194 Breaking the Siege (2/2)
”Really, I was quite surprised when I received the letter from King Corcopaca. I though it would be another threat from King Pachacutec instead.” His voice sounded relieved.
”He prefers Corco, actually.” Dedrick glanced to the man beside him. ”He keeps scolding people who call him by his full name, or anyone who's too formal.”
”Is that so? This lord thanks Official Dedrick for his advice.”
The lord's deep bow, together with his strained tone, made it clear that he had a long way to go if he wanted to be as uncultured as his new king. Dedrick just waved Makipura's thanks away.
”Don't mention it. Plus, I'm not an 'official' anything. If you have to give me a title, like you people seem so eager to do, just call me commander or something.”
”I will take it to heart.”
For a while longer, they listened in silence as the sounds of battle ceased in the west. Now, only the southern wall stood strong.
”Honestly, it was a bit of a surprise when you agreed to our offer so quickly.” Dedrick had only tried to make casual conversation, but for some reason, Makipura took it as an excuse to open up his heart.
”In fact, I was quite offended when I first read King Corco's letter. House Makipura does not raise turncoats, I thought. However, over the following days, the true extent of the damage done to my lands by King Pachacutec and his men became apparent. I have also seen the attitude of the king's men who remained here. Even though they were in the minority, they treated my lands like their own. Backed by a king's authority, they would take whatever they wanted and had no care for the honor of our estate. They would not even respect me, the nominal lord of the land, though I have done so much for their master over the past months.”
”Uh-huh,” Dedrick muttered to shorten the conversation, but somehow, the lord was still going.
”Even more, I predicted King Corco's victory a long time ago. You may not be aware of all the infighting within King Pachacutec's side, but I was present for all of it. They are stories of remarkable pettiness, vanity and greed. The repeated defeats of the central army also did much to convince me that it was time to switch sides. In the end, it was the king's disrespectful behavior towards his own lords that was the deciding factor.”
”Must have sucked, huh?” Dedrick wanted to leave it at that, but decided to add a bit, lest the lord continue talking. ”Well, if there's one thing Corco is good at, it's making his allies feel good about themselves, so you won't have to worry about disrespect, I don't think.”
”So long as the king keeps to his promises, I will have no complaints. Remember, I will retain full autonomy of my estate, and be granted the exact same treatment his southern lords have received. I simply want to become another lord under administration of the southern kingdom, with all the rights entailed in the status. That includes access to the rumored new miracle fodder that made your grains grow like weeds. I also require some additional support on grain and finances to get my lands back in order after this war's devastation, and the king has to promise that he won't recruit any more of my commoners into his own territory. I will not let those mighty kings bleed off any more of my workforce.”
”Done, done,” an exacerbated Dedrick replied. Just like his new king, this guy was haggling like a merchant. They would make for a good pair in the future. ”Really, don't worry about it. You will get everything you asked for once the war is over. It will only take a few more days anyways, so you won't have to wait for long.”
”You better keep your word.” All this time, the lord had appeared friendly and harmless. Yet from one moment to another, his voice took on a dark, threatening tone. ”Even weakened, House Makipura is not to be trifled with. If King Corco fails to fulfill his commitments, we will go down in a blaze of glory and leave only ashes behind. If he dares cross me, your king will get nothing out of his deal.”
”Sheesh, looks like Pacha's been pretty harsh on you, huh?” Dedrick smirked. He really didn't care what this lord thought about his new master. ”I'll tell Corco to be extra serious... and he'll tell me about the benefit of harmonious long-term economic relations again.”
Even though he was just unimpressed before, now the mercenary's face looked as if he had bitten into a lemon. ”On second thought, you should tell him yourself. He's probably gonna host another fifty banquets and festivals this year, so there's plenty of chances for you to get lectured.”
While they were talking, the sounds of battle all around the camp had died down bit by bit. By now, the entire encampment was purged of Pacha's troops. With this, Dedrick had part one of his orders done. Now, he just had to lead this army west and reinforce Corco's efforts on the front line.
However, just as he was about to excuse himself from the paranoid Lord Makipura to count up their casualties and plan their future route, one of his messengers marched towards him.
”Boss, I know we shouldn't interrupt...”
”Then why are you doing it?” He grinned in response to the shocked reaction from his messenger. ”It's a joke. Lighten up. What do you have for me?”
”An emergency message came from the north.”
A frowning Dedrick snatched the held-out letter and unfolded it. He was greeted by Corco's strange-looking characters. Although he didn't really understand what the point of these new symbols was, at least they didn't have to use a special code for military messages. No one besides their own people would be able to read the letters even if they were intercepted. Thus, he could read the words without any trouble, though the content didn't fill him with joy.
”Well, damn. Seems like we'll have to make a little detour before we join up with Corco.”
”Where are we going, boss?”
”We're hunting for mountain giants!” he grinned as he ripped up the paper in his hands.