404 Ruthless Part 2 (1/2)
”Aini, don't shake your head. If one-hundred of your most trusted subordinates were killed, what would you do?” Saleen rebutted when he saw Aini looking indignant.
”This is a battlefield, deaths are bound to happen.”
Without any change in expression, Saleen said, ”Even though the age of cavaliers has passed, I am willing to pay the ransom if they have imprisoned those swordsmen. They have massacred my men, every single one of them. Am I still supposed to do a cost and benefit analysis? They have to pay the price, no one shall even think of staying alive.”
Saleen went to look at the bodies personally. Many of these swordsmen did not resist. They had obviously surrendered, yet they still got killed. This was something which Saleen could not tolerate.
Saleen had given an order to these swordsmen in the past. ”If the enemy is too strong, and there is no chance for escape, then lay down your weapons.” In Qin, no one would kill their prisoners of war, because the prisoners of war were akin to their first pot of gold. Before the end of a war, these prisoners could act as free labor. Even after the war ended, it was not guaranteed that the prisoners would be freed. There was a high chance that they would be absorbed into a new family, where they would become the subordinates of a new noble.
As for the swordsmen who were skillful, they would be sent into the army to execute dangerous assignments. It was precisely because of Saleen's order that the swordsmen did not put up a fight. They were killed by the enemy, because of that, Saleen's rage could not be appeased.
Slaughtering a person who did not put up any resistance was a practice despised by the Qin people. Even the people of Tanggulasi would not do such a thing. At most, they would send the prisoners to the Holy See, so that the Holy See could reform the prisoners. As for the method of reform, it was very malleable.
Ever since Saleen picked up magic, he had killed a number of enemies. He did not like doing so. If it was not out of desperation, he would not have taken other people's lives. Even though a mage enjoyed prestige, they were also commoners to begin with. Even a death mage would not kill others just for pleasure's sake.
Saleen's own subordinates were slaughtered just like animals.
Saleen's impression of the people from the island states of the eastern sea was very negative at the moment. Since the prisoners who were captured by Kredian had died, he did not have the chance to ask more questions. How did these people arrive at his city? If they said that Saleen's city was their ambition, then it would be totally implausible. Saleen's city was located very far north and the current season was unsuitable for staging an invasion. That being said, the enemy's armed merchant ships were filled with infantrymen. They were definitely not out for vacation, they had a destination in mind.
Were they going to attack Lianyun City? It seemed that this fleet was slightly weak. Even though Lianyun City was unlike Alchemy City, it was also a massive harbor city in the north of the empire. Alchemy City had dominated ninety percent of commerce from the Cloudflow people, while the other ten percent was taken by the Lianyun City. This ten percent represented a colossal wealth, it would be sufficient for the owner of Lianyun City to support an elite army.
Saleen's calculations were right. This twenty boat fleet would not be able to conquer Lianyun City. He would never imagine that the twenty kingdoms in the eastern sea had gathered many other smaller states to form such a massive fleet in order to conquer the Myers mainland. To achieve this agenda, the island states in the eastern sea had been planning for the longest time ever. Fredrick, who was killed by Saleen, was in fact gathering intelligence from the Myers mainland.
At that point in time, Saleen was still inexperienced, so he did not try to understand what Fredrick's intentions were. He would otherwise have learned of this matter long ago. Lex had thought of this issue before. The island states in the eastern sea were simply too far from the Myers mainland, so she did not think that a war would occur between them.
”Sir Saleen, the enemy has sent an envoy.”
”I don't want to meet him.”
”That man won't budge.”
”Then kill him,” Saleen replied decisively.
”Okay.” The swordsman who was the messenger turned and left. Before long, screams could be heard from the square outside. This swordsman was also filled with hatred. When Saleen allowed him to kill the envoy, he chopped off the limbs first, followed by slicing the head off.
This swordsman had come from the Sregl Island, and Sregl Island was not a huge place. Of those swordsmen who had died on the island, some of them were his good friends.
”Why won't you hear what they have to say?” Irene, who was standing by his side, was perplexed.
”The enemies are in my hands now, there's no need to discuss. They have lost the warships. Without any resupply of food and weapons, they have zero chance of reversing the situation. They are either trying to surrender, or to assassinate me. No matter what it is, I am not going to accept it.”
”Sir, we have found this!” The swordsman who was in charge of the execution delivered an item over. Saleen received it, this item was a magic canister. A grade-7 magic nucleus was mosaicked into one end of the magic canister. Cautiously, Saleen removed the magic nucleus and gave it to Aini.
Aini inspected it, and in an astounded manner, he called out, ”It was really for an assassination! This item can release a level-7 spell!”
The magic canister was a suicidal magic equipment, and there were no grade requirements for it. After usage, it would explode. There were dozens of magic nuclei concealed inside, and when they were stimulated, the power unleashed was equivalent to that of level-7 spell. It was not easy to fool Saleen and Aini. Even if the envoy was allowed entry into the temple, this thing would have also been discovered.