“Something’s wrong, it’s been too long.”

Egon squinted into the distance, but still saw no sign of the Millstone Hamlet party. A sense of foreboding filled his heart.

Logically speaking, the war had just ended, the House of Wil had been exterminated, and the Hunter family had only recently taken over Boulder Fortress; they ought not have been so quick to attend to the administration of their newly acquired territory.

But there were no other armed forces in the vicinity capable of confronting his men. Thinking back on the unfair treatment his men had suffered at Hunter’s hands, Egon’s heart remained scarred by that sinister memory.

“I can’t wait anymore. We’re heading south first. Leave a few men here; if they return, tell them to hurry and meet us.”

Egon’s authority within the pirate group was undisputed, and his orders were immediately obeyed.

On the other side, Richard tracked Egon’s movements from above, employing the aerial vantage point of his Griffin. He had long since detected the movements of Egon and his men, and was already rushing to intercept.

“Heh, quite the sharp nose, this one. Too bad he’s so greedy.”

Richard scoffed as he realized Egon was attempting to flee with his ill-gotten loot. If Egon had been decisive enough to abandon the plunder and flee light-footed, he might have given Richard a headache. But by choosing to escape with his ill-gotten gains, Egon sealed his fate.

“Step on it!” Richard shouted, spurring his men onward at a faster pace.

“Egon, why don’t we rest for a bit? The brothers are getting tired,” one of the pirates approached Egon, breathing heavily.

“Rest?” Egon whipped his horse’s reins with vigor, striking the pirate across the face, leaving him wailing in agony. “Who’s the boss here, you or me? If you’re the boss, then I’ll listen to everything you say.”

“No…no, I didn’t mean it,” the pirate stammered, terrified. Egon was not cruel by nature and treated his men well, despite being a pirate chief. That was why the man had dared approach him with a suggestion, never expecting a lash.

“Then let’s pick up the pace,” Egon ordered, turning to depart.

Unease was growing in Egon’s heart. He had noticed the griffins circling overhead, but they were flying so high that at first he mistook them for giant hawks. He paid them little mind, but the coincidence of their following him all this way left him unsettled. Although he had no idea what these hawks and Hunter might have to do with each other, he instinctively felt uneasy.

What a pity. These pirates were no more than pirates; even if they sensed danger, they would never abandon the loot they had fought so hard to obtain. Even if Egon ordered them to drop everything, they likely wouldn’t obey.

Richard drew ever closer.

“Boss, we’ve got people behind us, chasing us.” One of the sharper-eyed pirates had spotted Richard and his men.

“So soon?” Egon looked in the direction indicated by his subordinate and saw Richard’s party. “Stop, stop running. Prepare to fight.”

The pirates quickly stopped running and arranged themselves into a battle formation.

Egon knew that with so many people and several wagons full of supplies, they had no hope of outrunning their pursuers. Rather than getting caught unprepared, they might as well stop and fight.

In Egon’s eyes, the enemy numbered no more than thirty. His own forces, on the other hand, numbered over a hundred, each and every one an experienced bandit with plenty of battle experience. They were at least as formidable as many lord’s standing armies. Why not fight?

The details of the engagement at the Little Ling River had yet to spread far. There were few knights in the northern lands, and their leader Richard appeared to be quite young. Egon had never ruled out the possibility that Richard might indeed be a knight, which gave him a false sense of confidence.

“Stop, who are you?” As Richard drew closer, Egon examined the group’s attire. Each man wore armor, and they all looked incredibly capable, not the sort to be trifled with. Egon tried diplomacy nonetheless, hoping to avoid a fight. He had crossed paths with many noble guards in the past, and so long as he left their territory, they usually showed little interest in pursuing him.

“Shoot!” This was Richard’s only response as he closed in.

Egon deflected an arrow aimed at his forehead, but the pirates behind him were not so skilled. Seven or eight of them collapsed to the ground, shrieking.

“Shit, let’s get ’em.”

Even a clay figurine can get angry, let alone vicious and ruthless pirates. Egon drew his sword and led his men forward.

“Ah…”

The archers launched another volley. Egon noticed that their arrows flew not only far, but also with frightening accuracy. A dozen men had fallen before he even reached the enemy.

After losing thirty men, the pirates finally clashed with Richard’s infantry.

The pirates thought they could quickly overwhelm their opponents with superior numbers, but the pikes’ solid defense taught them otherwise. The tightly packed spears turned the unarmored pirates into bloody pinballs, forcing the larger force to retreat again and again.

Armed with Richard’s basic knowledge of tactics, these pikes had risen far above ordinary soldiers in terms of effectiveness, operating on a level between elite warriors and quasi-knight status—far too powerful for these pirates to overcome.

What terrified the pirates even more was the source of the screeching cries overhead. Those weren’t giant eagles, but rather winged beasts of prey. Each time they descended, they claimed the life of another pirate. One particularly playful griffin even grabbed a pirate, carried him aloft, then hurled him back into the fray.

The battle quickly devolved into a one-sided pursuit within ten minutes of first contact. The archers launched arrows at the retreating pirates while the spearman, under Richard’s command, scattered in all directions to give chase.

As for Egon, he exchanged barely two blows with Richard before the flames of battle were ignited within the latter, leading to a swift beheading.

It went without saying that Richard would not tolerate bandits operating in his territory, even if it meant jeopardizing his mission.

The last bloodcurdling scream abruptly cut off as the griffins flew back to Richard’s side. Under their relentless pursuit, not a single pirate escaped.

All that remained were a handful of draft horses pulling carts laden with the loot.

“Let’s go. We’ll take the goods back with us.”

Richard had no intention of returning the plundered goods to the villagers. Determining which goods belonged to which family was too monumental a task. Besides, he knew human nature well enough to know that returning the villagers’ own property now would garner him little gratitude, while providing them with grain when they were desperate would be seen as a tangible and timely kindness.

The heavy cargo made the cart creak, and against the backdrop of the setting sun, Richard’s silhouette stretched long behind it, as if reaching for the horizon.