There are many variations of beasts that are tamed or reared as war mounts in Saint Empire. Just like the black lion mount ridden by the official conferrer is a rare and majestic breed.

However, among all the battle types, there is no doubt that the Dragon Horses takes centre stage on the battlefield. Not only are their individual combat abilities all-rounded, but they also number more than any other war mounts in the empire because of their virility.

But because of their great efficiency for war, this breed has become restricted only to the use of nobles and the officials. Violation of any form is strictly punishable by death.

It can even be said that the number of Dragon Horses a noble family have is a good indication of their strength. When the stewards of the Hope mansion saw the Dragon Horse approach with the guardsmen of the magistrate office in tow, they knew that things have snowballed.

Like panicked fowl, they scatter to seek their master. And a few minutes later, Canot Hope rode out of his mansion in haste to receive them.

When the master of the house saw Kairos, a flit of annoyance flashed across his face first followed by a look of surprise. But as expected of a master merchant, the speed where he suppressed his facial emotions is fast as lightning.

“Didn’t the boy get badly wounded?” He thought.

The old ancestor of the house, his father, has told him that the intruder’s injuries were rather extensive. He was confident that with such powerful internal injuries, it would be impossible for anyone to recover.

But right now, looking at Kairos’ healthy complexion, Canot Hope can no longer be certain if the intruder is this boy.

From the beginning of their battle till the end, no one had actually seen the person’s face. The only time when the Grand Patriarch came face to face with the intruder was after he was cornered, but at that time, Kairos had blood caked on his face with soil and grass from tumbling covering him. Even if an expert’s eyes are great, in that darkness that cloaked everything, it was enough to conceal his identity.

Looking at their openly confused expression, Kairos secretly smiled, though his face revealed nothing.

This uncertainty is precisely what he had hoped for. Their guesses mattered not for himself, but the same couldn’t be said for his sworn brother, Jim.

While Kairos was busy in his thoughts, the merchant said obviously irate, “Why are you gentlemen by my gates?

It didn’t take more than two brain cells to guess that the motives of these ‘guests’ are less than friendly.

In response, the captain of the guardsman rode forward and addressed the merchant with a contrived arrogance, “Mr Hope, we have been informed of your activity in evading the crown taxes.”

The veins on his forehead almost popped when he heard this rudeness, but nevertheless, he answered coolly, “That’s the first time I hear a word of this. Have you got any evidence?”

“It’s our job to find some. You better hope that you snipped off every loose end because we will find it. Now, would you kindly open your gates,” the captain said with open glee. He looked at the head of the Hope family like a pouch for his taking.

“Have you got the authority to search my abode?” the merchant said, an underlying urgency hidden beneath his voice.

The guardsman flashed a tax collection token and grinned wickedly. When Canot Hope saw it, his face turned grim.

By now, things could not get any clearer for him, that these men are hardly ‘gentleman’. They are akin to robbers and frauds, and Kairos is the one that had set them loose upon his house.

“What is this boy doing in your midst then? Do not tell me that he is your witness?”

In this case, at least he had to deny Kairos entry.

It is a baseless request, but the merchant trusted his instincts. This boy must never come close to him or his family, or he will be their downfall.

The Captain replied with thick annoyance on his voice like he was swatting a fly, “Certainly not. Mind you, Mr Hope, this boy you refer to outranks you. You shall address him as Lord Kairos.

And for your information, he holds the rank of Viscount, which is a judicial position. He is here to precede over today’s events.”

“This practice has long been abolished!” he protested.

“Heh, losing your cool, aren’t you?” The Captain gave a vicious smile.

“Not so, those of the rank of Viscount may have long since declined to provide services to the magistrate office, but their rights have not been withdrawn.

So, are you going to unhinge your gates or shall we do it for you?” He continued with a triumphant sneer that silenced the head of the Hope family. It seems that the Captain is enjoying every moment of provoking him and simply revels in rebuking the man.

When one holds the token for collecting crown taxes, one represents the Emperor and the immunity he enjoys during is immense. It is because of this that tax collectors are often considered robbers within the empire, but since their actions bring in tremendous revenue to the treasury every year, all their activities, so long it is below a certain degree of lawlessness, are pardoned.

While everyone knows that this is the intention of the crown, but instead of directing their rage towards the royal family that is too high above and too powerful for them, the people’s anger is vent on the tax collectors who barge into their home.

And the tax collectors themselves, due to them bearing the brunt of the people’s outrage, are allowed to pocket some of the tax they collect. This intricate relationship is the reason why this practice has continued to exist.

And this day, Kairos made use of this system to walk into the merchant’s mansion through their front door with a straight back.

Making sure no one else could hear, Kairos whispered, “Captain, I have not asked your name though you know mine.”

The Captain has been assigned to him by the magistrate, and it is no surprise that Kairos did not know. However, seeing how he managed to make an experienced merchant speechless like this is most satisfying and it piqued his curiosity.

“Lord Kairos, I am known as Serge, and it has been a pleasure to work with you.”

Kairos nodded. “Your way of handling Mr Hope is admirable. Do you not fear the man?”

“He is only but a merchant. There are no worries here, our team have long been finding an opportunity to visit his mansion, and you have provided us with an excellent one.”

The boy flashed a smile to the guards’ captain while they waited for the gates to be unhinged.

Canot Hope unwillingly allowed them in, but as if they are trying to contain these wild wolves, he and his servants stuck close to the group.

After a short ride, they entered the merchant’s mansion, and the luxury of the place immediately jumps out to the guardsman to the point of extravagance. Kairos who saw this before were not surprised, but the expressions of the tax collectors looked as though they had just entered heaven.

“Oh my. Mr Hope, what a lovely place you have,” Serge laughed delightfully as if he had walked into a room full of gold and is allowed to pick whatever he likes, “Well, don’t need to frown. As long as you have paid taxes for all these, you have nothing to worry about.”

Serge pointed at the several gold-framed paintings hanged on the walls as if he had already picked those items.

The face of the family head turned beet red. All of these are things that he had paid for. Items that he won in his game of money-making. His trophies!

How dare them to intrude into his home. To pick at his things, wanting to rip him off from his hard work.

He glared at the boy.

“This bloody rat dared to openly challenge me? I will make you regret. Whoever intruded my home must pay. And anyone who betrayed me shall suffer! Even my own child!”

Kairos looked at the merchant full in the eyes, and he smiled. He could see the rage in the older man and he felt no remorse, but instead relieved.

“As expected. This man thinks nothing of blood relations, he has only money on his mind. I must not let Jim’s involvement in this be found out.”

Even now, Kairos has the hope to patch the relationship between Jim and his father. Somehow.

And getting caught that Jim was the one that supplied the information would only create a larger rift.

The guardsman from the magistrate walked about the mansion as they ticked off a chart each of them held. Any items not on this list must be taxed. While this sounds complicated but no two tax collectors hold the same chart, so they worked efficiently.

Ignoring what the others are doing, Kairos strolled to a hallway and knocked on a door in pure sight of Canot Hope.

Colluding with the enemy?

No, Kairos has always been Jim’s close friend. Using this method to visit him after being turned away can prove nothing. But because Canot Hope cannot trust anyone in the first place, it will be hard to remedy their father-and-son relationship.

Jim opened the door to Kairos and gave him a broad smile. The two boys started conversing and then Kairos called Serge over.

“Lord Kairos?” The Captain offered his help politely. Right now, this boy has become his god of fortune, and he couldn’t help fawning over him.

“I deem this person, and the one lying down in bed behind him as necessary witnesses. Do you foresee any particular problems with this?”

“Oh, you are too polite young lord. We will take care of this manner at once. Men! Escort them out. Gently! Like how you would bring your own aged mother out. Got it?”

“Sir!”

Several guys came over and attentively did as Serge commanded.

On the way out, Kairos whispered in Serge’s ears an information Jim gave and then waved goodbye to Canot Hope.

When the boy walked out of doors, he felt a powerful gaze behind his neck.

He stopped. Then turned about slowly, and looked up a spiral stairway.

There stood the man that had tried hunting him down just several days ago.

Without a hint of fear in his eyes, Kairos slightly bowed his head, “Good-day.”

The group continued and made their way across the vast lawn towards the gates. While for the entire way, Fait Hope stared daggers into the boy.

This man, even with his five hundred years of experience, had not met anyone like this boy before him.

The mannerisms which he had was completely unlike to how children his age should be acting. Even young nobles that are trained to be confident in front of others would be unable to handle his murderous pressure. And yet here is a boy of common background that withstood it without flinching.

It is simply unnatural to be so. However, because of this, it had thrown him off on identifying Kairos as the intruder.

Not only is the young Viscount lively, and appears to be free from the wounds he inflicted, the boy is also fearless in meeting his eyes.

As someone who travelled the lands, he had not met anyone who would be able to act so utterly nonchalant after nearly dying in his hands. Much less a twelve-year-old kid.

“Maybe he really wasn’t the intruder?

But if he wasn’t, then who is, and why is he acting in cohort with Kairos?

Or perhaps, it was one of the other boys that snuck in and scout the mansion? Regardless, I cannot let my fool of a son to continue accusing my grandson as a betrayer and have that boy forever locked up.”

The Hope family had grounded Jim and even Lyla who had fallen so sickly, all because of a scheme. Now that their plans are already at the peak, they could not afford any mistakes at this point.

For their family, they are most willing to let a useless woman die and forsake a good-for-nothing son. The Grand Patriarch, Fait Hope had closed an eye on his son’s decisions, since his grandson, Jim, would not be harmed. That woman however, he had never acknowledged and her life or death means nothing.

…..

At a thousand pace away from the mansion, Kairos dismissed the two guardsmen escorting him and encouraged them to go back to their raiding of the Hope mansion.

The ugly shall subdue the bad.

Once they left, Kairos immediately summoned the Land Wyrm which had been faithfully following them undetected from underground.

The massive beast happily followed what the boy instructed and laid down on its tummy demurely. Its large eyes still pleading the boy to take it away from Aisa.

Unfortunately, although Kairos felt that it is an endearing beast, he had no idea what it wanted, nor did he have time to care.

Kairos and Jim gently placed Lyla onto the back of the oversized Wyrm and directed it towards the capital. This makeshift transportation worked better than a carriage and they hit the streets of Saint City in no time. Without hesitation, they barrelled down the main road towards Helena’s place. Its broad frame created a stir when the Wyrm charged through the busy market street and generated loud grumbles from everyone that had to give way to them.

“Are You Blind!?”

“Hey, who do you think you are?”

“Stop them!!”

More and more people started shouting at the boys, but because of how critical Lyla’s situation is in, the two promptly ignored the outrage at them and made haste. Lyla’s treatment is long overdue, if not because of Jim consistently supporting her with his life force, she would be long gone.

Even with Kairos now joining, they could feel that they are about to lose her.

Tears streamed down Jim’s eyes, and Kairos could see his hopes are dimming by the second. And his brother’s heart is crumbling.

“MOVE!” Kairos shouted.

But people started gathering and pointed fingers, barring their way.

At this time, several individuals suddenly stepped out from the crowd and attempted to clear the way for them. These people are all acquaintances or friends of Kairos; Members of the Snowdrifts who owe their lives to the boys, those saved by way of employment to the Snowdrifts’ shop, or those who had once received Kairos’ kindness in other ways.

“Hey, don’t you know this person is Kairos?” a demure-looking young lady suddenly shouted in anger, shocking those around her.

“They look to be rushing someone to a doctor, so shut the hell up and let them pass,” a burly man rubbed his knuckles, displaying his willingness to demonstrate with his fists what he will do to those who still do not act.

Not only these two; many who had made purchases from Kairos before showed in their support.

When even the patrons to the Snowdrifts’ shop chimed in, the crowd that was just starting to gather soon dispersed.

Although they were delayed, Jim’s mother was smoothly brought into the Snowdrifts’ building and soon reached Helena’s hands. The herbalist quietly studied Lyla’s condition as she flitted around with a frown on her face.

Her grim expression almost caused Jim to break down into tears, but he gritted his teeth and waited.

After a while, Helena finally said in a soft and soothing voice, “Its fortunate you got her here in time. Any more delay would become dangerous. She is hanging on by a thread, just what had she been going through for her to turn into such a bad condition?”