After all the commotion, Henwell decides to stay the night at Baron Hornes' estate. He enjoys a restful sleep and only departs after a leisurely breakfast the following day. Throughout his stay, Baron Hornes avoids meeting him again.

  The previous night, when the knight entered the room, Henwell was indeed resting there. As soon as they entered, he was alert. After a brief moment of thought, he quickly deduced their intentions. Henwell chose not to react violently; after all, he was on their turf, and once a trap was set, it was hard to escape.

  If he had engaged the knight in the room and others were drawn in, it could have spelled trouble for Henwell. The knight could simply cim that Henwell was the one who abducted someone and that he was just following. Henwell would have no way to defend himself.

  So, Henwell feigned sleep, waiting for the right moment. As soon as the knight left, Henwell pursued him. They had already cshed once on the estate's outer wall. In the tight and precarious setting, Henwell's close combat skills far surpassed those of his opponent. After delivering a few solid punches and breaking two of the knight's ribs, Henwell chose not to continue the chase.

  Instead, he memorized the room the knight jumped into and returned to his own. He gathered his belongings and climbed through the window into Rawkins' adjacent room. There, he instructed Rawkins to take the clothes to Ay in another room. Once they were equipped and armed, they prepared for any confrontation.

  When the baron made his move, the two attendants used the chaos to head to the room the knight had jumped into. Armed and with the knight slightly injured, he couldn't withstand their assault. They easily forced him out of the room, driving him back to the wall outside.

  Henwell, timing it perfectly, deliberately checked the window. Only when he saw the knight being forced out did he raise the arm. From there, everything unfolded seamlessly.

  After this ordeal, Henwell is left shaken. These skulduggeries are just as nerve-wracking as combat, if not more so.

  One wrong move and he could be completely trapped. Baron Hornes could easily disrupt Henwell's Path of Honor, making it appear that he stayed at the host's residence, accepted hospitality, and then lusted after the host's women. That kind of scandal would ruin any chance of pursuing the Path of Honor! Indeed, schemes and plots are far more dangerous than outright assassination or ambush.

  This is precisely why Henwell is cautious about accepting the goodwill of Viscount Holdsworth. He is on a mission, and he must be vigint, wary of everyone. A man who can't control his “balls” is bound to fall into a trap.

  As Henwell sets out on his journey again, Viscount Holdsworth learns about the previous night's events. After hearing the tale, he ughs with his knights, "Hahaha... See? I was right! I always said that young Hornes is still too inexperienced. Instead of properly managing his estate, he's constantly looking for shortcuts. Now he's paying the price!"

  "And I told you that young fellow is talented, but you thought I was exaggerating! Go on, arrange for someone to set up a shop in Peace Haven! No need to engage with the Phoenix family!"

  A month ter, Henwell is about to reach Cloud Tree City, a pivotal point marking the divide between the duchy's north and south. From this city onward, he won't encounter any neutral or moderate nobles; instead, he'll face constant challenges and obstacles. Assassination attempts will become a regur occurrence.

  In Cloud Tree City, Viscount Olesi assigns Henwell a task: to eliminate a band of thieves in the area. Henwell accepts the mission without hesitation. That very night, he sets out with his two attendants, scaling the cliffs of the rear mountain to avoid the main defenses and directly assault the thieves' stronghold.

  After a night of intense battle, Henwell finally crushes the bandit group. It's clear their weapons and gear have recently been upgraded, far surpassing what you'd expect from common thieves. Their crossbows and other equipment are military-grade, and even poisoned, indicating they were well-prepared.

  However, Henwell doesn't attack head-on; he climbs up the cliffs under the cover of darkness. He sets the camp abze, dons the thieves' attire, and wreaks havoc amidst the chaos.

  He targets the leaders first, then the crossbowmen. His two attendants suffer significant injuries, and Henwell himself is hit by a poisoned arrow. Yet, his robust constitution renders the poison ineffective.

  Three days ter, Henwell returns to Viscount Olesi with a sack of severed heads. True to his word, the viscount promptly stamps Henwell's Proof Of Glory with his seal.

  Henwell takes two days to rest in Cloud Tree City. On the second night, dressed in dark attire, he quietly slips out of the inn, taking the opportunity to silently eliminate a few assassins who were tailing him.

  Cloud Tree City is significantly rger than Iris City, with a denser popution. As a central hub connecting the north and south of the duchy, it practically serves as the duchy's second capital. With a rge popution, not only is commerce thriving, but the city also boasts a prosperous artisan industry with numerous workshops.

  The city's defenses are formidable, featuring towering walls over ten meters high and a city defense force of six thousand soldiers. Additionally, two nearby military fortresses house two of the duchy's legions. The city lord appointed here is always a trusted confidant of the grand duke.

  Although the city lord is a noble, Henwell doesn't need to undergo any tests since the lord is a staunch royalist noble. The current city lord is named Keynes. His family holds the title of viscount, but he isn't the head of the family. In fact, none of the city lords in the duchy's major cities can be the head of a noble family. To serve as a city lord, one must pass on their title.

  It turns out that Keynes has some connections with Baron Jansen. The two are old acquaintances, having both followed the grand duke since their youth. Jansen once served as the grand duke's chief guard, leading the elite guard unit, while Keynes was the commander of the Royal Legion, akin to the head of the pace guards.

  As leaders of the most trusted armed forces under the grand duke, they often worked closely together and maintained a decent personal retionship.

  Given this history, Keynes naturally wouldn't make things difficult for the son of an old friend. However, due to the rules of the Path of Honor, he couldn't offer Henwell any direct assistance. Nonetheless, as the authoritative figure in the city, others dared not cross such a powerful city lord.

  Consequently, no assassins dared to make a move on Henwell after he entered the city.

  Despite the circumstances, Lord Keynes doesn't meet with Henwell. He knows Henwell is merely a stand-in and wants to avoid any appearance of favoritism. For the Proof Of Glory Henwell presents, Keynes has his eldest son, the current head of their family, sign it with the family seal.

  Henwell's te-night outing isn't to seek out Lord Keynes but to settle a debt. After wandering through the city streets for a bit, he slips into a rge courtyard. He tosses some meat bones to the dogs in advance, ensuring he can sneak into a room without alerting anyone.

  Inside the room, there are two people. Henwell covers his mouth and nose, using a sedative to knock out the man in the bed. Then, he wraps the woman in a bnket, hoists her over his shoulder, and leaves the courtyard quietly.