novelODS Chapter 77 Ambush on the Sea Pirate Squad
Chapter 77 Ambush on the Sea Pirate Squad
After packing their belongings, Roger led the people of Gonde Village into the granary.
Twelve sets of Vanscare studded leather armor were neatly stacked there, along with twelve repaired and polished military swords and battle axes.
These were spoils of war from the last campaign against the pirates, which Rogge had reserved for future recruitment.
"If you don't have armor, come over and pick out a piece that fits you."
Rogge pointed to the leather armor, his gaze sweeping over the Gonde villagers clutching their chipped axes: "If you don't like the weapon, pick one for yourself."
As soon as he finished speaking, the villagers of Gangde Village froze instantly, looking at each other in disbelief.
Aino's eyes widened suddenly as she stared blankly at Roger.
"Captain Rogge, this...this is really for us?"
Aino was somewhat incredulous. In this dog-eat-dog world of Pendor, weapons and armor were a soldier's second life.
Ordinary mercenary leaders would rather keep all the good equipment to themselves, so why would they be like Rogge, who unhesitatingly took out twelve complete sets of leather armor and distributed them to outsiders who had not yet officially joined?
"I'll lend it to you first; that way, your chances of winning will be better!"
Rogge spoke calmly, but his words were full of sincerity:
"I don't want my men to lose their lives needlessly because they lack armor. Every single one I lose is a loss!"
Each additional piece of armor these Gangde village militiamen wore gave them a greater chance of survival and increased their fighting strength.
These people will all be his people from now on; Roger has calculated this very clearly.
The few men from Gangde Village who were initially reluctant to fully obey Rogge's orders had now completely lost any subconscious resistance.
Some of the militiamen, who were not wearing armor and were still dressed in coarse linen clothes, stepped forward and each chose a suitable leather armor to put on. Their fingers rubbed the slightly worn but well-maintained leather armor, and their eyes were full of gratitude.
With this layer of protection, as long as it's not a fatal injury, there's still a chance to survive.
The girl beside Aino gazed quietly at Rogge, her eyes filled with gratitude.
Once all the equipment was distributed, the twelve Gunde village militiamen put on studded leather armor, and many of them also switched to their preferred weapons. The morale of the entire team instantly soared.
"Set off!"
With a command from Rogge, the group of over fifty people left the temporary camp and headed towards Broken Amber Village.
The journey from Ganders fortress to Dumbbell village is about 20 to 30 kilometers and takes about half a day.
For these villagers who toil in the fields year-round and struggle to make a living, this distance is nothing.
No one complained, and no one fell behind; everyone's steps were unusually steady.
But Roger still frowned to himself.
Although these militiamen from Gangde Village did not show signs of fatigue, they had been traveling back and forth all night and now had to return to Duanpo Village. Even if they reached their destination, their fighting strength would inevitably decline.
……
Roger walked at the front of the group. After growing up over this period, his physique was far beyond that of ordinary people. For him, dozens of miles was just a warm-up.
As he walked, he cautiously observed his surroundings, and began to think about the method of binding his legs with cloth strips from the War of Resistance against Japan in his previous life.
Soldiers in this world mostly wear heavy leather boots on marches, which easily cause their calves to swell and cramp over time.
Moreover, when walking through the forest, one is easily scratched by branches and bitten by poisonous insects.
If leg wraps can be widely adopted, they can not only relieve fatigue but also effectively protect the calves, greatly improving the marching and sustained combat capabilities of the troops!
Thinking of this, Roger secretly decided that once he returned to camp after this rescue operation, he would find some strips of cloth to test their effectiveness!
If it really works, we'll promote it to the whole team immediately!
……
The hurried journey was always tedious and boring, especially under the shadow of an impending great battle, everyone's heart was heavy.
The line of over fifty people stretched out in a long queue.
Just as he was about to leave the forest, Rogge's perception suddenly detected an anomaly.
Outside the woods, a dozen or so red lights were moving in the same direction as them, along the main road towards their location!
"Don't move, stay hidden!"
Roger gave a low shout, and the people around him immediately stopped and hid behind various bushes, with the others following suit.
Rogge led a few captains forward and hid in the bushes. Looking out, they saw that the approaching group was a Vanskerry pirate squad!
[Vanscare's Invader Squad x19]
【force:
Vanscare Raider (Level 21) x3
Vanscare Raider (Level 16) x13
captive:
Fieldsway Militia x3
"They're pirates!" Aino's expression changed, and he immediately lowered his voice to say.
On the road in the distance, a group of figures wearing leather armor and wielding battle axes were escorting three villagers whose hands were bound, heading towards Duanpo Village.
"What should we do? They're also going to Broken Amber Village!"
Eileen's voice sounded slightly anxious:
"If they join forces with the pirates in the village, adding more than a dozen more people, our rescue operation tonight will be much more difficult!"
Rogge's gaze was fixed on the pirate squad, his mind racing, and he made a decision in an instant.
"Ambush them here first!"
"This pirate squad hasn't discovered us yet, so we can catch them off guard."
"Aino, take your men and circle around to the side of the woods. After I make contact with the pirates, you two will flank them from behind. Don't let a single one escape!"
"clear!"
Aino nodded without hesitation.
"Come with me!"
Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately bent over and led the twenty-odd members of Gangde Village silently into the dense forest on the side.
Watching Aino's team disappear into the depths of the bushes, Roger turned around and gestured to his teammates.
Everyone immediately moved closer, each finding a favorable position, gripping their throwing axes tightly, and quietly waiting for the pirate squad to approach.
Fifty meters, thirty meters...
When the pirate squad was fully within range of the throwing axes...
"cast!"
At Rogge's command,
More than twenty team members, who had been waiting in the wings, attacked simultaneously.
Two volleys of throwing axes were hurled rapidly, and more than forty throwing axes, accompanied by whistling sounds, rained down on the pirate squad!
Some of the sharp axe blades were embedded in the necks of the pirates, while others were driven into the ground...
Before the pirates could react, seven or eight of them had already been struck by flying axes and fallen to the ground.
Some screamed and convulsed on the ground, while others died on the spot.
"There's an ambush!"
The remaining pirates finally realized what was happening and hurriedly raised their shields to try and block the unknown danger.
"Shield Wall! Charge!"
Roger drew his military sword and swung it forward. All the team members immediately formed a simple shield wall and marched quickly toward the pirates.
Thanks to their previous training, even though the formation was slightly messy, they did not fall apart.
In just a few dozen meters, Rogge's men were locked in a fierce battle with the remaining pirates.
The Shield Wall squad's charge caught the pirates completely off guard.
Just then, Ainor led the Gangde Village troops out from behind the pirates.
With nearly fifty people against sixteen, they formed an absolute encirclement and crushing force.
Although these pirates were fierce, they were thrown into disarray by the sudden attack from both sides.
They swung their battle axes, but they couldn't break through the shield wall formed by the Rogue soldiers.
Rogge led from the front, his longsword striking deadly blows. Several times, he accurately found the pirates' weaknesses, wounding or killing them.
His strength and speed were already extraordinary, and these ordinary Vanskerry raiders were no match for him.
The battle proceeded exceptionally smoothly, with Rogge deliberately playing it safe and ruthlessly eliminating the remaining pirates.
The battle was completely over in less than ten minutes.
All sixteen pirates were beheaded or finished off with a final blow.
Before they could even celebrate their victory, after rescuing three villagers,
Rogge ordered the pirates' weapons and equipment to be quickly gathered up, and the bodies to be dragged into the bushes and hidden.
After getting ready, the group quickened their pace and headed towards Duanpo Village.
By the time they finally reached the dense forest on the outskirts of Broken Amber Village, it was already getting dark.
Night fell like a giant gray cloth, enveloping the entire earth.
A few faint lights shone from Duanpo Village, and some noise could be heard.
More than fifty people quietly hid in the woods.
Rogge activated his Eye of Insight once more, carefully surveying the defenses along the village's perimeter.
However, the distance was too great, and only a few figures on duty could be seen with the naked eye, making it impossible to see the situation inside the village.
……
Meanwhile, on the main road where they had just intercepted the pirates, a team of over a hundred people was marching towards Duanpo Village.
The leader was an exceptionally burly pirate, none other than Stan, the leader of the Vanscare pirates!
Stan, having amassed a considerable haul from a day of looting, was preparing to return to his temporary encampment in Broken Amber Village.
As he passed the site of the earlier battle, he caught a whiff of blood in the air, and his expression changed.
"Stop!"
Stan shouted, crouching down to look at the faint traces of blood seeping into the soil on the ground.
He immediately ordered his men to search along the drag marks on the ground.
Soon, they found the dozen or so pirate corpses in the bushes.
"Boss! It's our Dragon Fang Squad! They're all dead!" one of his men shouted in terror.
When Stan arrived at the location where the body was hidden, his eyes were bloodshot and his whole body exuded an undeniable aura of ferocity.
"Damn it! Who did this?!"
Stan roared, a bad feeling coiling around his heart like a venomous snake. He suddenly looked up in the direction of Broken Amber Village.
"All personnel, listen up! March back to base at full speed!"
Stan, carrying his giant axe, charged out first, and more than fifty pirates dared not slack off, following closely behind him as they rapidly approached Duanpo Village.
……