Overwhelming Firepower

The scouts returned to the village when the sun was about to set. Currently, Thornefang and the villagers are busy fortifying the village.

”Little leader, there were traces of people coming by the bandits’ lair. There were also signs someone was watching the village earlier, but they pulled back a few hours ago.”

”It could be the slave traders those f*ckers were planning to meet up with,” Harlik muttered, spitting to the side.

”Maybe,” Lucen replied, his brow furrowed. ”But it could also be something else.”

He stood over a crude but serviceable map laid on a table, one made by the local hunters, marked with trails, elevations, and deer paths.

Lucen tapped a finger against the edge of the forest on the map, the very spot where tracks had been discovered.

It reminded him of countless hours spent playing real-time strategy games, but this was no game. Still, as the heir of the north, he had read a few books about tactics.

”... For now, let’s continue fortifying the village as much as we can. I want to build a temporary watchtower. Make it simple, just enough so that one man can keep watch of the area.”

”It would take a day to build that,” Harlik said.

”Make it before dawn, use the broken houses as materials. There should be carpenters among the villagers. Ask them for advice on how to build faster.”

He pointed to the west, just beyond the treeline.

”Set up a forward position here. It’s slightly elevated. We’ll make it a temporary base and observation point. With arquebuses, that height gives us an edge. Around twelve men should be stationed here. Three of our five mages should also be stationed there.”

Lucen then pointed to the east side of the village.

”Place the Thunderspear to the east. Concealed, but ready to fire, a single mage in this spot should suffice for emergencies. As for patrolling, do it in pairs.”

***

At the head of a comically long table, Viscount Reval Drenwick dined alone—if one didn’t count the half-dozen maids doting on his every whim and the silent, sword-straight bodyguard looming nearby.

Before him was a meal meant for twenty people: platters of roasted meats, sugared fruit, delicate cakes, and a river of wine.

Despite the gluttony, he wasn’t fat. He was sharp-featured, elegant, and rather princely in appearance.

This was Viscount Reval Drenwick.

He was once called a magical genius comparable to Robert Duskwell, but unlike Robert, who continued his studies and became the youngest fourth circle mage in the kingdom, Reval remained the same.

He was very talented, but he did not like giving too much effort. He was content in his way of life as a viscount, taking money from his people and being served by beautiful women every day.

Still, there had been numerous attempts on his life by the commoners, but he was able to resist due to his ability as a third circle mage, as well as having a loyal servant who was a fourth mantle aura user.

The one standing behind him, a man who was nearing his fifties, who had a cold and calm appearance, with his deep black hair and eyes, felt like a sharp blade. This was his most loyal servant, Bastian Duskan. He was an orphan raised by the former Viscount, Reval’s father. He had sworn undying loyalty to the Drenwick family.

So with all of that and his abilities, he continued exploiting his citizens, but he noticed that his money was slowly depleting. The peasants under him had already been pushed to their limits. Any further, and they’d drop dead, and corpses didn’t pay taxes. He’d squeezed all he could.

Which was why he started eyeing the citizens of the neighboring nobles. The village closest to his territory that he could somehow do something about was Dorsen, a small village within the Dukedom of Stellhart.

Unlike most nobles in the north of Norvaegard, he was not that afraid of the Iron Duke, because of the nobles he had allied himself with. The Iron Duke, though powerful, was by himself, and not only that, but he had to deal with monster waves and barbarian attacks.

Still, he could not take from the Iron Duke so openly, so he hired a bunch of bandits to frighten the villagers of Dorsen, and when they could no longer take it, they would flee to him and he would welcome them with open arms.

”More peasants, more labor, more coin,” Reval said with a satisfied grin, slicing into a cut of boar. He popped it into his mouth and chewed slowly.

He was already expecting good news since he sent a few men to watch the progress in Dorsen. It would take a full day to travel to Dorsen and back to his residence. Right on time, the scouts he had sent to watch over the bandits returned to report to him.

”So, how was it? Did those low lives do their job properly?”

”... My lord, the bandits have been defeated. Killed or captured.”

When Reval heard the news, the happy mood he was in disappeared instantly.

”Huh, what did you say?”

The scout master gulped dryly and quickly explained what he had witnessed. From the bandits taking the villagers as prisoners and planning to sell them, to the sudden arrival of a group with the Thornehart insignia on their banner, and an unknown insignia.

”So you’re telling me those mongrels were about to double-cross me, and sell my new coin, while taking from me?” Reval’s voice was lowered in almost like growl.

”Then a group sent by the Iron Duke came to the rescue and defeated the bandits, who were a hundred strong, with a force that was less than fifty? How did they manage to do that? Was there a powerful knight among them?”

”The strongest we could detect from a distance was a second mantle aura user. We couldn’t get closer without being detected. But, we also think they have several mages with one circle, as the sound of loud thunder could be heard.”

”So you weren’t even able to properly watch the battle?” Reval’s tone was becoming even more dangerous, making the scout master sweat.

”I apologize, my lord! Please, forgive me for my incompetence!” The scout master shouted while pounding his head on the ground.

Reval would have wanted to burn the scout master, but he was lacking manpower as of now, and he could not just discard the only semi-competent scout he had.

”Tsk, since they captured some of the bandits, those from Stellhart would know of my involvement with them. They most likely have already contacted the Iron Duke, but based on his personality, he wouldn’t bother with such trivialities. Still, it would be best to nip this future problem in the bud.”

”Bring in the bloodhounds, I have a job for them.”

One of the maids curtsied and left the room. Several moments later, a group of people wearing all black appeared in the dining hall. They all knelt in front of Reval.

”I want you to dress as mountain bandits and annihilate Dorsen, leave no one alive. If by some reason you are captured, you know what to do, right?”

”Yes, my lord, we will follow your will.” The leader wearing a fox’s mask answered. The Bloodhounds vanished as silently as they arrived, their orders clear.