Chapter 1111

Yuvan's reputation lay in ruins, and he was being returned to the capital for treatment. The grand procession that had left the city returned in defeat, escorted by garrison outpost soldiers. Wayne attributed it to Yuvan's infatuation with a woman, but Thomas remained cautious, insisting on a thorough investigation before drawing conclusions. The matter demanded careful scrutiny.

The suicide soldiers had surrendered without resistance. Two, previously apprehended during a mission, had stubbornly refused to speak. Now, however, revealing their true identities as suicide soldiers would implicate them in a plot against the military outpost, giving Thomas ample grounds for accusation. They therefore claimed to be Yuvan's household soldiers from Horizon Estate, escorting him to and from the capital. Their special status prevented them from entering the city, explaining their lodging at a western mountain pass estate.

This explanation was plausible, but their all-black attire prompted Rafael and Thomas to question them further.

As they were escorted back to the capital, Carissa and Violet rode together. Violet shuddered, recalling the ordeal. "Cari, I'm so glad you arrived in time to save me."

"You should thank my guild senior. Isaac was the one who saved you," Carissa replied.

Violet tilted her head. "Wasn't it you who rushed in?"

Carissa shook her head. "It was Isaac."

Violet glanced back at the procession, noticing a donkey trotting slowly in the distance. The distance distorted its appearance, making it resemble a dog carrying a monkey. She dismissed the image, but the memory of Isaac carrying her away, and using foul-smelling water to counteract the poison, lingered.

"Isaac saved me? But we're not exactly on good terms…"

"Isaac can be surprisingly generous," Carissa remarked, her eyes scanning the crowd for Rafael. "Where is he?"

Violet's voice broke with regret. "I'm sorry, Cari. I shouldn't have gotten so close to Edgeview Estate. It caused you all so much trouble."

"Nonsense," Carissa said, offering a soft smile. "It was an accident. You were careful; you didn't enter Edgeview Estate, nor did you eat or drink anything from them. You shouldn't blame yourself for their cunning and ruthlessness, or for expecting better of your cousin. You simply let your guard down for a moment."

Violet's guilt persisted. "I shouldn't have accepted anything from them. It wasn't the cost, but I worried refusing would damage the workshop's reputation."

"We've wanted to teach him a lesson, and now we have," Carissa consoled Violet. "Even if the assault charge fails, the stain remains. For someone who values his reputation so highly, losing it is the ultimate punishment."

Violet's lip quivered. "I never thought… Even being careful, I still fell for it. Just thinking about his foul-smelling mouth makes me want to vomit…"

"Don't think about it," Carissa urged, cutting her off.

Meanwhile, Rafael and Kyle examined a small, scorched hole inside their tent.

"A hidden weapon? No," Rafael immediately considered Carissa's uncle's dart wristlet, but dismissed it. "No dart could create a hole like this." He touched the edges and smelled his fingers.

"Gunpowder... It smells like gunpowder, almost like a matchlock." He looked at Kyle. "Our army doesn't use matchlocks. Could it have been someone from Yuvan's side?"

Matchlocks had a significant drawback: they fired only one shot at a time and were difficult to ignite. Their short range and limited effectiveness on the battlefield made them impractical in many situations.

Kyle chuckled at the mention of a matchlock. "It's probably the improved matchlock Isaac brought. Sage Adrian's been working on it."

"Improved matchlock?" Rafael's eyes widened. "What improvements?"