Gatu Raiders

The next day, Li Ang and Sarah set off for Long River Town together.

Sarah had a fine steed—even if she was so strapped for cash she could barely make ends meet, she had never once considered selling her horse.

Moreover, Li Ang discovered Sarah possessed astonishing equestrian skills, not much inferior to his own.

Even in the Duchy of Dexia in the southern great desert—that semi-nomadic, semi-settled tribal confederation—Sarah would likely be among the top riders.

It was like two experienced drivers embarking on a road trip; they made excellent progress.

Although Sarah kept her surname to herself, Li Ang could tell she was originally from the Duchy of Dexia.

She probably genuinely loved traveling, but perhaps she was also running from something.

Aside from her superb riding skills and love for horses, there was nothing about Sarah that resembled the rough and uncultured people of the Dexian tribes.

Sarah was not only an accomplished Bard but also a veritable scholar—she was intimately familiar with the cultures, customs, and even military systems of various regions, and she knew the historical secrets of nobles from different kingdoms by heart.

She was also very good at conversation and possessed an unusual level of comprehension, making traveling with her a truly pleasant experience.

Sarah no longer tried to tempt Li Ang with her beauty; she showed him a level of respect she hadn't before.

This was likely because Li Ang treated her entirely as he would a diplomat, completely disregarding her gender, appearance, or anything else—which was indeed different from any noble she had ever met.

This also made her feel genuinely relaxed and happy.

So, she quickly grew accustomed to serving Li Ang with her knowledge and information instead of her body.

But perhaps, Li Ang still harbored a sliver of regret...

Therefore, melodious singing could still be heard from time to time along the way.

In just one day, the two had traveled hundreds of miles, already entering the jurisdiction of Long River Town.

Though named Long River Town, it was actually a county.

And in terms of territory alone, Long River Town could be called the largest county on the continent—its territory occupied twenty percent of the Lionheart Kingdom's land area, with most of the entire Eastern Province falling under its jurisdiction.

When the Lionheart Kingdom was first founded, Long River Town was merely a small border fortress town.

But now, it had become the heartland of the kingdom and the center of the Eastern Province.

This was because Long River Town had been the top choice for Pioneer Lords for over a hundred years. Generation after generation of pioneers had pushed outwards from the foundation of Long River Town, establishing settlement villages and fortresses in the surrounding areas.

By now, the kingdom's border had been pushed hundreds of miles northeast of Long River Town over the past century—the current border fortress was Brave Shield Fortress, belonging to Count Oden.

Precisely because this area was once a border region, unlike the areas around Lion City which were almost entirely farmland and manors, most of Long River Town's territory was uninhabited—apart from the lands developed by generations of lords, other areas were either primeval forests or wild plains.

Many places were no-man's-lands, with no signs of human life for hundreds of miles.

And Li Ang and Sarah were traveling through a no-man's-land.

Looking at the expanse of wilderness, Li Ang now deeply understood why Sarah had sought company.

It wasn't a matter of safety; traveling alone in such a place would likely drive one mad.

In the distance, there were many rivers and hills, and the mist remained thick, making the sky incredibly gloomy.

Occasionally, the roars of wild beasts could be heard, and sometimes other strange sounds would drift in—it was hard to tell if they were caused by the wind whistling through the valleys or by some incomprehensible, unnatural species.

The road was there, winding forward, but the path visible through the mist extended only a few dozen meters, and animal skeletons could be seen by the roadside from time to time—occasionally, human skeletons as well.

Although they had traveled all day, the two showed no intention of camping even as the sun began to set.

Li Ang, for one, hadn't brought a tent...

Sarah had camping gear, but it was likely that no woman could sleep soundly in a place like this.

So, the two decided to press on through the night directly to Long River Town.

At night, no starlight could be seen in this place; the various strange sounds from afar mingled together, creating a terrifying stillness, and the desolate road remained devoid of human presence.

The two slowed their horses to a gentle pace—in such a night, visibility was poor, and it wasn't suitable for traveling too fast.

Sarah kept talking, perhaps only this way could she alleviate her inner fear.

She recounted her experiences and observations on the continent to Li Ang, who listened attentively.

He needed to gain a deeper, genuine understanding of Pendor as quickly as possible, and Sarah, the well-traveled Bard, was undoubtedly the best teacher.

Li Ang even secretly vowed that if he ever had the chance to return to his original world, he would, when playing games, make sure to fully understand the background and story of each game, rather than just knowing how to fight and kill...

It wasn't until the sky began to show a pale, fish-belly white that the two ceased their conversation.

Because they heard the sound of hooves, the distinct noise that could only be made by at least a hundred horses galloping together, the ground even vibrated slightly.

The sound was coming from directly ahead, in the direction of Long River Town.

"My lord, we'd best avoid them..."

"Sarah, quickly hide! They might be bandits..."

Both offered the same advice simultaneously, then urged their horses and darted into the roadside woods.

Hiding behind rocks in the woods, they saw a group of cavalry galloping past.

There were at least a hundred cavalrymen, clearly a formed unit, wearing unified armor and wielding unified lances.

This was already a considerable fighting force, equivalent to the entire armed strength of a mid-to-low-level lord.

But this unit carried no flags, and its formation was somewhat scattered. They shouted and yelled as they marched, showing no discipline at all.

The mist obscured the faces of these cavalrymen, but from their attire and their undisciplined demeanor, it was clear this was a nomadic army.

This group of foreign cavalry seemed to have acquired a considerable amount of loot—or perhaps they had just raided a caravan or village. Each horse carried civilian items completely unrelated to combat.

For instance, fabrics, handicrafts, or everyday utensils like pots and pans, and even women's skirts.

Neither of them dared to make a sound, lest they alert this passing foreign unit.

Only after the unit had completely disappeared from sight did the two speak again.

"Nomads? Sarah, can you recognize who they are?"

For some reason, seeing living people, even a group of terrifying bandits, calmed Li Ang's somewhat unnerved heart, and he began to ask Sarah for her insights again.

"These are Gatu people! To have such a large-scale Gatu Raiders appearing deep within Lionheart territory... Has Brave Shield Fortress been breached?"

Sarah's eyes were wide with horror, her face pale. Her lips trembled slightly.

"Gatu people? We're at least five hundred miles from the border of the grasslands! Sarah, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Li Ang realized the gravity of the situation.

"A month ago, I saw two Gatu riders with Foucher, and they were dressed like this..."

"A Gatu invasion... Sarah, we need to hurry. We must report this news to the garrison in Long River Town!"