The forest's tranquil silence enveloped Titus, plunging him deep into thought as he contemplated his next course of action.
Titus had a dream. Throughout his years as a slave, he had been forced to kill his own kin.
Those whose lives he had taken - Titus remembered every single one, never forgetting.
Their faces, their personalities, their pasts, their dreams, and their names - Titus remembered them all.
Suddenly, the cry of an infant rang out, jolting Titus from his deep contemplation.
A fussy infant cried in the arms of someone who appeared completely unrelated to the child.
A group of ten people, dressed in concealing clothing. The moment Titus saw them, he knew something was wrong.
"When are they gonna show up? We had a deal, didn't we?"
One of them said.
"Foolish soul"
When one of them said this, the whole group turned to look at Titus. As he tried to escape, they had already surrounded him from all sides.
They grabbed Titus, but when one of them pulled back his hood, someone exclaimed:
"Wait, this guy's one of us!"
Realizing this, the mysterious group removed their hoods.
"You're here to take the child, aren't you?"
a young man asked. Though Titus was clueless about the situation, he had no choice but to play along.
"Yes, the boss sent me. He said I must bring this child back, no matter what."
"What do they think this is, some kind of game? They should have sent more people!"
The middle-aged man said irritably. He criticized those who sent the young man alone, completely unaware that Titus had no connection to them whatsoever.
"They can't even remove a slave brand for their own man!"
The middle-aged man said angrily before touching Titus's forehead. The slave brand that had been with him for so long instantly dissolved and disappeared.
Titus carefully contemplated and refined his question to avoid arousing suspicion. Having successfully formulated it, he looked at the middle-aged man with a confident expression.
"So what would you have done if you never had this child from the beginning?"
Titus said, hoping the other side would reveal some clue in their response.
"What a stupid question! Without the baby, we'd have no hostage to exchange for our kin. In that case, we'd have to launch a direct rescue mission."
The middle-aged man replied with the exact information Titus needed most.
So this child is just a tool for these people,
Titus thought before saying with confident demeanor,
"Hand the child over to me. I need to return to base quickly."
"Give it to him, Fena."
the middle-aged man ordered. The pink-haired girl handed the baby to Titus.
"Farewell. Young soul"
With those final words from the middle-aged man, he and the others vanished instantly.
"I guess I'll have to find your family now."
Titus said to the infant in his arms.
He didn't know why the baby remained so calm and quiet in his embrace, but he knew one thing - this infant wouldn't stay silent forever. He needed to find something for the child to eat.
Fruit was the best option, Titus decided after a long search for food. When he picked the ripest fruits, he used his knife to cut them into small pieces, mashed them thoroughly, and fed them to the baby.
On the dirt road, far ahead but still within sight, Titus saw a wagon moving toward him.
Thanks to the middle-aged man having removed Titus's slave brand, he didn't have to avoid this wagon.
"Is something wrong, son?"
The old wagoner asked after Titus waved for him to stop.
"Sir, have you heard any news about important people losing a child?"
Titus asked. The old man, seeing the baby in his arms, looked at him with suspicion.
"Well, I heard that Lord Tatius's wife was murdered, and their infant son was kidnapped."
The old man spoke, his eyes still filled with suspicion.
"And which way should I go to reach Lord Tatius's residence, sir?"
"And why would you want to go there?"
The old man asked.
"I might know where his son is,"
Titus replied with a smile.
"Then hop on. I have to pass by there anyway."
The old man offered. Despite his deep suspicions about the youth, he had a plan in mind.
I'll deliver this prize to Lord Tatius and get my reward.
Titus boarded the wagon without hesitation. When his cloak opened enough to reveal the sword's glint, the old man turned pale.
"Are you alright, sir?"
Titus asked with concern upon seeing the old man's pale complexion.
This kid is threatening me not to try any tricks,
The old man forced a smile before saying,
"It's nothing. I'll definitely get you to your destination safely."
"Please rest if you're tired, sir. I'll be fine here."
Titus said before returning to his seat on the wagon.
This kid will kill me when I let my guard down. That's what the warning was about.
The sunlight had turned orange, filtering through the clouds and shining down on the land below. Titus and the baby in his arms were fast asleep. The old man watched them from the corner of his eye before stopping the wagon at an inn by the roadside.
The old man stopped to eat at the inn. After eating his fill, he returned to the wagon. Seeing that the young man was still asleep, a thought emerged in his mind:
Killing him and returning the child to Lord Tatius might be the better option.
As this thought took hold, he drew his knife, intending to murder the young man before him.
Unexpectedly, the young man's hand shot out and grabbed the old man's arm, even though his eyes remained closed.
The old man turned pale, realizing he'd been caught, and quickly apologized.
"I didn't mean anything! I just saw a fly and was going to swat it with my knife,"
He said. When there was no response, he hurried up to guide the wagon, unaware that the young man's action was merely an instinct carried over from his days as a slave.