Chapter 63: This is a Warning

Not far from Calyus Village, deep within the forests on the border of the Barloshan Kingdom, an argument was underway.

"Gorba! Going around committing atrocities for money is tarnishing the honor of our Forest Rangers," shouted an old man with gray hair and a green cloak.

The man known as Gorba smirked coldly. "Old Jack, the captain has long passed away. I'm the new leader of the Forest Rangers now. If you want to cling to those outdated doctrines until you die, I won't stop you. But we all need to eat, brother. You can't block our path to wealth."

Old Jack glared at Gorba, his eyes full of disbelief. "Outdated? Doctrines? We're supposed to be righteous and compassionate rangers in the forest, not thugs who burn, kill, and serve the powerful!"

Gorba frowned impatiently. "Under my leadership, the Forest Rangers have been thriving. Everyone can see that. Old Jack, I respected you as the former captain's most trusted person, which is why I've tolerated your obstruction so many times. I hope you don't make me lose my patience."

"Associating with scum like you makes me feel utterly ashamed," Old Jack said through gritted teeth.

"If you want to leave, I won't stop you. The Forest Rangers won't miss you," Gorba said icily, losing his patience.

"Hmph. Since our goals are different, let's go our separate ways. Anyone want to join me?" Old Jack called out to the other members of the Forest Rangers, but no one responded.

Wherever he looked, those so-called "Forest Rangers" just hung their heads, unwilling to meet Old Jack's gaze.

In reality, everyone knew that in their pursuit of money, they had forsaken the creed of the Forest Rangers. But the taste of money was intoxicating, and they didn't want to give up their current lifestyle.

"Fine, fine, fine!" Old Jack finally spat out, turning away decisively from these money-blinded men.

No one noticed, however, the pain, sorrow, and resolute determination in Old Jack's eyes as he walked away.

Once he was gone, Gorba paid no more attention to the stubborn old man. He had more important things to do.

Technically speaking, their last attack on Calyus Village had failed. Gorba hadn't expected the enemy to be so fierce. While they had killed quite a few, the remaining villagers had organized an effective defense. Seeing that they couldn't easily take the village, Gorba had set it on fire and retreated with his men.

But he was determined. If King Wilson was willing to pay, he would ensure the mission was completed. After all, merely burning down the village wasn't enough.

Alexander, much like Old Jack, was also thinking similarly. His territory in Calyus Village had been burned, and he couldn't let that go unanswered. Alexander immediately began a war mobilization. Leveraging his prestige in warfare, he recruited numerous noble soldiers from nearby villages and cities to bolster his forces. These noble-born soldiers had excellent qualities and, under Geoffrey's training, would soon become capable warriors.

Most importantly, Alexander started paying wages. Using the 10,000 dinars he had finagled from King Wilson, he finally paid everyone. The soldiers were beyond grateful for their wages, confirming that what truly motivates people to fight isn't necessarily glory, but real, tangible money.

In reality, the village didn't suffer much damage since it was already being rebuilt by Alexander and his people. But Alexander couldn't swallow this indignation.

"Have you found them, Viktor?" Alexander asked through gritted teeth, sitting in a makeshift shelter.

"Yes, my lord. I've gathered information. The Forest Rangers are mainly active near the village of Penka," Viktor replied truthfully.

Penka Village was very close to the border of the Saint Martin Kingdom, making it easy for Alexander to locate on the map. However, Alexander wasn't planning to strike preemptively because Viktor mentioned a very important point — "near Penka Village."

The word "near" implied a large area, especially in the mountainous environment of the Barloshan Kingdom. Finding a knightly order within the vast mountains was no easy task. Therefore, Alexander decided to lie in wait, but suddenly he remembered someone.

"Herzog, can you make traps?" Alexander asked.

Herzog became interested immediately. "Of course, my lord. I was once crazy about surprise killing methods when I was young. It's quite interesting, but perhaps a bit cruel..."

Alexander interrupted Herzog, "No, no, no, it's not cruel. Especially when dealing with despicable enemies. Now, please, unleash your talents."

...

For several days, Calyus Village had been unnaturally calm, as if the Forest Rangers had forgotten about it completely. Alexander's group, too, seemed to have relaxed, even reducing their daily patrol frequencies. People were quietly rebuilding the village.

Until one night, when the clouds covered the moonlight and darkness enveloped everything—perfect conditions for murder and pillage.

"Captain, there's not even a guard on duty. Do you think it's an ambush?" one of Gorba's men asked as they arrived near Calyus Village, hiding in the shadows and observing.

Gorba sneered coldly. "Who cares if it's an ambush? As long as they dare to show their heads, we'll turn them into hedgehogs. We've never been afraid of anyone, especially not those Saint Martin people in a night battle."

"Let's go!"

With his command, these skilled night raiders from Barloshan revealed their fangs. They were about to wreak havoc on Calyus Village, already imagining the screams of the Saint Martin people.

"Ahh!"

Screams did indeed echo, but not from the Saint Martin people. Several Forest Rangers who were at the front stumbled into a large pit, where the bottom wasn't soft soil but lined with upright blades.

"You filthy Saint Martin scum! They've set traps. Bypass it and continue the assault!" Gorba shouted.

The Forest Rangers bypassed the trap, preparing to charge towards Calyus Village. But could Herzog, the genius engineer, have set such a simple trap? Absolutely not.

It was just a warning, but unfortunately, Gorba chose not to heed it.

From then on, he would experience the most malicious traps in the world, traps so vicious they would make him question life itself. How twisted must someone be to design such diabolical traps?