Firearms in a Fantasy World

Chapter 156: Thorn Fortress 2

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

A guard hurriedly reported, "The scout who returned last night has awakened and says there is important information to report."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became serious.

Important information? How significant could it be? Could it be that the rebels are about to attack?

Duke Dodge immediately stood up and instructed the reporting guard, "Take me to see him!"

He hurriedly strode out of the hall.

Klein and Leicester also stood up and followed behind the old Duke. No one was in the mood to wait for breakfast now.

Bowman and the other attendants naturally followed as well.

They quickly arrived at a barracks specially set up to accommodate the wounded, and pushed open the door.

The Duke urgently asked, "Is he awake?"

On a wooden bed in the corner, a wounded soldier wrapped in bandages lay diagonally on the blanket, while another person was feeding him rice soup.

Seeing the three highest-ranking gentlemen of the fortress arrive, the person feeding the soldier immediately stood up and saluted, while the injured soldier on the bed struggled to get up.

The Duke stepped forward and gently pressed him down, "Since you're injured, don't move recklessly. Just keep lying down."

"Thank you, Your Grace."

The severely injured scout spoke softly, his voice revealing his extreme weakness.

A guard brought over several small stools, inviting the Duke and the other two to sit down.

"You said there's important information you need to report to me?"

The scout nodded, "Yes, I believe the information I gathered this time is crucial."

With a sorrowful expression on his face, he began to recount the details from last night, carefully recalling each moment.

"Yesterday evening, we were on surveillance duty along the road assigned to our team, guarding against a night-time raid by the rebels."

"Around 8 o'clock in the evening, when it was completely dark, we suddenly heard movement in the distance. Taking advantage of the faint moonlight, we could vaguely see several figures slowly approaching along the roadside."

"Our captain suspected them to be rebel scouts or a small enemy force, sneaking in under cover of darkness to scout the fortress. Originally, we planned to immediately return to report the situation, but one sharp-eyed comrade noticed there were only 5 people on the opposite side while we had 7. The captain then decided to capture a few prisoners for interrogation, a plan to which I and others readily agreed."

"So we quickly adjusted our positions and waited there for the enemy's approach."

"Fortunately, we were well concealed, and the advancing enemy didn't notice us. Gradually, they entered our ambush."

"Then the captain gave the order, and we suddenly jumped out, each attacking the nearest person."

"I tightly gripped the dagger in my hand and viciously stabbed at one of them. Clearly, he was startled by our ambush, standing there dumbfounded with his back to me. Under normal circumstances, I was confident of delivering a fatal blow."

Duke Dodge, Klein, and Leicester held their breaths, sensing the implication from the scout's words that what happened next was anything but normal.

Sure enough, the scout continued with an incredulous tone, "But something abnormal happened just as my dagger was about to pierce his body. I suddenly felt like I had struck an iron plate."

Klein asked, "Was the enemy wearing armor?"

"No, Your Grace!"

The scout shook his head repeatedly, inadvertently causing pain from his wounds, which made him grimace.

"When they approached, we observed them carefully. They weren't wearing any armor. They were indeed scouts, dressed in ordinary clothes to minimize noise while moving at night."

The Duke and the other two exchanged glances.

Klein speculated, "Perhaps they were wearing a thin and sophisticated type of armor underneath?"

But as soon as he said it, he felt his face flush.

Such lightweight, sophisticated armor that could be concealed under normal clothes without hindering movement, and even withstand a full-force blow from a trained adult male—this could easily be a treasured heirloom of a noble family. It seemed improbable for an ordinary scout to casually wear it to the front lines.

This was indeed an anomaly. The Duke asked with a serious expression, "And then?"

"Then..."

The scout's face showed a mix of confusion and fear.

"And then, when I struck him, he stumbled forward. I took a quick glance around and noticed that despite our ambush, none of the enemies seemed fatally wounded. Perhaps due to the darkness, I couldn't see clearly, but their subsequent actions didn't seem like those of injured men."

"We are confident in our skills. Although we dare not compare ourselves to you, lords, we know where to strike to incapacitate without causing death. These are skills every scout must master."

The Duke asked, "So you mean, all five of them could possibly be wearing some kind of 'armor' underneath?"

The Duke couldn't fathom how they managed such a feat without visible armor, so he echoed Lord Klein's earlier suggestion.

"Well... if such 'armor' indeed exists, then this must be the case."

With the scout's limited knowledge, he couldn't comprehend the various "high-tech" gadgets nobles could afford to commission from skilled craftsmen. He couldn't help but marvel at their breadth of knowledge. "So that's how it is."

He continued:

"The enemy reacted swiftly, immediately forming a defensive formation back-to-back after our ambush. We didn't have time to marvel at their defense before we attacked again."

"Soon we discovered that our swords and knives seemed ineffective against their bodies."

"Their combat skills were on par with ours, but this 'invulnerability' alone restrained us severely."

"After nearly twenty minutes of fierce battle, almost all of us were injured, while those five seemed to handle the fight effortlessly. Gradually, we found ourselves at a disadvantage."

"Finally, three of our comrades fell, and seeing victory was futile, the captain signaled for retreat... but he stayed behind..."

"I..."

At this point, the scout's face reddened.

"I turned and ran..."

His voice choked up, seemingly unable to continue.

Duke Dodge placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your captain is a hero, and you did nothing wrong. Bringing back intelligence is your duty as scouts. Don't burden yourself with guilt."

Tears welled up in the scout's eyes. "Was I the only one who came back last night? I remember there were two other comrades who retreated with me... I... I just ran..."

An uncomfortable silence followed, with no one answering his question.

The scout hung his head, silently bearing the cruel reality.

Duke Dodge sighed. "Take care of your wounds. Only by surviving can you honor the sacrifices of your brothers."

He gestured to the other two and turned to leave.

Klein and Leicester followed closely behind.

(End of the Chapter)

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