Loach, Enemies

His decision was absolutely correct. This group of pirates had already hung the necessities on themselves. What they needed to discard now was merely those things that didn't belong to them in the first place.

Horus naturally wouldn't be so naive as to think that discarding these stolen goods would let them off the hook. However, if they didn't throw things into the woods, it was unlikely they could survive a cavalry charge.

Because they were pushing carts to transport goods, the path they were taking was, strictly speaking, very suitable for horses to pursue.

Now they had entered the steep slope, into the sparse woods.

Although the woods weren't dense enough for horses to gallop freely, it was certainly not as easy as traveling on a road.

Even though after entering the woods, they were traveling on paths no one had cleared, their speed would definitely be much slower as they pushed through the undergrowth while fleeing for their lives.

But at least the cavalry would have a hard time catching up in the chaotic woods.

"I hope they can leave someone to sort out the things on the ground!"

There was no need for instruction; all the pirates knew to scatter their belongings as much as possible.

Horus and his pirates thus disappeared from sight.

Logically, no matter how they ran, as long as the tracks on the ground remained, Ergons could catch up to them. But this group of pirates was clearly about to run out of Tervainburg's territory.

They couldn't pursue them indefinitely.

Not to mention the already tense relationship between the two sides.

Even if they belonged to the same faction, leading troops into another's territory without cause was not permitted and could be seen as an invasion.

Therefore, to avoid provoking conflict, these people had to die within the boundaries of Tervainburg.

Old Adam was not only a good household manager but also a living map. He surveyed the messy, low hillside.

Pointing to a path on the side that clearly didn't look like a road, he said, "Going down here, it should take about ten to twenty minutes to bypass this slope and block them. If William Adena leads the charge, we light infantry can deploy at the foot of the mountain."

Old Adam still had some unspoken worries.

Because the two sides often engaged in skirmishes, there were outposts along the border. He just didn't know if, now that it was autumn and the last lord's private war had just ended, there would be anyone at the outpost.

If they truly attracted the attention of this hostile force, that would be the most serious problem.

Ahead lay the territory of Raphael Garcia Cortes, the soldier who had killed the brother of the previous Baron's heir, Nordsa Tervain Baron – the father of Sir Davis Tevalin.

The hostile Viscount Garcia Cortes, to show his reward, enfeoffed Raphael and bestowed his surname upon him.

Thus, Viscount Garcia Cortes gained a Lord Raphael Garcia Cortes with the same name.

This Lord was well aware of what he owed all of this to, so he was the most active and dedicated in cracking down on Tervainburg.

Old Adam had a very deep scar on his hand, inflicted by this Lord Raphael Garcia Cortes, who couldn't even ride a horse.

Old Adam really didn't want to encounter this reckless, stubborn fellow.

That's why he was actively leading the dismounted light infantry in a swift pursuit.

After passing this small, low hill, about sixty to seventy acres in size, it would be enemy territory belonging to the hostile Viscount.

William Adena quickly led nine heavy cavalry, including Adamson, along the path. The person left to watch the horses was Ergons.

It wasn't that he was deliberately avoiding the fight; it was just that he really didn't want to get involved in a battle of this scale. If he also participated in the pursuit, whether it was bypassing this sixty to seventy-acre hill or dismounting to chase on foot, it would be somewhat undignified.

He would rather leave the opportunity to gain merit and improve their strength to these youngsters who were in urgent need of experience.

He just needed a few enemies left for him to spar with at the very end.

When a knight's lance pierces an enemy's body and lifts them, who would care if it was the first enemy killed in this battle or the last?

Ergons gathered the horses, took out Old Sir Tervain's sword, and casually sharpened it with an whetstone.

The actual significance of inheritance and decoration for this sword far outweighed its practical combat value.

A sword that, in a normal knightly family before, would have required at least half a year of savings to afford, was, in Ergons' hands, truly only worth 130 Denar.

Looking at the two groups of people approaching on the map, Ergons felt a bit like he was in a game.

In fact, if it weren't for the need to set an example, and also because he wanted to absorb the souls of the recently killed, the vibrant lives, nearby, he could have arranged for William Adena to lead the pursuit.

If not for the Gold Finger's urgent demands, he would have even considered not pursuing Horus and his pirates, just driving them away.

That would also provide an explanation to the Holy See.

After all, the purpose of letting them come was to sow chaos in the region. The previous battles and plundering, combined with their successful killing of a portion of these pirates and driving them out of their territory, would be a perfect explanation from any angle.

But the Baron's attitude had become far too important.

And his Gold Finger truly needed energy, so these people had to die!

Horus never imagined that there would be tracking experts who could follow their trail based on the clues they left behind.

Nor could he imagine that these knights, after dismounting, could run so fast!

Even as they pushed through the dense weeds, one foot deep, one foot shallow, on no proper path, they were gradually closing the distance between them.

And they didn't even have the chance to scatter, because the woods on this small hillside were isolated.

What made them even more desperate was that this group of "Knights" actually all had crossbows in their hands.

Although the accuracy might have been unsatisfactory due to the influence of the forest, it still brought them immense pressure.

Every now and then, an unlucky fellow would be shot in the torso or limbs. In the midst of this escape, such a person could only be abandoned, as there was no longer any hope.

And when they fled to the other side of this mountain, they were shocked to find a squad of knights waiting for them.

They were caught between staying in the forest and leaving it.

However, just at this moment, a group of people rushed over from the direction of Raphael Garcia Cortes' territory.

If Old Adam were here, he would have recognized them at a glance as their Tervain Village's sworn enemy – Igli Tal.