Chapter 113: Get To Safety
"Bertram has conspired to assassinate the prince! Anyone involved will be executed without mercy!"
Gius shouted at the top of his lungs. The servants who had suddenly turned violent were actually secret guards disguised as assassins.
In an instant, most of the powerful families who had conspired with Bertram were either dead or injured. Bertram himself was forced to retreat under the relentless assault of the secret guards.
However, the private soldiers from the Redwyck family, charging out of the grove, quickly closed the distance, forcing the secret guards to temporarily withdraw to protect Simon.
Bertram laughed maniacally. "Simon, you’re truly a fool. Even though you knew this was a trap, you still came. Since you delivered yourself to me, don’t blame me for what happens next."
"If I hadn’t come, how would you traitors have revealed yourselves? Everyone knows the principle of ’capture the leader to defeat the rebels.’ Now, let’s see whose side fate is on." Simon said coldly.
The previous night, Bertram and his allies had chosen to stay in a fortress outside the city rather than within Brambleford, making it difficult to capture them.
If Simon had rashly led the Brambleford army to attack Bertram’s ambush, Bertram would have fled in advance.
In that case, Simon’s plan to eliminate these powerful families in one fell swoop would have failed. If these families escaped, they would inevitably conspire to harm Brambleford’s interests, no matter whose banner they rallied under. This was especially true for Bertram’s faction. If they fled to the grasslands, they would become a future threat to Brambleford.
It was for this reason that Simon had taken the risk. After all, in an era of vast territories, sparse populations, and backward communication, capturing fugitives would be extremely difficult.
As the two spoke, the private soldiers from the Redwyck family charging from the south were now less than a hundred meters away from Simon.
These soldiers wore a variety of armour, cloth, leather, and chainmail and wielded an assortment of weapons, from swords and spears to clubs and more.
"Kill!" Roars erupted from the charging soldiers.
Simon noticed that among these soldiers, some wearing finely crafted scale armour were directing the troops to split into three groups. The central group charged straight at him, while the two flanking groups aimed to encircle him.
Lancelot also noticed this. He shouted to Simon. "My Lord, retreat! If they complete the encirclement, we won’t be able to escape!"
Without a word, Simon and Baldwin sprinted northward, heading toward the approaching Brambleford army.
Seeing this, Bertram was determined not to let Simon escape.
This was a high-stakes gamble. The loser would not only lose their life but also their entire family and wealth. Bertram had already staked everything. It was do or die.
"Charge!" Bertram brandished a sharp longsword and shouted to the other powerful families.
The other powerful families drew their swords and, along with their servants, charged at Lancelot and his men. Their faces were twisted with rage, like vengeful spirits.
"My Lord, don’t worry about us! You and Minister Baldwin, go!" Lancelot shouted as he was immediately surrounded by Bertram and his men.
Baldwin grabbed Simon. "My Lord, we can’t afford to be soft-hearted now. Otherwise, we’ll only hold Captain Lancelot back."
Facing a thousand-armed men charging at him was a scene Simon had only seen in movies before.
Now he understood the immense courage it took for those movie heroes to stand against thousands of soldiers.
The sheer momentum of the charge was terrifying, even if these were just poorly trained private soldiers from powerful families.
Nodding, Simon quickly ran toward the Brambleford army. Lancelot and his men formed a line, blocking Bertram and his forces.
Seeing Simon fleeing toward the Brambleford army, Bertram’s expression changed drastically. "Archers, fire!" he roared.
As soon as he spoke, over twenty archers drew their bows and fired at Simon.
Lancelot, seeing this, let out a fierce roar. His sword moved with deadly precision. As a veteran of real battles, his strikes were efficient and lethal, with no wasted motion.
The Redwyck family servants blocking his path were no match for him. Several fell in quick succession.
Bertram hid behind his servants, looking for an opening. As Lancelot drove his sword into a servant’s chest, Bertram seized the moment to slash at Lancelot’s chest.
"Clang!" A dull metallic sound rang out, and a deep scratch appeared on Lancelot’s armour.
Lancelot pulled his sword free, and a spray of blood erupted from the servant’s chest, staining his armour. The thick smell of blood filled the air.
Lancelot grinned savagely. "Bertram, this armour was specially forged for me by His Highness. Pretty tough, huh?"
Bertram cursed under his breath. Although Lancelot and his men numbered only thirty, they stood like an iron wall, firmly blocking the path.
These men were the elite of the Brambleford army, each worth ten ordinary soldiers. Their full-body armour made them nearly impervious to ordinary sword strikes.
In close combat, Bertram’s men had repeatedly struck at vital points, but to no avail.
Meanwhile, Bertram’s servants were nearly all dead or wounded.
Bertram glanced at the private soldiers now only ten meters away and sneered. "Let’s see how long you can hold out."
With that, he quickly retreated. The thousand private soldiers were now upon them, led by a burly man wielding twin hammers.
Lancelot’s heart sank. Simon had warned him that plate armour was vulnerable to blunt force.
The twin hammers in the man’s hands would be far more dangerous than swords or spears.
Glancing at Simon, who was now halfway to safety, Lancelot let out a battle cry and charged forward. He couldn’t retreat yet!
"Whoosh, whoosh..."
Arrows whistled past Simon’s ears. He felt a strong impact on his back, nearly knocking him off his feet.
Without looking, he knew he had been hit by an arrow.
Before coming, he had specifically worn a breastplate, with metal plates protecting his front and back. For extra safety, he had chosen a thicker set.
Since it wasn’t full-body armour, the weight was manageable.
After a frantic sprint, Simon had used up almost all his energy. These past few days, he had been so busy with construction that he had neglected his archery and horsemanship. It seemed he would have to pick those up again.
As the Brambleford army came into view, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Looking back, he saw Lancelot surrounded by Bertram’s private soldiers.
"He truly is a fierce warrior. When Your Highness first came to Brambleford, you replaced many of the local generals but kept Lancelot. Looking back now, it seems Your Highness recognised his abilities." Baldwin said, panting heavily.
When Simon first arrived in Brambleford, aside from bringing his own generals, he could also select some local officers to serve as his personal guards.
At the time, Simon had been foolish, allowing powerful families to replace many of his guards. Only Lancelot had been kept.
In truth, Simon had initially kept Lancelot out of spite, wanting to slowly deal with this troublemaker. But Lancelot’s performance three years ago had impressed him, and despite his dislike, Simon had decided to keep him.
