Rhodes Town, Land Ranch.
After delivering the warning, Gareth and Gerald did not leave immediately. Instead, they stayed at the ranch to wait for news.
Of course, even if they wanted to leave, Emin would not have approved it.
As the sun was about to set, they finally saw Emin and Mac returning with a large group of men.
"That's… Mr. Martelli? My God, this… how is that possible?"
From a distance, Gareth could see that behind the mounted employees was a group of prisoners walking on foot, their hands bound with ropes. There were dozens of them—so many that they seemed to outnumber the employees.
At the very front of the captives was a man whose clothing and bearing were clearly different, far more refined. Gareth felt an immediate sense of familiarity.
When he looked more closely, he recognized him at once.
As Bronte's trusted subordinate and the de facto second-in-command of the faction, Martelli handled negotiations and coordination in many matters. Naturally, the Braithwaite family knew him very well.
And now, this influential Mr. Martelli had become a prisoner.
The sight left both Gareth and Gerald deeply shaken.
They had always known the employees were strong, but Bronte's reputation carried enormous weight in their minds. He was a major figure from Saint Denis, a great industrial city.
They had assumed that even if Land Security Company won, it would be a hard fight. Yet now it seemed there hadn't been a single casualty among the employees.
Instead, many of the prisoners were slung across horses, clearly suffering from gunshot wounds.
"Gentlemen, it seems we'll need the Braithwaite family's help," Emin said after entering the ranch.
"We need doctors, medicine, and quite a number of tents."
Although Mac held the highest status at Land Ranch—after all, he was Davey's younger brother—most day-to-day affairs were handled by Emin. It was obvious that Mac had little interest in authority and generally left things alone.
"Of course, sir," Gerald replied, lowering his head slightly in respect.
"The Braithwaite family would be honored to assist."
The situation had become clear. If even Mr. Bronte could not deal with Davey, then the Braithwaite family had to make a choice.
At the very least, they could not afford to become Davey's enemies.
Gareth and Gerald hurried back to the family estate, bringing news of Davey's overwhelming victory, along with what had happened to Martelli.
"What… that's impossible. Mr. Martelli… how could this be?"
Bartholomew's face turned pale as he shouted in disbelief.
"It's exactly as you heard, Bartholomew," Gareth said calmly.
"Gerald and I saw it with our own eyes. Mr. Martelli is now Davey's prisoner."
"According to what we learned, Mr. Martelli brought eighty men, but all of them were defeated by Davey's employees. More than forty have been taken prisoner."
"Mr. Emin, a senior employee of Davey's company, asked us to help by providing doctors, medicine, and tents for the captives."
"Although the intelligence we provided gave Davey's men an advantage, we didn't see a single casualty on their side. That means this was an extremely one-sided battle—the employees achieved a complete victory."
Gareth recounted what he had seen and heard, his tone carrying a trace of mockery toward Bartholomew.
Bartholomew's poor decision had cost him his mother's trust. This meant that Gareth, as the second son, now stood a much greater chance of inheriting the Braithwaite family.
"It seems we made the right choice," Lady Catherine said with a hint of relief.
"If Davey's men had suffered casualties because of Mr. Martelli's attack, Davey would certainly have settled those accounts with us."
"But now, we may have earned Davey's trust instead. Being asked to provide doctors, medicine, and tents is good news."
"So, gentlemen, get to it. The Braithwaite family has safely weathered this crisis, just as we always have."
Although Bartholomew had provided intelligence to Bronte, the final outcome was favorable. Davey would not pursue the matter—doing so would go against basic principles. In this battle, the Braithwaite family had played an undeniable role.
Lady Catherine knew Davey was a man of integrity, and only then did she truly feel at ease.
The explosions near the Rage Rock bridge attracted a great deal of attention. By evening, even the Gray family had heard the news. After all, the doctors of Rhodes Town had been dispatched to Land Ranch, and large quantities of medicine and tents had been purchased.
This was impossible to hide, and Emin had no intention of hiding it anyway. Such a decisive victory also served as a warning to those with hostile intentions.
Emin sent a telegram to Valentine at the first opportunity, reporting the incident.
Although the post office was closed at night, a little extra money was enough to convince people to work overtime.
That same evening, Davey—at the Land Ranch mansion in Valentine—received the news.