Ambush

The Barbarians wanted to leave, and Derek pretended not to notice, carrying out the withdrawal, meals, and rest as usual.

The movements of a large force were difficult to conceal. If the Barbarians spotted anything amiss, it could trigger a chain of unforeseen developments, so it was better to keep everything normal.

And the Barbarians were indeed watching the situation outside the town.

After a day of fighting, their casualties had exceeded two hundred. Even though the enemy had suffered nearly twice as many losses, the Barbarians still could not accept it.

That meant the enemy could bury them beneath sheer numbers.

They did not know whether the Locke people officers cared about the lives of common soldiers, but they knew their own lives were very valuable.

The torchlight illuminated only a small patch of ground. A group of more finely dressed Barbarians hid in the shadows.

Before long, a rope dangling from the wooden wall suddenly swayed, and then a Barbarian soldier climbed up.

The minor Barbarian chieftains nearby all gathered around.

"How was it?"

"The Locke people outside haven't made any move at all," the Barbarian scout said with certainty.

Every Barbarian turned their gaze toward the chieftain in the center.

The situation was clear now. None of them wanted to die here.

Compared to the impoverished common Barbarians, these minor chieftains lived far more comfortably.

Besides, they had gained plenty of loot on this raid, and very few still wanted to risk their lives.

The Barbarian Leader's expression shifted beneath the dim firelight. Of course he sensed what his subordinates were thinking. More importantly, he himself did not want to fight the Locke people to the death.

"Leave quietly. Take the valuables, and abandon all the bulky items."

The Barbarian Leader possessed some common sense. He knew they were fleeing now, not returning in triumph.

Whether it was making too much noise or bringing too much baggage, either would be courting death.

Thus, the remaining two or three hundred Barbarians quickly packed up their valuables and departed through the unguarded north gate.

They had scouted this route several times during the day. There truly was no ambush.

"These Locke people don't want to fight us to the death either. Otherwise, they wouldn't have left us a way out."

The Barbarian Leader believed he had seen through the Locke people's intentions.

After all, five or six hundred Barbarian warriors could inflict at least equal casualties while defending the town. Two or even three times as many was not impossible.

Rather than fight to the death, it was better for everyone to show some tacit understanding.

In any case, the credit for reclaiming lost territory would be the same.

The Barbarians left smoothly.

It was not until the next day, when the townspeople discovered that the Barbarians were gone, that they sent someone to contact Derek and the others.

After conducting a careful investigation, Derek and Baron Palmer entered the town.

"Impressive. By leaving one side undefended, you were forcing the Barbarians to flee this way?

What if they didn't run?" Baron Palmer seemed to understand.

In a good mood, Derek gave him a brief explanation. "War isn't fixed. It depends on your objective and the price you can bear.

In this situation, there were really only two and a half possible outcomes."

"Two and a half? I'd like to hear the details." Baron Palmer humbly sought instruction.

"First, the Barbarians held their ground. There was nothing to say then—we fought to the death. Leaving one side open could at least lower the morale of the common Barbarians and reduce casualties somewhat.

Second, the Barbarians fled. I had already sent men to wait for them from a distance.

If they fled at night, they should be encountering the Barbarians about now.

If the Barbarians collapsed midway through the battle, my men would already be on their way back and would run straight into them."

There was one more point Derek did not mention: with pursuers behind them, the Barbarians would only die even more miserably.

Of course, it sounded simple in theory, but its practical use depended on the circumstances.

It was his first time putting it to proper use, and so far, the results were not bad.

This was a legacy from his previous life. The Ferrera Family's inheritance was actually more focused on the military systems and Unspoken Rules of this world.

But in Baron Palmer's eyes, it was practically miraculous.

"Knight Derek, you truly are remarkable. I believe you'll become famous throughout the nations sooner or later."

Derek smiled, neither modest nor smug.

"By now, they should have encountered them."

Adrian led a group of men squatting in the wilderness all night. They slept in crude bedrolls and ate dry rations with cold water.

Even in the army, such treatment counted as poor.

"Centurion, do you think the Barbarians will really flee?"

The infantry Banner Captain beside him spat out the crumbs in his mouth. The taste and quality of those dry rations were truly beyond description.

"Whether they will or not, we carry out our orders. The rest isn't for us to worry about."

Adrian actually had some doubts as well. According to Derek's instructions, they would definitely encounter the Barbarians today.

The only difference was when.

If they encountered them in the morning, the Barbarians would certainly be at their most numerous.

If they encountered them later, things would be easier.

But overall, neither scenario would be difficult.

With the prepared attacking the unprepared, and with the Barbarians either carrying loot or fleeing in disarray, they would have little ability to resist.

As soon as he finished speaking, a soldier covered from head to toe in grass and leaves came running over.

"Centurion, they're here! The Barbarians are here!"

The soldiers who had been sluggishly stretching all threw aside their unnecessary belongings and grabbed their weapons.

Adrian rose as well, his eyes shining.

"Looks like these bastards fled through the night without stopping."

Adrian used himself as a comparison. Yesterday, he had marched for most of the day before settling down here.

The Barbarians could not travel faster than he could on foot, so they must have marched through half the night.

A group of Barbarians carrying loot, marching through the night, and completely unguarded—what fighting strength could they possibly have?

Just as Adrian had expected, the Barbarian formation had long since fallen apart.

They were scattered all along the road. Some always fell behind, and over time, the fastest runners and slowest runners could end up ten miles apart.

Moreover, whatever little vigilance they had left had faded away with time.

Who could have imagined that the Locke people would come so far to ambush them?

"Chief... Baron, we've been running all night. Why don't we find somewhere ahead to rest?"

The Barbarian chieftains at the front had the only few horses, which were laden with large amounts of loot.

The ordinary Barbarians had less loot to begin with, and they were not allowed to bring packhorses or baggage, so naturally they could not travel as fast or carry as much as the chieftains.

You thought it was unfair?

Those rules were meant for ordinary Barbarians. How could the Barbarian chieftains who made the rules possibly bind themselves with them?

Though they could not make too much noise, they could still manage a few horses.

And they had so much loot of their own. How could they bear to throw it all away?

After running all night like this, both men and horses were nearing their limits.

Upon hearing this, the Barbarian Leader stopped and panted for a few breaths.

Because the horses were all carrying valuables, he was traveling on foot as well, and he was already exhausted.

Looking at the distance again, the Locke people should have only just discovered that they had fled.

Even if they had Cavalry, it would take them two hours to catch up, right?

"Then rest for a while. Gather up our tribesmen while we're at it. If the Locke people Cavalry catch up, make sure to show them what we're made of."

The Barbarian Leader found a place to sit. Just as he was about to call for someone to prepare some food, he heard a terrified voice from one of his men.

"The... the... the Locke people are here."