Transmigration: The Tyrant General Can Hear My Thoughts-Chapter 56 - Fifty Five

Inside the tavern, the atmosphere was thick, dark, and terrifying.

The tavern was closed to the public today. The front room was empty, smelling of spilled ale and old sweat.

In a dark, windowless back room of the tavern, two young men were sitting on the dirty, sticky wooden floor. They were tied securely back-to-back with thick, rough ropes. The ropes cut deeply into their wrists and chests.

One of the young men was Zade Kennedy. His face was covered in dark purple bruises. His bottom lip was split open and bleeding slowly. His expensive white silk shirt was torn and covered in brown dirt. He was breathing heavily, trying to endure the terrible pain in his ribs.

Tied to his back was his good friend, Lord Austin. Austin was a young noble who decided to join Zade for a drink at a respectable establishment before their carriage was hijacked and were brought here.

Austin was completely terrified. His whole body was shaking violently against Zade’s back. Austin’s face was pale, and he was praying silently.

Pacing back and forth in front of them was the leader of the gang. He was a massive, ugly man with a completely bald head and a thick, dirty black beard. He had a long, jagged pink scar running down the left side of his face. He wore dirty leather armor and smelled like cheap wine.

Five other gang members stood in the shadows of the room. They were ugly, dirty men holding sharp knives and heavy wooden clubs.

The bald leader stopped pacing. He stood right in front of Zade. He looked down at the beaten young lord with a cruel, mocking smile.

"Your sister should be on her way here now," the leader said. His voice was rough and loud, like gravel grinding together. He crossed his thick arms over his massive chest.

He leaned down slightly, bringing his smelly breath close to Zade’s bruised face.

"If she doesn’t bring the money," the leader threatened slowly, making sure every single word was clear, "I will personally break your legs. And then, I will kill you both. Very, very slowly."

He turned around and looked at his other men standing in the dark corners. He grinned an ugly grin, showing his yellow, rotting teeth.

The other men gave a loud, cruel laughter. The sound echoed terribly in the small, dark room. They found the suffering of the rich lords highly amusing. They loved the smell of fear.

Zade did not beg for mercy. Despite the blood in his mouth and the ropes cutting into his skin, his eyes were hard and full of deep bitterness.

Zade lifted his bruised head. He looked straight up at the bald leader.

"I’m sorry to disappoint you," Zade spoke. His voice was raspy from the beating, but it was surprisingly steady. He spat a small mouthful of blood onto the dirty wooden floor near the leader’s boots.

Zade forced a painful, bitter smile. "But your plan is going to fall through completely."

The leader stopped smiling. He frowned deeply. "What are you talking about, rich boy?"

Zade let out a dry, humorless laugh. He thought about his older sister, Camilla. He thought about how she had completely abandoned him. He thought about the countless letters he had sent to the Benson mansion that were never answered.

"That woman doesn’t care about me," Zade said, his voice dripping with absolute certainty and deep, lingering sadness. "She changed a year ago. She is completely obsessed with her General. She has no room in her heart for a brother anymore."

Zade shook his head slightly. "She wouldn’t even bat an eye whether I live or die. She is not coming to save me. She is probably sitting in her warm mansion right now, drinking tea."

Behind him, Lord Austin began to panic even more. He heard Zade telling the murderers that the ransom money was not coming.

Austin twisted his head around, trying to look over his shoulder at his friend.

"Keep quiet, Zade!" Austin whispered frantically. His voice was high and shaking with absolute terror. "Please, just shut up! You are making him more angry! We are going to die if you keep talking!"

But Zade was stubborn. He was angry at his sister, and he was angry at his situation. He refused to show fear to these dirty criminals.

Zade ignored Austin’s pleas. He kept his eyes fixed completely on the bald leader.

"Even if you break my legs," Zade continued, his voice rising slightly in defiance. He pushed his chest out against the tight ropes. "Even if you beat me to death or stab me in the heart, I would never ask her for help. I do not want her money. There’s no need to involve her in this. Do your worst."

The leader stared at the young lord. The leader’s face turned red with anger. He did not like victims who talked back. He wanted them to cry and beg.

The leader turned his head. He looked at a small, dirty window high up on the stone wall. The bright afternoon sunlight was slowly starting to turn orange. The sun was going down. The deadline was approaching.

The leader waited for a while. The room was completely silent except for Austin’s prayers. The heavy, wooden door of the back room remained tightly closed. No one knocked. No one brought a heavy chest of gold coins.

The leader finally let out a heavy, disappointed sigh. He rubbed his dirty beard with his thick hand.

"Seems she’s not coming," the leader said coldly. He sounded bored, as if he were simply deciding what to eat for dinner. He did not care about human life at all.

He turned his head. He looked at one of his largest men standing in the shadows. The man was holding a thick, heavy wooden club bound with iron rings.

The leader pointed a thick finger directly at Zade’s outstretched legs.

"Break his legs," the leader ordered casually.

The huge thug smiled a wicked, excited smile. He stepped out of the shadows. He raised the heavy iron-bound club high into the air. He stepped toward Zade, preparing to swing the heavy weapon down with all his massive strength directly onto Zade’s kneecaps.

Panic completely overwhelmed the two young lords. The reality of the terrible pain they were about to suffer finally broke Zade’s brave front.

Zade and Austin began to scream at the top of their lungs. They struggled wildly, kicking their feet against the dirty floor, trying desperately to pull away from the heavy club.

"Let me go!" Zade yelled, pulling against the thick ropes until his wrists bled.

"Stop! Please stop!" Austin shrieked, closing his eyes tightly, waiting for the horrible sound of breaking bones. "Let me go!"

The huge thug tightened his grip on the club. He began to swing his thick arms downward.

Just then, a completely calm, smooth voice cut through the loud screaming and the heavy, tense air of the dark room.

"He said you should let him go."

The thug froze. He stopped his swing mid-air. The bald leader quickly spun around. Zade and Austin stopped screaming, opening their eyes in total shock.

Everyone looked toward the door of the back room. The door was wide open.

Standing in the doorway was a small, quiet figure. The figure was wearing a loose grey tunic, dark trousers, and a dull brown cap pulled low over their forehead. They looked exactly like a poor, dirty kitchen boy from the streets.

But the small figure was not standing like an intimidating person.

Camilla was leaning comfortably against the doorframe. Her arms were casually crossed over her chest. She looked completely relaxed, entirely unbothered, as her eyes swept over the six heavily armed murderers staring back at her.