Kellman strongly agreed with Howard’s suggestion.
The ability to make such a calm judgment under these circumstances indicated that Howard was not lying about being a magus and had indeed seen many battles.
However, to the squad leader, Howard’s words seemed like an act of cowardice.
The disappearance of the Lionheart Mercenaries suggested to him that they had been severely weakened.
As for the absence of their corpses, it was highly probable, in his view, that they had taken their dead comrades with them.
Pursuing them now seemed like an excellent opportunity to achieve a significant victory.
Howard, however, had pondered this.
It was unlikely that the Lionheart Mercenaries would bother to carry away their dead.
According to the tavern keeper, they were cold-blooded killers; why would they care for the bodies of their comrades?
Moreover, given the tense situation and the ongoing arrival of reinforcements from the town, and Kellman’s mention of nearby imperial forces, time was of the essence.
If the Lionheart Mercenaries were indeed defeated, they certainly wouldn’t engage in actions that would slow them down.
The only plausible explanation was that the Lionheart Mercenaries hadn’t suffered any casualties.
They had completely overcome the outpost’s defenders, as unbelievable as it sounded.
Their disappearance must have been purposeful.
Perhaps they were luring the enemy deeper into a trap or even hiding nearby, silently observing and waiting for an opportune moment to strike.
What puzzled Howard was, if they were capable of easily annihilating such a large force, why go through the trouble of setting up an ambush?
Why not just storm the town directly and finish it?
Although the true intentions of the Lionheart Mercenaries were unknown, the best course of action now was to stay put and wait for reinforcements.
The town was still under threat from the Night Demons, and wandering around aimlessly in such a situation would undoubtedly lead to disastrous consequences.
Howard’s sole desire was to survive; he couldn’t afford to die in this place so easily.
Meanwhile, the squad leader, eager for glory, was still considering taking a risk, even after Kellman and Howard’s logical analysis.
The guards, much like Howard, didn’t wish to proceed either.
They shared the same desire to survive; thoughts of achieving glory were far from their minds.
While they might have been motivated to defend the town, pursuing and attacking the enemy was not their duty.
Most of them were just town guards, not even part of a regular army, and many had been forcibly conscripted from the town, unwilling to lay down their lives so readily.
Seeing the reluctance among the ranks, the squad leader clenched his teeth, about to enforce his authority, when suddenly, a series of sharp, piercing wolf howls echoed from afar, causing immediate fear among the guards.
“Why would there be a pack of wolves here?” Tina said, her face etched with worry.
“Could the Lionheart Mercenaries’ bodies have been carried away by the wolves?” Catt speculated, both confused and alert.
Tina immediately shook her head, giving Catt a look that suggested he was being foolish.
“If it was a pack of wolves, why would they only be interested in the Lionheart Mercenaries’ corpses?”
Catt, scratching his head, gave an embarrassed chuckle. “Yeah… that makes sense.”
“This is not a pack of wolves!” Kellman said, frowning deeply.
His knightly greatsword was already unsheathed, as if anticipating a tough battle ahead.
It was then that the usually quiet Skor spoke up, “It’s the Wolf Cavalry.”
“Lionheart Mercenaries’ Wolf Cavalry?” Tina inquired.
“No, mercenary groups don’t have Wolf Cavalry. Only the empire’s elite troops have them,” Skor clarified.
The anxious guards, upon hearing this, were filled with relief.
Were reinforcements finally here, and elite ones at that?
Kellman’s expression darkened, and Howard too sensed something amiss.
The persistent howling of the wolves suggested they were now surrounded by the Wolf Cavalry.
What were they planning?
Howard considered another possibility regarding the Lionheart Mercenaries: that the empire’s Wolf Cavalry had arrived in time and annihilated them completely.
The absence of Lionheart Mercenaries’ corpses at the scene could be because the Wolf Cavalry had taken them away, possibly to conceal some secret.
Realizing the danger, Howard quickly discerned that they too might be silenced.
Looking into the distance under the moonlight, he spotted the glint of sharp blades and immediately turned, running towards the ruined fortress, shouting to Tina and the others, “Quick, this way!”
“Hey! Don’t move!” the squad leader yelled from behind.
But before he could finish his sentence, an arrow whistled through the air, piercing his head and spilling his blood on the spot.
Panic ensued among the guards, who scattered in all directions.
Amidst a hail of arrows, the distant Wolf Cavalry charged forward, their cries and howls filling the air.
As they thundered closer, Howard foresaw the grim outcome: these guards, along with the townspeople, were in grave danger.
By sunrise, he feared, no one here would be left alive.
Kellman couldn’t fathom why the empire’s Wolf Cavalry would turn against their own citizens, but this grim reality was now before them.
Their immediate concern was survival; they clearly lacked the capability to withstand the Wolf Cavalry.
Hiding in the remnants of the fortress, they watched as the numerous Wolf Cavalry swept past.
Howard caught sight of the knights’ ferocious faces and blood-red eyes atop the massive wolves. They didn’t look like normal humans at all.
Unexpectedly, the Wolf Cavalry passed by without noticing those hidden in the fortress, instead pursuing the scattered guards and heading towards the town.
After some time, inside the fortress, Howard, the four members of the Frostwolf Mercenaries, and two remaining guards were the sole survivors.
The guards were trembling with fear, grateful for having followed Howard to safety.
Otherwise, they would have either perished under the relentless volley of arrows or been torn apart by the Wolf Cavalry.
Though they didn’t understand why the Wolf Cavalry hadn’t stormed their hiding place, being alive was all that mattered now.
“Should we head back to the town?” Tina’s voice broke the silence in the fortress.
Kellman glanced at her and then looked in the direction of the town. “We don’t have the capability to save anyone. It’s better we leave this place as soon as possible.”
Everyone from the Frostwolf Mercenaries and Howard agreed it was best to leave quickly.
However, the two guards were in disagreement.
One felt they should return to check on their homes, while the other was solely focused on survival.
In the end, the guard who wanted to return left alone, despite attempts to dissuade him.
Howard watched his lonely figure disappearing into the night, sensing the grim fate that awaited him.
The group didn’t dare go back for the carriage and decided to walk towards Holy Light City.
A new doubt clouded Kellman’s mind: why would the empire’s elite troops, the Wolf Cavalry, attack their own people? The same question applied to the Lionheart Mercenaries. Why would they do such a thing?
This puzzle, Kellman thought, could only be unraveled in Holy Light City.
There, with its considerable and formidable garrison, they could surely investigate these events.
They would find refuge, and Howard might find a way to regain his strength.
Now, a pressing difficulty lay before the group – relying solely on their feet, reaching Holy Light City seemed an impossible task.
The journey was not only long but fraught with the danger of Night Demons lurking in the dark, and the group was already weary from their ordeal.
“We need to find a place to rest,” Tina said, noticing Howard’s increasing struggle to walk.
She knew his severe injuries were pushing him to his limit.
She, Kellman, and the others were surprised at Howard’s strong will.
Despite his grave injuries, he had managed to keep pace with them, remarkable even for someone who once was a magus.
Kellman glanced at Howard and nodded. “Alright, let’s cross this hill and find a place to camp on the other side.”
“Catt, scout ahead and make sure the area is safe. Find us a suitable spot,” he instructed.
“Got it, Captain. Leave it to me,” Catt said, pushing through his fatigue.
After Catt left, Kellman, still uneasy, turned to Skor. “You go as well. If you encounter danger, use your magic to signal us.”
Skor nodded in agreement. 𝘳𝑎.𝒸ℴ
Some time later, the two returned with news.
Catt had found a cave, well-hidden and suitable for resting.
Kellman immediately ordered the group to head towards it.
Once they arrived at the cave, Howard could finally rest properly.
Tina took a blanket from her pack and laid it out for him.
Then she, along with Kellman and the guards, went out to gather firewood and, if lucky, some wild game.
Catt shared some of his dry rations with Howard.
The taste was far from appealing.
Howard couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten something so unpalatable or when he had last been in such a dire situation.
As time ticked by, a look of increasing concern appeared on Skor’s face. “The captain and Tina haven’t returned yet; something must have happened. You two wait here, I’m going to check.”
Then Howard and Catt were left alone in the cave.
Overwhelmed by fatigue, Howard dozed off for a while as Catt kept watch.
When Howard awoke after an indeterminate amount of time, he was startled to find that Catt too had disappeared.
It felt like a long time might have passed, yet it could have been just a brief moment.
Now alone in the cave, Howard didn’t dare let his guard down.
Clutching the spear beside him, he prepared to head towards the cave entrance to investigate.
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