Perhaps it was Vera’s soothing effect, but Anke had rested well last night and woke up even earlier than several of the Imperial Guard Knights.
After letting the militia enjoy a hearty breakfast, Anke’s bandit-suppression force did not rush to begin a new march.
The force first warmed up and digested their food on the spot, while waiting for the latest intelligence on the bandits’ movements.
This was to avoid missing the bandits, and also to prevent a sudden encounter with them during the march that could cause unnecessary casualties.
Before long, a light cavalryman covered in blood rushed frantically to the camp.
The cavalryman on horseback couldn’t even dismount properly; before the horse had calmed down, he tumbled from the saddle to the ground.
The militia immediately stepped forward to restrain the agitated horse, then helped the cavalryman up and carried him into the camp, where an old soldier with some medical knowledge could examine him.
Hearing the commotion, Anke and Vera rushed to see the wounded cavalryman.
“Lord! My Lord!”
“You’re wounded. Lie down first. Don’t rush to get up. You can tell me the intelligence while lying down.”
“Thank you, my Lord. I am a light cavalryman under Earl Oca of Kola City. Following your orders, I and my comrades rode out to scout the bandits and then find your, your army. We encountered many, many bandits! My comrades are all dead. Only I escaped and found you.”
The wounded cavalryman’s eyes began to stream tears uncontrollably.
“Soldier, I know you’re in pain. But right now I need to know where those bandits are, so I can avenge you and your comrades.”
Anke held the cavalryman’s hand and said earnestly.
“Yes. My Lord, the bandits are on the main road, less than twenty li from you—no, even shorter than twenty li.”
The cavalryman struggled to recall.
“I understand. Heal well. I’ll go avenge your comrades!”
Anke patted the cavalryman’s hand, then let go, allowing the veteran with some healing skills to bandage the cavalryman’s wounds.
But before Anke could take ten steps, he heard the veteran’s regretful voice behind him.
“My Lord, I’m very sorry. I did my best, but he… he couldn’t hold on.”
Anke turned back and saw the cavalryman who had just spoken to him— his hands had now completely fallen limp, and his wide-open eyes held no more life.
“It’s not your fault. Maybe that was his fate. Prepare him well and let him wait for me. I will claim his revenge for him!”
Anke’s anger and fighting spirit were now fully ignited.
……
“Hahaha, these poor soldiers are so weak. There’s no pressure at all fighting them.”
The bandits who had just attacked the light cavalry squad laughed loudly, mocking their enemies.
“Alright, enough laughing. One cavalryman still got away. Our movements might be exposed. If we keep going forward, we might run into the enemy’s main force. Everyone get serious. Don’t stumble before reaching the Border City.”
The bandit chief warned his joking subordinates.
“Got it, got it, boss.”
The subordinates put away their smiles.
“Boss, boss! There’s a militia unit ahead! Looks like at least a few hundred!”
Just then, the bandit who had chased the fleeing cavalryman returned with unwelcome news.
“Militia? Let’s go see.”
The bandit chief wasn’t too concerned upon hearing it was only militia. He gave orders to his squad leaders, planning to crush that militia in one go.
After all, ever since receiving the First Prince’s orders and turning his veteran unit into bandits, the bandit chief had fought many self-organized militias from nobles in Hanover Province.
Those poorly-trained, weak civilian militias couldn’t even withstand a single charge from his bandits.
However, when he and his men actually faced that so-called “militia,” he suddenly ordered them to halt.
Because the bandit chief saw that, standing in the square formation of that so-called militia, flew the banner of Fourth Prince Anke!
Royal family members’ personal banners were custom-made and represented the owner’s identity.
Under any circumstances, the banner and the person were never separated.
After all, losing a banner was a disgrace to the entire royal family—no one dared take that risk.
So if Anke’s banner was here, it meant Anke himself was definitely here.
“I thought the Fourth Prince would be hiding in the city. I never expected to run into him here.”
The bandit chief licked his lips as he stared at the double-headed black dragon banner.
“This is the Fourth Prince’s unit. Send a small group to probe. See exactly how many men they have and how many crossbowmen.”
The bandit chief ordered his men.
“Got it, boss.”
A squad leader stepped forward, leading dozens of riders out of the formation. They circled Anke’s force at the extreme range of the kingdom’s military crossbows, taunting the enemy.
The squad leader’s provocation was met with a “reply” from Anke’s force.
Several dozen crossbow bolts shot from the formation toward the dozens of bandits on horseback.
But because the squad leader had calculated the distance, the volley of bolts all missed, leaving him and his men unharmed.
After a few glances to estimate the number of crossbowmen, the squad leader didn’t linger and returned to the main bandit force.
“Boss, I got it, got it! The Fourth Prince has about three hundred men total, and I estimate no more than sixty crossbowmen! But for some reason, their formation looks strange—like a hollow square.”
The squad leader reported to the bandit chief.
“Three hundred men, sixty crossbowmen. We have over five hundred now…”
The bandit chief glanced back at his band. Along the way, he had absorbed many bandits and criminals who came to join, looting as they went to equip them all with horses and basic armor.
“We can fight!”
The bandit chief couldn’t see any way he could lose.
“Everyone! Prepare to charge! We’ll smash them! Capture the Fourth Prince alive! Then tonight, we’ll reach the Border City and divide the gold coins!”
The bandit chief shouted to his men.
These bandits had long been salivating over the gold coins in the Border City.
Hearing the chief’s words, they became as if injected with stimulants and swarmed toward Anke’s militia formation.
The bandit chief was also crafty—he deliberately sent the newly absorbed bandits and criminals to the front, keeping his own men in the rear.
While charging toward Anke’s formation, the bandit chief’s mind suddenly wandered to the letter from His Highness the First Prince.
The letter had instructed him to test the Fourth Prince Anke’s army— fight if possible, and if he couldn’t win, withdraw directly.
But why wouldn’t he win? Could five hundred men really lose to three hundred?
Just as the bandit chief was pondering this, the militiamen in Anke’s formation suddenly hurled several dozen smoking black jars at the approaching bandits.
Before the bandits could see what those smoking objects were, the black jars that landed among them exploded with a roar.