. "As long as it is not something excess, I will accept it," he said.
"I am hoping you would grant me a monster," I said, and his expressions were serious before relaxing. "You have already got mutt and now you want more?" he asked.
"It is for the tamer, I have," I said. "Fine. As long as it is not Lurois or Cobfor, you can have the monster you want," he said.
"It is a cloud-surfing sparrow," I said, and I could see him visibly relaxing. "It is yours," he said, and a smile appeared on my face.
"Thank you, my lord," I said.
We stayed in the office for nearly an hour. There are a few things to sort out before he could leave.
I am cursing the bastard for doing that, but also happy. It will increase the workload on me, but will also help me make connections. Here I will not be the bastard of House Silver but advised of Lord Lancel Wilstein of House Ravenheart.
The new responsibility will not increase the time I have to stay here and it will also give me an excuse to not go to Blain too soon.
I had received some messages from the family; my brothers and sister are coming tomorrow, along with a few other members of the house. A very few of them that I like.
"Take care of things here, Remus," he said as the door of his carriage opened. "Yes, my lord," I replied.
He waved at everybody and entered the carriage, and a second later, it moved toward the gate, with heavy security of the guards.
He is taking two hundred guards from nobles and Mirador Hold, along with his guards and three captains. He left behind ten guards for me, along with three of my guards.
He even wanted them, but I talked him out of it.
"Major Jarvis. I hope I can sleep without worry tonight," I said to the middle-aged man. The Mirador Hold had gotten the stewardship of the keep, till the new lord is decided.
It could be someone from the Lockridge family or someone new. Lancel didn't talk anything about it.
"You can relax, Adviser, my men, and I will not let anything that will disturb your rest," he replied.
I nodded and walked away.
"Thank you, Mister Silver, for the monster," said Zela. "It didn't take much effort," I replied, before turning to her
"If don't mind me asking, why does Eli want Halmk? It is a pet for a rich, not truly a monster that people would use in combat-related activity," I asked, looking at Stone holding the crates of two monsters.
"Have you heard of Vraj of clouds?" she asked back. "The name feels familiar," I replied.
"He was an S Class Scout and great-grandfather of Eli. He used Halmk," she replied.
"Well, then it makes sense," I said. Every monster has its uses. If the trainer is good and uses the skill they have wisely, then even the weakest monster could do wonders.
Soon, I reached the room; it is in the guest room. I don't want to sleep in the room where dead people used to live.
I wanted to sleep immediately, but I did not. Instead, I removed my torn cloth and walked into the shower naked.
I could have taken a shower and changed into the new clothes, while I was waiting, but I stayed with blood-soaked clothes for an effect.
It had worked as I had expected; everybody who looked at me first stared at my bloodied clothes before looking at me.
I moved the tap and cold water cascade cascaded over my body, washing away the dried blood, which is covering nearly every part of me.
Fifteen minutes later, I walked out of the shower feeling clean.
I changed into comfortable clothes and laid down on the bed, forgetting the horrors I had experienced today, in the void of sleep.