Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Dawn Battle (2)
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It must have been humiliating. But he had no choice.
His balls...
Were precious.
Kulluk gritted his teeth. And opened his mouth.
"I am Kulluk, warrior of the Red Deer Tribe!"
From what I'd heard, the guy was somewhat famous in his own right.
Even without an impressive background, few in the Empire or among the Kuman could reach his level of skill.
So for a warrior like him to sell his own name to urge surrender... it had to sting his pride.
Was that why?
His voice trembled. But it carried plenty of volume.
"I surrendered and became a prisoner too! But I'm alive!"
The enemy's attention focused on Kulluk.
Some seemed to recognize the name. Whispers rippled through their ranks.
"Meat stew every evening!"
That was the moment.
When things started to change.
"We'll buy your horses at fair market price! Pay a small ransom, and we'll send you back to your tribe!"
Before Kulluk could even finish.
Clang.
The first weapon hit the ground.
I turned my head. One soldier had dropped his sword and was dismounting.
Clang. Thud. Clang clang.
It was a chain reaction.
Second, third, fourth.
Weapons clattered to the earth from all directions. Soldiers dismounting. Soldiers dropping to their knees.
"...What the hell."
I muttered without thinking.
It was way faster than expected.
No, not just fast. The moment "meat stew" left their lips, any will to fight seemed to evaporate.
Lize murmured softly beside me.
"...They must be starving pretty bad~."
Up close, their faces bore clear signs of hunger. Sunken eyes. Cracked lips. Bony hands.
They hadn't come to plunder.
They'd come to eat.
"This much for one bowl of meat stew?"
"That's how desperate they must be~."
In less than a minute, most had disarmed.
But.
"Die, you southern bastards!"
Some resisted to the end.
Three of them.
They charged on horseback, weapons still in hand. Eyes rolled back in frenzy. Faces set for death.
I raised my hand.
"Take care of those ones."
Two escort knights spurred their mounts forward.
A brief clash.
Or rather, calling it a clash was generous.
Stab. Stab. Slash.
Three sword strokes. Three corpses.
The bodies tumbled from their horses, kicking up dust.
I addressed those who hadn't knelt yet.
"Surrender and live. Resist and die. Choose."
Kulluk translated.
The holdouts hurriedly dropped their weapons.
Our troops moved in among the surrendered enemies. Collecting weapons, herding prisoners together.
I watched the scene from horseback.
500 men.
Of the 500 we'd isolated, fewer than 50 were dead. The rest were prisoners. An overwhelming victory.
Negligible losses on our side. Massive gains.
"...Kinda anticlimactic~."
Lize muttered.
"What is?"
"Just... didn't expect it to end this easily~."
I felt the same.
Of course, the plan had worked perfectly. Sir Heinrich's prowess had shattered their morale. And Kulluk's "promotion" that I'd suggested had been effective.
But that alone didn't explain it.
They'd collapsed too easily.
"If they sent you lot for plundering, doesn't that make you elites among them?"
I asked Kulluk.
He gave a wry smile.
"Normally, yeah. Plundering's dangerous work. They send their strongest."
"Then why are you in this state?"
"Like I said earlier... things are rough on the northern plains right now. In all sorts of ways."
Yeah, they looked it.
In that case...
"High chance more will fall for the bait."
As expected. They should've known the first bait unit had been cut off and isolated, yet the enemy fell for it again.
The second battle unfolded around dawn turning to morning.
Sir Heinrich stepped forward and shouted again. Kulluk translated.
One rider burst from the enemy lines.
"I am Guom, great warrior of the north! I accept Heinrich's challenge to duel!"
It was in Imperial tongue. Pronunciation was surprisingly clear.
But... clang!
Batu held out for at least two exchanges.
Guom didn't last one.
"We spare those who surrender!"
This time, it wasn't just Kulluk. I'd brought some prisoners from the first battlefield.
"Meat stew every single evening!"
"Fresh meals are always hot!"
"This year's wheat harvest! Ten slabs of meat in every pot!"
Dozens shouting made it far more convincing.
Their faces still glistened with stew grease.
No one resisted bravely to the end this time.
Maybe the sight of Guom's head flying after one exchange. Or maybe the power of meat stew.
Over 500 disarmed in an instant.
Dust settled over both battlefields.
I tallied the situation from horseback.
First battlefield: Fewer than 50 dead out of 500 isolated in the ravine. All others captured.
Second battlefield: Apart from Guom, whose head flew after one exchange, negligible deaths out of 500-plus lured in. Rest disarmed.
Total: Around 1,000 prisoners.
Our losses: 12 wounded. One serious. Zero dead.
Overwhelming.
The bait unit's supply cart drivers? Corrupt staff and their cronies. Exclude those scum from casualty counts.
"...Didn't expect it to wrap up this easy~."
I silently agreed.
But I couldn't let my guard down. At least outwardly, I had to look serious. A ten-year-old acting grave wouldn't fool anyone, but still.
"1,000 left. Stay sharp."
Lize nodded.
"Got it~."
1,000 captured out of 2,000.
1,000 remained.
Half gone, but half still out there.
What if they regrouped and attacked? Came charging in a vengeful fury?
No time to relax yet.
"Sir Heinrich."
"Yes, young master."
"Track the remaining enemy's movements. Double reconnaissance."
"Already sent."
Veteran as expected. Moved before I even ordered.
I nodded and surveyed the battlefield again.
Prisoners marched in lines, hands bound, heads bowed. Their horses gathered separately for management.
Promised "fair market price," so we'd honor it.
Of course, what counted as "fair" was up to me.
Then.
Clop clop clop.
A rider approached in the distance, kicking up dust.
Scout.
He leaped from his foaming horse, gasping for breath. Armor caked in dust. Full gallop, clearly.
"Report!"
Urgent.
Some emergency news.
I straightened up.
"Speak."
"Enemy main force is withdrawing!"
"...What?"
I doubted my ears.
"Withdrawing? They barely started plundering."
I'd seen their hunger with my own eyes. Dropping weapons for a bowl of stew. And now abandoning grain right in front of them?
"It's true, sir. Main force heading north. Fast pace. Looks like full retreat."
The scout sounded certain.
I furrowed my brow.
Didn't make sense.
Or... it did.
Kulluk spoke up.
"I'm no friend of theirs, but... if they lose nearly half their force to capture without proper plundering? Yeah, they'd pull back. Unless the commander's an idiot."
The battle was over.
1,000 prisoners.
800 captured horses.
Weapons and armor seized: Enough to fill ten wagons.
Our dead: 0. Wounded: 12. Serious: 1.
Excluding the two bait staff and their kin, of course.
A monumental victory report.
Rewards for the meritorious.
Best spoils: Horses. Told Sir Heinrich and Lize to pick the finest. Then granted three to Kulluk, who'd bent his pride to translate so diligently.
But victory reports didn't stop there.
Father's arrived three days later.
"Southern rebellion crushed. Ringleaders executed. Mopping up remnants."
Short and sweet.
Just like Father.
Ducal proxy authority ended. Ernst's temporary power wrapped up.
One weight off my shoulders.
Truth be told, the Kuman weren't what scared me most in this fight.
The real fear was Father coming back late.
If the battle dragged on? Supplies cut? Reinforcements denied?
Ernst wouldn't miss that chance.
"And word from the Imperial Palace, too."
The Palace?
"Yes. Talks of marriage between House Krushtein and Her Highness the Imperial Princess."
I nodded.
Made sense.
Credit for crushing the southern revolt. House Krushtein's might. The Palace would want us tied tighter.
Political marriage: Surest way.
"Brother's faction grows stronger. Hope marrying a princess doesn't make him think this little brother threatens his position."
I muttered loud enough for the messenger to hear.
"Um, Legion Commander."
The messenger's voice quivered oddly.
"What?"
"The marriage candidates... aren't just Young Master Ernst."
"Besides Brother Ernst, any legitimate heir candidates..."
I muttered.
I knew, really. Who it was.
Just didn't want to think about it.
"Young Master Adrian is also on the list."
"...What? Young master and a princess~?"
Lize blurted first.
"So it seems."
The messenger bowed his head.
Sir Heinrich rode up.
"Congratulations, young master. A bond with the Imperial family— what greater honor?"