Anton who had already regained his composure was stunned after witnessing the scene.
This young Alchemist who looked to be in his twenties killed a veteran Level 3 Esper in just two moves! How could he not be surprised by this?
In truth, it wasn't just him, everyone else on the battlefield stopped in their tracks after seeing the collapse of Solas. Such a domineering figure was actually defeated in a matter of seconds!
After seeing the corpse of their boss, the bandits lost their will to fight. They dropped down their weapons and kneeled as they surrendered. Some of them even sobbed as they could still not fathom how their powerful boss was killed.
"Sir Aethelwolf, we've captured the old man. What do we do with him?" Samira arrived at the side of Leric while pulling a bedraggled old man. Her eyes revealed a tinge of respect and awe as she stared at Leric's side profile. She was still quite skeptical about his identity, but after witnessing how he easily dispatched a Level 3 Esper, all doubts about him vanished.
Skylar and Kathlyn were also looking at him with looks of adoration. It was the first time they witnessed such proficient control of wielding world essence! They even started comparing him with the patriarch of the Reynolds Family, Viscount Harold Reynolds!
Leric stared at the old man with a calm look as he muttered. "Let the General deal with him. If I'm not wrong, this old man should be the tactician of this bandit army. That means he was responsible for the deaths of General Gavin's men."
After hearing his words, Samira and the two ladies were a bit surprised. Their gazes towards the old man also turned colder. Although they only joined the Flame Tiger Army to gain experience, the three girls were still angry about the loss of more than a hundred soldiers throughout the conflict between the Flame Tiger Army and the Northern Viper Group.
"Alright. We will take our leave now, Sir Aethelwolf." Samira bowed her head lightly at Leric. She might be the daughter of a high-ranking noble, but this man was more than worthy of her respect.
Leric nodded his head at her with a smile. He then turned his gaze to his father. "Commander Anton, we should regroup with the General and the army. There are still remnant bandits scattered throughout the battlefield. With their leader gone, it would be easier to make those bandits surrender."
Leric was thankful that he joined the expedition. If not, he didn't dare think about what would have happened to his father if he met Solas on the battlefield. Even General Gavin might have a hard time winning against such a man.
Anton recovered from his dazed state when he heard the calm voice of the young Alchemist. He nodded his head and stared at the young man with a grateful look. "Yes, Sir Aethelwolf. Once the battle is over, I will find you and offer my most sincere thanks."
Looking at his father's serious look, Leric could only smile. "Alright."
He felt slightly guilty for hiding his identity, but there was nothing he could do. It would be too troublesome to explain his circumstance to his father. So to prevent himself from being branded as a crazy lunatic, this was the best he could do.
Anton gave Leric a salute before he left to gather his men.
"Brothers, there are still a bunch of bandits scattered on the battlefield. I want fifty of you to deal with them, while the rest will follow me to help General Gavin! Move!" Anton commanded his soldiers with a stern voice.
Leric placed his hands behind his back as he watched the rest of the battle unfold. The sounds of metal clanging and the hoarse voices of the soldiers and bandits traveled to his ears.
Despite it being his first time seeing such a gruesome scene, Leric felt strangely calm throughout the whole ordeal.
Leric knew that this had something to do with his skill [Demon Heart].
Not long later, General Gavin and Commander Anton led the Flame Tiger Army to kill hundreds of bandits. With the abrupt death of their boss, Solas, the remaining bandits chose to surrender.
More than three hundred bandits were tied up by the soldiers of the Flame Tiger Army.
Looking at the remaining bandits, General Gavin grinned. After following Sir Aethelwolf's strategy, their casualties were almost negligible. In fact, it was a complete utter defeat!
Initially, he was already expecting a hard fight against Solas, but the sudden appearance of Sir Aethelwolf saved him a lot of trouble.
General Gavin searched the entire area and he finally saw the young Alchemist sitting leisurely under the shade of a tree. He had a peaceful look on his face as he overlook the battlefield. "Sir Aethelwolf, I thank you on behalf of the entire Flame Tiger Army. Without you, many of my brothers would have sacrificed themselves." The General's voice was filled with sincerity.
Leric stood up and shook his head. "This is the least I could do to express my gratitude for letting me stay in your camp."
General Gavin smiled humbly upon hearing that. "Let's go back to the camp, Sir Aethelwolf. The camp is planning to celebrate our victory against the Northern Viper Group. As the main contributor to our victory, I hope that you can join us, Sir Aethelwolf."
The young Alchemist's help had already exceeded the General's expectations and he no longer had the thought of having the man refine a pill for him.
"In that case, I shall accept your invitation." Leric let out a smile as he replied.