After riding the current of the Longquan River, the ferry’s speed surpassed that of a galloping horse.
Lann’s boat-handling skills acquired from Bernie proved inadequate, as Auridon Hunters, who earned their living on the lake, had no experience speeding through such a river.
Fortunately, Kotaro, who had lived by the Longquan River for generations, mastered the craft of navigating rapids.
He deftly avoided the sandbanks and strange rocks along the way.
According to him, before things got this harsh in Iwami Country, his family also owned a ferry.
But with the Inner Mansion’s blockade on Iwami growing tighter, river traffic dwindled, slowly becoming unable to support his family.
The group drifted along the Longquan River; as the sky darkened, their hearts grew heavier.
As the sun’s glow faded, Hirata Manor was emanating a warm, orange light from the ground up to the sky.
During this era, this could only mean one thing—an extensive fire!
Kotaro’s rowing became more intense.
He was yet unmarried, with only a mother living in the Castle Town of Hirata Manor. If anything happened...
The ferry quickly approached Hirata Manor.
Passing a raised sandbank in the river’s center, Lann’s ears twitched slightly, and he frowned as he looked over.
But on that central sandbank, there was only an abandoned, waterworn old jar.
"Did you hear something?"
Lann inquired of the nearby Rangers.
The questioned person frowned and leaned closer towards Lann.
The Demon Hunter opened his mouth, then shook his head.
A moment ago, he seemed to hear a strange, sluggish voice calling him over for some business.
The Longquan River was roaring fiercely in this section, drowning out nearby conversation with its thunderous sound.
Even with the Demon Hunter’s hearing, it was impossible to catch a sound from more than ten meters away on the sandbank in such clamorous surroundings.
Might it be some supernatural force akin to Magic?
Lann couldn’t be sure but he dared not dismiss it.
Until now, he had only seen humans delve deeply into martial skills in this world. He had scarcely encountered supernatural phenomena.
However, after the incident in Alia’s world, he wouldn’t easily proclaim that they don’t exist.
"No, I heard wrong. Prepare to disembark."
Reassuring the slightly flustered Ranger Group, Lann raised his voice to issue orders.
Nearby, the Hirata Manor gate, where they had set out in the morning, was now devoid of guards.
Numerous ferries were crowded against the marsh beside the wooden bridge at the gate.
Dimly in the darkness, torch lights flickered.
Rain would fall tonight; sometimes a shrill thunderbolt suddenly slashed across the sky, briefly illuminating the world.
The Demon Hunter’s cat-like eyes glimpsed the scene at the gate in that instant.
The gate remained solid and intact, showing no signs of damage, and there were no battle scars or blood traces of fighting personnel.
The Hirata Manor gate had initially offered no defense against these invaders!
With a lack of a rigorous organizational structure, a slight alteration in shift times by the defense system’s head could create a brief vacancy.
In other words, whoever created this vacancy held a high rank within Hirata Manor. It remained unknown which of those present during the audience with the lord it was.
Most of the manor’s armed forces had followed the Iwami main force to face the Inner Mansion Army in a direct confrontation.
If the Hirata Family falls at this juncture... Lann’s mouth twitched.
Armies that triumph when attacked on both sides are exceedingly rare.
If Iwami loses, allowing Inner Mansion to invade, then the scene of heads rolling, caused by the Inner Mansion Army, wouldn’t be surprising.
Based on recent limited observations, Lann hazarded a guess about future possibilities. None looked optimistic.
For this bleak scenario not to become reality, the Hirata Family must hold out!
"Kotaro, don’t stop. Charge directly onto the marsh." Lann patted Kotaro’s shoulder with his broad palm.
"There are only five or six guarding the gate; eliminate them swiftly!"
The Rangers steeled themselves, gripping their weapons. Their eyes already revealed the fierce resolve for battle.
The wooden underside of the ferry slid onto the muddy marsh, striking the stones with a ’Kara La’ sound.
The six brigands occupying the Hirata Manor gate were lamenting not having the chance to pillage the manor.
Then suddenly, the head of one standing closest to the gate snapped back as if punched.
His body lost its balance, muscles tightened, and then he toppled backward.
His brain had been pierced by a projectile launched from Lann’s arm guard.
The brigand companions nearby had no time to react.
Low visibility made it impossible for ordinary people to see, and such reactions often occurred when heavy blunt objects smashed heads on the battlefield.
Yet now there was no outsider around, so where was the heavy blunt object?
The brain momentarily stalls at such nonsensical scenes.
Though it lasted mere seconds, Kotaro had secured the ferry on the marsh.
When the brigands realized and prepared to shout ’enemy attack’ into the manor, the wolf-like Rangers led by Lann had already charged onto the wooden bridge!
Both sides were seasoned in slaughter and greeted each other with fierce shouts as intimidation.
Then, cold blades clashed or struck, sparking fire, or pierced flesh, shedding drops of blood.
Lann had arranged the Rangers’ assault choices and their opponents while on the ferry.
Thus, upon engaging, two spear-wielders relied on their spears’ reach and swiftness, killing two brigands wielding Two-Handed Axes.
A spear thrust is quicker than the swing of a Samurai Sword, not to mention a Two-Handed Axe.
The brigands’ axes hadn’t swung even halfway before a passage connected their stomachs to their backs.
The rest were dealt with similarly, as Lann tried to minimize combat duration to avoid alerting foes within the manor.
He assigned each Ranger a target they could quickest defeat based on his observations.
Despite the Rangers’ comparable numbers, they completely cleared the brigands at the gate within five seconds of battle.
Everything proceeded according to plan, and Lann didn’t even glance back once.
His hand wrapped around a brigand’s neck with a cracking sound, causing the man to collapse completely.
Lann gently pushed the tightly shut Hirata Manor gate, discovering it had been barred from within.
Amidst supernatural hearing, the commotion within the manor persisted.
Clashing swords, igniting guns, battle cries...
He breathed a slight sigh of relief.
It seemed he hadn’t returned irredeemably late.
As Lann considered how to penetrate the manor, Rangers suddenly approached from the wooden bridge with a report.
"Sir, we found a Ninja, still breathing."
"A Ninja?" The Demon Hunter frowned, "Take me there."