Chapter 71: Act 7 – The Leader
After a large number of refugees finally escaped the north gate of Ridenburg, the congested crowd spread out and moved forward along the valley plain north of the Song River, resembling a dense swarm of ants under the moonlight.
In the distance, the hazy undulations revealed the southernmost end of the Hunting Deer Hills, specifically a small hill known as Silver Sparrow, covered in beautiful Golan-Elsen firs. These tall trees had a tower-like shape, their tops piercing the sky, with areas frequented by bears and maned wolves lurking among them. In the game, players often traveled in groups to cope with sudden dangers arising in the mountains.
Brendel was certain that their first step was to enter Silver Sparrow Mountain to mitigate the threat from the valley plain side. The Madara army had fully deployed, having absorbed nutrients from the earth for days, swelling like a sponge. Brendel feared seeing an endless sea of skeletons on the plain.
Fortunately, the nightmare did not become reality.
However, amidst the fog of the night, a skeletal cavalryman flickered on the high ground, which was still not a good omen. Those bony figures riding skeletal horses should originate from Madara’s core territories. During this era, creating these skeletal riders was still a profound magical art.
Unlike the later times when it became widespread, history marched forward with bloodshed, and the art of killing matured rapidly on both sides due to war.
Brendel watched those agile shadows appear and disappear in the fog, fleetingly spotting them from a distance. Then they vanished and reappeared closer again. He worried that the refugees following them might get scattered and decided to have Freya lead the mercenaries to protect those civilians. Soon, he followed suit.
Freya had garnered support with her suggestion to seize horses from the nobles, at least proving she was willing to fight alongside the mercenaries—this was a dangerous endeavor that she wouldn’t have attempted without Brendel’s teaching her such things beforehand. Moreover, the girl with the long ponytail later performed excellently, charging into the market despite the arrows flying, cleanly cutting the cables of the drawbridge to allow others to pass.
From that moment on, she established her identity among the mercenaries, which made Retao, Mano, and others resolute in taking a gamble.
In contrast, the young man whom the girl had continually praised appeared somewhat inconspicuous in everyone’s eyes. His coach had been trotting alongside Freya’s horse, sitting by the driver with one hand on his sword, lost in thought—while on the other side was Charles, draped in a robe, propping his chin and pretending to doze off.
The coach was missing a door, and inside a head would occasionally pop out, curiously looking outside. Romaine was caring for a few children in the coach, but she didn’t feel burdened at all; her heart raced with excitement, fleeing under the pursuit of the undead on such a mysterious night—truly thrilling and exhilarating, which was the adventurous life she desired.
Mercenary Mano couldn’t help but sneer behind them, marking Brendel as a coward in his eyes. He elbowed his companion beside him, thinking that this noble youth was likely just a talker without action, and they shouldn’t let that naive girl Freya get fooled by his sweet words.
He gestured for his companion to take two horses and test that guy. They had seized over fifty horses in total, half of which were heavy pack horses, the other half being the finest Anlek warhorses, aside from those carrying rations, wounded, and their own use, many were still left.
His companion glanced at him and immediately understood. To be honest, the whole group felt this way, especially since Brendel had Freya order them to protect these refugees; though they didn’t voice it, they were dissatisfied. What was the point of dragging along a bunch of burdens? Now that they all had horses, they could easily leave the danger behind with a mad dash.
In fact, someone had already suggested this to Retao, but the tavern owner dismissed them to see Freya. Mercenaries are people of their word; losing their reputation would mean the end of their trade—seizing horses was Freya’s idea, and it was this girl who had taken the lead in this action; they had a pact and couldn’t simply walk away.
However, that pact had a prerequisite.
The skeletal cavalry’s appearance this time was about thirty seconds shorter than the last, then it quietly disappeared into the fog again. The massive second moon lay hidden among the eastern mountains, its pale disk casting shadows on the jagged peaks—moonlit peaks. The hazy mist spreading over the eastern highlands and the dark city walls of Ridenburg formed a mysterious painting at different layers.
Brendel glanced at his pocket watch; its edge reflected a cold light.
“Why aren’t you talking?” He turned to see Freya on her horse, her head down and silent, looking uneasy. He actually wanted to praise her a bit this time; the people and horses she had helped him gather had truly been a great help—he hadn’t expected to run into so many refugees, nor that so many would choose to follow him.
He looked back and saw the number of refugees had grown from dozens to two or three hundred. People have a herd mentality; the more there are, the more will gather.
Freya was afraid that her impromptu decisions had displeased Brendel, yet felt too embarrassed to voice it. She had initially aimed to surpass Brendel, but now all she wanted was to perform better in front of him; this subtle shift in her mindset was nearly undetectable.
“Y-you’re not mad at me?” Hearing Brendel’s tone sounding normal, the future Valkyrie widened her eyes and lifted her head. The moonlight flickered in her light brown eyes, making them exceptionally bright and revealing her clear surprise.
“Why should I be mad at you? You did very well.”
“But I was late.”
“Plans have some flexibility; as long as you don’t exceed the limit, it’s fine. I was also a little late myself.”
“Um, I…”
The two suddenly fell silent as a mercenary approached from behind. He first respectfully bowed to the young man on the horse—as if a peasant greeting a noble lord. Then he raised the reins of two horses in his hand and said, “My lord, please mount; it might be more agile in case of battle.”
Brendel looked at the fellow, understanding his intentions, and lightly jumped down from the coach. Taking over the reins, he raised his head and asked, “Any points to note about riding?”
The mercenary was taken aback, a look of thick mockery appearing in his eyes. Thinking to himself, you can’t ride, yet you put on a confident front; do you think riding is something one can learn in a day? In fact, in Vaunte, it’s rare for nobles not to know how to ride, especially in the eyes of soldiers; not being able to ride is indeed quite shameful.
However, to make the other party look foolish in front of Freya, he decided to point it out: “You should mount from one side; do you see the stirrup? If it’s your first time, move a bit slower with your actions.” The mercenary spoke deliberately in detail, not believing anyone would learn to ride just from a couple of hints; if that were the case, they might as well charge headfirst into a wall.
But as he began to speak, Brendel received a prompt asking if he wanted to consume 15 skill points to learn horseback riding. As he placed one foot on the stirrup, his movements appeared clumsy. However, when he grabbed the reins and swung himself onto the horse, it was already smooth, as if he had immersed himself in this skill for many years.
Level 3 riding skill allowed for mounted combat, totaling 45 skill points. In fact, Brendel had wanted to learn riding long ago, but he hadn’t known that Freya could as well, making him nostalgic for that ‘Investigation’ skill.
When he turned his head, he saw the mercenary looking at him with a face full of shame and anger.
“Wait,” Princess interrupted Earl of Uville’s description, “you said he was a novice before he mounted?”
“Indeed, Your Highness. If this old minister is not mistaken, his actions when stepping on the stirrup were very irregular, just like many beginners,” Uville respectfully replied.
“But can one learn a skill in an instant?” The girl was somewhat incredulous; she prided herself on being smart but learning to ride had still taken her nearly half a month. Yet once she learned, she was already as practiced as the best riders.
“Unless he is intentionally deceiving us, otherwise, it must be true,” Uville also found it hard to believe but didn’t think that young man could fool his eyes.
“He must have done it intentionally; this person is truly a master of manipulation,” the princess murmured.
Yet, that may not be the case. Uville thought in his heart but didn’t voice it, continuing with his tale.
Elsewhere, Charles also jumped down from the coach, giving the mercenary a sidelong glance before taking the reins from him and easily mounting. As a mage’s attendant, mastering riding was mandatory, and though not proficient, he was certainly skilled.
Freya watched the two of them, thinking Brendel was great but just had a knack for deception. The last time he asked her to learn first aid was just as baffling; thinking of that time made the girl’s face flush.
The mercenary watched the duo of master and servant, immediately realizing he had been played, and could not help but feel a wave of shame and anger. At this moment, Mano, who had been trailing behind, also noticed his companion’s plight and hurriedly rode up beside them.
“Young man, how long do we have to protect these people?” he straightforwardly asked.
Brendel turned his horse’s head, catching up to ride alongside Freya. He looked at the refugees, replying, “We’ll lead them through the Sharp Stone Valley; getting them to the other side should ensure their safety.”
“With so many people, we won’t shake off the pursuit of the Madara army,” Mano shook his head.
“You might not, but I can.”
Mano froze for a moment. “How are you going to do that?” he couldn’t help but ask.
Brendel drew his elven sword with a ‘zing’ sound, pointing towards the high ground, “The skeletal cavalry serves as scouts for the Madara army; they come from several of Madara’s core territories. I need to disperse them. From here to Silver Sparrow Mountain, the refugees will take about half an hour at their pace. I want to ensure the flanks of our group aren’t threatened during this time—”
Mano was taken aback, not expecting that his question had morphed into Brendel giving him orders. He couldn’t help but glance at Freya; their agreement was with Freya, not Brendel.
“Brendel?” Freya also wanted to trust this young man, but she felt Brendel’s attitude was a bit too aggressive.
Brendel sheathed his sword and replied, “So, you all really just want to figure out how to escape here safely. You’re not willing to work with me to lead these people out, so there’s no point in discussing further; you and Freya have an agreement, right? If you can convince me, I can let each of you take a horse and leave.”
Mano stiffened, realizing this ‘noble youth’ was not simple; within a few sentences, he had completely seized the initiative in their conversation. He used to be a mercenary leader and had dealt with nobles, but he had never encountered someone so sharp.
“We are mercenaries. If you can offer a reward, we would be willing to help you. However, we certainly have to consider our own safety first; there’s nothing wrong with that,” the older mercenary answered matter-of-factly.
“True, but I still have to remind you of one thing, you think having horses will let you escape safely? Madara has an air force; have you ever seen wraiths or bone vultures? They’re in the sky; do you know how to evade those undead sorcerers’ eyes?” Brendel placed his hand on the sword hilt, not believing these guys would have any knowledge—those mercenaries lurking at the border hadn’t genuinely faced Madara and didn’t understand the terror it posed. Did they think killing a few skeletons made them familiar with Madara? Those undead sorcerers were better off slamming into a wall until death.
Retao and his daughter Sue also rode up to join them; hearing the young man’s words, he furrowed his brow, “So you have a way?”
“It’s hard to say; no one has flawless assurance. However, in the forest, my odds are significantly better. Therefore, I need to focus on shaking off those skeletal cavalry. With them on the flanks, the refugees won’t be able to move fast—”
Mano and Retao fell silent, instinctively sensing the young man’s words held weight.
Brendel suddenly loosened the reins, letting the horse take a larger path that circled toward the high ground. He looked back at the mercenaries there, pulling out a ruby from his pocket, “If you want a chance to live, besides relying on luck, it’s best to follow me. My demands are simple—you follow my orders and protect Freya as she guides these refugees safely to the other side of the valley. You’re mercenaries; this is the payment I offer. Complete my commission, and more will follow—”
He raised his hand, sending the ruby arcing through the air, landing at Retao’s feet.
Freya pointed at herself in confusion, loudly asking, “Me? Brendel, why is it me?” She looked at the refugees behind her, not understanding why she, who had merely followed Brendel, was now supposed to lead them.
Not that she was unwilling; it was just that with so many people, could she manage? Freya couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. She had started as a mere militia leader, and now she was expected to lead dozens of seasoned mercenaries, and soon perhaps hundreds or even thousands of people. It felt utterly bewildering.
Brendel smiled, having his arrangements in mind, not answering her but instead waved his hand to Mano and Retao, simply saying:
“Go, gather your men. I will wait for your report here—at least you can choose how to die, either crashing into the Madara army and becoming undead or taking my money to protect the weak, fighting your way out.”
He turned back; the skeletal cavalry appeared once again in the moonlight, this time about ten seconds earlier than before.
(PS. The first update of the new year, wishing everyone good fortune, please subscribe and vote monthly!!!) (To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please log in for more chapters, support the author, and promote legitimate reading!)
