Chapter 227 Chapter227-Retreat in Defeat
"This couldn't possibly be..." Kellman's expression grew increasingly serious.
"Could it be..." Tina's face also darkened.
"Geoff has actually reached that realm," Jonas exclaimed joyfully, certain now of their victory.
"Finish off that youngster quickly, Geoff!" he urged again.
At the same time, he ordered some of his Cheetah Tribe warriors to scour the village.
They were to take everything they could carry, especially food, leaving not even an egg behind.
Jonas's constant reminders somewhat distracted Geoff, and Howard seized the opportunity.
Holding his blade, his figure vanished in an instant, reappearing behind Geoff and slashing fiercely at his back.
Geoff, seemingly caught off guard, had actually been prepared.
Sensing Howard's movement early, he dodged with incredible reflexes before the blade could reach him.
The two figures swiftly interchanged, striking fiercely.
The standoff continued; even as Geoff's strength steadily increased, he couldn't quickly overpower Howard.
Geoff felt something was amiss with Howard, whose strength seemed bottomless, always matching his.
As the two remained entangled in a difficult separation, Jonas, frustrated, ordered, "What are you waiting for? Join in and help Geoff finish him off!"
Geoff, slightly out of breath, stopped and looked at Howard, who was also drenched in sweat, asking incredulously, "Who are you, really?"
"I am Howard," he replied.
Howard glanced at the Cheetah Tribe warriors slowly encircling them, took several deep breaths to maintain his optimal condition.
Although nearing his limit, he wasn't worried.
"Hmph," he snorted.
Seeing most of the Cheetah Tribe's warriors preoccupied with Howard, Laxa swiftly concocted a plan.
She shouted to the villagers, "Now's our chance, let's break out!"
Though it felt dishonorable, to save as many lives as possible, she had to sacrifice Howard.
Regrettably, the Frost Raven Tribe had little fighting strength left; even with most of the Cheetah Tribe's warriors targeting Howard, they couldn't break free.
The flicker of hope quickly extinguished.
Jonas snorted coldly, glancing disdainfully at the sight of Laxa and the others being pushed back by the Cheetah Tribe's warriors.
"Thinking of escaping? Wishful thinking," he sneered.
As the stalemate continued, Kellman knew it was time to intervene.
Holding his knight's greatsword, he slowly stepped forward, eyes locked on Geoff.
Geoff instantly sensed the danger.
"Now!"
Kellman lunged forward, his sword slashing through the air like a tempest, attempting to break through Geoff's defenses.
Geoff's expression shifted; he hadn't anticipated another expert joining the fray.
Caught off guard, he couldn't dodge the strike and had to brace for impact.
With a thunderous noise, Kellman's greatsword came crashing down, striking Geoff's blade and sending it flying from his grasp.
Seizing the moment, Kellman advanced and swung his sword down again.
Geoff narrowly avoided the attack, each of Kellman's swings exerting immense pressure on him.
Another sweep of the blade aura sliced through Geoff's armor, a deep red slowly seeping from his chest.
Grasping his sword hilt with determination, Geoff realized he couldn't continue like this.
With his last bit of strength, he needed to make a final stand.
He swung his sword hilt with all his might, launching a fierce attack on Kellman.
Kellman hadn't expected Geoff to counterattack so resolutely, initially finding himself on the back foot.
However, he quickly regained his composure, and the clashing of their weapons seemed as if they were about to shatter the very air around them.
Eventually, Kellman once again gained the upper hand.
Amidst a sharp clanging of metal, his greatsword finally struck Geoff's shoulder, blood spurting as Geoff fell into unconsciousness, his defeat inevitable.
Seeing Geoff collapse and remain motionless, Jonas nearly crumpled to the ground.
They lost?
Impossible!
But no matter how much he refused to believe it, he had to accept the harsh reality.
Facing the two masters who had defeated Geoff, Howard and Kellman, Jonas could only grit his teeth and order a retreat.
"Withdraw, retreat!"
The situation had drastically shifted.
The once invincible Cheetah Tribe immediately broke ranks and fled following Geoff's downfall, while the Frost Raven Tribe seized the moment to pursue them, albeit cautiously, not venturing too far.
They knew all too well that their victory was largely thanks to Howard and Kellman.
Laxa, the village chief, approached the two saviors, expressing her and her people's gratitude.
"Thank you for saving us. I apologize on behalf of my father for his earlier actions against you and hope for your forgiveness. If there's anything you need, just ask, and our Frost Raven Tribe will do our utmost to assist."
That day, Laxa had lost much, but fortunately, the Frost Raven Tribe had survived.
She was sincerely grateful to Howard, who had stood up for them from the beginning.
In that moment, Laxa found herself admiring this valiant young man more than she probably should.
"No need to thank us. Some more food supplies would be great," Tina stepped forward with a smile.
She had been busy treating the wounded throughout, and Laxa saw this and thanked her again with a respectful bow.
Afterward, the trio assisted the Frost Raven Tribe in rebuilding their village.
Their involvement wasn't out of nosiness but self-interest.
The village needed to bolster its defenses to ensure safety at night.
They decided to stay in the village for a few days to rest and recuperate.
At night, as the wind howled, Howard, lying in bed, could hear the cries of the Night Demon outside the window, a sound that sent shivers down the spine.
Laxa had mentioned that this was normal and didn't seem concerned.
As long as they didn't venture out at night, the Night Demons wouldn't detect them.
Having become heroes to the Frost Raven Tribe, each of them was offered a separate room for the night, a luxury ensuring a good night's sleep.
However, Howard didn't take this for granted.
Being cautious was never a bad thing; he decided to share a room with Tina.
Tina slept on the bed while he settled for the floor.
Initially, Tina was visibly uncomfortable with the arrangement and thought about asking Howard to leave, but she refrained from saying anything.
Moreover, considering the poison-testing incident earlier that day, she realized that sometimes Howard's caution was not misplaced.
But if he sought safety, shouldn't he have approached the formidable leader of the Frostwolf Mercenaries, Kellman?
Why come to her?
Initially, Howard did consider going to Kellman's room.
However, the thought of two men spending the entire night in the same room, especially when he was the one initiating it, seemed a bit odd.
If rumors were to spread, Howard preferred them to be about him and a woman rather than another man.
...
"Damn it, where did those two powerful warriors come from?"
Jonas fumed as he paced back and forth in his room within the Cheetah Tribe's domain, fretting over the possibility of the Frost Raven Tribe launching a retaliatory attack and contemplating his next move.
"Tonight, we'll strengthen our defenses. The moment before dawn is the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack. I'm certain they'll come!" he declared confidently, as if he had foreseen everything.
A look of panic crossed the face of the subordinate kneeling before him.
"Chief, if we bolster our defenses at night, what about the Night Demons? They'll attack us!" he exclaimed.
"Fool!" Jonas snapped.
"The mere Night Demons cannot harm us. We're not like those worthless Frost Raven Tribals, too scared to step outside at night."
...
The next morning, Kellman, just out of bed, rubbed his eyes in disbelief when he saw Howard emerging from Tina's room.
"Good morning, Captain Kellman," Howard greeted him casually.
Kellman, still in a daze, watched Howard head to the dining area.
When Tina arrived, she found Howard testing poison on a rat he had caught from somewhere.
Kellman, sitting at the dining table, couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer.
Hesitantly, he asked, "Howard, I don't think the Frost Raven Tribe would poison me now, would they?"
Howard nonchalantly shook his head.
"Captain Kellman, it's not entirely impossible with the Frost Raven Tribe. What if there are malicious individuals or spies from the Cheetah Tribe among them?"
Kellman and Tina gasped in realization.
Trust Howard to think of everything.
But Tina was left with a lingering question.
How did Howard always manage to catch rats?
She hadn't seen a single one since their arrival two days ago.
"All clear, no poison. We can enjoy breakfast with peace of mind," Howard announced after completing his poison test.
He nonchalantly kicked the rat into his pocket and sat down, ladling himself a bowl of meat soup.
Tina and Kellman quickly followed suit, starting their meal.
During the day, Kellman was busy negotiating with Laxa to prepare provisions and daily necessities for their journey.
They were set to leave for Holy Light City early the next morning.
Laxa expressed her wish for them to stay a few more days, particularly hoping Howard would extend his stay.
But she knew it was unlikely.
She had seen Howard sneak into Tina's room at night, not emerging until the following morning.
This realization filled her with a sense of loss.
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