After two whole days since they had left, the convoy leader, who was still riding in front of the carriage, shouted so the mercenaries and whoever was in the carriage could hear him.
"ALMOST THERE! ONLY ABOUT AN HOUR LEFT!"
Leon was among the mercenaries closest to the convoy leader and he gave a thumbs up with one hand, while his other hand stabilized him on his galloping horse. The other mercenaries also gave varying gestures like nods or clapping as they would finally reach their destination.
The convoy had started going up a minor slope an hour back, but now they were so high up that Leon didn't even try to run near the edge and many other mercenaries also tightened up as they clumped closer together. Although Leon couldn't see the end of the cliff, he could tell that the land was slowly narrowing into a point.
Leon slowed down a tad bit until he was within a few meters of the convoy leader and yelled.
"WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?!"
The convoy had to yell back his answer.
"THERE SHOULD BE A TREE AT THE TIP OF THE CLIFF!"
Leon gave a thumbs up. The speed they were traveling at made his body feel light as he felt the wind brushing against his cheeks. As he rode, he felt a sort of tranquil and peaceful feeling from the cool wind and rhythmic bumpiness. A sense of repose softly settled into Leon until something interrupted him.
His gut told him to dodge and he jerked his horse to the left. Barely dodging a sizzling sensation that heated the outer parts of his skin. He pulled his right arm close to his body just barely dodging a stream of fire that shot straight into the rock floor, leaving a scorch mark behind.
Screams of agony could be heard in front of Leon before the convoy leader tried his best to stop his momentum and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"ENEMY ATTACK!"
The sprinting convoy suddenly came to a halt as everyone started to panic. Leon spoke in a hurried manner.
"What do you want us to d-"
Before he could finish, an explosion flung him off his horse. He kept his head low, his hands shielding his neck, and tried to understand what had just happened.
Leon had fallen flat onto his stomach and his body was like a storm of stimuli. He opened his eyes and looked everywhere. A painful sensation radiated across his right shoulder, but Leon couldn't worry too much about that as a ringing sound muffled out all the noises.
Mercenaries screamed as they lied on the floor burnt to a crisp. The convoy leader shouted towards the remaining ones. The carriage had been hit with both front wheels breaking and the horses fell on the ground from the heat. A neighing sound became muffled as Leon's horse raised his hind legs as its side had become burned.
Leon used all his strength to push himself off the floor and staggered from disorientation from the explosion of fire. Before he could stabilize himself, something tackled him to the ground and he saw a giant fireball explode where he was previously standing.
Looking at the person on top of him, Leon could see the convoy leader shouting at him.
"Get up! The enemy is flinging magic at us!"
Even though the ringing was slightly present, Leon could hear what he said and he looked slightly uphill in front of him, but he felt his stomach turn. Already, several mercenaries had been put out of action.
At least five had been burned so badly that they weren't moving and lied on the ground as their horses ran downhill. Leon heard a scream from in front of him.
"AGHHH, HE-help, help me!"
Leon looked towards the man shouting and could see one of the mercenaries sobbing and hyperventilating as the fireball had burned through his leg as he sat on the ground with a puddle of blood spilling out. Before he could continue speaking he blacked out due to pain.
The stark scene pumped adrenaline into Leon and he instantly checked to see if Ensis was still with him and felt the comfortable and familiar sensation of steel. He looked towards his right for his horse but could see that the injury and loud explosion had driven it downhill.
The remaining mercenaries all tried to run and ride downhill to escape the hidden assailants. But as they passed the carriage, a line of soldiers with heavy armor holding heavy square shields and spears stood ready to intercept them. Even some men stood behind the heavy spearmen, which Leon could tell were mages as he felt the mana surrounding them being pulled towards them in greater quantities.
Seeing their escape path blocked, the mercenaries could only gasp in horror. Even though chaos had plagued the convoy, the leader tried to get everything back into order.
"Stand by and form a defensive line! It's the only way to survive!"
The frazzled and panicked mercenaries didn't even think about it and formed a defensive line facing the base of the cliff. A mercenary who was still panicking shouted.
"Is it barbarians?!"
The convoy leader spat on the ground and put one hand on his sword.
"No, these aren't barbarians. Their soldiers from Silce."
Leon shouted at the convoy leader.
"Soldiers from Silce?! What's happening!"
Before he could finish talking, a man dressed in light armor stepped out from the line of heavy spearmen in the direction towards the base of the cliff as he spoke loudly so everyone could hear.
"Paz, you didn't even tell your mercenaries about you and the young misses' identity?"
The man clicked his tongue in a sarcastic way of disappointment
"Well, why don't I enlighten you, country bumpkins. Your convoy leader?"
The man doubled over in laughter before putting his hand on his face as he laughed before the man spoke in a sarcastic grand voice.
"Of course he's Sir Paz, knight to Grand Duke Ferdinand. One of the most trusted knights might I add...well maybe not anymore since he disobeyed orders from his lord"
The convoy leader spat towards the man and drew his sword.
"You slimy bastard! Do you think you'll get away with attacking us! Where is your honor as a Knight, Arulo?"
Arulo drew his rapier and laughed.
"What could you possibly mean? I attacked you?"
Arulo gestured towards his knights and smirked.
"I believe the story is actually you kidnapped the young miss and disappeared from the country. HAHAHA"
All at once, the heavy spearmen started moving forward in a line towards the mercenaries, as the mercenaries turned grim. One of them even spoke softly out of fear.
"May one of the Gods help us."