That must be the new invention from the Nuer Arsenal, everyone thought so.

"The Demon Hunter is back, he seems to be injured," said Sylvia, the fully armed maid beside her lady, "Miss, be careful."

Decked in masterwork vibranium plate armor, wielding the Leonais Sword, and draped with the White Wolf God Cloak, Surya smiled, not reacting too much. The flames on her sword burned fiercely—this was the strength and blessing of the Lake Fairy.

The village chief led the village militia standing at the back. The militia was not large, only over fifty people, but they were not lacking in battle experience. When they saw Beastmen appear, their eyes were blood-red.

Too much hatred, too much; the Beastman Tribe had rushed into the village, plundering it, eating livestock, killing and even hunting adults, attacking anything that moved within the village.

"Prepare!" Laine raised his Warhammer. Behind the hill, following Abel was a large group of Beastmen, looking to be three to four hundred strong.

The Holy Grail Knight Commander, Count Glamorgan, and the Divine Chosen Champion of the Lake Fairy set their sights on the two witches.

Veronica held Yundi's Staff, while Jialan Witch nodded slightly, indicating she was ready.

Teresa had already begun her spellcasting, "I will create an ice wall to block the Beastmen's retreat."

"Frost Cloak!" The first spell from the female sorcerer cast, all cavalry, including those militia who had come to assist, were blessed by magic, a Frost Cloak appeared upon them,

"Very well, let's move out!" Laine nodded.

"Advance!"

"Fight!"

"For the Lady!"

"For Charlemagne! For the Empire! For Carl Franz!"

With the loud sound of horns, Laine led the charge against the Beastman Tribe.

His wife, Surya, along with Rudolph and Wagner, charged down from the hillside. Though they were only twenty-odd riders, their momentum surpassed that of a thousand troops.

Because their equipment was simply too extravagant.

The Beastman Tribe immediately noticed cavalry charging at them. This tribe's Beast King was a massive Minotaur, which held a War Axe in one hand and a round shield in the other. Seeing the cavalry charge, it signaled the Beastmen to prepare battle formations.

"Ahhh~" yet Laine wouldn't give this Beastman Tribe the chance to form ranks, his long furious roar echoed from afar. The Divine Chosen Champion of the Lake Fairy swung Mjolnir sideways, sending the five leading Horned Beasts flying.

"Flaming Storm!" Veronica summoned a fire vortex over ten meters high, nearly half of the Beastmen were swept into it, the fragile Beastmen turned into chunks of charcoal within the fiery vortex.

The cavalry followed Laine through the breach and killed their way in. Surya's performance was the most shocking; the female knight emanated a radiant golden light, and any Beastmen approaching her were scorched to ashes on the spot. The Leonais Sword blazed, effortlessly reaping Beastmen's lives.

"Ahhh!" Laine's Warhammer repeatedly swept horizontally, ripping apart the formation of several rows of Horned Beasts single-handedly.

"Die! Trash!" Rudolph, as a new Rick Guard, showed no mercy, his Cavalry Lance repeatedly pierced the heads of two Beastmen before breaking. He drew his Knight's Sword from his waist, slashing a Horned Beast's head off. The red and black blood splattered all over him, yet this duke's heir shouted in exhilaration,

"Bang Bang Bang~" the sound of the Vanguard Knight's Revolver, Wagner led his Knight's Attendants, continuously firing at the most fiercely resisting Beastmen.

The Minotaur was very surprised to find that Laine had already reached right before it.

The ferocious Minotaur immediately raised its shield, pulling back the War Axe, intending to strike the Holy Grail Knight harshly.

"Ahhh~" Laine kept shouting; Grapes moved faster than the Minotaur imagined, the Beastman Beast King hadn't even had the time to swing its War Axe, and Mjolnir was already coming down.

"Boom~" the shield shattered, the Warhammer smashed directly onto the Minotaur's head, the Beastman Beast King's head exploded like a watermelon, its body swayed a few times and fell straight onto the snowy ground.

The Beastman Tribe's morale collapsed, they began to flee.

Sixth-Ring Magic, Blizzard! Teresa unleashed the prepared spell; in the winter weather, the female sorcerer's mana surged, hundreds of thousands of ice cones thoroughly covered the Beastmen's entire line.

"Ice Wall Technique!" the female sorcerer continued with the Ice Wall Technique, blocking the Beastmen's retreat path.

"Rune Flame Weapon!" Veronica followed with magic, flames appeared on all soldiers' weapons.

"Charge! Advance!" The high-spirited militia charged towards the Beastman Tribe under the leadership of the Knight's Squire and knights.

In this battle, Wicked Smile Village achieved a grand victory; not a single Beastman escaped. The cavalry even followed Laine into the depths of Rickward Forest, annihilating the remaining Beastman Tribe's young and elderly.

As the sun set, this "army" of merely eighty returned to Wicked Smile Village.

The injured Abel was bandaged on his back; he received a war axe strike from a Minotaur while fleeing. Fortunately, Teresa's spell protected him, so the injuries weren't too severe. Seeing Laine and the others return, the Demon Hunter hurriedly stood up from below the village's earthen wall: "What a remarkable battle, my Count."

"It's all thanks to you, Mr. Abel," Laine dismounted, then helped his wife down from her steed, before speaking: "Without your bait, there would be no victory for us."

"This battle was truly exhilarating," Rudolph laughed, "Village Chief, you should pay the Demon Hunter his reward."

The village chief nodded, not refuting him. He leaned on a wooden staff, took out a small pouch, "Thank you, Demon Hunter, after this battle, we don't have to worry about the Beastman threat for at least five years."

"You're welcome; you should thank Count Laine and Lady Surya, Sir Rudolph, and Sir Wagner," Abel took the small pouch, weighed it, and realized there were about thirty Gold Marks inside.

More than the agreed eighteen marks, Abel thought the money was enough for him to survive the winter in Hemgart and accept commissions when March comes. The Demon Hunter contentedly pocketed the reward.

The group entered the village. The village chief watched Laine and the others with trembling awe, then gritted his teeth and fished out another pouch, "Dear sirs, Wicked Smile Village thanks you for your protection. We… have nothing to express our gratitude; this is a small token from the villagers, please kindly accept it."

Laine held the reins of his Pure-blooded Elf Warhorse Grapes. The Holy Grail Knight smiled, "Keep your Gold Marks, village chief; we don't need this money, and besides, as the Divine Chosen Champion of the Lady of the Lake, it's impossible for your fifty Gold Marks to hire me in Brittania."

"I know your appearance fee is very high, but we swear, Wicked Smile Village will repay your kindness!" The village chief spoke earnestly with sheer sincerity on his face, "I swear by Shalya."

"Hmm..." This made Laine feel a little embarrassed, thinking that refusing any repayment might become a heavy burden on the villagers' hearts, and might set a bad precedent.

Right then, as the group passed by a coop, several roosters flew out from inside the coop. Laine swiftly caught one, "Hey, these roosters flying outside in this cold weather and getting snowed on might end up catching a cold, that's not good."

"Why don't we…"

"???" The village chief was initially puzzled but upon seeing Laine's expression, immediately understood his intention, "Oh! I get it, I get it, yes, yes sir, you're right; getting sick wouldn't do." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Hehehehe~"