After the morning arrived and they finished their meal, Cain and Alek headed to the guardhouse in a carriage together.
The guardhouse is located near the eastern gate, passing through the central square from the lord's residence. Dalmesia, who was driving the carriage, seemed to have already grasped the layout of the town, and the carriage moved through the streets.
The gatekeepers at the guardhouse immediately recognized the lord's carriage and opened the gate, allowing the carriage to pass through.
The carriage then stopped in front of the guardhouse building.
"Lord Cain, Lord Alek, we have arrived at the guardhouse."
Dalmesia, who had already gotten out, opened the door.
"Thank you."
Cain and Alek got out of the carriage and headed to the reception room of the guardhouse. Inside the guardhouse, in addition to the guards, the knights from the capital were also preparing for the transfer. When they saw Cain, everyone stopped what they were doing and saluted.
"Lord Cain, it's been a while."
Turning at the sound, it was Daim, the deputy commander of the Royal Guard. Wearing the silver armor reserved for officers, Daim smiled, and Cain's face relaxed at the sight of an old acquaintance.
"It's been a while. Did you come all the way here just for the transfer?"
Cain and Daim shook hands firmly. It was a bit awkward to see a ten-year-old and a man in his thirties laughing and shaking hands.
"Of course, this time it's the country's fault. The request came directly from the chancellor to the knights. The commander can't leave the capital because he's guarding the royal family, so I came."
"Ah, let me introduce you. This is my brother, Alek, the new magistrate of Drintor."
Cain introduced Alek, who stepped forward.
"I am Alek von Silford, the new magistrate of Drintor. I am Cain's brother, but I'm the second son, so please call me Alek casually."
"I am Daim von Gazard, the deputy commander of the Royal Guard. Nice to meet you. Cain has been training with the Royal Guard since he was five, so he knows almost everyone. And he's the strongest, even stronger than Tifanna, the commander."
Daim laughed, but Alek smiled wryly, glancing at Cain. He knew Cain had been ennobled at five, but no one could imagine that he had been training with the elite Royal Guard. Being the strongest among them meant he was the strongest in the country. Alek could only sigh when he heard that Cain, who was scratching his head, possessed such strength.
"This time, the four main culprits will be transferred to the capital, and the rest will be made into criminal slaves when the slave traders come at the weekend."
Cain's words were met with a nod from Daim.
"First, let's see the four. Did you do this, Cain? Once they're like that, there's nothing that can be done."
Daim laughed and led Cain and Alek. The detention area of the guardhouse was underground, and Daim led the way, followed by the two. The knights who were to transfer the four followed behind. Guards were stationed in pairs at various points, and they seemed tense due to the large number of detainees. They all tightened their expressions when they saw Lord Cain. Daim greeted them with "Good work" as they descended the stairs.
The underground area, while air circulated, was dimly lit by the minimal sunlight entering through small openings. On both sides of the corridor, cells were lined up, and the attackers were imprisoned in groups. When they saw Cain, the attackers screamed. Some muttered that he was a demon or a beastmaster, while others fainted in fear. It was clear that they all feared Cain.
Seeing this, the three had different reactions. Daim laughed, Alek smiled wryly, and Cain looked puzzled.
"Cain, what did you do to make the attackers this scared? Some of them even fainted."
Cain hadn't killed any of the attackers who entered the manor. He only killed the one who had captured Enak.
"These guys were just dealt with by my summoned creatures."
Cain replied as if it were nothing. Daim had seen Cain's summoned creatures before. He had been present when they were summoned in the royal reception room. The white wolf and the silver dragon emitted a divine aura that made one want to prostrate themselves. Imagining both of them attacking together made Daim shudder.
Reaching the farthest cells, they found individual-sized cells. There were familiar faces: the four A-rank adventurers and the four main culprits. Rick from the Dark Guild had lost consciousness with a single blow and had no external injuries, but the other three had lost their limbs. Their wounds had only been sealed by Stag's healing magic.
When they saw Cain's face, all of them started trembling. Stag, who was a priest, began praying for forgiveness after using a high-level healing spell. Elive, however, glared at them.
"Without me, this town will fall apart! Only I know where the money is. You're making a big mistake if you think a kid can govern this place."
Cain stood in front of the boastful Elive.
"Elive, you've gone too far. You might have wanted to improve this town, but your methods were wrong. You will be transferred to the capital for questioning. What you did to the Cat's Comfort Inn is unforgivable. And we have already recovered the hidden funds from your office."
A slight aura of killing intent emanated from Cain. The prisoners in the cells trembled violently from the aura. Elive, being the closest, was foaming at the mouth. At that moment, a hand was placed on Cain's shoulder.
"Cain, you're emitting killing intent. I'm fine, but your brother and the guards are struggling."
Cain turned to Alek, who had collapsed. The guards were pale and trembling.
"Ah, Brother Alek, I'm sorry."
Cain retracted his killing intent, and Alek, with the help of the guards, managed to stand up.
"Wow, that was a shock. I didn't expect Cain's killing intent to be so intense. I'm fine now, thank you, guards."
Alek stood up and brushed off his dirty clothes.
"Alright, let's start the transfer. You guys, take these four."
Following Daim's orders, the knights opened the cell doors and prepared to move the prisoners. The three without legs were placed on stretchers and carried out, bound.
As the four were carried out, Cain looked at the empty cells and resolved to make this a better town.
Exiting the dim underground cells, the four were placed in the prison carriage brought by the knights. The knights were already prepared and mounted their horses.
"Then, Cain, let's train again in the capital."
Daim waved and gave the signal for the knights to depart. Cain and Alek watched the procession.
Dalmesia spoke softly from behind Cain's shoulder.
"Lord Daim has been assigned a guard. If anything happens, they will help. Please rest assured."
Cain nodded at Dalmesia's words. He appreciated the guard but hoped to avoid any further trouble.
Thank you for always reading. Due to some family issues, I wrote this on the train, so it's shorter than usual. I hope for your understanding.