Subjugating the Female General (15)
With Muriel's help, Adrian managed a desperate retreat.
When he reached the place where his army was stationed and took stock, the numbers were grim. Of the five hundred men he had committed, only two hundred had come back. Even his Phoenix Knights had lost half their number — a devastating blow.
The fatal mistake of the operation had been failing to imagine that the callow emperor would resort to such a tactic. Worse still, losing Muriel — the person he cherished most — tore at his heart more than anything else. Someone who had grown up beside him since childhood like a true sibling, lost to a single moment of poor judgment. He had no idea whether she was even still alive, and Adrian sank into a deep, self-recriminating gloom.
Attacking again with only seventeen hundred troops would have been little better than suicide, so he swallowed his tears and fell back. His current position sat right in the center of the Imperial Guard's triangular formation — a dangerous spot if he did not escape quickly. He gathered his remaining forces and slipped away in secret.
Sure enough, Schmaltz had laid the emperor somewhere safe and immediately led troops out on a search. Had Adrian been even a little slower, he might well have been captured right there.
A month passed.
Cadis Fortress, assailed from both sides, fell in just fifteen days. That alone was an enormous achievement. Marquis Cadis fought to the bitter end and died on the battlefield.
Duke Balanos's army finally broke free of the Cadis canyon after those fifteen days and began advancing toward the Kairan royal capital. But it was far from easy.
Having rallied his remaining troops and received reinforcements of three thousand men, Adrian moved with terrifying speed, pressing the Krantz Empire hard. They made every effort to catch him — a man who had grown even sharper and more formidable since losing Muriel — but they only lost countless soldiers without ever laying a hand on him. His army appeared like guerrillas here and there, cutting down their enemies and vanishing. Because of Adrian, the march toward the Kairan royal capital inevitably slowed.
Deep in a forest near the capital, Adrian's army had secretly made camp and was taking a rare rest. They had fought countless battles over the past month, yet they had pressed the Krantz Empire without losing many troops. They still held three thousand men. The schedule had been grueling, but their morale was not bad. That was how good Adrian's leadership was.
He attacked the enemy by drawing every ounce of his strategy and martial skill, and he showed a leadership that truly cherished his men — so the soldiers followed him with genuine loyalty. The camp had been built in a place not easily found from the outside. Because he read the terrain with precision, they had been able to move undetected until now.
And now, for the first time in a long while, new guests arrived at that camp. Those new guests were none other than Duke Silvestri Crops. The duke had been less than cooperative throughout the war with the Krantz Empire, but with the Kairan Kingdom being conquered, even he could no longer sit idle.
"Welcome."
Adrian greeted not only Duke Crops but the influential nobles as well. He had already heard in advance why they had come. About ten nobles filed into the tent with their escort knights, and even though the tent was fairly large, it quickly grew crowded.
"Duke Adrian, you have endured much."
"Not at all. I am simply grateful that you have come to our aid, even now."
There was a barb in Adrian's words, but Duke Crops smiled without showing it.
"Gathering troops has been difficult for us as well. What would you have us do? We came, did we not — even if it is late."
"How many troops did you bring?"
Adrian could not spit on a smiling face, so he changed the subject. This was the most important part.
"Five thousand. We brought every last border garrison. The only troops left now are those defending the royal capital."
"Five thousand? That is truly fortunate. With that many, we should not fall easily."
"Your abilities are outstanding, Duke Adrian. I trust you will lead us well."
"Understood. I will make certain we win, as you have placed your faith in me."
"Tell me... have you been eating properly?"
At Duke Crops's question, Adrian gave an awkward smile. Moving in secret, they genuinely had not been eating well.
"Hahaha. I thought as much, so I brought some food."
Food and wine were carried into the tent. Adrian, who happened to be hungry, felt his mouth water.
"Is it all right if you drink?"
"Ah... yes. A little should be fine."
Adrian was not much of a drinker, but the wine Duke Crops had brought seemed quite fine — the aroma was excellent. And paired with roast turkey, it was a meal beyond compare.
"Come! Fill your glasses, everyone."
The nobles inside each poured wine into their glasses.
"To Duke Adrian's victory!!"
Crops led the toast, the nobles echoed it, and they drank. Adrian took a sip as well. Sweet and slightly bitter — it had a good taste. He had meant to take only a single sip, but it was so good he downed the whole glass. He had been that starved.
"Heh heh. This is stronger than it looks, you know. You handle it well."
"Ahaha... I suppose my throat was parched."
Duke Crops poured Adrian another glass. Adrian accepted the wine and this time tore into a turkey leg. Eating well and resting well were important too, so no one paid any mind to him devouring the meat. Delighted by the first real flesh he had had in so long, Adrian knocked back another drink.
Mmm... it really is strong.
After two glasses, the drunkenness was already rising. When he looked at Duke Crops, the man seemed to be wearing a faintly sly expression.
What is that look? Wait...?
The dizziness rushed in far too fast to be mere drunkenness.
"You... you despicable..."
Only then did Adrian grasp his condition. He tried to draw his sword, but his legs gave out and he collapsed.
"Heh heh heh. This is what you get for running around so recklessly. Do you have any idea how much the Kairan Kingdom has suffered because of you?"
"I... for my country..."
"By offering you up, the Kairan Kingdom will be able to live again."
As capturing Adrian grew increasingly difficult, Dong-hyun had secretly contacted Duke Crops and struck a deal: if they captured Adrian alive and handed him over, the army would withdraw as it stood. Even with more than six times the troops, they had failed to win easily — so they had resorted to a scheme. He had wanted to win fairly, but catching Adrian had not been easy. Thanks to this, however, Dong-hyun was able to seize him far more easily than expected.
With Duke Crops's last words, Adrian lost consciousness completely and collapsed. They bound his body in heavy iron chains and left the tent.
"By order of the King of Kairan, we have come to take the traitor Adrian into custody. Stand aside, all of you!"
The soldiers stared in bewilderment as Adrian was suddenly dragged out in bonds. The Phoenix Knights drew their swords and barred the nobles' path.
"How dare you! Do you defy His Majesty the King's command?!"
In Duke Crops's hand was a royal decree from King Pairenche.
By the command of His Majesty King Pairenche of Kairan, Duke Adrian is hereby declared a traitor to the crown.
All subjects of the realm are ordered to stand down and offer no resistance as he is taken into custody.
Any who defy this decree shall be judged as accomplices to treason.
And with the five thousand soldiers and knights Duke Crops had brought standing ready, the Phoenix Knights had no choice but to stand down.
And so Adrian fell into Dong-hyun's grasp.
Transported in secret, he was locked in the underground dungeon of the Krantz Empire's imperial capital.
Duke Adrian has died of wounds sustained in battle.
The merciful Emperor of the Krantz Empire, upon learning of this, has ordered the withdrawal of his armies.
They had struck a pact that was a win for both sides.
Blindfolded, gagged, and bound, Adrian had been hauled in a carriage for seven days, and his condition was worse than expected. They had given him only enough food and water to keep him alive.
In the damp, dark underground dungeon, he remained chained, his eyes and mouth still covered. To prevent suicide, they only ungagged him when they fed him. Adrian did not refuse the food and water. He ate. His iron will was fixed on escaping this place, and to do that he needed to keep his strength up.
Blindfolded and bound from the moment of his capture until now, the only sense Adrian could rely on was his hearing. From every direction came moans that did not quite sound human — sounds that seemed to stain the deepest parts of the heart with despair.
Would he end up like that too? Would someone come to save him? A thousand thoughts crowded his mind. But with the king and Duke Crops having betrayed him, there was no one left who might come to his rescue. Still less now, with Muriel and Marquis Cadis — the only ones who could have protected him — both gone. All he could do was pray that his mother and younger sister, left behind in his hometown, were safe.
Then, from far off, came the sound of footsteps. Those footsteps drew steadily closer, and sure enough, he heard the lock of his cell being opened.
Creeeeak...
Along with the groan of a rusted iron door swinging open came a man's voice.
That voice belonged to Emperor Ailes.