Alarms blared inside Taz’s mind.

Seeing the fierce brute charging at him with a cleaver, Taz stopped holding back instantly. He threw aside the deer on his back and slammed a heavy punch straight into the man’s chest.

The sharp force behind the blow instantly sent the brute coughing blood as he flew backward, crashing into the other man carrying the crate. The two rolled across the ground together.

"What incredible strength. He’s just a kid."

"They’re not from our territory."

"Outsiders, huh? Probably from another province."

The surrounding citizens watched everything unfold with strange expressions, whispering among themselves.

"Taz, they’re human traffickers! Those disgusting bastards. We need to report this to the local lord."

Julia crouched down to inspect the unconscious woman’s condition. Seeing her fair skin, which clearly did not resemble that of a slave, only confirmed her suspicions further.

The three youths rushed forward together, beat the two crate carriers to the ground, and tied them up with the ropes they carried.

"Yeah. Baron Wind Tour will definitely punish them."

Taz nodded confidently.

The other boy in the group burst into laughter.

"Maybe we’ll even get a few copper coins as a reward. Amazing. I’m definitely going to become a legendary figure in High Castle Province someday."

"Aw, that’d be embarrassing."

Taz scratched his head shyly.

"It was nothing, really."

"Everyone, don’t worry. The bad guys have already been caught."

Julia proudly announced it to the crowd.

Yet nobody among the onlookers cheered. They only stared at the three youths with strange expressions.

Feeling awkward, Julia crouched down and tried to wake the unconscious woman.

"Move aside, move aside. What are you sewer rats crowding around here for?"

Accompanied by the clanking sounds of weapons and armor colliding, a fully armed patrol squad pushed through the crowd like a wave. When they arrived before the three youths, the captain revealed a mouth full of rotten teeth.

"Why are you fighting?"

Taz immediately stepped forward indignantly.

"They’re human traffickers. They stuffed a woman inside a crate. After we discovered them, they even pulled out knives and attacked us."

"Oh?"

The patrol captain glanced at the woman on the ground before signaling to his subordinate.

"Take her somewhere safe."

"As for the rest of you..."

The captain paused briefly before waving his hand.

"Tie them all up and bring them back for interrogation by the lord."

"Why are you tying us up? We didn’t do anything wrong."

Taz panicked.

"Kid, I need to interrogate you first before I can determine whether you’re telling the truth."

"Fine, but I swear I really didn’t do anything wrong."

The patrol soldiers dragged all five involved people away after tying them up and led them into a nearby alley.

"Baron Wind Tour’s castle isn’t this way, is it?"

Julia immediately sensed something was wrong, but before she could get an answer—

A patrol soldier beside her suddenly pressed a handkerchief over Little Xi’s mouth. An overwhelmingly sweet scent flooded into her nose.

The girl’s eyes widened in shock. She instinctively struggled, only to realize she had already been tied tightly and could not move at all.

Within seconds, Julia’s body went limp as she fell unconscious.

"What are you doing, you bastards?!"

"Julia! Are you okay?!"

The two boys were horrified, but before they could resist, a vicious gust of force exploded from the captain’s iron fist and slammed brutally into Taz, knocking him to the ground.

The patrol captain let out a savage grin.

"Meddling little trash. Who told you to interfere with affairs inside our territory?"

"Beat the two boys hard. Leave them alive, but don’t kill them. Meat only tastes freshest when they’re still alive and die hanging upside down from blood congestion."

"As for the girl, bring her to my room. Heh. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a top-quality beauty. This week’s ’stock’ goes to her."

The patrol soldiers pulled out wooden clubs and surrounded the two boys with cruel smiles, beating them mercilessly as endless screams echoed through the alley.

"Lord Rotten Teeth, thanks for your help."

The two brutes previously beaten by Taz had their ropes untied by nearby soldiers and immediately began bowing repeatedly in flattery.

"Be more careful next time, hear me? Don’t cause trouble for Baron Busby."

"Yes, yes, of course. Aren’t we all serving the baron anyway? This batch of women being sent to Maple Leaf Territory are all shining piles of gold coins."

The patrol captain smiled brightly.

"Exactly. Life is only comfortable this way."

"By the way, my lord, why does Maple Leaf Territory need so many women? Can Baron Maple Leaf even handle all of them?"

"Stop asking questions. The less we know about noble affairs, the better."

Rotten Teeth pointed toward the half-beaten Taz and the other boy.

"Alright, that’s enough. Send them to Lord Kretch quickly."

The patrol soldiers dragged the two nearly beaten-to-death boys deeper into the dark alley until they disappeared completely.

Meanwhile, Newte straightened his clothes and arrived before the mansion of the wealthy merchant Kretch.

The thugs at the entrance immediately drew their blades to stop him.

"Who are you? No one is allowed near this place."

"I’m here to see the owner."

Newte straightened his back proudly and raised his head.

"I’ve come to redeem my family. They were serfs before, but not anymore. I’m now a soldier of Nightfall Domain!"

The thugs exchanged glances. Not daring to offend a subordinate of a noble, they chose to head inside and report it first.

Kretch was a middle-aged man dressed in a refined shirt with a carefully groomed beard.

He resembled an English gentleman or perhaps even a noble, though that was merely his fantasy. Nobility was not something money alone could buy.

"Newte? If I remember correctly, you were one of the serfs I sold."

Kretch frowned in disgust.

"And yet you dare step onto my expensive floorboards. Good heavens, what has the world come to? Truly disgusting."

He waved his hand impatiently, signaling his men to throw Newte out.

"You idiots. Don’t bring just anyone before me next time."

Because Newte had been one of the most troublesome slaves, Kretch remembered him clearly.

"I’m free now. And I’m a soldier of Nightfall Domain."

Newte spoke proudly.

"I’m no longer a slave. I don’t even bear a slave brand anymore."

"I came to redeem my family. Here is the payment."

Newte pulled out two gleaming gold coins from his pocket. They were proof of the enemies he had desperately fought to kill. Of course, part of the money had also been borrowed from his comrades.

At the thought of reuniting with his family, Newte’s heart pounded wildly with nervousness. To him, any price was worth paying as long as he could be with them again.

"Hiss..."

Kretch stared greedily at the gold coins. Even though his personal treasury already contained piles of them, who would ever complain about having too much gold?

"I’m not interested."

After hesitating for a long moment, a ruthless glint flashed through Kretch’s eyes. But when he remembered Phield’s powerful army, he ultimately waved his hand dismissively.

"I already sold your family off long ago. There’s nobody left for you to redeem. Now get lost."

"What?! You’re lying!"

Newte panicked instantly and lunged forward to grab Kretch by the collar for answers, only for the surrounding thugs to seize him immediately and throw him straight out the door.