Chapter 34: plunder(1)

The next day, at the border of Maple Leaf City.

Kuchi’s caravan advanced quickly, loaded with valuable goods. The horses’ hooves clattered pleasantly on the bluestone road. The transcendent knight Gareth rode on a beautiful black tournament horse.

“So many potions—Baron Adrian is loaded.” Gareth eyed the carriage enviously, as if hearing the clinking of crystal potion bottles colliding. “If I had a crate of potions, I could easily advance to a third-tier knight.”

He’d been stuck at the peak of second-tier for two years, but with fewer wars lately, no chance to make big money—so he boredly served as a caravan guard.

“Damn it!” A curse suddenly came from the carriage. Gareth jumped, staring at it for a long time. Confirming Kuchi hadn’t emerged, he sighed in relief, thinking his mutter had been overheard.

Kuchi’s face was ashen as he cursed: “Why the hell did you provoke the baron?”

“Why are we leaving Maple Leaf City immediately then?” Lens didn’t answer directly, his face full of defiance.

“Because this is Baron Simon Mapleleaf’s turf! What else do you want? To mess with Baron Simon?”

“Uh, sorry, Father, but we should report to Baron Simon Mapleleaf and have Phield arrested.” Lens fumed. “And he killed someone—I saw it with my own eyes. If needed, I can testify.”

“Don’t mention that waste. To nobles, killing a commoner is no different from killing a rat.”

“Besides, idiot, do you know the consequences of falsely accusing a noble? The whole continent won’t tolerate us. Even if it’s not false, nobles will treat it as such.” Kuchi drew in a sharp breath, clutching his head—it ached. “I didn’t expect you to be so stupid. A life of luxury has made you arrogant, even daring to see yourself as noble class.”

Nobles were best at banding together. They fought viciously among themselves, but against attacks from below, they were remarkably united.

Using warhorses and lances to crush the lower classes, then greedily divvying up the spoils in internal fights.

It was class-determined.

If Phield could be toppled by commoners, other nobles’ authority would immediately suffer—soon there’d be a second, third noble brought down by the masses.

Unlike the loose lower classes, nobles really helped each other when it mattered!

That’s why, when Phield had nothing, no slaves or servants mocked him—at most, the steward grumbled.

Kuchi seemed to age thirty years: “Don’t think I’m impressive in front of servants or respected by other merchants. One word from Baron Adrian, and I’d be hanged that day—no need to wait overnight. You’re no different. If you really accused Phield, Baron Simon would kill you first, then negotiate interests with Adrian and Phield.”

Lens felt ice-cold, scared: “What do we do then?”

“First, back to Wind Orchid City—tell the baron Phield’s alive. Baron Adrian will handle him. As for the two-thousand-gold-coin hole—whether to fudge the books or say Phield sent robbers—we’ll see. I need to think carefully.”

“Robbery? Phield couldn’t possibly rob us, and Knight Gareth won’t perjure for us.” Lens still defiant. “Phield’s just a sneaky bastard.”

“If you hadn’t sworn by the goddess, I’d think Phield was a coward—he wouldn’t kill.” Even Kuchi found the reason absurd; Phield’s lack of foundation was well-known. “It’s your stupidity—arrogantly messing with him.”

“Rumble rumble~”

“What’s that sound?”

Before the two could poke out of the carriage, transcendent knight Gareth said: “Bandits trying to rob our caravan—don’t they know I’m here?”

Kuchi stepped out of the carriage and immediately saw twenty medium-armored cavalry wrapped in black robes, wielding lances, prowling on the caravan’s right flank.

The wind howled, occasionally revealing gleaming scale and lamellar armor from under the robes—like the Nazgûl from Lord of the Rings.

Evil, cold, reeking of slaughter.

“You call that bandits?” Kuchi instinctively wanted to curse, but seeing Gareth’s nonchalant expression, he relaxed immediately. “Whew, I panicked. With a second-tier knight here, no need to worry.”

To transcendent power, ordinary cavalry were indeed like bandits—one touch and dead.

A first-tier knight can single-handedly take on five ordinary heavy cavalry, a second-tier knight should have no problem clashing with twenty, not to mention they have knight squires, as well as caravan guards. After distributing crossbows to the workers, they can hold out for a while.

Kuchi’s mind settled, he commanded majestically: “Stop advancing, protect the goods, prepare for battle.”

The others in the caravan had no magic and were already terrified by the display. Hearing this, they hurriedly took out weapons. The guards mainly used short spears and swords.

“It’s been a while since I fought—I’ve been itching for it.” Gareth couldn’t wait to embrace the glory of battle. He spurred his horse and charged forward. “Come on, hope you can hold out a bit longer.”

His squires immediately followed.

“Awoo~”

Just as they were about to engage, a terrifying wolf howl made Gareth feel his warhorse shudder violently, its charge slowing immediately. Gareth had to stroke its mane to calm it, so his mount wouldn’t be nervous anymore.

“This is…” Gareth sensed a powerful, cold aura.

In the time of three breaths, a giant wolf climbed the high slope, arrogantly overlooking the crowd below with a king’s posture. Covered in thick, black shiny scales, its ferocious body seemed ready to devour people at any moment, its tyrannical eyes making the caravan shudder.

Ashina, wrapped in a black robe, sat on the giant wolf—now wasn’t the time to reveal her identity, but her appearance immediately plunged Gareth into terror.

Because his mana was trembling.

The Divine Chosen before him—her level didn’t matter, because a first-tier Divine Chosen, as long as combat-oriented, could absolutely leapfrog and slay a third-tier knight.

“It’s a Divine Chosen—damn it, what the hell!”

Though every cell in his body urged him to flee, the pressure like floodgates opening, Gareth’s knightly spirit wouldn’t allow escape. Besides, he was counting on escorting the caravan for money—flee once, and his value drops. He roared: “Kuchi, you idiot! Hurry and get the caravan moving! I can only buy time!”

“For glory!” Gareth gritted his teeth, raising his lance and spurring his horse.

“For glory!”

His five squires bit down and followed.

“Ha! A mighty Divine Chosen, stooping to robbery?” Gareth’s roar contained potent mana—just speaking made ears hurt. “Serve Baron Adrian, and money, servants, resources—all at your fingertips.”

Gareth hoped to shame the Divine Chosen into leaving, as a Divine Chosen robbing was rare.

Divine Chosen anywhere in the empire could join a noble’s castle with a word.

However, Ashina had no interest in replying. Drakewolf crouched slightly, like a bowstring ready to release.

Gareth growled low, knowing the opponent didn’t want to negotiate, and charged forward with lance to seize initiative.

“Roar~”

Drakewolf suddenly spewed a pillar of scorching fire, the fierce flames instantly scorching the surrounding land into cracked earth. Gareth immediately gripped his lance, strands of white mana surging from his palm, enveloping the entire lance, granting it terrifying deterrence.

“Boom!”

Gareth wildly swung his lance, smashing into the fire pillar—flames scattered, but Gareth’s face paled, body trembling.

“Is this a knight’s combat power? Pretty strong.” Ashina’s wolf ears twitched—first time clashing with a knight, felt novel. Suddenly, her red pupils contracted sharply, crisis sense assaulting. Ashina casually urged the giant wolf to dodge. Though Drakewolf looked massive and cumbersome, in a blink, it vanished from spot.

In the instant it disappeared, Gareth, like a high-speed train, wrapped in white mana, struck viciously forward. Full heavy armor plus warhorse’s heavy barding, power focused on the lance, blasting into Ashina’s original position, exploding a pit and sending debris flying.

“Damn, dodged it.” Gareth annoyed.

The high-end forces on both sides had engaged. The robbery cavalry captain Kai subconsciously glanced at Phield watching from afar, then raised his spear: “Charge! Leave no resisters!”

“Kill! Kill!”

These cavalry trained short time, unskilled, but won multiple zombie horde battles, fearless of enemies—after all, nothing scarier than twisted zombies. Boldly charging the caravan, twenty riders thundered with the momentum of two hundred, unstoppable!

Kuchi had run trade for the Ross family for years, seen countless bandits, even rogue nobles’ private troops robbing, but a fucking Divine Chosen personally leading elite full-armored cavalry in robbery—he’d never seen. Kuchi jumped at the cavalry charge sight, anxiously: “Could it be Baron Simon’s troops robbing us? Heard he’s greedy as hell—this is too beastly.”

“Loose arrows!”

The hastily organized youths shot a volley.

Unlike film where light armor crisps like paper, heavy like folded paper—full-armored soldiers’ arrow defense was terrifying. After “ding ding dang dang” clashes, most acted like nothing happened, speed undiminished. Only one unlucky got a crossbow bolt in the leg, tumbling off horse.

No time for second crossbow load—hundred meters blinked by. Cavalry with charge inertia smashed into caravan. A youth with crossbow bore the brunt, lanced in shoulder—whole right arm shattered to bits. Following cavalry piled in, trampling him to meat paste.

“Ah! Run! Save me!”

The youths realized they’d been screwed by Kuchi—they were just transport helpers, earning bread money per trip, how’d they become meat shields inexplicably.

Kuchi planned cannon fodder to block cavalry’s strongest charge, but he soon regretted.

Morale collapse instant—youths routed on contact, dropping weapons, scattering. This flight disrupted Kuchi’s own guards, who lost heart to fight.

Wolf Demi-humans natural cavalry, seeing enemies chaotic mess, drew longswords slashing wildly or spears poking. From height advantage, high to low, casual swings inflicted damage.

Unlucky fallers needed no finishing—immediately stomped into ground by feet and hooves, becoming bloody messes.

“Ah! Help! I want to go home!”

“Die! Kill them!”

…

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