Night of the Soulless Heathens – 385



#385. Winter Entrance 5

“Ugh.”

“Who are you calling a cripple? You are a ridiculous person.”

“Oh no it’s true. Really.”

“Judging by your reaction Count Azadin seems to be forgiving of having to stick with me for a little while in order to survive. Right?”

“…….”

The expression on the face of the refugee commander who had been acting cowardly and laughing even after breaking his finger hardened.

I could tell that he was no ordinary man as the cowardly smile disappeared and was replaced by a calm calm look in his eyes.

Prince Ghislain was secretly amazed that the unknown commander who commanded the refugee soldiers who were no different from beggars had such skills.

“What an incomprehensible man. You’re maintaining military discipline in such a mess but you’re saying that training isn’t bad? And on top of that this loyalty….”

Will this really establish military discipline? I doubt it.

But Prince Ghislain no longer had any doubts as the refugee soldiers before his eyes had actually demonstrated astonishing skill.

“Hey. Staff. Did you take the supplies from those guys? How much food do you have?”

“All I had was one day’s supply of barley hardtack (military dry crackers).”

“Is that enough food for 400 people for two days? Judging from the fact that half of them are hardtacks it seems that the main force of Count Azadin’s army is quite close.”

It is a level of food that allows one to operate without receiving much supply.

“Oh so an envoy has arrived from Count Azadin.”

“Envoy? Already?”

“Yes. I ask that you release the prisoners without killing them.”

“What? Are you crazy? Why would we listen to that?”

“If we listen they say they will give us two days’ worth of forage and oats for a hundred men. They say there is no need to return the prisoners but they only ask that you do not execute them.”

“…….”

He said he would give them extra food so let the prisoners live. This would mean that Count Azadin’s forces have plenty of food and are sparing his men.

They can afford to do so having taken over the rich granary of the Chadra Plateau.

It was a suggestion that he could do without but Ghislain did not like Azadin’s composure.

“You’re being a bitch. It looks like you’re going to do a ransom deal but ransoms only apply to noble commanders. There’s no reason for me to accept a request to spare all the soldiers and prisoners for that little bit of money. Hey. Kill all the prisoners and hang them at some intersection. I’ll make you regret ever having dared to bargain with me.”

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“….”

“Why? What are you looking at? Don’t you know how to kill a prisoner?”

“No the person who came as an envoy is Prince Sram. How about meeting him and talking?”

“What? You sent Sram as an envoy?”

Prince Ghislain was surprised by those words. What on earth was he thinking sending Prince Sram who had been held hostage as an envoy?

“I’ve heard rumors that he’s crazy but I guess he really is crazy.”

“Should we ignore them and kill the prisoners?”

“No no. If it’s like this I’d like to hear it once. Let’s meet Sram.”

Ghislain decided to meet Sram.

*********

“He’s crazy.”

Prince Sram who entered Ghislain’s tent immediately declared:

“I don’t know what Count Azadin is thinking. He’s a complete lunatic. He’s still like that now. Sending me as an envoy.”

“Then you weren’t recruited by Count Azadin? Are you going to take this opportunity to escape and join me?”

Prince Ghislain and Sram were half-brothers.

Although they are blood brothers they are practically strangers and were actually raised in the homes of relatives from different families by their mothers.

Although they are older than Gislain the Yaegas gods live long so the order of longevity is not established by one or two years of age. Although longevity is a principle of the King’s Church it is only an order between brothers whose mother and father are exactly the same.

“Hmm. Well. That’s a bit much. What if I were to be put in the line of battle to wash away the shame of being captured? Give me some soldiers.”

“I can’t believe it.”

Prince Ghislain declared.

It was a famous incident where Prince Sram fell in love with Bishop Akenar but his father the king threw Bishop Akenar out when he got sick of him after stealing Princess Haweol of Chitai.

If Prince Sram came as an envoy for Count Azadin then he must have gone over to Count Azadin’s side. It is impossible not to suspect this. Count Azadin is not a fool so he would not have sent someone who might run away at any moment as an envoy.

If you entrust your troops to such a prince and then have him taken away it will be a fatal loss.

With a force of only about 100 people if you lead just one group of 10 people and commit treason or even if it is not an active treason just leading the troops to the wrong place will evaporate 10% of the total force.

‘But I wonder if this is also Count Azadin’s plan. Since the skirmish has started here we have no choice but to stay here while negotiating for prisoners. We need to advance to the front yard where we will be coxed as the advance party until the king and other troops gather but we are stuck here. Do you really think we will turn around here?’

Prince Ghislain thought about the terrain around here. The temperature had dropped and then risen again in the light of the royal fire and there were places where snow had fallen and turned into a little mud but it was not so bad that it was difficult for cavalry to move.

Overall it is a good place to make turns as it is a wide plain area and the turns are thoroughly determined by the skills of the knights.

Since Count Azadin’s army cannot have many knights the rotation is more advantageous for the Arangi Kingdom.

‘It doesn’t seem like a plan to solidify this place as a battlefield. But I can’t act rashly either.’

Prince Ghislain the commander of the advance party cannot move his troops too aggressively. Should he wait here to join up or should he boldly advance to the front yard of Coxhal?

Should I accept Prince Sram and send him to the army as a commander? But what if he runs away or rebels when I give him an army?

Should I keep him by my side as a staff member? What if he attacks me as a commander?

If a mere Count demands the release of a soulless blasphemer by offering a ransom for the commoner commander and the Arangi Kingdom which has not even paid the ransom for a prince imprisons him out of suspicion of his own blood relative wouldn’t that be embarrassing?

Should I say that this is a situation where no medicine is effective since I don’t know what Azadin is thinking? No matter what I thought I was anxious.

“Sram. Are your men joining Count Azadin’s army?”

“okay.”

“Why don’t they come together? If we attack Coxhal will they respond to us?”

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“If you send me to join your army there’s a good chance I’ll respond. But if you take me prisoner or keep me under your wing to watch over me won’t everyone be disappointed?”

When Sram said that a laughter was heard.

“Haha. In some places they even refuse to pay the ransom for a prince of mixed blood… That’s what they call the difference in vessel.”

The commander of the refugee unit whose finger was broken by Prince Ghislain mocked the Kingdom of Arangi.

The problem arose because Prince Ghislain’s army did not separate the tents while camping in the wilderness. When the envoy met at Prince Ghislain’s tent the commander of the refugee unit who had just been torturing them burst into laughter after hearing the entire conversation between Prince Sram and Prince Ghislain.

Prince Ghislain glared at the commander of the refugee unit with a broken finger.

“Do you dare to insult King Arangi?”

“No that’s true.”

The Kingdom of Arangi refused to pay the ransom for even Prince Sram but Azadin offered the ransom for a commoner commander.

The difference would have a tremendous impact on the morale of the soldiers.

“So you are loyal to Count Azadin….”

“No what about loyalty….”

“what?”

He’s a guy who doesn’t blink an eye even if you break his fingers beat him or threaten him. But isn’t that loyalty?

“Actually I don’t know our leader very well either. I don’t know.”

“What kind of stupid thing are you talking about?”

“That’s right. He’s called a soulless blasphemer. I don’t know what he’s thinking. Originally our group was planning to kill him and get rid of him. But because of me a commoner you’re offering to supply me with precious food and forage right away and I’m always surprised.”

“…….”

Prince Ghislain looked back at Prince Sram who shrugged as well.

“I don’t know either. I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

“The reason they use so many odd tactics is because it’s hard to gain support without them. Of course it is. Since the Jeonryung clan has taken the title of Count it must be hard just to maintain that position. They must have had no choice but to use odd tactics repeatedly even if it meant forcing themselves.”

Prince Ghislain was cruel and arrogant but he was not stupid.

I knew that the reason why everyone unanimously said that they did not know much about Azadin was because Azadin had great ambitions and the means to implement them were limited in gaining support.

“Then you’re going to ignore the trick and go with the regular method? You’re going to kill all the prisoners and fight?”

“No. Prisoners are not killed.”

Originally Prince Ghislain had planned to kill all the prisoners and advance to the Coxhall front yard.

However if the Kingdom of Arangi kills a prisoner without even paying the ransom for Prince Sram its reputation will be very bad.

Of course Prince Ghislain’s current troop is made up entirely of veteran soldiers so it’s unlikely that their morale would drop over something like this.

But what if Count Azadin tries to persuade them when the situation is at its peak? Then it would be a different story.

“Well. But then you’re going to manage all these prisoners? Aren’t there a lot of them?”

“Most of them died or escaped and only 50 were taken prisoner. Of course if we feed them or take them prisoner we will have to put in effort to manage them as well…”

That’s when Ghislain said that.

A messenger ran to the tent.

“Prince Ghislain! This is trouble! This is trouble!”

“What’s the big deal?”

“Oh that’s it…..”

The messenger avoided the eyes and ears of Prince Sram and the captured refugee commander.

“…good.”

Prince Ghislain followed the messenger out of the tent.

The sky felt dark and suddenly cold.

Has the light of the king’s flower disappeared?

That’s not it.

The north he was looking at had a gentle atmosphere and the sun was shining gently in the sky.

Only in this area near the campsite where they have pitched their tents is the temperature dropping.

“What’s going on?”

“The supply unit has been attacked. Count Azadin’s hippogriffs have attacked the supply unit and stolen the supplies.”

“…What?”

The advance party did not bring many supplies in order to keep their weight light. Because the weather was cold tents sleeping bags and other winter equipment were essential so the combat units had very little food and forage to carry.

But Count Azadin cut off the supply unit.

‘It’s not like you’ll die if you starve for a day or two. But….’

The sky darkened and the temperature began to drop.

It’s almost as if Count Azadin is manipulating the weather by manipulating the light of the royal flower to drive away the cold in some direction.

‘No that can’t be true. That soulless blasphemous bastard is really the master of the light of the king’s flower? That can’t be true.’

Ghislain shook off the slight anxiety that seemed to be clutching at his chest and urged his soldiers to be on high alert.

And that night a blizzard swept over Prince Ghislain’s tent.