The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 353: Using different sources (1)

Chapter 353: Using different sources (1)

"Why did you call it off, my Lord?"

A figure wrapped in dark bandages from head to toe stood behind Jonathan, who gathered the corpses of his fallen comrades. The smell of charred flesh and the sight of mangled bodies didn’t seem to disturb him. His expression hadn’t changed throughout the entire process. It remained the same as the Hex had seen them. He skillfully contained the raging fire inside his chest.

He had handpicked every member of the Guardians. Despite the numerous members, he knew each of them by name, had spent time drinking with them, and knew their dreams and ambitions.

Some of these people had dreamt of wandering the wide world, whereas others had dreamt of marrying someone of their liking and building a warm home with. He had used those desires as fuel to forge extraordinary soldiers out of them. They were part of his legacy, lying burnt and cut before him.

"Lady Elize. She is with them."

He didn’t feel like explaining a lot. But it was enough. The bandaged person froze when he heard the name of one of the most feared people inside Wrixia.

Lady Elize. A name that the common people might not know. But others knew too well. She rose through the ranks by sheer will, paving her way to the top five by leaving a trail of corpses and missing names behind her.

Silence hung in the air for a while. Jonathan gathered all the corpses and placed them neatly in a row. The bandaged person stood there in silence, knowing better than to offer assistance. Among the resistance, Jonathan was known for being both cold and deeply sentimental—a paradox that earned him both loyalty and fear.

"W-what do we do now, sir?"

Jonathan paused. For a moment. He sensed the bandaged person holding his breath as soon as he paused his hand. Killing him would serve no purpose other than helping him vent his pent-up rage. But he refrained from doing so. The poor man was only a messenger. And the longer he could contain his anger, the more destruction it would cause upon release.

"We will continue to move toward the center. Freeing the Witchkin needs to be postponed. I can’t risk angering Elize at this moment in our operations. A few sacrifices are required if we wish to achieve success."

The plan had been simple. Once the trap had been sprung, unleashing a rain of spears and spikes, Jonathan would counter it, blocking them. The agreed-upon Technique would signal the start of their attack on the troops.

With both parties under his command, he would be able to free the two leaders of the Witchkin, drawing them into his fold. The others, the ones without worth, would be used as collateral. Everything would be done with the least amount of casualties. But when he didn’t give the signal, the others withdrew swiftly. They had been trained to do so.

Rebellions took ages. Withdrawing and fleeing were prioritized above achieving their objective. After all, as long as the embers burnt inside them, the chance to unleash an all-devouring fire would increase.

"What went wrong with the test subject?"

The bandaged person shivered. He knew the importance of this part and the screw up that happened. The Lava Bat was supposed to be used to keep the opposing forces at bay and to test the progress their research had made.

"We aren’t sure yet. The corpse and the serpents need to be investigated," he replied, trying his best not to look toward Jonathan. The escape and subsequent actions of the Lava Bat were beyond the control of a small messenger like him but if the man before him lost his calm, his head would fly. No one would even know he was missing. After all, no one had ever seen his true face. Except the man before him.

"The corpse is taken away by the boy," Jonathan said.

"W-What? But sir. T-The prototypes...," the man stammered, clearly upset with the news.

"They were absent," Jonathan interrupted him. "Either the boy had already retrieved them or they were destroyed. Or something else interfered. Tell the others to act based on the worst assumption and act accordingly."

The figure retreated. He didn’t hesitate the slightest as he rushed out. Jonathan didn’t pay him any heed. His gaze was on the corpses of his team who had fallen due to some mistake. It was supposed to go like this. As the leader, he bore complete responsibility.

Knowing he screwed up, the fire inside him roared. He fell on his knees, tears rolling down his face as he sought forgiveness.

"Forgive me. And thanks for everything. Your deaths won’t be in vain. Freedom will be ours!"

...

Hex reached the camp quickly. He relaxed a little when he saw the Earthen dome from up close. He finally felt a little safe.

’I wonder what he would do if I remained there.’

Although he didn’t notice any visible changes in Jonathan’s expression during their short conversation, he sensed the flow of chaotic energy in the air. It was subtle but he was so attuned to energy by now that he could sense the slightest of changes in energy flow patterns around him.

He had expected to be attacked by the man when he took the corpse of the Lava Bat with him but thankfully it never came.

"Explain."

Elize exited the dome as soon as she sensed him approaching it. A frown appeared on her face when she noticed the Lava Bat and the state of his clothes and body. His wounds were healed and he felt reinvigorated. But dried-up scabs of blood, discolored skin, and his uneven growing hair, all revealed the ordeal he had been through.

Hex explained, expanding on parts he deemed safe and omitting details that could reveal secrets he wished to keep buried in his mind. Elize didn’t interrupt him. Not even once. She listened calmly to his story.

"That explains a lot," she said, once Hex finished telling her about his experience. Seeing Hex look with curiosity, she explained. "The attack was a trap. I assume an attempt to free the Witchkin. Only my presence deterred them and they abandoned their mission midway."

"How did they know about you?" Hex asked, knowing the answer already.