The count of casualties was quickly completed, and there were no casualties in the convoy. The Iron Guard and the Dragon Knight are worthy of being the most elite troops in the north, and the warriors who can escort the crown prince are the best among them, the forging process of the armor they wear is of the highest level and the highest specification, and the multi-level protection effectively protects the vital points in the salvo of hundreds of heavy crossbows, so although the injuries of most of the people are not light, they still retain considerable combat effectiveness. Three Iron Guards had their shield-wielding left arms pierced by crossbow arrows - they were at the forefront of the tortoiseshell formation, and they had borne most of the impact of the rain of arrows from the front, but Eshu had made it to the north slope in time before their shields were completely scrapped. Zero casualties were welcome, but everyone's expressions were not optimistic, and none of the horses in the team survived the ambush - in fact, they were also deliberately cared for by the rain of arrows. As a result, the carriage was largely paralyzed, and the movement of the team was minimized. The baggage in the carriage could not be discarded at will, whether it was a single copy of the books that Prutor was reading or unread, or the iron box of three people of Essho containing hundreds of thousands of dinars, they were far more valuable than they were burdensome in the balance of trade-offs.

"Is there any way to find out where this gang came from?" Prutor kicked a corpse at his feet, trying to determine the ambush from his attire, but he failed. The armor of the deceased did not have any traces traceable, the craftsmanship of the weapons used was mediocre, and the mark of the smithy was deliberately erased. A few guards followed him vigilantly, in case someone fished in the pile of corpses and attacked them - but their fears were unfounded, and it would be a blessing to have the whole body left after being swept away by Estheu. The rest of the Iron Guards and Dragon Knights followed Estheau's instructions to recycle heavy crossbows and bolts on the snowy slopes on both sides to equip themselves.

Eshua didn't participate in the cleaning of the battlefield, just stared in the direction of the team when they came. The itinerary of the crown prince of the north is not hidden, but it is not publicized to the point that passers-by know. But this group of ambush soldiers came prepared, they chose the most treacherous terrain, adopted the most lethal tactics, and launched the most fierce offensive. If it weren't for the well-trained and well-equipped Royal Guard, as well as the unexpected tortoiseshell formation, Esher would have been able to protect Plutor here, and the Guardian would have suffered heavy damage. The tortoiseshell formation has been circulating in Pande for two centuries, and it is not a novel battle formation, but it is not a local invention of Pande, but a "specialty" beyond the ocean. Osa Sauron brought not only a fierce army from the Gubax Empire, but also a strict formation, and the Tortoiseshell Formation was one of them. The infantry in a phalanx can achieve a 360-degree defense without dead ends with a large shield, and if you are integrated into a spearman, you can instantly transform from an iron turtle into an iron hedgehog. The griffin knights of the old Pander Empire suffered heavy losses in front of the Ossa-Sen's infantry line, but they were helpless.

The first form that every conscripted Imperial soldier learns is always the tortoiseshell formation, so that they can gain a foothold in the red waves of Sarion. And because of the common feud, Ravenston and the Empire have always been friendly, even if they are separated from each other at the two ends of the continent, it does not affect the communication between the two sides, and the Tortoiseshell Formation is one of them. However, the warriors in the north have always been unruly and unruly, difficult to discipline, although the tortoiseshell formation is the most basic formation, but it also requires strict discipline to be effectively built, which tests the lord's ability to command the army, and Ravenston's ranger regiment is the best archery unit in the five countries, and only Ravenston has suppressed the enemy with a rain of arrows on the battlefield, and it is rarely suppressed, so the tortoiseshell formation is not popularized in the army in the north, and only the elite troops have received corresponding training - now it seems that the effect is unexpectedly good.

Who is that possible leaker? Estheu pondered. Only with a certain understanding of the itinerary of the escort can such a targeted arrangement be made. The first thing he excluded was General William and Setanda, and the fact that he was able to ride in the same carriage with Gregory IV was a testament to the trust and loyalty between the king's courtiers, not to mention that the latter was also the king's brother; After leaving Raven City, they passed through many earls' territories, and it seemed that everyone could leak secrets. Viscount Ivanles was the most suspicious, not to mention that the old man forced Eschu to take a heavy oath to protect the crown prince, but when the team crossed the Finbrai plain, several of his troops were almost inseparable; The leaks at the top are far from enough, and there must be a coherent track on the road to accurately grasp the crown prince's itinerary. Perhaps from the moment the carriage left Raven City, there were many eyes hidden in the shadows. Eshua himself should be responsible, he did not send out scouts to patrol the patrol, if he could have discovered this ambush some time in advance, then the team would have dealt with it much more easily, at least a few less horses.

"Sir, what are you thinking?" Prutor walked over and patted Eshy on the shoulder coldly, "The battlefield has been cleaned. As you had commanded, each of them brought a heavy crossbow and a box of bolts. The fighters are waiting for your next order. ”

"Rest on the spot for twenty minutes, I'm going to scout the surrounding area." Eshyus glanced at Plutol, who had a raven fluttering its wings in his arms, "It was my remiss not to send scouts on patrol. ”

"This is true, sir, although you are extremely brave, you obviously lack the most basic awareness and literacy in military affairs." Prutor nodded, "I'll report everything that happened today to my father through the raven." Hopefully the Jazz won't mind. Until the Jazz come home, I'll be with the Iron Guard. ”

Esher walked around the neighborhood and found no sign of the other bandits, but he did catch a few wild horses from the snowfield. It didn't take much effort for Eshua to tame them by pinching the bones, and the carriage had the momentum to get back on its way. Several dragon knights were also given mounts and volunteered to serve as scouts. However, after getting out of this snowy slope, the rest of the road is a flat river, and there is no longer any terrain suitable for ambush. However, everyone did not let down their vigilance, after all, it was the crown prince of the north sitting in the carriage, and it was impossible to be too cautious.

……

A raven streaked across the white skies, over Ryan's Changge Harbor, and over Shendefu's Landing Pier, spreading its wings and gliding over the undulating inland sea. A light boat silently followed below, and with the help of a strong wind, it followed closely behind the raven. At the head of the boat stood a tall man, a huge heavy crossbow in his hand. The man lifted his crossbow and took aim and fire, letting the boat sway as it swayed, the crossbow's crosshair following the raven heading towards Raven City.

The raven flew very fast, and as the wind on the inland sea changed, the boat began to slow down, and the distance between the two sides gradually widened, but the man was not in a hurry, his fingers gently rubbed the trigger, and slowly raised the crosshair.

The man pulled the trigger, and a dark shadow streaked across the sky, and the raven fell, and as it was about to fall into the sea, a spear with a rope pierced its body. The man slowly pulled the raven's body into his own hands, skilfully removed the leather cylinder from his paws, emptied the letterhead in his hand, glanced at it, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the sea with the raven's body.

"The new baron of the North, Barandoke......" the man muttered to himself, "it's a bit powerful. ”