Alden shook his head. There was no way crossbows would be useful for anything other than the smallest of monsters, if that. It was still a good idea to make them, since they could also be used for hunting and defense against other humans—like that bastard Baron Marachi’s men—but they needed something more powerful to defend against the monsters, with winter only a few months away. That was especially true if the rumors of Garitus charging people for protection turned out to be true, and they had to stay right here over the snowy months.

  He thought about the problem as they rode slowly. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to make much larger ballistas instead of crossbows? They would certainly be more powerful, but they needed to be mounted at some height to be the most effective against the monsters, and there was no way the wooden walls of Sarnok could support that kind of weight. The mighty stone walls of Garitus could do that easily, which was why they had a series of ballistas covering every direction, but that wasn’t feasible here. Ballistas also needed a large crew to operate. That wasn’t a problem for Garitus, which was nearly a hundred times more populous than Sarnok, but to cover every direction of the village, they would need to allot nearly their entire guard force just to man the weapons. That wasn’t practical for Sarnok.

  Then… What about a middle option?

  He could design scorpions, which were between the size of crossbows and ballistas and could be operated by a crew of two, or even a single guard in a pinch. That would make it feasible to operate many of them even with their current manpower. It would also be much easier for the carpenters to make these medium-sized weapons compared to building full ballistas.

  The scorpions wouldn’t be able to do much against the largest monsters, but they should still be effective against small to mid-sized ones. They would also be light enough to mount on the wooden watchtowers already standing in the village. The pair of guards posted at each tower could operate them on their own, without pulling more men away from patrols and other duties. Alden nodded to himself. This was the best option for now.

  As for crossbows, Alden still wasn’t sure how effective they would be, but he had to try. It was certainly better than their current situation. At the moment, the village only had a few trained archers, but with crossbows, they could arm almost any ordinary man or woman. From the watchtowers, they could deal as much damage to smaller monsters as trained archers could. The fact that having every guard equipped with a crossbow would be a nasty surprise if Baron Marachi ever decided to become adventurous again was only a side benefit, of course.

  Yes. This seemed like the right path for Sarnok.

  He knew that he had to do everything he could to help protect the village, even though he only had a few months left before everyone had to leave for Garitus. Whatever couldn’t be finished by then would have to wait until spring, since winter in this world was something you just endured, hoping you would survive. The craftsmen wouldn’t have access to their workshops after the village was evacuated anyway. In Garitus City, nearly all the refugees lived in slums, enduring constant cold and hunger in exchange for the protection of the city’s massive walls and mage-led defenses. Still, that was the best outcome available. At least it meant they wouldn’t have to remain here during winter. However only time would tell what awaited them.

  The dense trees surrounding the village had also lingered in his thoughts. Their presence meant the soil had to be fertile. If they ever found the workers and the money to clear the forest and hire enough farmers, Sarnok could grow its own food during the warmer months, even with the constant threat of monsters. Summer was supposed to be safer than winter, after all. However, farming had never been done here before, which meant it would require a great deal of gold to start such a huge project. Gold—which they never had enough of. It always came back to that.

  He sighed, pushing that idea to the back of his mind, and focused on the dirt road ahead. This was dangerous territory. It was better to stay alert than to be caught off guard by a monster attack.

  ***

  “What was that?” Alden whispered sharply, his hand moving to the pommel of his sword.

  “What was what?” Vusato asked in surprise from atop his horse, looking around.

  Alden scanned the forest as they continued riding at a slow pace. “I think I heard something from the left. Like growling."

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  He looked ahead. The captain and the other leading guard were still riding normally, and the two guards behind them didn’t seem to have noticed it either. Maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him. They had been traveling through the forest for more than an hour already, and traveling through such treacherous roads took a toll on the mind. So maybe he had heard something that wasn't there.

  The village couldn’t be more than ten minutes away now, and they should be home free before too long. Still, the setting sun was sinking lower, and the forest had grown darker, the shadows between the trees looking thicker and more oppressive. Would they really be safe today?

  They continued moving, but barely a minute had passed when he heard another growl, closer this time. He was about to speak again when he saw that the majordomo was already staring to the left. At the same time, the captain drew his sword. So he had been right! There really was a monster nearby. Or maybe more than one.

  “Steady,” Roderic ordered. His voice was low but carried clearly.

  Alden’s heart began to race as the other guards drew their swords, just in case. He followed suit, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. “Shouldn’t we start riding faster now?” he whispered.

  Vusato glanced at him. “That would be riskier if the monsters haven’t fully noticed us yet. They have sharp hearing. If we speed up, the sound of hooves will carry far, and they’ll try to surround us. We’re not close enough to the village walls to risk it unless we're sure they've noticed us."

  Alden swallowed and nodded, hoping the monsters would stay away.

  His wishes seemed to be answered, as they only heard occasional growling for the next few minutes, but no monster came to attack them. Alden began to think they might reach the safety of the village walls after all.

  Then the bushes to his left rustled sharply, only a few meters ahead of Roderic's horse.

  His mind was still trying to process what was happening when something burst from the undergrowth, snarling as it lunged toward the captain. From horseback, the four-legged creature didn’t look especially large—about the size of a big wolf—but the saliva dripping between its sharp fangs from its long muzzle told just how eager it was to find a new meal. Its mangy fur was reddish-brown, patchy and thin. Its hind legs were powerful, built for chasing prey. A pair of short, sharp horns jutted from its head, likely for piercing its enemies.

  Barely a heartbeat passed before Roderic leaned low and drove his sword straight through the monster. It screeched and thrashed, its dark blood spraying around as it struggled. The captain ripped his blade free and shouted, “Full gallop! Protect Lord Alden!"

  Immediately, Alden spurred his horse hard. It surged forward at full speed, hooves pounding on the dirt path. The guards shifted formation instantly, closing in around him. Roderic and the other lead guard stayed ahead. One of the rear guards moved up fast to cover Alden’s right side. Vusato rode on his left, though the old man was clearly no fighter. The last guard remained behind them, covering their rear, as the group rode towards the village briskly.

  Alden’s sword hand had started to shake in dread, as his heart thumped loudly. He wasn’t sure he could use it even to defend himself if it came to that—however much he may have trained with the guards in the past. Thankfully, the wounded monster seemed unable to pursue them immediately—but then it howled. Loudly.

  They had barely gone a few dozen meters when two similar monsters burst from the right side of the narrow dirt road, followed by three more from the left. Further howls echoed around them. It had to be a whole pack of them here!

  One of the creatures leapt up at the brawny captain as the group rode hard. The sword held in Roderic's beefy arms cut it down in a single, brutal stroke, severing its head. Alden knew no one else here could repeat that feat.

  “Shit,” Vusato cursed, as he used his own long dagger to keep another monster at bay. Alden wanted to help him, despite his mind telling him to stay away, but he couldn't do anything without leaving the formation. And even then he wasn't sure what he could do with his hands still trembling.

  No! That wasn't good enough!

  He clenched his hands with his full strength, forcing them to stop shaking. Once they seemed more normal, he leaned a little back, stabbing at the monster which had just pounced on the majordomo's horse. His sword barely grazed its muzzle, but it was enough to make the creature shrink back in pain, making it fall behind as the group continued moving fast.

  In front of him, the second lead guard leaned low in the saddle, slashing at another monster who had jumped at him. The guard to Alden’s right drove his sword into the throat of a leaping creature. He glanced behind, seeing steel flash in the light of the setting sun as the rear guard tried to prevent the monsters from tearing into him.

  “Don’t stop!” Roderic bellowed.

  Another monster suddenly burst out of the bushes, and jumping high, it clamped its jaws into the hindquarters of the captain’s horse. The animal screamed in pain and bucked wildly, while the captain tried his best to not be thrown over. But the second lead guard rode close just when it looked like Roderic couldn't hold on anymore, and impaled the attacking creature, tearing it loose. The horse must have been in a lot of pain, but seemingly it realized that stopping here would mean certain death, as painful as it was to keep running. It didn't stop.

  They rode on, hooves pounding and blades flashing as the forest seemed to have become endless.