Chapter 47: Leaving Iron Bar Town

For a day, Rod and his group spent time in this small courtyard. Throughout that day, they did not see Hori anywhere, but they were not worried about it. They believed Hori would not betray them. Even if they didn’t trust this stranger, Hori, they would trust Knight Rod, their leader.

From the beginning until now, in their eyes, Rod was an omnipotent man. He founded the Death Scythe Squad, making it famous far and wide, and then led the squad to achieve numerous military successes. He became the first person to slay vampires and werewolves, and even now, he has slain dragons, fought against demons—each achievement was enough to make him famous everywhere, things that ordinary people could hardly imagine. Yet he accomplished all of these without failure! Thus, unbeknownst to them, Rod had gained a very high status in everyone’s hearts. Unconsciously, he had won their loyalty and had become their spiritual pillar, their faith! That was why they were willing to follow him without hesitation at this moment.

They might not trust others, but they would never doubt Knight Rod. Although he was a demon, precisely because of that, they waited quietly for a day, feeling at ease, without any worries or concerns.

……

Sitting in his room, Rod frowned slightly. It was time to leave this place soon. It was strange—Nightingale hadn’t appeared before him. Did he have nothing to say? Or did he trust Rod so much? Rod didn’t doubt that Nightingale would betray him. Anyone could betray him, but not Nightingale. Rod firmly believed he would never betray him. That was his perception of Nightingale.

Footsteps approached, and a faint smile appeared on Rod’s lips. As expected, she had come. From her aura and footsteps, he could already tell who it was—familiar, indeed, it was Nightingale.

Her steps were light and graceful, her aura calm and steady, with a faint feminine scent. It could only be her.

“Come in!” Rod stood up and said calmly. Standing there with a slight smile, he watched Nightingale walk in step by step. He smiled slightly and asked, “You’re here?”

“Mm, I came to check. We’re leaving soon. Can we trust those people?” Nightingale asked Rod seriously.

Hori – it wasn’t their first meeting. Back when he first started his career, this man was already a renowned figure. Later, for some unknown reason, he retired from the spotlight. After so many years, it was unclear to what extent his once formidable skills had developed. Last time, when Rod brought him to seek revenge, he didn’t intervene, so it was impossible to judge. But one thing was certain: he must have reached the Saint level, likely at an intermediate stage.

More importantly, Hori was part of that organization – a mythical, mysterious, and unfathomable entity even Dark feared. Such an organization had to be guarded against. Why would they help Rod like this? Why go through all this? There surely was a reason, but they had no way of guessing it. One should never harbor ill intentions, but always be cautious. Nightingale understood this well.

“He’s harmless to me; you can be relieved about that. As for what they really intend, we’ll have to see. Either they’ll reveal themselves or we’ll never know!” At Nightingale’s words, Rod smiled slightly and explained, sighing that she was still so cautious.

“Mm, we should be careful. Just be cautious when the time comes,” Nightingale replied with a soft murmur. Such an organization was beyond their ability to confront, at least not for now. There were countless strong members inside. As far as she knew, even someone like Hori wasn’t an ordinary member there, let alone the higher-ups.

The two chatted casually again. Their relationship had developed rapidly since that “paper” was pierced, and they had become confidants who shared everything.

It wasn’t until late in the evening, as the sun set, that, amid Hori’s loud howl, Rod and Nightingale exchanged smiles and headed outside. They gathered the team and brought everyone to the hall. Now, besides Hori, four more members were present. Two of them looked familiar to Rod, but he couldn’t recall where they met. The other two were strangers! These must be Hori’s comrades.

After observing them, Rod was shocked inwardly – they were all Saint-level strongmen. This made him realize just how numerous strong members this organization had. It seemed that Saint-level warriors were common there, as if they could be picked up like leaves in a breeze. Once again, he was amazed by the organization’s strength.

Not to mention Rod, even people like Kero De tightened their controls upon seeing these individuals—their strength far exceeded expectations, adding to the mystery surrounding them. They turned to gaze deeply at Rod, even more puzzled as to how he knew them. Clearly, this was an organization, and these people seemed to hold low status. Just who exactly was this powerful organization? A huge question arose in everyone’s mind.

“Alright, Rod, are we all ready? If so, let’s set off now. It’s not suitable to delay any longer. This isn’t a place to stay long, and our master is also pressing for us to leave!” Seeing everyone arrive, Hori asked Rod.

“We’re ready at any time!”

“Good, then let’s go now!” With a nod, the four people behind Hori seemed to receive some instruction and quickly dispersed, disappearing soon after.

“Don’t worry. They’re here to protect us as we leave. Your identity has been exposed, and now many adventurers and mercenaries have gathered in Iron Bar Town, ready to take action. Let them clear the obstacles first, so those scoundrels can’t come and cause trouble!” Sensing Rod’s confusion, Hori said calmly, with a hint of impatience on his face—clearly, he detested these people deeply.

“That bunch of scum! Looking for death. We didn’t see them on the battlefield, but now they show up. I’ll kill one whenever I catch them!” Skora complained indignantly, and anger flashed on everyone’s faces. These people, all afraid of death, had now appeared—their motives were obvious: they were after the bounty.

A warrant had been issued across the continent to capture the demon Knight Rod. Those who succeeded would receive a divine weapon, 200,000 gold coins, and a noble title. If they wished, they could hold high positions and live in luxury for life. Such temptations were clearly deadly for these adventurers and mercenaries who lived on the edge of danger all year round!

Not to mention the bounty from the church as well. Killing Knight Rod would earn them a church bounty, allowing them to become church knights. If they wished, they could join the Crusades as officers and enjoy eternal protection from the church.

It was all these conditions that made these people willing to risk everything.

“Never mind. It’s time to go. Those scoundrels aren’t worth worrying about!” Waving his hand, Rod said to the outraged crowd.

Leading a group of people outside the door, the sun had already set below the horizon, but its afterglow still lingered over the land, casting a faint rosy hue across it. At the foot of the mountains to the west, darkness reigned as night began to fall. The contrast between the two sides made it seem as though the world was divided in two. A gentle breeze blew, carrying a hint of coolness, signaling that the Mid-Autumn season was approaching.

Leaves along the streets began to fall, drifting away into the distance under the influence of the breeze. A faint scent of blood filled the air. After a month of fierce battles, the smell of blood had permeated every corner of this land, prompting people to sigh at the countless lives that had trembled and wept, at the last traces of defiance left by those lives.

From beyond the city walls, faint sounds of fighting and the roars of magical beasts could be heard—the battles were still raging! Reflecting on his time in Iron Bar Town, filled solely with battles, he wondered how much blood his subordinates had spilled. With a sigh, he gazed deeply toward the Collins Forest: “Farewell, Collins. Farewell, Iron Bar Town!” Rod murmured to himself.

It was uncertain how long this journey would take, and what conditions awaited him upon his return. Could Iron Bar Town truly be defended? It seemed these matters no longer concerned him much. Whether he lived or died was up to fate; he had no time to worry about it. Upon his return, he would no longer hide in shame. He would return openly and boldly, making this land tremble as hundreds of thousands of spirits howled in unison.

Suddenly turning around, he took resolute steps, dividing his group into several teams. They boarded the large carriages prepared by Hori and set off with a loud shout, cracking their whips.

Iron Bar Town remained their last concern—after all, they were but passersby, he thought with deep emotion.

The convoy quickly reached the outskirts of Iron Bar Town, encountering no obstacles along the way. It seemed those few people had handled everything. No one knew where they had gone, and everyone followed Hori’s lead.

This journey might last for a long time. Who knew when they would return? A faint sense of sorrow spread across the sky.

Under the cover of night, the group disappeared from sight, speeding away from Iron Bar Town. Iron Bar Town was left behind. As for the road ahead—how to proceed? Rod knew very well, and he was determined. This time, if gods stood in the way, he would fight them; if Buddhas obstructed him, he would defeat them!