Knights and Magic Wand

(Urian language) "Stop them!"

From several intersections away, the Cavalry pulled on the reins and squeezed the belly of their horses, charging head-on towards Mr. Brian Sr., who was riding furiously.

Amid the swaying on horseback, the old blacksmith quickly gauged the timing for encountering the enemy, his left hand ready to pull on the horse's head at any moment.

The distance between them narrowed.

The Knight Kantadar Attendant Cavalry on horseback leveled their Riding Spears, their tips pointing towards the old villager who overestimated his ability.

The young Knight Attendant showed no fear of the old villager's charge; after all, he was fully armored on horseback, while the old man on the horse wore only a Chest Armor that couldn't protect his limbs.

Mr. Brian Sr. clenched his teeth, eyes bulging, feeling the boiling blood of a knight in his veins for the first time in nearly twenty years!

His armor was incomplete, his horse was inferior, and his strength had waned due to age.

He was at a complete disadvantage in this duel; the only thing he could rely on was the distant memory of galloping through battlefields.

The clash between riders happened in a flash as their steeds crossed paths.

The old blacksmith pulled hard on the reins, driving his horse to sharply veer off course; his right arm raised the cavalry spear, its shaft vibrating as he parried the enemy's thrusting spear.

He twisted his body to the right while leaning forward, dodging the attack on horseback, and as his body passed parallel to his opponent at an angle, he thrust his long spear fiercely toward the enemy's neck.

The force of the galloping horse almost bent the tip of the long spear.

The horrifying impact made a crisp crack sound in the Knight Kantadar Attendant Cavalry's head, sending him flying off his horse in an instant.

The dismounted Attendant Cavalry rolled on the ground due to inertia and was utterly lifeless not long after.

Having successfully toppled his less skilled opponent, another Kantadar Cavalry was already charging at him with a spear.

Mr. Brian Sr. had no time for further adjustments; he could only manage to lift his spear with both hands to block the attack, but he was powerless to clear the obstacle for his daughter behind him.

"Olivia!" As the horses crossed, the old blacksmith frantically looked back, knowing his daughter's swordsmanship was unmatched. However, he also knew that he had never taught her how to fight on horseback.

However, faced with the cavalryman charging at her, Olivia did not panic.

Though it wasn't possible to dodge flexibly on horseback as on the ground, the same was true for her enemy.

Facing the spear thrust straight at her, the golden-haired girl found the predictable, rigid attack easier to anticipate.

Still, the blade was ultimately much shorter than the spear. In that moment, rather than maneuvering her horse to dodge, Olivia felt she needed closer contact.

She urged her horse toward the charging Cavalry, and Olivia simply let go of the reins. Holding the sword in both hands, her right thumb pressed against the center of the sword's guard, and she held the blade at an angle in a "crown style" grip.

In the instant the spear thrust at her, the golden-haired girl twisted the hilt of her long sword with her left hand; the raised blade and the guard formed an angle, immediately deflecting the spearhead to her side.

Her body flexibly bent forward to the left, dodging the strike and rising in the moment the horses crossed paths. Her hands pressed down, and the parallel blade drew a slight arc, blocking the enemy's charge.

The force of the galloping horse carried Olivia's back swing of her sword, slashing at the enemy's neck.

And the Attendant Cavalry, having missed his strike, couldn't pull back his spear to defend, looking as though he was deliberately charging into the blade. The speed of their collision was too fast to see clearly, let alone avoid!

The sound of steel cleaving through the neck guard of the Cavalry boomed as the sword blade cut through sinew and bone—

Even Olivia, gripping the long sword, was shocked by the feel of the strike, as the Kantadar Cavalry was instantly decapitated.

Blood spurted like a fountain from the neck of the headless corpse, and the beheaded Cavalry's body tumbled off the galloping warhorse.

Seizing the reins again, Olivia glanced over her shoulder at the fallen head.

The discomfort of taking a life by her own hands made the girl's spine tingle, but when she looked again at the corpses of the villagers by the road,

her unbearable emotions were immediately replaced by hatred and rage.

The girl dared not look any longer, silently vowing in her heart that if she could escape, she would make those Kantadar bastards pay for harming her fellow villagers.

Mr. Brian Sr. spurred his horse hard, noticing they were getting closer to the village entrance when he suddenly heard the piercing shriek of arrows and tensed up. He ducked low on his horse and loudly warned his daughter behind him, "Watch out for the arrows!"

He immediately felt his shoulder back being hit with the force similar to that of a nail hammer, but the old blacksmith knew his armor had blocked a lethal blow.

He broke out in a cold sweat and looked back worriedly, just in time to see Olivia react swiftly and deflect the incoming arrow with her sword.

The girl, as quick as lightning, deflected the feathered arrow hurtling toward her, which wasn't too difficult for her.

The bow rider, perched on the rooftop, was shocked to see his arrow knocked away by the girl.

Yet, the well-trained archer, without pausing, immediately drew a second arrow from his quiver.

With practiced motion, he aimed his bow. This time, he no longer aimed for the body but targeted the galloping warhorse.

Whoosh—!

The Urian Battle Bow released its accumulated formidable power, and the speeding arrow followed a beautiful trajectory, burying itself into the chest of the horse.

Mr. Brian Sr., just having relieved, heard a loud crash behind him and looked back in horror to see his daughter's steed stumbling and falling.

Olivia, agilely bracing herself on the falling horse, somersaulted acrobatically in mid-air and leapt off the saddle.

Her skirt fluttering, the petite girl landed firmly, but the horse, struck by the arrow, fell heavily with a painful neigh, struggling and kicking with its limbs, unable to stand again.

"Annie!" Olivia called out heartbreakingly to her mare, running toward the companion of her childhood.

But the relentlessly pursuing knight forced the girl to halt and turn, sword in hand, to face her enemy.

The approaching enemy was an imposing sight, both the towering warhorse and the rider covered in thick full-body Heavy Armor, their solo charge making the ground faintly tremble.

It was indeed a true Kantadar Noble Knight, a Heavy Armored Cavalryman armed to the teeth.

"Hey-yah!" Mr. Brian Sr. shouted to stop his steed, his heart racing as he pulled the reins and turned back, running toward his daughter.

"Olivia, get out of the way!"

Gritting her teeth as she watched the approaching cavalry, the girl, amidst her intense anger, calmed down.

"You bunch of goddamned villains."

With holy eyes filled with a cold murderous intent that pierced the soul, she withdrew her sword hilt and adopted the "Key Opening Style" to face the knight charging at her like a physical war chariot.

The heavy hooves of the horse, carrying a rider like a canned warrior, created momentum like a terrifying living tank.

That masked Kantadar Knight, in his charge, leveled his Riding Spear, aiming at the golden-haired girl in front.

Having witnessed in his pursuit how the seemingly frail little girl had slain his Attendant with just one stroke,

the knight, faced with this baffling opponent, harbored no underestimation because she only wielded a long sword, seemingly harmless to him.

One must use full effort in attacking a rabbit just like chasing a lion! He would not make any mistake of underestimating her.

Five steps, four steps, three steps... one step!

The leveled Riding Spear dipped, aiming at the seemingly immobile girl, and the powerful, forceful spear tip conjured a gale.