As discussed earlier, we would not be stopping in the town to rest or resupply. The knights of House Raonelet had taken control of the road and its security.
It seemed the knight commander had even tried to force the mercenaries to halt earlier, but Sir Ron and Rany stood their ground. In the end, the decision was made that we would escort the caravan while the knights handled the main defense.
Our formation changed.
The knights surrounded the caravan on all sides, riding in tight formation. They didn't ask Niles or anyone from the Vipers to scout ahead. Instead, they moved forward in full force, as if sheer strength alone would keep danger away.
The mercenaries were pushed toward the outer positions.
Farther back.
Farther apart.
It stung a little, but these were knights of a noble house. If something went wrong in battle, it would be us taking the first hit.
I rode with the rear group along with the other mercenaries. We kept some distance between us, scattered across the road.
As usual, the Vipers were nowhere to be seen.
But with my sensory field active, I knew where most of them were hiding.
Their presence flickered at the edges of my perception, their bodies blending into the shadows of the road.
The road itself felt strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
In my opinion, unnaturally quiet.
Not even insects could be heard.
Everything around us felt still as we rushed forward.
The knights pushed their horses hard, riding fast.
Rusty kept pace with them easily.
When the knights first saw Rusty earlier, several of them had drawn their swords immediately. Only after I explained did they calm down, though their expressions clearly showed what they thought.
The creature didn't look elegant.
One of them had even asked how a mere mercenary could afford a monster egg.
I ignored him.
Rusty was keeping up with the horses just fine.
Suddenly, the front line stopped.
The halt came so abruptly that the entire caravan froze.
Horses snorted and stomped as they tried to slow down.
I frowned.
What now?
A moment later, one of the Vipers appeared from the roadside brush and shouted toward the rear.
"Bandits ahead!"
He raised a hand.
"More than a hundred!"
So that was it.
The bandits were attacking the road directly.
If they knew all the possible routes, it meant they had likely spread groups across the region to ambush travelers and loot caravans.
Some mercenaries began to draw their weapons.
But the knights immediately shouted,
"Do not interfere!"
"These are our prey!"
Their tone carried arrogance.
From what I could see, most of the bandits were on foot. None of them had horses.
The thirty mounted knights lowered their swords.
Then, without hesitation, they charged.
Not a single word about protecting the caravan.
Not a single order to defend the merchants.
They simply rushed forward to kill.
Watching them leave, I suddenly understood how caravans kept getting robbed.
Idiots.
Ron quickly took command.
"Form a circle! Protect the merchants!"
We began moving immediately, trying to surround the wagons.
At the same time, I expanded my sensory field.
Up ahead, the knights were already cutting through the front line of bandits.
But something else caught my attention.
Another group.
Hidden.
Among the bushes and trees.
They were waiting.
Waiting for the moment when the caravan was exposed.
We hadn't even finished forming a full defensive circle when they attacked.
Bandits burst out of the brush from both sides of the road.
Some of them even had horses.
I tightened my grip on my spear.
This time I won't freeze in battle.
If I wanted to shake later, I could do that after the fight.
Not now.
They had numbers.
We had to hold the defensive position.
One rider rushed toward me with a long spear and thrust forward, trying to stab me before I could react.
I shifted slightly to the right.
At the same moment, I swung the axe blade attached to my spear and struck the shaft of his weapon.
The wood cracked under the impact.
Almost in the same motion, I thrust my spear toward his chest.
But he reacted just in time.
He twisted his body and pulled back, the spear tip barely missing him as it slid past his armor.
For a brief moment, we circled each other as the battle raged around us.
Then we moved at the same time.
He tried to thrust again, but I was faster.
My spear pierced beneath his ribs.
He tried to pull away, but it was too late.
The blade sank deep into his side.
He cursed in pain.
Another bandit charged toward me with an axe.
I pulled my spear free and slashed across his stomach.
The blade tore through his side.
He fell from his horse, his insides spilling onto the ground.
Without stopping, I shifted my grip and swung the axe blade again.
The edge cut cleanly across his neck.
His head separated from his body.
But I kept my sensory field active.
An archer.
He was aiming directly at my head.
At the same time, another bandit rushed at me with a sword.
My spear shot forward.
His sword came dangerously close as I thrust.
He dodged at the last second.
The arrow flew toward me.
I tilted my head slightly.
The arrow brushed past my hair and struck the ground behind me.
At that exact moment, the swordsman tried to cut through my spear.
I tapped Rusty lightly.
Rusty immediately reared up.
The creature slammed its head into the enemy horse.
The rider lost his balance and fell to the ground.
Before he could even move, Rusty crushed his chest under its foot.
But the arrows didn't stop.
One arrow grazed Rusty's leg.
It didn't penetrate, but it left a shallow wound.
For the first time, Rusty let out an angry growl.
The creature lunged toward the trees where the archer was hiding.
The archer panicked and jumped down from the branch he was standing on.
But as he landed, I was already moving.
My spear rose—
and drove forward.
The blade pierced straight through his abdomen.
Blood splashed across my face.
I ripped the spear free and threw the body toward another charging bandit, forcing him to stumble backward.
For a brief moment, the attackers hesitated.
Around me, the sounds of battle echoed across the road—steel clashing, horses screaming, and men shouting in pain.
I tightened my grip on my spear.
This was only the beginning.
The ambush had just begun.