Family Business 62

Family Business

Chapter 62

-VB-

Garen took a deep breath in as the warhorse he rode leisurely trotted forward alongside five dozen soldiers that Marr had lent him. He took in the light blue sky with its white clouds, the pale gray cobblestone road, and the green farms all around.

It was picturesque in the best sense possible. This was what Demacia was.

Yet …

Why was it that this was a scene that he saw more of in his little brother’s duchy than any other territory? There was corruption, Garen knew that much, but so much so that duchies and counties right next to his brother’s left their farmlands fallow. His brother, on the other hand, apparently acted like a tyrant when it came to “efficiency,” and demanded all counts and barons underneath him to properly use every single inch of their lands and people efficiently and ethically.

It wasn’t a new concept, but Marr took it up a notch, which was very Marr-like.

Speaking of Marr-like, Garen looked over his shoulder at the weapons and armor currently in the carriage behind him.

Marr had not held back on supplying him with the very best as he said.

Garen knew about alchemical metals. How could he not when he had to regularly fight and break such things when Noxus came knocking on the doorsteps of Demacian allies? So when Marr first presented his alchemical weapons and armor, Garen had initially dismissed it all. It wasn’t until Marr showed how petricite weapons could not break his alchemical weapons. Hell, his regular petricite swords could not even chip Marr’s alchemical metal swords. Even more interestingly and amazingly, it felt like petricite.

This was weird because petricite was a fossilized tree, not metal, and absorbed magic, a feeling he was more than familiar with because he had to

‘It’s the magic attribute,’ Marr had said. ‘Just like petricite, it absorbs magic from its environment to strengthen the metal, which automatically makes it a superior material to petricite in my opinion. It does the same thing but has a better base for people to work with.’

He wasn’t sure if Marr was right about his alchemically treated metal being better than petricite, but Garen trusted it as much as he did with any petricite armor and weapon. Aside from the fact that Marr crafted his personal set of weapons and armor, it was also the fact that Garen watched a similar set of inferior armor take an explosion and come out of it wholly fine, including the wearer of the armor at the time.

Apparently, the set had been modeled after something called “Force of Nature.”

“Commander.”

Garen looked away from the armor and to his side, where one of Marr’s Black Guards rode next to him.

“What is it?” he asked.

“The duke has given me secret instructions that you were to be made aware of,” he spoke quietly.

Garen frowned. Secret instructions? It didn’t … sound great, but there must be a need if Marr wanted it to happen that way.

“And what would that be?”

“The first is to preserve your life at all costs. The seven Black Guards, including myself, are here specifically for that purpose.”

Already, he didn’t like what he was hearing.

“Second, we have in our possession a weapon capable of … scorching the earth, let’s say,” he hummed. “If it comes down to it, then we will use that weapon to delay the demon. Killing it may be impossible, but we can force it to run, even if we must set a forest on fire.”

It must be a terrible weapon.

“Your armor should protect you, sir.”

“What about your people?”

“... Our families will be taken care of. The duke always rewards sacrifice.”

Garen wasn’t sure if he liked that. It was good that Marr took care of his people, but for them to be so ready to offer their lives?

“You must understand that most of us are Demacians, Lord Cronwguard,” the Black Guard began. “We lived in the streets, in hiding, and forever fearful of the day that a mob might catch us. Being remanded to the Mageseeker is considered … uncomfortable but you would have lived.”

“And Marr…?”

“Provided shelter and food,” he replied. “He used his influence and power to protect us. All of us know that he will continue to do so, even if it costs him because it has already cost him.”

“I see. Thank you for having been at my brother’s side.” What else could he say?

For a moment, the man didn’t talk but eventually continued with the secret instructions.

“There are also people of interest. Should we run into them, the duke has asked us to persuade them to come to Jorasmang City. I ask that no matter how you feel about those individuals, through rumors or personal connections, that you do not interfere with the recruitment.”

“... Do you have a person on that list who may cause me to act out?”

The Black Guard smiled.

“Well, it seems that a certain disgraced assassin from Noxus is on the list.”

Garen froze.

“... How did he know?”

“Sir, I only do as my lord asks, nothing less.”

Half of the phrase was missing, but Garen let it and the mention of Katarina go.

The Black Guard looked up and hummed. “It seems that this is our stop for today.”

Blinking, he looked forward and saw a small inn, but why were they stopping here when the sun was still up in the sky?

“Do we not have more time?”

“We do, but the distance between here and the next inn is over six hours of travel, milord. It has been advised by the duke that we should avoid the dark at all cost until we arrive at the location of our campaign.”

Garen grunted.

“Very well. Let’s see what this inn is like.”