The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 203: The only option

Chapter 203: The only option

"I am the Fated One?"

The statement amused Hex greatly. His ear-to-ear grin confounded the old steward.

’The one person who isn’t even born through the will of Heavens has the greatest fate in this world? Laughable.’

But his smile disappeared quickly as an unpleasant thought struck him. He looked coldly at the old steward.

"Am I the only one being pursued, or are others also on your list?"

The old steward shivered under his gaze. The feeling of panic and anger welled up inside him. As an experienced Refined Knight, he didn’t like feeling afraid of a young man at a lower stage but his body reacted on its own.

"N-No," he replied truthfully. "There are others on the list. But all of them are protected by their teams. The people after them are some of their mates, waiting for a chance to strike. You were the only one we were certain to catch during this round."

The old steward lowered his gaze by the end. The realization they failed to catch a person deemed ’in the bags’ struck him once more. As he saw it, turning Hex into their ally was the only way to redeem himself in front of his master.

"Who are the others?" Hex asked.

"As far as I know the others include the son of the youngest prince, Elsa Friadrake, Gabriella, and Althea Thunderspear."

’Coincidence?’

Hex couldn’t help but frown at the names listed. In one way or another, he was connected to each of them. Was he truly one of the candidates whose strings of fate nudged him towards others with a strong fate?

The old steward discussed the Oracles and how they monitored the people of the kingdom on the King’s instructions. Hex also learned that the royals and their trusted nobles cleared the path toward the Temple district ages ago.

’That makes things easier for me.’

"What can you do for me? Wouldn’t the royals eliminate me for knowing so much stuff?" Hex asked after talking for a while with the old man.

Hex’s query convinced the old man that his interest in profiting from this project and siding with the royals was piqued. He tried his utmost to win Hex over. Of course, he didn’t rush it. Who knew how fast his head would fly if Hex deemed him too trustworthy?

"Don’t worry about that. As long as you take me with you, the prince will pardon your mistakes and accept you in his team."

"Oh?" Hex rubbed his chin as he eyed the old man suspiciously. "And he will believe me just like that? Is he that gullible?"

The steward looked displeased. "He isn’t gullible nor will he believe you just like that. You will be placed under oath with stringent conditions. You will also be placed under the observation of Oracles who will monitor you until they are assured of your intentions."

"Oaths can be broken and Oracles can be duped," Hex continued skeptically.

"There are oaths that can’t be broken without suffering extreme consequences. And Oracles can’t be duped. You won’t even perceive them unless they wish to be sensed. Only Transformed and Enlightened Knighst can sense their presence," the old steward replied calmly. He understood that the young man in front of him was trying to assure his safety before coming to a decision.

Hex learned quite a lot through the old fool. It turned out, they would treat Hex’s corpse as a marker to scare others off. If even someone like the Commander failed to sense the danger once they were near, how would they fight against it?

The darkness thickened by the time Hex finished extracting all usable information. He stood up, startling the old man.

Under his confused gaze, Hex retrieved a Fiend crystal from a wolf’s corpse. "Don’t worry. I have some affinity with the nature element. I can help you increase your recovery speed."

Hex retrieved a Fiend crystal from one of the carcasses lying nearby and walked up to the steward. The light blue crystal gained a black swirl as he squatted before the old man.

"Wha...."

The old man barely opened his mouth when Hex shoved the crystal inside. The steward slammed Hex’s chest in an attempt to push him away. As a Refined Knight, his strength surpassed Hex by a huge margin.

The impact of the hit threw Hex away. He sensed his ribcage creak as he landed on the floor, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

As he landed on his back, he heard the explosion. Drops of blood and flesh landed on him as he lay on the muddy ground. Despite the pain, Hex grinned.

"Sorry old man, perhaps you didn’t have to die but I can’t afford to have mercy."

Hex knew the old man only told him things to win him over. He never went into details regarding some crucial things. But Hex learned a lot from the conversation. He acted as if he was on the fence regarding his allegiance to give the old man hope.

The nature element kicked in, healing him slowly. Silence hung in the air. Gradually the night passed. Looking at the morning sky dispelling the darkness, Hex started to plan his next move.

He had three options. Either he returned and confided with Sterling and the Commander, or he continued his mission, or he disappeared.

"The last one isn’t happening." Hex wouldn’t risk his life for others but after realizing the royals planned something huge, involving people he knew and some he cared for, he couldn’t just sit still.

There was also his deal with Sterling. The royal’s plans involved the future of the kingdom. It could be good or bad. Hex leaned toward the latter. He didn’t think someone with good intentions would act secretively like them.

Returning to get help was the most pragmatic option but Hex hesitated. The reason was simple. He feared the royals would erase their tracks if he showed up before they contacted their steward. Or they would prepare a trap for the whole team. Neither sounded like a good outcome.

"I guess, the only option remaining is to go forward."