Since the original host has already established a good rapport with the world, it's possible that Field might benefit from this in the future.
"Haha, Baron Bull and his son are quite famous, uh, sorry, I spoke out of turn." Cao quickly shut up, as making comments about another noble in front of one, especially when the person is known for being timid and cowardly, could be considered tempting fate.
He had lost his prospects and been exiled to the northern border because he had meddled where he shouldn't have, stumbling upon a noble's affair.
Field wanted to ask more questions, but he noticed that a red skull icon had suddenly appeared on the mental map in his head and was moving rapidly towards their direction.
"Hiss, could it be someone coming to greet us?" Although Field said this, he wasn't foolish. The skull icon was definitely not a good sign, so he quickly asked his servant to call Knight Conner.
"Haha, if I may speak frankly, Lord Baron is just being paranoid!" Conner laughed at the anxious message delivered by the servant, showing disdain and mocking him, "We are behind the walls of Kashan Fortress, the strongest link in the empire's defense. If there's danger here, I'll eat all the horse manure pulled by my warhorses!"
In Conner's mind, Field was marked as a desperate man grasping at straws.
"Tell your master that going to Nightfall Territory is under both legal and familial supervision; we can't back out now. It wouldn't befit a nobleman's character."
The servant, hearing Conner's aggressive statement, became unsure and went back to report.
Field simply responded with an "oh," and ordered the slaves to slow down.
Conner, mounted on his horse, was forced to move to the front of the procession.
"Coward! How did the Earl produce such a weakling?" Conner muttered scornfully.
But soon enough, his expression turned grave.
Because Field encountered the "locals" who were warmly welcoming them.
"Roar!" A strange cry echoed through the air.
"Has it come?" Field chuckled lightly, "Looks like someone's dinner tonight will be horse manure."
Amidst exclamations of surprise, Field passed the obstructing slaves and saw pairs of grey-white eyes. Ghouls dressed in peasant clothes were rushing toward them at full speed, with a dozen or so normal humans running ahead of them. Even from a hundred meters away, the chilling malevolence and stench of decay still hit them squarely in the face.
These rotting corpses were the product of the Northern Province!
"What's happening? We haven't even reached the Northern Province yet, how can there be monsters!" Conner spat out a curse, lamenting his bad luck. Just when he thought he could complete his mission without incident, they ran into unexpected trouble, "Mount up, knights, prepare for battle!"
What made it even worse was that he had just mocked Field, which made him exceptionally irritated.
Conner raised his lance, reluctant but obligated; if he didn't fulfill his duty, he would have no chance with the upper echelons.
Twenty cavalrymen immediately formed a line, gallooped onto the heights to the right, and then used the downward slope to accelerate, charging swiftly towards the horde of corpses.
"Better to rely on oneself." Feeling the tension rise within himself, Field stared deeply at the clawing ghouls and called out to the slaves behind him, "Link the wooden carts together. Any brave men, grab farm tools and follow me into battle! I will reward those who show courage."
The slaves remained unmoved, trembling behind the convoy or praying for a miracle.
"Don't expect anything from those useless wretches," the管家's legs shook violently, as if there were tiny electric motors inside, nearly urinating in fear! He clutched at Field's robe, quiveringly pleading, "Master, let's flee for our lives, er, I mean, strategically retreat. There's no need to worry about these mud-legs; we can always buy more if they die."
Field pushed the管家's hand away, frowning, "Just a little thing scares you like this? Maybe you're better off not going to the Northern Province."
As if I want to go! The伯爵 specifically named me! The管家 wished he could ascend to heaven on the spot, his face turning red with frustration.
"Ah? Are there enemies?" Ashna jumped down from the carriage. After days of rest, she had regained her health, and where flesh was needed, it grew generously—pale and tender. If not for the slave mark and maid outfit, she could easily pass for a noble lady.
"Master, I... I will try my best to protect you!"
Ashna held up her tiny fists, shaking like a kitten caught in the cold wind, standing in front of Field.
"That won't be necessary." Looking at Ashna's wolf ears perked up in tension, Field couldn't help but laugh bitterly, yet he felt reassured that the food and bread were not wasted.
Unlike some despicable people who ate his food and still bore a grudge against him.
"Help!" The farmers in the lead, seeing their saviors, cried out for mercy and rushed towards them, bringing the horde of corpses along.
"For glory!"
When they reached a certain distance, Conner's cavalry charged. They shouted battle cries, thrusting their three-meter long lances forward to meet the clawing horde of corpses.
"Pfft! Pfft!"
A series of sickening sounds of flesh piercing came through as seven or eight zombies were impaled and flung aside like torn sacks, crashing to the ground. Their decomposed blood, now a purplish hue, sprayed profusely soaking the ground in a viscous mess.
This was just an appetizer; after the lance charge, the cavalry wheeled around, swinging chain hammers or sabers from their mounts amidst bursts of blood flowers flying through the air. The ghouls fell like wheat being harvested, some knocked over by warhorses and then trampled until their chest cavities exploded under iron hooves in a scene akin to a massacre.
Those few remaining ghouls crashed into the barricade organized by Field, their brains already turned to ornaments; they had no understanding of tactics and even lashed out biting at the wooden carts.
"Oh my!" The slaves shoved each other around trapped within the convoy unable to escape at all.
The管家 was no better off; his faucet failing completely soaking his pants.
"Dammit, you bunch of cowards."
Although also scared, Field wasn't that dramatic, possibly due to his pre-transmigration love for post-apocalypse novels and zombie movies.
"It seems I have to do it myself."
Field didn't have a single soldier under him; seeing that while the ghouls were agile and fearless of they weren't invincible due to their idiotic actions, he decided to take matters into his own hands since this body had at least learned some basic combat skills.
With a low growl, Field took advantage of the moment when a ghoul was pushing against the small cart, driving his sword into its neck and then forcefully yanking to the side. The ghoul's head drooped lifelessly against its chest like a branch struck by lightning.
"Ugh~"
The stench of rotting flesh mixed with the smell of fermented feces mercilessly invaded his nostrils almost causing Field to vomit. But deep down he felt a thrill; in his soul flowed the blood of warriors.