Chapter 61

#061 Chapter

Just when he had managed to reduce their numbers a bit.

Ian clicked his tongue as he took in the crowd rushing towards him.

Even without them, the situation was not as good as it seemed.

His aggressive fighting was merely to instill fear in the enemies.

He was still not accustomed to cavalry combat, and there were several close calls where he nearly fell off his horse.

Even against these expendable foes, it was no easy task.

The imperial cavalry and the royal knights, except for a few, maintained their distance and followed.

They were undoubtedly observing him, waiting for him to tire out.

So, he pretended to be calm, but his instincts were still sending out danger signals.

There were likely skilled fighters mixed in, comparable to the two he had encountered earlier.

At the very least, there was one such individual.

‘Her name was Charlotte, wasn’t it?’

She had been out of sight for most of the time, except for the first few minutes.

She must have been moving around to avoid being seen from this side.

However, he couldn't focus solely on her.

The black cavalry, though individually less skilled, were numerous and alert.

It was almost impossible to subdue them all with physical combat alone.

No matter how high his stats and how advantageous his close combat abilities were, his physical combat skills as a mage had their limits.

The only fortunate thing was that they didn’t try to overturn the carriage.

Given the speed, they probably feared that the carriage might break, injuring Lucy.

Moreover, time was on their side.

The closer they got to the abandoned land, the more anxious they would become.

The observers would eventually have to approach when they emerged from the valley.

Ian’s decisive moment would be then.

Before the uninvited guests appeared.

“Damn it...!”

Miguel, who had been fiddling with the crossbow, finally pulled the reins.

It was an inevitable choice.

Even with the enchanted armor, the horses couldn’t just charge through the center.

The ones who had charged from the front turned their horses to the left and right as the carriage approached.

They were skilled horsemen.

Just like the pursuers, a mix of knights and mercenaries.

‘These are the Hyram guys. They know there’s a mage, but... Ah, right. Crossbows.’

Ian thought, sticking close to the side of the carriage.

No matter how great a mage, if they can’t complete their spells, they are powerless.

Alternating crossbow shots were basic and effective in that sense.

‘But it won’t mean much to me.’

The pursuers in the rear increased their distance due to the appearance of the uninvited guests.

They were trying to secure their territory.

Soon, both sides exchanged glances.

A tense atmosphere hung in the air.

Qualitatively, the rear, with the imperial forces, was ahead.

But numerically, the newly joined forces were far more numerous thanks to Ian’s earlier kills.

‘We’re being treated like caught fish.’

While thinking this, Ian decided to observe the situation.

The carriage continued to move, though at a slower pace.

There was no need to break the deadlock if he couldn’t break through the encirclement.

“I am Jamie, a knight and acting lord of Hyram!”

A shout came from the front.

Jamie, looking back, yelled.

“You are engaging in unauthorized combat! The ones in the carriage are criminals who burned several assets of the estate, so we must apprehend them! Stand down!”

“They are fugitives from Agel Ran! We started the pursuit first, and this is an Agel Ran matter, so outsiders should stay out!”

The response came from the left.

Ian, recognizing the voice, curled his lip.

It was Jonathan from the Royal Knights, who had always looked at him with fervent admiration.

Now, however, his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

“We are in Bel Rond! Remember that this can be interpreted as an armed invasion! You should know how dishonorable that is!”

Jamie countered.

A laugh came from the right.

Oleg, the massive guard of the Scales Caravan, spoke.

“We are here by the command of the Empire’s Prince Larmut! You should know how dishonorable it is to go against the Empire’s will!”

“We already know you are the Scales Caravan’s mercenaries! There is no proof that you are acting on Prince Larmut’s orders, so follow the proper procedures!”

The argument intensified.

Ian approached the driver’s seat.

“What a mess. Damn...”

Miguel, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, looked at him.

“They might start fighting among themselves.”

“Not immediately. Maybe after they catch us.”

Ian whispered.

No matter how many fools there were in this world, they wouldn’t be foolish enough to turn on each other at such a moment.

As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. This verbal spat would likely end in a reasonable compromise.

But for Ian, it was valuable information.

He had the means to turn a small crack into a large one.

“Damn... This might really be my grave.”

“Stay focused. I’ll do something.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“Sort of. Just think about crossing the river. If necessary, be prepared to abandon the carriage.”

Ian turned to Lucy, who was peeking from behind the driver’s seat.

She nodded, understanding.

At Ian’s nod, Miguel handed her the backpack that was lying next to him.

“If that happens, you and Miguel will ride the same horse. Lucy.”

“Yes.”

“After crossing the river? It seems they will follow us to the end.”

Miguel added.

Ian, turning his gaze, said,

“We’ll talk about that later. Get ready.”

Tension appeared on Miguel’s face.

With the reins on his arm, he quickly grabbed the crossbow.

The conversation between the two sides was heading towards a conclusion.

“Then, let’s decide to subdue the criminals through cooperation!”

Jamie shouted in response.

“As a sign of cooperation, I will share an important piece of information with you!”

“Speak!”

“There is a mage among them!”

“A mage...? Impossible! We haven’t seen a single one?”

“Perhaps they were trying to make you let your guard down? Or maybe an accomplice joined from Bel Rond—”

The pursuers murmured.

Good. They didn’t realize it was me.

Ian thought, gripping his sword.

As he slightly bowed his head, he cast a Wind Blade.

“Done with the talk! What are you waiting for, kids? Charge!”

Ube, the mercenary leader, shouted.

The Hyram mercenaries, who had been glaring at each other, turned as if they had been waiting for this.

The Naeslan mercenaries also gathered, not to be outdone.

Their target, however, was the carriage.

They likely intended to hand Ian over to the Hyram mercenaries.

“Damn...!”

Miguel whipped the reins.

The carriage sped up, and Ian took in the mercenaries charging towards him.

His nerves were taut, and his concentration reached its peak.

“Hah—!”

The lead mercenary swung his axe at that moment.

Ian’s body bent backward.

He didn’t even see the axe that passed by his face.

He just swept the mercenary’s neck.

His arm, which had been extended, lashed out like a whip.

Swoosh—

The sharp wind that followed the blade cut through the mercenary’s neck.

The mercenary’s head flew forward, and blood gushed from his neck.

“Mad...?!”

The following mercenaries shouted in shock and charged.

To them, it looked as if the heads of the two leaders had separated upon crossing paths.

Ian’s eyes simultaneously took in the two charging from the left and right.

His body began to move as soon as he recognized them.

He deflected the sword from the left with a tilted blade and simultaneously twisted his body to avoid the spear from the right.

He then returned to the saddle, slashing the side of a passing horse.

Neigh!

The horse, with its side cut open, fell, pinning the rider to the ground.

Ian’s gaze was already on the back of the spear-wielding mercenary.

His fingers tingled, and the hatred of the swamp manifested.

In an instant, he killed two, but there was no time to rest.

Ian, pulling the reins, placed his foot on the saddle.

The horse, unable to resist the momentum, stumbled, and another mercenary approached.

Ian’s gaze was on the mercenaries trying to climb onto the carriage.

Just as the mercenary was about to swing his sword, Ian leaped from the saddle.

The wind pushed him, and the carriage, which was several meters away, quickly came closer.

“Huh?!”

The mercenary, who had just climbed onto the carriage, turned to look at him, eyes wide.

Ian, raising his arm and holding his sword in reverse, plunged it into the mercenary’s back.

Crack!

“Gah...!”

Ian, who had pierced both the mercenary and the partition, used the hilt as a support and grabbed the top of the partition.

As he climbed up and pulled out his sword, the trembling mercenary fell.

Splat!

A bolt whizzed past Ian’s ear.

“Stop shooting! The one who shoots will die by my hand!”

Oleg’s shout followed.

Thanks for the warning.

Ian thought, climbing onto the top of the partition, and charged at the mercenary trying to climb into the carriage from the opposite side.

“Damn...!”

The mercenary, barely blocking the attack, tumbled and barely managed to jump back onto his horse, which was running alongside the carriage.

Ian sent the hatred of the swamp to the mercenary again.

The hatred, which had absorbed a bit more blood than before, headed towards the mercenary.

“Watch out!”

Lucy screamed at that moment.

A mercenary, who had climbed onto the back of the carriage, was charging at Ian.

Boom—

“Magic...?!”

Flames burst from the mercenary’s face.

Though it was a mere spark, it was enough to momentarily confuse him.

And.

Crack—

It was enough time for Ian to swing his sword.

The mercenary, with his head half-cut, fell like a log.

“She’s a mage...!”

“The kid is using magic! Everyone, be careful!”

The mercenaries’ shouts continued.

Ian, still reaching out, smiled at Lucy, who was frozen in place.

Just as the mercenaries had shouted, the flames were created by her.

Lucy, recovering from her surprise, nodded.

“Damn...!”

Miguel’s sigh followed.

Two mercenaries, who had caught up to the side, were thrusting their spears at the horses.

The magic stones in the enchanted armor glowed immediately after.

Pfft—

The magic that followed was a familiar defensive spell to Ian.

A swirling barrier.

“Ugh?!”

The mercenaries, whose stance was disrupted, were taken aback, and two bolts pierced their shoulders and chests in quick succession.

The following screams.

“Rusola... Damn...!”

Miguel, trembling, reloaded the crossbow.

“...!”

With that, Ian, who had been observing the side of the carriage, leaped.

The mercenaries, once they started climbing onto the carriage, were literally throwing themselves onto it.

It was partly due to the pride of the two mercenary groups, but Ian didn’t think that far.

He just moved his body frantically, knocking off the climbing mercenaries and sending the hatred of the swamp when it was off cooldown.

The outer walls of the carriage turned red in an instant.

The mercenaries approaching the carriage were terrified.

Ian’s movements, though not elegant or refined, became more crude and rough as time passed.

But precisely because of that, they instilled a more primal fear.

“His momentum is incredible...”

“The rumors were wrong. He should be called a berserker.”

The guards of the Scales Caravan sighed at the sight.

“Hah... Hah...”

Ian’s eyes, however, were calm.

While he appeared to be fighting instinctively, he was methodically sowing the seeds of chaos.

“What, what?! Why are you staring at me?!”

And finally, the seeds began to sprout.

“Uwaaah—!”

A few, with bloodshot eyes, screamed and swung their weapons at their fellow mercenaries.

The curse planted by the hatred of the swamp was manifesting, but the mercenaries had no way of knowing.

Since the Hyram and Naeslan mercenaries were mixed, the situation quickly escalated to an extreme.

“Damn, I knew this would happen! You cowardly bastards, attacking from behind!”

Ube’s eyes were blazing.

The Naeslan mercenaries were the same.

“Who’s talking...! The Hyram guys attacked from behind! They killed Jon!”

The mercenaries started slashing at each other.

Already excited by the deaths of their comrades and the fighting, they attacked each other without hesitation.

“What, what is this...”

Confusion spread across Miguel’s face.

Ian, who had just thrown the last mercenary off the carriage, shouted at that moment.

“Speed up! Now!”

“Alright...!”

Miguel whipped the reins.

The horses galloped as if in a frenzy.

The magic stones in the enchanted armor glowed.

The carriage quickly distanced itself from the mercenaries.

“I need to get the best enchanted armor when we reach the Empire.”

Muttering, Ian climbed onto the driver’s seat.

The Hyram cavalry, who had been blocking the front, were getting closer.

Their faces were clearly flustered.

They whipped their reins in a hurry, but they couldn’t be faster than the enchanted horses.

Ian, gripping his sword, lowered his stance, ready to leap at any moment.

“Hiiik...!”

The cavalry, who had been glancing at the carriage, held their breath.

They had all seen what Ian had done, leaping between the horse and the carriage, covered in blood and gripping his sword.

“Aaaaah—!”

The cavalry, screaming, retreated to the left and right faster than Ian could leap.

The carriage passed by the cavalry.

“I can see it...!”

Miguel’s eyes widened.

With the blockers gone, the river, which had been far away, came into view.

He hadn’t even realized they had emerged from the valley, so focused on the bloodshed.

“Keep going. It’s just the beginning.”

Ian’s voice, however, was still calm.

Miguel, whose face had regained some color, looked up at him.

Ian, with one foot on the cargo area, looking back, added,

“They’re coming.”

Beyond the Hyram cavalry.

The black cavalry were charging.