I can evolve everything

This situation made Ryan hesitate. Given Karen's alertness, it was impossible for her not to hear him. Unless she was pretending to be asleep, or had fallen for a trap?

Just as Ryan was hesitating whether to wake Karen, the sound in the distance suddenly became urgent, accompanied by a heavy thud as something kicked the floor.

It was too late. Rein roughly estimated the distance of the sound; it wasn't too far. After confirming that Karen would definitely hear any fighting breaking out, Rein made his judgment.

Rein gestured for Ella to go over there, then said softly, "Should we check the situation first?"

Ella nodded, and the two of them pressed themselves against the wall of the corridor, silently making their way toward the source of the sound.

The sound came from a study located around the corner.

The mahogany door wasn't closed completely, leaving a gap about the width of a finger.

The dim candlelight leaked through the crack in the door, casting a long horizontal line on the floor.

Raine held his breath, slowly approached, and peered through the crack in the door.

Then, his pupils suddenly contracted.

There weren't many candles lit in the study, making the room dim and oppressive.

A tall figure was standing with his back to the door.

He was wearing plate armor, and a tattered black cloak hung on the ground.

That's Barron.

The "hangman" was raising his right hand high, his gloved hand gripping a thick rope tightly.

The rope was looped around the iron hooks on the ceiling that were originally used to hang chandeliers, and the other end was tightly wrapped around a person's neck.

The person currently suspended in the air, about to suffocate, is Harold.

The sheriff, who had been chatting and laughing at the dinner table not long ago, was now like a fish that had been pulled out of the water, its feet dangling in the air, kicking desperately a few feet off the ground.

His hands were tied behind his back, and his kind and gentle face turned a deep purplish-red, his eyes bulged, and his tongue lolled out of his mouth.

"He...he..."

Harold made some faint sounds in his throat, as if he was trying desperately to breathe but couldn't get any air in. His eyes were filled with fear and pleading for death.

But Barron remained unmoved.

He held the rope steadily, as if lifting a bag of garbage, without even turning around, only whispering slowly to Harold, who was struggling in his death throes:

"According to Chapter Four of the Silver Law... those who betray the Knightly Law shall be deprived of their right to breathe."

"Repent, Harold. Perhaps you can avoid being burned at the gates of hell."

Seeing the scene in the study, the two exchanged a brief glance without much eye contact. In the view seen through the crack in the door, even a second of hesitation could have allowed Baron to succeed.

"Bang!"

Without any warning, Ryan raised his foot, found the right spot, and delivered a swift front kick to the wooden door.

The wooden door was kicked open instantly!

Just as the door panel popped open, a cold light shot out from beside Renn.

That was the short sword that Ella threw. Even though Ella had almost no time to aim, it still flew precisely to Baron's wrist that was holding the rope.

"Um?"

Baron couldn't help but let out a soft hum, somewhat surprised by this.

Faced with this sneak attack, even Baron had to make a choice.

He acted decisively, loosening the taut hemp rope. As soon as his fingers relaxed, the rope lost its tension, and his large hand, clad in an iron glove, suddenly snapped back, using the back of his hand to strike outwards with the nail plate, knocking the short sword away.

The short sword flew out at an angle and embedded itself in the bookshelf.

But Ella had achieved her goal. The rope lost its tension, causing Harold, who was on the verge of suffocation, to fall heavily to the floor like a sack of rotten potatoes.

The old sheriff coughed violently, like a dying shrimp curling up and rolling on the ground.

Barron ignored Harold, who had fallen from the gallows. He slowly turned around, his eyes behind the iron mask sweeping over the two young men in the doorway, his brow furrowing.

"Interrupting an execution is a serious crime."

Baron was well aware that the presence of these two apprentice knights meant that Karen was likely to arrive soon, leaving him with little time.

Therefore, he no longer insisted on using hanging.

He drew a broadsword from under the tattered cloak.

It was a broadsword used for executions, covered with serrations and dried blood grooves.

Without any warning, he swung the broadsword with one hand and slashed it down at Harold on the ground.

Simple and direct, yet its force was enough to split Harold's skull in two.

"Harold!" Ella exclaimed.

But Ryan is faster than the sound.

The moment the broadsword was raised, Renn had already moved. But he didn't rush forward to parry with his sword like a protagonist in an overly passionate chivalrous novel.

That's courting death.

With Baron's strength, trying to take the hit head-on would only result in him being stabbed through the heart, sword and all.

Ryan pushed off the ground with both feet, twisted his waist and abdomen, and shot towards Baron's left side, heading straight for Baron's face.

The strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao".

The longsword in his hand pierced straight through the only observation hole in Baron's iron mask.

If Barron is determined to kill Harold, then the sharp sword will pierce his brain first.

"……Oh."

Baron let out a soft chuckle.

The execution sword, about to fall, abruptly stopped in mid-air. With a flick of the wrist, the wide side of the blade was used to block the sword against the side of the face.

The longsword pierced the back of the broadsword, and the recoil made Renn's hand feel numb and tingly.

But this bought them even just a second.

Harold on the ground was, after all, a veteran who had fought his way through hordes of monsters on the border, and a knight who had practiced breathing techniques.

His survival instinct made him disregard his appearance, and in that instant, he writhed wildly to the side like a worm.

Baron's second sword followed immediately, striking heavily where Harold had just been lying.

The carpet shattered instantly, and a crack appeared in the oak floor, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

Harold, his face ashen, scrambled to hide under the desk, his disheveled appearance bearing no resemblance to the dignified sheriff he once was.

"good."

Barron did not continue to pursue Harold.

He sheathed his broadsword, casually flicked his wrist, and his gaze, hidden behind the mask, fell on Renn.

"Most knights who have just taken up a sword will foolishly rush up to shield others from blows. Then I'll cleave them in two, sword and all."

Baron's voice was hoarse as he turned toward Renn, carrying the heavy broadsword in one hand.

"You're smart, kid. You know that even in the name of justice, you have to save your own life first."

"You flatter me."

Raine held his sword with both hands, lowered his body slightly, and assumed the starting stance of the "Iron Wall Stance".

His gaze was fixed on every joint of Baron, watching every slight movement of Baron's shoulders, neck, knees, and ankles, not daring to relax for the slightest.

"Unfortunately, intelligence can't save you now."