[Luna's POV]
Rose and I weren't close-range fighters, so we had to make the most of the distance while the enemies were still far off to inflict as much damage as possible.
My line of sight wasn't very clear. I was too close to the shield wall to get a clean view of the enemies advancing toward us.
Without Felicia and the Commander's heightened senses, I had to rely on Rose's detection magic.
Rose would start with a saturation attack. Just simple fireballs, but the sheer number would force the enemies to dodge.
The main goal was to drive them into positions favorable to my shots.
When their front line advanced earlier, we got a clearer view of the terrain ahead.
A small natural trench cut through the fields, likely a natural drainage channel, coming straight toward us.
The two RedTails were using it to stay just low enough to be completely hidden behind the shield wall.
Rose's saturation attack was meant to force them out of that ditch.
The plan worked exactly as expected. They split up, one to each side, and were now in my line of sight.
Rose and I didn't need to communicate. I knew she'd go for the one on the right, slower, so I took the one on the left.
I focused, watching the wind direction, the sun's position, the clouds in the sky; then began to shoot.
The enemy dodged the first arrow but soon realized it was a trap.
Two more arrows followed, their trajectory hidden by the sun, aimed precisely at the most likely paths he'd dodge to.
And he did exactly that, by the time he noticed, it was too late.
All he could do was raise the armored guards on his arms to protect his torso.
But my arrows were all specially crafted and enchanted by me. His armor alone wouldn't be enough to stop them.
The arrow pierced through his arm and only didn't reach his torso because it struck bone.
I wouldn't give him time to breathe, my next arrows were already in the air.
Before he could even feel pain, another was about to hit him.
He dodged again, but that, too, was a trap.
As he stepped back, he entered the trajectory of another arrow, once again hidden by the sunlight.
He only had time to shift slightly, taking the hit in the shoulder, no vital organs, but enough to slow him.
He drew his sword. What was his plan? Block arrows with a blade?
That wouldn't work. Just as his blade was about to deflect another arrow, I activated a small magic circle, just a puff of wind to slightly alter its course.
His blade sliced air. My arrow struck his belly.
That fight was over. Even if he dodged every arrow from now on and reached me, he was too wounded to win.
I was almost done with my RedTail, but Rose wasn't having as much luck.
***
[Rose's POV]
Damn, I hated falling behind.
Besides being the least experienced in the group, offensive magic still wasn't my strong suit.
I'd managed to hit the enemy a few times, but he blocked my fire spells easily. Time to change tactics.
I kept conjuring fireballs with my left hand to keep him pressured, while I began preparing a mud pit just behind our shield wall.
I had to be careful, I couldn't compromise our defense for the sake of one trap.
So the pit couldn't be too wide. I had to lure him into jumping at the exact spot to fall in.
I couldn't make it very deep, but it would be enough.
Once done, I focused on directing the RedTail's movement.
The fireballs seemed like a regular saturation attack, but each angle was precisely calculated to guide him where I wanted.
When he got close to the barrier and jumped, I launched one last and much larger fireball, meant to hit him mid-air.
He simply strengthened his magic shield and passed through the flames.
That was exactly what I wanted.
After emerging from the fire, he didn't even realize where he was landing.
His expression was almost comical when he stepped into the mud pit and sank. He tried to get out, but I wouldn't give him time.
I started hurling a barrage of ice spears.
Now that he was close and stuck in the mud, his barrier wouldn't last long under that hail of magic.
He'd soon be skewered by my spears.
***
[Matthew's POV]
Inside the carriage, people were cheering the Pretties' victories like they were watching a sports match.
All of it still felt surreal to me, but I had to keep up appearances.
"Who do you think hired the RedTails to attack a merchant caravan?" Fernand's question snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Only the kingdom's nobles would have the resources to pay for RedTails. That's why their services are usually reserved for wars," Drako answered.
The kingdom's political system was still confusing to me.
Conflicts between nobles were common. Even though the King had authority over all, each fiefdom had a degree of autonomy, leading to frequent local skirmishes.
These disputes happened especially in the duchies, which had the most autonomy from the crown. That's why mercenary groups like the RedTails were in high demand, even if technically illegal.
Only nobles were allowed to raise armies.
And the size of those forces was limited by the rank of the noble title.
The only legally recognized mercenary forces were knightly orders, like Captain Maeva's Valkyries.
Because to lead a knightly order, one had to be a noble by law.
There were also bandit groups offering mercenary services, but mercenary groups like the RedTails tended to avoid crimes; they didn't want to be hunted like outlaws by the royal guard.
"This attack could be a prelude to war."
I had no idea why those words came out of my mouth.
Zahira, who until then hadn't shown much interest in the conversation, gave me a smile I couldn't decipher.
"What makes you think that, Lord Matthew?"
That was the thing—I didn't think. I had no clue where that line had come from.
Not wanting to look like an idiot, I blurted out the first thing I could think of:
"Wars are expensive, so stealing from caravans disguised as bandits is a way to gather supplies without draining your resources."
Zahira just nodded. I couldn't tell if she agreed.
"It's also a perfect way to train your army," I added. "If your soldiers are inexperienced and have never seen a real battlefield, throwing them against seasoned adventurers in a real fight to the death would quickly turn them into elite veterans."
"You have quite interesting ideas, Mr Matthew."
That was all she said. Whatever she meant by that, I had no idea.