Chapter 686 Alliance
At the start, Stellario was slightly threatened by the one hundred over werewolves. However, eventually, all the werewolves were slain rather effortlessly through the combined efforts of the three of them.
After the last werewolf was killed, Kathleen and Stellario also dropped into the engine room. “You guys…” Two felt as though he was facing three giant mountains as he stared at the three individuals in front of him. In fact, he felt suffocating just by glancing at them.
Then, a billhook was sent flying toward Killian. It struck the wall at an angle, practically pressing itself against his neck.
“Be good, Killian. As long as you don’t understand, I won’t kill you,” Winston uttered with a smile. His simple and honest appearance made him look like an old farmer.
At that moment, it was as if Layla had understood something as she gazed at the trio silently with tears in her eyes from the sideline.
“I volunteer to be a hostage if you three need one. Please, let go of my son.” While she had no idea what was Karl’s plan, she knew she wouldn’t be getting a happy ending from the moment she was captured and brought to Remdik.
She could guess it after her last call with Karl in Wildefield. He told her in an almost choking tone about some of the things that happened in the past, some unfulfilled promises, and what Killian’s future would look like.
Karl spoke a lot that night, but all Layla could pick up from his words was how sorry he felt toward her and her son.
It was at that moment she realized he had struck.
As his wife, she knew he had great aspirations.
When order was being restored to the lands, she was kidnapped to blackmail Karl.
However, back then, he chose only to relay a single word—attack!
His reasoning was simple. His life and the life of his family were no different from those of ordinary soldiers’ in his eyes.
If the army under his command wouldn’t stop because family members of some random soldier were kidnapped, then he certainly wouldn’t allow Eastern Army to demand a ceasefire just because Layla was kidnapped.
So what if she is my woman!
While she was disappointed that he wouldn’t try to save her, she eventually understood what he really wanted to do. Hence, she chose to stand behind Karl.
However, she still got herself and her child involved.
“My son is too young! Take me as a hostage instead. I can help you all convince Karl,” Layla pleaded again.
In response, Kathleen laughed. “Well, I will address you as Mrs. Hamilton. Now, you may not like to hear this, but you’re not as valuable as little Killian over here. Seven years ago, when he was kidnapped by Blackbeard at Mount Yarwood, Karl didn’t hesitate to rescue him with a troop. I’m impressed that you’re willing to go so far as a woman, wife, and mother. However, you don’t get a say regarding what happens today.”
Before she ended her sentence, she knocked Layla unconscious by blowing a fragrant powder on her hand toward the latter.
Winston, who was standing at the side, was nearly knocked out, too.
“It’s the Henderson family’s bewitching powder.” Stellario promptly leaped backward and stared at Kathleen cautiously.
It was then Kathleen kicked the billhook away and grabbed the back of Killian’s neck. “I’m just a weak woman. If you two let me win this round, the Henderson family will reward you two handsomely in the future.”
“If you can step out of this boat alive, I’ll let you have the win.” Winston smiled, holding the billhook.
On the side, Stellario was staring at the scene as though he was watching a drama. He didn’t appear anxious at all.
Kathleen frowned at Stellario. “What about you? What do you think?”
“Nothing.” Slowly, Stellario ascended the stairs. “Either of you can take them away if you want, but I must remind you two that I’ve infected them with my parasites. They’ll die without my antidote.”
“What?” In response, Kathleen conjured a bout of spiritual energy in the hand she was grabbing Killian with. Then, she sent the energy into his body to verify Stellario’s claim. When she did, her expression shifted drastically. “I can sense parasites in his arteries and energy field! Are you still human, Stellario? He’s only seven years old!”
“So what if he’s seven?” Stellario smirked at the two. “Right now, we’re all competing to protect Killian. The moment we reach the border, those who fail to control Karl will use everything they have to kill the party that succeeds in order to destroy Eastern Army’s alliance with that person’s family. Isn’t that something we all silently acknowledged? When we came down here earlier, there were three Remdik children who were four or five years old in the cargo bay, right? Did you let them go, Kathleen?”
His words rendered the other two speechless.
In fact, that was how the respectable families operated.
For the sake of their families’ benefit, they were willing to kill anyone including infants. The destruction of the Whitley family was but one example of their ruthlessness.
Winston put away his billhook. “Well, since the kid is infected with Stellario’s parasites, there’s no point in us fighting over him. Let’s just kill him now. That way, it’s fairer to everyone here.”
Gazing at Killian, Kathleen raised her hand but didn’t attack the boy. “We haven’t arrived at the border yet, so he doesn’t need to die now.”
“If you can’t do it, I will.” Winston promptly strode toward Killian.
Concurrently, Stellario spoke from where he sat on the stairs again. “There’s no need to rush. You two should know that your families don’t necessarily have to be the sole survivor to be powerful and in control. An alliance between all three of our families is always an option. “
Winston and Kathleen turned their attention to him upon hearing that.
“My family is in Xemrich, the Leeson family is in Doveston, and the Henderson family sits right in the middle. In terms of terrain, all of us have enough space to develop. Once we form a tripartite alliance, it’ll be difficult for anyone to break it. I estimate it’ll last for at least eighty years, if not a century. As for what’ll happen after that, well, we may not live for that long.
“Even if we can, we will have still earned a century’s worth of development for our families. Isn’t that a good thing? In any case, that’s my proposal. You two should give it some thought and decide if it’s easier for one family to take out the other seven or for an alliance of three families to eliminate the other five.”
After listening to his suggestion, Kathleen and Winston fell into deep thought.
The fact that they were sent to complete their current mission meant they had a lot of say in their respective families. In fact, on some level, they could decide how their families would develop in the future.
In the past, everyone wanted to gain Karl’s support and keep the Salladay family in check.
However, at that moment, Stellario introduced a new possibility for the duo.
If the three of them and their families established an alliance, they would overpower any one of the remaining five families, and the Salladay family would have no way of fighting them alone.
However, they still had to consider the possibility that the other five families might work together once the war started.
Lastly, an alliance like that would be complicated, and there would be no turning back once it was formed.
“I can’t make such an important decision on behalf of my family. I need to discuss this matter with them first before I can give you an answer, Stellario.” As Kathleen spoke, she bit her finger bloody before pressing it on Killian’s eyebrows.
A bizarre surge of energy emerged before her blood rapidly seeped into the boy’s eyebrows.
It was a type of blood curse. From then on out, Kathleen could blow Killian’s brain apart whenever she wanted to.
Winston approached Killian, too, and did the same. “From this moment forward, this child belongs to the three of us. Once we cross the border, the head of our family will decide whether we should spare or kill this child.”
