A short while earlier.
Roan Davis stared at the camp at Widow's Bay, his face twisted with rage. "Damn it, what are the odds?"
As a member of the Davis Family, he knew the family's strategy well.
The main force would hold off the Sothoth Family's main army while a smaller force traveled downriver and struck without warning. They could take Sothoth Castle in a single day, then attack from within and without to wipe out the Sothoth Family completely!
Who could have known that a force would be blocking the only route?
The terrain at Widow's Bay was far too unfavorable. Once they set up a checkpoint by the water and established a camp, a few hundred men would have a hard time breaking through in a short time!
Fortunately, according to the scouts, only a small squad was stationed at Widow's Bay. They were few in number and not very strong.
"With a few dozen men camped there on guard, taking them by a direct assault would be difficult. We have to ambush them."
Roan looked at his men, regaining some confidence. After all, he had a true knight with him!
"Uncle Saliba, I'm counting on you."
He looked at the muscular knight beside him, who had donned a full suit of armor before the battle, and spoke softly.
"Don't worry!"
Saliba gave a bloodthirsty grin. "It's easy to get lost when moving at night, but if I charge in alone, the battle will be decided!"
A crowd's emotions were the hardest to calm, and night brought fear with it. Once the attack began, the enemy might panic and collapse outright.
That was also why Aaron didn't immediately shout that they were under attack.
He knew that his militia were farmers at heart. If they were startled, they could easily fall into disarray, and then it would all be over.
But now that the squad leaders had quietly woken them one by one, the militia had picked up their weapons. They looked tense, but at least they hadn't panicked.
"The enemy is attacking at night. Let them get closer before we strike!"
Aaron picked up a bow and lowered his voice as he gave the order.
People in ancient times ate little meat, so most suffered from night blindness. Night raids were very difficult.
As for why famous night raids were so well-known, it was simply because they were rare!
But as a nobleman who ate meat, Aaron didn't have that problem. By the light of the moon, he quickly determined the enemy's numbers.
"Not even a hundred. We have a stronghold and the advantage of terrain. It's night, and most of the enemy are practically blind. Some of them even have to hold on to the person in front just to keep moving..."
He slowly drew his bow and picked out two men at the front.
One of them was wearing armor, so he passed him over and aimed at the young man beside him instead.
"Almost there. Just a little longer..."
Roan was incredibly excited. If he took this camp, he would be the family's greatest contributor to the conquest of Green Forest!
By then, he might even be knighted!
Roan charged into the camp without meeting any resistance and slashed open a tent with his sword. But there wasn't a single person inside.
His expression changed in an instant, and the hairs on his body stood on end!
Just then, torches flared to life all around him.
A line of armed militiamen stood in advantageous positions, staring at him as if he were already dead.
"Damn!"
Roan shouted, then saw a young man looking down at him from above as he loosed an arrow.
Whoosh!
A streak of shadow flashed past and pierced straight through his thigh. Roan fell to the ground with a scream.
"Shut the gates! Attack!"
Aaron watched the scene and gave the order coldly.
They held the high ground and had a palisade. Even with only fifty men, they could hold off several hundred!
And the enemy had been discovered during their ambush, practically walking into a trap. Shut the gate and beat the dogs inside; divide the enemy forces and defeat them one by one. They had every advantage!
"Kill!"
A few hunters among the militiamen also drew their bows and fired. Their aim wasn't as good as Aaron's, but they still hit the enemy, throwing them into even greater confusion.
"Damn, it's an ambush?"
Saliba stared wide-eyed at his bewildered men.
They looked panicked and disoriented. They all retreated at once, rushing toward the narrow camp gate. They trampled their comrades and even turned their blades on their allies, with only one thought in their minds: escape!
At this point, even though they were better trained than the militia, it made no difference.
"We can't retreat! If we pull back now, we'll fall right into their trap!"
Saliba was a true knight. He quickly grasped the situation, swung his greatsword, and cut down a militiaman who dared to rush at him. Then he roared, "Charge with me!"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Attacks rained down on his armor, leaving only shallow marks. The hulking man swung his greatsword like a whirlwind, and he was about to break through the encirclement and charge straight at Aaron!
Green stood in the knight's path. One slash from Saliba sent him stumbling to the ground.
Seeing this, Aaron had no choice but to drop his bow and pick up his Cross Sword. "I miscalculated a little..."
His men were truly awful. Even in a battle that was going their way, they were on the verge of breaking at the enemy warrior's charge. They had also been slow to carry out the original order to lower the camp gate.
"But maybe that's a good thing. If the enemy has a sliver of hope of escaping, they won't fight to the death. That way, this won't turn from beating dogs behind closed doors into trapping beasts in a corner..."
Aaron muttered to himself, then charged forward with his Cross Sword. The blade in his hand swept through the air in an arc.
Saliba immediately moved to the left and brought his greatsword crashing down.
Aaron raised his Cross Sword. The two greatswords met in midair with a harsh metallic screech.
Fortunately, he was holding a Cross Sword. If he'd still had his old Rapier, it would probably have snapped already.
Aaron's eyes remained calm. As if he were practicing swordsmanship as usual, he began to engage Saliba.
His footwork was nimble, and he dodged quickly, doing his best to avoid meeting his opponent's blows head-on. Those habits had come from using a Rapier.
After swinging his greatsword several times and missing, Saliba's breathing grew ragged.
"Now!"
Aaron darted around behind the knight.
Armor offered excellent protection, but it also hindered movement and drained stamina.
By now, Saliba was far slower than before. Aaron spotted his chance and stabbed him in the knee. The blade slipped through a gap in the plate armor, drawing a gush of blood.
Saliba screamed and dropped to one knee.
"A knight..."
Aaron panted softly a few times but didn't let his guard down. He knocked the enemy's sword away, then thrust his blade through the visor of Saliba's helmet.
Blood poured from the gaps in the helmet, and the huge body fell to the ground.
"Knight Saliba is dead!"
"Wild Bear Saliba is dead!"
When the Davis Family soldiers saw this, it was as if their faith had crumbled. They either surrendered or fled even faster.
Boom!
Just then, Eight-Fingers finally arrived with his men and sealed off the camp entrance, taking complete control...
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