How a Second Life Knight Lives

16. The bandits attacked.

The bandits were lying in ambush on a field far from the place where the Powell caravan was to camp, waiting for the sun to set.

A few days ago, when Ethan stormed into the bandit camp, the bandit leader Alan was very surprised.

He only knew Ethan by face. Since Ethan often accompanied the caravan leader Brandon, his face was familiar.

But suddenly coming straight to the bandit camp was unexpected.

Has the location of the mountain hideout been discovered?

If the Powell caravan knows the location of the mountain hideout, they can retaliate at any time.

However, contrary to Alan’s worries, Ethan did not come as a member of the Powell caravan. He announced that he was a subordinate of Baron Patson and conveyed that the Powell caravan had found out about the relationship between him and Baron Patson.

So, how much has the Powell caravan found out?

Ethan didn’t know that either. No, he was so focused on running away in fear that he didn’t know anything properly.

Nevertheless, Alan had to make a decision.

Did they find out that this time, instead of collecting tolls as usual, they were preparing for a night raid?

The fact that Baron Patson, one of the lords managing the salt road, was making double profits by creating bandits?

The fact that Baron Patson had repeatedly covered up small-scale trades as bandit raids?

Despite the unanswered questions, Alan came to a conclusion.

Attack.

Don’t wait, go and raid.

Let’s hurry before any variables come into play.

He made the decision and moved immediately. He sent a message to Baron Patson just in case, but he didn’t wait for a reply and moved right away.

The Powell caravan was moving as Alan had predicted. Thanks to that, they were able to take positions in the field and prepare for a night raid.

When they rushed over, they came with the single-minded determination to go before the Powell caravan could prepare for anything, but now that the Powell caravan was in front of them, his mind was complicated.

Unlike when they collected tolls and let them pass, the thought of a night raid made him more anxious than greedy.

The long-distance trade of the Powell caravan was large in scale, so there were many mercenaries guarding it, and the merchants themselves could handle a weapon well enough.

He wasn’t sure if his bandits could really handle the Powell caravan.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t shake off the thought that now was the time to strike.

Baron Patson needed a lot of funds right now. So Alan himself had to secure that rock salt.

Moreover, there was talk that it was time to tighten the leash on Kalmar. There was a need to damage Kalmar’s major industries like rock salt transportation. If done properly, it would be a great achievement.

And now it was too late to withdraw the attack.

Yes. When it’s time to strike, you strike.

Alan reaffirmed his resolve.

Before the night passed and dawn broke, at the darkest hour.

When the sentinels lost their vigilance and became slightly careless.

Alan and his bandits attacked the long-distance trade of the Powell caravan.

In the campsite, the wagons were used as walls to create a temporary fortress that protected the people.

Those who were sleeping rested inside the wagons arranged in a square, and those on guard crouched on or behind the wagons.

Fires were lit all around inside and outside the walls. This was to force anyone approaching in the dark to reveal themselves.

The base was well-constructed, making it difficult to approach unless it was a surprise attack.

The bandits crawled slowly towards it.

When they got close enough to distinguish the faces of the sentries, they began their attack.

It started with arrows.

Arrows flew towards the sentries, and the bandits began to run silently.

They had to reach the wagons before the sentries could raise the alarm and the mercenaries could rush out to defend.

Once a melee broke out, it could be considered a success.

The goal was to create chaos and fear, causing the people of the caravan to panic and flee.

After all, the caravan had more people.

They were not afraid of the melee.

Waking up from sleep and grabbing a sword did not mean they could fight properly. Those without armor were too easily injured. Even with the will to fight, they would likely be swept away and killed in the confusion.

Moreover, this was not an army. Everyone was dressed in their own way. So, distinguishing friend from foe in the dark was nearly impossible. If they were unprepared and numerous, they were likely to fight each other.

Those attacked at night were inevitably powerless.

Allan thought so.

“Enemy attack!”

“Enemies!”

Whistle! Whistle! Whistle!

Arrows flew, and a few of the mercenaries on guard fell, but most were still moving. Those with arrows stuck in their armor or shields blew their signal whistles and ran around, responding quickly as if they had been prepared for the attack.

The mercenaries guarding the caravan jumped out of their light sleep, and the merchants also grabbed weapons and climbed onto the wagons. They threw burning logs from the campfires in all directions to illuminate the surroundings.

The bandits felt like they were the ones being thrown into chaos and fear. The response to the attack was so quick that it seemed as if they had been waiting for the night raid.

That suspicion was soon confirmed.

These guys are wearing armor!

Allan felt a tightness in his chest.

It was possible that someone in the caravan had been vigilant and ready to respond immediately to the alarm. But to come out fully armored?

Putting on armor takes time. Sometimes it requires the help of others. Yet, the mercenaries and merchants before him were all wearing armor.

This meant they had known about the night raid in advance.

Allan could sense that this operation had failed.

The merchants on the wagons shot arrows and crossbows, and the mercenaries fought the bandits relying on the wagons.

The sound of metal clashing and screams echoed everywhere.

At first, it seemed like an even fight.

But soon, one side began to falter.

It was because the number of bandits was too small. And the fact that the people on the merchant side did not panic as expected and kept their composure also played a part.

It was impossible to subdue the hundreds of merchants who had the will to resist with only a little over a hundred bandits. Moreover, the arrows shot by the merchants were threatening. The bandits, who did not have shields, were hit by the arrows and fell one after another.

Not long after the fight began, dawn started to break.

As the darkness disappeared, the situation of the fight became clear to everyone.

Numerous bandits were lying in front of the wagons. The bandits who tried to break through the wagons lost their lives without achieving anything.

Some of the bandits were watching from a distance, keeping an eye on the situation.

The height of the wagons, which was twice the height of a person, was like a wooden fence. When protected by darkness, they fought close to the wagons without knowing better, but now doing so was no different from a siege. It was impossible for the bandits, who did not even have ladders, to break through the wagons.

Bandits are not soldiers. They are not the kind who would charge into a place of death just because they were ordered to.

Alan knew this well.

It was time to run away. But he doubted if it was possible.

Because he saw a group of cavalry charging towards the surviving bandits.

*

I led Zhukov and his mercenaries to the place where the red dots were clustered on the minimap. After confirming the bandits from a distance, we waited until they left for the raid.

And at dawn, we swept through the remaining bandits.

In the place where the bandits had left for the raid, there were horses and food that the bandits had ridden and brought, and a few bandits left to guard them. Among them were Ethan and his hometown friend.

It was a one-sided battle.

I dealt with the bandits decisively.

It was not a situation to take prisoners, so I killed them outright.

It was not an excessive act.

It is a principle that pirates are hanged if caught. Pirates who escape hanging are special exceptions.

Most bandits are also hanged when they are subdued. There are cases where a lord with a mine uses them as miners, but in most cases, the environment is so harsh that one might wonder if executing them is a mercy.

Even for theft, the punishment is severe. For a first offense, it is a whipping that leaves one half-dead, and for a repeat offense, it is execution.

At first, I did not understand this and was treated like a fool with a weak heart.

I reflected on my past self as I watched the rolling heads.

Then, after wiping the blood off my sword, I turned to Ethan, who was trembling.

Ethan’s hometown friend had been killed in one blow by a mercenary on horseback while trying to run away.

It is the perfect height to cut off a head when swinging a sword while passing by someone on horseback.

Ethan’s hometown friend lost his head because he ran without looking around properly.

“What is the person who left for Kalmar 4 days ago doing here with these bandits? Were they captured and dragged around by the bandits?”

Ethan, covered in the blood of the bandit next to him, did not answer my mocking question. He seemed half out of his mind. It looked like he needed some time to come to his senses.

“Take this guy, he’s an important witness, so tie him up tightly and bring him along. We don’t have time, so a few of you just tidy up and bring him, and the rest will return.”

I left a few people to clean up the battlefield and headed straight to where the caravan was camping.

It was a place I could reach quickly on horseback, so I could arrive without being too late.

And then we charged at the bandits.

There were hardly any bandits left around the wagon.

Most of them were groaning or dying on the ground.

The remaining bandits were watching from a distance away from the wagon.

It was clear that the darkness had lifted and the advantage of the surprise attack was gone, so they were stalling for time, waiting for orders from their leader, Alan.

The mercenaries on horseback charged at them.

And I was at the forefront.

There were less than ten of us, but there were only about 70 bandits left, so it wasn’t a situation for a proper fight.

With one charge, the 70 bandits were reduced to 50.

The remaining ones lost their will to fight and started to flee.

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“You idiots! Stop! Gather! Those guys are not a punitive force! They won’t chase us! If you run away like this, you’ll all die!”

Alan’s orders turned into a desperate scream, but no one followed. Everyone was just focused on getting away from the caravan’s mercenaries, from the horse-riding reapers.

*

And the big guy shouting caught my eye.