Chapter 221 Chapter221-Ambushed
Kellman, with a hand on Howard's shoulder, remarked, "This place deserves a better name, one that matches the beauty of this path. Before coming here, I thought it would be a dark hole where you can't even see your hand in front of your face!" Everyone heartily agreed.
Tina, checking the map and swayed by Catt's repeated suggestions, decided that they would rest at the tavern.
After a short while of navigating the intricate web of alleys, the group successfully arrived at their destination, an unassuming street.
Kellman pushed open the tavern's worn wooden door, and the amiable innkeeper greeted them promptly: "Welcome, everyone. What can I get for you?"
Everyone ordered their desired drinks, with names Howard had never heard before.
He decided to go with the same strong liquor as Captain Kellman; his wounds were painful, and he knew he wouldn't sleep well without a drink.
After the innkeeper walked away, Howard cautiously shared with the group, "I feel like there's something off about the tavern keeper, didn't you notice?"
His wary instincts were triggered by the innkeeper's absent-minded demeanor.
Before anyone could respond, the innkeeper called out from a distance, "Young man, what do you mean by that?"
Howard was surprised that he could hear from so far away.
Fortunately, the innkeeper didn't take offense.
"Not long ago, I was a businessman, my wealth vast. My factory produced wines that were popular among everyone, even the royal family adored them. Back then, my life was incredibly glorious, alas." He sighed deeply.
"But soon after, I lost everything. My factory was destroyed, all my possessions looted, and now, running this tavern, not a single customer dares to come."
Kellman, sensing something amiss, inquired, "What happened in this town?"
After a moment of hesitation, the tavern keeper responded obliquely, "Do you know of the Lionheart Mercenaries?"
"They were once the heroes of our town, always protecting us, maintaining order, and driving out evil, but…"
"But what?" Skor interjected, unable to contain his curiosity. Clearly, something significant had transpired in this town not long ago.
"The Night Demons suddenly appeared. No one knows where those murderous creatures came from, only that they relentlessly slaughtered. To protect us, the Lionheart Mercenaries fought against them. We don't know what they went through in that battle, but afterwards, they went mad. They turned their blades on us, slaughtering men, women, and children alike. They killed more townspeople than the Night Demons did."
"They also took everything from me. That night, people came seeking refuge in my factory, but I refused them, and watched as they were mercilessly slaughtered."
At this point, the innkeeper's voice began to crack with emotion. "I hid in the cellar of my factory, oblivious to the horrors outside, and that's how I survived. When I emerged the next day, the factory was surrounded by ghastly corpses."
"Damn it!" Catt cursed.
Howard felt there was more to this.
First, the appearance of the Night Demons was highly suspicious.
And then the mercenary group, initially protectors of the town, mercilessly killing the townspeople — there had to be a reason behind this drastic change.
"Can you tell us more about this Lionheart Mercenaries?" Kellman probed, attempting to gather as much information as possible.
The tavern keeper shook his head, evidently reluctant to continue the conversation, prompting Kellman to drop the subject.
However, Catt wasn't ready to let it go and asked, "What about the recent situation in Holy Light City? Do you know anything?"
Again, the innkeeper shook his head. "People here have lost the will to keep up with news from other cities. But I suppose the situation in Holy Light City can't be much better."
"We were hoping to rest here for the night, if you could just…" Tina began, but the tavern keeper interrupted her.
"You'd better leave as soon as you can, after a short rest."
Tina started to speak, but Kellman stopped her. "We are sorry for your misfortune. Since you are unwilling, we will leave right away."
He then led the group out of the tavern.
Once outside, Tina said, "But Captain, everyone is so tired."
Kellman replied with certainty, "This place isn't safe. We shouldn't take the risk. I know it's hard, but we must keep going."
The danger was apparent, and Howard was preoccupied with thoughts of regaining his strength.
Suddenly, a bell tolled from the town center, a warning of an enemy attack.
"Could it be…" the group exchanged uneasy glances.
Tina speculated, "Is the town under attack by the Lionheart Mercenaries? Or the Night Demons?"
Kellman, ready to fight, looked toward the road they were planning to leave by.
It seemed calm for now, but if the town was under attack, that road might not be safe anymore.
The town's guards began to mobilize to face the enemy.
Howard suggested, "We should leave quickly while we still can."
It wasn't that Howard was cowardly; he was acutely aware of their precarious situation.
He himself was not in a condition to fight, and the Frostwolf Mercenaries were hardly in a state to be of much use.
Setting aside their own strength, their current exhausted state would not allow them to engage in prolonged combat.
As a squad of guards passed by, their captain spotted the group and barked, "Hey, you lot, you're conscripted now. Come and help defend the town!"
Everyone looked towards Kellman, who nodded in agreement, though Howard frowned in reluctance.
It seemed they had no choice but to stay.
Fortunately, Howard's physical condition wasn't weak, but his injuries were a serious concern.
After being conscripted, the squad leader noticed Howard was unarmed and tossed him a spear.
Howard caught it, his mind still racing with thoughts of escape.
If he couldn't rely on the Frostwolf Mercenaries, he wasn't about to just sit around and wait for death.
Tina sidled up to Howard and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Howard, we'll protect you. Just stay behind us during the fight, and don't run off, okay?"
Howard nodded. He certainly wouldn't run, not unless he had a death wish.
In his eyes, the Frostwolf Mercenaries might not be the strongest, but they were decent people.
He hoped they could be somewhat reliable.
He was also curious about the Night Demons' strength and numbers – how formidable were they?
The squad leader, along with Howard and his group of a dozen or so subordinates, announced, "According to reports from our scouts, a force of Lionheart Mercenaries is on their way to attack us. We're heading out to meet them and coordinate with the empire's garrison to eliminate them!"
Lionheart Mercenaries?
They were known to be even more brutal than the Night Demons, yet Kellman and the others showed no signs of fear.
The squad leader led the way, and Howard, despite his battered body, followed them to the battlefield.
He was grateful for his robust constitution; otherwise, he couldn't have endured such an ordeal.
Howard was certain that his arrival in this place was the work of the water monster.
It had talked about a trade, asking Howard to save its world, but how could he do that without any power?
Howard even began to wonder if this was a real world at all.
Perhaps it was a dream or something similar, as that would explain the complete disappearance of his powers.
If it were a dream, then there was a greater chance that Aurelia was alive.
Howard sincerely hoped she was safe.
After a rapid march, Howard arrived at the battlefield.
It was an imperial army outpost, with hastily constructed fortifications now in ruins.
Limbs and bodies were strewn everywhere, and the air was thick with the stench of blood, making it nauseating.
Many new recruits were struggling to cope.
Seeing Howard's unfazed expression, Tina immediately recognized him as a seasoned warrior and curiously asked, "Were you really a magus before?"
Howard wasn't in the mood to talk, but he managed to squeeze out a strained smile for Tina, leaving her to draw her own conclusions.
"How can this be… Has the entire imperial army been annihilated?"
The squad leader scanned the area with a look of fear.
"This doesn't make sense. If that were the case, we should have encountered the Lionheart Mercenaries, but we haven't seen them anywhere."
Kellman, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword behind his back, was extremely vigilant.
Something was amiss.
The ground was littered with the bodies of the imperial army and the town's guards, but where were the Lionheart Mercenaries?
Where was the enemy?
Howard, frowning, suggested, "I recommend we stay together. This is the main route to the town. If we set up fortifications here, it could significantly boost our defensive capability."
Kellman nodded in agreement, but this seemed to irritate the squad leader.
"What do you know? If they've disappeared, they must have been severely damaged and could be fleeing. This is the perfect opportunity to pursue them!"
"Everyone, follow my command, advance at full speed!"
Howard shook his head.
The ground was covered with the bodies of their own men, and the uniforms of the mercenaries were different.
The facts were right before his eyes, yet the squad leader was blind to them.
Pursuing now would likely lead to total annihilation.
Although Howard didn't understand why the Lionheart Mercenaries would kill the entire garrison and then leave, their combat strength must have remained largely intact, certainly beyond what this small squad could handle.
Howard spoke up again, "If we must pursue, I suggest waiting for reinforcements."
There were surely more guards in the town.
The more people they had, the greater their chances of survival.
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