Chapter 6: Targeting the Crossbowmen First

As soon as the battle commenced, Alexander sensed that something was off. The opponents were too fierce. Their blocks and counterattacks were textbook-perfect, and the coordination between the three Saint Martin swordsmen and two Saint Martin infantrymen was extremely tight. Cutting down those footmen was as easy as cutting vegetables.

Fortunately, Alexander was quite shrewd and didn't rush forward. He shouted, "Charge!" but in reality, he barely moved forward, just letting out the momentum.

"Boss, what should we do?" Viktor asked, his eyes darting around.

Alexander squinted at the scattered fleeing soldiers ahead and whispered, "Don't worry, let those guys tire themselves out first."

Odo scratched his head dumbly and asked, "I heard others say that the higher the enemy's rank, the higher the reward. Isn't a Saint Martin swordsman worth a lot of money?"

He seemed a bit eager to try.

Viktor scolded him with a hint of frustration, "But you also need to have your life to claim the reward."

In the front, the group of fleeing soldiers had already taken down seven or eight opponents, assisted by recruited crossbowmen, firmly gaining the upper hand.

Alexander's eyes lit up. "These stubborn idiots don't know to deal with the crossbowmen first."

He admired why these guys insisted on confronting the tough ones while letting the two recruited crossbowmen shoot freely.

Alexander directly led Odo and Viktor to charge towards the crossbowmen.

The crossbowmen were still happily shooting from behind the trees.

Suddenly, three smug-looking guys jumped out in front of them.

"Surprise!" Alexander casually shouted and drew his longsword, thrusting it upward.

The crossbowman hadn't even had time to draw the short sword he carried, and Alexander pierced him through the chest.

[Killed Saint Martin recruited crossbowman, +20 experience]

The other crossbowman reacted, drawing his short sword to defend himself. However, how could one crossbowman stand against three opponents? Moreover, all three of them were carrying shields.

In no time, the crossbowman was knocked over with a kick, and then Alexander and his companions rushed forward, wildly slashing and ending the man's life.

[Killed Saint Martin recruited crossbowman, +20 experience]

As soon as they turned around, ready to return to the center of the battlefield, Alexander grabbed Odo and Viktor.

"Didn't you see all those footmen soldiers being knocked down?" Alexander said, "There's no use in us going back now. Let's go up there and deliver some food?"

"What should we do, boss?"

"Heh heh, isn't there something good here already?" Alexander picked up a fallen crossbow from the ground. The crossbow was heavy in his hands, with a wooden body.

Although it was Alexander's first time using a crossbow, he had seen plenty of movies and knew that the crossbow had to be cocked before use.

So Alexander struggled to cock the crossbow, aimed at a fleeing soldier who was still fighting hard.

Swish~

Perhaps it was a matter of luck, but this arrow hit.

The soldier's armor was easily pierced, and the arrow plunged deep into his back.

He collapsed to the ground.

[Killed Saint Martin infantry (fleeing soldier), +50 experience]

The other fleeing soldiers turned around and scattered in fear.

Although they had cut down more than ten people, that was only possible with crossbow support.

Now that the opponents had crossbowmen too, would they stay and wait to be killed one by one?

"Quick, chase after them!" shouted the last Saint Martin swordsman left on Alexander's side, raising his long sword high.

...

In the end, Alexander and his team managed to achieve victory, but the cost was indeed quite heavy.

After the battle, they counted 13 dead and 4 injured.

Their achievements were only 5 killed and 2 captured.

This made Alexander truly feel the combat power of high-level soldiers.

Saint Martin infantry levels generally range from low to high: Saint Martin recruit → Saint Martin light infantry → Saint Martin infantry → Saint Martin swordsman → Saint Martin sergeant.

For ordinary soldiers to become a Saint Martin sergeant, they would likely need to survive countless battles.

The Saint Martin swordsman, on the other hand, was a powerful warrior just below the Saint Martin sergeant, clad in chainmail and wielding a large round shield with a long sword, they were very fierce on the battlefield.

Although Alexander envied them, he also had the opportunity to become such a powerful warrior himself.

For instance, he had just leveled up and grown stronger.

During the recent battle, Alexander participated in capturing a Saint Martin swordsman, which earned him 100 experience points each time he captured one.

So Alexander leveled up again. His current stats were:

[Level]: 4

[Strength]: 8

[Agility]: 10

[Intelligence]: 6

[Charisma]: 5

[Available Attribute Points]: 0

[Experience]: 0/800

[System Coins]: 0

Alexander still allocated his attribute point to Agility, feeling that his agility was becoming more agile.

Now his stats were:

[Level]: 4

[Strength]: 8

[Agility]: 10

[Intelligence]: 6

[Charisma]: 5

[Available Attribute Points]: 0

[Experience]: 0/800

[System Coins]: 0

After some speculation, Alexander estimated that the average agility score for a healthy adult male was around 10 points. Considering his own lack of athleticism and the long-term malnutrition he had endured, his stats were below normal levels. Fortunately, most people in this world didn't reach normal levels either. Just look at those poor foot soldiers; they should be grateful for their daily black bread.

Alexander was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a banquet organized by the Lord of Harley, with tables full of delicacies—roast piglet, stewed potatoes, berry pies, and exquisite wines. This made Alexander sigh at the vast disparity in wealth in this world.

Unfortunately, he wasn't pondering these matters at the moment. He needed to address his own identity issues first. When they returned to the Lord of Harley's castle, the lord frowned at the losses. Fortunately, capturing two deserters improved his mood slightly. For lords like him, the number of casualties among their men didn't matter much; what mattered was saving face.

Capturing two deserters did improve his reputation somewhat. "Bring those two deserters here," he ordered, intending to hang them in the square for all to see.

Additionally, Alexander wisely handed over the two crossbows. In any country and at any time, possessing strong crossbows without authorization was a serious crime.

Because Alexander and his companions performed exceptionally well in the battle, the Lord of Harley commended them. The rewards for their commendation were quite substantial—real gold and silver dinars. The three of them were awarded a total of 60 dinars.

"Boss, we can almost raise enough money for one person's ransom," Odo said happily, looking at the dinars in Alexander's hand.

"I think we should use this money to buy some equipment first. After all, preserving our lives on the battlefield is the most important thing," Viktor suggested.

"No, let's not buy equipment yet," Alexander said with a smirk. "We need to make money with our money."