After returning from the realm of the dead, Link opened his eyes to find that it was already morning. Unbeknownst to him, another night had passed.
"Young Master, you're awake?"
At that moment, Ron, who had been keeping watch by Link's side, hurried over with a bounce in his step upon seeing him awake.
"Mm."
Link nodded and stretched lazily. They were currently camped in a small grove not far from the imperial capital, just a few miles away.
However, Link soon heard a low, muffled sobbing that made him raise an eyebrow in surprise.
Peering closer, he saw Ryan, the young man he had captured the day before, looking as if he had just been through a brutal ordeal. His clothes were in tatters, resembling long strips, and his face was so battered that even his grandmother wouldn't recognize him. Stuffed in his mouth was a foul-smelling sock, and he looked up at Link with tear-filled eyes, a pitiful sight.
"What the hell! Ron, what on earth did you do to him last night?" Link exclaimed, his forehead lined with annoyance.
"Young Master, it's all this scoundrel's fault for being disobedient, shouting and threatening me. I was afraid he would disturb your sweet dreams, so I had to teach him a lesson..." Ron said, a sheepish smile on his face, nervously adding, "You're not mad at me, are you?"
"Ha, of course not."
Link shook his head, giving Ron a deep, penetrating look that made Ron shiver with unease. Finally, Link withdrew his gaze and said coolly, "I was just worried you might have beaten him to death. If that happened, our plan to extort gold from the 'Wolsen' family would be in jeopardy!"
"Rest assured, Young Master, I know my limits. He only suffered some minor injuries; his life is definitely not in danger!" Ron quickly assured him.
"Alright then!"
Link nodded, finally getting to his feet and waving his hand. "Take him with us; we're going to collect our money now!"
"Wait a moment, Young Master!" Ron suddenly reached out to stop him.
"What is it?" Link frowned, puzzled.
"Well, Young Master," Ron hesitated for a moment before continuing, "the 'Wolsen' family is a hereditary marquis of the empire, with considerable power. If we go demanding ransom so brazenly, what if they send skilled fighters to ambush us?"
"Ha, there's no need to worry. If even you can think of that, how could I not?" Link replied confidently, then snapped his fingers, summoning a skeleton soldier right there.
Without a word, the skeleton soldier dove into the surrounding dense forest and vanished from sight.
Link remained calm, crossing his arms and waiting patiently. Seeing his master so composed, Ron dared not interrupt and stood by cautiously.
After a full half hour, the skeleton soldier returned, but the news it brought made Link's brow furrow deeply.
"Huh? The 'Wolsen' family only sent one person?"
"What? Just one person?" Ron exclaimed, equally astonished!
Both had assumed that after kidnapping the 'Wolsen' family's young master, the family would send a considerable number of skilled fighters to rescue him, whether for safety reasons or to save their hostage. Yet, it turned out they had only sent one individual!
This was undoubtedly a significant surprise for both Link and Ron!
"Young Master, do you think they might be lying in wait somewhere?" Ron asked tentatively.
"Not a chance!" Link shook his head decisively. As the master of the realm of the dead, he had a very close mental connection with the undead creatures he summoned. Just moments ago, he had controlled the skeleton soldier to scout the area within a ten-mile radius of their agreed meeting point, and he had found no sign of anyone else!
What did this indicate? It meant that the 'Wolsen' family had indeed only sent one person!
"Could this individual be exceptionally strong?" Link pondered silently. Although he had a mental link with the skeleton soldier, it couldn't sense the presence of others like he could, so he had no way of knowing the strength of the 'Wolsen' family's envoy!
However, with 10,000 gold coins beckoning to him, Link was determined not to let such a golden opportunity slip away!
Without hesitation, he waved to Ron and said, "Take Ryan with us; let's go see for ourselves!"
"Yes, Young Master!" Ron nodded eagerly, dragging Ryan along like a dead weight, and the three of them vanished in an instant.
Before long, Link arrived at the site where they had ambushed the 'Selhi' family convoy the day before. This time, he was finally able to see the true appearance of the 'Wolsen' family's envoy!