Mercenaries and Adventurers

Kil pulled out the hunting sword he had just thrown from the dead bandit and held it in his hand again.

The sword vibrated slightly, as if complaining about why Kil didn't use him to kill other bandits just now.

"Still a little tempered, huh."

Under the steel mask, he slightly twitched the corners of his mouth and smiled, then became serious, standing in front of all the refugees, facing dozens of elite bandits, as well as an inexplicable middle-aged man on horseback among the bandits.

The other party's dress does not look like a bandit leader hiding in the mountains and forests, but more like a leisurely little nobleman with a rich fortune.

But the other party actually led nearly fifty or sixty elite bandits.

"Who are you? It seems that you and your men are determined to attack us today? Please see clearly, the people behind me are all young villagers from the southern province who are fleeing. They don't have any valuable items on them. If you plan to obtain property, then You came to the wrong place today and found the wrong enemy."

Keir shouted loudly towards the other party.

At this time, Kiel still didn’t know that the group’s goal was to target the refugees themselves. It’s no wonder that even if a young refugee could be sold for one silver coin, it would only be more than 800 silver coins for more than 800 people. That is more than eighty gold coins.

This seems to be a large amount of money, but compared with the previous goods carried by business travelers in the past, it is far behind.

Keir guessed that the local bandits who robbed the trade routes were having difficulty maintaining their business recently. After all, they had eliminated some of the wild hotels that rarely existed on the trade routes and could provide various services to the business travelers and the bandits themselves. But he still could not have expected that these bandits would target the unarmed refugees themselves.

Everyone is so poor that they are crazy.

Of course, there are also reasons why other bandits plan to grab one last deal before leaving here, but those bandits were unlucky today and encountered an unexpected blow from Kiel.

He is like a sharp thorn in a money bag. Anyone who reaches in greedily will be stabbed by it.

-

The bandit leader who looked like an aristocrat wearing the attire opposite heard Kiel's shouting, and then took the initiative to move a little distance, came to the edge of the stream, and said to Kiel and the hundreds of refugees behind Kiel.

"I, the King of the White Wall, Nobby Fisbiru, am the most legal owner of the white stone wall and the land under everyone's feet, and the current head of the Fesbiru family. Because others invaded and seized the family's territory many years ago, and later It was only because of being betrayed that my family and I have been living in exile until now.”

"It is inevitable to become a lowly bandit. Originally, I came here for these young refugees, but today I met a young knight like you, and it seems that I have gained something else."

The other party seemed to be using a magic tool to amplify the speaking volume, so although he was only speaking at a normal volume, the amplified voice was far clearer than when Keir shouted.

Keir was confused by the other party's words. What does it mean to gain something after meeting him?

"Sorry, I am from Kendall County in the Northwest Province. I originally set out with the army to join the expedition to the border of the Southern Province. But because of my church mission, I went with these poor people in the Southern Province who need help. Road. I regret that I cannot agree to your invitation to join your command and team. Whether it is your family or a team of bandits who rely on robbery to survive."

But Kil's answer made the middle-aged man on the opposite side laugh, and even the other side's subordinates laughed.

"Young man, I didn't say I wanted to invite you to join me."

The middle-aged man mocked like this, and then said loudly: "The Fesbiru family will cut off the lives of all the nobles and knights passing through the family territory. Young man, getting rid of you today is my gain. !”

Keir was extremely surprised. Are these people crazy?

Because the strength and status of the different worlds are basically the same, the noble lords and knights are not easy to deal with. For bandits who rely on robbery to make a living, the most fearful thing is to encounter such robbery targets.

Because often one knight can wipe out an entire bandit gang. As for the noble lords, not counting the soldiers, bodyguards and knights under their guard, even if they were strong enough, based on Kiel's judgment of Baron Kendall's strength, the opponent's various magical equipment could easily wipe out a bandit team of hundreds of people. , as long as the baron himself is willing to pay the magic cost of using the magic equipment.

But what was surprising was that this person said this, and he must have the ability to take him down.

Especially the confidence that the middle-aged man and his men had to kill him. This must not be the first time they have done this. There must have been cases of successfully capturing young knights like him before.

I'm surprised that after seeing his performance just now, do these people still think they can win him?

When Kil thought of this, he immediately became nervous. He was far less relaxed and active than when he was fighting the bandits.

He handed the long sword to his left hand, and then with his right hand took out a single pill wrapped in a small wooden box and paper from the small leather pouch at the back of the metal belt. He pushed the small wooden box open with his thumb, then lifted up his visor and put the only pill wrapped in paper into his mouth.

His tongue flexibly pushed the paper away, then he opened his mouth and spit out the paper, then put down the steel visor.

Instead of chewing and swallowing the red-eyed mushroom candy pill in his mouth, he held it in his mouth to see the situation.

Kil's movements were natural and fast, so the young man behind him didn't see much clearly, and the enemy on the opposite side couldn't see much clearly because of the distance. At most, he could be seen eating and drinking something, which is normal.

"Oh, so you plan to kill me here? I have no grudge against you. By the way, did an army pass by here in the past two days? There are nobles and knights inside, you and you Didn’t the people attack that army? What a pity.”

Keir's words made the middle-aged man on horseback change his expression. He snorted coldly and said, "Is that what you rely on? Don't you think that the army will come back to retaliate against me and my people because you were killed? Too much Naive, young man.”

The middle-aged man pointed around: "This is my family's territory. I know this place very well. The towering mountains and forests will protect me from all conquests and attacks. Ha, it's not like they haven't done this before. , and I’m still here.”

The man on the other side raised his chin high, and then said to the young refugees behind Kiir: "Listen, you ignorant people! The rest of the dispute today has nothing to do with you! If you don't want to die here, just lower your head and leave, stay away from here. And I The countless long bows and arrows under his command will inflict the most determined violence on those who are still standing with this young knight."

The middle-aged man then repeated these words again, and Kil chewed the red-eyed mushroom candy pills in his mouth and swallowed them mixed with spit.

He did not turn around to look behind him, but bumped his long sword against the shield: "What's the use of talking so much, as if you are sure to beat me. Victory or defeat depends on weapons. Come on, let your People come forward and lead to death!"

Bang bang.

Kil struck the elven metal shield hard with the blade of his sword. The opponent is confident, and it's not like he has no trump cards.

Who wins and who loses is not just a matter of words.

Another burst of footsteps sounded behind Kiel and he understood that the other party's words still had some effect. Some young refugees still did not want to fight with Kiel without the other party's promise.

He didn't turn around to see who was leaving. Anyway, they had only met for less than a day, so they couldn't be called familiar or trusting at all.

But the words spoken by the middle-aged man who was retreating on horseback across from him surprised Kil: "Very well, those of you who are left behind will die with this young knight. Drive."

Kil then turned around and looked around, and found that there were at least fifty people standing around him. Probably half of the young refugees who dared to fight had stayed with him.

Several familiar faces were recognized by him, and Kil realized that most of the people left behind were church believers who believed in the God of Saturn. Regardless of whether they were true or false, these people really stayed here and were ready to fight with him.

"Hey, the battle will probably be very fierce later, and you will die. Go back, go back and support Priest Batar." Kil scolded the young people on the left and right who dared to fight while holding some rocks. .

"Sir, please leave us alone. The priest said that after eating the food given by God, you can enter the Kingdom of God even if you die in battle!"

A farmer with a vicissitudes of life, but actually very young, said with a corner of his lips.

"That's right. In the village, only the village chief's family and the families with a lot of land could enter the Kingdom of God after death. I didn't expect that my family would be so poor and have the opportunity to enter the Kingdom after death. It's so beautiful!"

Kil's breathing gradually became heavier, and the corners of his eyes became slightly moist.

But he really couldn't say anything. That damn Batal, as a priest of the god of agriculture, should really go to Hades after death. Although they use well-intentioned rhetoric to encourage believers to dare to fight, is this really okay?

Rely on verbal deception.

When these young people with relaxed faces around them die in battle, what kind of ending will be waiting for them?

Or, there is no kingdom of God, no guide, just following the same process as others, wandering around the dead body after death, and then entering the underworld where the dead should go.

What kind of accusation will their souls make?

-

Before Kiel could think any more, the bandits from across the creek attacked.

Unexpectedly, several people who seemed to be in command blew wooden whistles, and then the team of dozens of people quickly dispersed. The following actions made Kil's face change drastically.

"Get back! Everyone, get back!"

Kil turned around and waved his arms vigorously to the people behind him, because basically everyone of the bandits took out a short bow from behind, took aim with an arrow, and then the arrows flew by. The voices sounded one after another.

The young refugees behind Kiel couldn't see very far at night, so it wasn't until Kiel suddenly drove them back that they reacted with the sound of arrows scraping around them.

Crying for their fathers and mothers, they scattered around and ran away.

But many people were still shot by arrows, especially those bandits who mostly targeted Kiel. The seven or eight Saturn believers around him fell to the ground after being hit by arrows.

Some people let out a short wailing sound and then fell silent. Some people were lucky enough to be hit by an arrow, and then they pulled the corpses of their dead refugee companions or bandits around them and used them to block the arrows.

Kil squatted down in an emergency, raised his shield in front of him, and then heard a series of sounds like rain hitting banana trees and continuous vibrations on his arms.

Dang, dang, dang, dang.

Kil felt the strength of the arrow and felt that it was not very strong, so he suddenly stood up, then raised his shield and rushed forward quickly. His legs and skirt were hit by arrows, but the strength seemed to be limited. Kil just paused and continued to move forward.

The metal arrow hit him, continuously emitting clusters of collision sparks. Keir gritted his teeth and rushed down the clearing to the sloping bank between the creek.

Swish, swish, he strode across the stream, and moved sideways to let more bows and arrows shoot.

"Woo!" Kil's chest was stewed, a mouthful of blood gushes out of his throat, and he swallowed it hard. Because the distance is shortened, the bandits who are spreading out to the left and right of the opponent can shoot his body from the left and right, completely avoiding the front of the body covered by the shield.

But if you don’t make me feel better, I won’t make you feel better either.

Kil did not charge directly into the front of dozens of opponents. Fools all know that it is not a good idea to attack the opponent's team head-on. Therefore, when he was constantly being hit by arrows, he forcibly rushed towards the bandits on the left side of the opponent's team. .

"The team on the right retreats!"

Nobby Fisbyru, the middle-aged man on horseback who was a former nobleman, once again used amplification magic to direct his men.

Hearing this loud command, the bandits in front of Kiel consciously stopped shooting arrows. They held a short bow in one hand and pressed a quiver on their waist with the other. They did not turn around, but slowly walked back facing Kiel. Back away.

This retreat speed is not fast, but it has the ability to counterattack when the enemy is approaching.

Such as now.

Kil gritted his teeth and rushed forward. He turned sideways and used his shield to barely block the bow and arrow attack at his side. Then he raised his sword high and slashed down with a furious anger.

The bandit in front of him also had a fierce look on his face. He was not afraid at all. He directly picked up the wooden short bow in his hand and hit Kiel's steel helmet.

Because of the continuous interference of the arrows, it was the opponent's short bow that struck Kil's helmet first.

Boom, Kil's neck tilted slightly, and he kept moving his hands. The long sword struck down hard and cut the bandit in half from the middle.

"Ouch!"

Kil roared angrily, swung his shield and knocked away half of the bandit's body that was falling towards him. He bent down and jumped. With the extra support of the life energy in his legs, he jumped several meters and directly hit the other retreating bandit.

His blow directly killed the bandit. The Kir sword then passed through the man's chest, and he raised the body with his right hand to block the arrows that were constantly coming from the right side of the body.

He then quickly hung the shield in his left hand back on his left back, freed his left hand, and drew out the Heartfire Dagger from his right waist.

"Hot!"

He shouted angrily, and then the Heart Fire Magic Dagger responded to his words, and the fiery red dagger spurted sword-shaped high-temperature magic flames forward.

The shrubs and flowers on the wasteland ignited one after another as soon as they touched the edge of the high-temperature flames, illuminating the surroundings and also illuminating the nervous faces of many bandits.

"Don't be afraid. The team on the left is moving forward, and the team on the right is continuing to retreat. The target is still this knight. Hum, get the hammer hand and the slinger ready. If he moves slowly, he will follow my order and come forward."

The confident words of Nobby Fisbiru echoed in the wasteland of the battle.

Affected by the orderliness and confidence in his words, the morale of the bandits was boosted again. Even some of the bandits who were facing Kiel at this time had a look of determination. They put away their short bows and drew out their small wooden shields while retreating. and sharp machetes.

Kil roared, and while the corpses beside him were constantly hit by arrows, he quickly rushed forward, stretched his left arm forward, and directly covered the robber with the flaming Heartfire Dagger.

-

When Kil used the dagger to kill the last few of the fat bandits, he noticed the difference in the way of using the magic dagger.

Because it is a flame jet attack, although it seems that the dagger in the hand cannot really be used as a long sword when the 'hot' magic mode is activated.

Even though the flame it spits out looks like a long sword, its length is roughly the same as a standard long sword.

But the high-temperature flames of its 'sword body' are virtual objects and have no force.

Collision with the enemy's weapon will only cause the opponent's weapon to penetrate through, and the brief burning will only make the opponent's weapon warm up slightly and become softer.

So Kil learned from his little previous experience in using magic daggers, and used this magic weapon not as a steel sword, but as a small staff with an attack range of only a little over one meter!

So at this moment, the bandit who was charged by Kil subconsciously raised the small wooden shield in his hand and the machete in his right hand, ready to give Kil the knight a good look after resisting the attack at any time. Even if the bandit only has one or two chances to fight.

But Kil just raised the Heart Fire Dagger straight up, letting the high-temperature flames on the dagger sway up and down on the opponent's arm shield. In just an instant, the bandit's hair and face were on fire, and his hair was ignited and then burned. It is blown into ashes, while the subcutaneous fat on the face melts and burns in the high temperature.

The bandit's subconscious breathing after his exclamation was even more fatal. The hot, high-temperature air was sucked into his trachea and lungs, causing him to fall to the ground and twitch in pain. He dropped the weapon and shield in his hand, scratched his neck hard, and tore at the animal skin clothing on his chest, but to no avail. .

After a little judgment, Kil realized that if this man did not receive quick treatment from the church priests, he would probably be unable to breathe normally due to burns and convulsions in his lungs, and he would suffocate to death in a short time.

"Magic is terrible."

He muttered, then rushed towards a bandit again.

This time, I saw the fate of the previous bandit. The bandit gave up the fight, turned around and ran away risking his life.

Before Keir could catch up, an execution order was issued from within the bandits.

"The consequences of fighting and running away are death! Everyone in the second team, aim at those who are cowardly and flee for their lives, shoot!"

Nobby Fisbiru gave an order, and the dozen bandits who were summoned changed the direction of the short bows in their hands, aiming slightly at the cowardly people fleeing on the wasteland at night. Then there was a whistle, and more than a dozen arrows were fired in order. It shot out, and after a short flight, it shot the bandit down among the flowers before he could even run a few steps.

"The family members of those who fled will be demoted as slaves after the battle, and rewards will be given to those who have made meritorious service in the battle."

Nobby Fisbiru will speak later. Kil didn't know that this time, the bandit who didn't want his family to become slaves being abused no longer wanted to escape. The bandit who wanted to torture others was breathing heavily, the animal skin skirt around his waist was lifted up, and his fighting spirit increased.

-

Kil jumped up again, running and jumping towards the next bandit closest to him.

Although the bandits were scattered widely, the total number was only fifty or sixty after all. Kil's plan was very simple. He would catch up one by one and kill them one by one.

Although he used all his strength in every battle and consumed his life energy at high speed, he still had a trump card that he didn't use.

The bandit knew he was going to die, so he roared and threw the sharp machete in his hand towards Kil, who was jumping in the air. Then without looking, he lifted up the small wooden shield on his left arm and hit Kil in the opposite direction.

The sharp machete hit him with a clang, and then sparks flew away. Kil groaned. Although there was no external injury, the impact was considerable. The weight of the machete was far greater than that of a bow and arrow. When it hit him, the power was naturally different.

But he was not afraid. Facing the bandit who risked his life to rush towards him, Kiel kicked out his left leg. With a bang, a heavy kick flew into the air and kicked the bandit away on impact.

When the man fell to the ground, both of his arms were bent, and the broken bones in the broken places pierced the arms. The man screamed in pain, but the next moment, his upper body was burned by the high-temperature flames of the Heart Fire Magic Dagger. After being swept away, the man immediately caught fire together with the bushes surrounding the place where he was lying.

The bandit in the flames wailed and tried to stand up, but after kicking his legs a few times, he couldn't stand up at all without the help of his arms. The man gradually became silent as the flames enveloped him.