The Hidden King

Chapter 11

The Fang Dock is one of the largest ports in the River Domain, bustling with commercial activities. Various vendors were selling goods on the streets, and the smell of baking bread and meat was mixed with exotic spices.

Millia stood at the entrance of a small inn, waiting for Eric and Heidi to return from the harbor. Dressed like a distant merchant, she could hardly tell her gender.

They set off at midnight and arrived at the Fang Dock in the River Domain just as the sky was getting light. They didn't expect the ships going south to have already departed in the morning. They could only rest and wait around the dock, trying their luck to find a boat that would take them downstream the fastest.

Facing the bustling crowd, Millia stood under a canopy, trying to conceal herself in the afternoon shade as much as possible.

The crowd parted on the road. A black horse and a black-clad figure appeared before Millia. It was Ethan, who had indeed returned to his own territory. Ethan dismounted, and Millia gestured for him to walk down a quiet alley outside the inn.

Milia pulled back her hood in the empty surroundings, her expression betraying an ineffable weariness. It wasn't just the arduous journey weighing on her, but also the heavy burden of confronting a truth she'd rather ignore. Ethan couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between the woman before him now and the noble lady he first encountered in the halls of Lawrence City.

"Have you found Joseph's home?" Ethan cut to the chase. Milia's despondent gaze suggested she'd stumbled upon someone unexpected at Joseph's house. "Kenny isn't dead," Milia let out a bitter chuckle. "He swears he didn't harm Joseph. According to him, he was only trying to assist Joseph onto the carriage, unaware of why Joseph had suddenly shown up in Lawrence. Kenny suspected Joseph might have been seriously ill and hoped to take him to the temple for treatment."

"But we both know the truth. I've asked around Lawrence City, and no one has seen Joseph recently. Kenny's story is too neat. Joseph miraculously ran back to Lawrence from the river domain, only to meet his end at your doorstep, conveniently providing Kenny with a 'corpse' for his staged death and escape. Do you buy into this?" Ethan's laughter dripped with skepticism as he eyed Milia.

Milia hesitated, unable to offer a response. "Kenny claims you're extorting him, accusing him of Joseph's murder. That's why he's avoiding you. He insists he's never laid a hand on you."

"Madam, I have no interest in Kenny's gold!" Ethan's frustration bubbled over, his voice rising in indignation. "To you, I'm just a hired sword after money. Yes, I did accept Thomas's payment to accompany his messenger, Marber, to Lawrence City that night. We arrived under cover of darkness, and I told Marber I needed some air, only to stumble upon the scene at your doorstep."

"Are you saying you didn't intentionally seek out Kenny?" Milia eyed Ethan suspiciously. "I no longer believe in coincidences. If you want us on your side, honesty is your best bet."

"Oh, so you're considering an alliance with me?" Ethan's tone softened, lips pursing. "I apologize, madam. I admit my appearance at your doorstep that night wasn't mere happenstance. I had personal matters to discuss with Kenny."

Turning away, Ethan delved into his past, memories etched deep within his soul. "I have a younger sister, almost a decade my junior," Ethan began, his voice tinged with sorrow. "Our mother passed away when she was born. As wanderers, we scraped by in the river domain, clinging to each other for survival."

"My sister vanished. At the time, OLVE New Alliance was recruiting at Fangtooth Wharf, where I sought answers about her disappearance. That's where I crossed paths with Kenny. I trusted him, your late husband. He seemed like a rising hero."