Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

We have Warrick, two experienced Knights, and seven Knight Apprentices. The remaining ten are ordinary soldiers.

Alaric rubbed his chin as he entered into deep thought.

I should have brought more warriors with me.

He thought that the trip would be smooth since Ryvaad was the territory of their longtime ally. He was once again slapped by the harsh reality of the world.

There was no such thing as a safe place on this continent. Even in North Pine Town, danger still lurked!

As they neared the gates of Ryvaad, a tense atmosphere hung over the entourage. The warriors kept their dominant hand on their weapons, prepared to take action at a moment’s notice.

“Just which idiots are targeting us?” One of the two Knights muttered, annoyance evident in his voice.

He was a bald middle-aged man with a short gray beard and a pair of blue eyes. The most striking feature about him was the sword scar that stretched from his left forehead down to the left side of his face. His name was Bernard, an experienced Knight who had served House Silversword for over three decades.

“Hey, lower your voice!” Reminded the Knight who was riding a horse next to him.

He looked a decade younger than Bernard with his thick eyebrows and wavy black hair. He also had a pair of monolid eyes which revealed the foreign blood that ran through his veins. This man’s name was Chulmo.

Warrick turned his head and glared at them, making the two Knights flinch.

“We’re about to step out of the city. Keep your eyes peeled!” Warrick muttered in a voice that was just enough for them to hear.

Bernard and Chulmo nodded their heads in unison.

A moment later, the group finally crossed the gates of the city.

Everyone tightened their grip on their weapons while eyeing the surroundings with cautious eyes.

Inside the carriage, Alaric’s focus was broken by the sudden appearance of the cyan screen.

___

Mission: Kill the Hired Mercenaries!

Difficulty: Easy

A mercenary group was hired to kill you! Defeat them without losing a single soldier on your side!

Rewards: 200 Battle Points, 40 EXP, 5 Stat Points

Penalty for failure: – 350 Battle Points

___

A mission!

Alaric frowned when he saw the mission description.

It wants us to win without someone dying on our side!

Considering the difference in combat strength between both sides, this was a bit difficult. After all, they still need to protect the carriage where Elena would hide.

Although they had Warrick who was an Elite Knight, the other side had five Knights and fifteen Knight Apprentices. On the other hand, they only had three Knights including Alaric, and seven Knight Apprentices. The rest were just normal soldiers.

If both sides clashed, it was inevitable for them to have some casualties.

We need a plan…

Alaric narrowed his eyes as he stared at the situation outside through the window.

Their target should be me so the focus of their attacks will be on me. Now, how do I make use of this information to defeat them without losing anyone?

Alaric pondered deeply.

Suddenly, an idea came to his mind.

An isolation tactic. Yeah, that might work.

As soon as he thought of this, Alaric slowly made his preparations. He let Elena double-check the straps on the leather armor beneath his winter coat.

After making sure that everything was in place, Alaric looked at the young girl and said. “Elena, never open the door until the battle is over. I will be back.”

Elena stared at him with a worried face. “Please be careful, my lord. I will pray to Aru and ask Him to protect everyone.” She muttered in a trembling voice.

Alaric nodded and patted her head before he stepped out of the carriage.

He hopped on the war horse prepared for him, his eyes sweeping over the surroundings.

There were no signs of anomalies, but his senses were screaming danger, something that had never been wrong before.

At this moment, they had already traveled a certain distance from Ryvaad and they were close to reaching a secluded forest.

Fighting in the forest would be dangerous for the group. We don’t know what kind of weapons the enemies have so it would be better to fight them in an open area where we can see them clearly.

Thinking about this, Alaric raised his hand and signaled for the group to take a different route.

…

Hidden not far from them were a group of warriors dressed in different kinds of armor. Some wore leather armor, while others were in steel-plated armor.

“Boss, why did they take a detour? Do you think we have been discovered?” A man holding a pair of machetes asked the middle-aged man wearing an eyepatch.

Everyone glanced at their boss.

This was a job with generous pay so they didn’t want any accidents to happen.

The man wearing an eyepatch frowned. “It doesn’t seem to be the case. Maybe they are just being cautious, but we need to make a move soon. Just wait for my signal.”

The mercenaries nodded upon hearing his words.

Suddenly, they saw a man stepping out of the carriage.

“Boss, isn’t that guy our main target?”

The man wearing an eyepatch nodded upon hearing this. “That should be him. Our client described his physical features in detail and everything seems to fit with that guy.”

“It looks like our prey has appeared, my brothers. Get ready to take action!” He muttered as he took out his weapon, a two-handed sword.

The eyes of the mercenaries flashed with killing intent and anticipation. Once they completed this mission, they wouldn’t need to take on a job for a while.

The man wearing an eyepatch stared deeply at their main target. For some reason, he felt a chill upon seeing him.

I, Juvah, had never failed a mission once so why do I have a bad feeling about that guy?

He felt an instinctive urge to abandon the mission, but the generous rewards quashed the thought immediately.

No! This must be a trial set by Agnus! As his follower, how could I flee without even fighting my enemy!?