While Sofia was speaking with Lord William, Major Robert had been standing silently nearby. Upon hearing Scar's words, he didn't even glance at Jack's lifeless body but adjusted his clothing and walked toward Lord William.
Before Major Robert could get close, one of Lord William's men raised his gun, shouting, "Back off!"
"Who are you?" Lord William asked.
Major Robert clumsily bowed, "Dear Mr. Robert, I am Robert Rogers, an officer in a provincial ranger company. The ranger company was established by Governor William Shirley's order. Two weeks ago, I was ordered by Major General Johnson, Commander-in-Chief of the Provincial forces, to scout the movements of the French and the Indians in the Ohio Valley. I am now returning to report important military intelligence to Major General Johnson."
"Uncle, he's very rude and disrespectful! When I woke up, I found him fighting with Tom. He wanted to kill Tom!" Sofia began to complain to Lord William.
However, Lord William grabbed her arm, stopping her from continuing.
Major Robert acted as if he hadn't heard Sofia's accusations. "I think we've had a small misunderstanding, but the issue is now resolved, isn't it?" He shrugged, smiling at Lord William.
Major Robert's eyes were still near his tomahawk and dagger. Lord William glared coldly at him, and the two shared a silent stare for a moment.
"I do believe this is a misunderstanding and that the issue is resolved. Do you intend to stay here any longer?" Lord William finally broke the silence, his tone devoid of warmth.
"Oh, we're in a hurry to return and report urgent military intelligence. We must leave tonight." With that, Major Robert bowed to Lord William and turned to leave, not sparing a glance at the body on the ground.
"Uncle, he tried to murder us! Why did you let him go?" Sofia anxiously asked as she watched him leave.
Lord William sighed, "Sofia, you know nothing about this dangerous world. Although we share the same sky as London, the rules here are entirely different. That Major Robert is very dangerous. I've known of Roger's Rangers' reputation even in London."
After speaking, Lord William patted Sofia on the head. "Alright, it's time for us to go home. I hope you've learned your lesson. Thankfully, nothing serious happened. Think about how you'll face your father's punishment when we return."
"Oh, okay. Tom is injured and can't ride. Uncle, what should we do?" Sofia looked at me, asking.
"There's no room for him on our journey back," Lord William said, glancing at me without stopping his gaze.
"No, I won't leave Tom!" Sofia declared, turning back to come to my side.
But before she could turn completely, Lord William swiftly struck her on the neck, knocking her unconscious. "Take the lady away," he ordered his servants.
"Yes, milord." The servant took Sofia and placed her on a horse.
Seeing Sofia knocked out, I opened my mouth to stop Lord William, but I didn't know what to say.
Could I protect Sofia here?
The owner of this body, driven by the fire of love, had rushed into certain death. Thankfully, Lord William arrived just in time; otherwise, tonight could have been our end.
Perhaps this was the best outcome for Sofia and me.
As these thoughts swirled in my mind, I felt a heavy weight on my tongue, rendering me unable to voice any objections.
"My brother said he wants you to disappear from this world." I was still lost in my sorrow, not noticing when Lord William had approached me.
He looked down at me from a height, his eyes filled with undisguised disdain and disgust. "You filthy, lowly peasant dare to tarnish Sofia's reputation? You deserve nothing less than death. I had intended to end your life myself, but now it seems that leaving you here alone will soon turn you into the savages' prize."
"Go fuck yourself," I retorted.
Perhaps commoners in this era instinctively feared nobles, but for me, coming from the 21st century, this was not an issue.
After finishing his words, Lord William turned to leave, not even bothering to engage in conversation with me. Halfway through, he turned back to look at me and smiled, "Goodbye, Mr. Compton. Enjoy your last night in this world."
In the blink of an eye, the once lively clearing in the forest was now deserted, and the tranquil, dark woods returned to silence.
But before I could dwell on the sadness of parting with Sofia, the pressure of survival loomed over me.
Could I survive alone in this forest?
I swallowed hard and looked around, met with silence and darkness. Staring into the blackened forest, I couldn't shake the feeling that there were eyes watching me from the shadows.
A shiver ran down my spine as I caught sight of nearby bodies—the remains of fellow travelers killed by the Indians earlier that afternoon. Major Robert had even stripped them of their clothes. Then, there was Jack's lifeless body.
Seeing his corpse suddenly jolted my memory:
I had killed a real person.
I had actively attacked and killed a man.
The overwhelming sense of survival had dulled my feelings until now. I began to feel nauseous, and bile rose in my throat, forcing me to double over and vomit.
After throwing up, I felt somewhat relieved, but I was still extremely tense. The psychological impact of taking a life was clearly not something I could process quickly.
Meanwhile, a troubling question surfaced in my mind: Major Robert had left in such a hurry without collecting anything from Jack's body—would he return?
The thought of that possibility sent another shiver through me.