Mount & Blade: Pendor Becomes a Dominator Starting with the Creation of a Self-Established Knigh

Rogge led his team at a brisk pace, and by the time they reached the foot of the mountain at the Brokenwater Village Little Waterfall camp, it was already dusk, and the western clouds were dyed a deep orange-red.

I glanced up at the dark sky; dusk had completely enveloped the entire mountain forest.

Roger secretly estimated that, at the current pace, he should be able to reach the small pool camp on the mountain before nightfall.

The team members were all sweating and panting, but it was just temporary fatigue from the long journey.

In the previous encounter in the forest, the team members did not engage in close combat; they had used up almost all their energy traveling.

Stepping into this familiar dense forest, the trees and leaves became even more lush, and the light in the forest instantly dimmed a bit.

Roger was about to raise his hand to signal everyone to rest for a while before continuing up the mountain.

"Boss!"

Virgil hurried up from the back of the group, his face unusually grave.

"Boss, we've spotted some movement behind us! A large group of pirates are closing in! They're less than a mile away!"

"What? So fast?"

Upon hearing this, Roger's heart sank, and the composure on his face vanished instantly, replaced by surprise and confusion.

When retreating from the battlefield, he deliberately led his troops through several detours.

Moreover, they had all withdrawn before that pirate force arrived at the battlefield.

Logically speaking, the other party shouldn't have been able to catch up to here so quickly!

After a moment of thought, an idea gradually became clear in his mind.

"No, they're not simply here to chase our team!"

"They just happened to be at the same destination as us!"

"Their target may have been the temporary campsite behind Broken Po Village from the very beginning!"

Rogge recalled that the last time he returned to the Little Pool camp, the pirate leader had led his troops in pursuit of them!

The other side must have already figured out the approximate location of the camp!

Having achieved a great victory over Lord Harald, the pirate army is now free to target Rogge's forces first!

"Everyone, full speed ahead up the mountain! Return to the campsite at the back!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Rogge gave orders to the entire team.

The team members, who had slowed down, cheered themselves up and quickened their pace, continuing their ascent along the steep mountain path.

Ivar led his horse to Rogge's side; the heavy plate armor had been removed and was hanging on the horse's back.

Roger had previously informed him that the horses could be led back to the mountain camp, but the latter half of the mountain path was steep and narrow, so he would have to walk with the horses.

He stood beside Rogge and heard Virgil's report clearly.

Ivar frowned, his tone grave:

"Chief Rogge, have you thought this through?"

"These pirates are no ordinary pirates; they are from a top-tier tribe in the Vanscare Islands!"

"They are extremely powerful. Even when outnumbered, they can achieve a one-for-one casualty ratio when they go head-to-head with Lord Harald's regular army."

"If we get trapped on the mountain, it's a death sentence for us!"

His implication was clear: instead of heading up the mountain, they should take advantage of the opportunity to break out in another direction immediately.

Rogge naturally understood his concerns, and he quickly assessed the troop strength and combat power of both sides in his mind:

On their side, there are only thirty-five truly capable elite members of their own team.

These team members are all veterans who have experienced many battles. They are disciplined and work together seamlessly.

One-third of the team members were already wearing chainmail captured from the pirates, each carrying a round shield, a battle axe, and a longsword, with three or four throwing axes tucked into their waists, making them capable of handling both close and long-range combat.

In addition, there was Commander Ivar and his three fourth-tier chainmail noble cavalrymen.

These four are all elites, especially Ivar himself, who is a genuine fifth-tier knight.

Of the eleven guerrillas, eight were still fit to fight!

Unfortunately, the team only managed to retrieve about thirty crossbow bolts, which was far from enough to sustain them...

Apart from these regular combat forces, only the villagers of Duanpo Village in the camp remained.

That group of villagers, a mix of the old, the weak, the young, and the strong, had no heavy armor, and many of them didn't even have a decent piece of leather armor.

Even if there are many of them, going up to fight is still a waste of time.

Looking at the enemy forces, there were over a hundred pirates. The exact number was unknown, but they were all skilled warriors.

Old Kui, standing to the side, heard Ivar's worries clearly. His face turned pale, his lips trembled, and he wanted to say something but swallowed it back.

He knew very well that if Roger were to back down now and give up on going to the camp in the back mountains, the fate of the villagers who stayed behind would be unimaginable!

Old Kui was extremely anxious, looking at Roger with great anticipation. He was unsure whether he could successfully evacuate the hundreds of villagers from the camp before the pirates attacked.

Despite feeling somewhat ashamed, Old Kui decided to bite the bullet and step forward to plead with Roger to protect the camp, since the lives of the entire village were at stake.

But before he could speak, Roger spoke first:

"The team continues uphill!"

Rogge's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable firmness.

These simple words landed heavily on Lao Kui's heart like a boulder. His nose stung, and his voice choked with emotion: "Thank you... thank you!"

Rogge had his own reasons; half of his team members came from Duanpo Village.

If he were to turn and leave now, disregarding the camp and the villagers, he would not only chill the hearts of his team members, but also betray his own long-held principles.

He would never leave immediately if given the chance to try.

Upon hearing Rogge's decision to go up the mountain, Ivar froze on the spot, his expression full of hesitation.

He was already in a desperate retreat, only seeking to save himself, and really didn't want to get involved in a battle he couldn't win.

Ivar's expression shifted as he began to consider whether he should lead his men away from the group and leave on his own...

Rogge took in Ivar's changing expression and saw through his thoughts.

He wasn't angry; he simply looked calmly at Ivar and slowly spoke:

"Commander Ivar, I know what you're worried about."

"But you need to think this through. There are pirates everywhere outside. If you take your men and leave rashly, what if you encounter a large enemy force..."

"The camp on the mountain is strategically located, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Moreover, there are nearly two hundred able-bodied villagers in the camp. Although they are not strong in combat, they can still move stones and hold the position for a while."

"That place has been fortified for a long time. As long as we hold the pass, even if there are hundreds of pirates, they won't be able to easily break through!"

Rogge's tone was sincere:

"Commander Ivar, why don't you come up the mountain with us?"

Beside Roger, Old Quay nodded repeatedly, his face full of approval.

Upon hearing these words, Ivar hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and immediately waved to signal his teammates to follow the group.

"Since Chief Rogge has made up his mind, then we shall accompany you!"

Ivar knew in his heart that Rogge was telling the truth.

Breaking out alone is definitely not a good idea; it would be better to go up the mountain and assess the situation first.

Seeing that Ivar had agreed, Rogge smiled.

Ivar himself was a fifth-tier fighter, with combat power far exceeding that of ordinary soldiers. He would never let such a force leave.

As a Fieldsway noble knight,

Ivar and the three noble cavalrymen behind him were all equipped with single-handed curved-blade battle axes and metal round shields, a configuration that was hardly suitable for mounted combat...

Although they are only so-so in mounted combat, once they are dismounted and engaged in foot combat, Fieldsway’s unique strength in infantry will be fully demonstrated!

The group did not linger and continued up the mountain path, soon arriving at an open area halfway up the mountain.

Rogge stopped and quickly made arrangements:

"It's getting dark, and I'm worried about the others, so I'll personally keep watch here and scout out the pirates' movements."

"Virgil, Aino, you lead the team up the mountain first, immediately guard the main entrance to the camp, and set up defenses;

Old Kui, once you get back to camp, organize the elderly, women, and children to prepare to evacuate to the back of the mountain. Don't worry about the belongings you can't take!

"Okay! I'll go right now!" Old Kui agreed and turned to run into the camp.

The terrain of the small waterfall campsite in the back mountain is uniquely advantageous, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

The entire campsite is situated on a mountain platform, connected to the foot of the mountain by only a narrow, steep slope, with steep cliffs on both sides.

As long as Virgil and his men hold the only passage, even if the pirates are numerous, they won't be able to charge forward in a swarm.

Eight long-range crossbowmen can be positioned on the high ground on both sides of the mountain pass to gain a visual advantage and be ready to support the front line with crossbows and long-range projectiles at any time.

Everyone sprang into action, and after arranging things, Aino volunteered to stay and keep Roger company.

The two crouched down and slipped into a dense thicket halfway up the mountain.

As darkness fell, ordinary people's vision became limited, but only Rogge possessed the eye of insight.

With a full 160-meter all-around field of vision, no one in these mountains and forests is more suitable than him for the task of sentry duty.

It's impossible for pirates to find his location in the dark, right?

……

While the camp on the mountain was busily preparing for defenses,

Stan, leading over a hundred elite pirates, had already reached the lower half of the mountain.

A dozen or so hired riders were ordered by Stan to accompany him.

In Stan's eyes, the riders his brother hired at great expense didn't contribute much in this battle.

Now that the war is nearing its end, these mercenaries who are only after profit should not think about hiding in the rear, collecting money without doing anything. They must join the charge and scout ahead.

The dozen or so hired riders dared not disobey, so they could only tie all their warhorses to the open ground on the outskirts of the forest and follow the pirates on foot, slowly making their way up the mountain path.

Upon reaching the woods below the mountainside, Stan stopped and did not rush to continue.

Having fought many battles, he would never recklessly lead his men straight up the mountain, only to lose men in vain.

After a moment's thought, he sent out six scouts to find out the exact location of the enemy camp.

……

Halfway up the mountain, amidst the dense grass, having not spotted any pirates for a long time, Roger began to play with the light crossbow he had picked up from the battlefield.

He would occasionally raise his hand to brace the crossbow, making a aiming motion, as if he had a great interest in this light crossbow.

Seeing his expression, Aino felt a sense of helplessness and rolled her eyes at Roger.

Despite being left behind to keep watch and scout, he acted like a child playing with a novel toy, completely disregarding the enemy below the mountain.

She could only suppress her distracting thoughts, concentrate on the mountain path and the deep forest below, and dare not miss any unusual movements, silently taking on the duty of keeping watch.

Rogge examined the light crossbow in his hand, observing its structure, and secretly considered the possibility of replicating it...

Just as Rogge was fiddling with his crossbow, a figure quietly stepped into his field of vision.

Roger paused, his casual expression vanishing instantly, replaced by a serious one.

He immediately lowered his body and gently pressed down on Aino's head beside him: "Take cover, pirate scouts are approaching!"

"A pirate scout?"

Aino's heart tightened. She slightly raised her head and scanned the mountains and forests below, but all she could see were dense vegetation; she couldn't spot a single pirate.

"Where is it? I can't see it?" Aino asked softly, her face full of disbelief.

Filled with doubt, the girl turned to look at Roger, only to see that Roger had already set up his light crossbow and aimed it at a corner of the deep forest below.

Aino crouched quietly beside Roger, occasionally hearing Roger's soft murmurs in her ear:

"Seventy meters..."

"Fifty meters... No rush, let's wait a bit longer..."

"We've probably entered about thirty meters!"

She looked in the direction the Rogge crossbow bolt had pointed.

Just then, she suddenly saw the bushes that Roger had been aiming at twitch.

Immediately afterwards, a pirate wearing blue studded leather armor carefully parted the branches and leaves and came out from behind!

The pirate held a short axe in his hand, looking around warily.

Aino's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively held her breath.

Just as the pirates stopped and listened intently to their surroundings, Roger pulled the trigger of his crossbow without hesitation.

"clatter!"

With a soft click, the crossbow bolt flew from the bowstring, hurtling straight toward its target with a sharp, piercing force.

However, the result was disappointing.

This was the first time Rogge had ever operated such a light crossbow. Even though he could clearly lock onto the pirates' figures through his Eye of Insight, his physical abilities and operational proficiency were still lacking.

The crossbow bolt whizzed past the pirate scout, missing by more than a meter, and embedded itself firmly in the tree trunk behind him, the fletching trembling uncontrollably.

The violent tremor instantly drew the pirate's attention. When he saw the crossbow bolt stuck in the tree behind him, he was terrified and his face turned deathly pale.

He immediately crouched down and, like a startled rabbit, tumbled and scrambled down the mountain, disappearing into the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

Rogge lowered his crossbow, watched the pirates flee in panic, and smiled helplessly at Aino's staring gaze.

"Haha, I'll definitely practice my skills more from now on!"

The shot missed, failing to kill the scout, but it had already thoroughly alerted the enemy.

Roger stood up and brushed the bits of grass off his clothes:

"Alright, no need to keep watch anymore."

Now that we've already alerted the enemy...

The pirates' main force will arrive soon.

Let's go back.

Prepare for battle!

……