Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent-Chapter 282: First Target Arrives
"Immediately send our fastest rider to inform Sir William about the situation!" Henry instructed the warrior.
"Yes, sir!" The warrior saluted and left to find a suitable person to do the task.
Meanwhile, the group resumed their preparations. For this rescue mission, the plan was to target the people who bought the barbarians. It was a plain and simple ambush plan with no complicated setup.
"Go and move into your designated spots. Remember our goal is only to rescue the barbarians. There is no need to fight them to the death."
Henry gave a series of commands and also reminded them of their objective.
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone quickly moved into action. Three teams moved separately with the Elite Knights leading each team.
Forming smaller teams in an ambush was more effective because it would be much easier for each team to move around and retreat.
The three teams hid in different locations to maximize their coverage of the area.
At this moment, on top of an old four-story building, Fredrinn's team was observing the road with unblinking eyes.
"The road is clear, sir! It seems like those representatives from the noble houses are planning to stay in the district for a while." One of his subordinates reported after a simple inspection of their target area.
Hearing this, Fredrinn nodded as he commanded. "Keep your eyes peeled and immediately inform me if you notice any movement."
"Yes, sir!"
Two excruciatingly long hours went by, but there was still no movement from the various noble houses.
Fredrinn's team was still in peak condition, but if they had to wait longer, it would take a toll on his subordinates. To prevent them from losing focus, he decided to divide the team into two batches with one resting while the other was on the lookout.
More time passed and nightfall came. There were fewer people on the streets and visibility was low due to the absence of proper light systems in the district.
Suddenly, a figure appeared next to Fredrinn to give an urgent report.
"Sir, one of our targets is coming!"
Fredrinn raised an eyebrow and asked. "Which one is it?"
The warrior immediately responded. "It's the one who got the girl from the Black Eagle Tribe."
Fredrinn furrowed his eyebrows. "Wake up everyone up and tell them to get ready!"
"Yes, sir!"
As they waited, they could already hear the sound of a marching entourage.
The people who bid for the girl from the Black Eagle Tribe were from a barony in the northeast. They had thirty people in their group with an Elite Knight as their commander. It was a decent-sized team, enough to deter bandits or criminals.
"We only have six people on our team so we must make this quick!" Fredrinn reminded his subordinates.
"Yes, sir!"
With them being outnumbered, they would be in a tough spot in a prolonged battle so this was the best option for them.
A few minutes later, the target finally entered their vision.
All of them are cavalry riders. Ten are defenders and the rest are melee fighters. Their commander is that guy wearing a feathered helmet.
Fredrinn silently analyzed the targets' strength.
He then gave a hand signal to his team, telling them to take out their crossbows. For this mission, everyone came prepared.
They were equipped with their main weapons and they also brought crossbows with them. Their battle armor had also been repaired and upgraded, making them less vulnerable to blade-inflicted wounds.
Fredrinn made a hand gesture, a sign for the team to take aim.
"Shoot your crossbow bolts!" Fredrinn commanded as soon as the targets stepped within their range.
Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu!
As they had agreed beforehand, they targeted the weaker warriors first to even out their numbers.
In the next moment, five warriors fell from their horses.
"Enemy attack!"
The enemy commander was quick to react. He gave a series of commands to prevent his subordinates from falling into a state of panic.
They surrounded the carriage where the young barbarian girl was held while keeping their eyes open for the next wave of attacks.
Seeing this, Fredrinn made another hand gesture. "Cover me. I will go down alone."
He didn't wait for his subordinates to respond as he jumped down from the building with a quick leap.
Whoosh!
As soon as he revealed himself, the enemies were alerted.
"Who are you? Why are you targeting us!?" The enemy commander glared at Fredrinn who was currently wearing a mask.
The latter didn't hide his aura so he could sense his formidable strength. They were both in the Elite Knight realm, but compared to this mysterious masked warrior, he felt that he was significantly weaker.
Fredrinn didn't respond. He calmly approached them as he unsheathed his sword and shield.
Shiing!
The enemy commander was threatened by his presence so he immediately commanded five of his subordinates to attack him. "The five of you, follow me to attack that guy!"
"Yes, sir!"
The sound of galloping horses echoed as the enemy commander led a small unit to charge toward Fredrinn.
However, before they could get closer to him, he suddenly sensed danger from above.
"Look out! There are more of them!"
Suu! Suu! Suu! Suu!
Thak! Thak! Thak!
With his quick warning, four of his subordinates were able to evade the crossbow bolts, but there was one unlucky fellow who was shot in his shoulder and fell off his horse.
The enemy commander gritted his teeth and shouted. "Stay behind me! We need to kill that man first!"
"Yes, sir!"
Fredrinn remained calm as they approached him. He quietly imbued mana into his sword and shield. He then planted his feet firmly on the ground.
The enemy commander was stunned by this. The masked warrior actually stood his ground without intending to retreat!
"Are you underestimating me?!" He roared furiously as he brandished his halberd.
Whoosh!
Seeing his attack, Fredrinn immediately lifted his shield.
Bang!
"What?!" The enemy commander was startled. He attacked with all his strength and even used the momentum of his charge in that swing, but the masked warrior actually managed to block it with ease!
Fredrinn didn't remain idle after blocking the halberd. He swung his sword, forcing the enemy commander to deflect it with the shaft of his weapon.
Clang!
The shaft of his halberd was coated with steel, making it sturdier and more durable.
The force behind Fredrinn's casual swing made him recoil and even his horse was forced to take a couple of steps back.
This guy is strong?! Just who is he?!
At this moment, his subordinates had already arrived. They attacked Fredrinn in various directions, not giving him the opportunity to retreat!
Fredrinn snorted beneath his mask.
So weak!
He smoothly evaded the attacks that he couldn't block while also releasing a few slashes.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Clang! Clang!
"Ahhh! My hand!"
One cavalry rider fell from his mount after having his dominant hand cut off.
Fredrinn didn't stop there. He used his shield to crush another warrior's skull!
Kkhhshhk!
In just a blink of an eye, two Knights had been taken down with one dead and another one severely injured.
Suu! Suu! Suu!
Another wave of crossbow bolts was released, killing another warrior.
This time, only the enemy commander and one lucky survivor remained. They were both shocked by the quick turn of events.
Realizing that they had encountered a formidable foe, the enemy commander shouted. "Retreat immediately! Protect the representative at all costs!"
Following his instructions, the warriors who hadn't charged with them turned to flee, but how could Fredrinn let them escape?
He rushed upon them and lunged himself at the carriage.
Whoosh!
"Stop him! Don't let him get close to the carriage!" The enemy commander shouted in alarm, but it was already too late.
Fredrinn had already landed on the carriage's roof. He killed the coachman with a stab and pried the door open.
Inside the carriage, he saw a naked middle-aged man cowering in fear right next to a young girl with a pair of black wings.
Without hesitation, Fredrinn killed the middle-aged man who clearly did something unsavory to the young girl.
"We don't have much time. You need to follow me if you want to live." Fredrinn whispered to the barbarian girl.
The barbarian girl hesitated for a moment, but she chose to trust her instincts and grabbed Fredrinn's hand.
Fredrinn noticed that her clothes were in disarray, but there wasn't much time to waste. He pulled her up and jumped into the darkness.
Looking at the dark alleyways, the enemy commander halted.
"Sir, do we give chase?" One of his subordinates asked.
"Do you think we can catch that person?" The enemy commander sighed.
The person he was supposed to protect was killed and even the barbarian girl they had gotten from the Crimson Tower was taken away from them.
"Gather our comrades' bodies. We need to report this to the other houses and seek help from them." Their only option now was to ask for support from other households.