The Battle of Mount Glan

As noon approached, they finally reached the foot of Mount Glan. To ensure they were in peak condition for battle, Warren ordered them to set up camp nearby for lunch and a rest. The professional soldiers of the Shadow Garrison were fine; their extensive training had long since accustomed them to this level of marching. However, the mercenaries, whose quality varied greatly, were not in good shape.

After setting up camp, Warren dispatched a scout team to reconnoiter the situation. He planned to launch a surprise attack at dinner time, aiming to directly crush the new bandit group established by the Ragged Prince.

Well-fed and rested, and with scouts assigned to patrol the vicinity, the camp entered a period of calm. Everyone was preparing for the upcoming major battle. After all, a battle involving over a thousand people, and against fierce foreign races at that, was a first for many of the mercenaries.

Anyone could die in this battle, which was why they were so tense. Yet, the generous commission still attracted many to this life of living on the edge, with their heads on the chopping block. It was known that if they survived this engagement, the money they earned would be enough for a family of three to live on for half a year.

However, aside from the mercenaries with families, few could save their money. After all, they never knew when their next mission would be their last, and any saved money would only benefit others. It was better to spend it lavishly.

Time ticked by, and the surprise attack time was drawing near. Ronan even took a nap in the interim, hoping to pick up where his morning dream left off. But alas, it failed (_).

Time moved forward. Just as the Ravenwood Town contingent arrived at the foot of the mountain. Midway up Mount Glan, in a relatively flat area, stood a rudimentary camp built of wood. It had no walls, no watchtowers, only small wooden houses and tents scattered everywhere.

At that moment, inside the largest wooden house at the center of the camp, Krantuman sat with his arms propped on a chair, lost in thought. Just then, a burly man with a long, thin scar across his face entered from outside. He walked up to Krantuman and said:

"Big brother, the Ravenwood Town party has already reached the foot of the mountain. They're coming in with great force. Why don't we avoid them for now? Those guys still rely on your strength and won't just stand by and watch."

"I know, but if we do that, we'll be completely reduced to their puppets. If that's the case, what's the point even if we can rise again? This is an opportunity. Those guys' people are also in the camp right now. We might have a chance to survive in the cracks. If we can get through this ordeal, we can seize the opportunity to rise amidst the conflict between those two factions.

If we can't make it, I, Krantuman, have already run once. I won't run a second time! Give the order and have them prepare. The Ravenwood Town people will attack as soon as they've rested. Don't be caught off guard."

The scarred man sighed, nodded, and went out. Krantuman was once again alone in the room, thinking about who knows what.

The sun set, and the moon rose. Under the cover of night, the Ravenwood Town forces, led by Sir Warren, had reached the outskirts of Krantuman's camp. Seeing the brightly lit camp and the fully armed crowd, Warren knew the surprise attack plan had failed. They could only resort to a frontal assault.

After briefly arranging the attack plan, Sir Warren led the mercenaries as the vanguard. The five Shadow Garrison knights, leading their soldiers divided into five groups, guarded the flanks and rear. Ronan's team was also positioned in a relatively forward position.

As the order to attack was relayed, the mercenaries immediately swarmed out of their hiding places and charged into the bandits' camp with shouts. These bandits were of various races and equipped with a motley assortment of gear, but the quality was not bad. It was unknown where Krantuman had obtained such equipment.

As the two armies clashed, Sir Warren charged into the bandits' formation at the forefront. With a broadsword in one hand and a shield in the other, he lowered his shoulder and raised his shield during the charge, forcefully knocking over a gnoll bandit. He then thrust his longsword downward for the finishing blow.

Ronan also charged into the melee with the formation. Behind him were the Calradian soldiers, arrayed in the formation he had previously arranged.

The Rhodok Soldiers used their spears and large shields to continuously push back the nearby bandits, while the Nordic Archers, protected by them, used their bows and arrows to take the lives of bandits with inconsistent armor.

The veteran mercenaries killed more efficiently. They stood back-to-back, protecting each other's rear. Usually, two would attack one enemy simultaneously, steadily eliminating nearby foes. Ronan had specifically positioned them in the center of the Ravenwood Town forces, where they faced the fewest enemies.

Ronan, accompanied by two Vigier Cavalrymen wielding swords and shields, fought alongside Sir Warren. His goal was to make a good impression on Sir Warren, laying the groundwork for completing the task of becoming Ravenwood Town's most renowned mercenary group.

With a shoulder bash, he pushed aside an enemy to his right, then, as the enemy staggered, he swung his greatsword at the enemy to his left. The powerful force directly pushed back the enemy who was parrying with his sword. He then used his right hand, clad in a steel gauntlet, to grip the middle of the sword and forcefully press down.

The blade, right against the enemy's parrying sword, cut into the enemy's neck. As the bandit clutched his bleeding neck and fell, Ronan turned and swung his greatsword directly at the helmet of the enemy he had just pushed aside, who was rushing back. The large counterweight ball directly knocked the dazed bandit to his knees.

Then, Ronan gripped the blade again and forcefully swung it down. The part of the blade near the hilt deeply embedded itself into the bandit's right shoulder, near his neck. He gripped the hilt with his left hand, kicked the fallen, dead bandit away, and used the momentum to pull out his greatsword.

Ronan once again gripped the greatsword with both hands and charged at a new enemy. Relying on his strong armor, Ronan didn't dodge or evade the swords that hacked at his torso and limbs. The weapons slid off his plate armor, unable to harm him. Only when facing enemies wielding blunt weapons or piercing weapons did Ronan proceed with caution.

At the same time, the sounds of shouting and killing from the battle awakened Rello, a Gray-scaled Dragonkin sleeping in a wooden house at the rear of the camp. Krantuman had not informed this powerful Dragonkin from Moran about the arrival of Ravenwood Town, fearing that if it knew, it would lead its soldiers away. It and the soldiers it brought were crucial for Krantuman to repel the Ravenwood Town forces.

Awakened, Rello roared. Glancing at the Dragonkin soldiers beside him, it bared its teeth, picked up the two battle axes placed by its bed, and charged out. As soon as Rello rushed out of the room, it noticed Sir Warren. Sir Warren, charging at the very front, with his silver armor and constantly killing figure, was like a magnet drawing Rello's gaze. Weighing the battle axes in its hands, Rello walked directly towards Warren. The Dragonkin soldiers behind it quickly followed.