Chapter 60: Emergency Combat Preparation

"No! No! Oh heavens! Goddess of Mercy above!" The farmer saw the black shadows on the horizon and was almost scared out of his wits.

Several bandits on lousy horses, wielding battle axes and longbows, were charging towards the family stranded in the middle of the road.

"Run! Run!" The farmer instinctively urged his family to flee, "I'll hold them off! Run!"

"What nonsense are you talking about! You are the only laborer. This family can do without me, but it cannot do without you!" The farmer's father, the boy's grandfather, grabbed a pitchfork, his old face filled with determination. "You all run!"

"Go!!!" With that, the old man charged straight towards the bandits.

The two children stood there, bewildered, too young to understand what was happening.

"Grand... Grandfather?" The boy stood frozen, watching his grandfather's back. "Grand... Grandfather?"

"Run! Lucas! Clara! Sob~" The farmer's wife pulled her two children desperately, tears streaming down her face. She knew her father-in-law was sacrificing his life to buy them time.

"Father!!!" The farmer placed his mother on the cart and pushed with all his might. They were not far from Miodon Haven; if they could run a little further, they might have a chance.

"Hand over all your valuables!" In the distance, the bandits' greedy voices could be faintly heard.

But a sudden response left the family stunned.

"Yes, I'm talking to you! Hand over all your valuables! And... leave your lives here as well!" A knight in full chainmail and breastplate appeared by the roadside. This knight, mounted on a warhorse, bore the emblem of the White Wolf Knights and brandished a warhammer, shouting at the approaching bandits.

His voice was even greedier than the bandits'.

"FUCK! It's a White Wolf Knight! It's a trap! Everyone retreat!" There were five bandits. They had rushed over upon hearing the children's cries, only to encounter a White Wolf Knight?!

The leading bandit, a short man with a long spear, riding a small, poor horse, was so frightened at the sight of the knight that he pulled on the reins abruptly. The poorly trained horse stumbled, throwing the bandit headlong into the dirt.

"Give me that!" Ryan, on horseback, rode past the old man and snatched the pitchfork from his hands without a word.

"Of course, esteemed knight!" The old man, his hands suddenly empty, instinctively replied.

Ryan hurled the pitchfork with great force. The pitchfork pierced through the first bandit's chest, knocking him off his horse and simultaneously toppling another bandit.

"There's no choice; we have to fight!" The remaining two bandits knew their poor horses stood no chance against Ryan's warhorse, so they turned to face him, ready for a desperate fight.

Ryan's horse was fast. By the time the bandits turned around, he had already passed them.

Two heads fell to the ground.

The rest was simple. Ryan, smiling, ignored the bandits' pleas for mercy, finishing off the three remaining bandits and then picking up the pitchfork to return it to the old man. "Here you go."

"Thank... Thank you, Sir White Wolf Knight!" The old man took the pitchfork, then knelt down excitedly, "Thank you! You saved our lives. May I know your name?"

"My name is Ryan, 'Big Hammer' Ryan."

...

When Ryan arrived at Miodon Haven, he was leading several horses, laden with broken armor and weapons.

These items could fetch a good price on the black market, Ryan thought.

Feeling good about making an easy profit, Ryan was in a decent mood.

He liked bandits.

If they were bandits, Ryan could rightfully become a true "bandit," taking everything from them by force. As a knight of the kingdom, he had the duty to maintain law and order within his territory, making all his actions legal.

Unlike the bandits he had encountered in Hordaland, who were desperate villagers forced into banditry, the bandits here attacked travelers and farmers on the main road. Ryan felt no mercy was necessary for them. Letting them go was akin to releasing a tiger back into the wild. For murderers with the blood of innocent travelers and villagers on their hands, the only mercy was to execute them on the spot.

And their ill-gotten gains became his.

However, his good mood vanished when he noticed the situation at the city gate.

Soldiers were running back and forth on the city walls, various defensive equipment being assembled and reinforced. Officers were loudly urging the soldiers to hurry while strictly checking those entering the city for potential barbarian spies.

The barbarians were coming! This was the information Ryan had gathered from the villagers earlier.

"Birek the Crusher" was leading more than four thousand barbarian warriors into Nord's heartland, pillaging as they went. With most of the troops at the front lines defending against the barbarians, Nord's interior was defenseless. By the time the Nord King redirected forces to deal with Birek, the barbarian army had already carved a bloody path through Nord.

Yesterday, Miodon Haven received a front-line report: Birek and his Bear Tribe were heading straight for Miodon Haven! Something in this port city seemed to be drawing them irresistibly.

The city went into full lockdown upon receiving the alarm. Soldiers who hadn't seen combat in years were gathering, and all conscripts were summoned by the lord's herald to the armory.

Ryan easily cut the line to enter the city, but before he could go far, a group of fully armed soldiers surrounded him. The commanding officer dismounted and approached Ryan, saluting. "Greetings, Sir 'Big Hammer' Ryan, White Wolf Knight! It is an honor to meet you. Our lord, Count Albert Beck, invites you to join the ongoing military meeting."

"Of course, but allow me to drop off my things at the inn first." Ryan knew preparations for battle were underway.

"Very well, we will wait here for you."

Hurrying back to the inn, Ryan found the sorceress sitting in the lobby, her long legs crossed, clad in black tight leather pants and high-heeled boots. "Ryan? Why are you back so late? I need to tell you, the barbarians are heading this way..."

"I know." Ryan quickly put down his things and handed over the ill-gotten gains to the innkeeper, who was familiar with handling such items.

"So, Ryan, we can't wait to sail anymore. I talked to Sister Dieterinde, and we decided to set up a teleportation array to return directly to Sky Castle, then use the array there to head to Marienburg. What do you think?" Teresa stood up, following him upstairs.

Ryan noticed the lobby was packed with people, from merchants to citizens, shopkeepers, and farmers, all discussing the barbarian invasion. Everyone's face was tense: the barbarians were coming!

"That's the only option, but there's no stable teleportation array here. If you set it up yourself, it might cost more than the reward for this mission, right?" Ryan rushed to the third floor, Teresa close behind. "But you know, this city has already lost many of its troops to the war. Even with conscripts, the garrison won't exceed a thousand! This city might not hold!"

"There's also the militia," Ryan said as he opened his room door.

"Militia? What use are farmers? They just go to die..." Teresa stopped herself mid-sentence.

She had promised Ryan she would treat everyone equally.

"I need to attend the war council now." Ryan didn't argue with her point. She was right; the militia would mostly be cannon fodder. He patted her shoulder. "If you don't want to stay, you can teleport back to Sky Castle with Lady Dieterinde. As a Nord knight, I must fight to defend my country!"

"No, I will stay and fight with you!" The sorceress refused his suggestion.

"…Thank you." Ryan nodded. "Where are Alfred and the others?"

"The Paladins have gone to the Church of Justice. In this battle, no one can stand aside," Teresa replied calmly, watching Ryan leave in a hurry.

Count Albert Beck of Miodon Haven stood in his three-story castle with his two knights, examining the battle map.

Albert, a man in his forties, looked more gentle and soft compared to the rough-looking Verald. His eyes had dark circles, and his face was unhealthy and flushed.

With him were his two knights, nicknamed "Walnut Knight" Nicolai and "Scarecrow Knight" Waldemar.

"I can't understand why those damned barbarians are heading for Miodon Haven! I can't think of any reason for them to come here! They were so close to Winterfell!" Albert cursed. He couldn't believe Birek was heading for his territory. Miodon Haven, on the western coast of Nord, had natural mountain defenses and was only four or five days from Imperial territory. Moreover, there was a pass—Oak Pass—on the way to Miodon Haven.

"According to the scouts, Birek's order came without warning. His forces were initially advancing towards Winterfell after destroying several villages, but then the Bear Tribe suddenly abandoned most of their loot and force-marched towards Miodon Haven!" Walnut Knight Nicolai, a mid-level elite ranger with medium-length hair, wielded a mace and a large bow on his back.

"The problem now is our insufficient defenses!" Scarecrow Knight Waldemar, a high-level elite knight with short hair who favored lances and fire guns, said. Both knights were not members of any knightly order and had average strength

, as Miodon Haven's best knight was fighting the barbarians in the north.

Miodon Haven originally had five hundred regular troops, but after responding to the king's summons, many were sent to the front lines, leaving fewer than three hundred in the city. Even with all conscripts, they might not muster a thousand defenders.

But the barbarian army numbered four thousand!

"In the worst case, when will Birek and his Bear Tribe reach the city walls?" Albert knew there was no point in pondering why the barbarians were coming. Only the gods knew what those heretics were thinking.

"Oak Pass's defenders will try to delay Birek to give Miodon Haven time to strengthen its defenses..." Walnut Knight Nicolai frowned, his face greasy from a recent meal.

Built into the mountains, Oak Pass was the only way from Miodon Haven to Winterfell. Miodon Haven hadn't been on alert for the barbarian invasion, relying on this pass.

"Oak Pass only has two hundred defenders. We can't hope for a long delay. My knights, tell me, in the worst-case scenario, when will the Bear Tribe reach my city walls?" Albert waved away unnecessary details.

"In the worst case... the morning after tomorrow, thousands of barbarians will reach Miodon Haven," Scarecrow Knight Waldemar replied after thinking for a moment.

The room fell silent.

At that moment, the guard at the door saluted, and Ryan walked in. "Greetings, Count Albert!"

"Greetings, Sir Ryan! I am Count Albert Beck of Miodon Haven. Welcome. In this time of crisis, we need your strength," Albert stepped forward to greet him.

After a brief description of the situation, the four men stood before the map again.

"Ryan, you've fought many battles against the barbarians. You know their combat strength best. With our current forces, can we hold this city?" The count looked to Ryan for help.

"Tell me the city's strength."

"We can muster about three hundred soldiers. If we conscript everyone..." Albert glanced at his scribe.

The scribe stepped forward. "There are approximately six hundred conscripts registered."

"And the veterans?" Ryan asked.

"Even with the retired veterans, we won't exceed eight hundred," the scribe replied.

Ryan was silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke in a somber tone.

"Conscribe all the militia."