By the edge of a stream in the forest, a Troll Wolf Cavalry was fetching water.
Surrounding him, four other companions were on guard.
Those experienced in survival in the wilderness all know the importance of water sources. But precisely because of its great import, it has become a natural trap.
A wolf cavalryman finishes fetching water and signals to his companions to swap places.
Just then, he detects a hint of an unsettling presence and immediately draws his curved knife from his waist.
The other four wolf cavalrymen are startled by their companion's action, instantly scanning their surroundings with tension.
However, nothing happens.
The forest is entirely silent, save for the rustling sound of a gentle breeze rustling through the treetops.
The wolf cavalrymen don't let their guard down, instead, their tension heightens.
Because it's too quiet.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
The screaming sound of arrows penetrates the suffocating silence.
This is followed by two screams of agony.
The three remaining Trolls barely have time to check whether their two arrow-shot companions are dead or alive. They hurriedly scramble onto their ice plain wolves and bolt.
"Chase them!"
Knight Blis bellows and takes the lead in the chase.
Behind him, hundreds of human cavalrymen charge out.
The serene morning is shattered and the blood-soaked prelude to a slaughter resonates once again.
Typically, ice plain wolves excel at short sprints compared to war horses, but on long runs, their stamina is relatively lacking.
Thus, after the three troll wolf cavalrymen have sprinted a certain distance, they not only failed to shake off the tail behind them, but they were getting caught up.
Moreover, as the gap closes, human arrows assail them again.
Before long, another two wolf cavalrymen are killed by arrows.
The last remaining cavalryman, in desperation, rams his knife into the backside of the ice plain wolf he was riding.
"Awoo!!!"
Due to the pain, the Ice Plain Wolf instantly speeds up, gaining some distance from the pursuers.
However, the short-lived speed boost gained from such self-maiming doesn't last too long.
The over-bleeding wolf gradually becomes weakened and in the end, it's caught up by the human cavalry and shot down with an arrow, then tumbles down to the ground.
The troll rolls on the ground a few times before climbing up awkwardly, still wanting to keep running forward.
"Shick!"
Blis gallops forward on his horse and beheads the troll with one fell swoop.
Before he's had a chance to catch his breath, the forests ahead stirs, and out jumps a horde of troll wolf cavalrymen.
They were a step too slow.
Blis sighs; realizing his speed to handle the vanguard of scout trolls wasn't fast enough and attracted more enemies.
"Form up!"
After estimating the distance of the incoming wolf cavalry, Blis knew this battle was unavoidable and commanded loudly.
"Move forward!"
The human cavalry, having just galloped a while earlier, barely had time to catch their breaths before Blis commands them to lower their face armor in preparation to meet the enemy.
"Advance!"
Thankfully, the incoming wolf cavalrymen weren't too numerous, they could be confronted in battle.
"Charge!"
As the distance between them closes, both sides enter the sprint stage almost simultaneously.
There is no retreat, no evasion, and certainly no mercy.
When paths narrow, the brave prevail!
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Ahhhh——"
"Boom!!!!"
In the vast impact, blood and broken bones spattered in all directions.
It was bloody, savage, and fierce.
Lives were offered as sacrifices, their blood serving as decoration.
The serene forest instantaneously transformed into a horrifying sacrificial platform.
After a bitter battle, the humans eventually gained the upper hand.
This cavalry unit of the St. Hilde family was indeed elite.
Also, Colin's prediction was correct. The trolls had not heavily deployed their forces in the direction towards the north.
Obviously, they had not expected that these fleeing human soldiers would dare to return to the main battlefield.
"Chase them!"
Seeing the remaining dozen trolls attempting to escape, Blis immediately ordered a pursuit.
They couldn't allow these creatures to escape, otherwise, they would undoubtedly attract even more pursuers.
Just then, a bluish glow suddenly blossomed within the forest.
In the direction where the trolls were retreating, it seemed as though the season had instantly changed. A layer of frost rapidly covered the ground and the treetops, followed by the Ice Plains wolves, impeding their march.
"It's magic!"
The leader of the wolf cavalry screamed, despair apparent in his eyes.
Yes, the female Mage hiding at the rear had finally completed her chanting. A third-level spell, [Frost Nova], perfectly erupted, slowing down the escape speed of the wolf cavalry.
"Kill them all!"
Blis seized this opportunity to lead the charge, decapitating the trolls, who were moving as if in slow motion, one by one.
Colin struck at the leader of the wolf cavalry, cutting off his weapon-holding right hand without killing him.
"I'll try to get some information out of him," Colin, dragging the half-dead leader of the wolf cavalry, called to Blis.
"Alright. But you better be quick, we can't stay here for long." Blis nodded, then commanded his troops loudly, "Hurry, hurry up! I give you ten minutes to clean up the battlefield!"
"Yes sir!"
"Master Colin, do you need assistance?" Knight Raymon came closer to offer help.
"No need, I can handle this," Colin refused Raymon's kind offer, and then took the leader of the wolf cavalry behind a large tree on his own, asking, "Tell me, are there any other troll armies nearby?"
"Pah!"
The leader of the wolf cavalry spat out a mouthful of blood-streaked saliva, angrily answering, "I will never tell you!"
Colin turned his head, deftly dodging the spittle, then pulled out his dagger and promptly sliced his captive's throat: "Alright, then you can die."
"Eh...eh..." The leader of the wolf cavalry widened his eyes as if asking - Why the hell aren't you playing by the rules?
Once his captive had stopped breathing, Colin looked around, seeing no one had noticed him, and stealthily pulled out his water bag.
"Glug... glug..."
That's correct — Colin's real intention was never to interrogate.
He had noticed during the fight that this leader of the wolf cavalry was a Samurai.
Similar to the human Knights, a Samurai was a specific profession within the troll tribe, they served the God of War and thus, they had the potential to ascend to the Holy Field.
After discovering that the blood of Warriors had no special effects, Colin thought, he should try to see if the blood of a Samurai would be similar to a human Knight and would help him increase his power.
Besides, this leader of the wolf cavalry's strength should be somewhere between second and third level, higher than Colin's current level.
Hence, if the Samurai's blood truly had some effect, he would likely find out pretty soon...
In the blink of an eye, ten minutes passed. Colin carefully hid the fully-filled water bag close to his body and returned to his team.
The battlefield had been cleared. All Trolls and their mounts had been killed, their bodies carelessly scattered in the forest.
The human casualties were hastily buried.
Following this battle, the number of people left in this fleeing squad had fallen to less than one hundred.
Approximately counting, Colin found only around seventy or eighty people remained.
Colin sighed, mounted his horse, and prepared to set off.
Just at that moment, Blis, leading the female Mage's warhorse, came over to Colin.
"Knight Colin."
"Madam, what can I assist you with?"
The female Mage shyly ducked her head, as if avoiding Colin's gaze, a hint of shyness in her voice:
"May I... ride the same horse as you?"