The Duke immediately threw the Twilight Deer aside, then quickly took out his longbow and shot two arrows at the two of them.
Scars and his companion reacted quickly and managed to dodge the arrows.
"Two mid-level Knight Attendants." The Duke's arrows were just a test to gauge their strength from their speed.
No wonder these two dared to make a move against him; two mid-level Knight Attendants were indeed strong, but unfortunately, they encountered him.
Scars and the other person exchanged a glance, then tacitly surrounded him from the left and right, simultaneously attacking the Duke.
They had been coordinating for many years, and had done such things countless times, killing members of the Nightingale wasn't new to them.
The Duke saw them choosing close combat and realized they mistakenly thought he was only proficient in archery.
Because his archery was indeed strong, generally requiring long-term practice.
The Duke directly discarded the bow and drew his longsword.
This scene made Scars and his companion pause for a moment, but with the arrow already in flight, they had no choice but to press closer, their longswords quickly approaching the Duke.
The Duke's eyes were sharp, observing their movements clearly.
Scars was on the left, the other on the right.
Just as their longswords were about to strike, the Duke feigned retreat, then quickly twisted his body, adjusting his steps with an extremely strange movement, and swung a sword to the right.
The man was startled, quickly switching from offense to defense with his longsword.
The next moment, a powerful force came from the longsword, leaving the man astonished at the Duke's strength.
"Damn! Could he be a high-level Knight Attendant?" Scars and his companion both had this thought.
They knew the Nightingale's high-level Knight Attendants, recognizing them all.
The Duke was completely unfamiliar to them, obviously newly joined the Nightingale, which made them mistakenly feel overconfident.
But from the first clash, they sensed trouble.
After the Duke forced the man on the right back with one swing, he quickly thrust another sword, moving swiftly.
The man had no time to react; while trying to stabilize himself with his sword, his neck was already pierced.
The power and speed gap was vast, and they initiated close combat, leaving no room for regret.
Scars, seeing this, felt his heart race, quickly retracting his longsword and extending a hand: "Brother, it's a misunderstanding! We are from the Eagle Eye Mercenary Corps, in Fengqiu City..."
"Misunderstanding my *!" The Duke didn't listen, advancing with his longsword.
Scars quickly defended, but his strength was no match for the Duke, and he was slain within a minute.
The Duke looked at Scars lying lifelessly on the ground, searched his body after confirming his death, and found a pouch containing only five gold coins.
The other was even poorer, with less than a gold coin altogether, rather shabby.
The Duke had heard that adventurers and mercenaries lived day to day, with no savings.
They lived risky lives, never certain of seeing tomorrow, so they enjoyed their present, leaving little money on them.
As for Scars' talk about the Eagle Eye Mercenary Corps, the Duke didn't care.
In Fengqiu City, he didn't need to worry about anyone's background; the biggest power was Earl Hardy.
Moreover, since this was deep in the woods, the bodies didn't need handling; the wild would take care of them by nightfall.
The Duke then lifted the Twilight Deer from the ground and quickened his pace to leave.
The smell of blood here was intense and would soon attract animals, maybe even magical beasts.
...
Fengqiu City, Adventurer's Tavern.
The Duke approached the counter and said, "I want to submit a mission."
The bartender surprisingly remembered the Duke, somewhat amazed, "You captured the Twilight Deer?"
The Duke nodded slightly, saying nothing.
He had stored the Twilight Deer at his estate; the paralysis effect would last a while longer, and the deer was secure in a cage, foolproof.
Carrying the deer into the tavern would be too flashy.
The bartender then produced a letter, "If you truly completed it, go to the location in this letter. But I warn you, going without completing the mission could be troublesome."
"Thank you." The Duke pocketed the envelope and left the tavern.
Back at the estate, he opened the envelope and was puzzled by the address inside.
The address in the envelope was Maple Hill Castle, the place of Earl Hardy's family.
The Duke found it odd and even suspected the bartender was tricking him.
If Earl Hardy required a Twilight Deer, he wouldn't need to post a task at the Adventurer Association; just send his personal soldiers or someone from the Nightingale.
But considering his Nightingale affiliation, he might avoid some trouble.
He lifted the cage with the Twilight Deer, entering the castle.
"Stop, what business?" The guard at the gate noticed the Duke from afar. His polite tone was thanks to the Duke's Nightingale leather armor.
The Duke presented the letter, "I'm here to submit a mission."
The guard, curious, took the letter, understood upon seeing its contents and a symbol, and said, "Wait here, I'll report it."
Moments later, the guard jogged back, inviting the Duke inside.
It was the Duke's first time entering Maple Hill Castle, noting the thick walls at the entrance and understanding their endurance over the years.
Following the guard, twisting and turning, he arrived at an open area behind the castle.
"Miss, I've brought him." The guard announced.
Dressed in armor, Vivian turned, holding a Giant Axe, and glanced at the Duke, "Alright, you may leave."
The Duke hadn't expected the task to be issued by Vivian.
He set down the cage and respectfully saluted.
Considering their hierarchy, Vivian was still his superior.
Vivian glanced at the Twilight Deer on the ground, nodding, "Well done, barely any damage. Wait a moment, you'll receive your reward shortly."
The Duke had no objections, remaining obediently in place.
Vivian tilted her head, gazing at the Duke before suddenly speaking, "You look familiar; have you recently joined Nightingale?"
It had been three months since the selection and training, and Vivian barely remembered him, only a vague impression.