After running a considerable distance, Helag could no longer sense any activity behind him. He began to circle around towards the exit.
Forty minutes later, Helag reached the exit without encountering anyone else.
The four horses were still there, along with an additional carriage, likely belonging to the three third-class apprentices.
Helag mounted his horse and started galloping back to Moonlight Woodland.
"From what those three said, Malcolm must have discovered Luen's death in Moonlight Forest and blamed Moonlight Woodland, even issuing a bounty…"
He removed his robe and changed into plain clothes.
Kicking his horse's belly, the horse sped up.
An hour later, with no pursuers in sight, Helag felt somewhat relieved.
"Hmm?" He suddenly heard the clash of swords, cries, and shouts ahead.
As he rode closer, he saw a group of bandits attacking a caravan.
There were about thirty bandits, including archers.
The caravan had only a dozen people, using their carriages as makeshift fortifications, surrounded by many corpses.
"Keep pushing, guys! They're almost done for. They're nobles, bound to have good stuff!" The bandit leader, a man with a long scar across his face, commanded from the perimeter.
The strongest in the caravan was a middle-aged knight, guarding the center with a large shield, fending off the bandits.
Helag glanced at the scene and continued on his way, not wanting to get involved.
As he rode past, the scar-faced man noticed him and spotted the rings on Helag's fingers, his eyes lighting up. "Stop him! He's got valuable stuff!"
Seven or eight arrows shot towards Helag, aiming to knock him off his horse.
Helag, having received a warning from Deep Blue, ducked and dodged the arrows.
"This guy's got some skills. Shoot his horse!" the bandit leader ordered.
Arrows quickly struck the horse's rear and belly, causing it to collapse with a few whinnies.
Helag rolled to the ground, glaring coldly at the bandits.
"Hahaha! Good shot, finish him off!" The bandit leader laughed, sending seven or eight men towards Helag.
Meanwhile, several archers aimed at Helag, shooting arrows.
"Ice Shield!"
"Mana Shield!"
"Dark Energy Shield!"
The arrows bounced off the thick shields, causing no harm to Helag.
The bandit leader's smile froze, sensing something was wrong with Helag's strange shields.
Clang!
Helag drew a gleaming sword and charged at the bandits.
Arrows continued to fly but were all deflected.
With his knight-level physique, Helag quickly reached the bandits, decapitating one with a single swing.
The bandits' weapons and arrows were useless against Helag, unable to penetrate his basic defenses.
In a blink, Helag killed all eight bandits charging at him, leaving a pool of blood.
"Monster… monster!" The remaining bandits were terrified, having never seen shields like Helag's.
They began to flee, abandoning the caravan.
The bandit leader ran the fastest, silently mounting a horse and galloping away.
Helag locked onto him, quickly forming a Corrosive Arrow and shooting it.
Whoosh!
The Corrosive Arrow pierced the bandit leader's neck, knocking him off his horse.
A gaping, corroded wound appeared on his neck, blackened by the corrosive energy.
With their leader dead, the bandits scattered.
Helag didn't bother chasing them, not wanting to waste time.
He glanced at his dying horse and walked towards the caravan.
"Thank you, sir, for saving us! The Allison family will forever remember your kindness!" The middle-aged knight knelt in gratitude as Helag approached.
"Hello, I'm Yuffie Allison," a well-dressed noble girl with a delicate face and white stockings on her legs stepped out of the carriage.
Helag gave her a brief look and then turned to the knight. "Can I buy a horse?"
"Buy… a horse?" The knight was momentarily confused but quickly said, "Of course, you don't need to buy one. Just take whichever horse you like."
Helag nodded, picked a sturdy black horse, and tossed two gold coins on the ground before riding off.
Yuffie helped the knight up. "Uncle Sunny, I think he's the knight I've been looking for."
Sunny sighed. "Miss Yuffie, that man isn't a knight. He's a wizard, a being from legend. Don't provoke him."
"But in knight novels, the knight always appears to save the princess in danger and then live happily ever after," Yuffie said, holding a book titled "Knight and Rose."
Sunny knew Yuffie was obsessed with knight novels lately. "Miss Yuffie, let's get back in the carriage and head home while the bandits are scared off."
"These two gold coins should be kept safe," Sunny said, carefully picking up the coins Helag had left, wiping off the dirt, and storing them.
For Helag, this was just a minor incident on his journey. What annoyed him was the delay caused by the bandits.
Helag didn't stop, only camping at night to rest and let his horse graze and drink.
***
Three days later, Helag arrived at the Red Mountain station.
He immediately sensed the tense atmosphere. A formal wizard and three third-class apprentices were stationed there.
"There was no one here when I left," Helag thought, puzzled.
"Show your rune stone," a chubby third-class apprentice approached to verify his identity.
Helag obediently handed over his rune stone. After checking it, the chubby wizard returned it.
He then took out a bamboo-like object. "This is a Faceless Bamboo. Suck on it."
Helag did as instructed, and white smoke emitted from his ears, nose, and mouth, dissipating after a while.