Herman did not inform Vega. One was because the Sheriff looked quite unreliable as he was so decadent and drunk all day long, and the other was because he did not want to alert the enemy.
After the Royal Guards took charge of maintaining security in the city, the security post was almost a forgotten existence. If someone suddenly came to visit at this time, it would obviously be considered that they had discovered something.
In order not to alert the snake, in addition to this move, Herman also ordered his men to maintain daily patrols. The number of Krant's elite soldiers, which had grown to more than 200 and spread throughout the city-state, did not appear to have any changes on the surface, including Henry and Mira. There were only twelve people who set out for the lead mine. In fact, in the eyes of these elite knights and elite veterans, they were just blue-brand mercenaries. They were also excluded, but as the supreme commander, Herman After telling them to go together, the others had nothing to say.
The small group of men and horses went into battle lightly, without even horses, and their armor was only the simplest leather breastplate and lined chain mail with a long hem.
The lead mine goes deep into the dense forest, and you have to go a long way past the cemetery from Nancheng District to reach it. The group of people did not know the exact time that the convoy would arrive at night, so after the meeting, they disguised themselves and mingled with the masons while they were out digging soil and walked out of the weakly defended Nancheng District.
Even though he was lightly dressed, wearing leather armor and chain armor, carrying a long sword, dagger, and some dry food and water, the total amount would weigh more than ten or twenty kilograms. To run such a distance of 20 to 30 kilometers in one afternoon is really a big test for their physical strength, not to mention that they will probably have to fight when they get there.
In order to deceive others, we could not take the main road for the first eight kilometers, so we took a detour through the forest paths commonly used by traveling merchants. You have to be careful and maintain sufficient speed on the difficult and rugged road. After running this section of the road, many people are slightly out of breath.
In the war-torn West Coast region, there are very few obese people with low physical fitness due to their pampering. Most of the civilians at the bottom make a living by farming and hunting. They work early in the morning and work all day long. They have excellent physical fitness due to years of exercise. Even beggars with yellow faces and skinny muscles. Even after eating and drinking enough, I can move quickly. The high-ranking nobles respect martial arts. The worship of force brought about by years of fighting and the relatively favorable living conditions naturally make their bodies quite strong.
Most of the elite troops, whose average age was around thirty years old, just took a small breath for a while and then recovered. The only one in the team who felt the pressure was young Mira.
Women are not as physically superior as men in terms of physical strength. In addition, she is still young and carries weapons similar to others. The Luoan girl felt like she was going to fall down several times.
The elite Krant in front had no intention of stopping and waiting for her, and the stubborn girl did not want to hold back even though she was holding her breath in her heart. But he also gradually fell behind due to lack of physical strength.
"..." Henry walked beside her and didn't say anything.
With the physical strength of a sage, it would be no problem for her to catch up with or even surpass those in front of her. Mira knew this deeply, but she was stubborn and would never ask for help.
Henry, who understood her temper, just slowed down and moved forward side by side. He didn't care even if the elite Krant in front turned his head and looked at him with a hint of contempt in his eyes.
It took nearly an hour to complete the rugged forest road at a brisk pace. Walking out of the dense forest into the blazing afternoon sun again, the Luoan girl, whose face was red and her forehead was clinging to her skin due to sweat, leaned over her knees and bent over, gasping for air.
This was in sharp contrast to Henry next to him, who was not even taking a breath - they were already one or two hundred meters behind, and the number continued to increase during her rest period. The girl pursed her lips and regained her energy, then used the gentler road to speed up and catch up.
The lightweight boot soles were stained with wet, sticky mud and fragments of grass, and prickly plant seeds were caught on the outside of the linen adventurer trousers. It was much easier to walk on the straight road than on the small road. When they reached about fifteen kilometers, they finally caught up with the troops in front.
"...Huh." Mira took a small breath. She felt that the soles of her feet were numb. Coupled with the soreness in her calves and knees, she had been relying on willpower to hold on since more than half an hour ago. Since the purchase of horses, the need to travel on foot has become less and less common, although riding a horse also requires physical fitness. But it's more about "skill" than "endurance".
The long-distance walk reminded her of the time when she was chased by the Sivaliya soldiers. At that time, she was even more tired than she is now after running the same distance. The girl who had found self-affirmation in her heart was still thinking positively even though she was tired. She exerted force on her feet again and kept pace with these male soldiers who were much older than her.
"..." The girl who silently gritted her teeth and worked hard made the Krant elites who looked down on her a little more than two hours ago have greatly changed their views. Most of them are from nobles, and the traditional views of most of the top kingdoms on the west coast are Women are just political props.
The choice of clothing requires wearing long skirts that are luxurious but inconvenient for movement, and the accessories and clothing are slender, delicate and fragile; the inner virtue requires being gentle, knowing how to care for a husband and raising children, and being able to work in the hall and in the kitchen. Even the most ordinary civilians think that women should just stay at home and be ornamental vases, and should not do the same things as men.
Looking at the characters we have met along the way, there are only a few outstanding women like Adela, the original deputy leader of the Ford Mercenary Group. Even with the addition of Ming Na, who is a sister to Mira. Even including the two masters and servants I met in Chester a few days ago, if you think about it carefully, there are really very few independent and distinctive women compared to men.
This is true in all major industries. The vulnerability of women is taken for granted throughout the world - so when this young girl with a blue mercenary badge was noticed by these elite Krant soldiers, any No one had high expectations for her.
They only regarded her as a vase, a little pet kept by the wicked Henry. Even though they heard that the two seemed to have a master-student relationship, they didn't pay much attention to it.
But the girl's perseverance far exceeded that of many nobles' own sons, and they all had to admire her with admiration.
No one released the water. This is a real battle, and they all go all out in order to have time to recuperate. An aristocratic boy of the same age as Mira can't be said to be able to keep up with a strong warrior moving at full speed. It is enough to be able to run at full speed on such a forest path full of bushes without crying and waiting for the elders to comfort him due to various setbacks. She is strong - and the delicate aristocratic girls are even more so. They are only in their teens, let alone run away. Even if they walk slowly for a distance of eight kilometers, they will probably sigh for a long time and look pitiful and ask others to carry them. hug her.
——Plastic talent.
The people present were all elites among the Krant warriors. There was no reason why they couldn't find the shining point in Mira - consciously or unconsciously, they all started to match the girl's pace.
Although they slowed down slightly, everyone still arrived near the lead mine at about five o'clock in the afternoon.
The lead mine is deep into the dense forest on the right side of the road, and the traces of many years of walking on a winding path are clearly visible. Heavy ore had to be pulled by ox carts, so the existence of roads was very important. The group of people lurked outside for a short rest. Many people took out the soft leather water bottles and dry food they carried with them. They did not have the conditions to light a fire. This battle would probably drag on for a long time, so there was no need to expect to be able to eat tonight. Serve a hot dinner.
"Seize the opportunity and go there. Hidden in the forest." As the supreme commander, Herman was naturally among the raiding troops. He took a bite of dry and tasteless dry food and chewed it expressionlessly before swallowing it. Then such an order was issued.
"Huh...huh..." The group of people just lurked under the ridge of the road opposite the lead mine, breathing slowly to replenish water and nutrition and quickly restore their physical strength.
Time passed slowly, it was almost March and we were in the tropics, and there was still plenty of light at six in the evening. The miners responsible for digging lead are mostly residents of nearby villages. Working in mines without fence protection during the day and night is simply providing free human flesh meals to all kinds of jungle beasts, so they drive bullock carts while the weather is still dark. Before it turned completely dark, they started to move towards their respective villages.
The dirty miners carried their pickaxes and gradually moved away. Herman turned around and waved, and the twelve men quickly lowered themselves across the road and entered the dense forest on the other side.
"Shasha..." The well-trained warriors held their scabbards tightly with their hands to prevent them from bumping into things and making too much noise during the march. Six of them, including Herman, also carried longbows and arrows, which showed that they were well prepared.
"Shh..." The lead mine is not too far away from the main road. It would be better to say that this compacted dirt road was originally built because of the existence of lead mines and other resources. The group of people soon came to the vicinity of the mine. The nearby forest clearing that had been cleared for mining convenience was about the size of two or three houses. The entrance to the mine was diagonally downwards, but as soon as they arrived, they discovered that not all of them were there. Everyone has left here.
Six clean-cut figures dressed as miners took out the one-handed swords from the small wooden wheelbarrow used to transport ore in the pit, put them on, and then began to prepare torches. Herman turned around and made a silence gesture to several people again. Through the dimming light, Henry saw a slight smile on the earl's face. Apparently he felt that he had found the right place.
Time passed slowly, and as night fell, crickets and other chirping insects began to make "squeaking" sounds. The exposed skin of the few people hiding behind the trees attracted blood-sucking mosquitoes, but they could only endure the bites of these things without saying a word.
"Bang!" The firelight attracted more mosquitoes to the remaining soldiers holding torches in the mine. One of them slapped himself hard on the back of the neck and then cursed and shook the torch in his hand in an attempt to burn the insects to death.
"Why aren't you here yet!" The words spoken loudly by the impatient soldier could be clearly heard by everyone who was only ten meters apart. It became increasingly obvious that they were waiting for someone. Everyone, including Mira, worked hard to maintain their patience. The night was getting darker and darker. As time went by, among the soldiers standing at the entrance of the lead mine, except for two, the other four had already sat down and started. Small talk. They seemed to be yawning listlessly. Judging from the moonlight, it was already at least eight o'clock in the evening. The group of people who had been waiting for more than two hours had begun to relax due to their nervousness.
"Huh..." Mira took a small breath to control her breathing, and at the same time tried hard to open her eyes wide to control herself from getting sleepy.
"Shh! It's coming." Herman warned in a low voice. Then he waved his hand under the dim moonlight, signaling the whole team to move forward.
"Lower your weapon and be careful of reflections." A knight next to him reminded Mira in a low voice. Then everyone slowly drew their weapons.
"Hey, why are you so slow today?" The rumble of the carriage became louder and louder, and the guard of the mine leaned forward with a smile and began to talk to the other party.
"It seems that these are the only guards. Get ready. Just kill all the soldiers and leave the person in charge." Herman explained again in a low voice. The carriage with the oil lamp stopped, and the people on top began to talk to the guards. chat. Six long bows were loaded with arrows, and the bow strings were slowly pulled to the ears with one finger on top and two on the bottom.
"Pah——" "Haha, that's it. It's really unfortunate that the horse got sick after drinking dirty water - Wuwu——!" The sharp sound of breaking through the air ended with a muffled sound, and sparks flew everywhere, and the torch flipped and fell to the ground. , before he finished speaking, the guard fell to the right with blood gushing out from his neck.
"Who -" "Whoa -" The other person behind him immediately reacted and was about to pull out his sword, but then he received an arrow in the chest and fell backwards. The person in charge of transporting the goods on the carriage stood stunned. There was no reaction on the spot, and the fierce arrows just attacked the guards standing in the firelight.
“Boom——” “Boom——” “Ahhhhh——” Realizing that they were completely exposed to the opponent’s firepower, the guards immediately turned around and tried to run towards the darkness. Two of them were hit by arrows in the back one after another. He fell to the ground, and the other man was shot in the calf by an arrow at the entrance of the mine and started screaming in panic.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" The pained cry suddenly stopped as two arrows hit his throat and side respectively.
"Go!" Only one person successfully ran into the interior of the mine. Herman threw away his longbow and drew his armed sword, as did several other archers. But faster than him, Henry and others who had already drawn their weapons jumped into the open space first.
"You two, search the lead mine and leave no one alive." Herman shouted. The two knights nodded to him and then grabbed a torch stuck in the ground and immediately ran towards the inside of the lead mine. go.
"No, don't kill me!" There was only one driver in the carriage. Herman frowned. The driver was quite luxuriously dressed and looked like a businessman. When he saw a group of fully armed soldiers, he immediately raised his hands.
"It depends on what you can tell us." The earl said this. Henry and the remaining people on the other side began to inspect the battlefield. Lapis Lazuli is a high-priced commodity. It just doesn't make sense that there are only connectors without accompanying escorts. Even if you are not guarding against thieves, there are still all kinds of beasts in the jungle at night.
"Dong dong dong dong -" the sage happened to be thinking this, and suddenly felt the vibration on the ground and immediately frowned.
"The cavalry is attacking, get out of the way!" Henry turned around and warned loudly, then picked up Mira and rushed into the jungle nearby. His reminder came at the perfect time. A flash of light flashed through the darkness, and the sound of horse hooves trampled down the cavalryman holding a long sword, and then they came straight out.
"Pa-ta-" Everyone who was warned immediately rushed into the jungle. Only an elite soldier who couldn't dodge had time to raise his sword.
"Ding - Cang -" The momentum of the horse and the advantage of being condescending caused the long sword in his hand to block to fly out. More than one of these cavalrymen was followed by another person behind him who flattened his long sword and cut it off. Got this elite head.
"Pfft--" Blood shot up into the sky, and the businessman sitting on the carriage begging for mercy turned his head with joy. Herman fell down decisively and rolled under the carriage, stabbing him with a spear. place. Immediately afterwards there was a sound of "Puff——".
"Plop -" The separated body of the businessman's corpse fell in front of Herman. The head that rolled down in front of him still had a smile that had not completely dissipated, and blood slowly flowed from the flat incision.
"Hissing-"
"Dong dong dong dong dong——" The horse's hooves hit hard and the soil was splashed everywhere. The group of cavalry just turned around in a circle and then disappeared without a trace.
"Shasha..." The people, whose bodies were covered with green grass juice and had many scratches caused by sharp branches, slowly poked their heads out of the woods again. "Pah!" Herman walked out holding the edge of the carriage and frowned at the corpse of the businessman on the ground.
"...It failed." The Krant noble who reminded Mira before sighed, and there was nothing left on the ground except deep horse hoof prints - it was their miscalculation.
"No, this at least proves that the direction of our investigation is correct." A gust of night wind blew the torch and began to swing wildly. Herman raised his head and looked at everyone with sharp eyes.
“I want to know more and more about the secrets of Duke Monroe’s family that must be kept even if one’s own people are silenced——” (To be continued.)
