“What"s going on?”
Chart was stunned.
Torame who listened by his side thought that his voice was unrefined. Just like Keynes…
(You should understand just by seeing…)
The words that sounded like ridiculing Chart stuck in his chest.
Torame forcefully took the sleeping Chart and put him behind his horse, and run away from the camp with his follower.
(It is a losing battle, you see? One-sided that is…)
After they run away far enough, they could look back at the battlefield.
The camp was burning.
Only the black knights ran courageously, killing the escaping soldiers without mercy.
Torame was not surprised when he saw such a one-sided killing…
Well trained, he was able to wake up by hearing the sound of the hoofs earlier than anyone. He was also known as the Teumessian Fox, he understands that he won"t be able to win since he could not detect the attack until it was already so close.
Torame thought that Chart had not yet made any mistake.
However, what was happening was that there was a splendid strategist that was capable of using Alan inferior force into such an overwhelming force.
In the era of his grandfather, he was able to meet such people a few times.
It was said ‘When you lose, it feels like you"ve been bewitched by a bad spirit."
Torame was convinced when he feels that.
He decided to escape with his aides along with Chart without hesitation.
During the day, Torame who had felt restless for a while decided to tell his subordinates to be ready to escape at any time, that was why there was no confusion during their escape.
Only the prince who could not accept the situation.
“Turn back, Torame-dono! If I"m not there, I won"t be able to command the soldiers. If we leave it as it is, we will lose!”
“… Please understand. Your Highness.”
“What do you want me to understand?! Only one thing I understand… And that is I haven"t lost yet! Look! There are still soldiers there. Three thousand soldiers need me there!” Chart pointed at the camp and spat.
Certainly, Torame saw many soldiers. Tears run down their cheek, they looked pathetic as they were being slain by the enemy from the back. There were a lot of them.
“Please give up, your highness…”
“Don"t joke with me! Are you saying you"re going to smear Chart name with defeat? Furthermore against the weaker Alan?!”
“No, that soldiers are not from Earl Eidonia house. That is Alexis Knights. I know it because they are famous. They move as one. And led by Prince Leonard.”
Torame gazed at the warriors and remembered the chill on his back.
His eyes shine red, he swings an unusually large glaive and happily kills soldiers. He didn"t stop. He could not be stopped.
Even Torame never met such a warrior.
He was only watching from a distance, but he still could feel a shiver on his skins. The instinct of the uncatchable Teumessian Fox was ringing like never before. And yet.
“Leonard you say?! If that is the case, then the more I could not lose here!”
Chart shouted hysterically.
(It was not hatred but vanity huh?)
Tomare was still patient enough to not pointed that out.
“Fine by me! You coward can escape! I will go there by myself!”
“This is not good…” He was annoyed.
Duke d.i.n.kwood had ordered him.
He would forgive him even if he loses the war. However, if Chart died, he would be beheaded.
(Now then… If we don"t get out of this problem, it would be bad…)
Rather than having his head being beheaded, it would be better for him to lose his position as a knight.
It would be best for him to persuade the prince, he thought. What kind of words he should use? They had been together for two weeks, thus he could understand the prince temperament. For example…
“Please try to recall the history, Your Highness,” Torame said with a formal tone. “There were many people being praised as the great generals, but no one had ever won the war without losing a battle.”
If they looked into the details, there might be one or two who actually manage to win all battles but that was just a bluff…
“Muu….” Receiving those words, Chart took it seriously.
It was natural for the prince not convinced with just that and wants to say something but…
“However, none of them just lost a battle. They grow stronger, taking a lesson from their defeat. They learned their failures so that the same mistakes won"t happen again. That was how they manage to become a great general…”
“… Definitely, as you say…”
“I could understand how your highness feeling, but I think your highness should take the same step. And I believe Duke d.i.n.kwood also wants that too…”
“… Umu… … Umu!” Chart nodded many times.
Torame secretly pumped his fist in his mind. His followers who watch the argument breathed a sigh of relieve.
Without knowing such atmosphere, Chart looked up at the night sky and extended his hands.
“O Heaven, I will definitely surpa.s.s all the obstacle you give me!”
Yelled with a serious face.
(Despite having his soldiers being killed, to think he could elate himself like that…)
Torame was rather impressed.
It might sound like he was just saying cool words, but actually, that was from cla.s.sic.
“Let us go then, your highness” Inside his mind Torame was concealing his perfect act.
“Indeed. Let us go.” Chart kicked his horse abdomen and turned his back from the burning camp.
He runs away without looking back at all.
Maybe because he remembered the value of being resolute.
Or maybe he just didn"t want to hear Leonard soldiers anymore.
That was what Torame had thought.
Leonard and his colleagues overran Chart camp and burned them thoroughly, and then moved to clean up the rest.
Dividing the unit into 50 hors.e.m.e.n each, he ordered them to chase and kill the enemy soldiers who escaped.
That was not cruelty. Not in the least. Since if they left the escaping soldiers just like that, they would turn into bandits and torment the people. Chart was still unaccounted for.
The time was near sunrise, the knights keep working energetically throughout the nights.
Soon, the tragedy and bloodshed that were scattered here and there would be illuminated by the sky.
The time of the night officially came to an end.
As the knights raised the helmet skull cover face, they gathered in the ruins of the camp.
Chart whereabouts remained unknown.
“It seems they manage to escape splendidly…” Bauman said those words, while Leonard agreeing with him while nodding.
They were not ridiculing those who manage to escape. From these two perspectives, they were practical people, thus they were actually praised Chart who was able to escape. Leonard thought Chart was the type that would choose to stay and die rather than run away in shame. That was why Leonard view on him changed.
They could not do anything if the enemy was already escaping. To find a clear solution, they decided to return to the provincial capital.
On the way, Bauman checked the other knights but, it seems there were only minor injuries being reported.
Despite being in a war, and just recently finished a night battle, their atmosphere was pleasant—.
The 509 knights including Alan joined together in the provincial capital.
Immediately cheers could be heard. Eidonia"s citizen and soldiers greeted them. They were standing on the left and right of the main street.
At the front, Leonard was riding Zanzas, beside him was Alan, while Bauman riding a bit behind them. At the back, it was the carts filled with goods that Prince Chart had plundered being pulled by horses. To show that justice existed. They marched as if they were on parade.
From the left and right, compliments and praise for protecting the province were pouring without end.
“Response to them, Leo.”
“You"re the feudal lord here you know…”
“But still, the General is you, Leo…”
It seems they thought it would be ridiculous if they continue to bicker, they decided to raise their hand in response to the cheers.
Leonard who had reserved personality reluctantly did that. While Alan did all of that with full smiles and full spirits.
Seeing their gesture, the citizen cheers grow louder.
Everyone was smiling.
Leonard looked at them, reaffirmed the value of what he had managed to protect with his hands.
(This is really good. I guess this is what a triumph means huh?)
He thought it would be the same as when he eradicated the bandits. Indeed, they had failed to protect anyone in Alexis. No matter how much the enemy blood spill, everything comes to zero.
The painful memories, even if it was just a little bit, with this he felt slightly healed.
People praised Leonard for saving Eidonia, but for Leonard, it was him who was saved.
Fuuh—
From the crowd, a girl who was still 5 or 6 years old jumped out.
Her appearance was slightly dirty, seeing that, it was obvious that the child was a displaced people, not from Eidon.
When Bauman gasped “Ah…” He looked back as she tried to take something from the carts filled with goods. As Leonard stopped Zanzas to see what was going on, in the little girl"s hand, she held a silver comb.
“Wait, you lady. Don"t take goods however you like…” Bauman stepped down
Everything on the carts should be returned to the displaced people. Since they could not prove who own which goods, Alan could only convert it to gold and redistribute them as a deposit.
The comb may have been an important thing for the little girl, but it may also be just something that catches her eyes. Or there was the possibility that it was someone else goods but looked similar to that she owns.
“It is fine, Bauman.” Leonard overlooked the girl act. “Everyone is fine with it, yes?”
He asked the crowd.
No one tried to voice their opposition.
There were many refugees but none of them think it was something unfair.
Leonard knew what he did was hypocrisy. The crowd surely also know that.
They were forced to evacuate only with the clothes they wore, forced to walk for days, and continued to fear enemy"s attack every day, they might only want to find something to warm their heart.
Maybe, due to the little girl innocent act who took the comb and look pleased, their heart was filled with warmth.
Leonard and the other had won and averted the crisis.
However, post-war processing would be very confusing starting from here. Which meant, Alan struggle started from here. Frankly speaking, for those who didn"t understand government vaguely their battle was not over yet.
However, just for this moment.
Everyone felt that they saw hope from seeing the little girl.
Even if that was just an illusion.
After all, hope was something that only energizes the energy to continue to life, nothing more, nothing less.