"All resistance has collapsed; it seems no one escaped," Godwyn said. "The survivors are being held in the square."
"Understood. Let's go," Connacht replied, gesturing for his guards to follow him as he departed.
Standing by the doorway with his arms crossed, Raven shifted to the side to clear the path. As he and Connacht crossed paths, they exchanged cold, curt nods.
Raven rested his fingers against his chin, sinking into thought. He couldn't quite wrap his head around the sequence of events; he only felt as though a massive conspiracy was quietly unfolding in the shadows.
However, he had only arrived from Caria a few days prior. His purpose this time was merely to scout members for the knightly order, placing him in a detached, transcendent position amidst these affairs. Even if he held a keen interest in seeing internal strife within the Golden Dynasty, there was no need to rush into the fray before he had unraveled everyone's true intentions.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Godwyn, Raven headed toward the square, intending to get in touch with several mercenaries who had performed exceptionally well. Halfway there, a piercing scream erupted from the square.
Taking in the scene, Raven drew his staff and the Sword of Night and Flame, charging forward.
Three Glintstone Stars whistled through the air. Noticing the incoming projectiles, several of Connacht's guardian knights leaped forward, raising their shields to intercept them. The commotion, however, distracted Connacht, causing him to glance back and slowing his movements.
Clang!
The Sword of Night and Flame parried Connacht's descending halberd. Raven braced his shoulder and shoved the woman beneath the blade out of the way. Following the momentum of the halberd, he performed a roll and stood up, looking slightly disheveled.
"General Connacht! What do you think you are doing?"
"Prince Raven." Connacht's expression darkened as he recognized Raven, but he lowered his halberd. "This matter has nothing to do with you."
"These villagers are not tainted by the Frenzied Flame. Once they surrendered, Prince Godwyn and I became responsible for their safety."
"One cannot detect the taint of the Frenzied Flame from appearances alone." Connacht let out a cold snort. "Leaving aside the fact that she is a cultist who deserves death, she insulted my honor. As a knight, I have every right to kill her."
"Lansang, get over here!" Raven ignored him and shouted.
The woman he had shoved aside had avoided the halberd's edge, but she lay on the ground coughing up blood; it seemed her abdomen had already taken a heavy blow. Raven recognized her—she was the same villager who had previously denounced him as a bandit.
"She's badly hurt." Lansang ran over and cast an Urgent Heal to stabilize her condition.
"Will she be alright?" Raven asked, his brow furrowing as he saw fragments of internal organs mixed with the blood.
"Leave it to me," Lansang said, patting her chest confidently.
"General Connacht, I believe you owe us an explanation for your actions," Raven said, his voice simmering with suppressed anger.
Connacht's face turned ashen, and he remained silent. A nearby mercenary explained what had happened.
"This woman accused you... saying she saw you entering and leaving this village before?" Raven asked, sounding surprised after hearing the story.
"I don't know who put her up to this, but it is utter nonsense," Connacht said. "I hadn't even heard of this village until now! I merely had my subordinates question these villagers, and this madwoman began hurling wild accusations at me."
"I saw you. You went to the council hall to find the village chief that day."
The woman on the ground struggled to prop herself up, pointing a finger at Connacht. Lansang immediately pressed her back down. "Don't move!"
"Fine, fine! Are you the only one who saw me then? You say I went to see the village chief—did no other villager see me?" Connacht laughed out of pure rage.
"I saw you too."
"I saw him."
"That day, a knight came by wearing the exact same armor."
To everyone's shock, over a dozen villagers stepped forward one after another to identify Sir Connacht.
At this, the mercenaries began looking at Connacht with strange expressions.
"You're all in on this! Knowing you're going to die, you want to drag a General down with you? Fine—then tell me, which day did I come to the village? Wait! No one speak yet!" Connacht roared. "Drag them out! Interrogate them separately to ensure they can't coordinate their stories!"
A flurry of chaos ensued, eventually drawing the attention of Godwyn and his personal guard, who hurried over to inquire about the situation. The villagers who identified Connacht were taken into different huts and questioned repeatedly.
The results were unexpected.
"Sir Connacht. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing on that day?" Godwyn asked gravely from across the table.
"That was years ago; how could I remember clearly? That was during my leave... I think—wait, I remember now. I spent those two weeks hunting in the mountains with my daughter." Connacht's face grew grimmer as he spoke.
"Meaning, aside from your daughter, no one can verify your whereabouts during those days?" Godwyn rested his chin on his hands.
"During the hunt, we encountered others—hunters and farmers from the mountains. The hunting grounds are far from the Windmill Village; even on a fast horse, one couldn't make the trip back and forth in ten days or a fortnight," Connacht said. "In short, I never went near the Windmill Village. There is no doubt about that."
The mercenaries whispered among themselves.
Despite being interrogated separately, the dozen or so villagers could basically name the timeframe of Sir Connacht's visit. Even those who couldn't recall the exact date could name the month, or whether it was morning or afternoon.
Other details were largely consistent. The slight discrepancies could be explained by the passage of time and fading memories, which actually made the testimonies feel more authentic.
Connacht shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"Someone must have coached them to frame me like this. Who had contact with these villagers? These mercenaries are all suspicious—perhaps some of them have long been in league with the Frenzied Flame cultists to set me up."
"Nonsense! It's clearly you who is the most suspicious! Prince, I suggest we disarm General Connacht and take him into custody for now!" Hearing Connacht's reckless accusations, the surrounding mercenaries grew incensed and began to shout.
The Lordsworn Knights behind Connacht simultaneously placed their hands on their sword hilts. For a moment, the atmosphere was thick with tension, as if a bloody skirmish might break out right inside the small thatched hut.
Raven quietly nudged Lansang out the door, while Okina slowly wandered in from outside.
"Enough!" Godwyn slammed his palm down, shattering a corner of the table. "Are you planning a mutiny?"
Both sides froze.
"All of you, sheathe your weapons! Do you want the cultists outside to laugh at us?" Godwyn barked.
The men looked at each other sheepishly and finally lowered their hands.
"General Connacht, I believe you are innocent," Godwyn said, softening his tone. "I cannot possibly arrest a General with such distinguished military service based solely on the accusations of a group of Frenzied Flame cultists. It would be ridiculous."
"Thank you, Highness—" Connacht relaxed slightly.
"As for why the villagers' statements match..." Godwyn looked around. "There are too many possible reasons. For instance, the Frenzied Flame cultists might have unknown ways of communicating. Do they not preach that all things must melt into the Frenzied Flame and return to One? If their consciousnesses are linked, it would make sense."
"Yes, it is very likely something like that," Connacht exhaled, following Godwyn's lead.
"However," Godwyn's tone shifted, causing everyone's hearts to leap into their throats again.
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(87 Chapter - Ongoing)
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