"I thought the elves were supposed to be peace loving," Blavi said, shaking his head. Even though he respected the elves, he was angered by their actions. They did not want to fight with the elves. They even had elves with them. However, it was the elves that started the fight. Blavi knew that the four elves that came to join them should not be trusted, either.
The mercenaries had finished the job, and a few walked over to Ye. They whispered something to him, and Ye nodded, turning to Anfey. "The cleanup is almost done," Ye said. "I suggest that we head back immediately."
Anfey nodded in agreement.
"What should we do with the prisoners?" Ye asked, glancing at the huddled elves. "They will slow us down."
Anfey frowned and said with a sigh, "Kill all of them." If the elves only targeted him, he could take it as proof that Manstuly was working against him. However, they also targeted Suzanna, which proved that the elves were working against him even without Manstuly’s direction. If he let those elves go, the elves would think that he was too weak. He needed to teach the elves a lesson.
Anfey’s words were clearly not received well. A lot of mercenaries were very disappointed by his decision; even Ozzic was
shaking his head. The elves, however, did not cry out or protest despite their shock. Normally, the worst punishment for an elf would be slavery.
Ye nodded and waved at his men.
"Wait, my lord!" a mercenary standing behind Shinbella suddenly said.
"What is it?" Anfey asked.
"If you are going to kill them anyway, my lord, why don’t you give them to us?" the mercenary asked with a smirk.
The mercenaries around him burst out laughing. The mercenary had said something a lot of the others were thinking. Even Ozzic grinned.
"What did you just say?" Anfey asked quietly. Ozzic frowned. He was very sensitive to changes in people’s moods. Anfey sounded very calm, but Ozzic felt that he was planning something.
"Give those elves to us, my lord," the mercenary said. "We’ll take care of them for you."
The mercenaries laughed again. Some of the elves looked at the mercenaries with disdain, but they did not make a noise. One of the nearby mercenaries reached over and grabbed one of the elves with a smirk on his face. The elf he grabbed narrowed her eyes in disgust. She yanked her arm out of his grip and slapped his hand away. The mercenary, angered by her resistance, took a step back and drew his sword.
"Shinbella," Anfey called. "Is he your man?"
Shinbella
man?"
Shinbella nodded. She did not approve of the mercenary’s actions either, but she wasn’t certain when she should intervene. Anfey glanced at the mercenary. Shinbella nodded. She dashed towards the mercenary and knocked his sword out of his hand. Then she kicked him in the chest, sending him flying through the air.
The laughter and jeering stopped as the mercenary landed on the ground with a grunt.
"We are mercenaries," Anfey said, looking at the silent mercenaries. "Not robbers, not rapists. Anyone who suggests otherwise can leave now." He paused and looked at the mercenary who first spoke.
He knew he had to punish the elves to make an example, but he did not want to put them through unnecessary suffering. He was in the right in punishing them, but he wouldn’t be in the right if he let the mercenaries do whatever they wanted with the elves.
If he let the mercenaries do whatever they wanted, his leadership could be questioned in the future. Saul and Bruzuryano had placed their hopes in him, and he couldn’t let them down. His friends and wife were depending on him as well, so he couldn’t let them down either.
Anfey glanced at Ye, who nodded and drew his sword.
Unlike the elves, the captured mercenaries begged for mercy before they were executed. The
executed. The elves, although they were clearly terrified, steeled themselves in the face of death. They did not make a single noise as they died.
The mercenary that first suggested turning the elves over to the mercenaries stood there. He glanced at the dead elves, as if ashamed by his earlier suggestion. He knew Anfey would not let him back into the mercenary group.
The mercenary lying on the ground did not move as the prisoners died. No one wanted to approach and help him because no one wanted Anfey and Shinbella to get angry again.
After the bodies were cleaned up, Ozzic took his men and began heading back. Anfey and Shinbella began heading back as well after they exchanged a few brief words. Ye, however, remained still as if he had some unfinished business.
Soon, the only people left on the field were Ye and the two exiled mercenaries. The mercenary that was still conscious walked over to Ye carefully.
"My lord!" he called. He had been part of Jagged Rose mercenary group since he was a teenager. It was a very sad thing to see his friends turn away from him as if they were strangers. To him, Shinbella’s action was betrayal. He did not know what to do.
"What is it?" Ye asked.
"You are familiar with Lord Anfey, with Lord Anfey, my lord," the mercenary said. "Can you talk to Lord Anfey for me? Please, I will forever be in your debt."
Ye sighed. "If you want women, there are hundreds of women in White Mountain City," he said, shaking his head.
"I know, I know," the mercenary said. "Please, help me."
"I will try," Ye said. "I promise nothing."
"Thank you, my lord!"
Ye waved his hand. "You’re lucky," he said, glancing at the unconscious mercenary. "At least you’re not him."
The mercenary nodded. "I never thought Lady Shinbella would…"
Ye narrowed his eyes and glanced at the unconscious mercenary. "Is he moving?"
"Really?" The mercenary frowned and turned to look at the man. Before he could do anything, however, a sharp pain in his chest distracted him. He froze, then fell to the ground as Ye pulled his sword out.
"You are blaming Shinbella for this," Ye said as he walked over to the unconscious man. "You will only be trouble in the future. I have to take care of you two now." He slashed the unconscious man’s neck and shook his sword. Ye knew that if enemies had found these two mercenaries, they would have spilled everything they knew. That would put everyone in danger.
The dying mercenary watched as Ye left, then he spat on the ground and grew still.