Magic, steel, heavy industry

Chapter 21 The Battle of the Mines

"Well done, Rossi!"

Carreras roared, and then he and the others simultaneously pulled the triggers on their crossbows.

Their crossbows weren't enchanted, so they were closer to the gate, but that closer distance also meant less time for the enemy to react.

The crossbow bolt pierced through the already opened small door, turning one of the overseers inside, who was holding a whip, into a pincushion.

Carreras killed two enemies in one go, but he wasn't excited at all. After all, these guys looked like they hadn't been trained and were at most just a few more vicious thugs than ordinary people.

Dealing with such an enemy did not give him any sense of accomplishment.

"Charge in with me! Leave no resisters alive!"

Karrelas roared as he swung his greatsword, a round iron shield in his left hand, and charged into the mine, stepping over the corpses on the ground.

Just then, a sharp, cold glint suddenly appeared from the left, and Carreras almost instinctively raised his round shield.

Bang!

A powerful attack struck his round shield, but Karelas remained standing still. While blocking with his left hand, his right hand slashed upwards with his greatsword from below.

Without hesitation, the attacker, as nimble as a rabbit, leaped back, putting distance between himself and Carreras.

Their eyes met, and surprise was simultaneously revealed on their faces.

But then, Steel Cable's face darkened, and his melancholy eyes darted around Carreras as if he were watching his prey.

Just now, Steel Cable realized something was wrong immediately, but it was too late. His two men were gone in the blink of an eye, and he could only try his best to sneak up on one of them.

Unfortunately, the other side seemed to be prepared. From those few brief seconds, it was clear that the other side was not an ordinary guard!

"Who are you!" Steel Cable growled.

You are not qualified to know my name.

Karelas sneered, casually tossing aside his round shield, then gripped his greatsword with both hands and swiftly slashed down.

Steel Cable cursed under his breath and jumped away again. In the instant that Carreras's sword missed its mark, he seized the opportunity and his body shot out like a bowstring, his longsword piercing directly towards Carreras's throat.

The sword strike was cunning and incredibly fast. Carreras could only roll on the spot to dodge the sword while simultaneously sweeping his right leg horizontally.

Steel Cable remained calm. After missing his target with his sword, he immediately retreated. The two stood up at the same time, cautiously watching each other's next move.

While the two were locked in a standoff, Saka and his men had already poured into the mine. Although they were not as strong as Karrelas, they were equally decisive in their attacks. Several overseers fell to their swords before they could even react.

Upon witnessing this scene, the miners in the mine were all so frightened that they squatted down on the spot, trembling, and various pleas for mercy were mixed together.

Saka scanned the area and, finding no other overseers, immediately shouted, "Everyone, lay down your weapons and surrender!"

"We surrender!"

"Don't kill us!"

"I was kidnapped to mine cryptocurrency, I don't know anything about it!"

The miners cried out and buried their heads in the ground, but one of them secretly raised his head, and taking advantage of Saka's inattention, a dagger appeared in his hand, and he pounced on Saka.

call out!

An arrow struck him in the chest, and the man fell to the ground, howling in pain.

Saka's face turned pale, and he rushed forward, piercing the man's heart with his sword.

He turned around and saw Rossi standing outside the door, holding a crossbow in one hand, gently greeting him.

It's as if it's saying: You owe me a life.

Saka gritted his teeth, grabbed an elderly miner, and demanded, "Tell me, are there any guards watching over you?"

"I don't know... I'm just a miner..."

"I'm giving you one last chance. We won't kill the miners, but if you cover it up, you'll all be considered accomplices!"

The old miner was so frightened that he trembled uncontrollably and couldn't utter a word.

"And that other person! He's a guard too!"

Suddenly, a sallow-faced boy on the ground raised his head and pointed to the man lying on the ground to his right.

The man pointed at immediately raised his hands in terror, crying, "I surrender! Please forgive me!"

Berlin, who was closest to him, immediately kicked the man, pinning him to the ground.

Saka abandoned the old miner and looked at the boy who had just reported him with some surprise. "Is there anyone else?"

The boy shook his head, a hint of satisfaction on his face. "That's it. Apart from him and the leader, you killed all the other guards."

"Don't let your guard down. Tie them all back. Be careful of any that slip through the net. Good luck won't last forever."

Vice-captain Rossi walked in and directed them to handle the prisoners.

Rossi then looked to the other side, where Carreras and the long-haired man were still facing off.

After only a brief exchange, both men understood each other's strength and therefore neither acted rashly.

"Surrender, your men have all been dealt with." Rossi said, raising his crossbow and pointing it at Steel Cable's head.

Rossi already adored this crossbow—no, to be precise, he adored the crossbow bolts modified by Lord Vilan.

Not only is it fast and has an extremely long range, but its accuracy hasn't diminished either; it's practically comparable to a powerful crossbow that can be cocked by foot.

Hearing Rossi's words, Grimlock's face darkened further. He looked at Carreras and said, "This is not a fair fight."

Do you think I would treat a thief fairly?

Carreras raised his head, his eyes full of confidence.

The opponent is indeed quite strong, but in a real fight to the death, he is clearly no match for me.

If he were a true knight, Karelas would fight him to a standstill.

But he didn't have that patience for thieves.

"A thief? Well, I am a robber."

Steel Cable chuckled self-deprecatingly, then promptly tossed away the longsword in his hand.

Continuing the fight was pointless; not a single enemy soldier had been injured. Clearly, this battle was a meticulously planned surprise attack.

As for myself, I was utterly defeated.

……

"Attention all citizens! Lord Vilan is going to hold a public trial of prisoners in the square!"

Several serf boys ran quickly through every corner of the town, shouting the lord's orders.

Upon hearing the news, the townspeople came out out of curiosity.

"A prisoner? What prisoner?"

"Has another free citizen angered the lord?"

"My God, Dean is still hanging in the square. Looks like he'll soon have a companion."

Both free men and serfs walked toward the square.

This era has little entertainment, and public trials are the easiest to access because everyone can come and watch.

Half an hour later, the people had completely surrounded the square. Vilan looked at this scene and found it both funny and absurd.

"Sure enough, joining in the fun is human nature, no matter where you are."