The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

If she were to get serious, she could even pull out the nameplates of the three squad leaders from the First Battalion to the Third Battalion from her pocket.

“No need for unnecessary words.” Samif glanced at Field, signaling him to keep quiet.

“I’ve already had Baz publicize what this man did in Hanover,” Samif said, pointing to Umaru on the ground. “But I also got some very interesting news from him.”

"Let him say it himself."

Samif kicked Umaru, who was pretending to be unconscious on the ground, awake.

"My lord, spare my life! I was just momentarily bewitched and fell for their trick!"

Seeing that he had been exposed, Umaru begged for mercy repeatedly.

Anna became increasingly disgusted by Umaru's obsequious manner.

"What did they promise you?" Anna asked, forcing herself to remain calm.

"That guy named Costa said he could make me a Herald Master too. I was just fooled by him! If you can spare my life, I'm willing to serve you like a slave to repay you, my lords," Umaru kept kowtowing.

On the way here, Samif had already used the power of truth to distinguish between the real and the fake.

So after hearing the news, he didn't make any statement and simply passed the question of how to deal with Umaru to Anna.

“Even if he’s lying to you, you chose to fall for it yourself.” Anna looked at Umaru coldly.

"You can say that you were coerced. Once the Knights arrive in town and drive away the monsters, you can tell them the truth and ask for their help."

"But you didn't. Not only that, you're also thinking about continuing to betray others in exchange for a promise that may or may not be true. A person like you doesn't deserve forgiveness at all."

Seeing that his dignified pleas for mercy had failed to elicit any sympathy from the other party, Umaru simply gave up and started acting recklessly.

"Hahaha... Yes, I don't deserve any sympathy. Of course, a rich girl like you, born with a silver spoon in her mouth, can't understand a nobody like me."

“And you guys!” Umaru stood up and pointed to the rest of the group.

"You've only awakened your crests by luck! If you didn't have crests, you might not be much stronger than me!"

"Are you sure?" Wiener asked.

"Sure!"

"Then let me ask you, why do you want to become a Herald?"

"Of course, it's to enjoy wealth and luxury and live a life of luxury," Umaru said shamelessly.

"Can't these things be done without becoming a Herald?" Viner stepped forward and questioned.

“This…” Umaru took a step back, startled by Vina.

"If you became a Herald, and your hometown faced a life-or-death crisis, would you risk your life to protect it? Would you, like those knights, even after a bloody battle, choose to sleep on the freezing streets rather than disturb the people or enter their homes?"

“Of course… I can too.” Umaru took several steps back, his voice weak and feeble.

"Alright." Viner drew the sword from his waist and tossed it in front of Umaru.

"We're going to find the culprit who caused this disaster. If you really have the guts, draw this sword and come with us."

Umaru glanced at the sword stuck in front of him, his hands trembling, but he suddenly swung it and slammed it heavily into the ground.

"I don't want to! I'll die, I'm definitely going to die! You're just trying to take me there and find some excuse to kill me!"

The relentless questioning nearly drove him to a mental breakdown, leaving him with only one thought: to escape.

She never imagined that she could possibly escape from under the noses of the Miku Squad.

"Whoosh!"

A long sword pierced through Umaru's chest from behind, ending his struggle and fear.

"I gave you a chance."

Viner slowly stepped forward and drew the longsword from Umaru's cold body.

No one present raised any objections.

While the Knights of St. Freya emphasize correct procedures, they are not pedantic.

Colluding with bandits, leaking the Knights' secret whereabouts, and finally resisting arrest and fleeing—these three crimes combined mean that this person could be killed on the spot at any time.

Moreover, Samif had already made this man's crimes public in Hanover town.

I brought her here specifically to give Anna some instructions.

After all, this person did pose a threat to the commissioner of the Valentin Chamber of Commerce in his subjective will.

Even if the threat is somewhat weak.

"Clap clap."

Regardless of what everyone was thinking at that moment, Samif clapped her hands twice to draw everyone's attention to herself.

“Keep moving,” Samif commanded.

As the direct leader of Miku Squad, no one dared to disobey her orders.

The one who executed it the fastest was Pony Ma.

After delivering the message, it planned to leisurely stroll back.

As a result, he was caught by Samif.

Forced by her tyranny, Little Ma had no choice but to rush back to the Miku Squad.

It didn't want to be ridden by this terrifying woman anymore.

Field was still leading the way with the replacement horse. Julian was sent into the carriage by Samif for treatment, while Vandley drove the horse.

Because of the loss of a carriage, a carriage that originally seated only two people now has to squeeze in four.

Anna, who was lagging behind, called out to Vina before getting on the bus.

"Actually, you don't need to do anything."

Umaru was Samif's way of handing over the task to the Valentinian Chamber of Commerce; his life or death was entirely in Anna's hands.

As a result, Viner stole the kill.

This left Anna with extremely mixed feelings.

It felt like a lump of unexpelled breath was pressing on my chest, both heavy and slightly relieved.

“Businessmen should make money peacefully; this guy isn’t worth getting your hands dirty,” Viner said without turning his head.

Chapter 183 Midnight Conversation

Anna's possession of a storage ring was not a secret within Miku's squad.

So she put all the clutter in the carriage into her ring, making the carriage feel much more spacious.

Wiener then shared the information that Vandre had obtained from Costa with Samif.

"Is that so..." Samif fell into deep thought.

"It's all because of that old bastard Vandley, he's useless. He can't even keep an eye on one person. Otherwise, when the squad leader comes back, that guy won't have any secrets left," Julian complained.

Wiener wholeheartedly agreed with this.

At the time, he was only a suspect, not a criminal, but Samif almost stripped him bare.

“That’s not how it works,” Samif shook her head. “All the other information combined probably isn’t as valuable as the last question Vandley asked.”

"If that person had chosen to self-destruct, he could have ended it the moment he was captured, saving himself a lot of torture. But he didn't. Instead, he suddenly self-destructed when asked when he would obtain the emblem, which means he was clearly under a restriction. This way, even if he falls into the hands of the enemy, his secret can be kept."

"But a secret is only a secret when no one knows it."

“How so?” Wiener asked.

“Even if humans lie, it is difficult to fabricate something beyond our understanding. Costa agreed to Umaru’s condition of helping him transform into a Herald, so there is a possibility that he has seen, or that there is someone around him who has become a Herald through some specific method.”

“Costa doesn’t possess that ability; he merely deceived Umar in a joking manner. This deception was akin to boasting and didn’t trigger the restrictions. However, once he fell into old Vandre’s hands, he couldn’t hide it any longer and genuinely intended to reveal that person’s information, which is why the restrictions were activated,” Samif stated her speculation.

“Kunji Village,” Anna announced a location.

“That’s right. Rivals are enemies. If it were just about robbing a few caravans, it would be impossible for so many bandits to gather together. But if there’s a chance to awaken a crest, then everything makes sense,” Samif said.

“If I remember correctly, the First Company is in that area, right?” Viner asked Julian to confirm.

“Yes, the First Squadron’s current mission is to wipe out the Kunji Village,” Julian nodded.

“Then shouldn’t we hurry up and inform them of this news?” Wiener said.

If they were just a rabble, the well-trained Knights of St. Freya would be perfectly capable of taking on ten of them.

However, if Samif's speculation is true, then in Kunji Village, besides the one Herald who can control magical beasts, there are an unknown number of Heralds.

If the First Company were to attack rashly, they would likely suffer losses.

“How urgent can it be? We’re already going full speed ahead. You should take advantage of the old man driving to rest and recharge, so you don’t run into any more accidents on the way,” Julian scolded.

This place is about 100 miles from Hanover Town, and the nearest team in the vicinity is the First Company that everyone is preparing to head to.

The closer you get to Kunji Village, the more likely you are to encounter enemies.

If there is a change in the situation and reinforcements are unlikely to arrive, dividing forces at this time would be tantamount to putting oneself in danger.

With Samif in charge, Julian would have been the best candidate to act as the messenger, but unfortunately, his injuries prevented him from engaging in strenuous activity for the time being.

"At least until supplies are replenished, the First Company will not launch a general offensive."

Samif's words clearly indicate that she is supporting Julian's proposal.

After all, if anything were to happen to either Viner or Anna, the consequences would be unacceptable to the Academy.

"alright."

Wiener could tell that Samif and Julian both had great confidence in this first squadron.

Once they reached an agreement, Anna took out four sleeping bags from the ring.

Samif, the strongest among them and always ready to deal with unexpected troubles, slept in the spot closest to the carriage exit.

Julian, who was injured, lay in the seat closest to the driver's seat, and he would take over from Van der Lei later.

Vina and Anna were protected in the middle of the carriage.

From Mr. Slav's last-minute notice in the morning to being assigned to the Miku Squadron, the entire day was spent traveling.

Even if one's spirits are still high, fatigue accumulates in every corner of the body.

This allowed everyone to find an outlet for their exhaustion after lying down.

My limbs felt heavy, my eyelids felt heavy, and finally even my breathing became long and drawn out.

......

At three in the morning, all was quiet.

This should have been the deepest moment of the dream.

"call!"

Wiener suddenly awoke.

Anna is still fast asleep on the left, while the sleeping bag on the right is empty.

"Let me make this clear first, I didn't make a sound. You woke up on your own."

Julian, who was about to relieve Van der Ley, saw Vigna suddenly sit up and whispered.

"It's my own problem."

Wiener clasped his hands together, his elbows pressed firmly against his knees, and his palms covered his forehead.

"Good to know." Julian nodded and continued, "Can't sleep after your first murder?"

"You can tell?" Wiener did not deny it.

He had seen dead people with his own eyes before.

The scenes of Lucio silencing the fleeing bandits during the previous annihilations of Lumiel Village are still vivid in my mind.

But this was the first time that Wiener had actually taken someone's life with his own hands.

“Your hands were shaking when you got on the train. For a craftsman of your caliber, the most stable part of your body should be your hands,” Julian said.

"He gave up his virginity for that young girl?"