Chapter 68 A Lifetime in the Military for Henry
"I heard those two female orcs in the castle are quite beautiful, don't you think so?" the knight, who had just taken a leak, remarked as he walked.
He suddenly fell silent, sensing something amiss. Even if his companions had moved ahead while he was occupied, they couldn't vanish without a trace.
"You two, stop hiding and come out. Today is not a time for games." the knight's voice, low and commanding, echoed.
It was silent. No one responded, instantly reminding him of the recent rumors about werewolves, a formidable group of hunters.
"Impossible... How could there be werewolves? The royal knights have already exterminated those beasts; they are long gone." the knight muttered, trying to reassure himself. "Those two must be playing a prank on me, just like last time."
Suddenly, a hand landed on the knight's shoulder, causing his body to tremble. He let out a sigh of relief, thinking it was his companions. However, as he turned around, he was met with a pair of icy eyes.
The knight's pupils constricted, and before he could utter a sound, his throat was gripped by a powerful hand, and his heart was pierced. He struggled briefly before succumbing to the darkness that engulfed his vision.
"Miss Mila and Miss Ellie are not someone you scum can mention." Number Six said, disposing of the body and vanishing into the shadows.
Two long arrows swiftly pierced through the throat and gaping mouth of the same knight, passing straight through the back of his skull.
16.4 feet away from this fallen knight, his companion only just realized, opening his mouth to scream...
From the shadows, two more long arrows flew out, and this knight met the same fate as his comrade.
"Too easy. Are these knights even worthy of the title? They seem no better than trainees," another figure, Number Eight, remarked, emerging from the shadows with a recurve bow in hand.
Following closely behind was Number Seven, who sneered, "They are too arrogant, thinking they could manipulate Henry. One of them is spying on Henry during the day."
Number Seven had noticed someone observing Henry suspiciously during the day, and tonight, their ill intentions had become clear.
"How could they possibly know Henry's capabilities?" Number Eight replied indifferently. If he claimed to be a hunter who had transformed in just over ten days, no one would believe him.
He had followed Henry's training plan, combined with his years of hunting experience, and now he felt confident enough to take on four or five knights single-handedly.
With powerful equipment and weapons, he could easily handle a group of ten. In favorable conditions, he could kill dozens of people alone.
A silent intent to kill permeated the air as figures continued to fall, their lives ending without a sound.
Leo and the others quickly regrouped, speaking in hushed tones.
"Three," Leo said as he raised three fingers.
"One." Number Three said.
"Two." Number Six said.
In the end, they concluded that they had collectively eliminated twelve individuals, leaving only four.
"There are still four left. They should be heading towards the creek and will soon enter the castle." Number Two said solemnly.
"We are not needed there. It's already within Miss Mila's perimeter. Our presence would be in vain." Leo shook his head, flicking a knife flower and sheathing his dagger on his thigh.
They had been at the receiving end of Miss Mila's wrath a few times, especially after she had learned the art of special assassination. They had been humiliated, not even catching a glimpse before being knocked unconscious.
"It's not satisfying at all. They are too weak, not even putting up a fight, like little chicks." Number Three complained.
"Shut up. It's not that the enemies are weak; it's that we have become stronger. Have you forgotten the lesson from last time?" Leo reprimanded in a low voice.
The others lowered their heads. The last mission had been a disgrace, a stain on their reputation as the War Wolf Battle Squad.
"Let's clean up the battlefield. There might still be some valuable items on those people. We can exchange them for military merit points at the logistics department. I'm only a few points away from getting a new combat knife." Number Five said with a smile.
Military merit points were part of Henry's reward system. He would put up some less important or soon-to-be-obsolete military supplies, which could be exchanged as long as one had enough military merit points. It was something that truly belonged to the soldiers.
Unlike the usual practice of returning equipment to the logistics department after a mission, the items obtained through military merit points exchange were their own, and they could take them away even after retiring.
Of course, some confidential items, such as military crossbows, would not be available for exchange.
"A combat knife? Which one do you like?" Number Four asked curiously. "The combat knives there are all first-generation War Wolf Battle Squad combat knives, which we have used. They seem to be less durable."
What they were using now was the second-generation War Wolf Battle Squad combat knife, named for its resemblance to a wolf's fang. It was made using a new forging technique that was researched by the R&D department, and only the War Wolf Battle Squad in the entire military camp was using it.
Any newly introduced equipment would be prioritized for the War Wolf Battle Squad, and other soldiers wouldn't even get their hands on a combat knife.
In fact, what they coveted the most was the combat knife in Miss Mila's hand. According to the people from the R&D department, Miss Mila's combat knife was the top-notch, and it was a gift from Henry. That was the kind of combat knife they desired the most.
Unfortunately, it was just a dream. Men were always fond of cold weapons, especially soldiers, who were most obsessed with knives.
"Well! There is the combat knife I used for the first time. I want to exchange it and keep it as a memento so that I can tell the story to my future children." Number Five said, a hint of warmth on his face.
"Then I'll exchange one too. There seems to be a notch on mine." Number Six said, his eyes lighting up.
"What do you think about what Henry said about retiring?" Number Eight suddenly asked.
Henry had mentioned during their training that anyone who was seriously injured and disabled would have to retire, or they could serve the full five years of their military service. Those who wanted to retire could also work for the official department.
"Are you already thinking about retiring?" Number Seven was a bit puzzled, feeling like he could serve for twenty years.
"Who's thinking about retiring?" Number Five glared, anxious, "Whoever retires is a fool. I'm going to serve under Henry for life."
"Exactly, I'm not retiring anyway. Whoever wants to retire in five years can retire, but anyone who does is a coward." Leo complained discontentedly, believing that they should remember Henry's kindness, as Henry provided them with a livelihood.
