In fact, there were more than one such rats. Iron Axe stared expressionlessly at the captured man. "You're the third to escape by jumping off the boat. The fugitives also said you didn't come from the Eastern Border. Do you have any final words to say?" The two men who had been caught earlier, after cutting off two fingers with their short swords, immediately confessed everything about their origins and intentions. Of course, their bodies had already been thrown into the canal—Iron Axe was never one to show mercy. His experience in the struggles of Iron Sand City taught him that the best way to deal with such elusive probes was to sever every hand that crossed the line. Yet to his surprise, this man, with his hands bound behind his back and kneeling on the ground, appeared remarkably healthy, showing no signs of illness.
Could it be a mercenary force sent by some power?
"I'm not your enemy," his first words startled Iron Axe. "I'm Hill Fox. Tasa knows my name!"
Tasa had not yet left the dock area when he was summoned by Iron Axe's men. He glanced at Hill and snorted, "This is Black Hammer's henchman." "Not your man?" Iron Axe demanded.
"It's none of my business—just a rookie in the trade." "You've betrayed both Black Hammer and Skull Finger," Hill snapped abruptly. "You're not working for Tefiko, but for Roland WimbledonYour Highness in the West!" "He knows too much," Tassar said, gesturing at Iron Axe's neck. "The best place for this man is the bottom of the canal." He continued in a low voice: "I've heard the mercenary's propaganda. We can work together! I'll serve RolandYour Highness!" "Your Highness doesn't need a rat's loyalty," Iron Axe declared, drawing his sword.
"I'm not a rat! I'm a free citizen of the Royal Capital, and I'm Tefiko's enemy!" Hill declared.
"Wait," Tasa called out to the Iron Axe, who stepped forward. The warrior lifted his head, meeting the guard's gaze with unflinching fear, his eyes blazing with something fierce.
So this... That was the answer I'd never understood when I first met him, Tasa thought. His eyes burned with hatred so intense that even his deliberate concealment couldn't fully suppress the rage.
"Tell me, why would you want to serve Your Highness?" "I do live in the North District and occasionally go to the Underground Bandit's tavern, but I didn't lose everything gambling, and my wife hasn't run off with anyone..." Hill gritted his teeth. "She was killed by Tefiko!" The story was simple, and Tasa quickly understood the whole situation.
He and his wife were originally members of the "Dove and Hat" acrobatic troupe, frequently performing in the inner city of the royal capital. Though the troupe was small—only seven members—the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. As the troupe's sole woman, his wife was the object of everyone's affection. In the end, Hill emerged victorious and won her heart. Their married life was blissful, and soon they would save enough to buy a house in the inner city. But all of this was shattered by Tefiko's witch hunt. Under Lany's command, the patrol team went on a manhunt like a pack of rabid dogs, and his wife was among the unfortunate ones mistakenly caught.
Hill Fox had hoped that paying the ransom would secure his wife's release, or at least a visit to her in prison. The warden accepted the payment but refused to release her, even declining his request for a prison visit. Instead, he reassured him that his wife would be released once it was confirmed she wasn't a Witch. But when he was summoned to the prison to collect her, he found nothing but a lifeless body covered in wounds.
Hill demanded an explanation from Lany, but the prison warden, jailer, and guards were only sentenced to ten lashes and fined twenty-five silver wolves, while he received compensation of three golden dragons. Hailing the verdict, Hill sought help from Sir Wimass, the patrol team's supreme leader and "Steelheart Knight," but to no avail. Sir Wimass revealed that Lany was a confidant of Tifeco Wemberton, and the newly recruited patrol members were all his henchmen. He further stated that the witch hunt was the king's decree, and even the Minister of Justice, Piau, would not speak up for him.
Hill resolved to avenge the new king, a decision that unexpectedly won unanimous support from the entire circus troupe. Yet for a group of performers lacking combat skills, wealth, or loyal followers, seeking vengeance seemed an unattainable goal. All Hill could do was gather intelligence on Tifeco and pass it to his enemies, such as the Queen of the Blue Waters, Garcia. They infiltrated various underground organizations, lying low to collect any clues related to the new king.
He had been secretly monitoring Tasa's movements for this very reason—if Tifeck wanted to expel these refugees, he should have tried his best to stop it. But before he could act, the plague broke out, and Tasa halted the refugee transport. Today, Hill discovered these people were moving again. To find out, he simply disguised himself as a refugee and mixed in with the crowd, only to find out that Tasa's real ally was Roland Wimbledon, the Fourth Prince of Graycastle.
Undoubtedly, as a contender for the Graycastle throne, he is also Tefiko's archenemy.
In Hill's eyes, overthrowing the new king was worth any cost—even if it meant serving Devil.
"The final question," Tasa asked with evident curiosity, "did you never consider the possibility of being infected while infiltrating the crowd to gather intelligence?" "I don't believe someone with a vengeance would disregard their own life so lightly," Hillnu replied. "I have the antidote," he gestured, "right in my underwear pocket. The circus troupe members bought it from the black market for most of their family's fortune." Tasa reached out and pulled out a thin, finger-thick transparent vial filled with a blue liquid. "The Church's Holy Spirit Potion... I think Your Highness would find this intriguing," he said, handing the vial to Iron Axe. "This man..." Iron Axe took the vial and asked, "What do you think?" "Hmm," Tasa rubbed his chin. Normally, he would have taken the safest approach—sending him to the road—without verifying the truth. But someone in the camp could accurately assess his lies. "I'd like to invite Miss Nightingale to verify this."
In the evening, Tasa returned to the underground trumpeter.
The Black Hammer's spirit clearly has some issues. The recent spread of the Evil Plague has brought the tavern's business to a standstill, and the infection of the silver ring and pottery jar has only deepened his unease.
Hill sat opposite Tasa, as if nothing had happened, maintaining his usual slight reserve.
The Imperial Guard smiled faintly and tossed a small bag of Golden Dragons to Black Hammer. "No need to be so gloomy. I've got good news for you—business is back." Black Hammer counted the coins and tucked them into his robe, muttering weakly, "No business at all. With the plague raging, who would dare wander around? The money we've made isn't even enough to buy Holy Spirit Pills. Do you know how much a bottle of medicine sells for on the black market? At least twenty-five Golden Dragons!" "What a coincidence," Tasa chuckled. "The business I meant to mention is also about medicine," he paused, "...the special cure for the plague."