They were just soldiers, humans capable of fear. When faced with an incomprehensible and unbeatable force, their only choice was to flee.
After killing the charging soldiers, Helag didn't pursue the fleeing ones.
By this time, other soldiers noticed the situation and began moving in to support.
In their minds, no matter how strong the opponent, sheer numbers and good coordination could overcome any enemy.
Even a great knight had to be wary of an army's power.
Helag, expressionless, advanced towards the soldiers, sword in hand.
He was like a tiger among sheep, unstoppable. The soldiers fell like paper, unable to withstand even one strike from Helag.
Ed, hiding under the carriage, was stunned by the scene. Seeing Helag's multicolored shields, he began muttering prayers and bowing repeatedly under the carriage.
Roque also noticed the commotion. He saw Helag casting shields on himself and then slaughtering the soldiers.
"Wizard…" The term popped into Roque's mind.
Roque had seen and heard many things in his years as a merchant.
But this was the first time he had seen a wizard in action, confirming the rumors of their immense power. Ordinary people stood no chance against them; it was a one-sided massacre.
Roque had thought Helag was just a fallen noble, using his remaining wealth to join the caravan to the Kingdom of Doris.
Seeing Helag with a sword, Roque had observed his hands and found no calluses.
He assumed Helag had no real skill, using the sword as a decoration, like many nobles.
Especially fallen nobles, who tried to maintain appearances with flashy accessories.
Anyone who seriously practiced swordsmanship would have calluses, a noticeable trait.
When Karim spoke, Roque felt a chill. When the army broke through the defenses, he almost lost hope.
Then Helag emerged, not only killing many but also revealing himself as a wizard, something Roque never expected.
On the other side, Ivis also noticed Helag's rampage.
"A wizard!" Ivis recognized Helag's identity immediately, feeling a jolt of fear.
Having one Karim was surprising enough, but discovering a wizard in the caravan was beyond belief.
Such figures were usually only heard of in rumors, yet here he was, facing one.
Ivis had planned to kill everyone to cover his tracks, but now, with a wizard involved, he had to reconsider his own survival.
"The rest of the caravan must be killed, but this wizard might just be a coincidence. They usually don't interfere with ordinary matters. He knows about this but probably won't spread it."
"There's room to maneuver!"
After weighing his options, Ivis made a decision.
He approached Helag, shouting, "Stop! Show respect to this lord!"
The soldiers around Helag were baffled, thinking, "He's the one killing us!"
Following Ivis's order, they fled from Helag.
With the soldiers retreating, Helag stopped his attack.
Ivis cautiously approached, removing his helmet and smiling. "My lord, I'm Ivis Brand, knight commander under Duke Theodore. Do you know the Duke?"
Helag replied expressionlessly, "No."
"My lord, I deeply apologize. I didn't know you were with this caravan. Offending you is a grave sin. To show my remorse, I offer you all the goods and wealth of this caravan. What do you think?"
Ivis, desperate to survive, offered everything to Helag.
As he neared Helag, Ivis, a great knight, instinctively sensed a deep danger, a fear from within.
"I'm not interested," Helag replied. He only wanted to reach the Kingdom of Doris.
Accepting the goods would mean condoning the massacre of the caravan.
He had traveled with them, and they had treated him well, even if it was because he paid. There was no enmity between them.
Ivis was stunned but then said, "If you're not interested in the goods, may I arrange an escort for you?"
Helag didn't respond, instead looking behind Ivis with a puzzled expression.
Ivis, confused, turned to see an astonishing sight.
Karim's supposedly dead body was emitting a milky white light.
Helag watched intently, observing many light energy particles entering Karim's body, rapidly healing his wounds.
"Deep Blue, scan Karim for any magical items or sources."
Helag was puzzled, not sensing any magical fluctuations from Karim.
Karim, a non-meditating ordinary person, was being healed by light energy particles.
If Karim were a light-element wizard, Helag would understand.
But Karim was just a knight; how could he manipulate energy particles so precisely?
[No magical sources detected,] Deep Blue reported.
The scan confirmed Helag's observation: Karim had no magical sources, yet the light energy particles were healing him.
"Are you a child of light?" Helag muttered, unable to find an explanation.
As more light energy particles gathered, Karim's body was enveloped in a white glow.
Ivis, seeing this miraculous scene, felt a growing sense of dread.
The surrounding fighting ceased, everyone watching the glowing Karim.
Karim's body floated, emitting a strong white light, though not blinding.
Many dropped their weapons and began to kneel in reverence.
To them, this was a miracle.