Swords, magic, and martial arts

"How is it?" asked Pilt, another leader of the caravan, to Baron.

Baron dismounted, took the water jug ​​Rod handed him, took a sip, and said, "Our horses are all slow cargo horses. They have warhorses, but they're pulling a slow wagon, so they're not fast either. We had already caught up with them."

"And then? What about Daniel?" Pilt asked.

"They were a group of hired freelance riders. We caught up with them first, then they fought us. After I killed three of them, they realized they couldn't beat us, so they left four to hold us off. By the time we dealt with those four, they were already far away. We chased them for a while and then gave up," Baron added.

Free riders are mercenaries who own horses. They lack knighthood, wander the land, and yearn for wealth and status. In addition, there are many bandit knights on the continent, composed of knights stripped of their titles.

However, it is rare to see free riders dressed in such uniform and well-equipped attire; their armor is probably not much cheaper than that of regular riders.

"What about Daniel?" Piltt asked hastily.

"He's still behind us. We didn't bring any food when we chased after him, and I was starving, so I sped up the way back," Baron explained. "By the way, is there anything to eat now?"

Rhodes took out a piece of dried meat and a pot of wine from his spatial ring.

Baron snatched it and began to wolf down the jerky. He finished a whole jerky in a few seconds, then picked up the flask, took a sip of wine, and said, "This little bit isn't even enough to fill my teeth. Give me some more."

Rhodes then took out some food from his spatial ring and handed it to him.

"Baron, when did you learn to ride a horse? I've never heard you mention it before," Hammer asked Baron curiously.

"I learned to ride a horse before I met you," Baron mumbled, his mouth full of food.

"I didn't know you used to be a knight's squire?" Hammer asked again.

"No, I lived on a ranch for a while when I was a child, and that's when I learned to ride horses," Baron said.

"Didn't you once say that you lived in a winery when you were a child, so you know how to appreciate wine?" Hammer asked again.

"Uh...did I say that? You must be mistaken," Baron said, scratching his head.

"By the way, what's inside that carriage?" Baron asked Pilt, who was standing nearby waiting for Daniel.

Baron had barely finished speaking, and Piltover hadn't even replied, when everyone saw Daniel riding back slowly from afar, his horse stained with blood.

"We didn't manage to get them back, but I know who they are now," Daniel said.

Piltover nodded and said, "In that case, let's continue on our way. You can sit and rest in the carriage for a while." After saying that, Piltover began to call on the rest of the caravan to prepare for departure.

"What's in that car? You just said you'd tell me when we got back," Baron asked.

"I swore to my employer that I would not disclose this to any outsiders, so please forgive me for not being able to answer your question," Daniel said apologetically.

"If you can't tell me, then why did you tell me before that you'd tell me when you got back?" Baron said angrily.

"Where did you throw that greatsword? That man is our guard, and we paid for the equipment he was wearing," Daniel retorted to Baron.

Baron scratched his head and said, "I was chasing someone so fast that I accidentally lost him."

"As long as you don't ask me about that carriage again, I can let bygones be bygones regarding the sword, and I can pay you five times the commission when we reach Blackrock City," Daniel added.

"Alright, it's settled then." Baron nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

[Remember the fastest online novel website: 202ᴋᴋs.ᴄᴏᴍ]

Rhodes, who was standing nearby, overheard their conversation and felt something was off. Having been tricked once when he first arrived in this world, he began to wonder if there was some kind of conspiracy hidden behind it.

A dozen minutes later, the caravan set off again, and Baron found an oxcart to catch up on the sleep he had missed the night before...

The roads in Takayama Province were even more difficult to traverse than those in Seyup Province. Not only were the temperatures low, but the snow-covered ground made it difficult for vehicles to pass, and the roads were narrow, with most of the journey uphill. Fortunately, however, they didn't have to cross those mountains that are perpetually covered in snow.

This often results in not only oxen and horses pulling the carts, but also people pushing the carts from behind to move them if they are heavily loaded.

As the altitude increases, the temperature drops further, and the wind and snow become even more intense. The biting wind feels like it can freeze a layer of skin off your face; if you're not wearing a hat, your ears might already be frostbitten.

Rhodes was freezing; despite wearing many layers of clothing, he was still shivering uncontrollably. Finally, he took off his tattered iron armor and put on a sheepskin coat he had bought in town.

He hadn't bathed in a long time, but the smell emanating from him wasn't nearly as strong as that of other Nords. He would have found it unbearable before, but now he'd somehow gotten used to it.

Every step you take leaves a deep footprint in the snow, and you have to pull your foot out of the snow to take another step, which is a real waste of energy.

Fortunately, his boots were made of thick cowhide, which was not only warm but also waterproof. They wouldn't break even if he stepped on gravel. The only downside was that they were a bit heavy, but he treated them as a form of exercise by carrying weight.

Why isn't this caravan resting in this cold weather? Is it for higher profits? He wondered to himself.

"How much longer until we reach Blackrock City?" Rhodes asked Baron beside him.

"It should be soon, but I've heard there are a lot of bandits along this road," Baron said. He had only rested for a short while before getting off the vehicle and walking on his own.

He explained to others that he was worried about encountering danger and being killed by bandits in his sleep. In reality, he took Rhodes to a place where he found the golden greatsword and told Rhodes to keep it in his spatial ring for safekeeping, to give it back to him after leaving the caravan.

"Don't worry, the best bandits don't come out to rob in winter. They've already robbed enough money to live a carefree life in the city. At most, you'll run into someone like the last one who's a bit clumsy with his weapon," Webber said from the side.

No sooner had Weber finished speaking than an arrow struck the carriage next to Rhodes, startling the horses behind it. The coachman pulled hard on the reins to calm the horses down.

"See? It's people who can't even hit a person with an arrow who come out to rob in the winter," Weber said again.

Baron looked at the arrow to determine the archer's direction, then picked up his steel greatsword and charged in that direction.

"Skill breeds daring," Rod sighed. "When will I be able to be as reckless as him?"

Webber seemed worried about Baron rushing over alone, so he ran in that direction as well.

Faced with this unexpected situation, Rhodes was unsure what to do. He had just taken off his armor and then this dangerous situation occurred. He should probably avoid taking off his armor carelessly in the future.

It feels like I was just attacked by a group of riders, and now I'm being attacked again. Is it just bad luck or is it inherently dangerous?

But why would they chase after us? Shouldn't our primary responsibility be to protect the caravan? If another group of people were to attack us at this moment, wouldn't we be in great danger?

Just as Rhodes was thinking this, a group of people roared and rushed out of the woods on the other side of the mountain...