As expected, it wasn't long before someone hurried over. Just as he had anticipated, there were only four of them: two wielding Daggers, one holding a Long-barreled Flintlock Gun, and another whose build was more robust than the others, carrying a simple cat-o'-nine-tails and a flintlock pistol tucked at his waist.
"Boss, there's nobody in the carriage!" one of the bandits called out after approaching and inspecting the carriage, turning to shout to those behind him.
"Quick! Chase after them, they couldn't have gotten far." The burly man didn't hesitate to raise the whip and rush forward.
However, the other subordinate focused on the scattered boxes and chests on the ground, clearly more interested in finding money than in pursuing people.
The burly man cursed, "Damn it! What good is this junk? Just kill that man, and you'll get your reward!"
Under the burly man's urging, they finally took their greedy eyes off the loot. Just as the group was about to move forward, a thunderous explosion erupted, and the Musketeer at the rear collapsed on the ground, his fate unknown.
"Who's there!"
The bandit shouted, bewildered, looking around only to see the dark forest. At that moment, in accordance with the plan, Lance stood up and made noise in the dense woods.
"Over there! Don't let him get away!" The burly man charged without hesitation, shouting encouragement, "Hurry up! Whoever kills him gets a hundred Coins reward!"
Hearing this, the two previously hesitant subordinates excitedly followed. Spurred on by the promise of the reward, they even ran faster than the burly man.
"Kill him!"
"The reward is mine!"
Lance moved swiftly through the forest. Turning his head to see the almost crazed behavior of the approaching bandits, he was frightened and forced to quicken his pace.
To the bandits, Lance's reaction only fueled their ferocity. They reveled in the joy of the hunt. They were the hunters, and Lance was the prey fleeing in panic.
Just as they focused their attention on Lance, a figure suddenly burst out from the nearby shrubs, shouting.
"In the name of Holy Light!"
Reynard charged with his Longsword, like an unremitting Spear thrusting into the enemy's formation, piercing through one of the bandits at the forefront while they were caught off guard.
Without pausing, Reynard kicked the unlucky fellow to withdraw the Longsword and swung it towards another with a backhanded strike.
Reynard's sudden appearance threw the bandits' formation into disarray. Watching their pierced comrade, another bandit turned to flee but only managed to turn around before being beheaded by the Longsword. The head soared into the air, eyes wide open in death, and the body stumbled a few steps before collapsing.
The deaths of two subordinates in a short time did not cause the burly man to falter. Rather, he seized the opportunity provided by his subordinate's death to draw the pistol at his waist.
And the barrel was already aimed at Reynard.
"Watch out!" Seeing this, Lance immediately shouted a warning.
His fear of firearms had persisted to this day, so when he saw this scene, his heart felt as if it were being clenched tight.
As the headless corpse fell, the gunshot still sounded. BANG! To his astonishment, it was the burly man, not Reynard, who screamed in pain.
His gun-holding hand appeared to have been struck by something, mangled into a bloody mess of flesh, and the pistol itself dropped to the ground.
"It seems I haven't arrived too late," Dismas said as he entered the fray from another side, his musket still emitting smoke.
By then, Reynard had also recovered. He was swinging his Longsword to strike again when Lance's voice came from behind him. "Spare him!"
Reynard turned his slash into a heavy blow with the hilt of his Longsword to the head of the burly man, knocking the burly man, who was still wailing, to the ground.
"Why not kill him?" Dismas asked, looking at the approaching Lance.
"Don't you think it's odd?" Lance raised his hand to soothe the two men. "After seeing the collapsed carriage and the scattered goods, they didn't stop to investigate. Instead, they pursued us with a clear purpose."
"Maybe they thought we took the valuable things with us. And besides, the goods here aren't going anywhere," Dismas offered an explanation from their perspective.
Lance just smiled, picked up the Dagger from the ground, and prodded the two corpses.
"A bandit who has lived in the wilderness for years has clothes that are this clean," Lance continued. "There's no dirt under his fingernails, no calluses on his palms from holding weapons for long periods, and no signs of weathering on his face.
"And look at this." He handed the Dagger to Dismas, signaling him to examine it. "This blade is too new, without any signs of battle, as if it has just come out of the blacksmith's shop."
After taking it, Dismas indeed found it to be the case. However, who would notice such details in the dark? It wasn't until Lance mentioned it that the two of them realized.
"Are you saying these men are not bandits?"
As Lance searched the burly man, he pulled out some loose Coins from his pocket and also found a Copper badge, which he then showed to the two men.
"It's a police badge!" Dismas blurted out, recognizing the object.
But surely those who carry such an item should be a sheriff responsible for maintaining local order. How had they become robbers blocking the road?
Just like that, the situation became even more baffling.
"What's going on here?"
"That's why I need him to help me answer some questions." Lance picked up the bloodied pistol from the ground, his gaze cold as he looked at the fallen burly man. "Tell me, who sent you to kill me?"
The burly man asked, "If I tell you, can I live?"
Lance, not one for pleasantries, pointed the pistol directly at him.
"Are you trying to negotiate with me?"
"The mayor! It was all the mayor's doing. I had no choice but to obey," the burly man confessed, abandoning his last hesitation before the threat of death.
"Is it just the mayor?" Lance asked calmly, as if he had anticipated this.
"The farm owners too. They were displeased with your Lordship's arrival."
Betrayal knows no bounds once it begins. The man didn't hesitate to spill everything, allowing Lance to understand the situation in town.
With the previous Lord's death and bandits blocking the road, the mayor secretly collaborated with the farm owners to hike the price of food, reaping profits from the common people.
Upon hearing of the Heir's return, the mayor immediately arranged for this man to bring several thugs to ambush him here. He hoped to disguise the attack as banditry, kill the Heir, then kill the thugs afterward, and the town would become the mayor's.
"You're not lying to me?" Lance asked.
"I have told you everything. I wouldn't dare deceive your Lordship," the man assured.
"Then you can die now," Lance said.
No sooner did Lance speak than he pulled the trigger. The flint striking against the frizzen produced a shower of sparks.
But contrary to his expectations, there was no gunshot, just the fading sparks.
The pistol had no bullets!
And in that moment of Lance's shock, the burly man lunged at him, attempting to take him hostage.