Encounter on the Road 2

Anglie's face turned somewhat livid as he looked them over one by one.

Among the five bandit leaders, even the weakest was a mid-tier Knight-level fighter. The rest were all peak-level. Moreover, more than ten of the guards beside them were Knight-level as well.

Meanwhile, among the opposing convoy's three Knights, only two seemed to be peak-level. No wonder they had been surrounded despite being so strong.

Anglie also noticed that these bandits attacked in an extremely orderly fashion. Their discipline was strict and their training evident. They clearly were not bandits at all, but regular troops from some country masquerading as bandits to plunder.

Anglie had already guessed the likely outcome. He immediately turned back and headed along the way he had come. Before long, he returned to the Baron's convoy. After hearing about the situation ahead, the Baron was alarmed as well. Everyone promptly decided to take a detour, cutting through the forest for a stretch before entering the Anse Grasslands. Hopefully, they could avoid the troops posing as bandits ahead.

"It must be the Uksas Kingdom's border troops!" the Baron said grimly as they traveled. "Seeing how weak Rudin Kingdom has become, they've clearly been tempted. They actually disguised themselves as bandits to rob fleeing nobles. That surrounded convoy is probably officials escaping from one of Rudin's major cities. Three peak Knights, yet they still can't break free."

Anglie's heart had risen to his throat, unsettled and anxious. He listened intently to every sound around them, terrified that the bandits would discover the convoy and pursue them.

He had casually glanced over those bandits who appeared to be ordinary soldiers and discovered that at least three out of every ten possessed the physical qualities of Apprentice Knights. They were clearly here for more than robbery—perhaps they were training troops at the same time. Five or six Apprentice Knights could match a weaker Knight. Combined with the strength of those bandit leaders, if they were discovered, the convoy would have no hope of escape.

Only then did he realize that the idea of Knight-level fighters being considered powerful was a notion that existed only in backwater places like Leo Territory.

In the great city families, training a large number of Apprentice Knights probably was not difficult at all. Having dozens or even hundreds of them would be nothing unusual.

Outside the bandits' formation, the five leaders watched the convoy's trapped Knights struggle with great interest. A bandit in a headscarf ran over from behind and shouted his report.

"Lord Xilan, my lords, a brat was hiding in the forest behind us and watching for a while. He may have been a young scout."

"A young scout?" A bald man chuckled darkly. "These little Rudin bastards love using tricks like this. Caster, are you going, or am I?" He turned toward a leader on his right.

"You go. Make it quick. Don't waste time. If we're late meeting up with the legion commander and the Rudin royal family escapes, neither of us can bear that responsibility," the leader said calmly. He gave off an unusually refined impression.

"Pah! I'll finish it in twenty minutes! What experts could a backward little place like this possibly have?" The bald man spat disdainfully. He drew the enormous cleaver hanging by his horse's side and raised it high.

"Five men with me. Anker, Haises, you're coming too!"

"Yes, Lord Xilan." Behind the leader, two Knights rode forward. Both were burly men clad in dark green leather armor, each carrying a broad-bladed sword.

"Since there's nothing else to do, I'll come too." Another bandit leader suddenly rode out.

Xilan glanced at him. "Olysis, have you made up your mind to oppose me?"

The man who had ridden out wore a harmless smile. A metal longbow was slung across his back, and a quiver hung at one side of his horse. "How could that be? Lord Xilan, I greatly admire your courage and strength."

"Hmph!" A trace of wariness flashed through Xilan's eyes. He said nothing more and waved his hand. "Move out!"

The two Knights followed close behind him. Three fine horses, accompanied by more than ten riders, swiftly turned and galloped back at tremendous speed.

Olysis squeezed his horse's flanks and quickly followed. "Lord Xilan, with two peak Knights like us, why are you in such a hurry? Do you think anyone can escape from Olysis?" His voice was soft and shrill, unpleasant to hear.

Yet no one ahead paid him any attention. Instead, they rode even faster.

In the sparse forest.

A convoy of three black carriages slowly made its way sideways through the woods. The gaps between the trees were wide enough that they caused no obstruction to the carriages at all.

There was no loud noise within the convoy. Everyone wore tense expressions. Even the soldiers walking beside the carriages seemed exceptionally nervous. The only sounds came from the occasional snorts of the horses.

Beside the driver's seat of the first carriage sat a half-grown youth with short brown hair, quietly armed from head to toe. He held a black wooden longbow reinforced with iron. A silver cross sword hung at his waist, and he wore leather armor with a quiver on his back. The pouch at his lower back bulged as well, though it was impossible to tell what it held.

The youth's eyes were slightly narrowed as he focused on every movement around him. The carriage was not moving quickly, but this was already the fastest pace the horses could manage through the forest.

Before long, a figure caught up from behind, hopped lightly onto the carriage, and sat beside the youth. His flaxen hair hung messily over his shoulders, his body was strong, and white bandages covered his right eye. It was Baron Kyle Leo.

"Anglie, in another ten minutes, we'll turn into the Anse Grasslands. Beyond that, there's nothing marked on the map. We can't wander around here, or we could easily get lost," the Baron said in a low voice.

"Understood, Father." Anglie nodded.

He glanced back at the carriages behind them. Through the carriage windows, the women all wore anxious expressions. The soldiers beside them were tense from head to toe, ready to fight at any moment.

At the point where the forest met the grasslands.

Accompanied by the clip-clop of hooves, a troop of cavalry with gray headscarves soon appeared at the spot where Anglie's group had turned earlier.

Xilan sat on horseback and glanced at the ground. "Someone passed through here. These should be carriage tracks," he said in a low voice. "You lot! Search the area!" he shouted.

"No need." Olysis, the other Knight leader, shouted as he dismounted. "I can find their direction."

Olysis crouched beside the wheel tracks and examined them carefully. "They must have spotted us and turned sideways to avoid us. Chase in that direction!" He pointed in the direction Anglie's group had gone.

"Hmph!" Xilan snorted. "As expected of a tracking expert. Let's go!" Though unwilling to admit it, he had no choice but to acknowledge that Olysis's skill in this area was beyond his reach.

The cavalry was just about to leave when the distant sounds of neighing horses and rolling wheels suddenly drifted over. The sounds were dense and unmistakable.

Delight appeared on both Olysis and Xilan's faces. "It's a large convoy! Big prey! At least ten carriages!" Olysis said excitedly.

Xilan raised his cleaver. "Haises, Anker, take a few men and block that convoy that got away! The rest of you, come with me!" He squeezed his horse's flanks and charged out.

Olysis was unwilling to be outdone. "Trying to take all the credit for yourself?" He gave a sinister laugh and followed after him.

Anker and Haises watched the two lords leave rapidly, taking most of the riders with them and leaving only four cavalrymen behind. Both looked rather helpless.

"Come on. We'll intercept that convoy," Haises said, shaking his head. "Let's hope it isn't too strong."

"What are you afraid of? The brothers all brought the good stuff." Anker smiled, taking a brown crossbow from her back and giving it a shake.

The other cavalrymen laughed easily as well, each taking a crossbow from his horse's baggage pouch. "As long as we collect the bolts afterward, no one will know it was us," Anker said casually.

"That makes it foolproof." Haises nodded. "Let's go."

The cavalry troop swiftly pursued into the forest.

Anglie sat in front of the carriage when his expression suddenly changed slightly. Zero's alert sounded in his ear. "Hoofbeats detected behind. Six cavalrymen are rapidly approaching."

"So we were discovered after all." His face darkened. He leaped down from the carriage and shouted, "The convoy keeps moving! Do not stop!"

The guards beside the convoy became even more nervous, but their good discipline made them strictly obey orders. They continued forward. No one spoke.

Seeing his son jump down, the Baron realized something might be wrong. "What is it, Anglie?"

"Father, people are catching up from behind. I'll stay and delay them. You continue on," Anglie said calmly.

The Baron jumped down as well, and another person took over driving the carriage. He walked straight to Anglie's side. "I'll stay. You get back on!"

"It's fine. I'll just fire a few arrows at them from afar, then catch up right away." Anglie smiled. "Father, go on ahead. I won't confront them directly. I'm a smaller target alone, and it'll be easier for me to get away."

The Baron stared steadily at him. He knew that in a forest like this, Anglie's skill with the bow would give him a great advantage. As long as he hid well, there should be no problem.

"I'll stay with you," he said heavily.

Anglie said helplessly, "All our family's property is in those carriages. Father, you should go with them. I'll be fine. I'll catch up soon."

The Baron frowned and looked at his son for a long while. Only when the carriages ahead were getting farther away and the hoofbeats behind were getting closer did he finally nod. "Fifteen minutes. If you haven't caught up by then, I'll come back for you."

"Alright!" Anglie nodded.

Although the Baron had already learned of his son's strength, he was still deeply worried when facing unknown enemies.

Anglie stood where he was and watched the Baron quickly catch up with the convoy ahead. Only then did he turn around.

Looking at the vague silhouettes of cavalry emerging among the trees, Anglie drew a white-feathered arrow and set it to his longbow. With a creak, the bowstring was pulled taut. The black metal arrowhead reflected a faint bluish-purple gleam beneath the sunlight.