Mercenaries and Adventurers

When he came to his carriage, Xuegaster, who was sitting on the roof of the carriage, said to him, "Keir, stand taller and look towards the forest to the south and west."

Keir turned over and climbed to the seat where the driver of the carriage was sitting, and turned his head to look in the direction indicated by his companion.

The forest, which was blocked by the mountains at dusk, was extremely dark, but in the dark forest, there appeared a hazy spot of light blocked by tree trunks.

Occasionally, the branches swayed by the wind in the mountains will slightly cover the glowing place, but the next moment, it can be seen again.

"It's the light of the torches."

Kiel said with certainty that his eyesight was better than that of Xueyasite, and this was thanks to the increase in life energy from the knight's training.

"Someone's watching us in the woods. Those guys, Keel?"

Bloodfang stuck his head out from the side and asked Keel.

Nodding his head, Kiel responded, "That's right, beasts don't light up torches, and some inns along the road we saw when we came here were also destroyed and set on fire. Here, apart from us, there are only those who are left. guy."

Kiel snorted coldly: "Huh, I really look down on our side. A team of more than 800 people, do you really think it's more than 800 sheep? Ster, take out my crossbow from the carriage and use it. Don’t be on the roof of the car for a while, just shoot in the hood. By the way, give me the hunting bow and bow and arrow, I will use it on horseback.”

After hearing the order, Xueyasite turned over from the roof of the car, got into the hood directly, and handed the bow and hunting bow to Kiel: "Where's the long weapon? Do you need it?"

Kiel stuffed the two-handed ax on his body into the carriage, took the hunting bow and several bags of bows and arrows, and said, "Well, that's fine, take it out."

Calling the blood licking grass, Kiel put the hunting bow and bow and arrow on the weapon rack behind the saddle. Next to it, Blood Fangster lifted one end of the double-edged steel spear, and lifted the tail of the gun out of the carriage.

Kiel stood on the ground outside the carriage, grabbed the **** of the steel spear with one hand, and lifted out the steel spear weighing tens of kilograms with one hand.

"This thing is really not for ordinary people, it's really heavy."

Keir shrugged: "That's right, as you can imagine, I made an all-metal long spear before I received Knight Crow's training as a knight, but I couldn't wield it at all, so I had to take it." It was used for exercise. Heh, it was heavy enough at the time anyway.”

It was different now. The all-metal spear that was considered heavy at the time was just right to use now.

After adding the double-edged metal spear to the weapon rack on the horse's back, Kiel stroked the neck of the blood grass, letting it stay in place temporarily and not move around.

The short dusk passed quickly, and because of the occlusion of the mountain, the business road in this mountain range was soon shrouded in darkness, and there were only clouds floating high in the sky, with a touch of orange red.

Keel carefully observed the surrounding distance.

The forest to the north was dark and quiet, like a dormant beast. And to the south across the west side of the creek, the light of the torches in the forest is also slowly moving.

Due south, across the creek is a barren **** with no trees, but the half-person-high shrubs, flowers and weeds are very convenient for people to hide in. The shrubs move on the hillside without wind, rustling.

Keel rubbed his teeth with his tongue, and he felt that there must be a lot of people ambushing there.

In the south-east direction, although there is a forest close to the creek, the water in the creek there is relatively deep, and it is not convenient to wade across the river. If these bad guys are very familiar with this place, they probably wouldn't rush from there. They must come out of the forest, go to the south of the clearing with shallow water, and then rush towards the clearing where Keel and the others are.

But it is an uphill from the creek to the open space. If you can block people on the uphill, the opponent's large number of people will definitely be useless.

Think so, but Keel thinks it's unlikely.

The terrain was in their favor, but unarmed and disorganized young refugees could not stop the bandits from attacking.

"It's just a melee and a bad fight."

Kiel shook his head. He didn't think these young refugees, weakened by prolonged hunger, would be able to deal with the vicious bandits. Even if the number is ten times that of the opponent, it is only a matter of time before they are defeated.

-

Keir came to the nearest fire, and to the young men who had obeyed his orders to get more food: "Aren't you full?"

Some people felt that Keir's momentum and tone were not right at this time, but they still answered that they were full.

"Very well, I want to tell you one thing, don't be nervous, make noise. We are surrounded by bandits on this trade road."

As soon as Keir finished speaking, the young people around the fire started making noises. Most of them got up from the ground and stood up straight to look left and right, but the surroundings were pitch black, and they couldn't see it because they were malnourished. It is too clear what is in the distance.

"Master, Sir Knight, you will protect us, right? Right?"

Faced with this kind of problem, Kiel nodded solemnly: "Of course, of course. Calm down, everyone. First of all, hold tightly in your hands the wooden sticks distributed to you before eating, This is the first step."

After Kiel said this, they hurriedly held the rough wooden sticks in their hands. With weapons in their hands, they felt a little more stable.

Kiel then said to them: "You have to understand that we have many people and few bandits. As long as we all gather around the fire, we will be safe tonight. Don't think about running away or surrendering. Run away, it's just nightfall , it is impossible to run to the Whitestone City Wall checkpoint alive in the dark, those guys will definitely arrange ambushes on the road. As for those who intend to surrender to the bandits, after I kill and repel the bandits, I will also surrender The robbers were also killed together. Do you understand?"

The young people around were all frightened, and kept nodding vigorously up and down.

"In the end, you guys are still quite obedient, so for your safety, if there is a real fight, you will retreat to the side of the carriage. My companions inside have bows and crossbows, which can support you in the fight. Don't run around, just Just fight with your back on the carriage. We have a lot of people, and those bandits can't do anything to us in the end, as long as there is no chaos."

Keir waved to everyone in front of him: "Sit down, don't even think about notifying other people by the fire. Just take care of yourself."

After hearing what Kiel said, everyone sat down uneasy again. They discussed in low voices, and they didn't let go of the wooden stick in their hands for a moment.

Kiel walked towards the priest Batar, and he had to explain to the priest what needs to be paid attention to in the battle.

-

"Boss, with so many people, it's all wasted money."

On the north side of the clearing, in the continuous mountain forest across the road, in a forest full of dark shadows, behind the trunk of the big tree closest to the periphery of the forest, more than a dozen bandits in different clothes carefully hid themselves in a place that could accommodate their stature. in the shadows.

Next to the trunks of two of the large trees that were approaching, there were voices of voices.

"Shut up, talk less, have you informed everyone in the south?"

The bandit leader, a robust middle-aged man asked indifferently.

A reply came from the shadow of another tree trunk: "I've been notified, those poor ghosts are crowded together, so according to your instructions, notify those people in the south and let them drive people to the road as much as possible. Poor ghosts It’s a mess, so we can catch all those guys. Hehehe, there are many young women inside, boss, let’s stop selling these women? Everyone is not young, and they haven’t married yet.”

The middle-aged bandit leader snorted coldly: "Do you still want to start a family? When this is gradually chaotic? Don't even think about it. As for the captured people, of course they won't just be sold as livestock. You %￥, you How much is it to keep or sell to the recipient, if you resell it to a red house in the city, the value can be doubled at least several times! You must calculate the account carefully, otherwise you will not earn or make less money later, brothers will hang you How about a tree to feed birds of prey? Remember, money is the surest thing.”

The person who asked the question fell silent, shrunk in the shadow of the tree trunk, and a suppressed low laugh came from behind the surrounding tree trunks: "Those gluttonous birds will peck your eyeballs first."

Someone took the opportunity to pick it up: "Eat your 'short dagger' again."

"Bastard! It's obviously a 'long dagger'."

Amidst the laughter, someone continued: "They will peck through the belly and tear their favorite heart, liver and kidney."

Finally someone concluded: "But your head will be spared, because people who are punished like this don't have the brains that birds like to eat."

The person being teased cursed in a low voice.

The subsequent slapstick was stopped by the bandit leader: "Come here, someone, go around far away and then go south, and remind the stupid guys in the southern woods, and wait until these people are asleep in the middle of the night before launching an attack."

"Boss, let me go."

With a wave of the bandit leader's hand, a scout bandit wearing colorful animal skins took the order, and then he fell down and sneaked into the shadows of the forest, his legs swung rapidly, except for the sound of collision and trampling of vegetation, his speed Quickly, the voice went away softly.

-

After a while.

"Wait until midnight? %%&*, is it because your leaders have something wrong with their brains, or are you out of their minds? Those soft-legged shrimps, stink ticks, and earthworms digging the ground, do you have to wait until midnight? As long as the sky is completely dark, The gang of poor people who turned the ground will shine in the dark, and my gang of brothers will be able to drive them all away. Hehe, when they get to a slightly darker place, there are so many of them that they can only wander around in the dark .”

In the woods on the south and east side of the clearing, a fat bandit sat on the backs of several people lying on the ground with his legs spread apart, talking to a bandit wearing a colorful animal skin with "proudness".

His words immediately got the approval of other bandits around.

The behavior style of this group of bandits is like this. They attack pedestrians and caravans passing by at night, attack hard, and eat them all if they can beat them.

Due to the level of selection of attack targets, the real tough bones have not been chewed a few times since its establishment, but some small-scale caravans have been swallowed whole several times.

It can be regarded as a bandit team with a strong number and strength.

Of course, in terms of quality, they couldn't compare to the team led by the middle-aged bandits on the north side of the trade road. The two had different styles and reputations.

"But that's what our boss said. If you don't follow through, of course I don't care, but in the future."

Threatened in secret, the bandit wearing animal skin stepped back. The bandits are all rough and can't directly confront or something, otherwise they will suddenly get angry and kill him. It was him who was really at a disadvantage.

"Hmph, those guys in the north, who are famous, really fight with us, they are not our opponents at all. I really think that now is a good time in the past, bah, this business route is dead, there is no business The team will be here often, brothers, after this fight is over, we have to leave here, change places, and fight in another way."

The fat bandit is not really as stupid as he looks, and he even said that after seeing the current situation, he had already planned: "Don't mutter, I know what you are worried about, isn't it because you are afraid of going to other places and being hostile by other local bandits or gangs?" Attack. Let me tell you why there are fewer merchants here. It’s not because our southern provinces are all messed up, and they all started to attack the caravans of villages and towns around them on a large scale. They are at the source Just robbed the caravan, and we still have a fart to eat. Are you right, is this the truth?"

The subordinates suddenly realized, and flattered the leader one after another.

"Okay, let's stop talking nonsense. We robbed this refugee team today. Once we robbed people and sold them, we went to the black market to exchange the money for better weapons and equipment. After all, we went out and robbed them when we encountered villages. In the village, if you encounter a town, grab the town. Try to take the opportunity to make the team bigger, and then everyone can have more than a dozen people under their command, haha. Dominate one side!"

The flattery was let out in the woods again, and for a while, the stench was unbearable.

-

On the bush wasteland just south of the clearing, scout bandits dressed in colorful animal skins crawled and moved, and quietly found a bandit leader lurking here.

"That's the way it is. Our leader hopes that your team can wait as long as possible to fight until midnight. But the fat man next door claims that he will fight after it is completely dark. What do you think?"

Facing the people who were approached by other bandit gangs, the bandit leader who was also lying behind the bushes snorted coldly: "What do I think? You can do it when it's dark, and you can do it in the middle of the night. I don't have any opinions, but I only have one request." , When we attack later, don't think about letting us rush up first, and throw us off when the benefits are finally distributed."

"Don't worry, you are not ignorant of the reputation of our leader. Which joint attack has caused you and your team to suffer?"

With a flattering smile, the bandit in animal skin whispered.

But the face of the bandit leader next to him changed: "Which time have you suffered a loss? Are you ashamed to say, which time did you not share the benefits. We and other teams can only share a share. I will give you Ming said, today's matter is not that you invited everyone to come over to do it, but that everyone has not opened for a few days, and they are all eyeing this group. Don't take out the old ways that you took the lead and ask for more benefits. "

"Bah." A mouthful of spit landed on the face of the animal skin bandit, but the bandit who was spat in the face did not dare to fight back.

Because the other group of bandits behind the bushes and flowers all took out their weapons and stared at him.

So the humiliation can only be endured.

"Everyone gets what they get today, and there is no redistribution. That's it, I'm done with this one, and I won't hang around here after that. Tell your %￥ boss that you can play here alone in the future." .”

After finishing speaking, the leader of the bandit waved his hand in disgust and drove him away.

The bandits in colorful animal skins had no choice but to retreat silently, crawling away from here quietly. He grabbed a handful of grass, wiped the spittle off his face, snorted secretly, rolled his eyes, and then quietly ran towards the forest on the southwest side of the open space.

-

In the deep forest, a torch was inserted into a hole cut out in the trunk, emitting a bright light of burning fat.

The bandit wearing colorful animal skin half-kneeled on the ground with a suppressed smile on his face, and said to the tall and thin middle-aged man who was served by several people in front of him: "The noble king of the white wall, what our leader and the other two leaders said That's what it means."

The tall, thin, middle-aged bandit claimed to be the King of the White Wall, claiming that the owner of a large piece of land on the east side of the commercial road from the White Stone City Wall to the gap between the mountains was him and his blood.

This is not nonsense, because the big and small bandits entrenched here have heard of it. Before the city of Montoka was developed, that is, when the Kingdom of St. Halls was first established decades ago, the first Among the aristocrats who came to settle here, one of the aristocrat's territory was in the place he claimed.

It's just that later provinces were established in various parts of the kingdom, and the city of Montorka, which occupies a convenient location, developed, and troops were sent to occupy the white stone city wall checkpoint left by the dwarves.

At that time, the checkpoint was not a checkpoint, but a small town, which belonged to the grandparents of the middle-aged bandit.

The long chain of commercial roads and land to the east of the checkpoint is not so desolate and uninhabited, there are also one or two villages.

However, with the ebb and flow of strength, the Whitestone City Wall checkpoint was occupied by the Viscount Montoka, and the Earl of the southern province also allowed this to happen. The use of political transactions has avoided the possibility of the natural communication arteries of the two provinces being contested by military forces year after year.

It is said that the earl of the southern province's renunciation of local requirements is the sole preferential right of the Viscount Montoka in terms of customs duties.

At this moment, the ancestor of the middle-aged bandit turned into a bandit who plundered trade routes, and has been wandering in their original territory. Because of the familiarity with the local area, even if Montoka City sent troops to clear the payment, it would not be effective~www.readwn.com~ and the military expenditure was wasted in vain.

Now, the family has passed on to this man, and the tall, thin, middle-aged bandit is still active in the local area.

"I heard what you said."

The tall and thin middle-aged man spoke in a leisurely manner, and there was a butler who looked like a butler beside him serving drinks.

"You can do whatever you want. I can see that you all intend to leave here after finishing this job. That's fine. That's fine. Originally, it was enough for us to be here alone."

Under the light of the torches, the so-called bandits around were sitting on the ground with their weapons in their hands. Most of them were equipped with leather clothes, and a few of them wore leather armor. Their equipment and momentum were different from those of other bandit teams.

It's just because this bandit team neither recruits young bandits who want to join, nor has anyone ever joined other gangs, so the team composition is very single. The frequency of their attacks is not very high, and there are even rumors that these people will only pick out noble family teams with noble backgrounds or contacts.

This time, it seems that it was also because someone saw a young knight in the refugee team.

"Go back and tell your leader, please leave after the feast tonight is over. The thirsty stream can't support so many fish schools."

The tall and thin middle-aged man waved his fingers, and the butler-like bandit stepped forward to see off the guests.

The bandit wearing colorful animal skins was puzzled, head clasped, detoured, and decided to return to the boss quickly.

For the last tinge of orange in the sky overhead was about to fade.

There is no moon rising in the starry sky, and it has not risen yet, so there will be no moon rising tonight.

Tonight will be a dark day.

It is inconvenient to go out on such a day, because it is dangerous.