Raven managed to get some dry rations from a mercenary. Lansang crunched on them noisily, grumbling through mouthfuls about how this "divine offering" was completely subpar. While Raven was busy dealing with the temperamental girl, he noticed a group of mercenaries rushing out of a house in a panic, heading straight for Godwyn. A moment later, Godwyn and a small entourage rode over in a hurry.
"What did you find?" Godwyn asked as he dismounted and headed toward the building. "Ah, Raven, you're here as well."
"There's a massive cache of documents and materials in this house. Plenty of letters, and what look like ledgers for funds and supplies, but we can't make sense of most of it," a mercenary reported. "We only glanced at a few letters, but they gave us such a fright that we had to call for your judgment immediately, Your Highness."
"A fright? What is there to be so alarmed about? Communication with Outer Gods?" Godwyn joked, his pace never slackening.
"It's communication with—" The mercenary suddenly cut himself off, changing his tune. "Actually, we didn't get a clear look at it all."
Raven followed the crowd into the building. It appeared to be a hub for the Frenzied Flame cultists to store and transfer records; scrolls and papers covered in writing were piled everywhere. Several opened letters sat on a table—likely the ones the mercenaries had been leafing through.
Godwyn strode forward, picked up the letters, and read them against the light.
He set the letters down.
"How many people have seen these?" he asked, his voice turning icy.
"We didn't see anything. I'm illiterate, my Lord," one mercenary stammered, his face turning pale with terror.
Godwyn stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly laughed and cursed good-naturedly, "What are you so afraid of? Do you think I'd silence witnesses over this? These cultists are madmen. How credible could anything written by a lunatic be? It's nothing but the ravings of the deranged."
"Yes, yes, of course, Your Highness is right," the mercenary said quickly, nodding frantically.
"However, if these things were to spread, they might cause a negative influence. So, when you leave this room, do not let your tongues wag. Understood?" Seeing the mercenaries nodding like chickens pecking at grain, Godwyn gave a satisfied hum.
"Everyone out! Seal this building! Secure the scene; no one is permitted to enter!" Godwyn ordered loudly. "Once the officials from the Capital arrive, we will sort through these documents together and analyze their authenticity."
Curious, Raven asked, "Is the content of those letters really that dangerous if leaked?"
"You may look. I trust you," Godwyn said, handing the letters directly to him.
A bit embarrassed by Godwyn's blunt display of trust, Raven took the letters and scanned them quickly. His expression shifted as he read.
The person corresponding with the Frenzied Flame cultists was a high-ranking general of the Lordsworn Army—Great Knight Commander Connaught. During Radagon's campaign against Caria, General Connaught had remained in the Capital to oversee its defense and was one of the deputy commanders Radagon trusted most.
Furthermore, judging by the tone of the letters, the general wasn't doing this behind Radagon's back.
"This letter—" Raven started.
"Utter nonsense. King Radagon secretly supporting the growth of the Frenzied Flame? Providing weapons and supplies? There are limits to even the most absurd jokes. Why would the Elden Lord ever do such a thing?" Godwyn said decisively. "Raven, do not doubt your own father."
"Er—" Raven felt a bit awkward. "Thank you."
"It's likely someone used Commander Connaught's name as a front to communicate with the cultists. However," Godwyn's tone shifted, "we cannot rule out the possibility that Connaught lost his wits and betrayed the King and the Erdtree. Consorting with the Frenzied Flame is the gravest of accusations. All of this requires a fair and thorough investigation."
Raven could only agree, following Godwyn out of the building.
Godwyn summoned his personal retainers to join the mercenaries in a mixed unit to blockade the small house, forbidding anyone from approaching.
"We'll leave those documents for the Capital's people," Godwyn said. "We have other matters to attend to first."
Raven looked at the sky. "It's nearly time for dinner."
"Mm, demigods don't truly need to eat or drink; I nearly forgot," Godwyn said. "The mercenaries have emergency rations, but if we expect them to take that as their dinner after a battle like this, there will likely be complaints."
"I'll go organize them to prepare a proper meal," Raven offered. "We should be able to find plenty of food in the village."
"Much obliged."
As they walked, Lansang gave Raven a heavy slap on the back. "Not bad. You're actually taking this business of offering food quite seriously."
"Don't flatter yourself."
The two continued their bickering as they walked. Mercenaries passed them constantly, escorting captured villagers toward the square. Raven decided to follow them.
These villagers seemed to have not yet embraced the Frenzied Flame, or perhaps they believed but had not yet been granted its power. Raven took a quick glance; hundreds of villagers had already gathered in a corner of the square, with more being brought in.
Most of them were the elderly, the weak, women, and children. Many could barely stand or walk; they were likely so insignificant that the Frenzied Flame hadn't even deemed them worthy of its "blessing." Nevertheless, the mercenaries took no chances, keeping them under tight watch. Those who looked like they had a modicum of strength left were bound hand and foot. Two squads of mercenaries armed with crossbows stood guard around the perimeter.
Even without Raven's organization, the mercenaries had already started fires to cook, but they seemed to have hit a snag.
"You dare lie to me again! Where have you hidden the village's grain?" a mercenary demanded, dragging an old man out of the crowd for interrogation.
"There are only Rowa fruits... that is what we eat daily," the old man said feebly.
"Nonsense! Trying to fool me with livestock feed? You must have a death wish!" The mercenary kicked the old man down. "There is so much bitter-wheat planted outside. Do you think I'm blind?"
"Those... those aren't ripe yet..."
"Of course I know they aren't ripe! Where is the grain you harvested before? Where is it hidden?" the mercenary roared in a rage.
The old man curled up on the ground, refusing to say a word even as the mercenary kicked him. The mercenary drew a shortsword from his waist, but a hand suddenly clamped onto his shoulder, spinning him around where he stood.
"You—" The mercenary was about to explode until he saw who it was. He lowered his head immediately. "Prince Raven."
"No beating the captives," Raven said. "Just search the surrounding houses. There must be cellars or something similar."
"They've hidden it too well; we've searched everywhere and found nothing. This old bag of bones really isn't afraid to die," the mercenary grumbled, turning back to the old man on the ground. "Hey, that's your granddaughter over there, isn't it? Care to guess what happens to her if you don't start telling the truth?"
"Bandits!" a scream erupted from the crowd.
Raven stiffened. Reaching this point, they really were no different from bandits.
"Who said that?" The mercenary turned, his face flushed with shame and anger. "You're the ones who blow yourselves up and don't even spare children! You have the nerve to call us bandits? Your village is finished; your people are almost all dead. What use is grain to you now? Hand it over—"
"Enough!" Raven said sternly. "Let's go."
"It was all taken by bandits like you! Scum! Villains!" a voice cried out from the huddled mass of villagers. "The moment the grain is harvested, you lot come to 'collect' it all! You hang entire families for hiding even a handful of food, and yet you have the gall to call yourselves knights! You should all rot in hell! We will become the Frenzied Flame just to watch you burn!"
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(87 Chapter - Ongoing)
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