"Master Harry, does that mean, this lad is a sword master?" Victor, who was in shock, asked stupidly.
Harry nodded, "General Victor, you can't even imagine the things he can do with the sword. Even I can't perform many of them." Harry patted Alan's shoulders proudly.
Turning to the old Duke, Harry asked, "Your grace, why are you out here with so many men? Why would someone attack, knowing the consequences if they fail in their mission?"
"We were heading to Green Town to meet Healer Helen for Irene's apprenticeship. As for the attack, we are yet to uncover the truth," Samuel explained.
Then he looked towards his general. Victor nodded and approached the unconscious leader of the masked mercenaries.
When Victor removed the mask, everyone in the Duke's family gasped in surprise.
"Walton!" Irene exclaimed.
Dave, puzzled, looked at Irene and asked, "Do you know him, my lady?"
Irene took a deep breath and nodded. "He came seeking my hand in marriage a couple of weeks ago. His family, once nobility, fell from grace and from the status of nobility due to their greed."
"They raised taxes, exploiting the common people. Eventually, the commoners, with the help of few powerful families, overthrew them."
"When my father rejected his proposal, he was very upset and angry. He even had vowed consequences for my father's denial. I believe this was his plan all along."
"Is that so. This old bastard wanted to marry you? He looks older than my father!!!" Dave looked at him with disgust.
"Anyone have water here?" He looked around.
A guard standing nearby handed him a water skin. Dave gulped down few sips of water and then poured the remaining on the unconcious Waltons face.
Walton jerked and sat up with a start, then started wailing from pain between his legs. Dave took him by his collar and hoisted him up in the air by his left hand as if he was lifting a baby.
"Please, let me go. I apologize for all my mistakes let me go. I can give you gold. A lot of them. Please let me.... let me live." Walton started pleading and sobbing.
"How much gold can you offer me to spare your pathetic life?" Dave asked with greed in his eyes.
The old duke, his family and his retinue were all taken aback by Dave's words. Irene was disappointed thinking that Dave, whome she thought was a hero, also turned out to be a greedy person. But what puzzled her was the reaction of his friends.
Everyone was smiling and shaking their head. "Here he goes again...." Bob facepalmed .
"I..... I can give you 50,000 gold now. Its there in that wagon. "He turned his head to his right side pointing towards a wagon in panic.
" Good... That gold is mine now." Dave looked satisfied. Please ask someone to check if the gold is there on that caravan." Dave asked looking at the General. Even though, Victor felt like asking Dave about his motives, he withheld his curiosity and sent four men who brought 2 big chest of gold coins.
"There...., the gold is there, now let me go. Please." Walton pleaded again.
Satisfied to see the boxes filled with gold, Dave asked "General how many men you have lost today?"
"28 of my men lost their life." Victor said sadly. Anger started to boil inside him as he looked at Walton.
"General, please share the gold equally to the family members of all those who lost there life today. Also spare some gold for those who got injured." Dave announced surprising everyone. Irene felt chagrin for thinking negatively about Dave.
"Now what was your plan? Who else is involved in this?" Dave still holding him up in mid air, asked casually.
"No... no one is there except me. I wanted to marry Irene and become the next Duke, but Fredrick rejected my proposal. I wanted to teach him a lesson by taking Irene away, and.... and..... " Walton faltered, looking fearful to continue.
"Go on, no use in hiding anything from me. Its good that you are talking, orelse I would have started cutting off your toes one by one to get the truth out." Dave grinned wickedly.
Everyone except the boys felt the hair on their arms stand on its end in fear hearing the cruel method of torture explained by Dave.
No..., no... please, I am telling the truth. I will tell you everything. Walton continued. " After.... after..... Walton took a deep breath and continued, "after having fun with Irene I planned to cut her into pieces and send it back to Duke Fredrick and leave this kingdom forever."
Irene shiverd, tears started to fall down her cheeks. Dave glanced at her once and then at the boys. After watching their expressions he looked at Harry who gave a slight nod and smiled with clear blood lust in his expression.
"Tell me all about your family members and relatives? Their details, their location?" Dave asked after schooling his temper.
" I.... I killed them all. They were all against my wishes, They didn't support me. Not even a single one. so I killed them all." Walton said proudly."
"How many were there? What about their bodies?" Dave asked in such calmness that the old duke, Victor and the duke's family members felt a shiver run down their back.
Hesitating a moment, Walton spoke again. " Including my mother, there were 42. Their bodies laying in the wine cellar of my mansion. I was planning to set the mansion on fire along with their bodies before leaving the kingdom."
"How old are you Walten?" Dave continued asking in a casual tone of conversation .
"I turned 46 last month." Walton said.
" I think our duke was blind to refuse your proposal. You were asking his 16 year old daughter's hand in marriage. There is not at all a big age gap." Dave said sarcastically.
"Walton noded his head in earnest. Yes my dear sir. You are absolutely right. I would have take care of Irene day and night. She would have enjoyed her women hood with me." The lust in his eyes disgusted everyone. Irene started sobbing harder.