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nKellman strongly agreed with Howard’s suggestion.

nThe ability to make such a calm judgment under these circumstances indicated that Howard was not lying about being a magus and had indeed seen many battles.

nHowever, to the squad leader, Howard’s words seemed like an act of cowardice.

nThe disappearance of the Lionheart Mercenaries suggested to him that they had been severely weakened.

nAs for the absence of their corpses, it was highly probable, in his view, that they had taken their dead comrades with them.

nPursuing them now seemed like an excellent opportunity to achieve a significant victory.

nHoward, however, had pondered this.

nIt was unlikely that the Lionheart Mercenaries would bother to carry away their dead.

nAccording to the tavern keeper, they were cold-blooded killers; why would they care for the bodies of their comrades?

nMoreover, given the tense situation and the ongoing arrival of reinforcements from the town, and Kellman’s mention of nearby imperial forces, time was of the essence.

nIf the Lionheart Mercenaries were indeed defeated, they certainly wouldn’t engage in actions that would slow them down.

nThe only plausible explanation was that the Lionheart Mercenaries hadn’t suffered any casualties.

nThey had completely overcome the outpost’s defenders, as unbelievable as it sounded.

nTheir disappearance must have been purposeful.

nPerhaps they were luring the enemy deeper into a trap or even hiding nearby, silently observing and waiting for an opportune moment to strike.

nWhat puzzled Howard was, if they were capable of easily annihilating such a large force, why go through the trouble of setting up an ambush?

nWhy not just storm the town directly and finish it?

nAlthough the true intentions of the Lionheart Mercenaries were unknown, the best course of action now was to stay put and wait for reinforcements.

nThe town was still under threat from the Night Demons, and wandering around aimlessly in such a situation would undoubtedly lead to disastrous consequences.

nHoward’s sole desire was to survive; he couldn’t afford to die in this place so easily.

nMeanwhile, the squad leader, eager for glory, was still considering taking a risk, even after Kellman and Howard’s logical analysis.

nThe guards, much like Howard, didn’t wish to proceed either.

nThey shared the same desire to survive; thoughts of achieving glory were far from their minds.

nWhile they might have been motivated to defend the town, pursuing and attacking the enemy was not their duty.

nMost of them were just town guards, not even part of a regular army, and many had been forcibly conscripted from the town, unwilling to lay down their lives so readily.

nSeeing the reluctance among the ranks, the squad leader clenched his teeth, about to enforce his authority, when suddenly, a series of sharp, piercing wolf howls echoed from afar, causing immediate fear among the guards.

n“Why would there be a pack of wolves here?” Tina said, her face etched with worry.

n“Could the Lionheart Mercenaries’ bodies have been carried away by the wolves?” Catt speculated, both confused and alert.

nTina immediately shook her head, giving Catt a look that suggested he was being foolish.

n“If it was a pack of wolves, why would they only be interested in the Lionheart Mercenaries’ corpses?”

nCatt, scratching his head, gave an embarrassed chuckle. “Yeah… that makes sense.”

n“This is not a pack of wolves!” Kellman said, frowning deeply.

nHis knightly greatsword was already unsheathed, as if anticipating a tough battle ahead.

nIt was then that the usually quiet Skor spoke up, “It’s the Wolf Cavalry.”

n“Lionheart Mercenaries’ Wolf Cavalry?” Tina inquired.

n“No, mercenary groups don’t have Wolf Cavalry. Only the empire’s elite troops have them,” Skor clarified.

nThe anxious guards, upon hearing this, were filled with relief.

nWere reinforcements finally here, and elite ones at that?

nKellman’s expression darkened, and Howard too sensed something amiss.

nThe persistent howling of the wolves suggested they were now surrounded by the Wolf Cavalry.

nWhat were they planning?

nHoward considered another possibility regarding the Lionheart Mercenaries: that the empire’s Wolf Cavalry had arrived in time and annihilated them completely.

nThe absence of Lionheart Mercenaries’ corpses at the scene could be because the Wolf Cavalry had taken them away, possibly to conceal some secret.

nRealizing the danger, Howard quickly discerned that they too might be silenced.

nLooking into the distance under the moonlight, he spotted the glint of sharp blades and immediately turned, running towards the ruined fortress, shouting to Tina and the others, “Quick, this way!”

n“Hey! Don’t move!” the squad leader yelled from behind.

nBut before he could finish his sentence, an arrow whistled through the air, piercing his head and spilling his blood on the spot.

nPanic ensued among the guards, who scattered in all directions.

nAmidst a hail of arrows, the distant Wolf Cavalry charged forward, their cries and howls filling the air.

nAs they thundered closer, Howard foresaw the grim outcome: these guards, along with the townspeople, were in grave danger.

nBy sunrise, he feared, no one here would be left alive.

nKellman couldn’t fathom why the empire’s Wolf Cavalry would turn against their own citizens, but this grim reality was now before them.

nTheir immediate concern was survival; they clearly lacked the capability to withstand the Wolf Cavalry.

nHiding in the remnants of the fortress, they watched as the numerous Wolf Cavalry swept past.

nHoward caught sight of the knights’ ferocious faces and blood-red eyes atop the massive wolves. They didn’t look like normal humans at all.

nUnexpectedly, the Wolf Cavalry passed by without noticing those hidden in the fortress, instead pursuing the scattered guards and heading towards the town.

nAfter some time, inside the fortress, Howard, the four members of the Frostwolf Mercenaries, and two remaining guards were the sole survivors.

nThe guards were trembling with fear, grateful for having followed Howard to safety.

nOtherwise, they would have either perished under the relentless volley of arrows or been torn apart by the Wolf Cavalry.

nThough they didn’t understand why the Wolf Cavalry hadn’t stormed their hiding place, being alive was all that mattered now.

n“Should we head back to the town?” Tina’s voice broke the silence in the fortress.

nKellman glanced at her and then looked in the direction of the town. “We don’t have the capability to save anyone. It’s better we leave this place as soon as possible.”

nEveryone from the Frostwolf Mercenaries and Howard agreed it was best to leave quickly.

nHowever, the two guards were in disagreement.

nOne felt they should return to check on their homes, while the other was solely focused on survival.

nIn the end, the guard who wanted to return left alone, despite attempts to dissuade him.

nHoward watched his lonely figure disappearing into the night, sensing the grim fate that awaited him.

nThe group didn’t dare go back for the carriage and decided to walk towards Holy Light City.

nA new doubt clouded Kellman’s mind: why would the empire’s elite troops, the Wolf Cavalry, attack their own people? The same question applied to the Lionheart Mercenaries. Why would they do such a thing?

nThis puzzle, Kellman thought, could only be unraveled in Holy Light City.

nThere, with its considerable and formidable garrison, they could surely investigate these events.

nThey would find refuge, and Howard might find a way to regain his strength.

nNow, a pressing difficulty lay before the group – relying solely on their feet, reaching Holy Light City seemed an impossible task.

nThe journey was not only long but fraught with the danger of Night Demons lurking in the dark, and the group was already weary from their ordeal.

n“We need to find a place to rest,” Tina said, noticing Howard’s increasing struggle to walk.

nShe knew his severe injuries were pushing him to his limit.

nShe, Kellman, and the others were surprised at Howard’s strong will.

nDespite his grave injuries, he had managed to keep pace with them, remarkable even for someone who once was a magus.

nKellman glanced at Howard and nodded. “Alright, let’s cross this hill and find a place to camp on the other side.”

n“Catt, scout ahead and make sure the area is safe. Find us a suitable spot,” he instructed.

n“Got it, Captain. Leave it to me,” Catt said, pushing through his fatigue.

nAfter Catt left, Kellman, still uneasy, turned to Skor. “You go as well. If you encounter danger, use your magic to signal us.”

nSkor nodded in agreement. 𝘳𝑎.𝒸ℴ

nSome time later, the two returned with news.

nCatt had found a cave, well-hidden and suitable for resting.

nKellman immediately ordered the group to head towards it.

nOnce they arrived at the cave, Howard could finally rest properly.

nTina took a blanket from her pack and laid it out for him.

nThen she, along with Kellman and the guards, went out to gather firewood and, if lucky, some wild game.

nCatt shared some of his dry rations with Howard.

nThe taste was far from appealing.

nHoward couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten something so unpalatable or when he had last been in such a dire situation.

nAs time ticked by, a look of increasing concern appeared on Skor’s face. “The captain and Tina haven’t returned yet; something must have happened. You two wait here, I’m going to check.”

nThen Howard and Catt were left alone in the cave.

nOverwhelmed by fatigue, Howard dozed off for a while as Catt kept watch.

nWhen Howard awoke after an indeterminate amount of time, he was startled to find that Catt too had disappeared.

nIt felt like a long time might have passed, yet it could have been just a brief moment.

nNow alone in the cave, Howard didn’t dare let his guard down.

nClutching the spear beside him, he prepared to head towards the cave entrance to investigate.

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