Lord: I can see loyalty.

"You idiot! Didn't old Flynn tell you to keep an eye on them?!"

A pirate in fine armor came to the top of the stairs and kicked the pirate on watch hard.

"I was only distracted for a moment, and they..."

"Enough with the nonsense!" The elite pirate kicked him again. "Which way did they run off in?!"

"It must be the back door! I saw them walking in the direction of the back, so I assumed..."

"You're still trying to give me excuses!" The elite pirate cursed, kicked the other man again, and then ignored him.

Holding the bounty poster, he led several other well-armored pirates toward the back door.

In the tavern, many people watched the pirate who had been kicked a few times with glee, until he glared at them and they suppressed their laughter and looked away.

Meanwhile, some of the seemingly drunk guests had a fierce glint in their eyes, then picked up their weapons and called to their companions, and they also ran towards the back door.

They were outlaws from all over the kingdom, and the West Frontier was now paradise for them.

And now they are also eyeing those 100 gold coins!

That's enough to keep those dockworkers busy for who knows how many centuries!

"Chase!"

……

Vance ran at the very back of the group, not because he was the slowest, but because he was responsible for observing the pursuers, while the task of observing the route was naturally left to Sloan.

Shouts from pirates and desperate outlaws coveting the hundred gold coins could be heard behind them, but it was clear that if they simply pursued in a straight line, the pirates would not be able to catch up with them.

The training of the Azure-Crested Knights includes running and endurance. They usually march in heavy plate armor. Now, wearing only a tattered suit of armor or even a piece of rag, they can move with incredible speed.

While the Brotherhood members may lack direct combat prowess, agility and flexibility are essential qualities for them, making them nearly as fast as the knights.

The one who suffered the most was probably the pirate from the Black Pearl. Although pirates also had a lot of physical work, this pirate was responsible for intelligence and sentry duties on the Black Pearl, and his speed and endurance were really lacking.

Therefore, he was on the same level as Vance, who was deliberately slowing down.

"Brother Vance! Slow down, I... I can't run anymore!" The pirate gasped for breath, his words slurred and broken.

"Say less, it'll be more tiring to run while shouting." Vance replied while scanning the surrounding terrain, wary of a sneak attack.

Upon hearing this, the Black Pearl pirate could only lower his head and try to accelerate, but his running posture had already become somewhat distorted.

Just then, the pirate, who was already somewhat exhausted, was about to look up and say something when his expression suddenly changed, and he quickly called out to Vance.

"Wait, Vance brothers!"

That's what he said, but neither he nor his team stopped moving forward.

"What's wrong?" Vance had no choice but to stop observing and look at the pirate behind him whose expression was strange.

"Yes, yes..."

"What is it?" The other person's brows were furrowed, unable to utter a word. Vance seemed a little impatient, and his tone became a bit harsher.

"There's the sound of a ship breaking through the waves!" the pirate shouted, as if he had finally remembered something.

"Boat?!"

Upon hearing this, not only Vance, but also the knights who were advancing at full speed ahead were stunned and turned around.

"That's right! There's no mistake, it's that voice!" The pirate paused for a moment, confirming his suspicions.

Vance could only squint slightly, trying to sense the sounds from afar.

Splash splash splash...

There were indeed some sounds, very soft, but very urgent.

"Isn't that the sound of flowing water?!" Vance finally showed worry on his face. He recalled the escape route map in his mind, and there was indeed a river next to the route.

Their only way to cross the river was by a wooden bridge.

"There's no mistake! That's definitely the sound of a ship!" The pirate reached out to feel the wind direction, his brow furrowed, almost gritting his teeth.

"Those bastards deliberately didn't paddle; they just went with the wind, trying not to attract our attention!"

Upon hearing this, Vance's expression finally lost its composure. Clearly, Cohen's escape route for them could only go this far!

"Sloan!" he shouted towards the front of the group.

Sloan, who was at the front, had good hearing and turned his head before anyone behind him could remind him.

Seeing this, Vance also burst into speed, accelerating to the front, which stunned the pirates behind him.

"Sloan, something's wrong. The pirate from Black Pearl said he heard the sound of a ship; they might be heading to surround us!"

"Then we'll have to change our route!" Sloan frowned slightly, looking at the map in his hand.

The map shows the route between Freedore and the hills bordering the South, with the back door of the tavern pointing towards the South.

Meanwhile, a long river flowing into the western ocean was following its route, heading straight for the southern border, just like them, but it stopped and turned in front of a small hill, becoming an inverted L-shape.

The pursuers were planning to intercept them at the bend ahead!

The pursuers were planning to intercept them at the bend ahead!

The answer is simple: take the long way.

With Vance's order, the knights turned without hesitation and continued at full speed to the right.

Only the pirate at the very back of the group was dumbfounded again. Already exhausted, he could only crawl forward on his knees, using the surrounding trees as cover.

After changing direction, Vance slowed down again and came to the rear, looking behind him.

The pursuers behind them could sense that they were changing direction, but it didn't matter; if there was only one group, they couldn't possibly catch up with them.

Even if they sent someone to inform the pirates who were heading to intercept them, by the time the message reached them, the pirates would have already escaped.

Sure enough, after advancing for quite some time, the shouts of pirates erupted behind them.

They also noticed that Vance and the others had changed direction.

Clearly, their choice was correct. Soon, Vance and the others saw the end of the river, flowing into the small hill.

From now on, it will be the territory of the Southern Territory!

"Full speed ahead!"

The hill is not high, only about a hundred meters high, and Vance can already see the top of it from this distance.

Just as they were preparing to go up the mountain, several figures appeared on the summit, startling the entire group. But after taking a closer look, their faces were quickly filled with joy.

There were nearly a hundred people who came!

And they were all dressed in knightly plate armor that shimmered in the light; clearly, they were the Azure Peak Knights of the Southern Territory!

Then a figure dressed in a gentleman's suit rode up slowly to the front of the knights and headed towards them.

"Lord Cohen!"

Vance and Sloan shouted excitedly almost simultaneously, for reinforcements from the South had arrived.

Cohen spurred his horse forward, and the knights behind him began to march down the mountain.

Before long, they joined up with Vance and his group.

"Oh dear, at least we don't have to run anymore..." The last pirate arrived late and collapsed onto the hillside.

"Lord Cohen," Vance and Sloan stepped forward and bowed slightly, with Vance reporting, "The pirates have discovered our identities."

"They sent two groups of pursuers, one behind us and the other trying to intercept us from the river beside the route, so we changed course."

As Vance spoke, he took the map from Sloan and explained it to Cohen.

"A wise decision." Cohen nodded, then turned his gaze to the distant forest.

Beneath the tree canopy, one could vaguely see dark figures moving forward—the pirates who had pursued them from the land.

"Knights! Find a place to ambush and prepare for battle!" Cohen ordered.

"Prepare for battle!"

The captain at the front of the knightly column repeated his words, and the hundred elite knights quickly dispersed, seeking cover to conceal themselves.

"Vans, the seduction is up to you." Cohen glanced at Vans and the knights disguised as mercenaries behind him.

Both sides nodded and quickly began to take action.

Vance then led his men and began rushing towards the mountaintop.

Almost simultaneously, at the edge of the river, a small speedboat was sailing with the wind, and the pirates on board noticed Vance and his companions heading up the mountain.

"Damn it! We really did get tricked by those guys! Full speed ahead!"

The pirate at the front brandished his long sword, and the entire crew of the fast ship immediately began rowing, rushing toward land at an extremely fast speed.

Meanwhile, in the forest, the pursuers from the land, including pirates and greedy outlaws, charged out, brandishing their weapons and shouting as they began their ascent up the mountain.

"Don't let them get away!"

"Bow and arrows, where are the bow and arrows?!"

The pirates, numbering nearly a hundred, joined forces in two groups and frantically chased after Vance and his group of less than twenty who were deliberately slowing down.

Due to their different speeds, the pirates quickly caught up with the group and began wielding their weapons to slash at the Black Pearl pirates at the rear.

"Coen brothers! That's enough! Let's make our move!"

His face was pale as he kept dodging the attacks. Finally, he simply jumped to the other side, fell to the ground, and created some distance between himself and the attackers.

"kill!"

At the same time, from all sides of the hundred pirates and Vance and his men, a large group of knights raised their weapons and surrounded them!

The pirates' expressions changed instantly. Their initial excitement at the impending battle vanished, replaced by the cold glint of the Azure Peak Knights' armor in their eyes.

"A knight!?"

"Don't panic! Search... Ah!"

A pirate dressed in fine armor tried to take command, but was pushed to the ground by the disorganized pirates and then trampled on until his face was unrecognizable.

The knights charged forward, and against the poorly defended ordinary pirates, their swords felled with blood, countless heads flying off, making the entire hill a bloody mess.

The pirates, dressed in fine armor, fared no better. A sword struck their armor, and the pirate screamed in pain. Another knight, following suit, then struck again!

The sword blade pierced straight into the face or areas not covered by armor, splattering blood everywhere.

The group of greedy desperados, with nowhere to retreat, could only pick up their weapons and roar as they charged at the knights in a final struggle.

But it was obviously in vain. The inferior sword struck the knight's armor reinforced with magic ore with all its might, only creating a sound before the blade in the hand broke apart!

"Wait, wait... I am..." Before these greedy villains could utter a word of pleading or threat, the knights showed no mercy, their swords flashing and slashing, a wave of blood surging forth!

The battle lasted less than a minute, and the same number of pirates were all killed.

Only one member of the Knights had a dislocated arm.

A big win!

"Clean up the scene! Take a short break, then prepare to head back to the city!"

Several squad leaders moved among the knights, issuing orders to ensure that every knight could hear them clearly.

As Vance and the others watched the scene unfold before them, they realized that although they were all working for Count Vio, this was one of the few times they had ever seen the Knights take action.

They were dumbfounded.

For the knights, this massacre was merely a warm-up; it didn't consume much of their energy, and their rest lasted less than a minute.

Under Cohen's command, they removed the valuables from the pirates and tore off their still-intact clothing, tying them together into a long rope.

The long rope was looped by the Black Pearl pirate onto the fast ship that the Western pirates had come on, and then the knights dragged it ashore.

"Follow my command!"

The ship wasn't very large, so Cohen had an idea.

On land, tall, muscular knights stood on both sides of the clipper, crouching slightly.

"One—two! Lift!" With the command, the knights actually lifted the fast ship up! It took a few seconds to regain its footing.

"How about it, can we support the village?" Cohen asked the knights.

"No problem!" The knights answered in unison without much hesitation.

"Then... let's move forward!"

The entire speedboat began to move steadily on land, as if it were on water!

Sailing on dry land!

The pirate from the Black Pearl gaped, his mouth agape. As a pirate, he could hardly comprehend what he was seeing.

…………

In the southern region, at the city of Portol.

Portor City was bustling as usual today, with vendors' stalls crowding the streets and countless carriages, some from the South and others from the North, passing by on the road.

Every now and then, noble ladies or young women with curious eyes would peek out from their carriages to observe this new city they had never seen before.

The men, however, were mostly drawn to the recently renowned Sky Peak Knights and Militia, and stood curiously watching from the perimeter of the training ground.

These are all middle and lower-ranking nobles who have been attracted from all over the kingdom to travel to the southern border.

Of course, some people are just trying their luck at this newly emerging area.

Behind the city, near the sea, lies the rather quiet Earl's Castle.

It's not that tourists don't want to see the Southern Earl's Castle, which is comparable to the Cavill Fortress.

Instead, Vio gave the order that a group of militia and knights be stationed on the outer perimeter, while his personal guard patrolled the inner perimeter, so that not even a tigress could get in.

Inside the Earl's Castle, Vio was simply doing what he always did: consolidating his second-level Sand Breathing Technique in his knight training room.

call!call!call!

After a few punches, the iron target in front of him was severely deformed, and the weeds inside were broken and scattered... If it were a real person, they would probably have suffered internal organ rupture and died from blood loss.

Vio took a breath and took two steps back. After feeling the chair behind him, he lay down.

knock knock knock.

A knock sounded outside the Knights' practice room.

"Who's there?" Vio didn't turn around, but tilted his head back to avoid sweat dripping onto his bare upper body.

"Your Excellency, it is I, Cohen." Cohen's voice came from outside the house. He did not wait for the door to open and continued.

"...The intelligence operation did not go smoothly. Although we did not suffer any losses and killed about a hundred Western Pirates, those pirates have already discovered us."

"In other words, their move might be brought forward even further." Cohen paused, then continued, "As for intelligence, I've already had the Brotherhood bring back some of the more useful pieces..."

"They plan to make their move after winter, right? I already know that."

Vio squinted slightly, his handsome face flushed from the temperature inside the room. As he answered, he felt the energy surging within his body.

"That's right." Cohen nodded, then continued, "And based on the intelligence I've gathered, I'm certain that it was those three pirates who made the move this time."

"Those three mentioned in the message you had the Brotherhood bring back?" Vio recalled slightly.

Philip, Derek, and Timothy.

"That's right, Philip, Derek, and Timothy, the three pirate captains," Cohen confirmed.

"They are the most active of the five groups of pirates, but it is worth mentioning that Timothy's stronghold is located in the northern part of the West, far from the South. It is said that she is more interested in the North than the South."

Vio didn't reply, but opened his eyes again, stood up, turned around, took a casual coat from the wall, put it on, and pushed open the door.

"Cohen, well done this time." He closed the door behind him and strode toward the main hall.

Cohen simply responded and followed.

"Go and inform Jimmy, Ansquie, the militia captains, and a few important people from the Black Pearl pirates, and call them all."

Vio paused, then turned his head, his gaze fixed on Gahai: "Have them assemble in the main hall; there's a tactical meeting to be held."

"Yes, sir." Cohen nodded, walked down the corridor for a while, then slipped into a side alley and left.

Vio, however, remained focused on the main hall, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

The first battle between the Southern and Western Borders is about to begin.