First Battle

On the morning of Saturday, April 1, Imperial Calendar 1157, the weather was clear, with a faint warm breeze.

After several consecutive days of sailing, the Second Echelon Sean was with successfully turned into the Lingnan River and headed upstream, arriving at the edge of the Southern Wilderness Great Swamp. From there, they would sail to the designated rendezvous point and join the First Echelon's Advance Team.

The Garrison's designated rendezvous point was located along the lower reaches of the Lingnan River. The terrain there was flat and open, making it convenient for building a camp, while its proximity to the Lingnan River facilitated transportation. More importantly, it was unlikely to suffer surprise attacks from bandits such as water bandits.

By then, a temporary camp had already been built at the rendezvous point. The Advance Team's soldiers had used logs as thick as bowls to construct a wooden defensive wall, enclosing an open area nearly the size of a football field. Four simple watchtowers more than three meters high stood at the corners of the wall, with soldiers already standing watch atop them. The Advance Team had also set up sentry posts and dispatched patrols outside the camp. The defenses were tight, leaving the water bandits no opening to exploit.

Along the riverbank beside the camp, on the side bordering the Lingnan River, a simple temporary dock had also been constructed. Massive logs extended deep into the river, forming a huge pier for the arriving ships to dock at temporarily.

Sean's fleet soon arrived at the temporary camp and took turns docking at the simple pier, allowing the soldiers aboard to disembark in an orderly manner and rest. Only after resting would they enter the temporary camp under the officers' command.

By the time Sean's ship docked, more than half an hour had passed. He led his soldiers onto solid ground, easing the slight discomfort left by several days at sea. He looked at Phil with some envy and found that he was still full of energy. Sean had asked him about it before and learned that Phil had once worked as a fisherman in Linshui City.

A short while later, Sean led his soldiers into the camp with the wagons carrying all kinds of equipment. Soldiers' tents stood in dense, orderly rows along both sides of the camp, while only a large open space had been left in the center. Under the guidance of the commanding officer, Sean soon arrived at the edge of that central clearing. What followed was the usual hassle of pitching tents and arranging accommodations. He handed all of it over to Sergeant Donnie while he sat on a wagon and supervised, mostly because he wanted to slack off and rest.

After more than an hour of bustling work, everyone finally finished pitching the tents and handling the other chores. Sean was just about to order the soldiers to rest when he unexpectedly received a military order from Lieutenant Colonel Merkel.

The one who came to deliver it was Sergeant Jason, an old acquaintance of Sean's. Jason greeted him from afar, then quickly walked over and said, "Second Lieutenant Winchester, Lord Merkel sent me to convey his order..."

Sean immediately jumped down from the wagon and straightened his slightly wrinkled uniform. Then he waited with a solemn expression for the specific order.

"Lord Merkel orders you to immediately lead your company, together with Second Lieutenant Anderson's company, and escort the fleet back to rendezvous with the Third Echelon. Then protect the ships carrying logistical supplies as they return to the temporary camp." Seeing Sean's attentive expression, Jason immediately explained the order in detail and handed him the written document.

"Yes!" Sean replied loudly and seriously as he accepted the document Jason handed over. Then he said, "Please inform Lord Merkel that I will carry out his order immediately..." With that, he turned and gathered his soldiers, repeating the order to them.

Afterward, Sean found Second Lieutenant Anderson. Following a brief exchange, he led his company aboard two troop transports and set off at the head of the fleet. Anderson did the same, except his ships would bring up the rear. More than a dozen empty vessels sailed between them, ready to transport grain and other supplies later.

Sean led the Transport Fleet downstream along the Lingnan River, returning to the north bank where it met the Dorosun River. After an hour, the fleet successfully reached its destination and joined up with the Third Echelon's soldiers. Once they presented Lieutenant Colonel Merkel's order, large quantities of grain and supplies were quickly carried aboard the transport ships.

Once fully loaded, the fleet set out on its return journey. This time, the troop transports carrying Anderson's company left port first to clear the way, followed by more than a dozen transport ships laden with grain and supplies. The two troop transports carrying Sean's company remained at the rear of the fleet to cover it.

The Transport Fleet soon crossed the Dorosun River and entered the Lingnan River upstream. Vast stretches of reeds and other aquatic plants grew along both banks, extending into the surrounding marshlands.

Sean had just finished the lunch Phil had prepared for him and was standing on the deck, admiring the scenery on both banks. Then, a sudden chorus of battle cries came from ahead. More than a dozen Fast Boats burst from the reeds connecting the riverbank to the swamp. They were packed with water bandits holding weapons and wooden shields, and Sean could vaguely make out the savage expressions on their faces.

After the Garrison's large fleet had headed south along the Lingnan River, the burly leader had quietly led his water bandits out of the depths of the swamp where they had hidden for days. They stopped near the Lingnan River, roughly three hundred meters from the channel, and waited in concealment beneath the cover of reeds and other plants for the fleet transporting grain and other logistical supplies to pass.

Sure enough, he had waited until the fleet returned, then launched his attack while the fully loaded ships were moving slowly.

"Brothers, kill them!" the burly leader roared as he directed the water bandits to steer their boats toward the transport ships.

The water bandits responded with loud shouts, driving their Fast Boats toward the Transport Fleet before them. Some held wooden shields in front of themselves, covering the water bandits rowing the boats.

The entire Transport Fleet immediately responded. Several Grain Ships near the front turned around and retreated, while the two leading Guard Ships turned and charged toward the water bandits' Fast Boats. Before long, the distance between the two sides fell within bow range.

The two charging Guard Ships immediately unleashed a fairly dense rain of arrows. After several short, piercing screams, several water bandit corpses tumbled crookedly into the river, staining the nearby water with streaks of bright red.

Sean stood on the deck, somewhat surprised by the sight before him, but he did not hesitate. He immediately turned to Thor and shouted, "Thor, order the soldiers to prepare for battle. Tell them to increase speed and get ready to support our allies..." Then he raised his head and called to the flag bearer atop the mast, "Send the signal at once. Order all Grain Ships to retreat and evade on their own. Remember... do not let the water bandits get a chance to board them..."

After hearing Sean's order, the flag bearer immediately began signaling the Grain Ships ahead of them. Thor shouted his acknowledgment, then turned and rushed into the cabin to repeat Sean's orders to the soldiers.

Phil had already cleverly brought Sean's bow and arrows to his side. He handed the bow to Sean, then silently stood behind him with several quivers full of arrows in his hands.

Sean took the bow in one hand and called to the other Guard Ship, "Donnie... get the soldiers ready for battle. Follow me in..." As he spoke, he gestured forward until Donnie nodded.

As the soldiers carried out the orders, Sean immediately felt the ship begin to accelerate. The water bandits' Fast Boats were already circling the two leading Guard Ships like sharks hunting prey. At the same time, several water bandits carrying chisels and other tools jumped into the river, intending to directly bore holes into and sink the troop transports they had entangled.

Meanwhile, several other water bandit Fast Boats, led by the burly leader, charged straight toward the ships carrying grain. They quickly surrounded several sluggish Grain Ships. The boatmen aboard could only use long oars to push away the approaching Fast Boats, while the burly leader immediately ordered several prepared water bandits to dive beneath the ships and bore holes in their hulls.

After judging the distance, Sean raised his powerful bow, nocked an arrow, and fired at one of the water bandits preparing to enter the water. The arrow shrieked through the air and instantly pierced the neck of a water bandit who had not yet jumped in. Blood sprayed everywhere, and the man sank straight to the riverbed.

"Keep accelerating... loose arrows..." Sean ordered loudly, firing another arrow without pause.

With a scream, a water bandit who failed to dodge died on the spot. In the blink of an eye, the two Guard Ships of Sean's company had rushed at full speed toward the surrounded Grain Ships. Arrows immediately flew from the Guard Ships with sharp whistles, suppressing the water bandits and forcing them to protect themselves cautiously instead of attacking the Grain Ships with full force.

The water bandits held wooden shields in front of themselves for protection and occasionally returned fire with scattered arrows. People on both sides were continuously struck, wounded, or killed, then fell into the swift river. Sean specifically targeted the water bandits who had jumped into the water and surfaced for air. The corpses of the fallen and the water bandits he shot gradually dyed a broad stretch of the river red.

Sean knocked aside an incoming arrow with his powerful bow, then shot dead the water bandit who had fired it. By then, he had already killed more than a dozen water bandits in succession and had become someone they could not ignore. The water bandits had also successfully set one Grain Ship ablaze, and the fire was growing fiercer by the moment.

Sean frowned, then quickly swept his gaze across the battlefield. The nearest water bandit fast boat was only about five meters away, while the others were not much farther. A cold smile spread across his lips as he casually handed his powerful bow to Phil.

Sean held a shield in his left hand and drew his Knight sword with his right. After taking a few steps back, he suddenly burst forward. With a tearing sound from his rapid passage through the air, he used the bow of the ship as a springboard and leaped. In an instant, he crossed five meters and landed on the nearest water bandit fast boat.

With a bang, Sean slammed down onto the boat, making it rock violently. He crouched slightly, steadying himself while channeling the force of his rapid descent into his feet. The next moment, he thrust his shield forward and explosively charged along the boat's deck. The water bandits had not yet recovered from the earlier rocking when he rammed them aside with brute force. They barely had time to cry out before tumbling into the river one after another.

Sean's blatant display of strength shocked not only his own soldiers, but also the water bandits aboard the other Fast Boats. The burly leader commanding the attack, in particular, stared at Sean in utter horror.

But Sean knew that with agility nearly three times that of an ordinary person and strength two and a half times greater, he could easily cross five meters, especially when the troop transport stood much higher than the water bandits' Fast Boats.

After charging across the first fast boat, Sean did not linger. With another explosive burst of strength, the water bandits aboard a nearby fast boat let out desperate screams. He repeated the same tactic and shouted, "Those who throw down their weapons and surrender will not be killed..."

At Sean's shout, his soldiers joined in as well. Calls urging surrender soon echoed across the battlefield. Sean ignored them and seized the chance to leap across two more Fast Boats in succession. Only then did the remaining water bandit boats slowly turn around, preparing to flee from his threat.

Sean had now fixed his eyes on the fast boat carrying the water bandit leader. After a full-speed run-up, he launched himself toward it. Seeing the undisguised killing intent in Sean's eyes, the burly leader barely managed to fire an arrow at him, hoping to stop that figure that seemed to embody death. But Sean merely flicked his left hand. With a clang, the arrow was knocked from the iron plate on his wooden shield and into the river. The burly leader's face instantly turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness. Then a tremendous force sent him flying more than three meters away. Spitting blood, he fell straight into the icy river.