At dawn the next morning, a thin layer of fog shrouded Black Stone Town.
Raylo led Ed, Bolin, and two squads of Knights out of the camp, moving silently toward the Black Water River.
They didn’t carry heavy weapons, only Long Swords for self-defense. Instead, they brought Beast Capture Nets and Rope Traps hastily made by the townsfolk the previous night, along with some of the Earth Dragon Grass they had gathered earlier.
The group arrived at the Black Water Riverbank and stopped near a relatively open, low-lying patch of grassland close to the water.
"Ed, take some men and place the Earth Dragon Grass in that grassy area downstream. Space it out; don’t make it too dense," Raylo instructed in a low voice after observing the wind direction and terrain.
Earth Dragon Grass was a plant that emitted a peculiar scent. Certain herbivorous Magical Beasts found it irresistible, and the Pegasus was one of them.
The six Pegasi captured before had been lured by Earth Dragon Grass. He believed the herd gathered on the Black Water Riverbank would also be unable to resist its temptation and would soon be drawn in by its unique aroma.
"Yes, my lord!"
Ed accepted the order and led a few Knights to carefully place bundles of dried Earth Dragon Grass in the designated area, trying to make it look as natural as possible and leave no trace.
Under Ed’s command, the remaining Knights cleverly hid meticulously crafted Rope Traps in the dense grass. The other end of each rope was firmly secured to a wooden stake buried deep in the ground.
The positions of these Rope Traps were all calculated to be in the center and at the edges of the area where the Earth Dragon Grass was scattered—the most likely paths for the Pegasi.
Once everything was in place, Raylo led the Knights to a small grove downwind to hide.
Ed took the five Knights with the best Riding Technique and hid on the other side of the grove, holding their own Pegasi.
Time ticked by. The morning fog gradually dissipated, and warm sunlight sparkled on the river’s surface.
They waited from early morning until the Sun had climbed halfway up the mountainside, when a flock of small white dots appeared on the distant horizon.
As they drew closer, the outlines of the white dots became clear. It was the target they had been waiting for—the herd of Pegasi!
There were about thirty Pegasi. Their bodies were powerful and graceful, their wings pure white, shimmering with a soft luster in the sunlight. They circled a few times, and only after confirming there was no danger did they slowly land on the riverbank to drink or graze on the fresh green grass.
Soon, a few Pegasi were attracted by the peculiar scent of the Earth Dragon Grass and began to walk toward the trapped area.
They lowered their heads, greedily munching on the delicious Earth Dragon Grass, completely unaware of the danger hidden in the tall grass.
"THWIP!"
"THUD!"
Suddenly, several muffled sounds rang out in quick succession!
The Pegasi at the very front felt a sudden tightening around their legs. They were instantly caught fast by the hidden Rope Traps and fell to the ground!
This sudden development sent the entire Pegasus herd into an uproar!
"NEIGH! NEIGH! NEIGH..."
Frightened neighs rose and fell as the panicked Pegasi scattered in all directions.
Some tried to take flight, but in their panic, they collided with each other. Others ran around like headless chickens, only to run into more Rope Traps!
For a moment, the grassland was a scene of chaos, with men and horses falling everywhere...
Oh, no—it was just horses falling everywhere. White horsehair and grass clippings flew through the air. The scene was utter chaos.
"Now! Charge!"
A sharp glint flashed in Raylo’s eyes as he gave the order to attack!
The Knights, who had been barely holding themselves back, shot out from behind the grove like arrows loosed from a bow, spurring their warhorses forward!
The Knights charged straight into the chaotic herd of Pegasi, swinging Rope Traps in their hands!
Although Pegasi could glide, they needed a running start and some space to take off. Thrown into disarray by the traps and the charging Knights, they were completely unable to organize a proper takeoff.
Their speed was great, but it was futile against the Knights’ superb Riding Technique and organized charge.
The Knights had clear targets: the Pegasi that were already entangled in Rope Traps or otherwise hindered.
Working in pairs with practiced coordination, one Knight would be responsible for throwing a rope around a Pegasus’s neck while the other quickly moved in to control the struggling animal.
Though the scene was chaotic, the Knights’ actions were methodical.
A few unlucky Knights were also kicked by startled Pegasi and thrown from their horses.
"Over there! Don’t let that one get away!"
A Knight shouted, pointing to a Pegasus that had broken free from a Rope Trap and was about to break through the encirclement.
Two nearby Knights immediately spurred their horses to catch up, flanking it from the left and right. After some effort, they managed to cover it with a Beast Capture Net.
Amid the chaos, a dozen or so quick-reacting or lucky Pegasi still managed to break free, frantically beating their wings as they staggered into the air and flew away from the riverbank.
Meanwhile, Ed and the other Knights were already waiting in the sky on their own Pegasi.
When the last tripped Pegasus on the ground had its four hooves firmly tied with ropes by the Knights and lay panting helplessly, calm returned to the grassland. All that remained was a scene of devastation and the heavy breathing of the Knights.
Ed and his men also flew back from the horizon on their Pegasi.
Each of the Pegasus Knights led a roped Pegasus, and Ed himself had roped two.
The Pegasi landed, and they regrouped with Raylo and the others.
They took stock of their spoils.
In this one raid, they had captured a total of eighteen Pegasi!
Although some had escaped, this was a bountiful harvest that far exceeded their expectations.
The journey back was much livelier than the journey there.
The Knights were all in high spirits. The previous addition of six Pegasi to the territory had already made them ecstatic.
But there wasn’t enough to go around, and who wouldn’t covet these magnificent treasures?
In order to become a member of the Pegasus Knight Squad, they had competed fiercely amongst themselves in secret.
Now, with eighteen Pegasi caught at once, the territory had suddenly become wealthy. They could even establish two Pegasus Knight Squads.
With just over twenty Knights in Black Stone Territory currently, there would even be one or two Pegasi to spare if each Knight got one.
Although the newly captured Pegasi had their wings temporarily bound, their wild nature remained. They struggled and neighed the whole way, making the Knights responsible for leading them exert a great deal of effort.
The Pegasi would occasionally buck or try to violently twist their necks, leaving several Knights disheveled and covered in dust.
"Hey! Easy there, buddy! This arm isn’t made of wood!"
A Knight was yanked so hard by the Pegasus he was leading that he nearly fell off his warhorse, drawing a round of laughter from his comrades.
"You should be grateful! At least you’re better off than the guys who got kicked off their horses!"
Someone bantered from the side.
Ed, on the other hand, seemed much more relaxed. The two Pegasi he was leading were perhaps intimidated by his "ferocious" display in the air earlier, as they were now acting relatively docile.
Even so, controlling two newly captured Pegasi at the same time was no easy task and required constant vigilance.
Raylo sat on his own warhorse, a faint smile on his face as he watched his men. Though the procession was a bit chaotic, their overall morale was high.