"Stop!"
Wooden barricades obstructed the path into the farm, and two Guards stepped forward to halt the horse-drawn carriage.
Yet, before the carriage could come to a complete stop, an irate voice was heard from inside.
"Don't you recognize this carriage anymore?" the squad leader's rough voice sounded. He then stuck his head out of the carriage door to berate the two Guards, "Are you fucking tired of living, getting in my way? Move those things, quick!"
Seeing the aggressive squad leader, the two Guards dared not say much and hurriedly cleared the barricades.
Once they had passed the checkpoint, the few people inside sighed in relief.
To better execute their mission, they had swapped their gear. All their weapons were hidden in burlap sacks, including two Crossbows, a large bag of Crossbow Arrows, and several muskets contributed by the mercenary.
The veteran and Reynard donned burlap sacks and crouched in a corner of the carriage as a disguise, while Lance and Dismas dressed as Guards—which really just meant coarse cloth garments.
As long as the Guards didn't lift the sacks during an inspection, nothing would seem amiss. However, not being inspected at all was even better.
From the window, Lance surveyed the farm. It was mostly fields where Serfs labored. Originally, this land had belonged to farmers, but now it was part of the farm.
Every so often, Guards could be seen walking among them with whips. They would lash any Serf they found loafing or simply if they took a dislike to them; sometimes, it was solely for amusement, a way to pass their boredom.
The checkpoints on the roads were to prevent Serfs from escaping. Anyone caught would be brutally beaten.
A beaten Serf would be bedridden for days. By the time they got up again, they would have learned to behave.
Those too weak to survive often died in agony. Their companions who lived with them would grimly drag their bodies off to be buried as fertilizer.
Accidentally killing a Serf wasn't extraordinary; it would just result in a scolding.
Since the Serfs were the farm owner's property, killing one meant one fewer worker. Therefore, the Guards' greatest skill was knowing how to inflict the most pain without killing.
Hearing the squad leader's words, the few people in the carriage showed scarcely any reaction. It was as if an animal had been killed, not a person.
Living in this world, they clearly regarded Serfs with indifference; it was none of their business.
Lance remained silent. He knew that instead of dwelling on the Serfs, it was better to focus on eliminating the farm owner and seizing the farm.
Shortly, the carriage entered the manor. Buildings became more densely packed: cattle sheds, stables, sheep pens, chicken coops, windmills, mills, and granaries.
Seeing these, Lance couldn't help but smile—this was precisely why he was so eager.
To revitalize the town, controlling the grain supply was essential. His conflict with the farm owner was irreconcilable. There was only one solution.
Kill!
As per routine, the squad leader had to take the ledger and money into the farmstead, so the carriage proceeded unstopped.
"We've arrived at the farmstead."
Hearing this, Lance looked outside. In the center of the buildings, he finally saw the mud-brick wall and, within it, a few brick-and-stone houses, the tallest merely two stories.
Apparently, the farm owner hadn't been doing well before. Even with the recent rapid expansion, there had been no time to spruce up the facade.
Lance had initially thought he'd be facing a fortified landlord's castle, easily defensible and hard to attack. Instead, it was just this simple courtyard. No wonder only one team of Guards was stationed here.
"Two Guards at the gate, no armor... Found the Crossbowmen. They're on the watchtowers on both sides."
Observing from afar as he drove the carriage, Dismas, with his sharp eyes, easily spotted the Crossbowmen's positions and reported the target information in a low voice.
"Wait for him to get off the carriage and stall the two Guards. Dismas, you take the one on the left; make sure to eliminate them both immediately. Then, use the carriage to block the entrance. Use its body to prevent enemies from entering and use Crossbow Arrows to neutralize the Crossbowmen. Avoid using muskets if possible. Reynard, Balistan, and I will then charge into the building."
Lance then looked at the squad leader. Thinking of the man's dubious character, he added a stern warning, "Once you break away, go find the Guards who are dissatisfied with David. Tell them David killed the farm owner to seize power, and mobilize the men you know to control David's faction of Guards. Remember, no tricks. If anything goes wrong, you won't escape either."
"Don't worry, sir, I understand," the squad leader assured, patting his chest to show there would be no problem.
"Get ready to move."
After giving the order, Lance lifted the cloth bags. He readied the Crossbows with their Arrows and loaded the muskets. Then, he donned the captured breastplate. Although it provided only minimal protection, it was better than nothing.
The others were each checking their gear and mentally preparing.
"Stop," the Guard at the entrance called out, seeing the carriage driving straight for them, and quickly stood up to block it.
At this moment, the squad leader crawled out from inside, hopped off the carriage, and said with a jovial gesture, "It's me. Just coming to deliver the ledger."
The two Guards seemed to recognize the newcomer and relaxed somewhat.
"Is the lord inside?"
"Yes, he is."
"That's great," the squad leader said with a smile as he approached them.
They didn't harbor much suspicion and even reminded him, "New rules. No weapons inside."
"Here you go," the squad leader said, pulling out the axe hanging from his waist and offering it.
However, just as one Guard reached out to take it, the squad leader, his smile vanishing, swung the axe into the neck of the Guard on the right, nearly beheading him.
The other Guard had just started to react when, in the next second, a Crossbow Arrow shot into his eye socket from close range. The Arrow penetrated his brain, a small section protruding from the back of his skull—a shot by Dismas from the front of the carriage.
Before the two Guards could comprehend what was happening, they were dead. The squad leader glanced back for a moment, then turned and jogged away.
Lance, using the carriage for cover, offered the two corpses up for Sacrifice, then pushed open the main gate.
At that moment, Dismas immediately whipped the reins, driving the carriage forward. It charged in, positioning itself to perfectly block the entrance, with only its rear exposed outside.
The entire event took place in a little over ten seconds. Unless the two Crossbowmen were blind, they would have seen what happened at the gate.
Yet, in the peaceful surroundings, the sudden attack left them unable to react properly. Instead of sending a signal, they peeked out from either side.
What's going on? Where did this carriage come from?
The next moment, the Crossbowmen realized something was wrong and scrambled to load their Crossbows. Just then, they saw Dismas step out. He didn't even seem to aim; he just raised his arm and fired. Without checking for a hit, he took the second strung Crossbow Lance handed him.
Taking it, lifting it, firing—all in one fluid motion, so fast that the two Crossbowmen practically fell simultaneously.
Lance glanced over. Both were hit in the chest, each Arrow a lethal strike.
Precise and forceful!
Reynard and Balistan also dismounted from the carriage. Thinking about the considerable commotion they'd made entering, Lance knew he had no time to waste. He immediately signaled the two men.
"Go! Follow the plan."