Shortly after Aidan left, Regg walked over, carrying a bulging cloth bag in his hand.
With every step he took, the crisp clinking of coins echoed from inside the bag.
He stopped in front of Matthew and handed the bag over with a smile:
“Brother Matthew, you did a massive favor for us today. This is the loot recovered from the bandit leader and his chieftains. By right, this portion belongs to you.”
Matthew did not decline. He reached out and took the cloth bag.
Feeling its heavy weight accompanied by the soft clinking of coins, he looked up at Regg and said calmly:
“I was just doing my job. After all, I accepted the payment to be a guard.”
He paused for a moment, then asked as if in passing:
“That yellow-haired youth... judging by his demeanor, he didn't seem like an ordinary horse bandit. Who was he?”
Hearing this, an unnatural flicker flashed across Regg's eyes for a split second.
He raised his hand to rub his nose, his tone becoming somewhat evasive:
“Ah... that guy. He was probably a fugitive with some background, or maybe some ruined noble's son. There are quite a few people like that on the grasslands. After all, in a bandit gang, how could they all be unrefined brutes?”
“They always need an educated person to draw up plans.”
He quickly shifted the subject, changing the topic:
“Get some good rest first. We still have to travel tomorrow. As for your reward... once we reach the county seat, I will definitely pick the best one for you.”
...
Matthew watched Regg turn and walk away. Though his steps seemed leisurely, they were slightly faster than when he had arrived, and the lines of his shoulders and back were somewhat tense.
The cloth bag in his hand was heavy, and the faint clinking of coins seemed to still echo in his ears.
He was in no hurry to count them. Instead, he set the cloth bag by his side and stared at the dancing flames, his thoughts spinning rapidly:
‘It seems Regg found something on Cogan's corpse and has guessed some of the truth...’
‘But that has nothing to do with me.’
The most important item on Cogan was undoubtedly the dark red Blood Rage Badge. Matthew had already personally taken it and tucked it away securely; only the coin pouch and some miscellaneous items had been left behind.
Logically speaking, these leftover items alone provided no direct evidence pointing to the Fiery Lion family.
However, Regg was the Eldest Young Master of the Fiery Lion family, after all. Having been influenced by his upbringing since childhood, his sensitivity and understanding regarding the family's many secrets, operational styles, and even the item specifications or special markings used by internal personnel were bound to far exceed those of ordinary people.
As a “monitor” secretly dispatched by the family, the texture, style, and even the subtle markings on Cogan's personal belongings that were not easily noticed by outsiders were highly likely to be clues that would spark Regg's suspicions.
Especially Cogan's yellow hair, which symbolized noble lineage in the Kingdom of Cher—when these pieces were put together, the implications were already quite obvious.
However, Regg chose not to speak of it openly and even deliberately steered the conversation away. In Matthew's eyes, this was the most ideal state of affairs for now.
There were likely multiple considerations behind this:
Perhaps the intricate relationships within his family made it inconvenient for him to have a deep conversation with an “outside” guard;
Perhaps he himself needed time to process and weigh this dark side of the family that had been unexpectedly dragged to light;
Or perhaps, he simply believed that maintaining surface peace at this moment and prioritizing his safe arrival at the county seat was more important.
Regardless of the reason, this tacit understanding was exactly what Matthew wanted.
He thought to himself:
‘Since Regg brushed it off, I don't need to ask any more questions. This was merely a guarding mission and an exchange of interests. Knowing too much and getting dragged too deep won't do me any good.’
This thought flashed through Matthew's mind, but he did not dwell on it.
For him, maintaining the status quo and arriving safely at the county seat was the primary goal.
He turned his attention back to the coin pouch in his hand, feeling its heavy reality.
‘The harvest from this trip is far more than just these gold coins. The greatest harvest, in fact, is Regg's current attitude—he recognizes my strength, treats me with respect, and even personally delivered the loot.’
‘This relationship will be very useful in the county seat.’
‘However, this favor cannot be squandered; it must be saved for a critical moment. For now, keeping a tacit balance between him and me is enough.’
‘In addition, the severely injured Porter also owes me a life-saving favor. Once he returns to the county seat, his status is bound to rise, making this favor equally valuable.’
Thinking of this, Matthew's expectations for the future became a bit clearer.
With the strength he had shown and the favors he had accumulated, his prospects in the county seat seemed much brighter.
The night wind grew colder, and the campfire crackled.
After having dinner, Matthew picked up the bulging cloth bag Regg had given him and a few other loose small bundles, then bent down to crawl into his tent.
The oil lamp was lit, its dim yellow glow dispersing the darkness in the cramped space and shutting out the flickering shadows of the campfire projected onto the tent fabric.
He first untied the heavy cloth bag and poured the coins inside onto a spread-out cloth. With a series of clinks, a pile of mostly silver coins, mixed with copper coins and over a dozen gold coins of decent quality, spilled out.
The edges of the coins were stained with dried, dark smudges. They were heavy, carrying a smell mixed with the dust of the grasslands and the scent of blood.
He did a rough calculation. With the silver, copper, and gold coins, plus a few pieces of ore, the total value was close to twenty gold coins.
“Twenty gold coins! These must have been recovered from the horse bandits...”
Matthew let out a soft sigh, a complex feeling rising in his heart.
And this was only the portion distributed to him. It was hard to imagine just how much gold and silver this group of horse bandits had plundered over all these years!
However, there was something Matthew did not know.
Under Regg's deliberate instructions, Matthew alone had been allocated eighty percent of the loot from this expedition!
At this moment, Matthew was still immersed in his shock.
“Murder and arson bring gold belts, while repairing bridges and paving roads leaves no corpse behind...”
“Even being a bandit pays this much!”
After a moment, Matthew gradually pulled himself together, and his slight sense of melancholy quickly sank to the bottom of his heart.
He untied the cloth bag belonging to Nathan and poured all its contents onto the ground.
Over a dozen gold coins scattered out. He did not even look at them, casually sweeping them aside.
He focused his gaze and searched through the pile of miscellaneous items.
Soon, a silver badge fell into his hand.
On the badge, the relief of a roaring lion with a flared mane looked somewhat menacing under the firelight.
Matthew's fingertips brushed against the cold metallic texture of the badge's surface.
He stared at it quietly for a moment, and Nathan's dying face, filled with self-deprecation and malice, seemed to flash through his mind.
In the end, he merely shook his head slightly and set the badge aside.
...
...
Rate on N.U.
