Kol, the "marmot," looked out the window with some anxiety.
Even though this cursed place never stopped snowing, the sky looked as grimy and gray as a bedsheet his grandmother hadn't washed in years, he still had other ways to tell the time.
This was the militia's daily drill. Whenever the weather permitted, they would run across the town square at dawn (8 a.m.)—the same routine these fools had followed before the Demon's Moon arrived, and still followed now. Did they not know that conserving energy was the most vital thing in winter? When the real fight for survival came, you'd probably have to beg God for two more legs. But thanks to these fools, he could finally determine the approximate time to leave.
Indeed, he was determined to escape this enchanted town! Though His Royal Highness had ordered him to remain undercover in Border Town, monitoring the Fourth Prince Roland Wimbledon's movements and relaying intelligence back to Golden Spike City, he had no desire to stay any longer.
I fear that within half a month, I and the local residents will all become the prey of the Devil.
This is by no means alarmist!
Since winter began, this place has been abuzz with all sorts of bizarre occurrences—something most locals might not even notice. It's no wonder, after all, most townsfolk are clueless country bumpkins who care nothing but for food, not even God. But he's different. He's Cole, the' Groundhog'! Spying and stealing intelligence are his forte, which is why Your Highness Tefiko would entrust him with such tasks.
The city walls that sprang up overnight, the iron rods that emitted eerie sounds and could even knock down evil beasts—yet none of these rivaled his most astonishing discovery.
The Fourth Prince openly keeps witches as pets!
Heaven is merciful—could there be anything more outrageous? If Prince hadn't been possessed by the Devil, he wouldn't have come up with any other explanation!
Even if Prince wanted to try out the Witch, he could have kept her locked in the castle and played with her however he pleased. Cole wasn't new to hearing about Nobles keeping witches hidden—these women, who could be toyed with at will and ignored even after death, suited certain eccentric Nobles. But making them public would be a whole different ball game.
This is not his delusion, but what he saw with his own eyes!
Guided by the principle of serving whoever pays, Cole would stroll near the city walls whenever there was light snowfall, where the Fourth Prince often appeared. He had always wondered what made this incompetent and spoiled Prince dare to stay in Border Town instead of fleeing back to the Long Song Fortress in disgrace. Now he understood: Roland Wimbledon had long been replaced by the Devil!
He witnessed the city walls being breached by a colossal demonic beast, which was slain by Devil with thunderous strikes. The swarm of beasts then fell into the infernal flames summoned by a Witch, who even collapsed into Prince's arms. Astonishingly, not a single member of the militia raised a single objection!
Then he kept hearing more rumors from neighbors about another Witch with healing powers. Stories like 'My son got injured and was healed' or 'The old lady who slipped and broke her leg on the opposite street was healed too' —these were downright blasphemous! To receive a Witch's healing? How is that any different from being corrupted by the Devil?
Two days ago, Cole made up his mind after witnessing a Witch emerge from Prince Castle, circle the castle twice, and return. The church's Godfather had always said that a Witch, once tempted by the Devil, could only gain one power. Yet Cole saw flames and flight, and rumors of a healing Witch—meaning this small town actually had three Witches!
Undoubtedly, Devil had turned Lordcastle into a den of evil forces, and the residents were gradually succumbing to his control. He must flee this place immediately. After all, he possessed the secret to rapidly constructing border walls. If he offered the stolen alchemical powder from the walls to the Second Prince, not only would the prince spare him, but he would even reward him generously.
Kor felt an increasing regret as he reflected on why he hadn't returned to the Chōge Fortress with the evacuated Noble.
Now that he wanted to leave, traveling by land was out of the question—the winter winds and snow would bury all roads. His only option was to take the merchant ships from Liuye Town and escape by water.
According to Cole's observation, on the first day of each month, boats from Liuye Town would arrive carrying food supplies. After two to three hours of unloading and reloading, they would hoist their sails and depart from the dock. He had to board the boat during this period; otherwise, he would have to wait until the following month.
Today is the first day of the month.
"One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four." At that very moment, Cole heard the familiar chant. Outside the window, a group of young men clad in brown leather armor ran with vigorous energy. Had he not seen through Devil's scheme earlier, he would surely have been fooled by this vibrant scene.
He thought, it was time to go.
Kohl slipped into his fur coat and fastened his belt before stepping out of the log cabin. The neighbor, who had been gathering dried fish outside, greeted him with a nod. "What a early morning?" he remarked. It was undeniable that while the Lord of Border Town was now under the Devil's control, the lives of these ignorant folk had improved remarkably. They even dared to hang dried fish outside their homes—after all, when starving, they could devour even frozen fish as hard as stone.
But Cole had no time to respond. He peered over to see the militia vanishing into the western horizon and strode straight toward the dock. The locals here regarded him as Iron Paddle's younger brother, having come from Zhuilong Ridge to visit their kin—though all were mere fabrications. Before eliminating Iron Paddle, he had verified the man's name and address, then lay in wait disguised as his brother. As for the fabricated identity, he couldn't care less whether the fools would believe it.
The snow on the stone path had been cleared a few days ago, and now it was nearly up to his ankles. He walked at a steady pace, conserving his energy—though he wasn't worried about the footprints, which would likely be buried again by the snow in a day. By the time he reached Golden Ear City, they might still be in the dark about it.
As they neared the dock, Cole spotted the long-awaited sailboat from Willow Leaf Town.
Bags of wheat were being unloaded from the ship's hold, with guards stationed around. He touched his pockets—still containing two golden dragons and sixteen silver wolves, his entire fortune. With six guards around, the silver wolves were likely to ignore him, and the golden dragons were too few. His eyes turned to the porters. The stacked cargo created blind spots, and he knew how to knock out a porter and take his place. If he could sneak aboard, he was certain the captain would, tempted by the golden dragons, hide him and take him away.
Just as Cole was about to act, shouts came from behind him.
He sensed something was wrong and turned around, only to see several militiamen charging toward him, with others closing in from the flanks. It was clear he was surrounded.
Realizing there was no hope of escape, Cole immediately raised his hands high and knelt down. In this line of work, one must never stubbornly resist. As long as all the employer's information is disclosed, one can generally remain unharmed, or... they might even rehire you at a higher price.
The principle of 'Groundhog' Cole is to take whatever amount of money and handle whatever tasks.
He just doesn't understand how he was discovered.