"Go in. I believe Simon is still willing to see me, this old friend." The tall Sean lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage. Although he was not wearing armor, but his upright posture and the imposing aura he exuded made it clear at a glance that he was a general who had fought on the battlefield for many years.
The gates of the manor were tightly shut, and Sean was accompanied only by Quinn. At this moment, everyone probably thought that His Highness the First Prince was still commanding the battle on the southwestern border thousands of kilometers away, and no one knew when he had returned to Luo Du.
The door was knocked open, and an old servant opened it, looking at the two people outside with some wariness. Although he didn't recognize Sean, but he could tell that this man was definitely not an ordinary person, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
"This is General Simon's estate, isn't it? Old man, just say Sean has come to visit." Sean raised his hand to stop Quinn from speaking, stepped forward, and laughed heartily.
"Okay, please wait a moment, I will go and inform the master." The old servant nodded, closed the door and turned to walk inside. He felt that the name Sean seemed a little familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it before. However, the other party directly mentioned the master's name, so he might be a friend of the master when he was in the army. He couldn't be negligent.
"Master, there's a guest outside who calls himself Sean looking for you. What do you think?" The old servant turned through several courtyards and came to the backyard, where he saw a burly man with a thick beard wielding a hoe and turning over the ground in the garden.
"Sean?" Simon stopped abruptly, hoe in his hand. Sweat streamed down his muscular, bronze chest, and a look of surprise crossed his face.
"Isn't he your friend?" the old servant asked, noticing Simon's expression.
"I wouldn't dare be friends with him, Cranden. Tell everyone to go to the backyard. No one is allowed in the front yard without my permission." Simon strode out of the garden, casually tossing his hoe on a nearby tree branch. He grabbed a towel hanging on the branch, wiped his sweat, and dusted off his trousers and shoes before walking straight out.
"Yes, but master, should we serve tea to all of you?" the old servant replied, then asked again.
"They look down on the tea leaves we pick ourselves." Simon said with a hint of sarcasm.
The door creaked open, and Sean, who was examining the griffin carved on the door, smiled and said, "Simon, I didn't know you had this skill. This wood carving is really good."
"Your Highness the First Prince is too kind. I am just a useless old soldier who idly carved these things at home." Simon said calmly to Sean.
"Simon, it seems you still hate me." Sean turned his gaze to Simon, looking him into the eyes.
"I wouldn't dare. Simon is just an ordinary person, how could I dare hate His Highness the First Prince?" Simon looked back into Sean's eyes, remaining calm.
"Not daring to, doesn't mean you don't hate. I know that all of you who left the army at the same time back then hated me, hated me for not being able to save Alex, for not being able to avenge him." Sean shook his head, a hint of guilt on his face, and sighed, "I can't forgive myself for this either. If I had received the news earlier, if I had been more vigilant about the danger, he wouldn't have been trapped in the encirclement and died from exhaustion."
"The general often says that people will die." Simon's expression did not change because of Sean's words, he had heard the same words more than once.
"Yes, people will die, you and I are no exception." Sean nodded with some emotion, then looked at Simon and smiled, "So, Simon, aren't you going to let me in for a bit?"
"If Your Highness the First Prince wishes to come in, I certainly wouldn't dare refuse." Simon opened the door fully and stepped aside.
"Although I'm also reluctant to see you veterans leave like this, but I have to say that your choice back then wasn't bad. Only by leaving the border can you have such a leisurely life. I'm even a little envious of you." Sean said with a smile, looking at the flowers and plants planted in the yard.
"Perhaps." Simon looked at the flowers and plants, clenching his fist.
"It seems we're the only ones here. My purpose in coming here is simple: I want to ask you something." Sean glanced around, then turned to Simon.
"Your Highness the First Prince, please speak frankly if you have any questions. If I know the answer, I will answer without hesitation." Simon's gaze did not waver in the slightest.
"Where were you the night that incident happened?" Sean looked into Simon's eyes and asked earnestly.
Quinn had somehow appeared behind Simon, a cold glint flashing in his hand hidden in his wide sleeve, his eyes narrowed as he stared at Simon's back.
"Go home to sweep my mother's grave. It's the anniversary of her death." Simon replied calmly, but anger flickered in his eyes.
Sean's deep brown eyes stared into Simon's eyes, as if trying to see something different within them.
"If I had been by the General's side back then, I could at least have blocked one or two arrows from the shadow for him. Those shameless bastards, they all deserve to die!" Simon clenched his fists, his face contorted with pain, and he almost growled as he spoke, his clenched fists trembling slightly, as if he was trying his best to control his emotions.
"Yes, those people deserved to die, and they are all dead." Sean nodded, turning his gaze away from Simon, and walked towards a half-open room next door. He gently pushed open the door, revealing a collection of completed and unfinished wood carvings scattered all over the floor, with a pile of untouched wood on one side.
The carvings mostly depict people: knights, mages, orcs, demons, elves... all sorts of different races, fighting and attacking each other, the carvings are incredibly lifelike.
Sean's gaze swept over the wooden carvings, walking all the way to the innermost one. He reached out and gently tapped the largest griffin carving on the shelf, and said with a smile, "Simon, if His Highness the Third Prince knew you had such skills, he would definitely like you very much."
"His Highness the Third Prince is the one who is truly passionate about wood carving, while I am merely playing around." Simon said, shaking his head.
"Interesting, interesting." Sean laughed and turned to walk towards the door, saying, "Simon, I always thought you were an interesting person, but now it seems you are even more interesting than I imagined. But there's something you need to hear: hiding people is different from hiding things. If you don't hide them well, you'll die if they are found."
"I don't understand what Your Highness is saying." A strange light flashed in Simon's eyes, but his expression remained largely unchanged.
"Looks like I won't even get a sip of tea today. Well then, farewell." Sean didn't explain, and walked out of the house, heading straight for the door. When he reached the door, he paused, looked at the griffin on the door, and smiled, "It seems like someone is missing here."
"Respectfully seeing off Your Highness the First Prince." Simon stood at the door without saying a word, bowing respectfully as he watched the black carriage disappear into the distance. Then he turned and went inside. The door closed slowly as he clenched his fist and muttered to himself, "Everyone dies, but as the General said, they must never die without knowing why..."
"Your Highness the First Prince, are we just going back like this?" Quinn asked, turning back with some confusion as he drove the carriage.
"Simon's behavior says it all. Three years ago, he wasn't the type to hold back. It means he was trying to hide something. The room has all sorts of sculptures, but Alex isn't in it. If he's dead, then the room will only have him." Sean's lips curled up. "From now on, all you need to do is keep an eye on him. He's the shortcut to finding Alex."