It had been one week since they left Raisin town. They already passed the territory of the town and were now marching on the territory of monsters and outlaws.
While this sounds scary, nothing noteworthy happened. They encountered a few old wolves, most likely getting kicked out from the pack.
They were not strong and the four knights cut them without any incident.
Silas's magecraft lessons were going smoothly as well. Luna was a good student. She listened to his words and practiced without him reminding.
Sometimes, he had to stop her and let her play around in the camp site. It sounded like he was treating her like a dog but Silas was worried about her mana core stressing.
Ice-pick was usual like he suspected. She observed all the males in the camp site and rejected them.
She didn't even give them a try. Ruthless. But she seemed to converse quite well with Roland. At least, that was what Silas saw.
"Alright, today's lessons are over. Rest for a while. If you don't understand something, write down and ask me tomorrow."
Luna nodded, taking out her note and began her revision. He sighed and gazed out at the window. Suddenly, a head fell down on his shoulder.
A sweet fragrance assaulted his nose. He turned and saw Ice-pick sleeping. Silas was about to throw her to the side. As his hand was about to grab her body, he stopped, remembering something.
'Oh yeah, she didn't sleep last night.'
Ice-pick had to satisfy her state as a demon. Since she can't get the essence here because Silas forbiddened her, she had to suck from the monster around here.
Before she left, she threw a piece of information which Silas didn't need.
"I am a virgin so don't go assuming that I am having intercourse with monsters."
Silas smiled remembering that.
He let her sleep on his shoulder and slowly following her he fell asleep as well.
***
"Halt." Halt. "Halt."
A booming voice erupted from the front. The carriage adoring the Viremont's symbol which was a twin headed snake stopped. The two people from the front were composed and stared at the huge man in front of them.
"Haha." The huge man laughed, carrying a large Dadao. "Hand over your money. Hand over your women. We will take everything after all, you bastard has entered inside our territory."
Silas woke up from the loud voice. Annoyance etched into his face. Roland was about to head out but Silas stopped him.
"Stop. Don't go yet." Silas ordered.
"But they are treating us. We need to cut down." Roland said sharply.
"Yeah. I know. But isn't this situation kind of sus? We showed our flag and yet they came to us." Silas said.
Luna trembled, grabbing her hat tightly, pulling down covering her face.
Ice-pick was smiling. She was beaming ear to ear with a wide smile.
The contrast between the two women was laughable but Silas didn't have the heart to laugh. His mind was working.
He closed his eyes and spread his mana sense across the entire field, checking everyone. There were about twenty bandits surrounding them.
They must have followed them a while ago but because Silas fell asleep didn't sense it. Roland was also training his mental state so he had no way of sensing outside.
It was a blunder. They had gone too relaxed.
"I don't sense anyone powerful." Silas said, putting out the information.
"Me too." Roland agreed.
"Same." Ice-pick said, licking her red lips.
"Either the enemy is too powerful or they are really just stupid. I am inclined to believe the former." Silas said. "After all, how can someone be foolish enough to attack us in broad daylight. They must have a dead wish."
"I will grant them." Roland unsheathed his sword, air started vibrating around him. "It is no use to think anymore, Silas. I need to attack them now. Or else Old Gin and Max will get hurt."
"I…I.."
"Silas..!" Roland yelled. "You are the boss. So give me an order."
Unknowingly, dread started to coil around his heart, playing with his insides. Even with the loud voice the bandit was shouting, he could only listen to his heartbeat.
He was catching breath but it escaped him.
He couldn't think. He couldn't process.
'Calm. Calm. This situation is weird. Think. Think. What can I do? Damnit. What is wrong with me?'
"Silas."
"Sir Silas."
"Silas."
The three concerned voices brought him back to the surface. He looked up, colors drained from his face.
Roland was fierce. He was like that, carefree, driven by one thing. And now, he was more fierce, like a sun illuminating over him.
Silas hated that. Roland, a perfect knight, revealed Silas's disgusting nature. His cowardness. His laziness.
But he couldn't help but look at the young knight.
Ice-pick was feeling on his face with her ice cold hand, checking his temperature. He caught a few words she was saying.
"Do you catch a cold?"
Silas smiled warmly at her.
And finally, Luna was concerned about him. Even if she was scared of the situation they were in, she was still worried about him. His magecraft lessons were not in vain.
He had formed a connection with these people. The duration was short, merely one week but it was enough to melt his cowardly heart. It made him sick to see that he had not changed at all.
Silas stood up, placing his hand on Roland.
"I trust you, Knight." Silas said, voice devoid of emotion. "Kill those bandits."
Roland quickly kneeled, jumped and landed gracefully on the ground. He had already unsheathed his sword.
Silas followed behind him. Ice-pick was about to follow but Silas stopped her.
"Stay there. You will be our trump card. Lay low and hide behind my barrier. I will call you when I need to. Got it?"
Ice-pick looked at his eyes and nodded slowly. "Okay, I will follow your order. That is because you ask nicely."
Silas smiled. "And Luna, you better watch me with your eyes."
When he landed on the ground, Roland was already facing the leader. Their blades collided, sparks flew across.
The sound of metal colliding was unpleasant to hear. The four knights from Silas's side joined the battle as well.
They were all third circle knights and proficient in their own respective technique.
Although the bandits had quality advantages, they don't hold a candle against the quality of Silas's men.
Only ten of the bandits had the power of energy. From what Silas sensed they had one circle in their heart excluding the leader who had two circles.
Seeing his men were overwhelmed by numbers, Silas planned to assist them. He lifted his hand and performed the core magecraft of his first circle.
Pierce.
A ray of Pierce spells rained down from the sky. With each mana beam actively controlled by Silas.
Every single one of them hit the bandits with regular physique.
Silas had been killed before during his life as a con man. So he was no stranger to murder, blood and gore.
He rather not saw it and actively caused the act. But he had looked. He had to participate.
After all, he took the responsibility of these men under him.
Silas watched the bodies fall, limbs scattered. Intestine escaped from their gut.
The four knights were ruthless but Silas didn't mind. After all, compared to Roland, they were tame.
Roland cut off each limb of the leader, avoiding the fatal blow. As an expert in physique, he understood the human body quite well. He knew when to cut.
He knew which was the most painful.
Silas walked forward among the fallen bodies.
"He is tall." Silas said flatly.
Roland went and cut the legs off from the leader. He didn't even hesitate. It was so fast that Silas didn't have time to stop.
No, he didn't want to stop.
"Good. That is more like it." Silas lifted up his leg and lightly kicked at the leader.
The leader fell backwards.
Pain was not good for interrogation. But this was not an interrogation.
The leader mumbled a few words.
'Strange. Strange. This whole thing is strange.' Silas thought, looking around.
He saw the brutality of his knights and yet none of the bandits screamed in pain. None of them voiced.
Even now, the leader was mumbling.
"What is he saying?" Silas asked Roland who got a better hearing.
"He is saying that he wants women and money."
"I see. The same as before?"
Roland nodded.
'A broken record?' Silas thought. "Don't kill him yet. And how long can he live with these wounds?"
Roland looked down at the leader and said, "I will say about three hours."
"Terrible." Silas commented. "But perfect. There is something I like to check."
Silas extended his hand and channeled mana from his core. Normally, he grabbed the natural mana but this time, it required his own mana.
He then forcefully injected the mana into the leader's body.
The leader rejected the foreign mana violently.
Silas frowned, seeing the strange reaction.
'Hmm. The pathway inside his body is cut off artificially. Energy is chaotic as well.'
Chaotic energy meant the person didn't have a good mental state. Unlike mages, a knight revealed too much of their own emotion through the energy they carried.
' He is not sane.' Silas looked up and glanced at the corpses around him.
'Most likely, they are all insane. No. No. Not insane. Just not sane.'
Silas looked up at the sky, and the sun shone brightly. The weather was wonderful.
Today should be like the rest. Peaceful.
"It is a terrible day."
Silas smiled, thinking about what power that can cause a person's mind like that. ' Horrible.'