"It's the Empire's wizard!" the archer shouted, as he bent his bow, nocking an arrow in preparation for the shot.

The presence of Transcendents was kept secret by the Church, but those who needed to know still knew.

The tribal wizards had the ability to communicate with various Spirits of the Wilderness, and were considered sacred and powerful.

But to the Barbarians, the Empire's wizards seemed evil and twisted, just like those Church priests.

The tribal elders also reminded them that if they encountered an enemy wizard, they must prioritize killing them.

But before he could release the bowstring, a commotion came from the village gate, and a large group of soldiers emerged immediately afterward.

It was clear that the Personal Guards, who had been fighting fiercely at the front, went mad and rushed back upon hearing of Michelle's attack.

If something happened to Lord Michelle, everyone here would be doomed.

These Barbarians were already frightened by the dead coming back to life, and now seeing the enemies return, they understood the opportunity was lost and immediately considered retreat.

If there was anything they learned from being mercenaries in the Empire, aside from better equipment, it was to run when things looked bad.

A clear, penetrating whistle sounded.

Those who could still walk turned and scattered into the village. The dirt walls couldn't stop them; gathering in one place only made it easier to be caught.

The Barbarian archers didn't flee immediately but shot two arrows—one aimed at the wizard, the other at Michelle—interrupting the pursuit rhythm of the Personal Guards.

"Quick, protect Lord Michelle!"

The whistle also prompted the main force of the Barbarians, who were about to follow the Personal Guards into the village, to retreat. They didn't know what was happening, but they had some organization.

In fact, they realized more so that these Personal Guards were not weak, and if pushed, they would fight desperately.

They had learned from past mistakes and were not so disorganized, but it was undeniable that they were from different tribes without plans to fight to the death.

After covering their teammates' retreat, the archer turned and slipped into the darkness, leaving behind a somewhat chaotic scene.

"What are you standing here for? Chase them for me!"

Michelle's temper would never allow those who had provoked him to get away. He kicked aside the shield-bearing soldier in front of him and roared.

The Personal Guard leader had no other choice but to send half his men to pursue the Barbarians, while the others were to guard against the Barbarians attacking from the front.

Fortunately, the main force of the Barbarians didn't charge at that moment, or Michelle's micro-handling would have been suicidal.

Gene, who was hiding on the side, hadn't yet reacted, looking somewhat dazed. Clearly, the previous scene had shocked him.

What did he just witness?

He might have heard of many strange and bizarre legends, like evil mages, witches, demons... but he always took them as stories, never expecting the dead could stand up!

Gene wished dearly that this was just a nightmare and prayed he could wake up. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

But it was clear this dream was one he could never wake from.

When the Personal Guards regained control of the situation, and the surviving city defense force and coachmen were driven out, Gene finally reacted and hurried outside.

Thankfully, although some goods from the wagons had been stolen, most remained, and the wagon structures hadn't been deliberately damaged.

However, the casualties among the drivers and city defense force were heavy, with at least half, over a hundred people, dead.

If the Personal Guards hadn't engaged the enemy first, many more might have died.

Why were there no wounded?

Those who understand know: not everyone is like Lance, unwilling to abandon the wounded. In these times, an injury for an ordinary person usually meant a foot in the grave, especially in this environment.

Expect Gene or Michelle to save people? Not without a drink at least.

These things didn't concern Gene; what truly troubled him was the knight killed by an arrow, who was a nobleman with some connections in the city.

"Even in death, he causes me trouble..." Gene looked at the knight's corpse with disdain.

Yet he also felt some fear—if he hadn't kept up and stayed in the village, his outcome might not have been better.

The more he thought about it, the more his head ached. Why did he run out here?

All because of that guy, having nothing better to do...

Gene harbored much resentment, but he dared not voice it.

Even now, he could hear agitated roars not far away, prompting him to distract himself with tending to the convoy, keeping his distance to avoid becoming a scapegoat.

Why was Michelle so furious? Of course, it was because the Personal Guards' pursuit bore no result but cost them several soldiers.

Those Barbarian mercenaries disappearing into the woods meant certain death if pursued.

Even Count Bastia had suffered this way.

What pushed Michelle over the edge was that after tallying up, thirty of his Personal Guards were lost in the battle.

Keep in mind he only set out with a hundred and twenty men, and now a quarter were gone.

He couldn't even confirm how many enemies they had killed since their bodies had all been taken.

"It's maddening!"

The report from the Personal Guard leader sent Michelle into uncontrollable rage.

He liked it when others resisted, but enjoyed the pleasure of others' failure in resistance, not this utter defeat.

In the room, he smashed whatever could be smashed, while the Personal Guard leader took a beating.

Gene was smart not to get close, but they couldn't avoid the outburst and had to endure silently.