14 Chapter 14 - Forest Skirmish (1/2)

The cannon was loaded but there was no clear target to fire at so it hadn't been aimed at anything in particular.The enemy hasn't betrayed their position since they stopped firing arrows at Susan and his men.There were a few knife-ears in the village not that long ago but after Susan's men were either evacuated or killed it seemed like they retreated back to the forest.

”Annie, take three warriors with you and scout the west side of the forest where the arrows came from.Make sure you stick close and bring some thick shields to protect yourselves from their arrows.”Annie wasn't popular among his subordinates but she was tough and knew how to adapt to changes in the middle of battle.Her loyalty was questionable so it's not like the loss of someone like her would be devastating.

After Annie's departure, Susan continued to command his men.”Those of you on cannon duty, listen up.In a couple of minutes there should be some signs of a fight within the forest.We'll fire the cannon at the enemy when they reveal their position so get ready and aim the cannon to the west.”

Sacrificing a few subordinates to locate the enemies was worth it.This type of enemy could easily be defeated in a straightforward battle which is why they had to rely on ambushes.Once he knew where they were he could blast them away and then use his men to sweep the area for survivors.

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The forest was quiet but Annie knew that the enemy could be anywhere.There were lots of monsters that would try to ambush people that entered their territory so Annie had gotten used to it.Before joining Susan's group she was part of a band of mercenaries and they'd often headed into the lairs of exotic creatures.Annie hated the violence back when she was a mercenary but needed the money to help take care of her little sister.

The band of mercenaries she was in was owned by a rich merchant.Annie just needed to do a good job and she'd get paid; the merchant even helped Annie by giving her little sister a job as an apprentice maid.At the time Annie thought it was a good idea but after completing a nearly impossible mission her sister was nowhere to be found.

Her sister had been violated and then murdered by the merchant.When reporting the crime to the guards they tried to arrest her.The mercenaries she had gone through hard times with all abandoned her.In the end the death of her sister was blamed on her and she was forced to live while on the run.Annie felt that her only reason for living was gone thanks to her stupidity and she felt like giving up.It was only when she met the boss that she found new hope in living; she would get stronger and take revenge.Revenge against those that harmed her sister, revenge against those that denied her sister justice, and revenge against those that turned their back on her.

Now, Annie had something new to look forward to.Although their appearance was quite different, Grenda gave off a similar feeling as her late sister did.Her awkward smile, adorable voice, and cute face were stuck in Annie's thoughts and it caused Annie to unconsciously smile.

After following some marks on the ground, Annie had finally spotted the enemy.Annie signalled to the others to stop moving while she silently moved ahead.This seemed to be where the bulk of the enemies were as Annie could see nearly a hundred pairs of pointy ears.Although Annie wasn't prejudiced against them like the others in the group, she did have to admit that their ears really were shaped like a knife.

”It's not nice to come over uninvited like this.”Annie tried to turn around but felt something cold on her neck.”Don't touch your weapon or turn around.Just answer my questions and I'll let you live.If you understand and agree then nod your head.”

Annie gave a small nod.For now it would be best to follow this woman's command and to answer her questions.It wouldn't be too late to kill her later on.