Matthew rode back to the damaged carriage circle, the sound of his horse's hooves like drumbeats thumping against everyone's heartstrings. He pulled the reins and stopped right beside Regg and Porter, dismounting smoothly.
He then leaned in and whispered a few words to the Eldest Young Master, who immediately beamed with joy!
Seeing this, Cogan's heart suddenly tightened. Sensing that things were looking bad, he immediately tried to turn his horse around to flee.
At that exact moment, the sound of whistling air rang out—Matthew had already fired an arrow at him.
Cogan was not a Class holder, though he had learned some basic martial arts in his early years. Since Matthew hadn't put his full strength into this shot, Cogan managed to clumsily twist his body aside. The arrow grazed his right arm, slicing open a bloody gash.
The remaining horse bandits had been uncertain and suspicious, but seeing the yellow-haired youth get hit and merely clutch his arm in pain—unable to even use a Class holder's techniques to counter or block—they immediately broke into an uproar.
A few of the bandits who knew a bit of martial arts saw through him instantly—this man wasn't a Class holder at all!
"Damn it! This brat isn't even a Class holder! He's been playing us this whole time!"
A bandit sub-leader roared in fury. His mind raced as he realized that their only hope for survival was to scatter and run. He immediately screamed at the top of his lungs,
"Brothers, this bastard lied to us! The boss has run off too! Scatter! Run for your lives!"
Hearing this and seeing Cogan merely clutching his arm without offering a word of defense, the rest of the bandits finally understood.
Their will to fight vanished instantly. With a collective shout, they scattered and fled in every direction, no longer caring whether the yellow-haired youth lived or died.
Cogan, however, didn't care about the bandits deserting him. He looked up at Matthew and, seeing the youth nocking another arrow, he hurriedly raised his hand and shouted,
"Stop! I am from the Fiery Lion..."
He wanted to reveal his background. Since Matthew was Master Regg's subordinate, Cogan assumed the boy would never dare to kill a member of the family.
Matthew, of course, knew exactly what Cogan was thinking and had no intention of giving him the chance to state his lineage.
The bowstring thrummed again, and a second arrow tore through the air, piercing straight through Cogan's throat.
Cogan's voice cut off abruptly. His eyes widened, his face filled with shock and indignation. His body swayed before he tumbled heavily from his horse, twitching twice before falling still.
Matthew slowly lowered his bow, shifting his gaze from Cogan's corpse to the remaining bandits fleeing in all directions.
Regg raised his arm and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Root out evil completely! Pursue the remaining bandits! Leave none alive!"
Listening to those words, Matthew felt a strange, inexplicable emotion...
But the guards and adventurers in the caravan who still had strength left moved at the command. Their long-suppressed rage and battle intent erupted instantly.
Though they were exhausted and wounded, seeing the enemy leader dead and their morale collapsed, they knew this was the best time to strike.
They moved out in pairs, riding after the fleeing bandits in different directions.
Matthew was in no hurry to join the fray. He rode slowly to Cogan's corpse, dismounted nimbly, and quickly searched the body.
Inside the man's inner clothing, he felt a cold metal badge.
The badge was dark red, embossed with a lion with a flaring mane. Tiny dark crystals were embedded in the lion's pupils, and it emitted a faint, subtle energy fluctuation to the touch.
This was undoubtedly the Blood Rage Badge Nathan had mentioned.
Aside from that, there was a small pouch of coins and a few miscellaneous items.
Matthew tucked the badge into his robe, leaving the coin pouch and other items untouched.
By now, the pursuit was nearing its end.
The horse bandits had no will to fight and were quickly cornered and cut down by the caravan members. The sporadic screams and the clashing of steel across the grasslands soon thinned out, eventually fading into silence.
As twilight deepened, the setting sun dyed the meadows and the pools of blood a dark, somber red.
...
By evening, the vast grasslands stretched out in a silhouette of dark gold under the last rays of the sun.
Campfires were lit throughout the camp, their orange-red flames dancing to drive away the thickening dusk and the encroaching chill.
The firewood crackled, and the light smoke rising from the flames mingled with the aroma of roasting meat, drifting lazily into the low-hanging night sky.
In the distance, a few early stars were already pinned to the deep blue canopy. The wind swept through the grass, bringing a soft rustling and the faint chirping of insects, lending a strange sense of tranquility to the temporary camp that had just witnessed a bloody battle.
Matthew sat by a campfire, with Aidan, whose injuries had stabilized, by his side.
The young assistant was using a branch to skewer large pieces of beast meat that sizzled over the flames, the fat dripping into the fire and causing sparks to fly.
He handed a plump, fragrant skewer to Matthew, his face filled with sincere gratitude and his voice slightly raspy from exhaustion.
"Brother Matthew, it's all thanks to you this time. Otherwise, I'm afraid I..."
Matthew raised a hand to stop him, taking the skewer and saying calmly, "It was just my duty. Having gone through this battle, your control over your life energy should have become much more proficient."
He took a bite of the meat. As he chewed, his gaze swept over Aidan. Through his Spirit, he could faintly feel the life energy overflowing from the young man's body.
He thought to himself, 'It seems actual combat is indeed the fastest way to progress.'
'If Aidan becomes a Class holder, having a reliable Class holder who has been through life-and-death situations by my side will make many things much easier once we reach the county seat, even if he's only at the Black Iron Rank.'
He swallowed the last piece of meat and looked at Aidan, his voice remaining steady. "Train well. The road ahead is still long."
After a bit more small talk, Aidan stood up and headed toward the stew pot not far away, clearly going to fetch some soup for Matthew.
...
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