Interlude

"Another unknown monster... The North is getting more and more unsettled."

Frog pulled hard on the reins, bringing the carriage and several other caravans behind it to a stop, like a train slamming on the brakes on a railway track.

Ahead of them emerged a dozen or so strange monsters, the size of tigers, with a pair of horns on their heads and several tails, from the forest. Just a glance at one of them was enough to send chills down the spines of some of the new caravan members who had never seen monsters before, their toes curling nervously inside their boots.

I shouldn't have said those things. Is it too late for me to take them back?

"It's obviously too late."

Lancelot drew his longsword, stood it in front of him, and assumed a fighting stance.

Despite facing a monster that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, he still had the leisure to crack a joke with Frog.

Actually, when he took off his helmet, he looked like an ordinary, unshaven middle-aged man. Only his sharply defined jawline proved that this man once had a bright and beautiful youth and was once the dream lover of some young girl. But when he put on his helmet and struck a pose, the aura he exuded was like a tiger crouching down, ready to pounce on its prey at any moment.

Although this wasn't the first time Frog had seen him so serious, he was always unconsciously surprised. He never expected this middle-aged man to harbor such a sharp edge. "All on high alert!"

Although Lancelot still called out in his habit, it was clearly unnecessary.

Seeing their leader on high alert, the mercenaries behind them all stopped and expertly drew their weapons, instinctively protecting the caravan.

The entire process took less than a minute, which is enough to demonstrate the Mercenary Group's ability to react and cooperate.

Before being hired as guards, they were a renowned mercenary group in the North. Each member was skilled enough to single-handedly take down a bear, and even when facing monsters, they wouldn't easily back down. "These monsters are troublesome."

Just by sensing the terrifying killing intent emanating from those monsters, Lancelot knew this was going to be a tough battle.

But instead of feeling timid, he became even more excited.

He is a warrior, a dancer on the battlefield; only a formidable opponent is his worthy dance partner.

The armor clattered as it moved at high speed, every joint in its body seemed to be reveling in its power. Instead of waiting for the attack, Lancelot took the initiative, wielding his longsword like a steel chariot, and charged towards the monster.

Seeing this reckless human charging towards them, the creature roared angrily, its thick claws slicing through the air towards him. But to its surprise, the seemingly cumbersome armor did not hinder Lancelot's movements at all. He nimbly dodged the headshot, then swung his longsword in a magnificent arc, severing the monster's forepaw.

"Roar!!"

It was furious, not expecting to be so severely injured so quickly, but at the same time it knew that this prey was not a fish on a chopping board to be slaughtered at will.

It emitted a call to summon its companions, further agitating the already restless monsters behind it.

But then, the roar abruptly stopped; its head flew into the air, and together with its headless body, it crashed to the ground and rolled several times.

The horde of monsters, which was about to charge forward, seemed to have seen the tragic state of their companion and calmed down. They slowly retreated a few steps, lowering their bodies, but they did not retreat because of their companion's death. Instead, they lingered not far from Lancelot, as if waiting for this dangerous prey to reveal a fatal weakness.

Lancelot flicked his sword a few times, but simply stood still, making no further move.

He dared not stray too far from Frog, even though the latter could dominate the business world and outwit his competitors with his words. But in terms of combat, he was utterly useless, unable to even kill a rabbit. Facing monsters, he would basically be doomed, and might as well write his will and prepare to be reincarnated.

This is why Lancelot always stays close by Frog's side, no matter where they go. Even during battle, he would never stray more than ten steps from Frog, otherwise he would be unable to guarantee Frog's safety.

These monsters were exceptionally intelligent; they seemed to think that the caravan behind Lancelot was easier to deal with than Lancelot himself.

With a loud roar, they charged towards the caravan in unison.

In this chaotic situation, Lancelot couldn't stop them all, much less fight ten against one.

Not to mention the tiger-shaped monster's astonishing strength, he also had to spare some attention to prevent Frog from being ambushed. So after dealing with another monster that pounced on him, he could only stay by Frog's side. He watched as most of the monsters rushed towards the caravan workers who had panicked and hid in the carriages. Fortunately, the mercenaries were not to be underestimated. After watching Lancelot's battle, they quickly realized that they could not confront the tiger-shaped monster one-on-one. They worked together in unison and changed their formation. One person held the line while the other attacked, effectively stopping the monster's offensive.

Spears and short swords could always strike the monsters unexpectedly, while the powerful claws that the monsters swung were blocked by their companions' shields. After several exchanges, the monsters' momentum was greatly reduced.

While they may not be as formidable as Lancelot, they are all experienced warriors who are resourceful and adaptable in battle, which is why Frog is willing to continue hiring them at high prices.

In these turbulent times, only a team as strong as this can undertake the task of escorting their caravans.

The North is the territory of monsters and Demons. To survive in this dog-eat-dog world, one must have sufficient strength.

"Why don't you go help them? It'll make things easier to resolve that way."

Seeing that Lancelot had dealt with all the monsters around him, Frog patted him on the shoulder, indicating that he didn't need to worry about him and should go help the guys behind him. Many of them were like brothers, and if anyone were to get hurt in this battle, it would be a tragedy.

Many of them have experienced the tragedy of losing their families and know how painful it is to lose loved ones.

"Don't wander off, I'll be right back."

After some hesitation, Lancelot also thought this approach was feasible, since with his involvement, the monsters that were already locked in a stalemate could be dealt with quickly.

Even if he were alone, without Frog, he was confident that he could take care of three or four of these monsters by himself.

Without lingering, he quickly grabbed his sword and ran towards the back of the caravan, eager to resolve their current predicament as soon as possible.

Behind Frog, unnoticed by either of them, a pair of cunning eyes suddenly appeared from the bushes in the woods.

The people watching the caravan.