The Betrayal at the Plains
In the heart of the Sel Late territory, inside the heavy atmosphere of the conference room, Baron Caelen let out a deep sigh.
In front of him lay a map displaying the intricate western situation, with three cities marked in red ink by the crossing of scissors.
His bloodshot eyes swept over the gathered officials.
Everyone avoided his gaze, eager to escape responsibility.
“Hah… The western lords’ relations have completely collapsed because of the internal conflict within the kingdom alliance. Some are desperately moving their armies to tighten the noose around the Iren Tribe again. Meanwhile, during this process, not the kingdom alliance or the Iren Tribe, but a third party…”
BOOM!
He slammed his fist on the table, the silver cup shattering and spilling its contents.
“That third party is the Ibin and Irayte Tribes—the ones who built the alliance that the western lords most feared, all while we were keeping our eyes on them! Now that we’ve opened our eyes, we’ve already lost three cities!”
“…”
The remaining city officials remained silent, clearly burdened.
“All of them were our most vital cities, and even the supposedly impregnable Sel Mircont fortress has been reduced to ashes in just a few days. So, let me ask: if any of you have been feasting fat and happy under me, bring forward a solution!”
One administrative official wiped sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and spoke in a strained voice.
“Baron, Sir… Requesting massive financial support from the nearby Bentia Kingdom army or other lords and calling for reinforcements… Wouldn’t that be…”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve said all day!”
Caelen hurled the silver cup at the table.
“The lords surrounding Sel Late right now are no better than starving hyenas waiting for us to be torn apart and bled dry by the barbarians! The moment we beg for help, they won’t lift a finger to assist us—they’ll just tear apart the remaining territory of Sel Late and devour it whole! Don’t you all understand that?”
“Then… perhaps offering gold and food to the barbarians and making a temporary peace treaty to buy time…”
“Silence!”
Caelen rubbed his throbbing temples and waved his hand dismissively.
“All you’ve done is spout empty words. When the crisis actually hits, not a single useful soul remains. All of you—get out of my sight immediately!”
The officials scrambled out of the conference room like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
After the last official left, only Baron Caelen and his silent Knight Commander, Herburn, remained in the vast hall.
Caelen relaxed his body and leaned back against the chair, his voice tired yet resolute.
“Herburn.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“For so long we underestimated them and focused only on careful defense. The result? Nothing but the humiliating spectacle of our walls collapsing and our garrison massacred.”
“That is correct.”
“Which is why I ask this: if we were to engage the barbarian horde in a full-scale battle… would we truly be victorious?”
Herburn answered without the slightest hesitation, his smile relaxed and confident.
“My lord, even if those rats find weak spots in the walls and destroy the fortress, the core of the problem remains the same—base, uncivilized barbarians who have spent their lives shoveling dung. Even if they ride horses and shoot arrows well, they are nothing but a ragtag group lacking discipline and proper command.”
Herburn stepped forward, his voice ringing with conviction.
“Instead of cowering behind the walls like arrows are being fired at us, if we lead our main force out onto the open plains and attack head-on, the situation changes entirely. In cavalry warfare and in archer duels, our elite knights of Sel Late—who wield orer—will never fall to them.”
Caelen nodded slowly, his eyes gleaming with a new resolve.
Yes… if those damn hyena-like lords refuse to help and only want to devour Sel Late, there was no need to sit back and wait for our throats to be choked.
Instead, it was far better to display the true strength of Sel Late and put pressure on the surrounding regions.
If I can also completely dismantle the nomadic alliance that has risen as the greatest threat in the west with my own hands…
The glory of that achievement would spread across the entire west.
Even though the kingdom alliance was currently paralyzed by internal conflict, once they stabilized and came looking for a new front in the west, they might very well place themselves as the most likely replacement in the empty seat left by the Ir-en Tribe.
A single gamble that could turn crisis into opportunity.
Baron Caelen slowly rose from his seat.
“Gather every soldier, mage, and mercenary we can mobilize within the territory at once.”
There was no trace of hesitation or fear in his eyes now.
“Prepare for the real war—under the pride of Sel Late, to crush the arrogant blood of those barbarian brats!”
“As you command.”
***
The momentum after capturing Sel Mircont spread far faster than before.
We used that momentum to launch another lightning strike, simultaneously attacking the defense-starved cities of Sel Royton and Sel Barvain, leaving nothing behind.
By the time the consecutive victories and plunder were over, Sel Late territory had effectively swallowed eight-tenths of its territory.
Soldiers’ horses were heavy with gold and weapons.
Every day, the army feasted on roasted meat and celebrated victory, their morale soaring higher than the sky.
And we had the final stronghold of the baron—the fortress city of Sel Mirte.
It was the moment we erected our temporary camp on the plains just a short distance from the city.
“Chief! Chief Temur!”
A young warrior with exceptionally sharp and keen eyes from the Ibin Tribe rushed into the tent, breathing heavily.
He pointed desperately toward the southeast plains beyond the Gershian barony territory.
“Huff… huff… A massive army bearing the flags of Sel Late is charging toward the pass near the Gershian barony!”
“They chose a full-scale battle instead of sieging? That’s pure arrogance!”
Beike grinned excitedly while sharpening his axe, his voice full of genuine amusement.
However, the warrior’s expression grew even more urgent as he continued.
“It’s not just a few hundred knights! It’s a regular army with endless ranks and mages mixed in! Easily over ten thousand!”
“Ten… ten thousand?”
“Hah… Even now they can muster that kind of strength in such a short time. Truly, the baron is the baron.”
The gazes of the chiefs and some warriors inside the tent all turned toward me, filled with expectant hope.
Then… how should I respond to meet that expectation?
Abandoning the fortress as a shield and choosing a full-scale battle on the plains…
It was most likely because they had finally learned that even with fire magic siege weapons, we could not win a siege war from a defensive position.
Hiding behind the walls and waiting for everyone to burn together was no longer an option.
Instead, they must have decided to crush us with their orer knights and numerical superiority on the open plains.
“Temur, even with ten thousand more than us, a head-on collision is still a collision. What do we do?”
While I remained silent, Orhan cautiously asked.
His words were accurate—we had eight thousand against their ten thousand.
Not only did we face a numerical disadvantage, but we also lacked the experience of a large-scale battle compared to a siege war.
The best we had ever done was five thousand against a dispersed force.
There had been no strategy prepared for ten thousand troops charging simultaneously.
But perhaps there was no need to worry too much.
“I don’t know what else to say. You yourselves removed the noose of the walls and crawled out onto the plains—the stage where we truly belong. So we must welcome you with the utmost courtesy.”
“… You really are a madman.”
“Hahaha! Exactly! Finally, it’s no longer boring to kick the asses of those cowards hiding behind boulders!”
Toghrul slammed his huge war spear onto the ground with a thunderous boom, sending a fearsome aura into the air.
That old man seemed to grow stronger the longer he lived.
If there had been a thousand warriors like Toghrul, we could have unified the entire western plains without even thinking twice…
Or… would the kingdom alliance have chosen Irayte as the main force from the beginning?
I shook off that fleeting thought and stepped out of the tent, facing the eight thousand warriors waiting on the plains.
“Everyone, mount your horses! Today, let us show the barbarians exactly who truly rules the western plains with our own eyes!”
With my shout, the eight thousand warriors mounted their horses in perfect unison and gripped their weapons.
Then, without a moment’s delay, they turned their horses’ heads and began galloping at full speed toward the southeast, where a faint cloud of dust rose in the distance.
Before long, the two armies finally faced each other in the middle of the vast western plains.
Should we exchange greetings, or should we immediately unleash a storm of arrows?
The thought of a duel over some noble honor flickered briefly, and I stared at them with a half-expecting smile.
“For the glory of Sel Late! Cut off the breath of these uncivilized barbarians! Charge!”
The man I assumed was the commander of the enemy army began charging without even introducing himself.
Kuguguguung—!
The ten thousand strong army advanced in step, shaking the very earth.
“… My mood is thoroughly ruined.”
Beike, Orhan. You two handle the enemy mages. Sarnai, you and I will take the heads of those knight bastards.”
“Understood. My arrows will be the first to pierce their arrogant commander’s forehead—so watch closely.”
“I won’t expect otherwise.”
After our short exchange, I drew my sword.
“Wipe them out!!”
“UOOOOOOOO!!”
The warriors’ thunderous roar filled the plains as the eight thousand warriors, fueled by hatred and fury, charged wildly toward the enemy.