Chapter 38: Fifth Episode: Chapter 2 (2/2)
”Yes, I wasn’t able to imagine it too. I can only visualize a chaotic fight, but the reality must not be like that. The ones who were in chaos must be the Persians. According to the prisoner of war who told the story, their squad was being driven apart even before meeting the enemies. The Easterners, they had several hundred thousand people in a war lasting for several months before rounding up a similar amount of Persians in a small area to exterminate them. Hundreds of thousands of people! Can you imagine how they were decimated at once?”
Again, another round of head-shaking. These people were experts in crimes, not military tactics, but they know it wouldn’t be an easy thing to kill hundreds of thousands of people.
”Yeah! Even some in the Narcissus Knights couldn’t believe it until now, but I do after seeing the driver.”
”Why?” The King of Sins asked.
”We have gotten from a reliable source that the Persian general who conducted the war was betrayed by his ruler. The general entered Titan as a diplomatic envoy, but he was captured before arriving at Dulin. His followers were all hung dead, and we only knew he was locked in Damorga. If there was a Persian general in Damorga, that must be the commander of this war.”
”But… this doesn’t make sense!” Ricky felt a little confused. There were too many points he couldn’t connect.
”There’s nothing unreasonable about this. He’s a general who could command several hundred thousand people! Couldn’t you see the Persian ruler was killing with a borrowed sword*?” Kamille Rayen continued explaining.
”The general was a political sacrifice, from him, we were able to deduce why we could defend against the strong Persians.”
”Firstly, the Persians have a stronger enemy on the East border, so they focused their elites there. I think, the Persians were years behind the Easterners in military strategies. Just think, if the Easterners could organize hundreds of thousands of people participate in the war for half a year, that means they were able to utilize combat strategies no other people on this world can. At least, none of the Narcissus generals could take two hundred thousand men out to the battlefield at one go! People, this is the difference between them and us, the Easterners decimated several hundred thousand people, and we don’t even know how to organize a troop with several hundred thousand men!”
”Secondly, the political climate in the Persian Empire is very unstable. In the past fifty years, they had replaced dozens of their emperors, the segregation of political power was also very shaky, all the rich and powerful were able to hold an army themselves. They will fight against each other for all sorts of resources. Also, they weren’t willing to obey their rulers, and with the complication between the racial makeup of the Persians, they had never been peaceful despite them having the same religion.”
In conclusion, the Narcissus Knights were able to stay peaceful was solely because they were spread too thin between the internal fights and the threat from the East, they had no more power to invade the West.”
After all the talking, Kamille’s throat was parched. The other people were quiet after the whole spiel of the history.
”Kid!” The King of Sins yelled. ”After saying so much, I still don’t know what ‘Special Warfare’ means! What are you talking about?”
Kamille was a little embarrassed, ”Ah… ha! Right! Special Warfare! Ah, I’m… Haha, where was I?”
The people in the carriage looked at each other for a while before lurched together with their palms reaching at the paladin’s neck!
Kamille Rayen yelped! ”Hey! Wait! You… You need to let me explain some context…”
The red sun hung high in the Western sky even though it’s already late. The procession of horses and carriages sped up considerably since the afternoon and finally saw their destination before sundown, the East gate of Dulin, Fort Hanodt. It wasn’t a real city, in that sense, its tall wall and fortified towers made it look more like a fortress.
Fort Hanodt’s history was even longer than Dulin City, so this fortress make people feel like it’s really old. In name, it’s the Dulin’s Eastern gate, but it was a common knowledge that the Dulins Plain wouldn’t be able to defend the Dulin City against enemies, so this fortress wouldn’t be much of a defense.
Fort Hanodt was part of Titan’s first military district, the Fifth Corps was stationed here. It has two cavalry divisions, an infantry division, and an independent heavy infantry brigade. The corps was set up brilliantly, but the problem is that they have never been in a warzone. Troops that have never been to a battle cannot be counted as a real force, as combat power can only be measured with actual combat.
The commander of the Fifth Army Corps of Titan’s Military District One was Lieutenant General Dallas Bobbaston, but he always insist that people call him Count Dallas. He’d been stressing on the title to the Princess since they first met, but the Princess still called him Lieutenant General Bobbaston.
He gathered all the officers he could mobilize in front of the suspension bridge at the Western entrance of the fortress. As the first stop for Princess Alanis Alfa Morisette’s journey to the East, the lieutenant general wanted to leave a good impression in front of Her Royal Highness.
With similar intentions, all the administrative officers and nobles gathered behind the army, waving their arms at Her Royal Highness from afar.
Princess Alanis was entranced by the display. Even though she didn’t have the qualification for a parade, she enjoyed pretending that she had.
Lady Celia of House Andrew and the Young Lady was received well too. Lieutenant General Bobbaston has spent a whole day to rehearse his troops, asking them to show their best selves, at least, not to embarrass themselves in front of the Narcissus Knights.
Wait, something’s off, shouldn’t there be another person? Lieutenant General looked at Lady Duchess Andrew and Young Lady. Someone IS missing!
Oscar was woken up by the sudden opening of the carriage door, the boy jerked out his machete instinctively, and with a low hum, the machete wedged itself into the door frame.
Lieutenant General Bobbaston fell backward, landing on his bum, he was lucky he removed his arm in the nick of time!
Everyone was surprised by this turn of event! What happened?
Oscar rubbed his eyes and noticed a cape on him. He sniffed it and was happy to find it was Princess’, the cape’s full of her smell.
After that, Oscar saw the stunned people outside and noticed his machete on the door.
”Oh… Has the sun gone down?” The teen rubbed his nose, not to cover the awkwardness, but he genuinely want to know how long he had slept.
Everyone else and the lieutenant general nodded simultaneously, Oscar scanned at the people, only the Princess was grinning at him.
Fort Hanodt was first a fortress before a city. The cityside was not as developed Dulin, but the residences and the streets were still very detailed. Unlike Dulin city, the small city didn’t have tall buildings, every house was two to three stories with a tower-like attic.
Citizens of Fort Hanodt were used to decorate their balconies with flowers, in this season of blooming flowers, the whole Fort Hanodt looked like toy town with colorful decoration.
”Ola! How are you, my dear Reynold!” In the square in front city hall, the Prince saw Marshal Alan’s grandson.
Major General Reynold Hewitt Preston didn’t reciprocate the Prince’s attempt to hug, he performed a proper military salute instead. ”You Royal Highness, Major General Reynold Hewitt Preston reporting for duty!”
Oscar was a little abashed, but he knew the youth officer was just trying to show his respect. Oscar was the highest commander in this caravan, after all.
”Okay Reynold, we’ll need to take care of each other from now on, how are you the past few days?” Lady Celia reached out and pulled Reynold’s outstretched arm down.
”Thank you, milady! I have already sent a messenger, they will contact all the commanders in the places we will stop. Another thing, I have taken over a cavalry squadron assigned to His Royal Highness by my own accord, I will handover the troop afterward.”
Lady Duchess Andrew frowned slightly, she thought this young man was a little too trite.
”That’s fine! That’s your issue, Oscar. You have a new squadron of cavalrymen now.” Lady Celia pulled her son in front of her.
”Hehe, yes Mam. You wouldn’t want me to join the servants, would you?”
”What’s wrong with the servants?” The Young Lady approached them.
”Hehe, ask Annie. She’s a prodigy when it comes to packing, but I’m guessing the servants are fuming at her right now!” Oscar laughed out loud, but immediately whimpered as Countess Antonia Horman pinched at a softer part of his back.
”Your Royal Highness, let’s enter! I have prepared a feast for your arrival.” Seeing no one wanted to solve this problem for the Prince, Lieutenant General Bobbaston stepped up.
”Ow… haha! Lieutenant General, your feast comes… at the… right time!” Oscar felt Annie strengthening her twist.
A feast! A feast with dishes of every color, ladies with pearl necklaces and diamond rings, musicians with tuxedos, the pope with his big, red robe, scholars who had nothing to do but worrying about the country, as well as less-educated nobles who pretend to be know-it-alls.
Oscar didn’t like those, same as Princess Alanis, the teen was almost convinced the Princess had regretted her decision tonight. He snickered as he watched a group of noble boys surrounded her like guinea pigs in heat. If it wasn’t for her trying to distance from him, she may have avoided this situation.
Alanis noticed Oscar’s malicious smirk. She’s at the edge of her fury, why don’t these pests go elsewhere? The Princess shot the Prince an angry look, but the Prince didn’t give her the chance to be angry, he slipped away with the cover of a crowd.
”The Music Godfather, Gru Goolean’s First Kiss. Is that fine? You can do it?” The Prince stared at the music conductor in excitement.
The conductor nodded, First Kiss is for people who are madly in love, after all. ”Your Royal Highness, no problem, we can do it.”
”Wait for my signal.” Oscar handed the conductor a Golden Ti.
”Mam Celia, have you seen Annie?”
”No, I haven’t. She must be together with Sasha.”
”Sasha, have you seen Annie?”
”No, why?”
Oscar stood at a loss in the middle of the hall, happy people fluttered by him like phantoms, the teen snapped his finger, and the passionate First Kiss started to play.
Annie stood in a corner of the hallway. She was slightly worn out, but the music reminded her of the pleasant memories. The countess hummed along with the music, not knowing a person was looking for her silhouette in desperation.
Translator’s Notes:
1. To kill with a borrowed sword came from the ancient Chinese essay Thirty-Six Stratagems. It described a strategy to ”Attack using the strength of another (in a situation where using one's own strength is not favourable). Trick an ally into attacking him, bribe an official to turn traitor, or use the enemy's own strength against him. The idea here is to cause damage to the enemy by getting a third party to do the deed.”