“I am Kellman, the leader of the Frostwolf Mercenaries. Please clear the way!” Kellman stepped forward, asserting his identity.
Normally, common brigands would scatter at the mere mention of Kellman’s name.
However, this group of bandits was evidently extraordinary, showing no signs of retreat.
Kellman’s expression turned grave, marking the first time his reputation had failed to intimidate.
Upon observing the bandits’ fearless stance, Howard suggested, “Let’s take a detour.”
Although Kellman felt humiliated, he trusted Howard’s judgment, as his decisions had always been correct.
He nodded, “Alright, let’s go around.”
As they turned their horses to leave, a large, burly man jumped down from a tree behind them, effectively blocking their path.
He held a massive club and looked at Kellman with a sneer.
“Kellman, your Frostwolf Mercenaries have been annihilated, and you still dare use your title as commander to intimidate others?” .
Kellman seemed to recognize the man and exclaimed in surprise, “Kaedwyn?”
Howard sensed from Kellman’s reaction that this individual was no ordinary figure.
Kellman took a deep breath, his voice tinged with disbelief, “I never expected the renowned leader of the Black Hawk Mercenaries to stoop to banditry. If word gets out, wouldn’t it be a laughingstock?”
Kaedwyn, hearing Kellman’s words, didn’t show anger but instead chuckled.
“Kellman, have you not seen the current state of affairs? Being a laughingstock? Keeping our brothers alive and their bellies full is far more important. Leave your horses and valuables, and I’ll spare your lives!”
“Don’t even think about it!” Kellman spurred his horse forward, drawing his sword to strike.
Kaedwyn, calm and composed, lifted his massive club and swept it towards the horse with astonishing strength and speed.
Kellman, forced to parry, failed to block the strike and was sent flying, blood spewing from his mouth.
His steed was instantly crushed into a bloody pulp.
Kaedwyn expressed a hint of regret.
“Such a pity. Well, it will make a good feast for my men later.”
His club, whistling through the air, quickly targeted Kellman, who had just hit the ground and hadn’t yet caught his breath.
It seemed inevitable that Kellman wouldn’t be able to dodge in time.
Just then, a swift horse darted past Kaedwyn, a blur of motion.
Howard, riding the horse, managed to rescue Kellman and then shouted to Tina, “Run fast!”
Using Kellman’s knightly sword to fend off the attackers, Howard bought time for Tina to escape.
“No one’s getting away!” Kaedwyn bellowed as he relentlessly assaulted Howard.
Each swing of his weapon exerted immense pressure on Howard.
Fortunately, his horse was agile, narrowly evading each attack and enabling Howard to counter.
“Howard, go on ahead!” Tina, now at a safe distance, called out to Howard.
Only then did Howard spur his horse to flee with Kellman.
They quickly outpaced Kaedwyn, whose attempts to follow were futile.
“What a fine steed…” Kaedwyn remarked appreciatively.
Once they were safe, Tina immediately tended to Kellman’s wounds.
Thankfully, they weren’t severe, and he would recover after some rest.
“Thank you, Howard, you saved my life,” Kellman said gratefully.
“No need to thank me. Haven’t you saved me before?” Howard replied.
They shared a smile.
Tina asked, “What do we do now?”
She unfolded a map and pointed to their current location.
“The only direct route to Holy Light City is this one.
Taking a detour means a much longer journey.”
“We’ll have to take the detour,” Howard stated without hesitation.
He had seen the strength of their adversary.
Even Kellman, stronger than himself, was no match for them.
Forcing their way through would undoubtedly lead to trouble.
Howard believed the bandits had chosen this particular road because they knew it was the only nearby route.
Most people would rather hand over their possessions than risk the danger of a detour, especially since the nights were fraught with the perils of the Night Demon and other unknown threats.
Travelling a different path would mean facing three unpredictable nights, a gamble few would dare.
Tina and Kellman were deep in thought, weighing whether to take the detour.
Howard spoke up again, “Even if we don’t take the detour, can you be sure they’ll let us pass after we hand over our belongings?”
He glanced at Tina, her attractive features likely to draw unwanted attention.
“If they make more outrageous demands, will we comply?”
With Howard’s words, Kellman and Tina quickly understood.
Their only option was to take the detour.
The credibility of highway robbers was non-existent; their promises couldn’t be trusted.
Thus, the trio chose an alternate route, a rugged and difficult path, but it was their safest bet under the circumstances.
Gazing at the uneven mountain path ahead, Howard realized their horses couldn’t pass.
Decisiveness was key in such situations.
Now, the horses would only be a burden, so after slaughtering two of them for a hearty dinner, Howard and his companions packed as much horse meat as they could carry and continued on foot.
Howard felt a pang of regret; he hadn’t spent much time with his horse, but it had saved his life.
Yet, human lives always took precedence over animals, and in this harsh reality, it was better to extract the last bit of value from the horses than to struggle to keep them alive through the night.
As night fell, they found a spot to rest, wisely choosing not to light a campfire after last night’s experiences.
Despite the remote and rugged terrain that seemed unlikely to encounter others, Howard remained cautious.
During the night, several Night Demons discovered them, but Kellman easily dispatched them.
Kellman had recovered from his injuries; his constitution was strong, and he quickly bounced back even after spitting blood.
His defeat by Kaedwyn was partly due to his lack of proficiency in mounted combat.
As the leader of the Frostwolf Mercenaries, he had plenty of experience with horses and was a competent rider, but fighting on horseback was not his forte.
In a ground battle, he might have been able to hold his own against Kaedwyn, though he would likely still lose.
He confided to Howard that Kaedwyn was no ordinary man.
More than just a mercenary leader, Kaedwyn had served in the Empire’s army and was hailed as one of the strongest warriors.
This battle-hardened warrior’s abilities far surpassed those of a mercenary leader like himself.
Howard was surprised by this revelation.
Had the situation really become so dire?
If Kaedwyn was one of the Empire’s most formidable warriors, why had he fallen to such a state?
It seemed implausible.
Sensing Howard’s confusion, Kellman explained, “Kaedwyn established the Black Hawk Mercenaries after offending a noble, and that noble never ceased to suppress his group.”
“Despite Kaedwyn’s fame in the mercenary world, life was tough for him.His descent to this point must have been out of desperation.He used to value the honor of an old soldier, always keeping his subordinates in check.”
“As the noble’s pressure intensified, his mercenary band gradually turned to lawlessness. I’ve heard they’ve committed all sorts of atrocities in recent years, but I never imagined they’d completely devolve into banditry. It’s a pity.”
With this understanding, Howard too felt a sense of regret for Kaedwyn.
But such is the world; pitying the once oppressed no longer held any meaning.
The night was restless.
After Kellman dealt with some Night Demons, more appeared.
This time, Howard stepped up to confront them, seeing it as an opportunity to hone his combat skills.
Still unable to use magic, his prowess in close combat was ever-increasing.
Kellman joked, “Howard, once we reach Holy Light City, you should try becoming a knight or warrior.”
“Is there any benefit in that?” Howard asked.
Kellman was about to explain when another wave of Night Demons attacked, forcing the two to engage in battle once again.
The battle lasted until daybreak, leaving them utterly exhausted.
They decided to sleep during the day, with Tina keeping watch.
Around noon, they woke up to find Tina had prepared food – cooked horse meat.
Howard noticed she had lit a fire and felt a bit anxious, but he didn’t comment.
Tina, noticing Howard’s concern, smiled and reassured him, “Don’t worry, there shouldn’t be anyone around here, and I only used the fire for a short while.”
Kellman, gnawing on a large piece of horse meat, said, “Anyway, let’s follow Howard’s advice from now on.
No more fires, we can manage with raw food if needed.”
They had some dry rations obtained from the Frost Raven Tribe, but those had been discarded. .𝘤𝘰
The horse meat, though raw, was a better option for replenishing their strength.
Tina nodded in understanding.
Howard added, “It’s true that there aren’t many people around here, but let’s avoid making fire next time.”
After eating and resting briefly, the trio continued their journey.
The path proved extremely difficult; what they had initially expected to take three days would now take at least five.
This was why Kaedwyn had blocked the other route.
Unless they turned back, overcoming this challenge would require significant effort.
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