Upon seeing the intruders, Cog, the tavern owner, and his crew, including some of the city elders, were visibly shaken.
"Who are you people?" Cog demanded, his voice laced with wariness as he scrutinized the intruders — a half-masked figure and ten armed men.
Ryan, the man behind the mask, offered no reply, merely observing the unfolding scene.
The spectacle before him was unexpected; alongside Cog and his men, and the elders, there was an enchanting figure trapped in a cage. Closer inspection revealed pointed ears — a detail Ryan found astonishing. His system map had provided only dots, layouts and details of the area, not the live scene of the particular area.
Ryan's heart raced with excitement at the realization. "Could it be... an elf?" he wondered, amazed.
Despite knowing he was in another world, a place of goblins, hellhounds, and other fantastical creatures unknown in his previous life, the existence of an elf took him by surprise.
However, now was not the moment for astonishment over the elf's existence. Ryan was in the midst of a critical situation, about to confront the elders...
"Hey! What, are you deaf? Who are you folks?" Slyff, one of the city's elders, yelled at Ryan and his band of ten soldiers.
Clearly, both the tavern owner and the elders were baffled, failing to recognize Ryan concealed beneath a half mask and a hooded robe.
Furthermore, they weren't able to identify Ryan's men as they're part of the city lord's forces, even though they were right there, unmasked and dressed plainly, blending in like an ordinary civilians. If they had realized who these soldiers were, they might have understood the situation better. Unfortunately, the elders didn't pay much heed to what they considered mere peasant soldiers accompanying Ryan, missing the connection entirely.
"It doesn't matter whether you recognize me or not," Ryan finally broke his silence, his tone ominous. "Because I'll be the end of the good times you've been having..."
Hearing the apparent leader's threat, the tavern owner and the elders were instantly on edge.
Slyff and the other elders glanced at Cog, silently questioning whether he recognized the intruder. However, Cog merely shook his head in confusion and commanded his three men, "Go and confront these intruders!"
The trio exchanged wary looks before drawing their weapons from their sheaths, steeling themselves for the confrontation ahead.
Yet, the disparity in numbers was clear. Cog, the tavern owner, and the city elders, despite being outnumbered, recognized that three men wouldn't suffice to fend off the intruders. Acknowledging this, they too armed themselves, revealing their combat readiness despite their elder status.
Ryan observed this escalating tension, mentally bracing himself. His combat knowledge was limited to high school brawls from his previous life, far removed from the lethal dance of a blade. Yet, this was the reality he faced.
With a series of meaningful glances, Ryan communicated his strategy to his soldiers. Despite only two days of training under Ryan, the soldiers understood their directives clearly — they were to apply their newfound knowledge meticulously, leaving no room for error.
The impending clash filled Ryan's troops with anxiety, despite their numerical superiority. They harbored doubts about the effectiveness of Ryan's tactics against opponents who, despite their age, exuded a seasoned warrior's aura. The elders, sturdy and battle-scarred, along with Cog and his formidable men, presented a daunting challenge.
Uncertainty loomed over whether Ryan's plans would safeguard them as promised, but contemplation was a luxury they could not afford. At Ryan's signal, who raises three fingers in three different directions, his forces divided: four soldiers advanced straight ahead, while three moved left and another three to the right, each group adopting their strategic positions as instructed.
Witnessing this, Cog, his three men, and the five elders tensed, their caution tinged with bewilderment at the unfolding tactics.
"What on earth are they planning?" murmured one elder, perplexed at the sight.
"It looks like that half-masked leader gave a signal, and now they're splitting into three groups," another whispered, trying to make sense of the strategy.
"They're definitely up to something," a third elder speculated.
"But this could actually work out for us," Slyff interjected confidently. "If they're dividing their forces, we might actually stand a chance!"
"Let's hold our ground and let them make the first move," suggested another, strategizing. "We need to stick together no matter what."
"Exactly," agreed another. "Their numerical advantage would be overwhelming if they stayed together. But them splitting up? That's an unexpected advantage for us."
"And all we need is to close in on their leader, that masked man. Take him down, and the fight becomes much easier," plotted another elder.
"Quiet down!" Slyff hissed. "If they catch on to our thoughts, they might regroup."
Their strategy session was meant to be private, away from prying ears, especially those of the intruders.
Unbeknownst to them, the elf, close to the huddle, overheard everything. She called out to Ryan, "Hey! Don't split up your forces! Why make things easier for them?"
The elders and Cog turned sharply towards the elf, irritation flashing in their eyes.
"Such a nuisance," one elder grumbled.
"Cog, you should have gagged her before bringing her here," another said in frustration.
Relieved, the elders and Cog noted that the intruders' leaders didn't seem to react to the elf's warning. Meanwhile, the elf looked towards Ryan with a mix of concern and frustration, even raising her voice in a second attempt to warn him.
Cog regarded the elf with visible annoyance...
Ryan, however, caught the elf's warnings but merely smiled, entertained by the situation. In this primitive world, his tactics might seem unconventional, but he was determined to test and implement them.
He lock eyes with Claude from the forward team and he extend one arm and waves it gently. Claude understood the signal and, with his group, advanced to engage the enemy, drawing their focus.
The tavern owner, his trio of men, and the five city elders momentarily shifted their focus towards the four men charging at them, swords drawn and ready for battle. Even as they remained wary of the other groups positioned in different directions, this forward squad commanded their immediate attention.
Ryan watched with a sly grin as his forward team, consisting of four soldiers, engaged the tavern owner's group. The nine defenders, comprised of the tavern owner, his men, and the elders, were drawn into the skirmish, thinking they could swiftly defeat these four and thereby reduce the number of their adversaries.
However, as the fight unfolded, Ryan's soldiers adeptly avoided a full-on clash while still maintaining engagement, drawing the tavern owner's group deeper into the fray.
Observing the scene, Ryan's expression remained one of calculated amusement. As time ticked by, he saw his opponents ensnared by their own eagerness to overpower the forward team. Although these four were designed to entice the enemy rather than to confront them head-on, they succeeded in monopolizing the group's attention.
With a subtle glance and a gentle wave, Ryan signaled to the leaders of the right and left teams, instructing them to commence their stealthy advance.
In the meantime, the right and left teams moved silently towards their respective flanks, biding their time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
While the main focus of the tavern owner and the elders was on defeating the forward team — who cleverly used tactics taught by Ryan to withstand the assault, despite sustaining minor injuries — they couldn't fully disregard the ominous presence of the other two groups lurking at the sidelines, maintaining a cautious eye on them.
From the cage, the elf watched the unfolding drama with clear eyes. Unlike the tavern owner and the elders, she discerned the palpable threat posed by the silent groups on the right and left, recognizing their strategic pause as the calm before a storm, waiting just for the right moment to unleash their attack.