Lord: I can see loyalty.

Gina raised her hand and lifted the sword, then shook off the bloodstains on the blade and sheathed it. Although she was only wearing the simplest leather armor, she exuded a knightly aura.

After a moment of silence, the stands erupted in thunderous cheers!

Vio also breathed a sigh of relief and released his grip on the sword hilt.

Hearing the cheers around him, Neil realized that he had been defeated. Looking at the broken blade on the ground, his eyes were filled with disbelief.

This was made by dwarves... no, it's just that this thing is too powerful; I'm no match for her at all!

Seeing the excited looks on the faces of the spectators in the arena, Neil's face darkened, and he abruptly stood up, saying, "What are you shouting for! I haven't lost yet, that's right..."

Neil seemed to realize something, a twisted smile spreading across his face: "The rules of a duel are that one party must either concede or kill the opponent, and she failed to do either!"

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent for a moment, followed by boos and laughter.

Although the nobles and wealthy merchants who came to watch the performance were not necessarily skilled in swordsmanship, most of them were enthusiasts. How could they not tell who won?

Neil's face flushed red and veins bulged. He gripped the broken twin swords tightly and was about to stand up, but a sharp pain in his shoulder forced him to let go and cover his wound.

"Master Neil!"

A cry of surprise came from the stage. An elderly servant with short white hair was rushing down to the battlefield, accompanied by several servants and a man dressed as a magician.

"Grab her! She's the one who injured the young master!" Several servants who arrived first pointed at Gina in front of Neil and kept urging the red-robed guards who stood motionless to the side.

The masked guard in red robes ignored the short servant and stared straight ahead. The servant was anxious and drew the sword from the guard's waist, ready to rush forward.

"Stop! They are my guests!" A dignified voice came from above, and upon hearing this familiar voice, the onlookers immediately fell silent.

The servant was so frightened by the angry shout that he stood frozen in place.

Felix had returned to the stands at some point, and the nobles around him made way for him.

Vio also arrived at the battlefield and grabbed Gina's hand anxiously, asking, "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing, just a minor injury." Gina shook her head, and a smile finally appeared on her solemn face.

The white-haired servant, accompanied by his entourage, approached Neil and was about to begin treatment when the voice from above came again.

"Treat Lord Vio's guards first!" Felix looked down at the crowd on the battlefield, his expression obscured by the backlight.

The person dressed as a magician was taken aback, hesitated for a few seconds, and then turned around and came to Gina.

"Is this it?" The mage raised his staff toward the bloodstains on Gina's hand.

After a rapid chanting, light covered the wound, and when the light faded, the wound had healed.

Neil glared angrily at the crowd in front of him and the people in the stands, finally fixing his gaze on Felix.

"Pah!" He spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm on the sand, endured the excruciating pain, stood up, and walked straight outside despite the servants' attempts to stop him.

After the treatment was completed, Vio and the others returned to the stands and left the arena under Felix's guidance.

They walked through the bustling inner city streets, passed through several archways, and finally arrived at the Earl's Castle.

"Count Felix, your younger brother..." Sitting at the magnificent dining table, looking at the table full of delicacies, Vio asked politely.

"Ignore him!" Felix waved his hand, his face full of annoyance. "That idiot is a coward; he'll go find the priest himself."

Vio smiled emotionlessly as he handed Gina, who was wolfing down her food and nearly choked, a glass of water.

"Let's not talk about that guy anymore, Lord Vio, let's get straight to the point."

As he spoke, Felix's tone and expression changed. His previous annoyance vanished, and he asked seriously, with a hint of probing, "Lord Vio, did you really defeat the bandits who occupied Bordeaux village and reclaim it?"

Felix had met Vio's father and also met Vio as a child, so he naturally had no doubt about Vio's identity.

"Of course," Vio replied casually, taking a sip of his wine before saying, "My lord, I also have a question about bandits that I'd like to ask you."

Upon hearing Vio's confirmation, Felix's eyes seemed to light up, and he nodded absentmindedly, replying, "Since it's Lord Vio's question, please ask directly."

Vio put down his glass: "I heard from the remaining bandits that there seems to be more than one group of bandits ravaging the southern border."

The remaining bandits he mentioned were actually Katz, who had failed to infiltrate.

"That's right." Felix answered without hesitation, then added, "Although it's not a whole batch, there's one of the largest and strongest groups among them."

"The reason these bandits were able to cooperate and launch a simultaneous attack on us is because of the 'alpha wolf's' rallying!"

As he spoke, Felix's face revealed barely suppressed anger.

"A wolf?" Vio asked, hearing the word used to describe the animal.

"That's the nickname of those bandits. The bandits lurking in the southern border are called 'Cavill's Wolves,' and the most powerful of them is called the Alpha Wolf," the Earl replied, barely managing to calm his anger.

"Our family has been fighting this wolf for a century. My grandfather and father both died in this century-old blood feud."

Vio nodded thoughtfully; he had indeed heard Sean mention something when they were dealing with Sean.

Wolf cub.

By this time, Felix's complexion had returned to normal, and he asked in a calm tone, "Could you tell me the name of the bandit leader you eliminated?"

"Sean, Sean the Wolf, that's what he calls himself."

"Sean?!" The Earl's voice suddenly rose, filled with surprise and delight. "I never expected it was you who finished him off. Thank you so much... It's a pity I couldn't kill him myself!"

"This Sean was once a member of the vanguard under the Alpha Wolf, and he had a lot of my family's blood on his hands back then. Later, he left the Alpha Wolf and started his own faction..."

After lunch, Vio and Felix exchanged a lot of information about the bandits until the sun was about to set, at which point Vio suggested leaving.

Upon parting, Felix once again expressed his gratitude to Vio for killing Sean and also had many treasures from the fortress prepared for him.

Vio couldn't help but marvel at how wealthy the Carville Fortress was; despite being besieged for several days, it still possessed abundant resources.

Of course, this caused great suffering for the civilians in the outer city and the soldiers on the front lines.

……

At the side gate of the fortress, Felix stood on the city wall, watching Vio and the others leave.

As Felix watched their retreating figures, he was about to leave when a strange noise from nearby made him turn around.

"Brother, what do you mean by noon? Those country bumpkins..." The visitor was none other than Neil, who had been badly injured at noon.

Although the wound on his shoulder had largely healed by now, it still sent chills down one's spine.

"Don't cause me any more trouble next time. Consider this a lesson." Felix turned his gaze back to Vio and the others, who were now almost out of sight.

"If you hadn't stopped me, I would have killed that young lord and the man beside him... As for that woman," Neil said with a malicious smile.

"Hmph! I'm determined to have it."