Chapter 276: Ambush and demand
While Luke slept peacefully, the others continued talking in hushed voices.
Everyone except Thea.
She wasn’t part of the conversation, remaining quietly occupied with the food Laila had handed her.
"That must feel nice, then," Monica said with a gentle smile. "You’re finally going back home after such a long time."
From what she had heard, Roxanne had returned to her family only once after becoming Baldon’s mate, and even then, it had been for her father’s death ceremony.
So, in Monica’s eyes, getting to see her family again after all these years should have been a joyful occasion.
Roxanne, however, didn’t seem nearly as optimistic.
"Well..." she murmured. "They might not be pleased that my lord isn’t coming with me."
Thea let out a faint scoff.
"Do they expect the chief to always have time for such trivial visits?"
Monica smiled awkwardly.
"That’s true. Being a chief can’t be easy. He must have countless responsibilities to take care of."
Even as she said those words, she didn’t truly believe them.
Perhaps it was because of Luke.
Ever since he had became her partner, he had spoiled her with so much care and affection that she had unconsciously begun looking at every other relationship through a different lens.
Compared to what everyone else seemed to endure...
She couldn’t help but feel that she was living a far happier life.
She knew it was wrong to think that way...
But the man resting beside her was simply too caring.
The hours slipped by unnoticed.
For most of the journey, it was Roxanne and Monica quietly chatting while Laila and Thea dozed off now and then.
At some point, Luke had gently shifted away from Monica’s lap and rested his head on a pillow instead.
It had certainly been comfortable.
But remaining in the same position for hours would have made anyone’s legs go numb.
Knowing Monica, she would have endured the discomfort without saying a word, so he had quietly moved on his own.
"We’ve covered quite a bit of distance thanks to the smooth road," Rel informed them as the afternoon sun slowly began its descent.
Roxanne gave a thoughtful hum.
"Is that so? I did notice the carriage has been a lot less bumpy."
Monica nodded in agreement.
"Yes. The horses seem to be running much faster than before as well."
Laila tilted her head.
"Does that mean we’ll reach the village earlier than expected?"
She had begun feeling stiff after sitting inside the carriage for so long. Although there was enough room to stretch her legs, it wasn’t the same as lying down comfortably or simply getting out to walk for a while.
Thankfully, Rel said exactly what Laila had been hoping to hear.
"If we keep up this pace, we should reach the village a little after sunset."
Traveling after dark was always dangerous. Fortunately, they would be close to a settlement, where wild beasts were far less likely to roam.
That made pressing onward the safer choice.
Besides, the stream they had camped near was already far behind them. Stopping in the middle of the wilderness, far from any reliable water source, was hardly any safer than continuing the journey through the night.
Thea let out an impatient sigh.
"Then stop talking and focus on the horses. Get us there as quickly as possible."
Her sharp tone made Monica flinch, while Laila nearly rolled her eyes.
From everything she had seen so far, the petite woman complained far more than she ever did.
Always grumbling.
Always raising her voice.
Before long, silence settled over the carriage once again.
Roxanne had drifted to sleep, leaning comfortably against the cushioned wall with her hands folded neatly in her lap.
Monica absentmindedly stroked Luke’s hair as he slept, her gaze fixed on the ever-changing scenery outside the window.
Meanwhile, the carriage continued rolling forward at an impressive speed.
The road remained remarkably smooth, allowing the horses to maintain a steady pace without exhausting themselves.
It seemed traders frequently traveled this route.
Otherwise, there would have been little reason for the village chief to invest so much effort into maintaining such a well-kept road.
And thanks to the fact that no wild beasts had attacked them so far...
"NEEEEEIGH!"
A shrill, panicked neigh tore through the air.
The carriage lurched violently as the reins were yanked back, forcing the horses into a sudden, sliding stop.
Everyone inside was thrown sideways by the momentum.
Everyone except Monica.
Before she could be flung away, Luke’s hand shot out and pressed firmly against her shoulder, keeping her safely in place. He himself remained rooted where he lay, his body barely shifting despite the violent jolt.
"What the hell...?" Thea snapped. "Are you out of your mind? Why did you stop so suddenly?"
Rel quickly raised his hands.
"There’s a horse trap ahead."
The words stunned everyone inside the carriage.
Rel climbed down and cautiously approached the rope stretched across the road, tied tightly between two trees.
Crouching beside it, he examined it more closely.
Small spikes protruded from the rope’s surface.
His expression darkened.
That confirmed it.
This wasn’t an accident.
Someone had deliberately set the trap.
Just then...
SHTUUK!
Rel’s eyes widened.
Something shot out of the bushes, hurtling straight toward him.
There wasn’t even enough time to dodge.
Acting on pure instinct, he squeezed his eyes shut.
Yet the pain he braced himself for never came.
"...Huh?"
He slowly opened his eyes.
Barely an inch from his forehead, an arrow hung frozen in place.
No.
It had been caught.
Luke stood beside him, calmly gripping the shaft between his fingers as though plucking an arrow from the air was the most natural thing in the world.
Monica stared in astonishment.
Only a heartbeat ago, he had been sitting beside her inside the carriage.
Luke’s gaze swept across the surrounding forest, his eyes growing cold.
"We’re being ambushed."
He didn’t take his eyes off the trees.
"Get back in the carriage and close the rear cover."
Rel’s heart skipped a beat.
Without wasting another second, he scrambled to his feet and hurried back toward the carriage.
A moment later, several men emerged from the surrounding bushes.
Armed with crude weapons and wearing smug grins, they spread out, slowly encircling Luke from both sides.
One of them stepped forward and stopped a few paces away.
He was noticeably taller and more muscular than the rest.
The leader, Luke assumed.
"What do you want?" Luke asked.
His voice was eerily calm, despite being surrounded by ten armed men.
The man lazily pointed his knife at him.
"Leave your supplies and those women behind, and I’ll let you walk away."
Luke’s expression turned cold.
"What did you just say?"
The bandit casually scratched the side of his neck with the blade before smirking.
"You see, our chief needs a few women to bear enough children to keep his..."
His words stopped abruptly.
Not because he chose to.
Because Luke had already crossed the distance between them.
His fist was already drawn back.
The bandit’s instincts screamed.
He immediately raised an arm to block.
DHAK!
The punch slammed into his guard.
His boots carved deep grooves into the dirt as he was driven backward, somehow managing to remain on his feet.
He let out a mocking scoff.
"What happened? Are you...Ghuak!"
His eyes bulged.
A mouthful of blood erupted from his throat.
His vision blurred, a crimson haze swallowing everything before him.
His arm dropped limply to his side.
Broken.
Only then did the true force of the punch finish tearing through his body.
The man’s breathing turned ragged as he slowly lifted his trembling gaze toward Luke.
’What... is this monster?’
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