"Gentlemen, our target left the mine camp and is heading toward the ambush site."
Baron Creus said this to a group of nobles who were gathered in a newly erected cabin. Just now he had received news from his informant at the mine: André and company had departed back toward Solomon City.
Everyone stood up with large smiles on their faces. They were already seeing themselves enjoying the benefits they would reap after dividing the viscounty. In their eyes, André's group was a pig ready for slaughter.
Everyone left the cabin to witness this glorious moment; no one wanted to miss it. Only Baron Heins remained, attracting Baron Creus's attention.
"Baron Heins, aren't you coming with us?" Baron Creus asked with a trace of doubt.
"No, you know I don't like seeing bloody scenes," Baron Heins said with a look of disgust.
"It doesn't matter. Your contribution in this matter is not small; missing the final moment will make no difference. But your army has to go."
Each noble had brought his private army, so that if something went wrong no one could remain free of blame.
"Don't worry, I already gave them instructions and you can command them. But my personal guards stay with me."
Each of his guards was a knight highly cultivated by him and he did not want to lose any of them. Seeing that there was nothing wrong, Baron Creus left together with the others.
Watching everyone's departure, Baron Heins only smiled and then said:
"In this world only the fittest survive. Wanting to occupy what you cannot have will only lead you to death."
Baron Heins saw this group of traitors as fools who let themselves be manipulated by Baron Creus. That is why, from the first day this plan was discussed, he betrayed them by telling the entire process to André. He believed he would gain the viscount's goodwill, and so it was. At first he thought André would cause a scandal, then execute the traitors, causing them to resist, and then the viscounty would be at war. He was certain that André would win the war with his help and then his status in the viscounty would rise to a new level.
But what he did not expect was that the viscount only smiled and told him to follow the plan and convince the traitors to attack him on the plain.
Baron Heins was disconcerted. He did not understand André's plan, so he only followed his orders, since no matter what happened he would win. Now he only wanted to see what André would do, so he only had to sit and wait for news.
"Then let's see what you have, boy," Baron Heins smiled and left with his guards, following the route of the traitor army.
"Everyone ready for combat!" Colonel Hugo said in a loud voice, and the soldiers readied their weapons, ready for battle.
They were only waiting for André's group to reach the middle of the plain to act according to the plan.
Baron Bourbon was waiting at the exit of the plain, a little nervous. He wanted to accumulate merit in this operation. Personally he wanted to be the one who took André's life, which is why he asked to be in the ambush team at the exit of the plain.
The traitors' group had managed to gather six thousand militiamen: three thousand they controlled directly from the viscounty's army and three thousand they gathered among all of them. Baron Creus had gathered eight hundred and Baron Bourbon six hundred, almost everything they had available.
Today, under his command, he had four thousand soldiers, so he was certain of ending André's life and could not calm his excitement.
When he saw André's group running toward them, he shouted:
"Everyone, here comes the tyrant who wants to take the food from your tables! Today we will end his tyranny so that everyone has a better life."
André had not dared to use these people in the army's training base. God knows how many spies there were there, so in all this time he had not worried about them. Taking advantage of that, Baron Creus embezzled their salaries, making them believe it was André's doing. The majority now desired the viscount's death, so they shouted excitedly at Baron Bourbon's words.
When André had just entered the plain, Óscar, at his side, approached a little and said in a low voice:
"My lord, they are already behind us."
"Very well, proceed according to the plan."
Then the carriage in which André and company were traveling accelerated, notifying the pursuers that they had already been discovered.
"What's going on, André?" Rose, who noticed the anomaly, asked disconcerted.
"They are already here," André said, looking at Alicia, who was also about to interrogate him.
"What do you mean by 'they are already here'?" Rose asked without knowing what was happening.
"Everything is fine, don't worry. Alicia, tell Rose what is going on."
Then Alicia began to tell Rose the details of the event. André only looked outside the carriage and smiled.
"You two stay here. Don't be frightened; everything is under control."
While getting out of the carriage, André did not forget to reassure the two.
After a moment, the carriage that was going at high speed stopped suddenly.
Baron Creus was riding a beautiful purebred black horse. His son was at his side in silver armor, contrasting with his intense black horse.
"My lord, they began to accelerate just as we planned. We sent the signal to the ambush army so they prepare."
"Good, then let's accelerate a little so we don't lose the direction," the one who spoke was Julián, who was excited. Soon he would be viscount.
After a while, the situation changed suddenly, which disconcerted Baron Creus.
"Father, why are they stopping? Do you think they have surrendered?" Julián was also doubting André's purpose, who had stopped in the center of the plain.
"I don't know, maybe they want to negotiate… What…?" Suddenly Baron Creus was surprised by what he saw. "At what moment? How is it possible…?"
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