The contemptuous, disdainful words rang out, yet no one nearby took offense.
Instead, as they heard those words and watched the figure walk slowly past, Vaughn, the militiamen, and the mercenaries quickly felt reassured.
"Everyone, pay attention!"
"Take your positions!"
"We'll show them!"
His nerves settled, the militia captain began issuing orders methodically.
The militiamen and mercenaries quickly took their positions.
The arrow towers and rooftops were the defensive positions they manned.
Vaughn stood on a rooftop near the gate, watching the bandits draw closer as he raised his arm high.
"First volley, ready..."
"Loose!"
His arm swept down hard, and twenty-three arrows traced arcs into the darkness.
"Argh! Aaagh!"
Cries of agony rose from the distant bandits.
The arrows might not have been densely packed, but they were still deadly to the charging bandits.
Not only had most of Gravel Town's militiamen been hunters with considerable skill in archery, but the bandits had never expected the townspeople to fight back.
This contradicted the information they had received.
But the bandits soon stopped thinking about that.
The second volley had arrived.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Facing the arrows raining from above, the tightly packed charging riders were practically targets.
Over a dozen bandits fell from their horses and were trampled into pulp by the mounts following behind.
A few arrows missed the riders, however, and buried themselves in their horses.
The horses neighed shrilly!
They reared up with long, piercing cries.
Not only were their riders thrown to the ground, but many bandits who had no time to dodge crashed into one another.
Crack, crack.
The sound of breaking bones rang out repeatedly in the darkness, both human and equine.
The bandits' charging momentum inevitably faltered.
"Well done!"
Vaughn praised the mercenaries who had just fired those arrows at the top