The mighty team of more than 60 people heard the sounds of horse hooves, footsteps, wheels and the clash of armors one after another.
After a night of repairs, the team continued walking towards Scotti along the trails inside the Bao Forest. The knights led by Constantine set out from that direction. In addition to a heavy cavalry brigade of more than thirty people, there were also an additional fifty or so coordinated infantry and more than forty attendants.
Their camp was in the middle of the road from the small village to the small town of Scotti. Yesterday, the knight commander led the team when they were about to come to the village for reconnaissance. They met Rono, and the leader of the highlanders saw him from a distance. For a moment, the imperial army didn't know whether it was because they were guilty of treason or because they were worried about the undead - or both - they subconsciously ran away.
Regardless of the reason, Constantine and the others had no choice but to catch up. After arriving at the small village, they smelled a strong putrid smell and saw the zombies attacking Rono, so they speeded up again and turned to charge. This is why the scene of the heavy cavalry charging in groups made Ronno pee in the saddle.
Although due to the presence of fog, they were worried that they would cause casualties if they rushed into overly complex terrain, so they did not accelerate to the maximum speed. However, the cavalry faced the infantry, even the undead infantry who had no pain and would not bleed, was enough to create an overwhelming advantage.
And judging from the way they dealt with the zombies and captured them, it was estimated that this was not the first time they had encountered one.
The team moved forward cautiously.
After receiving the armor that had been pulled out from the corpse and simply cleaned, the residents and Moreau complained for a while because of the lingering odor, but in the end it was important to save their lives.
In addition, Ferruccio and Filippo also received more equipment.
The armor is natural. Both of them received relatively intact pot-shaped helmets and breastplates, but in addition, each of them also received a spear to serve as a lance.
The Padrosi style lance is not very different from the West Coast. The conical wooden shaft gradually narrows towards the tip of the gun, and there is a large piece of wood behind the grip to act as a balance weight.
The whole structure is made of wood, only the end has a spear tip made of steel. This enhanced lance has extremely high lethality against plate armor, but unfortunately, like many other weapons, it is only a one-time use.
The price of the huge power is that the barrel of the gun will break after hitting the enemy. If the knight is not trained enough, he may even fall off his horse and get injured due to the recoil.
Therefore, among the more than 30 undead infantrymen of the Imperial Army, the remaining lances of more than 20 that were not broken were taken by the knights who were damaged by the lances. Only two or three branches were distributed here, and then one of them was handed over to our Mr. Sage, and the remaining two were in the hands of Ferruccio and Filippo.
In addition, some members of the caravan, such as Margaret, whose combat effectiveness was relatively low or even had no combat effectiveness at all, also received many kite shields from the knights.
The Imperial Knights themselves are protected by full-body plate armor, and the shield is only a prop used to enhance and combine formations, so giving it to others will improve the overall team much better.
Paired with the shields from the same source in the hands of the mercenaries guarding the carriage, in case of an attack, they who are unable to fight can at least use the shields to protect themselves, so that the combatants do not have to worry about one thing and the other, and can deal with the enemy with confidence.
Constantine and the others did a good job in adjusting the team's equipment and personnel according to changes in the situation, but things were not always smooth sailing.
Henry glanced back. Although there was fog, the visibility was not so bad that he could not see his fingers.
The composition of the entire team of more than 60 people is as follows:
Constantine and Mikhail led four knights to form a forward in the front. This part was separated from the rear by a small distance and served as a scout and vanguard.
The remaining heavily armored Padrosi knights were divided into two teams to protect the carriage convoy on the left and right. The mercenaries guarding the caravan were all riding on the carriage. At the head of the motorcade was a group of five people named Little Explorers by Margaret, as well as Horno and Barrow riding in their carriage.
On the whole, it is a good combination of mobility and defense. It is a typical escort formation, with the core of the team being the protection target that lacks combat effectiveness.
However, in this case, a problem arises.
Where have the dozen or so Highlanders, including Rono, gone?
The answer is the end of the line.
At the end of the group of mercenaries, merchants and knights who all moved by carriages and horses, a dozen villagers wore rusty and smelly armor, holding the machetes and simple spears they were more accustomed to using. Followed a short distance behind.
This is obviously not just because they have no means of transportation. If you observe carefully, there is a faint look of mutual vigilance between the highlanders and the mercenaries at the end, making the air very solemn.
The reason can be understood after a little careful consideration - Mira and Filippo reacted unfriendly to these people the first time they encountered them, and after also experiencing the siege that day, the merchants and mercenaries in the team also How could they just greet these guys who had caused them so much suffering?
Not only that, although the sage, the Luoan girl, and several others did not mention it in order to avoid adverse changes in the situation, rough guys like Moro and Uncle Mario did not think so much about it.
Since both sides have a grudge, and there are now fully armed imperial nobles who can file a complaint, how could they not do it?
Early in the morning, after taking a break, he suddenly realized who these people were. The mercenaries planned to murder the village chief and then go to become bandits, endangering the merchants and Margaret in the process. The affairs of several nobles were singled out in front of Constantine.
As a result, the atmosphere inside the temple was very awkward.
And the dozen or so highlanders who were already nervous picked up their weapons after seeing the knights approaching and showing signs of surrounding them, which almost caused the team to start an internal fight before setting off.
The tense atmosphere at that time lasted for a long time. Since the window paper was broken inside the temple, if a conflict occurred, it would easily affect the mercenaries and Margaret and others who had no fighting ability. In the end, this matter could only be caused by both parties. Everyone takes a step back and lets it go.
But after that, even though they all mounted their horses and had excellent combat capabilities, Constantine still did not order an attack on these mixed residents. The reason for this is somewhat intriguing.
Although the Knight Commander’s explanation for this is: “Why should the living be enemies of the living?”
But obviously this is just an excuse to give both parties a step down. The empire's attitude towards rebellion has always been intolerant. Not only to maintain the dominance of the aristocratic class, but also to take into account the unity and integrity of the country, there is absolutely no trace of womanly kindness in this regard.
The fable "a single spark can start a prairie fire" has existed since the classical Raman times. Rebellion in border villages, especially mixed-resident ethnic minorities, would be more serious if it spread and turned into a rebellion of an entire nation.
But Constantine still kept them.
He is not the kind of person who naively thinks that everyone can shake hands and become good friends again, he is definitely not. Henry could tell it from his eyes, words and deeds when he saw this person for the first time.
this is a.
People who pursue the principle of making the best use of things.
He kept Ronno and others because they still had value, and as for what this value was - the merchants and knights all owned horses, while the highlanders walked.
so.
Like the famous joke: "I don't have to run faster than a dragon lizard, I just need to run faster than you."
Henry withdrew his gaze. Ronno and the others must have known this. Although the villagers are illiterate, they have a keen sense of smell in this regard after many years of resistance experience.
But this is the sad thing about living under someone else's side. Even though they know there will be no good end, they still have to choose to follow the big army. Without the protection of the Imperial Knights, they would only die from lack of supplies or monster attacks. In the end, it would be better to live one more day with them. Maybe with luck, the knights will receive a pardon based on their merits and be able to go home and farm.
At first, he wanted to rebel against the nobles with passion, and wanted to vent his accumulated dissatisfaction on others through violence.
But when they actually leave home, many people actually regret it.
Compared with living a stable life, this kind of precarious life may be a bit satisfying at first, but after a while, there will be only endless regrets.
Hateful people must be pitiful.
The team continued to move forward slowly, and at noon, the long-awaited Padrosian-style sunny weather finally appeared again after many days.
Although the weak sunshine in winter in the wetland area was not able to completely dissipate the dense fog, at last, the fog became somewhat thinner, and the surrounding environment could be seen farther away at a glance. Not only the roads in the front and rear directions, but also the forests on both sides can be seen deeply, avoiding any surprises.
"Stop!" Constantine raised his fist and waved, obviously intending to stay on the spot.
The high combat effectiveness of the heavy cavalry comes at the cost of high consumption. They had originally planned to return to the camp that day, but now they were short of horse supplies for a day. Anyone who makes a horse hungry is not a qualified knight, so after walking all morning, they decided to stop for a short rest. Pick some berries and shrub leaves nearby for your horses and yourself to eat and recover.
"The poets of Sivalier will say that fog is like a woman, she is most beautiful when she is not available (not close)." Constantine, who got off his horse, walked towards Henry and the others for some reason. Holding the helmet and quoting a pun.
"And the Lamanite poets would say, how come the Sivaliers can compare anything to a woman." Henry shrugged in response to Constantine's metaphor. "Pfft." Mira and others next to her burst out laughing, while the knight commander tilted his head, raised his hands in a gesture of "I surrender, I admit defeat" and then walked towards the other side.
"He is really similar to you, teacher." Mira turned back and glanced at Luonuo and the others who were standing outside in embarrassment, not knowing what to do, and then continued: "They are all terrible adults."
"Is that so?" Henry shrugged: "I think he is much worse than me."
"At least he saved my life." Mira rolled her eyes at him, and Henry looked down at her, but some words were not suitable to explain at the moment. The two of them pulled some of the supplies from the horse in astonishing synchrony. After opening the leather bag, they took out a small folded cloth bag and tied it around their waists.
Since no animals were seen after entering this section of the road, the supplies carried by the caravan when it set out had been basically consumed. It was painful to have to rely on wild fruits and vegetables to satisfy their hunger, but it was also necessary in order to survive.
Fortunately, the town of Scotti is very close, and with the logistical supplies of Constantine's cavalry brigade nearby, if nothing unexpected happens, they should be able to have a long-awaited meal tonight.
But tonight is tonight. Hopes and promises cannot be eaten as food. Mira understood this at a very young age. Just sitting and waiting with expectations for "the future" will only result in starvation. Only by taking actual actions can things truly change.
In any case, accompanied by Moreau and others with short crossbows in their hands, they dispersed into the nearby forest in a group of three to four people, looking for berries and wild vegetables that could be eaten by people and horses, and looking forward to Can I hunt some meat?
"Be more careful, stay too far away from each other, and pay attention to the poisonous body fluids those ghosts may leave behind." Moro waved his hands and explained loudly to the few mercenaries over there. Mira frowned. Although she could rest assured that she had a solid backing after joining forces with the Imperial Knights, this middle-aged mercenary was probably too lax.
"Hey, sorry, sorry." Morrow turned around after shouting and saw Mira's dissatisfied eyes. When he realized his mistake, he slapped his forehead, then shook his head repeatedly with a look of self-reproach.
"I can't blame you. If I were wearing this breastplate, I would be so smoked that I lose my judgment." Henry shrugged and joked to liven up the atmosphere. The breastplate that has been cleaned still has an unpleasant odor. Although the most contaminated leather lining has been simply discarded and replaced by Moreau's own, the belts and other parts of the structure are still full of stench. .
But even so, the middle-aged mercenary was still reluctant to throw it away. The overall forged breastplate has much higher defense than the leather and iron mixed armor he originally wore. In addition, he got a long sword by the way and Filippo promised to compensate him for the long sword. It can be said that he has already made a lot of money.
Morrow had made a plan in his mind. After returning this time, he would spend a small amount of money to replace all the smelly belts, repair some small potholes on the surface, and sell one of the long swords to make a profit for him. After getting better equipment, he and a few other companions may also form a mercenary group. He has been stuck in the green card for too many years. His competitive spirit was sealed before because of his limited ability, and now he is also Passionate again.
Coupled with the connections formed by the people I have interacted with this time, I, now nearly middle-aged, may finally be able to get along better and live a decent life.
Therefore, even if the helmet and breastplate had an odor that could not be dissipated, he still cared for them as if they were treasures.
Time passed by, and when the small cloth bags they carried were filled with various berries and edible plants when they returned, basic defenses had been set up around the team's camp and several campfires were lit.
Although the fire and food made them feel more comfortable, the fact that there was still no animal in sight was still a reminder to them.
nearby.
Still cannot be taken lightly.
