What was Knife-in-the-Butt doing?
He was looking for people to kill.
As a veteran player, Knife-in-the-Butt had fought in countless battles. While Cool Guy and a dozen or so new players went to watch the fortress, he and his old buddies began a thorough search of the mountains surrounding Bolas Fortress.
A fortress in a place like this, with several hundred men stationed inside, had to be an important checkpoint.
And if it was important, there were bound to be plenty of watchtowers, sentries, and smaller checkpoints nearby... there had to be.
Those watchtowers might have very few men, as few as two, or as many as a dozen or twenty.
But regardless of their numbers, their presence mattered... they blocked the trails that bypassed the fortress, or spotted approaching armies early and lit smoke signals to warn the garrison.
Those watchtowers looked insignificant, but they were actually crucial. Unless they were eliminated, the moment a smoke signal rose... wait, what was that?!
Knife-in-the-Butt, who was laboriously climbing the mountain, and the old buddies following him all looked up at the column of black smoke rising beyond the ridge. They exchanged silent glances.
"Motherfucker! Didn't I trick the newbies into watching the fortress? Aren't all the guys doing the actual work veterans?"
The other players shrugged at Knife's furious outburst.
"Who knows? Forget it. What's done is done. Let's keep moving and take out the watchtowers first.
"The main player force and Prince Chris's thousand-man grain convoy are only a day or two behind us. Unless we pull out these nails, they won't be safe, and we won't be able to hide a force that size."
"Ugh. Let's get back to work."
Knife-in-the-Butt sighed helplessly and led the way uphill again.
This was the tallest peak within two kilometers. Its