Chapter 50: Capturing the Unicorns
Chapter 50: Capturing the Unicorns
The operation began quickly.
Three days later, information indicated it was time for the unicorns to come out for food again. At this moment, a large number of knights had gathered at Eagle Ridge, including Steve, who was called back from the mines.
After all, among the unicorns, there was a leader at the peak of the second tier. Without Steve, it would be too difficult for just a dozen official knights to capture it.
Only with Steve could they be confident of success.
At dawn, the group set out in full force.
This time, they mobilized a grand knight, fifteen official knights, over thirty apprentice knights, and more than a hundred reserve trainee knights.
This was almost the majority of Eagle Ridge's forces at the time.
Led by Thor, the group soon arrived at the upper reaches of the Maine Valley, where the unicorns were known to graze that day.
From a distance, they saw twenty to thirty unicorns grazing on the lush grass.
Most unicorns are first-tier magical beasts, with only the leader reaching the second tier. They are very fast; a first-tier unicorn is as fast as a typical second-tier magical beast, and a second-tier unicorn surpasses most third-tier magical beasts in speed. In the northern province, unicorns are among the most common magical beasts.
Due to their speed, they are often kept by minotaurs.
They are also a favorite among the northern nobility for raising magical beasts.
It is rumored that Marquis Raymond has a troop of three hundred unicorn knights.
Thor had long noticed this group of unicorns.
However, without specialized handlers, it's impossible to domesticate magical beasts.
Thor had to give up on them until he met Allen, who had the "Affinity for All Things" in Loren City, rekindling his interest.
"Ryan, have the men pour the flammable oil around."
"Steve, once the flames rise, capture the unicorn leader first. If we can secure it, the rest will be much easier."
Thor quickly gave his orders in a low voice.
He had meticulously planned the capture of these unicorns over the past few days.
Although unicorns are relatively weak, they are incredibly fast. A first-tier unicorn is faster than a typical second-tier magical beast, and a second-tier unicorn's speed rivals that of third-tier beasts. Such speed means that even ten grand knights might not be enough to capture these unicorns.
But this was under normal circumstances.
Unicorns have a fatal weakness, or rather, untamed unicorns have a fatal weakness: they fear fire.
Flames cause unicorns to panic and hesitate.
By surrounding them with fire, the unicorns would be unable to escape.
With their current strength, capturing these dozens of unicorns wouldn't be too difficult.
Thor quickly issued his commands, and Ryan swiftly moved into action.
With over a hundred reserve trainee knights, they began pouring the flammable oil.
There was still plenty left over from the previous frontier war, and Rachos Assad's visit had brought even more.
Now, it was put to use.
A large amount of flammable oil was poured onto the grass.
Because there was still some distance, the unicorns didn't pay much attention.
Time passed slowly.
Soon, half an hour had gone by.
A large semicircle of flammable oil surrounded the unicorns.
When Ryan raised his hand from afar,
"Do it!"
Thor's voice was low and firm.
In the next moment, the flammable oil was ignited.
The oil quickly caught fire, spreading around the entire area.
On the other side, others also ignited the oil where they were positioned.
"Boom!"
A sea of flames erupted, with fire waves reaching three to four meters high.
At that moment, the unicorns sensed something was wrong.
"Squeal!"
The unicorn leader, panicked, was about to flee, but the sea of flames caused it extreme anxiety.
The other unicorns reacted similarly.
Thor waved his hand.
Steve and the regular and apprentice knights rushed toward the unicorns.
Lassos were thrown.
"Snap! Snap!"
The sounds of lassos catching echoed, and unicorns were quickly ensnared.
Feeling the noose around their necks, the unicorns panicked even more.
Especially the unicorn leader, which gathered wind elements under its hooves, ready to flee. However, the flames reflected in its eyes caused it to hesitate momentarily.
In that moment of hesitation, a lasso also caught around its neck.
The unicorn leader struggled fiercely.
Steve unleashed his life force, tightening the lasso.
As the horses galloped, bursts of life force erupted.
Soon, a few first-tier unicorns couldn't hold on and collapsed.
Knights quickly moved in to bind the unicorns.
Once it started, more unicorns soon fell.
Eventually, only the peak second-tier unicorn leader remained.
Everyone watched tensely.
Even Thor was anxious.
The group of unicorns was important.
But the unicorn leader was crucial.
This was a peak second-tier unicorn leader.
If it could advance to the third tier, their safety in the northern province would be assured.
How could he not be tense?
The unicorn leader, still dragging Steve, continued to run wildly.
But with the fire shrinking the area, the leader's panic grew, and its movements slowed.
Finally.
After another half hour of resistance,
"Boom!"
The unicorn leader fell to the ground.
Steve, exhausted but relieved, quickly bound the leader.
All the unicorns had been captured.
Thor sighed in relief.
With a wave of his hand, the men moved to extinguish the flames.
Half an hour later,
The fire was out.
Smiles spread across everyone's faces.
Thor was also relieved.
They had captured twenty-three unicorns, including a peak second-tier leader.
This was undoubtedly a great haul.
These unicorns could be traded in the future.
The thought of riding a unicorn was exhilarating.