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The repetitive, heavy clattering of wooden wheels echoed through the mist as the four-wheeled carriage jolted along the muddy mountain trail.
From the driver's seat, Eman reined back the horses slightly and called over his shoulder, "My Lord, I suggest we find somewhere to rest soon. Traveling on this mud is wearing down the herd. Even if we can push through, the horses won't hold up much longer. I also need time to inspect the rear axle, it took a heavy jolt back there, and steering is becoming difficult."
Allen opened the small wooden window of the carriage and peeked out. "Bear with it for another half an hour, Eman. Once we clear the Plate Mountain Pass, there's a small hill town where we can camp for the night."
It had been over twenty days since they departed from Geldos City. Equipped with twelve sturdy, high-endurance steeds and a reinforced small carriage, the entourage maintained a strict pace: resting for an hour after every ten kilometers and rotating the draft horses at each break.
However, the treacherous, uneven terrain capped their progress at roughly seventy to eighty kilometers a day. Having covered nearly 1,400 kilometers so far, the relentless trek had left the entire group thoroughly exhausted.
Suddenly, the carriage ground to a halt. Loran rode his mount up alongside the cabin, his cloak damp with mountain dew.
Allen poked his head out again. "Why have we stopped, Loran?"
"Another band of raiders, My Lord," Loran reported calmly. "Team Vanguard caught them setting an ambush up ahead and engaged immediately. Patt, Bale, and Knight Josk have already ridden forward to reinforce them."
"Again?" Allen muttered, rubbing his temples.
This was easily the twentieth group of bandits they had encountered since leaving Geldos City, averaging nearly one attack a day. Early in their journey through the Redlis Kingdom, the raiders had been little more than famished refugees armed with rusted scythes and wooden pitchforks, desperate for a meal.
Out of pity, Team Vanguard had simply disarmed those groups, issued light warnings, and left behind some rations.
However, once they crossed into the Leslie Kingdom, the nature of these encounters changed drastically. The bandits here were organized, well-equipped, and merciless.
In response, Allen had issued a strict directive to his summoned warriors, show these brigands no quarter.
"Follow me," Allen said, stepping out of the carriage to mount a led horse. He rode forward alongside Loran.
Before they even reached the bend in the road, the agonizing shrieks of dying men echoed through the treeline. The rhythmic, lethal thwack of Josk's bowstrings hummed every few seconds, punctuated by the brutal, precise thrusts of Bale's spear.
In the dense woods flanking the road, roughly thirty bandits were locked in a fierce clash with the Vanguard summons.
"They're becoming more troublesome," Allen observed, reining in his horse at the edge of the tree line.
"Indeed," Loran agreed. "In Redlis, the Vanguard troops could clear the path alone. Now, these regional raiders are far better equipped. Even Knight Josk and the rest of us have to step in regularly."
"Our Vanguard is a disciplined team of Battle Force swordsmen," Allen said, analyzing the battle. "Their training and gear are solid, but taking on a force four times their size in narrow terrain naturally slows them down."
Loran grinned, resting a hand on the hilt of his broadsword. "I'm certainly not complaining, My Lord. Riding in silence all day gets dull anyway."
Allen waved a hand dismissively. "Go on then. Join them before Bale and Josk take all the credit."
He didn't bother staying long. With two Silver-ranked swordsmen, a Gold-ranked marksman, and half a dozen summons on the field, the outcome was already settled.
Loran charged into the woods with a roar. Within moments, the skirmish turned into a slaughter. Josk's arrows found a heart every three seconds with precision, while Bale's spearmanship tore through leather and mail alike.
Over ten bandits fell in the first minute alone. Terrified by the sudden display of overwhelming force, the remaining twenty broke formation and fled in panic. However, Josk picked off the runners one by one, while Loran cut down any who strayed near his path.
By the time Allen returned to the carriage, Elrod stood guard outside the door, his hand resting on his sword, protecting Seraphina.
Seeing Allen approach, Seraphina poked her head out. "Should I cast a strengthening spell on the summons?"
"No need for enhancement magic," Allen replied, shaking his head. "Just prepare a few basic healing spells for them. They fight far too recklessly and have a few flesh wounds."
Elrod chuckled softly from the side. "My Lord, the reason they fight with such reckless abandon is precisely because they know Lady Seraphina is behind them to mend their wounds."
Allen smiled faintly and turned to Elrod. "Go assist them with the cleanup. Tell them to dispatch the remaining stragglers quickly so we can get back on the road."
"As you command, My Lord," Elrod bowed, leapt onto a nearby horse, and galloped up the path.
Minutes later, Patt and Eman rode back from the front to deliver their report. "My Lord, the bandits dug a massive ditch across the road to trap the wheels," Patt said. "Everyone is currently filling it in so the carriage can pass."
Eman held up several armors and a heavy pouch. "Lord, look at this. These raiders are surprisingly wealthy. Common noble garrisons can rarely afford mail and scale armor like this. We recovered three sets from their leaders and another six back at their staging site. Every one of them carried two to three imperial gold coins, and half their weapons are standard-issue military blades."
Eman continued, "Back in the Northlands, metal armor is scarce and most troops rely on heavy leather. I took the liberty of stripping their gear for our storage."
Allen nodded approvingly as Eman stowed the looted gear into the carriage's rear compartment. "It seems there's a sizeable bandit stronghold hidden in these mountains," Allen mused.
"If My Lord wishes, we can hunt down their main camp and wipe them out," Patt offered.
"No," Allen said, closing the subject. "Reaching our destination quickly is our main priority. Unless they actively block our path, we won't waste time hunting them."
Allen closed the carriage curtains and sat down beside Seraphina.
"Are you planning to have the new summons rendezvous with us at the next town?" Seraphina asked softly.
"Yes," Allen nodded. Two days prior, on the twentieth day of their journey, Allen had summoned one Iron-ranked and five Bronze-ranked warriors en route, instructing them to camp in the wilderness behind them.
According to their arrangements, Hilter would have already dispatched Stroud and Jasper with spare horses, armor, and weapons to equip the new units.
"They're about five or six days behind us," Allen explained. "But traveling light on horseback, their pace will be much faster than our carriage. We'll rest for two days at the hill city and let them catch up."
Seraphina smiled gently. "It would have been much faster if we had ridden on horseback with the rest of them from the start."
"It's fine. We've already covered a massive distance," Allen replied. "I doubt the main convoy has even crossed Lake Geta yet."
Originally, Allen had planned to ride entirely on horseback. However, Patt and Eman had insisted on bringing a reinforced carriage not only to transport rations, clothes, and spare weaponry, but also to ensure Lady Seraphina traveled in comfort.
Over the course of the journey, the men had noticed the prominent position she held at Allen's side and quietly assumed she was their future baroness, taking every measure to accord her the respect due to nobility.
The remainder of the hour passed without further incident. As they cleared the pass, the towering stone walls of Fenyata Town appeared through the mountain mist.
The guards at the main gate watched the approaching party with keen interest, noting the martial bearing of the escorts and the quality of the carriage.
Recognizing an influential entourage, they straightened up respectfully. When Allen displayed the crest badge of the Styles Family, the gate captain promptly bowed and waved the group through into the town without demanding a single coin in toll fees.