Chapter 18

After placing the two iron-scaled lizards in the stable beside the castle and instructing Migen and several knight attendants to care for them, Captain Laurent hurried over.

“My lord, just now, two travelers matching your description entered the town—they’re the exact age of a father and son, and their clothes are tattered, clearly from a long journey!”

“Really? Where are they now?” Gervas perked up, forgetting his lunch entirely.

“My lord, those two are currently at the town square; they just bought a black loaf from a shop. I’ve already had the guards keep watch on them!”

“Let’s go see them!”

……

Meanwhile, in the wheatfield town square, Luca Hammer was eating a black loaf with his son.

The two sat on stone benches by the square’s edge, drawing little attention.

In this border noble’s territory, tattered travelers were common; people simply assumed they were from other villages or domains.

This gave Luca slight relief—he’d been on the run for over a month, and once a bull-like man, he’d grown thin.

If not for his son, he doubted he could have held on this long.

But now that he’d reached the border, where could he go next?

Further south lay the dangerous Death Mountains and the lawless Sunset Wastelands.

Was he truly destined to enter the Sunset Wastelands and join bandits, savages, and alien tribes?

At that moment, Luca suddenly sensed someone watching him.

He looked up immediately—and there, around the corner of the alley opposite, someone was peering at him.

Their attire: though the leather armor was old and wouldn’t withstand two solid slashes, it still marked them as a guard.

The moment their eyes met, the guard instantly looked away, his expression flustered.

Luca’s heart dropped—he sensed trouble.

When did a guard ever fear a peasant slave?

“Sain, let’s go!”

“Father, but I haven’t finished eating!” Sain hadn’t reacted yet; moments later, he realized something, his face turning pale, “Father…?”

“Shh, don’t speak!” Luca’s face was grim.

No sooner had he spoken than over a dozen guards burst from the alleys on either side of the town’s main road.

“Guard officers, we’re just ordinary travelers—we’ve committed no crime. What do you want?”

“Travelers, Captain Laurent says the lord wishes to see you. Wait here!” Due to Laurent’s orders, the guards dared not act rashly.

But to Luca, it was clear—his identity was exposed; they’d already notified the lord to arrest him.

“Sain, run first!”

Luca shoved his son aside, then raised the thick wooden staff he’d used as a cane and charged at the guards.

Seeing him try to flee, the guards rushed forward, “Stop them! Don’t let them escape!”

Instantly, the two sides clashed on the street.

Luca, no doubt a master smith, possessed strength rivaling a knight’s; for a time, the guards couldn’t get close.

Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

Fortunately, at that moment, the sound of hooves arrived.

On the dirt road from the castle, two fine horses and a carriage were racing toward them.

Luca’s heart turned cold. “Sain, run! Don’t mind me!”

But Sain couldn’t abandon his father—he’d refused to flee earlier, and now he was locked in combat with two guards.

“Stop!”

Gervas took in the scene and muttered, “Well now.”

Afraid of harming the smith, he immediately shouted to halt.

“My lord, they were just trying to escape!” The fight froze instantly; the guards stepped back, one stepping forward to report to Gervas.

Luca stared at Gervas, wary and desperate.

To his surprise, Gervas gave no order to arrest him. “I understand. Dismissed.”

“Yes, my lord!” Laurent immediately led the guards away, leaving Luca and his son bewildered.

“You’re Luca Hammer, correct?” Only when the guards were far gone, leaving only Lei Meng and the knight attendants, did Gervas speak.

“Nobleman, you do know me! So I’m truly doomed. But I have one request—can you spare my son?”

“Quicke the Count is after me—not my son!” Luca’s eyes pleaded.

“No, Luca Hammer, I’ve seen the bounty notice—but I’m not here to capture you.”

“You’ve seen the bounty notice… and you’re not capturing us?” Luca was confused.

“Come with me to the castle first. This place is too crowded.” Gervas offered no further explanation.

Hearing this, Luca grew wary again.

“I’m a high knight. My knight captain is a bronze knight. Do you think I’d go through such trouble to trick you into capture?”

Luca’s face burned with shame.

Indeed—if Gervas truly meant to arrest him, he didn’t need to lure him to the castle to do it.

……

“Sit!” Gervas directly led Luca into the parlor and invited him to sit.

But both father and son dared not sit; Gervas didn’t insist.

“Luca Hammer, I’m Gervas Gale, Lord of Stormhold. I know you’re wanted, but I don’t know why. Tell me your story.”

After a brief hesitation, Luca recounted the beginning of his flight.

He had once been one of Count Quicke’s chief smiths.

Several months ago, at a market, he’d accidentally acquired a dwarf forging manual.

He’d initially thought it just an ordinary book, but later discovered the dwarf forging techniques were real.

He told one of his closest friends—a fellow smith under Count Quicke.

That smith, coveting the techniques, framed Luca for stealing silverite from the count’s treasury.

Luca had planned to explain to the count, but the smith had conspired with the count’s younger brother to kill him preemptively, calling it “resistance during arrest.”

Fortunately, Luca was well-liked and received word in time; he fled with his son that very night.

Two days later, the count’s bounty notice was issued.

Luca dared not delay further—he and his son fled south, hiding for months, until finally reaching the remote Stormhold.

Finished, Luca looked at Gervas nervously. “Lord Gervas, you said you won’t arrest us—was that true?”

“Of course it’s true. I’ve never broken my word. Luca Hammer, since you have nowhere else to go, stay in Stormhold and serve me.”

“My castle needs a master smith.”

A chief smith—especially one who mastered dwarf techniques—was top-tier talent.

“This… Lord Gervas, but I’m still wanted by Count Quicke. If you shelter me…”

“That’s Count Quicke’s bounty—not the kingdom’s. What’s it to me?” Gervas shrugged indifferently.

Luca stared, stunned. That was a count!

He’d never met a minor noble who treated a count so casually.

“So? Stay in Stormhold. I’ll protect your safety, grant you freedom, and pay you a salary.”

“Also, your son is fourteen, yes? Do you plan for him to inherit your smithing craft—or shall I have my knight captain recruit him as a knight attendant?”