It wasn't uncommon for armies to disguise themselves as bandits to rob caravans.
Ordinary adventurers, unless they reached the level of a great knight, had no chance against a well-trained army.
A few volleys of arrows could turn these adventurers into pincushions. The combat prowess of an army was far superior to that of scattered adventurers.
Moreover, armies often had powerful individuals, and great knights were not rare.
The army facing them wouldn't dare raid the Dragonspine Highlands without a great knight leading them.
"Without my order, no one is to make a move," said Roque, the owner of the caravan and the one with the most authority. All the guards were hired by him.
Roque knew that negotiation was their only option against an army.
If they dared to resist, they would all be killed.
The Dragonspine Highlands were isolated, and the death of three to four hundred people would go unnoticed and be difficult to trace.
Even if it were traced, no one would risk conflict with the Kingdom of Violet's army over them.
A few minutes later, the caravan members finally saw the army.
They realized they were surrounded. The fog obscured the exact number of soldiers, but it was clear they were outnumbered.
The soldiers were mounted, with about sixty percent in full armor, coldly staring at the caravan.
"Greetings, sirs. I am Roque Dormer. I know General Tratton well and have paid military aid regularly. Could you let us pass?" Roque said with a forced smile.
A man on a tall horse rode out from the army. Fully armored and helmeted, his face was hidden. "General Tratton? Sorry, we don't know him. We're just a bunch of bandits," he said.
The soldiers' armor bore no insignia, looking freshly forged and unmarked by the Kingdom of Violet.
Roque continued, "Sir, these are goods we need to sell in the Kingdom of Doris to make money. How about this: I'll bring back ten thousand gold coins for you when I return?"
The man sneered. "Do you think I'm stupid? Hand over anything valuable, including the goods!"
"Sir, please leave us something. We have families to feed…" Roque pleaded.
"I don't care if you live or die! Hand over everything valuable now, or we'll take it by force!" The man drew his sword, and the soldiers aimed their weapons at the caravan.
Roque, pale, signaled his men to hand over the goods. "Give them the goods," he sighed.
The caravan workers hesitated but, feeling the cold steel of the soldiers' weapons, quickly turned to unload the goods.
"Wait!"
A voice rang out, and everyone turned to see Karim stepping forward.
With a stern expression, he addressed the leader. "You're Ivis, the knight commander under Duke Theodore. Aren't you afraid of what the Duke will do when he finds out about this?"
Ivis was silent for a moment. "You've got the wrong person."
Karim laughed. "Wrong person? A few months ago, you chatted with me at a banquet. How quickly you forget. If you attack this caravan, I guarantee Duke Theodore will hang you from the gallows!"
The scene fell silent. The caravan members were shocked by Karim's boldness in threatening the army.
Ivis seemed genuinely wary of Karim.
Helag sighed. "Idiot."
Roque glanced at Karim, visibly panicked.
After a long silence, Ivis raised his sword. "Kill them all!"
"You!" Karim was stunned. He hadn't expected Ivis to defy orders and kill everyone to cover his tracks.
Karim was furious. "You'll pay for this!"
Ivis sneered. "You're the one who will pay for your stupidity. Remember, it wasn't me who killed these people; it was you."
The soldiers began their assault on the caravan's defenses. The guards fought back, knowing they had no choice.
They had some skill, and Ivis's troops couldn't overwhelm them immediately.
Karim stood at the front, wielding a greatsword. With each swing, a soldier's head flew.
He quickly cleared the area around him, leaving seven or eight soldiers dead on the ground.
Despite their full armor, the soldiers couldn't withstand Karim's strikes.
Arrows targeted Karim, but his armor was of such high quality that they did no harm.
Karim continued to cut down soldiers, unfazed by the arrow volleys.
Soon, no one dared approach Karim's position.
Ivis, seeing this, rode forward and dismounted, walking through the crowd. "I'll handle him."
Karim tensed, muscles taut.
He was close to becoming a great knight but wasn't one yet. Compared to Ivis, he was outmatched.
But he showed no fear, gripping his greatsword firmly, ready to attack.
Ivis approached with his sword. "If I had your wealth, I'd be lounging at home, not out here risking my life."
"I'm a noble and a knight. I won't live a decadent life. Upholding justice is my true calling," Karim declared, swinging his greatsword at Ivis.
The swing was powerful and fast.
Ivis blocked it effortlessly with his sword, not even budging.
Karim, seeing his attack blocked, quickly changed his stance and launched several more attacks.
But Ivis, as if toying with him, easily parried each strike.
Everyone could see that while Karim was strong, he was no match for Ivis.
"A great knight is far stronger than you can imagine. You've never seen the true power of a great knight, or you wouldn't be foolish enough to challenge me," Ivis sneered.