The issue with it is that this warhorse has very high demands for living conditions; it requires free-range upbringing and top-quality feed, a spacious and comfortable stable, and large green pastures where it can roam freely.

If Laine was still without his own territory and traveling around, he would never have dared to purchase such a horse. This horse cost him a full one thousand Gold Crowns, and that's at the friendly price offered by the Duke of Winford.

"Lord Laine? Do you have a plan?" A young Ranger Knight clad in full plate armor, wearing a bird-crest helmet with tricolored feathers swaying in the morning breeze, asked incessantly, partly in admiration and partly in jealousy of Laine.

Laine remembered that his name was Claude, a distant relation of a Count, not yet twenty years old. Each time he saw Laine, he insisted on a knight's duel, much to Laine's exasperation.

Since arriving in Brittania, Laine had been besieged by these Ranger Knights, eager to ride on his reputation, especially because he was the Divine Chosen Champion of the Lady of the Lake.

"I have no plans for eradicating these bandits, because none are needed," Laine explained after a moment's thought.

"Lord Laine, I'm not targeting you, but there are some things I need to clarify with you. See here." Claude seemed to have been waiting for this and quickly took a map from the Bull Knight Baptiste, pointing at the red dot on it: "Lord Laine, see, this bandit fortress is surrounded by mountains or cliffs on three sides, with only one road leading to the bottom. But this road is a slope covered with loose rocks. I participated in an assault on this fortress, and it cost us dearly."

After speaking, the Ranger Knight was somewhat smug, having spent a long time organizing his thoughts, believing that this would surely impress Laine and Surya.

Surprisingly, Laine remained very calm.

He knew that Claude wasn't wrong, but did Laine not conduct his own investigation?

The reason this bandit fortress is difficult to attack is precisely because of this; the 30-degree slope leading to the fortress gate had taken a heavy toll on the Knights, yet they never succeeded.

"Hah~ Mr. Claude, and everyone else, I only have one thing to say about this," Laine suddenly smiled.

"Do not underestimate the Lady's Champion."

......

The bandits on the mountain quickly received signals that Knights had appeared.

The bandit leader, a burly man in his forties, had lost an eye in the war against the Master Knight. Over the years, he led peasants who couldn't survive, raiding homes and attacking merchant convoys, repeatedly succeeding. He always retreated deep into the mountains before the Knights could assemble. The Knights of Winford had launched several expeditions to no avail.

His success wasn't mere coincidence, as he had the support of Vampires.

Over a decade ago, Duke Francois led the Knight Army to repel the Undead Army of the Necromancer Heinrich Kemler, successfully preventing them from joining forces with the Blood Red Duke in Connaught. The Vampires were naturally unwilling to accept defeat; many slunk into Winford, some genuinely weary of war and seeking serenity, while others harbored ambitions to destroy the Duchy.

The bandit leader was one such person, backed by Vampire Nobles, thriving because he heeded the Vampires' wishes.

Being a dog for the Blood Nobles was the greatest glory!

"Boss, enemies! The Knights are coming again!" a bandit reported immediately. "The sentinels on the mountaintop saw those Knights heading our way again."

"What are you waiting for?! Prepare for battle! Arrows, rolling stones, wood!" The bandit leader kicked the informant's butt: "Move it!"

"Yes!" The bandits sprang into action. They possessed significant weaponry, and some began lighting fires, heating cauldrons of dung to be poured when the Knights attacked the fortress.

The fortress, about six or seven meters high, was built with massive stone blocks and wooden structures. It was the bandits' stronghold, housing nearly fifty bandits. With secret funding from Vampires, they had decent equipment, including sturdy bows and crossbows.

The heavy fortress gates were shut tight by the bandits, reinforced in many places. Many Knights had reached this gate, but none could breach it.

Bows and crossbow arrows were carried up the tower in bundles.

As Laine's group arrived beneath the fortress, the bandits were fully prepared.

"Boss, it's a Holy Grail Knight!" One bandit noticed the leader's attire and mentioned nervously.

"What's there to fear?! Cowards!" The bandit leader shouted furiously: "The Holy Grail Knight is still human. Shoot them with arrows!"

The leader's roar quelled the bandits' fear significantly, though they didn't know it was the leader's first encounter with a Holy Grail Knight.

The Holy Grail Knight alone walked to the entrance of the slope leading to the fortress, stopping two hundred steps from the gate, just outside the range of arrows and crossbows, over fifty Knights following behind.

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