Lance wasted no time, heading straight back.

"Dismas, you and Laura keep an eye on the convoy, try not to engage with those Barbarian Tribes. Margaret and I are going back to rally the troops. Once my army surrounds them, not a single one will escape!"

"Understood!" Dismas knew the Lord was speaking directly to him, worried he might act impulsively, but it was also a clear directive.

Laura said nothing. Though Margaret had countless questions swirling in her mind, seeing Lance leave, she had no choice but to follow, though her mouth didn't stop questioning.

"How did you rescue that person and wake them up?"

"Why did those bodies disappear?"

"And..."

Lance felt as if a little bee suddenly started buzzing around his ear.

When that person struggled out of the forest, everyone else was long gone. Standing by the roadside, he kept looking both ways, revealing intense confusion.

He glanced down at his simply bandaged wound and remembered what that person had said.

Turning back meant death, but to continue onward... What kind of place was Hamlet?

He soon made a decision, clutching his chest, staggering forward.

......

"Damn it! I don't care about anything else, I just want those Barbarians dead!" Michelle's irritable voice echoed inside the carriage.

Gene felt a bit helpless hearing the noises from the carriage, as a few people had died earlier, and now Michelle was losing it again.

Being familiar with Michelle, Gene knew he wasn't upset about the dead, but rather at being taunted and unable to retaliate.

"Those Barbarians are just relying on the wild dense forests to shield themselves and our unfamiliarity with the surroundings. We'll soon reach Hamlet, with farmland all around the town. If they dare to show up, it's a dead end for them. Then, we can recruit some local people to surely capture those Barbarians."

Gene could only offer a bunch of reassurances now, desperately trying to soothe Michelle's fragile nerves.

Michelle calmed down a bit, but still left a final demand.

"Hurry! I want to see those Barbarians dead in front of me."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Gene agreed without hesitation.

With Michelle quietening down, Gene's sinister expression showed tired resignation.

The plan had been to lure the Barbarians into a trap and slaughter them—it was all going well, except they couldn't completely wipe them out, leaving a few threats behind.

Initially, he didn't pay much attention, but no one expected the less than ten remaining Barbarians would dare to attack.

And they didn't face off directly, just harassed, killing one or two people occasionally. These continuous assaults cast a shadow over everyone's hearts; no one knew if they'd be next.

Even Gene struggled to withstand it, wishing to retreat into his own carriage if not for Michelle coming to him. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

He only hoped to reach Hamlet soon for the group to rest.

In Hamlet, he hoped Michelle could find a release, at least not hassle him daily.

Not only Michelle, the soldiers and others also needed an outlet for their pent-up emotions, otherwise, the pressure might backfire.

Just then, a commotion appeared ahead, and they saw someone on horseback carrying a gun suddenly block the road and stop the convoy.

Gene immediately scanned the shadowy wilderness beside the road, as if expecting arrows to fly any moment.

Others reacted similarly, panicking, even the elite Personal Guard showed varying degrees of tension.

Yet there was no movement around, only the person shouting ahead.

"Everyone stop, let your leader come out."

From another side, the carriage window abruptly opened, Michelle's raging voice echoing.

"Why are we stopping again?"

This question increased the pressure on Gene, who quickly reassured him.

"It's not Barbarians! It's not Barbarians!" Gene said, glancing at the person ahead again. Seeing his simple clothing and the way he carried the gun jogged his memory, prompting an explanation.

"There are many bandits around here; it should be local bandits seeking a toll to pass."

"Kill him quickly!" Hearing this, Michelle's explosive temper ignited—how dare anyone challenge them.

Unable to defeat the Barbarians, could they not defeat bandits?

"Sir, please don't be angry, I have a plan to defeat the Barbarians!" Gene, the crafty strategist, smiled and approached Michelle to explain before he could protest.

"These bandits are confined to the mountains their whole lives, unaware of who we are, but they definitely know the local situation well. If they help, we can surely capture the Barbarians.

We just need to promise them Barbarian heads in exchange to set them against the Barbarians. We won't suffer any losses; they won't even need to be paid..."

Gene understood Michelle's mindset well, knowing only by letting him feel like he was manipulating others would Michelle find contentment.

Sure enough, his words easily persuaded Michelle, whose irritable face broke into a grin, "As long as they bring Barbarian heads, I will let them go; otherwise, I'll make sure they learn the consequences of stopping us."

Even at this moment, Michelle was oblivious to the seriousness of the situation, acting capriciously.

Just as Gene said, a simple promise could entice those bandits—why antagonize them further?