A long line of carriages slowly trudged along a narrow path through the hills, from a distance resembling a gray long snake.
As the party gradually approached, one could see that the surfaces of these carriages bore the uniform emblem of a two-headed wolf; clearly, this was a noble convoy.
In one of the carriages, Dennis's eyes were still faintly red, clearly not yet recovered from the death of his father, Baron Norman.
To avoid potential repression from the Rein faction, Dennis decided to leave County Town without delay and return to his family's estate in the countryside.
Thus, taking most of the valuable belongings, Dennis organized this somewhat unwieldy convoy with the utmost speed.
At that moment, a cavalryman swiftly rode his warhorse from the front of the convoy to the middle where Dennis's carriage was positioned.
"Whoa! Young master, a messenger just reported that there have been many bandit groups spotted recently in this area, and traces of bandits have just been found. So, should we take a detour?"
"Take a detour?" Dennis looked out from the carriage window and saw over twenty carriages stretched out for more than a hundred meters, making it impossible to turn around quickly.
If they really turned back, according to the messenger, wouldn't that provide the perfect opportunity for the bandits to attack?
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Besides, there were the bandit groups.
Should we make such a fuss about bandit groups?
Now, which county in the empire doesn't have a bandit or two on its roads?
Hence, thinking he had understood everything, Dennis said irritably, "Are you all made of paper? Do bandits have real knights? Even if they do, at most one, right? But you are four!"
"This... alright then." The cavalryman who had come to report pondered and seemed to agree with his young master's point.
The messenger then controlled his horse, heading to the front of the caravan to relay the message.
Dennis watched the scene, feeling deeply shaken within.
After his father was defeated in the duel, those nobles who had previously been close immediately turned against him, pledging allegiance to Baron Rein, who had risen from 'common folk.'
What Dennis found most unbearable was the shiftiness of Baron Alonso, who had tried to win him over after his father became a Great Knight, but now, Dennis couldn't even get a meeting with him...
At the thought of this, Dennis's hands involuntarily clenched tightly.
I will have my revenge!
I will make them all tremble at my feet!
As Dennis's thoughts wandered, he suddenly heard cries for help and the sharp sound of piercing the air coming from both the front and the back of the convoy!
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!"
Do these bandits have the audacity to attack such a large convoy?
Dennis fiercely pulled back the curtain and saw dozens of bandits surge from around them, brandishing crossbows, and causing heavy casualties among his family's guards.
Just as he was about to curse his guards for their incompetence, he suddenly sensed something was amiss.
For the attackers, several stout men leading the bandits, possessed the strength of real knights!
Two, no, three real knights?
"This... this damn thing is a Great Knight!" Dennis's pupils suddenly dilated, his eyes widened as he blurted out.
For he recognized the faint luminescence on the other's body, even more distinct than that of his father, Baron Norman.
Then he saw a burly man in half-armor, casually advancing despite the rain of bolts from the guards, moving slowly yet swiftly.
"Damn it! How could this be happening! By the goddess above!" Dennis whispered in horror.
He couldn't believe that a bandit group could include a Great Knight!
Are Great Knights so 'cheap' now?
With the Great Knight joining in, the battle rapidly turned one-sided, and Norman family's guards were decimated.
Minutes later, like a dead dog, Dennis was grabbed and harshly thrown before the burly man in half-armor.
Dazed by the fall, Dennis heard the burly man report to the big man: ""Sir, this is the heir of the Norman family, the eldest son of the former Baron Norman.""
"Oh? Merely a squire?" General Parix initially had high hopes, but upon looking down, he was disappointed and shook his head.
Dennis dared not lift his head, merely extending his gaze along the ground, where he saw a pair of gleaming plate-armored boots that filled his view, boots that didn't even have a speck of mud despite having killed four family knights.
As Dennis's gaze lifted slightly, he saw several Norman family knights lying in pools of blood a few meters in front of him, which instantly sank his heart.
He didn't want to die!
He was about to become a real knight!
"So... Sir, shall we just kill this boy?" The squad leader, dressed like a strongman, hesitated a while, unsure of his superior's intentions.
But upon hearing this, Dennis's soul nearly fled!
Instinctively, he shouted, "I'm useful! Don't kill me. Aren't you bandits? I know which nobles in County Town are the wealthiest, and looting them would yield a rich haul."
"Oh?" General Parix smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"Then let's hear it."
Grasping at this lifeline, Dennis suddenly had a spark of inspiration and blurted out:
"There's a newly ascended Baron named Rein who recently made a large sum of money, and the Crowley family has also made a hefty sum recently, at least tens of thousands of gold. Many in County Town know this, you can verify it...."