Chapter 103: An Unexpected Incident

Chapter 103: An Unexpected Incident

"What conditions?" Rain asked, slightly perplexed.

"Well, Rain, if you can defeat me, I'll teach you shield techniques," Ragle replied, a rare hint of blush appearing on her face as she recalled a phrase her father had once said to her.

"Huh?" Rain was taken aback for a moment, but then his eyes lit up with joy, and he nodded vigorously.

Since it had come to this, he couldn't hold back anymore.

Putting aside everything else, from their earlier exchange, Rain was confident that he could defeat Ragle if he used 'Power Surge'.

"Ragle, you better be careful now," Rain said.

With 30% Power Surge!

Rain charged towards Ragle once again, delivering a powerful 45-degree diagonal slash with his Ironwood Greatsword. This time, the force was even greater, and the blade pierced the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

Ragle's expression turned solemn as she closely watched the angle of Rain's descending blade, swiftly maneuvering her shield to meet the greatsword at a 45-degree angle.

"Bang!"

The dull sound of their weapons clashing echoed again.

But this time, Rain didn't retreat. With the 30% power surge, his strength slightly surpassed Ragle's.

However, Ragle only took half a step back, her sturdy and robust thighs keeping her balanced without any sign of disarray.

Rain's evaluation of Ragle's shield techniques rose even higher.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Half a minute passed, and Rain's relentless attacks with the Ironwood Greatsword, like a storm, were all the way, were all blocked by Ragle with ease.

Although Rain had the upper hand throughout the exchange, Ragle's retreats were always steady and controlled.

Even against Rain's powerful leaping strike, she calmly countered with a spinning retreat.

"Bang!"

After another clash of their weapons, Rain stepped back and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He looked at the barbarian maiden seriously and said, "Ragle, if you can withstand my final strike, I'll consider myself defeated."

"Rain, do you still have a trump card?" Ragle, drenched in sweat, stared intently at Rain.

She was genuinely surprised. Anna had told her that Rain was younger than her, yet his current strength was already on par with hers, a soon-to-be-ferocious barbarian warrior.

What astonished her even more was that this boy, younger than her, still had a hidden ace up his sleeve!

She had thought that Rain had already shown his full strength.

Rain nodded at Ragle, indicating that he was about to launch his attack.

The next moment, his Power Surge instantly reached 60%, causing his veins to bulge and his muscles to swell. He charged towards her, ready to strike.

However, since it wasn't a full power surge, the muscle expansion remained within reasonable limits, avoiding the exaggerated state of a full-power release.

Ragle was momentarily stunned, her mouth agape. She thought to herself, "Wow!"

She quickly raised her shield to block, and with both hands, she held the axe to withstand the overwhelming force.

"Bang!" A loud crash echoed as Ragle was sent flying by the blow.

Rain thought to himself, "Oh no, I was so focused on learning the battle technique that I ended up injuring my 'teacher'."

He quickly rushed to her aid.

Fortunately, Ragle's shield techniques were truly exceptional. Even under Rain's heavy strike, she remained uninjured, only feeling a tingling soreness in her left wrist.

As Rain helped Ragle to her feet, a familiar guard rushed in, his expression slightly anxious. "Rain, Lord Hamilton is looking for you. It's an urgent task!"

Both Rain and Ragle were taken aback, but Rain quickly responded, "I'll be right there."

He turned to Ragle with a hint of regret, "It's a real shame, Ragle. Why don't you head back first, and I'll ask you about shield techniques next time."

"Oh, right. I'll let my family know that I might not make it for dinner."

"Okay," Ragle smiled and nodded.

As Rain hurried into Lord Hamilton's office, he spotted Mateo, the familiar short man, panting heavily, his chest heaving.

Lord Hamilton had changed into a set of light silver knight plate armor, a stark contrast to his previous noble hunting attire.

He was in the process of putting on his final piece of armor, I've got a great idea! I've got a bunch of them, and I've got a few pairs that I've been wanting to show off. Let's do it!"

Mateo quickly explained, "Rain, we discovered a suspected heretic hideout at the Sterwin Farm north of Flash Gold. Captain Velen has already taken a squad there."

"Heretics? Rain was also surprised.

Rain was puzzled because Captain Velen had always been a cautious and prudent man.

Why would he lead a squad of Night Watchmen into a potentially dangerous situation without first reporting to Sheriff Hamilton?

If heretics were so easy to deal with, they would have been eradicated long ago.

Sensing Rain's confusion, Mateo immediately explained:

"At noon today, Captain Velen's children, who should have been playing in the courtyard, suddenly went missing. We've confirmed at least four or five other missing children from Flash Gold. Captain Velen took immediate action and led a squad to Sterwin Farm."

"I see," Rain nodded, his expression turning grave.

As Rain entered Lord Hamilton's office, he noticed that the nobleman had already changed into a set of light silver knight plate armor, a stark contrast to his previous noble hunting attire.

Lord Hamilton was in the process of putting on his final piece of armor, the gauntlets, when Rain entered. He gestured to Mateo to explain the situation to Rain again.

Mateo quickly said, "Rain, we've discovered a suspected heretic hideout at the Sterwin Farm north of Flash Gold. Captain Velen has already taken a squad there."

"We made contact with the heretics, and they seem to have at least four or five members. We need reinforcements!"

"Heretics?" Rain was also surprised.

He was puzzled because Captain Velen had always been a cautious and prudent man. So, why would he lead a squad into a potentially dangerous situation without first reporting to Sheriff Hamilton?

If heretics were so easy to deal with, they would have been eradicated long ago.

Lord Hamilton, now fully geared up, turned to Rain and paused before speaking earnestly, "You're aware of the situation. If it's indeed a heretic stronghold, this mission carries significant risks."

"I've already sent word to Lord Lloyd at the Habsburg Manor to request backup."

"Rain, as a newly appointed Night Watch, you might not be fully informed about the heretics. However, you're the most capable among us. So, I'd like to ask if you're willing to accompany me on this mission?"

Rain thought for a moment and replied seriously, "Lord Hamilton, Captain Velen is my friend. Moreover, rescuing the missing children of Shangjin Town is also my duty as a Night Watch."

"Also, you mentioned that the more challenging the task, the higher the merit points awarded, right?" Rain added with a smile.

"Of course! Good lad!"

"By the way, I have a spare set of Knight Plate Armor here. It's not a complete set, but it's not light either. Why don't you try it on?"

With a clatter, Lord Hamilton retrieved a heavy set of Knight Plate Armor from the compartment behind him.

"It's always safer to be well-equipped!" he said as he handed the armor to Rain.

Upon receiving it, Rain realized that the armor weighed over a hundred pounds.

However, as Lord Hamilton had mentioned, it wasn't a full set. Rain put on the five components—the faceplate, shoulder guards, breastplate, leg armor, and greaves—and noticed that it lacked gauntlets, boots, and arm guards, likely to reduce weight and facilitate faster movement.

Even though it was Lord Hamilton's spare armor, the quality was exceptional, and the interior was lined with soft lambskin, providing excellent flexibility.

Despite Lord Hamilton being half a head taller than Rain, the armor fit Rain with just a slight looseness, and it posed no issues in usage.

With the Knight Plate Armor and a sheepskin-wrapped greatsword on his back, Rain exuded a youthful and energetic aura.

"Not bad! Let's go!" Lord Hamilton nodded and walked out of the office.

At the entrance of the administration hall, over a dozen people were waiting, including the Night Watch members and some guards. They swiftly mounted the horses prepared by the guards and galloped towards Sterwin Farm, located north of Shangjin Town.

Inside a two-story farmhouse in the center of Sterwin Farm, seven or eight burly men, either in plate armor or chainmail, surrounded a cloaked figure.

Two trembling men knelt around them.

"Lord Mort, two idiots from the Blood Hand Gang weren't careful enough and were tracked down by the Empire's 'Black Night Watch,'" a burly man in plate armor, carrying a heavy hammer, said respectfully to the cloaked figure.

"It's these two!" The hammer-wielding man pointed at the two kneeling men and added.

"Oh? What about the men from the Wilderness Brotherhood you sent to meet them? Were they also careless? Didn't they use deodorizing powder?" Lord Mort's expression darkened as he was clearly unhappy about this unexpected incident.

He had just heard the barking of dogs not far from the farmhouse.

He had previously instructed the men of the Wilderness Brotherhood to be cautious during their transactions, emphasizing the use of deodorizing powder and masks to conceal their identities, especially when dealing with the black market gangs in Hammilham County and the various pirates on the West Coast.

What further troubled him was that just a couple of days ago, the Church had issued an order to increase the bounty and intensify the search for 'materials.'

Now, just two days later, things had gone wrong at his base, and he feared the consequences from the High Priest.

This unforeseen situation made Mort feel somewhat agitated.

"This..." The hammer-wielding man glanced at his subordinate behind him and reluctantly explained, "First, we've been careless because nothing has happened for so long. Second, Matthias had some wine at noon today, which led to this oversight."

"Lord Mort, should I go out and deal with the 'Black Night Watch' outside now?" The hammer-wielding man was clearly trying to protect his subordinate.

"Are there no Ranked Knights among them?"

"No, it's just a small squad of 'Black Night Watch.' I can handle them alone!" The hammer-wielding man patted his chest with his iron-gloved right hand.

Matthias, the subordinate, looked at his boss gratefully.

Hearing that there were no Ranked Knights, Lord Mort's expression eased slightly.

It seemed that the children could be taken away.

"Wait. First, go get the over twenty children from the basement and put them in the carriage."

"Later, I'll cover you. You take the children and head to the safe location I mentioned last time." Lord Mort rejected the hammer-wielding man's suggestion.

This was a time when the Church highly valued 'materials,' and if these twenty-plus children were lost, he would surely face repercussions from the higher-ups. He couldn't afford that, as he still aspired to gain more control over the Black Flame.

Abandoning a base wasn't a significant issue.

"Lord, why not just kill them and avoid abandoning the base?" The hammer-wielding man didn't quite understand the need to retreat.

He thought it would be better to eliminate the opposition to prevent any leaks.

"Don't underestimate them. Just because they don't seem powerful doesn't mean they haven't reported our location."

"Alright... Lord Mort, I'll go now."

"By the way, what about these two idiots? Should we just kill them?" The hammer-wielding man pointed at the two men kneeling beside him, shivering uncontrollably.

"No, I have a use for them. Perhaps, I can make a 'deal' with them," Lord Mort said, stroking his chin, a playful smile visible beneath his black hood.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end