Bloodfang

Just then, Ronan led two Vigyan Cavalry and the Kujit Iron Cavalry in a charge at the Horse Bandits from the flank.

The Kujit Iron Cavalry first struck the Horse Bandits hard with their javelins. Their aim was precise, and nearly every javelin found its mark. The Horse Bandits fell in swathes like wheat before a scythe. One of the bandits at the head of the group hurriedly turned his horse and led his men to meet Ronan and the others.

As the warhorses crossed paths, Ronan's party emerged unscathed, while the Horse Bandits were thrown from their mounts one after another. The Iron Cavalry nimbly knocked aside the incoming spears and scimitars with their shields, then thrust their lances straight through their opponents' bodies. The sheer force even impaled enemies on the lances and dragged them off their horses.

After shaking the corpses from their lances, the Kujit Iron Cavalry continued following Ronan toward the remaining enemies. Ronan was charging at the forefront now, already deep within the Horse Bandits' ranks. He smashed a bandit from his horse with the shield in his left hand, then brought down his greatsword with his right, severing another bandit's outstretched spear before cleaving into his shoulder. The Horse Bandit screamed and fell from his mount.

The Iron Cavalry quickly reached Ronan's side. With Ronan as their arrowhead, they drove left and right through the Horse Bandits' formation. The heavy casualties soon threw the bandits into chaos, and the Avatar of Fear Ronan activated became the final straw.

The Horse Bandits' morale plummeted to rock bottom, and they soon began to scatter. The battle had not lasted long; the Horse Bandits had come quickly and left just as quickly. Ronan's cavalry suffered few losses, but the infantry that had faced the Horse Bandits' charge head-on suffered heavily. Five caravan guards died, along with six of Ronan's mercenaries and two Rhodok Spearmen. Only one Nordic Archer remained.

Ronan was in a foul mood. After spending so long together, he had already formed a close bond with these men. The Nordic Archers, especially, had been there with him through the hard times in the forest from the very beginning. Though he had long known that choosing this road meant casualties were inevitable, and that he himself might die in the next battle at any time, he was unwilling to abandon the system and find somewhere safe to live. The ordinariness of his previous life had left him with a desire to make something of himself in this world.

Ronan ordered the surviving men to gather their companions' bodies. He had planned to bury them on the spot, but Belicha's words changed his mind.

"I saw 'Bloodfang' Belik among the crowd just now. Then these Horse Bandits are most likely the notorious Bloodfang Band. This isn't normally their territory, and I don't know why they came here, but that wasn't the Bloodfang Band's full strength. They will never give up a target so easily. We have to leave at once before they regroup!"

"The Bloodfang Band? What do we do, then? Abandon the cargo?"

"The Bloodfang Band is a group of Horse Bandits active along the borders of various nations. Their leader, Belik, used to be a noble of the Eagle Kingdom. He has led the Bloodfang Band on a rampage for more than a decade without being wiped out. Even among bandits, he is a legendary figure, no less renowned than Krantuman was in his day. We can't abandon the cargo. We'll move at full speed and should reach Acorn Hall before they catch us."

"Fine, we'll do as you say. Bring our companions' bodies with us. We'll bury them once we reach Acorn Hall!" Ronan gave his men their orders, and the caravan began moving again. Its pace visibly increased, and even the horses pulling the carts broke into a trot.

By evening, the caravan arrived at Acorn Hall. The forced march had exhausted the entire group, but Ronan buried the fallen soldiers before entering the town to rest. Belicha did not urge him.

After a simple dinner at the inn, Ronan returned to his room to rest. Lying on the bed, he thought about many things and slowly fell asleep amid his thoughts.

Once midnight passed, it was a new week. Ronan woke up and lay in bed, looking over the newly refreshed weekly quests and recruits in the system.

Weekly Quest One: Cold-Blooded Killer

Requirement: Kill 10 enemies. Reward: 20 gold, 500 experience.

Weekly Quest Two: Fighting Master

Requirement: Participate in the fighting tournament held at the Acorn Hall tavern and win the championship. Reward: 500 experience.

Weekly Quest Three: Expand the Ranks

Requirement: Recruit 10 soldiers through the Recruitment System. Reward: 1,000 experience.

The Recruitment System had refreshed with one group of Rieldian Militia, one group of Nord recruits, one group of Ravenstern recruits from the Pendor Prophecy MOD, and two groups of Nord Royal Guard.

"Nord Royal Guards? Looks like I'll need to come up with an excuse." The sight of the Nord Royal Guard instantly drove away Ronan's lingering drowsiness. He got up, found Belicha, and told him he had some men nearby whom he intended to bring back into the fold. Then he mounted his warhorse and rode out of town.

He rode to a small grove outside the town. After checking that no one was around, Ronan chose to recruit the two groups of Nord Royal Guard. To scrape together enough money for them, he had no choice but to sell some of the goods he had intended to sell in Sinterland ahead of time.

Ten Nord Royal Guards appeared before Ronan. These Nord men were huge, each standing over six feet three inches tall. They wore heavy chainmail beneath cloth surcoats and Germanic helmets. In their left hands were Royal Guard round shields, and in their right were short-handled fighting axes. Greatswords or double-bladed battle axes were slung across their backs, while three short-handled throwing axes hung at their waists.

As the only tier-six unit in Mount & Blade: Warband, the Nord Royal Guard was unquestionably the king of ground combat. During a siege, once more than six Nord Royal Guards made it onto the walls, the success of the assault could basically be declared. Ronan also discovered that they were troops from the Light and Darkness MOD and could be upgraded into Nord Templar Guards.

When Ronan brought the ten towering Nord warriors back to the inn, everyone eating on the first floor was stunned by the fierce aura that hit them head-on. Belicha's pupils contracted at the sight of these fully armed Nord men. He could clearly sense the powerful presence radiating from them, an instinct born from his many years of experience.

After sending the ten newly recruited Nord Royal Guards upstairs to rest, Ronan took two Vigyan Cavalry with him to check out the fighting tournament at the tavern. Outside the tavern, he saw a notice posted by the door. The rules were simple: a group of people would have a brawl in an open area, and the last person standing would receive honor and prize money. The first-place prize was generous, a full 30 gold, but the competition would not be held until the day after tomorrow. Ronan could only give up reluctantly.

Entering the tavern, Ronan planned to have a few drinks to relax and perhaps pick up some new information. He had barely sat down when he heard something that caught his interest. Two people at the next table were discussing Ravenwood Town.

"What a tragedy. I heard the Bishop and the garrison commander are both dead!"

"Yeah, those outsiders are truly vicious. The kingdom should send a Knight order into the forest and purge them!"

"Hey, I heard it's not that simple!" As he spoke, the man leaned close and whispered into the other man's ear.