Dawnspire City

Before Brody could respond, one of the beggars—a woman with a shawl over her head—stepped forward.

Her eyes turned cold as she raised her hand.

This seemed to be a signal as everyone outside copied her movement. Soon, they realized that the beggars' ragged clothes had actually covered their hidden weapons.

In just a moment, the group had their hands with knives and other sharp weapons.

"Bandits!" Brody shouted, drawing his sword.

However, the two servants of the young masters had already acted. Although they didn't expect to be attacked, they were trained enough to protect the children of the manor.

They tried to immediately leave the place but the bandits had used stones to stop the carriage from moving. It seemed that these people didn't want to kill the horses and damage the carriage itself.

"Get off here!" One of the bandits shouted as he stabbed the kids inside the carriage with his knife.

However, Brody and Henry blocked his attack and leaped out to meet the bandits.

"Bring it on!"

The two servants realized that they had to stand their ground and immediately protected the young masters' side…

"Stay inside and close the window, Hayden!" Brody said as he started to show how strong strong he was!

He easily parried blows and countered attacks.

'As expected… These hungry bandits are no match against the squires.'

Hayden stayed inside the carriage and activated the Ocularis Lens to analyze the situation.

[ Warning: Hostile entities detected. Recommend evasive or blocking action. ]

Hayden frowned as the Lens highlighted the person who was about to throw something at him. Thankfully, he at least possessed a small knife given to him by the butler before leaving the manor.

Thud!

Just like that, Hayden was able to block the rock that was thrown at him with his unsheathed knife!

'These guys are desperate… They're getting beaten up and know they had no chance of winning but they're still being persistent.'

Hayden was confused since the bandits seemed to have another purpose for coming at them.

As one of the bandits climbed onto the carriage, Hayden grabbed a loose board from the floor and swung it with all his might. The makeshift weapon struck the bandit's head, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Hayden's arms trembled, but that was enough for him as the bandits shifted their focus on the four swordsmen.

The fight was brutal but the brothers held their ground.

'So they're used to killing people…' Hayden noted in his mind seeing that his brothers were actually quite at ease taking the lives of these bandits.

There was no hesitation or pity in their eyes. Although Henry appeared very kind since he even offered to give something to the beggars, he was actually quite decisive as soon as he realized that the people had bad intentions.

As for the other two warriors, they were also quite impressive as none of them got injured in the battle. In the middle of the battle, they even seemed like they were trying to give them a chance to fight…

Of course, the Ocularis Lens was also recording their battle style since it could be helpful once the combat classes started.

'Wait… Are they trying to teach them? Is this arranged by our father or something?' Hayden suddenly thought for a moment. But he wasn't sure if the Baron could actually arrange this incident for them to gain experience.

Nonetheless, when only three bandits were left, they finally retreated, while glaring at the brothers as they disappeared into the trees.

"Tsk… We don't even have that much money in our possession…"

"They have really gone too far."

Brody wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to Hayden. "Not bad for a kid. You might just survive the academy after all."

Henry grinned as well, though his hands were still shaking.

Hayden smiled lightly at the two and nodded.

"Let's just hope the rest of the trip is less exciting."

***

Thankfully, they no longer encountered any problems after the appearance of the bandits.

Their carriage entered the city of Dawnspire as the sun started to set.

The city was visibly busier than their estate territory. Many merchants were calling out their wares, children playing in the alleys, and Hayden could also hear the clang of a blacksmith's hammer at a certain area in the city.

There was also the scent of freshly baked bread together with the earthy aroma of horses and hay, creating a lively yet comforting atmosphere.

Hayden also noticed how clean the streets were. There were no rats, trash, or even street beggars. This city definitely deserved its reputation.

The city was larger than Hayden had expected…

Soon, as he looked through the window, he could finally see the towers of the Dawnspire Academy in the distance!

"Welcome to Dawnspire," Henry said with a grin. "Not as grand as the capital, but it has its charm."

Brody snorted. "Charm? It's a backwater compared to Frosthelm. But I guess it's home for now."

The two of them visited their brothers in Frosthelm before, so they knew how majestic that place was.

In any case, Hayden ignored their bickering as his attention was drawn to a grand carriage that had pulled up ahead of them It looked quite luxurious and it had the crest of a noble family—a golden eagle clutching a sword.

He had no idea which noble family had that kind of insignia and not even his Ocularis Lens had any record of it, so he looked at his brothers.

"Who's that?" Hayden asked, pointing to the carriage.

Brody leaned forward and his eyes squinted. "That's the crest of House Valenford. An Earl's family. What are they doing here?"

Henry adjusted his glasses and nodded. "That's odd. House Valenford is known for sending their children to the Frosthelm Knights Academy. Why would they come to Dawnspire?"

As their carriage slowed to a stop, they overheard the conversation from the crowd gathering around the noble carriage.

"Did you hear? The Earl's only daughter, Vera Valenford, is enrolling at Dawnspire!"