With the rumbling of wheels and the clatter of hooves, the carriage and the rest of the entourage moved off.
"Hey, look—it's someone from the Earl's residence."
"Where? That carriage?"
"Yes. Don't you see the red three-headed hound insignia? That's the symbol of Earl Bloodhound. Only close relatives are allowed to travel in carriages bearing that mark."
"Gasp! Really? Do you know who's inside?"
"Do I look like someone who would know? But judging by those tough-looking guards, it's probably one of the Earl's sons."
As the entourage entered Redlake City—the main city under the Earldom—many civilians watching from the streets began to gossip among themselves as the group passed by.
However, the entourage paid them no mind and continued straight toward the massive city gates.
A few minutes later, they arrived before them.
"Open the gates. The Third Young Master is passing through," Captain Julius shouted as he produced a badge from his waist, addressing the soldiers in charge of the main gate. People entering and exiting through the side gates looked on with awe.
"Yes, sir!" ×n
Upon seeing the badge in Captain Julius's hand and the carriage bearing the unique insignia of Earl Bloodhound, the soldiers immediately sprang into action.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
With the resounding noise of iron mechanisms, the gates slowly parted, revealing a wide, unobstructed path ahead.
"Move out."
At Captain Julius's command, the group advanced, passing through the massive gates and entering the land outside the towering walls of Redlake City.
The moment they cleared the gates, Fren pulled aside the curtains of the carriage and looked outside.
Unlike the bustling city streets, what greeted him was a vast expanse of lush green trees stretching into the distance, along with a broad road paved with brown stone beneath their wheels.
Haaah.
Fren took a deep breath, savoring a sense of freedom as he glanced back at the city growing smaller behind them.
Though not as fast as the vehicles from his previous life, the horses pulling the carriage were elite breeds belonging to the Earldom—comparable to Tier 1 monsters. While lacking combat ability, they possessed exceptional speed and endurance.
As the scenery continued to pass by, Fren gestured toward Julius, who was riding beside the carriage.
"Is there something, my lord?" Julius's voice sounded from beneath his black knight helmet.
"Hm. I just wanted to ask—how long will it take to reach the barony assigned to me?" Fren asked.
"My lord, we should be able to arrive by tonight," Julius replied without hesitation.
Tap. Tap.
"Hm… and do you expect we might encounter monsters or anything like that along the way?" Fren asked after a brief pause, tapping lightly on the window frame.
Although confused by Fren's question, Julius still replied in his usual submissive manner.
"My lord, there is no need to worry. Most monsters in this area have already been dealt with by the Blackhound guards under the Earl. Even if any appear, they would likely be small Tier 1 or Tier 2 creatures such as goblins or kobolds—enemies I can easily handle."
"Is that so? Hm. You may return to your position," Fren said as he gestured to Julius, who rode back to his post beside the carriage.
Blackhound guards, huh…
Fren's thoughts drifted to one of the three major forces under Earl Bloodhound, excluding the countless regular soldiers.
They were the Blackhound, Greyhound, and Bloodhound units.
The Blackhound and Greyhound units each consisted of approximately two hundred members, while the Bloodhound unit comprised only a hundred.
The Blackhounds were responsible for clearing monsters within the Earl's territory. Their forces were divided into teams of ten stationed across different regions—seven Tier 2 members, two Tier 3 vice-captains, and one Tier 4 captain per team.
The Greyhounds handled criminal affairs, such as capturing criminals or eliminating dissidents. Their team structure mirrored that of the Blackhounds.
Lastly, the most elite of them all were the Bloodhounds, who answered directly to the Earl. They consisted of seventy Tier 3 members, around twenty Tier 4 elites, and ten Tier 5 powerhouses. They were tasked with high-level missions and occasionally supported the Greyhounds or Blackhounds when needed.
These three forces were the military strength Earl Bloodhound flaunted openly—excluding any hidden Tier 6 experts or elder Tier 7 veterans from previous generations.
"Alert!"
Julius's voice snapped Fren out of his thoughts.
"What happened?" Fren asked at once.
"My lord, several individuals are approaching rapidly from this direction. It appears they are chasing someone."
"Oh? Can you estimate their strength?" Fren asked with mild curiosity.
"Yes, my lord. Based on their life signatures, there are roughly ten Tier 1 beings and three Tier 2 beings pursuing a single Tier 1 individual."
"But rest assured, my lord, I alone can handle them all," Julius added confidently.
"Oh? Then let's wait and see what's happening," Fren said as he turned his gaze toward the direction Julius was watching.
At the same time, the surrounding guards closed ranks around the carriage and carts in a defensive formation.
Moments later—within ten seconds or so—the rustling of bushes erupted.
A dark shadow burst out from the undergrowth.
And the next second, the shadow became clearer as a woman appeared.
She had shoulder-length black hair and dark black eyes, a well-looking woman in her twenties. But now, she was disheveled, with many cuts oozing blood from her skin and a bloody injury on her stomach, from which dark red blood was seeping. She covered it with one hand.
As their gazes fell on her, she looked back at them as well.
"Please, please h-help!" she shouted hurriedly as she tried to make her way toward them.
"Halt there!" Julius shouted loudly as he drew his sword.
"Ugh…" The woman staggered forward before collapsing to her knees, her hands bracing against the ground as blood began seeping from her wounds even more quickly.
"Julius, let her," Fren suddenly interrupted, looking toward the kneeling woman.
"Yes, my lord," Julius nodded as he withdrew the pressure he had applied—a trait only Tier 3 and above possessed, capable of instilling fear and paralyzing those weaker than them.
And even more so for someone injured like her.
The moment the pressure was lifted, the woman collapsed onto the ground, losing consciousness.
"Ah, did she die?" Fren asked.
"No, my lord. She fainted—likely due to blood loss and the pressure I applied."
Just as Julius finished speaking, more sounds of bushes shaking rang out, and dozens of shadows leaped into view.
"Looks like those chasing her are here too," Fren said with faint amusement as he looked at the figures before them.
As they came into clearer view, dozens of individuals wearing tight dark clothes appeared. Cloth was wrapped around their faces, leaving only space for their eyes and noses, with a skull symbol painted on their chests.
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
The next second, those figures dashed toward the woman, ignoring Fren's group entirely.
"Halt there!"
Seeing them rush toward the woman lying near the carriage, Julius shouted in anger as he leapt down from his horse.
But even under his pressure, only those at the back paused briefly. The three at the front pressed on after a momentary hesitation.
"You're asking for it."
Seeing that they did not stop even after his warning, Julius charged forward in fury.
"Don't kill them—just make sure they can't move," Fren reminded him from behind.
"Yes, my lord," Julius replied as he appeared before the leading three before they could reach the fallen woman.
"Hmph."
With a snort, he slashed his sword toward them.
The three attempted to parry with their short swords, but before they could properly raise them, a flash of metallic light streaked past, and blood erupted from their chests.
"Just lay down there," Julius said as he turned, and with another swing of his blade, severed the tendons behind their knees, causing them to collapse instantly.
Ignoring their spasming bodies, he charged toward the ten Tier 1 fighters rushing at him.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
Their already sluggish bodies under his pressure made it easy for him to deal with them. With a few clean strikes of his sword, all ten collapsed, shallow breaths escaping their mouths.
"My lord, they are dealt with," Julius said as he flicked his sword, scattering drops of blood before bowing to Fren.
"Um, try to get information on why they were chasing her," Fren said casually.
Julius paused briefly before replying.
"It might be difficult, my lord."
"Oh? Why?"
"You might not know, my lord, but judging by their weak life force and dull, dead-like eyes, these people are cheaply trained death soldiers or assassins."
Seeing the curiosity in Fren's eyes, Julius continued.
"Most low-level or dark organizations raise orphans from birth using cruel methods—overdrawing their potential with cheap drugs and near-death trials, breaking them completely. In the end, they become half-dead beings who only know how to follow orders."
"And in such conditions, with their potential exhausted, they usually live only half the lifespan of normally trained individuals, with a much lower ceiling than what they could have achieved with proper time and resources."
"Oh, so they're basically useless, right?" Fren asked, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
"Yes, my lord. Should I deal with them?" Julius asked as he looked at the assassins writhing on the ground, some still trying to crawl toward the bloodied woman to finish their mission.
"No. Instead, let me deal with them," Fren said calmly. "Now that I've become a baron, it's normal to have some contact with blood."
Julius paused for a moment, as though considering it.
"Yes, my lord," he agreed the next instant. He had neither the authority nor the reason to object—especially when they were already half-dead and posed no danger.
The next moment, the door of the carriage opened, and Fren stepped out.
He slowly walked toward the fallen assassins.
"Sword," Fren said, extending his hand toward Julius.
"Here, my lord," Julius replied without hesitation, handing over his precious weapon.
The moment Fren held the sword, a cool, heavy sensation traveled through his hand, like touching a block of ice—an immediate testament to the blade's quality.
Swipe. Swing.
He tested it with a few swings.
"Good sword," Fren muttered softly.
The next second, he slashed at a Tier 2 assassin lying on the ground and writhing.
As the blade pierced the man's neck, several drops of blood splattered across Fren's face and clothing. Within seconds, the body went completely still.