The invasion of Carmila Town continues to rage on as the people of Carmila bravely hold off the bandits that are trying to kill, kidnap and steal everything from the town. In the meantime, Christa knocks off every bandit who was unfortunate enough to be in her sight as she continues to wander and search the whole town for the mysterious monster's whereabouts.
"Still no sign, huh?"
Christa said as she hit another bandit with her wooden sword. A little girl who she saved after hitting the bandit down stared at Christa intently, adorned by her dark red clothes, her eyes that are glowing red and the black hair that is dancing right before the beautiful full moon.
"Pretty..."
The little girl spoke in low volume.
"Maybe it was too shy because there are a lot of people here fighting? In that case..."
After concluding that the monster doesn't want to come out with a lot of people around, she then started to go around and help the townspeople of Carmila to fend off the bandits. Christa assumed that the monster is only moving alone, meaning, it wouldn't attack a group of prey alone unless it knows that it can take it all down. After remembering the idea that she learned from Angelika, she thought driving off the bandits away would increase the chance for it to show up. And so, she proceeded to take down bandits one by one.
After a few minutes of endlessly clashing with their weapons, defending their homes, family, The Prince and the Knight Guards have finally arrived on the scene. The Prince gets off his horse's back as some of the Knight Guards did the same. He then immediately gave out orders for them.
"Alright, first things first, Archers, spread around the town by two and get higher grounds. That way it would give you a good sight on the bandits. Those who have excellent aim, the four watchtowers will be your priority to take location! Go!"
"Yes!"
A number of twenty-four archers quickly moved out as they received their orders. With the ones with good aiming skills, they rushed towards the four tall watchtowers to occupy it. While having a high place to shoot for bandits, they can also look around outside the town to see if there are still a large number of bandits on the hiding. The rest of the archers took the roof of the houses as their standing point. Then, the shooting began, hitting or killing bandits in an instant, one after another.
The Prince continued to give out orders from the melee fighters, the Swordsmen and the Spearmen.
"The rest of you, spread across the town, help civilians who are trying to fend off the bandits and let no one die!"
"What about you, Prince?"
The man who talked to the Prince earlier had spoken.
"Me? Of course, I will also help the civilians on my end."
"I see, then..."
The man called a few Knight Guards to accompany him and the Prince.
"What are you doing, Kaien? We need as many people to go around the town as possible!"
"Protecting civilians is one thing, but the life of the Prince is our top priority."
The Knight Guards have also agreed. The Prince couldn't find the words to refuse their opinion as he thought it wouldn't do good if he cast aside the Knight Guards loyalty away. And so, he decided to just let them accompany him while the others are to scatter around the whole town.
"Then, the others will come with me, the rest will scatter around the streets! Protect the civilians at all cost! Go!"
"Yes!"
Riding their horses, The Prince and the Knight Guards have begun storming through the streets - Helping the civilians who are fighting the bandits one after the other, saving them, protecting them. Every single bandit who is in sight meets the Prince and the Knight Guards' blades. It didn't take long before the arrival of the prince spread across the town of Carmila, even Christa heard the commotion caused by the Prince's presence. Although she doesn't seem to be intrigued at all.
However, the bandits are the clear opposite.
"The Prince is finally here!"
"Hunt him down!"
"Find him and kill him!"
They reacted as if they were expecting the Prince to come to the town and he was their main target. Even the bandits that are fighting the civilians are backing away and is rushing towards the location of the Prince. Witnessing this made Christa think to herself.
'It looks like they really want to get that Prince or whoever that is... Maybe they want to kill him because he's strong? In that case, I have to see him for myself!'
After a quick analysis of the commotion happening, Christa had decided to follow the direction the bandits are heading for - The Prince's location himself - right on the central plaza of the Carmila Town.
At the central plaza, it was crowded with civilians protecting their stalls, shop, and other stuff, and the bandits who are tirelessly kept pushing the civilians over their knees - Killing them, kidnapping the women and children, taking things that the townspeople failed to protect. But with the Prince and Knight Guards help, the people managed to protect and saved everything. Of course, there are casualties on both sides.
"Hey, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Edle noticed a child crying alone and has no parents to cling to. The tears from the child's eyes won't stop from trickling down as she responds to the Prince.
"Papa... Papa..."
Those are the only words the kid have said to the prince. When the prince looked just beside the kid, a lifeless body of a man who was stabbed right in his heart was lying on the ground. The kid probably saw his Father death right with his own two eyes. And so he was mentally traumatized and doesn't know exactly what to do. All he could do is cry as he sits with his Father's lifeless body.
Edle gently caresses the child like what a Father would do to his child if he sees him crying. And then, he whispered.
"It's okay, I will protect you and give your Father a proper funeral. You're safe now."
The kid stopped crying as he felt Edle's gentle and warm hug, it's as if he saw his Father in him. Right after Edle released the kid from his arms, the kid had spoken.
"Ma... Mama!"
"Mama...? Where?"
Edle scouted the area with his eyes but the kid doesn't seem to find his Mother. And then...
"Mama was kidnapped by bandits!"
"What?"
"Save her! Please! Please!"
Edle could not refuse the kid's plea for help, he also thought that losing her entire family would leave a huge scar in her heart. And so he replied to the kid.
"Alright. I will save your mother. Make sure you stay with people and don't wander around, okay?"
"O... Okay."
The kid then ran towards the group of people who are having their injuries treated.
"Are you going to save that kid's mother?"
"Kaien..."
Kaien seemed to have heard Edle's talk with the kid.
"Are you going to stop me?"
It didn't take long before Kaien decided to answer Edle who seemed to be ready to sprint at any second.
"Doesn't seem like you're going to listen anyway."
Kaien pulled out his sword as he himself told the Prince to go and save the child's mother. Edle smiled with Kaien's response. Then, one of the archers who Edle stationed on the roof of the houses had come to report to him.
"Prince! A wave of bandits is coming from all directions!"
"What?!"
"Most of them are coming from the west. The other Archers and swordsmen are fighting them in all directions as we speak! Also, there is one more thing..."
"What is it?"
"It seemed that when they heard about your arrival, the bandits have started storming through towards the plaza, or to be precise, to you, Prince."
"That's..."
"It's just as we thought, Prince. It was all a setup."
Kaien responded as he believed it was all but a set up to execute Edle. Edle then proceeded to take a quick glance on the evacuation area.
'So what they're really after is me, huh?"
Edle thought to himself. Then, he asked the archer who reported to him.
"Have you guys noticed the bandits kidnapping people?"
"Yes. We managed to save some of them, but, we couldn't save all of them."
"Then, did you see where they are taking them."
"We saw them taking the townspeople down the streets from the southeastern section of the town."
"I see. This is what we will do..."
Edle ordered the archer to relay his orders to the rest of the archers and swordsmen fighting the bandits on all directions.
"Have all the Archers to take a defensive position on the north, south, and east to keep the bandits from reaching this evacuation area. If what they're really after is me, I should be able to lure away the enemies from the west. Kaien and other swordsmen who can still fight will follow me. Now, go!"
"Yes!"
The archer left with haste as he began to relay the Prince's orders from the other knight guards.
On Christa's side, she continued to follow the bandits in order to see the Prince who seemed to be their target. Carefully hopping from one house to another, Christa quietly tails them as they slowly approach the central plaza.
On the eastern side of the town Carmila to the place, the bandits decided to be their current hideout, one of the prisoners managed to escape the hideout. However, it didn't take long before the bandits saw her escape and began to chase her.
Unfortunately enough, she tripped and broke one of her legs as she fell on the ground. The bandits are getting closer and closer as they laughed at the woman struggling to get away from them. Just then, as they were about to approach closer to the woman, something bit the woman's head and pulled it out of her body.
The bandits watched in terror as they watch the monster feasts on the woman's head.