Chapter 284 Fear (3)
Billy gave Svan the chance to move by himself since Rosalie and her servants didn't know how to fight in case something happened. While the girls taught her some magic, she never had to use it in real combat and didn't have many chances to practice in a spar. With that in mind, Rosalie, more than anyone, knew that trying to fight would be beyond reckless. Still, it has been a while since Billy had to look after someone. The last time it happened, he ended up causing problems for many people... he also had to kill some guys, even though they worked for an asshole, that troubled a lot of people. He could only hope that the same thing won't happen again...
In any case, Rosalie guided the group to a certain tavern. Billy wondered why people couldn't just reunite in a place less obvious and crowded. Still, informants couldn't get information and sell it in many other places. It was the only night in the evening, so the place was pretty crowded, so they used the backdoor, and after knocking on it several times and in a certain sequence, someone weird showed up. It was an old and bearded man who appeared to be drunk, so he frowned when he saw so many cloaked figures at the back of the tavern.
"Who might you all be?" The old man asked. "If you want some food, sorry to say that we are short on it since the town is so full. No one has money either, so don't come to beg, okay?"
"It has been a while, Marc," Rosalie said and then took out her cloak. "Do you mind if we talk for a bit?"
"That voice… and your appearance… Do you really miss Rosalie?" Marc asked. "You have grown so much… I have heard that you fled to Hiloh state and that you also had tried Riormi, but I didn't believe that they would shelter you so easily. Please enter. We can't let some troublesome individuals see you yet."
"... Thank you," Rosalie said.
Those words troubled her, and Billy noticed that something sounded weird as well. Regardless, he could hear the explanation soon enough. Since the tavern was big, the owners lived on the top floors, and the old man guided the visitors to the top of the place.
The actual owners of the tavern were working below, and they were the kids of the old man. He couldn't call them for a long talk now since things would be suspicious. In any case, Marc took some time watching Rosalie and believing that she was truly alive. While she was a niece of the previous lord, she still could take his place and become ruler. In times like those, the people thought that their states were over when the ruling families were killed.
"We have heard that some of our people are being captured and killed by the soldiers of Hiloh state, that they are attacking villages that only have civilians at night with cowardly tactics," Marc said, and then he saw Gilles under the hood. "... I suppose that was a lie as well."
"I have been helping Billy here with the evacuation," Gilles said. "You have my word that no one was killed, and we have been treated fairly well. Even the barbarians were only captured."
"Billy… the Cursed harbinger of death," Marc said.
"That is quite the nickname you came up for me…" Billy said.
"So, you are here… That is the title the soldiers that faced you and survived decided to call you," Marc said while frowning when Billy showed his face.
"In any case, my name doesn't sound strong, and it doesn't combine with the title, so it sounds like a joke," Billy said.
"Putting what you think of the matter aside, the thing that I mentioned earlier involves you," Marc said. "I can see now that you only did because we started the wars, but the survivors of both wars loathe you. The families of those who died also will probably throw stones at your body if you were to be defeated by one of us."
"I suppose it would be weird if they liked me," Billy shrugged.
Billy has been avoiding killing when he could avoid it, but things were different when it came to the last two wars and those involved in it. He wouldn't risk the lives of his friends and those who were fighting by his side to spare those who hated him by following the orders of a dumbass and a madwoman.
"Many of the people who truly hate you have been assigned to this town, probably because Jeannette assumed that you would come anyway," Marc said. "If they hear about you… they will turn upside down the whole town to find and kill you."
"Well, I have been avoiding killing lately, but when it comes to real hate…" Billy said and then looked at Gilles and Rosalie. "I won't hold back. People who hold grudges over what happens in wars are truly dangerous and stupid as well. That is a troublesome combination."
"I suppose," Marc said.
Rosalie and Gilles didn't like how things were turning out, but they couldn't complain because they also agreed with Billy. It seemed that Jeannette moved those people to that place in order to cause problems for Billy or to at least discover how he was moving the immigrants without leaving traces. Still, Billy knew how to deal with that. The only problem… was the fact that he would waste even more time. Perhaps heading to face Jeannette and kill her once and for all was the best course of action.
"We can at least prevent innocent people from losing their lives in the next war and upcoming battles," Gilles said. "After everything that happened, it would be too much that our plans would be carried out with so much ease. We should be happy that we can save dozens of thousands considering that we let our leaders be fooled by Jeanette."
