The sound of horses' hooves, footsteps, wheels, and armor clashing came and went. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

After a night of renovations, the team continued along the trail inside the Bao Forest towards Scotti. It was from that direction that the knights led by Konstantin and his party set out, and in addition to a heavy cavalry brigade of more than thirty people, there were also about fifty co-infantry and more than forty attendants.

Their camp was in the middle of the road from the village to the town of Scotti, and the Knight Captain was about to come to the village to reconnoiter yesterday when he encountered Rono, and the leader of the highlanders saw the Imperial army from afar, and he didn't know whether it was a rebellion or a fear of the undead - or both - and he subconsciously pulled his legs and ran.

Regardless of the reason, Constantine and they could only choose to catch up, and after arriving at the village, they smelled the strong smell of rancidity, and when they saw the sight of the walking corpses attacking Rono, they took advantage of the situation and increased their speed again, and directly turned to the charge. This is why there is a scene where the heavy cavalry on the saddle of Rono is scared to pee.

Although they did not accelerate to the limit due to the presence of the fog for fear of casualties on their side as they rushed into the overly complicated terrain, the cavalry was enough to create an overwhelming advantage against the infantry, even the undead infantry who did not feel pain and did not bleed.

And judging from the way they dealt with the walking corpse to the way they were captured, it is estimated that this is not the first time that this kind of encounter has occurred.

The team cautiously moved forward.

The bastards and Morrow complained for a moment about the stench that could not be removed from the corpse, but it was ultimately important to save their lives.

In addition to this, Ferruccio and Filippo also received more equipment.

The armor was natural, and both of them were given relatively intact pot-shaped helmets and cuirasses, but in addition to this, they were each given a spear to use as a riding spear.

The Padrosi-style mounted pistol was not very far from the West Coast, with the conical shaft narrowing towards the tip of the spear, and a large piece of wood behind the grip to act as a counterweight.

The entire structure is made of wood, except for the tip of the spear made of steel at the end. This enhanced lance is extremely lethal against plate armor, but unfortunately like many other weapons, it is a disposable.

The price of great power is that the barrel of the gun will break if it hits the enemy, and if it is not trained, the knight will even fall off his horse and be injured due to the force of the recoil.

Therefore, the undead infantry of the Imperial Army of more than 30 people, and the more than 20 spears that were not broken were taken by the knights who had damaged their spears. Only two or three were distributed here, and one of them went to our Sage Mister, and the remaining two were in the hands of Ferruccio and Filippo.

In addition, the caravan had relatively low combat effectiveness or even no combat effectiveness at all, such as Margaret, and several people also received many shields from the knights.

The Imperial Knight itself has full body plate protection, and the shield is just a prop for strengthening and combining formations, so it is much better to give it to others to improve the team as a whole.

Equipped with the same shield in the hands of the mercenaries guarding the carriage, in case of an attack, they can at least use the shield to protect themselves, so that the combatants do not have to worry about losing one side and the other, and can deal with the enemy with confidence.

Adjusting the team's equipment and personnel according to the change of situation, Konstantin did a somewhat good job of arranging this, but things were not all smooth sailing.

Henry glanced back, and although there was fog, the visibility was not bad enough to reach out and lose sight.

The composition of the entire team of more than 60 people is as follows:

Konstantin and Mikhail led four knights in front to form a front, this part was a short distance from the rear, acting as scouts and vanguards.

The rest of the heavily armed Patrosi knights were divided into two teams to escort the caravan on the left and right, and the mercenaries guarding the caravan were all on the carriages. The convoy began with a group of five Margaret, named Little Explorers, and Hornor and Barrow in their carriage.

On the whole, it is a good combination of mobility and defense, a typical escort formation, and a team that is deployed with a lack of combat effectiveness as the core of the protection target.

However, in this case, the problem arises.

Where are the dozen or so Highlanders, including Rono?

The answer is at the end of the line.

At the end of the line of mercenaries, merchants, and knights, all of whom had moved by carts and horses, a dozen or so villagers, dressed in rusty and smelly armor, followed at a short distance with machetes and rudimentary spears to which they were more customary.

This is obviously not just because they don't have a means of transportation, if you look closely, there is a faint appearance of mutual vigilance between the highlanders and the mercenaries at the end, and the air seems very solemn.

The reason for this is clear after a little reflection - Mira and Filippo did not react very well to them in the first time they encountered them, and how could the merchants and mercenaries in the team who had also experienced the siege that day be so cold and warm to these fellows who had suffered so much to them?

Not only that, although the Sage and the Roan Maiden and a few others did not mention it in order to avoid an adverse change in the situation, Moro and Uncle Mario, such rough people, did not think so much.

Since there is enmity between the two sides, and now there are heavily armed imperial nobles to sue, how could they not do it.

Early in the morning, when they suddenly realized who these people were after resting, the mercenaries murdered the village chief and planned to become bandits, and in the process, the things that endangered them, the merchants, and several nobles including Margaret were singled out in front of Constantine.

As a result, the atmosphere inside the temple was very awkward for a while.

The dozen or so highlanders, who were already nervous, picked up their weapons when they saw the knights approaching and showed signs of surrounding them, and almost let the team start an internal fight before they set off.

At that time, the tense atmosphere lasted for a long, long time, because the window paper was punctured inside the temple, and if there was a conflict, it was easy to affect the mercenaries and Margaret and others who were not capable of fighting, and in the end, this matter could only be resolved by taking a step back from both sides.

But after that, they were all on horseback and had excellent combat effectiveness, but Konstantin still did not give the order to attack these bastards, which is a bit intriguing.

Although the chief knight explained this: "Why should the living be enemies of the living." ”

But apparently this is just an excuse to give both sides a step down. The Empire's attitude towards rebellion has always been intolerable, not only for the sake of maintaining the rule of the aristocratic class, but also for the sake of the unity and integrity of the state.

The fable "a spark can start a prairie fire" has existed since the classical Lamanite era, and the rebellion of the border villages, especially the mixed ethnic minorities, would be even more serious if it spread into a rebellion of an entire people.

But Konstantin still kept them.

He's not the kind of person who naively thinks everyone can shake hands and be good friends, he's definitely not. Henry could tell from his eyes and words and deeds when he first saw this man.

This is one.

A person who pursues the doctrine of making the best use of things.

He kept Rono and the others because they were still valuable, and what was the value of that - the merchants and knights all owned horses, and the highlanders walked on foot.

So.

It's like that famous joke: "I don't need to run faster than a dragon lizard, I just need to run faster than you." ”

Henry withdrew his gaze, and Rono must have known this. Although the villagers are illiterate, they have a keen sense of smell in this area after years of experience in the struggle.

But the sadness of the fence lies in this, even if they know that nothing good will end, they still have to choose to follow the large army. Without the protection of the Imperial Knights, they themselves will only die from lack of supplies or monster attacks, and in the end, it is better to follow them to live one more day. Maybe if you're lucky, the knights will see that they will come up with a pardon and go home to farm.

At first, he wanted to rebel against the aristocracy, and wanted to vent his accumulated dissatisfaction on others through violence.

But when they actually leave home, many people actually regret it.

This kind of precarious life is compared to living in peace and stability, and there may be a little bit of happiness and hatred at first, and after a period of time, there will only be endless regrets.

Those who hate will have pity.

The procession continued to move slowly forward until noon, when the long-awaited sunny day of Padros finally reappeared after many days.

Although the humid area is not very sunny in winter, the fog does not completely dissipate, but the fog is somewhat thinner, and the surrounding environment can be seen farther away. Not only the roads in the front and back directions, but also the forests on both sides can be seen deeply, so you can avoid any unexpected surprises.

"Stop!" Konstantin raised his fist and waved, apparently intending to camp in place.

The high combat effectiveness of the heavy cavalry came at the cost of high attrition, and they who had planned to return to the camp on the same day were now short of a day's horse feed. The man who made the horses hungry was not a good knight, so they had just walked for a morning when they decided to stop and rest for a short time. Pick berries and bushes nearby for the horses and themselves to eat.

"The poets of Sivalier would say that fog is like a woman, and it is most beautiful when it is not available. Constantine, who had dismounted, walked for some reason towards Henry, holding his helmet and saying this as a pun.

And the Lamanite poets would say that the West Valiya could be compared to a woman in everything. Henry shrugged his shoulders in response to Constantine's analogy. "Poof. Mira and the others laughed at the other side, and the knight tilted his head, raised his hands in a "I surrender, I admit defeat" gesture and walked to the other side.

"He's really like you, teacher. Mira glanced back at Rono, who was standing awkwardly outside, wondering what to do, and then continued, "They're all bad adults. ”

"Is that so? Henry shrugged, "I think he's a lot worse than me." ”

"They saved my life. Mira gave him a blank look, and Henry looked down at her, but there were some words that were not appropriate for the moment. The two of them pulled some of the supplies from their horses in astonishing synchronization, opened the purse, took out a small folded cloth bag, and tied it around their waists.

Since there were no animals to be seen after entering this route, the supplies carried by the caravan when they set off were basically exhausted. The days of having to rely on wild fruits and vegetables to satisfy hunger are painful, but it is also a last resort in order to survive.

Fortunately, the small town of Scotti was very close, and with the logistical supplies of the cavalry brigade of Constantine nearby, they should have a full meal tonight, if nothing else.

But tonight is tonight's thing, and Mira understands it at a very young age that hope and promise not to be eaten as a meal. Just sit and wait with the expectation of "later", the result will only be starvation, and only by taking action can things really change.

In any case, with Moreau and the others with short crossbows in their hands, they dispersed into the nearby forest in groups of three or four, looking for berries and wild vegetable forage for men and horses, and hoping to hunt for a little meat.

"Be careful, stay too far away from each other, and be aware of the toxic bodily fluids that the hell may leave behind. Moreau waved loudly at the mercenaries over there. Mira frowned, although it was reassuring to have a solid backing with the Imperial Knights, this middle-aged mercenary was a little too lax.

"Hey, sorry, sorry. Moreau, who turned back after shouting, saw Mira's disgruntled eyes, and when he realized his mistake, he slapped his forehead, and then shook his head again and again.

"I can't blame you, if I were to change this breastplate, I would have been smoked to the point of losing my judgment. Henry shrugged his shoulders and made a joke to liven up the atmosphere. The washed cuirass still smelled unpleasant, and although the most polluted leather lining had been simply discarded and replaced with Morrow's own, the straps and other parts of the structure still stinked.

But even so, the middle-aged mercenary was still reluctant to discard it. The overall forged cuirass is much higher than the armor he originally wore, and the defense of the armor mixed with leather and iron he originally wore, plus the long sword he got by the way and the long sword that Filippo promised to compensate him, it can be said that he has already earned it.

Moreau had a plan in his heart, and after returning this time, he would spend a little money to change all the stinking belts, and then repair some small potholes on the surface, and sell one of the long swords to make him a fortune. After changing to better equipment, he and several other companions were willing to form a mercenary group, he has been stuck in the green card for too many, many years, and his competitive heart was sealed before due to his limited ability, and now he is also regaining his blood.

Coupled with the connections made up of people who have interacted with me this time, I am close to middle-aged, and I may finally be able to mix better and live a decent life.

So even if it was a helmet and cuirass that exuded a lingering stench, he still cared for it like a baby.

Time passed, and by the time the small cloth bags they had brought with them were filled with all kinds of berries and edible plants, the basic defenses had been set up around the team's camp and several campfires had been lit.

Although the fire and food were somewhat comfortable, they were still reminded of the fact that they could not see a single animal in their surroundings.

This is nearby.

It is still not to be taken lightly.