The Devil’s Cage

Behind Kieran was a figure approaching without any movement in the wind; the dagger in the figure’s hand was driving towards Kieran’s back.

However, the figure purposely avoided Kieran’s weak spot, instead, the dagger was aimed at Kieran’s shoulder.

Riley didn’t want to kill Kieran. The attack wasn’t personal.

From a certain aspect, Riley admired the peasant elder son of the Burning Family quite a bit, how he ditched his own name and honor and come to a small town near Supreme Road to be its sheriff.

It would seem illogical in many people’s perspective.

One needed to know, despite the peasant elder son of the Burning Family not being able to inherit the Burning Marquis’ position, it was still possible for him to acquire lordship or dukeship.

Even though it wasn’t hereditary, a lot of people would kill for those titles.

So, Riley chose to strike in a considerable way but at the next moment, he was glad he made that choice.

Ssss!

Venomous snake hisses echoed in Riley’s ear. His body quivered; his eyes opened wide as he was terrorized by that kick that defied human body structure.

Bang!

Kieran tiptoed on Riley’s neck. He controlled his kick properly so that Riley didn’t receive any actual damage; all he suffered was being knocked unconcious.

Kieran slightly frowned as he looked at the trio on the ground.

Snacker, Blu and Riley. The three of them didn’t bear any killing intent toward him.

His Intuition told him so. However, it wasn’t possible for “Modi” to arrange people without killing intent to attack him, especially when Kieran captured Old Peeker.

“Another faction?”

Kieran glanced at the trio again. He grabbed them by the collars with one hand and Old Peeker on the other while he returned to his security office.

Inside the security office, Volgen was already questioning the captive.

When he saw Kieran bring in Old Peeker, the young captain was dumbstruck.

“Even Old Peeker?” Volgen had a complicated look over his face.

For the young captain who treated Shatterstone as his home, everyone on the town was family to him to a certain extent, but the ones he just caught were mostly his “family”.

Volgen found it hard to accept emotionally but his logic told him what was right.

“Do you need me to question him?” Volgen asked.

“No, leave him to me. Split them up in different cells. Send two men to watch them and don’t provide any food to them other than water. After that, bring the rest of the group and search their houses for valuables,” Kieran ordered with a wave of a hand.

“Yes, my lord.” Young Volgen carried out the order quickly.

All of the captives, including Snacker, Blu, and Riley were searched before they were locked in the “cell” of the security office.

The “cell” was actually a narrow jail cell that even a grown man would find it hard to lie down in.

The security office had 15 of those “cells”. It was remodeled from two normal bedrooms by adding metal bars and stone walls built in the middle; despite its crudeness, it was enough to handle most of the criminals in the town.

Two civilian soldiers were patrolling along the corridor by taking shifts.

They would check each and every cell every 10 minutes; one of them led the way with an oil lamp and a sword while the other held a crossbow behind for support.

Kieran gave the order to both of them to kill without mercy if the captives dared to cause trouble.

Kieran purposely didn’t lower his voice when he gave the kill order, so most of the captives in the cells heard what he said.

The captives were unusually cooperative after that. None of them dared to question Kieran’s decision to kill, especially when they heard how Kieran interrogated the other captive. They felt more fearful of Kieran after that.

“Aaaaa! Aaaargh!”

“My finger!”

“My eyes! I’m blind!”

“Please spare me! Have mercy!”

“I’ve told you everything I know!”

…

Fingers being broken, eyes being stabbed, teeth and bones being cracked; on top of all of that, the sizzling noise of the branding of skin and the charred smell was obvious as well.

Old Peeker and Sayer couldn’t see any of that but they heard it and smelled it; it was enough for them to tremble in fear.

Snacker, Blu, and Riley’s face turned pale. Until that moment, they remembered the Burning Family was known for their ruthless and merciless acts other than their special gifts and powers.

“Bring these men outside the town and hang them to death.”

The calm and flat voice sounded without any emotions attached, anyone who heard that would shiver without feeling cold, including the two civilian soldiers.

Though, Kieran didn’t even have to rush them to move quickly as they automatically carried out their orders.

There were few notorious wanted men, a ruthless killer that had been on the wanted list oin the past was dragged outside by the two soldiers like a dead dog and was hung over the town gate.

There was not even the slightest resistance in the process.

These notorious, vicious bastards weren’t ready to die but all of their bones were almost crushed; they didn’t even want to resist anymore.

Death was the only exit for them.

“Then… what about you guys?”

Kieran stood in front of the cells and asked slowly.

No to a single person but to all of the captives.

“My lord, I hereby pledge my allegiance to you and will tell you everything I know! I can even bring you a great sum of fortune!” Sayer said without a second thought since he was the one who surrendered on his own will.

“My lord, please spare me, I know that bastard’s secret hideout!”

Old Peeker was speaking louder than Sayer. It was very suspicious of him though, how could a dwarf-like body like his speak so loudly?

The confession from both of them granted them a chance to live another day.

However, Snacker, Blue, and Riley were different.

The pride in their hearts forbid them from being like Sayer and Old Peeker: giving up their pride in exchange for their lives.

The three of them looked at each other through the metal bars; they saw the bitterness in each other’s eyes.

They never would have thought after leaving Dawn City, before they even caught a glimpse of Burning Dawn’s military camp, they were going to be hung to death on the town gate by Burning Family’s peasant elder son.

If this spread down to Dawn City, it might be the joke of the century! Everyone would be laughing at them for decades to come.

Usually, the trio would laugh at jokes but when the jokes were on them, they really couldn’t find the leisure to do so.

“My lord, we really didn’t mean any ill intentions. I was just curious back there and my comrades here attacked you to save me. If you really want to hang us to death, please hang me alone. Spare my comrades,” Snacker said.

He hoped his comrades would live to see another day but Snacker wrongly estimated his comrades’ thoughts.

“Death is not scary, especially under the hands of another sharpshooter. I wish to die under your bow not a rope over my neck!” Blue said loudly.

“What technique did you use before? The secret inheritance from Burning Family? Can you show me again? Otherwise, I’ll die a restless death!” Riley said loudly.

When he heard his comrades speak those words out loud, if he was not behind bars, Snacker would really want to go up to his comrades, grab them by the neck and scold them, “Are you out of your mind?”

Just when Snacker face-palmed himself, regretting teaming up with two ridiculous guys to venture around Supreme Road, a night breeze was blown into the security office.

It carried a sweet scent with it and what was more concerning was the owner of the sweet scent.

A girl with a reddish brown hood.

Despite her face being covered by the hood, everyone in the cell was infatuated by her graceful body as if they saw a beauty that was out of this world.

Except for Kieran. The moment the girl appeared, Kieran launched a kick at her face.