Chapter 13: Speculation (Seeking Investment! Seeking Recommendation Votes)

As for the knight apprentices they led, the losses were even heavier; the once orderly formation now has about ten fewer people.

The surviving knight apprentices wore faces full of terror and fatigue, and their eyes still held lingering fear of battle.

Malizi stepped forward and said to Lord Buluote, "Lord, we just encountered a Black Wizard; it seems this Black Bear Thieves Guild is colluding with the Black Wizard."

Lord Buluote, upon hearing this, furrowed his brows tightly, and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

The Black Bear Thieves Guild was already troublesome, and now colluding with the Black Wizard, this undoubtedly doubles the difficulty of this extermination operation.

But as a lord, he cannot show excessive worry before the troops, lest it affect morale.

"No problem, I have already sent word to Damia Great Knight Leader; he is leading the Territorial Private Army and is on his way." Lord Buluote said calmly, his tone carrying a steadiness and confidence, as if everything were under his control.

In truth, he was quite annoyed inside; he had originally intended to treat this extermination as a rookie training, letting the young knight apprentices gain some combat experience and, incidentally, clear out the thieves around the territory. He did not expect the Black Bear Thieves Guild to be so strong and collude with the Black Wizard, which far exceeded his expectations and instead caused him to lose many knight apprentices and militia.

"After passing the canyon, we will rest here for a night, awaiting Damia's arrival." Lord Buluote issued a new order.

After a series of battles, everyone was exhausted, needing time to recover strength and morale.

Facing a thieves guild possibly colluding with the Black Wizard, waiting for the private army led by Damia Great Knight Leader is undoubtedly the safer course.

The moment Lord Buluote's command left his mouth, the previously tense atmosphere instantly loosened a bit.

Malizi Knight straightened his back slightly; the expression that had been tense from battle and worry eased a bit, and a look of relief flashed in his eyes. He lifted his hand to adjust his helmet, stepped forward, and with a voice bearing respect and agreement said, "Lord, your decision is wise; this arrangement lets the brothers recover strength and also leverages the reinforcements, steadily rooting out the thieves guild."

Fitz Knight, whose hand had been gripping the sword hilt, slowly released it, let out a long sigh, a smile appeared on his face, and he turned to the knight apprentices beside him, teasing, "Did you hear that? We can finally get a good sleep; everyone perk up, after crossing the canyon, let's have a proper rest."

The young knight apprentices, some showing relaxed smiles, others gently moving their sore limbs, had eyes full of anticipation for the rest.

Eric clenched his fist excitedly and whispered to Robin, "Great, finally we can catch our breath; this journey has been exhausting."

Lily also nodded beside him, the fatigue on her face replaced by anticipation: "Yeah, I really hope we can rest soon; I feel my bones are about to fall apart."

Tomson merely gave a silent, relieved smile, his eyes still carrying a hint of gratitude for having survived.

However, Silvan's three companions reacted quite differently.

Silvan's face showed a trace of resentment; he pursed his lips and muttered softly, "Just waiting like this is too cautious; if it were me, I'd charge straight through and wipe out the thieves guild."

Dain and Camille gave slight nods beside him; though silent, their expressions showed displeasure at waiting for reinforcements, seeming to view it as cowardice.

The militia mostly showed relieved faces; many of them had suffered minor injuries in the earlier battle, and upon hearing the rest order, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Some began to talk quietly, discussing getting a good sleep during the rest or tending to their wounds.

The party moved slowly toward the canyon, still vigilant, but their steps were noticeably lighter; everyone hoped to reach the resting spot quickly and catch a breather before Damia Great Knight Leader's reinforcements arrived.

After exiting the canyon, the view opened up to a broad meadow before everyone's eyes.

The meadow was surrounded by dense woods, rustling in the breeze as if whispering the land's tranquility.

Lord Buluote raised his hand to signal the party to halt, surveyed the surroundings, and after confirming safety, shouted, "We'll set up camp and rest right here!" As soon as the words fell, everyone sprang into action.

The knight apprentices dropped their weapons and began erecting simple tents.

Eric and Tomson paired up, quickly unfolding the tent frames they carried, while Lily helped sort the tent fabric nearby, moving deftly and skillfully.

Robin, not to be outdone, took the initiative to gather firewood, ventured into the woods, and soon returned with a large bundle of dry branches.

The militia were responsible for stabling the horses, leading them to the small creek at the meadow's edge so the weary warhorses could drink freely.

Some militia set up simple watch posts around the camp to guard against sudden attacks by the thieves guild or other dangers.

Malizi Knight and Fitz Knight stood side by side at the center of the camp, carefully inspecting its layout and occasionally offering guidance.

Malizi Knight pointed to a tent's spot and said, "This area is a bit low, and the night dew will be heavy; move the tent higher."

Fitz Knight nodded in agreement, then walked toward the knight apprentices building a campfire, reminding them to be careful with fire safety.

Silvan's three companions, though still somewhat dissatisfied with the decision to wait for reinforcements, could only obey the order.

They lazily erected their own tents, and Silvan, while working, kept complaining, "Just waiting like this, when will we be able to eliminate the thieves guild? It's such a waste of time."

Dain and Camille echoed beside him, their faces full of impatience.

Lord Buluote sat at the camp's temporary command post, his brows still slightly furrowed; although he had issued the rest order, his mind still worried about the upcoming battle.

As night fell, several campfires rose in the camp, their warm glow reflecting on the weary yet relaxed faces of everyone.

Lily gently re‑treated Robin's wound, carefully applying herbs while saying, "Hold on a bit, you'll be fine soon."

Under the combined effect of the herbs and the Earth Dragon Breathing Method, Robin's wound showed signs of healing, faintly pink, no longer oozing blood as before.

"Do you think the next battle could be this intense?" Tomson asked nervously, his voice trembling slightly.

Today's battle was truly harrowing, especially when Robin suddenly charged at the Black Wizard; the three of us faced the Giant Python alone, a perilous situation; now, looking back, Tomson still feels lingering fear.

(End of Chapter)