An Understated Dominance (Dustin Rhys)

“To avoid trouble, the four guards must die,” Mulder said bluntly.

The four Red Legion guards instantly turned pale upon hearing that.

Even Warrick frowned, his face darkening.

“What nonsense are you spouting? They are my personal guards, my brothers-in-arms. How could they possibly betray me?”

“You never really know who you can trust. Betrayal happens all the time-even between comrades. For your safety, we can’t take that risk,” Mulder said solemnly.

“A warrior can be killed but never disgraced. We’ve followed Sir Prescott for years, through life and death. No matter the cost-even if it’s our lives-we would never betray him,” Geralt said.

“That’s right. Don’t judge loyal men by your own petty standards,” Kalen snapped.

Hmph! Scum like you could never understand the bond between men who have fought and bled together,” another added.

They responded to Mulder’s words with a mix of anger and disdain.

These men were Warrick’s personal guards -battle-hardened and fiercely loyal. They had faced life-and-death trials and wouldn’t hesitate to lay down their lives for him.

From the day they joined the Red Legion to the moment they were chosen as Warrick’s personal guards, one belief had been drilled into them-his safety came before everything.

Not just their own lives-even if all their families’ lives were added together, they still wouldn’t measure up to Warrick’s importance. Loyalty and duty bound these Red Legion guards, but so did the unforgiving military code.

were expected to take their own lives in atonement, and their families wouldn’t be spared either. That was why

care for your so-called brotherhood, but I understand human nature-and pain,” Mulder said

continued, “If any of you get caught, no matter how tough you think you are, you won’t withstand the tortures inside Grimhold Keep. So, don’t bother arguing with

Grimhold Keep were beyond what most people

fully grasp the

acting like they had nothing to lose, but those were usually the first to break and rarely made it past half

most prisoners weren’t given that option. They

who had assaulted over

recognition, and eventually turned into a living corpse. His suffering only ended when the

in human resilience. He didn’t believe

that place, the Red Legion guards fell silent, and their earlier defiance faded. Though they had never seen the place themselves, they knew well enough how terrifying it was. It wasn’t a place where anyone walked out

captured and sent there, could they endure the torture? None of them could

own safety, make a

his head, and his

do it, I can take care of it for

flashed in Warrick’s eyes. “They’re my men.

drew his blade and swung it at the four men before him. The blade swept across in a blinding arc,

as red lines bloomed across their

“Sir Prescott… you…”

widened in shock. He barely had time to speak before the red line on his neck split open. Blood