Chapter 80
The Magritte army, now a whopping 60,000 strong with 15,000 additional troops, immediately marched toward the fortress Helmut held.
“Hang in there.”
Otto encouraged Helmut before leaving the fortress.
“The Marquis’s army will be enough to stop the enemy’s offensive, so don’t worry too much.”
“I’m not worried.”
Helmut smiled, even though he was facing an army ten times his size.
It was the smile of a person who was not afraid of death as well as battle.
“I am confident of holding them at bay. The king’s minions are a ragtag bunch. They may be numerous, but they are no match for our knights and soldiers.”
“Is that so?”
“They may be trained and disciplined, but at the end of the day, they are still rookies with no real experience in combat. At best, they’ve slain monsters, but not us. Even the lowest ranking soldiers are veterans of many battles, and we are not afraid.”
The words were true.
With Helmut keeping the nomads of the Khabar Steppes at bay here on the border, the Magritte army’s experience in combat was minimal.
“Besides, didn’t you tell us the secret of this fortress? The power of the holy relic will help our forces, so we’ll be able to hold out. I’m confident of that.”
“Yes, I trust you.”
“I’ll be counting on you, so take care.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“By the way, I’m very bitter.”
“What?”
“It’s because of the blood shed by our family, our knights, and our soldiers that the Magritte Kingdom has enjoyed peace for the past 250 years, and this is the price of our loyalty….”
“Haha….”
“Looks like it’s not easy to be loyal. I thought it would be enough to just be loyal to the monarch, and furthermore, to be loyal to the people.”
“Such is politics, such is power.”
Otto said with a grimace.
“Because it makes the monarch suspect and kill even the most capable, loyal, and essential subjects.”
“It’s an ironic reality, isn’t it? When a monarch trusts his subjects, they rebel. If the subjects trust the ruler, the ruler gets rid of them.”
“Isn’t that the way it is with humans, that those close to us hurt each other?”
“You’re right a hundred times over.”
“Let’s put all that aside for now and focus on revenge.”
“You’re right, too.”
“I’ll see you in a week, and then….”
Otto turned on his heel and grinned at Helmut.
“I’ll be there, not with a hostage or a threat, but with two hands full of gifts.”
“I shall look forward to it.”
“You can look forward to it.”
With those words, Otto immediately left Helmut’s fortress and headed west toward the capital of the Magritte Kingdom.
“Otto de Scuderia… King of Lota… If that’s the man….”
Helmut looked at Otto’s back as he walked away and tried to say something, but then shut his mouth.
As Otto had said, now was the time to prepare for the upcoming battle, not for idle thoughts….
* * *
Meanwhile, Togril, supported by Helmut’s 2,000 troops, raised a massive army of 25,000 men and launched a full-scale offensive to put an end to the Kongurat once and for all.
He knew all too well that if he remained passive, the damage would only pile up.
“Brother, what should I do?”
Amukhan asked, turning to Kairos for advice.
“We can’t beat them head-on.”
At this point, the Kongurat had suffered so much damage while Amukhan was away that they didn’t have the military strength to fight a large-scale all-out war against the Kerrates.
But Kairos didn’t seem to care about Amukhan’s desperation as he continued to do push-ups.
“Brother, please, I beg you, what can I do… Kwak!”
Amukhan was knocked off his feet by a surprise kick.
“How dare you interfere with my physical training?”
“Bro-brother!”
“I thought you were a real tough guy, but you’re just a wimp for all your size.”
“That’s not true….”
“No, of course not! A real man should be at ease in any situation! Who would trust and follow you if the chief was so fidgety?” he said.
“Vathor was a manly man, even for Jim. Your descendant whimpered like a puppy at the sight of shit. How can you call yourself a descendant of Vathor?”
“Brother, I don’t mind the other stuff, but I don’t like that lie….”
Then.
“Here.”
Camille sneaked up and held out a cloth rag to Amukhan.
“Hey, why are you giving me this?”
“I thought you might need it.”
With that, Camille left the tent and spoke to the warriors standing guard.
“Take a break for about half an hour.”
“Ah, yes.”
After the guards left.
“Kweh-eh-eh-eh-eh!”
“Do you dare to call me a liar?”
“Ahh! Bro-brother! Aaaagh!”
“I’ll chop you up nice and fine!”
“Ugh!”
For exactly half an hour, Amukhan was beaten to the point of death by Kairos.
“Bro, brother… now that you’re loosened up… I’d like some advice… please….”
Amukhan asked Kairos for advice, even in his broken state.
“At this rate, our tribe is doomed….”
“What the hell is the crisis? Why is your tribe doomed?”
“There are too many enemies… No matter how well we fight, there’s nothing we can do about it….”
The reason why Amukhan was so desperate for advice was due to the terrain of the Haver Prairie.
The terrain is very flat and vast.
This made it nearly impossible to win a battle with a large troop disparity.
There were few strategic points of terrain to gain an advantage.
The low density of the soil and the lack of large stones made it difficult to build and fortify castles.
For this reason, siege tactics were practically non-existent on the Hebridean plains.
There were very simple tactics, such as using the quick mobility of cavalry to gain advantage in small skirmishes, or sweeping the enemy away in one sweeping movement.
This was the complete opposite of Helmut’s ability to take on large armies with a small force.
“You stupid, foolish bastard. If you don’t think you’re going to win a fight, you run away. If I had your size, I would have packed up and left in the nick of time.”
“You’re telling me to run away instead of fighting them?”
“If you don’t like that, you can go fuck yourself.”
“Not that… If I ran away like you said, I might be able to save my life for now, but….”
“That’s enough, what more do you want?”
“Brother, the reason people don’t run away and fight to the death is to defend their lives. Even if running away prolongs one’s life for a while, a person will eventually die without a place to live.”
“You know that well?”
“This place, Ulaanbaatar, may be just a desolate, unimportant place in your continental eyes, but to my tribe it’s precious… Ackk!”
This time, Amukhan took a beating and walked away.
“If you run away, will this place, Ulaanbaatar, cease to exist?”
“Like…?”
Amukhan’s eyes narrowed as he grasped his chin.
“I mean, will Ulaanbaatar disappear if you leave for a while?”
“Well, no.”
“Sure, the Kerrates might get a little carried away and set it on fire, but that’s highly unlikely. They need this place, too, and they’re going to get it. How many idiots are there in the world who would shed blood in a war for nothing?”
“……!”
“Yeah, let’s say we give in a hundred times and they trash the place and burn it to the ground. What difference does it make? We’ll just put up a new tent and build a house. Isn’t that your specialty?”
“Huh!”
Amukhan gulped at Kairos’s point.
He was a nomad.
A people who practiced pastoralism by roaming the Prairie from place to place.
It was their way of life to make their home anywhere in the world, as long as there was water to drink and grass for their animals to graze.
In other words, Kairos reminded Amukhan of his nomadic roots, which gives him a sense of identity.
“Think of Ulaanbaatar as a temporary loan, have the tribesmen pack up some water and dried jerky and stuff, and get on the road now. There’s a mountain nearby, isn’t there?”
“That, yes.”
‘We’ll survive a few days in the mountains, and then he’ll take care of the rest.'”
“Oh!”
Hope dawned on Amukhan’s face.
He had feared that they would be wiped out in a massive all-out assault by the Kerrates, but after hearing Kairos’ advice, he realized that it would be no big deal.
* * *
Late Night
The Kongurat tribe was immediately evacuated.
The evacuation was not limited to men, women, and children.
The tribesmen were very nervous about leaving their homes, tents, livestock, and all their possessions in Ulaanbaatar.
They couldn’t understand the idea of fleeing to the mountains with only water to drink and dried meat to eat.
“Don’t worry, everyone! It’s a strategy! Believe me, we will take back Ulaanbaatar in ten days at the latest, and then we will wipe out all of the Kerrates and claim supremacy over the Khabar Steppes!”
Amukhan personally led the evacuation procession, using airlift checks to calm the nervous tribesmen.
“I’m going on a special ops mission, so grab your tribesmen and run.”
“I’m coming!
“You fool!
“What…?
“You think you can go out to fight without leading your people?” Kairos questioned Amukhan when he wanted to come along.
‘……!’
“If you’re a chieftain, you’re supposed to be right by your people’s side so that they don’t become restless and agitated.”, pointed out by Kairos
“Ah!”, exclaimed Amukhan
“It’s not like there won’t be any battles if you run off into the mountains, so take your warriors with you and protect the tribesmen.
“Yes, brother!
Amukhan had learned the virtues of a true chieftain from Kairos.
As the former emperor of a third of the continent, Kairos understood leadership better than anyone.
Whether you’re a chieftain, a monarch, or a village mayor, Kairos’s teachings are the essence of leadership.
‘Although you have lost your status as a chieftain and have become a subordinate of my lord, you are still a commander who must lead his horsemen into battle. You must take my teachings to heart and put them into practice.’ Kairos thought while looking at Amukhan and his Kongurat Tribe preparing to leave Ulaanbaatar.
Thus, Amukhan grew in spirit through Kairos’ advice and became a true leader.
He gained an understanding of what it means to be a true leader, not the nomadic style of leadership that emphasizes violence and pressure.
* * *
The army of the Kingdom of Lota marched at a fearsome pace, moving rapidly northward.
Their marching speed was many times faster than the average army.
These elite soldiers had been raised by the legendary instructor Spooner through intense training and physical fitness, so their mobility was immense.
*Chuck! Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!*
The Lota Kingdom troops, marching at such a tremendous speed, suddenly stopped in their tracks.
In unison, they dropped to one knee and shouted in a thunderous voice.
“Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty!”
Where the soldiers of the Kingdom of Lota knelt.
There stood their king, Otto de Scuderia, mounted on a huge horse, looking down on the Lota Kingdom troops.
The five magical swordsmen.
And with Helmut’s daughter, Elise.
“As of this time, the army will be under my direct command as King.”
Otto commanded the Lota Kingdom Army.
“Lota Kingdom Army.”
“Yes!”
“Advance on the capital of the Magritte Kingdom.”
15,000 Lota Kingdom troops.
Chuck! Chuck! Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!
The halted troops began to move again.
The Lota Kingdom army joined Otto.
Advancing toward the capital of the Magritte Kingdom.
Chapter 80
The Magritte army, now a whopping 60,000 strong with 15,000 additional troops, immediately marched toward the fortress Helmut held.
“Hang in there.”
Otto encouraged Helmut before leaving the fortress.
“The Marquis’s army will be enough to stop the enemy’s offensive, so don’t worry too much.”
“I’m not worried.”
Helmut smiled, even though he was facing an army ten times his size.
It was the smile of a person who was not afraid of death as well as battle.
“I am confident of holding them at bay. The king’s minions are a ragtag bunch. They may be numerous, but they are no match for our knights and soldiers.”
“Is that so?”
“They may be trained and disciplined, but at the end of the day, they are still rookies with no real experience in combat. At best, they’ve slain monsters, but not us. Even the lowest ranking soldiers are veterans of many battles, and we are not afraid.”
The words were true.
With Helmut keeping the nomads of the Khabar Steppes at bay here on the border, the Magritte army’s experience in combat was minimal.
“Besides, didn’t you tell us the secret of this fortress? The power of the holy relic will help our forces, so we’ll be able to hold out. I’m confident of that.”
“Yes, I trust you.”
“I’ll be counting on you, so take care.”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“By the way, I’m very bitter.”
“What?”
“It’s because of the blood shed by our family, our knights, and our soldiers that the Magritte Kingdom has enjoyed peace for the past 250 years, and this is the price of our loyalty….”
“Haha….”
“Looks like it’s not easy to be loyal. I thought it would be enough to just be loyal to the monarch, and furthermore, to be loyal to the people.”
“Such is politics, such is power.”
Otto said with a grimace.
“Because it makes the monarch suspect and kill even the most capable, loyal, and essential subjects.”
“It’s an ironic reality, isn’t it? When a monarch trusts his subjects, they rebel. If the subjects trust the ruler, the ruler gets rid of them.”
“Isn’t that the way it is with humans, that those close to us hurt each other?”
“You’re right a hundred times over.”
“Let’s put all that aside for now and focus on revenge.”
“You’re right, too.”
“I’ll see you in a week, and then….”
Otto turned on his heel and grinned at Helmut.
“I’ll be there, not with a hostage or a threat, but with two hands full of gifts.”
“I shall look forward to it.”
“You can look forward to it.”
With those words, Otto immediately left Helmut’s fortress and headed west toward the capital of the Magritte Kingdom.
“Otto de Scuderia… King of Lota… If that’s the man….”
Helmut looked at Otto’s back as he walked away and tried to say something, but then shut his mouth.
As Otto had said, now was the time to prepare for the upcoming battle, not for idle thoughts….
* * *
Meanwhile, Togril, supported by Helmut’s 2,000 troops, raised a massive army of 25,000 men and launched a full-scale offensive to put an end to the Kongurat once and for all.
He knew all too well that if he remained passive, the damage would only pile up.
“Brother, what should I do?”
Amukhan asked, turning to Kairos for advice.
“We can’t beat them head-on.”
At this point, the Kongurat had suffered so much damage while Amukhan was away that they didn’t have the military strength to fight a large-scale all-out war against the Kerrates.
But Kairos didn’t seem to care about Amukhan’s desperation as he continued to do push-ups.
“Brother, please, I beg you, what can I do… Kwak!”
Amukhan was knocked off his feet by a surprise kick.
“How dare you interfere with my physical training?”
“Bro-brother!”
“I thought you were a real tough guy, but you’re just a wimp for all your size.”
“That’s not true….”
“No, of course not! A real man should be at ease in any situation! Who would trust and follow you if the chief was so fidgety?” he said.
“Vathor was a manly man, even for Jim. Your descendant whimpered like a puppy at the sight of shit. How can you call yourself a descendant of Vathor?”
“Brother, I don’t mind the other stuff, but I don’t like that lie….”
Then.
“Here.”
Camille sneaked up and held out a cloth rag to Amukhan.
“Hey, why are you giving me this?”
“I thought you might need it.”
With that, Camille left the tent and spoke to the warriors standing guard.
“Take a break for about half an hour.”
“Ah, yes.”
After the guards left.
“Kweh-eh-eh-eh-eh!”
“Do you dare to call me a liar?”
“Ahh! Bro-brother! Aaaagh!”
“I’ll chop you up nice and fine!”
“Ugh!”
For exactly half an hour, Amukhan was beaten to the point of death by Kairos.
“Bro, brother… now that you’re loosened up… I’d like some advice… please….”
Amukhan asked Kairos for advice, even in his broken state.
“At this rate, our tribe is doomed….”
“What the hell is the crisis? Why is your tribe doomed?”
“There are too many enemies… No matter how well we fight, there’s nothing we can do about it….”
The reason why Amukhan was so desperate for advice was due to the terrain of the Haver Prairie.
The terrain is very flat and vast.
This made it nearly impossible to win a battle with a large troop disparity.
There were few strategic points of terrain to gain an advantage.
The low density of the soil and the lack of large stones made it difficult to build and fortify castles.
For this reason, siege tactics were practically non-existent on the Hebridean plains.
There were very simple tactics, such as using the quick mobility of cavalry to gain advantage in small skirmishes, or sweeping the enemy away in one sweeping movement.
This was the complete opposite of Helmut’s ability to take on large armies with a small force.
“You stupid, foolish bastard. If you don’t think you’re going to win a fight, you run away. If I had your size, I would have packed up and left in the nick of time.”
“You’re telling me to run away instead of fighting them?”
“If you don’t like that, you can go fuck yourself.”
“Not that… If I ran away like you said, I might be able to save my life for now, but….”
“That’s enough, what more do you want?”
“Brother, the reason people don’t run away and fight to the death is to defend their lives. Even if running away prolongs one’s life for a while, a person will eventually die without a place to live.”
“You know that well?”
“This place, Ulaanbaatar, may be just a desolate, unimportant place in your continental eyes, but to my tribe it’s precious… Ackk!”
This time, Amukhan took a beating and walked away.
“If you run away, will this place, Ulaanbaatar, cease to exist?”
“Like…?”
Amukhan’s eyes narrowed as he grasped his chin.
“I mean, will Ulaanbaatar disappear if you leave for a while?”
“Well, no.”
“Sure, the Kerrates might get a little carried away and set it on fire, but that’s highly unlikely. They need this place, too, and they’re going to get it. How many idiots are there in the world who would shed blood in a war for nothing?”
“……!”
“Yeah, let’s say we give in a hundred times and they trash the place and burn it to the ground. What difference does it make? We’ll just put up a new tent and build a house. Isn’t that your specialty?”
“Huh!”
Amukhan gulped at Kairos’s point.
He was a nomad.
A people who practiced pastoralism by roaming the Prairie from place to place.
It was their way of life to make their home anywhere in the world, as long as there was water to drink and grass for their animals to graze.
In other words, Kairos reminded Amukhan of his nomadic roots, which gives him a sense of identity.
“Think of Ulaanbaatar as a temporary loan, have the tribesmen pack up some water and dried jerky and stuff, and get on the road now. There’s a mountain nearby, isn’t there?”
“That, yes.”
‘We’ll survive a few days in the mountains, and then he’ll take care of the rest.'”
“Oh!”
Hope dawned on Amukhan’s face.
He had feared that they would be wiped out in a massive all-out assault by the Kerrates, but after hearing Kairos’ advice, he realized that it would be no big deal.
* * *
Late Night
The Kongurat tribe was immediately evacuated.
The evacuation was not limited to men, women, and children.
The tribesmen were very nervous about leaving their homes, tents, livestock, and all their possessions in Ulaanbaatar.
They couldn’t understand the idea of fleeing to the mountains with only water to drink and dried meat to eat.
“Don’t worry, everyone! It’s a strategy! Believe me, we will take back Ulaanbaatar in ten days at the latest, and then we will wipe out all of the Kerrates and claim supremacy over the Khabar Steppes!”
Amukhan personally led the evacuation procession, using airlift checks to calm the nervous tribesmen.
“I’m going on a special ops mission, so grab your tribesmen and run.”
“I’m coming!
“You fool!
“What…?
“You think you can go out to fight without leading your people?” Kairos questioned Amukhan when he wanted to come along.
‘……!’
“If you’re a chieftain, you’re supposed to be right by your people’s side so that they don’t become restless and agitated.”, pointed out by Kairos
“Ah!”, exclaimed Amukhan
“It’s not like there won’t be any battles if you run off into the mountains, so take your warriors with you and protect the tribesmen.
“Yes, brother!
Amukhan had learned the virtues of a true chieftain from Kairos.
As the former emperor of a third of the continent, Kairos understood leadership better than anyone.
Whether you’re a chieftain, a monarch, or a village mayor, Kairos’s teachings are the essence of leadership.
‘Although you have lost your status as a chieftain and have become a subordinate of my lord, you are still a commander who must lead his horsemen into battle. You must take my teachings to heart and put them into practice.’ Kairos thought while looking at Amukhan and his Kongurat Tribe preparing to leave Ulaanbaatar.
Thus, Amukhan grew in spirit through Kairos’ advice and became a true leader.
He gained an understanding of what it means to be a true leader, not the nomadic style of leadership that emphasizes violence and pressure.
* * *
The army of the Kingdom of Lota marched at a fearsome pace, moving rapidly northward.
Their marching speed was many times faster than the average army.
These elite soldiers had been raised by the legendary instructor Spooner through intense training and physical fitness, so their mobility was immense.
*Chuck! Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!*
The Lota Kingdom troops, marching at such a tremendous speed, suddenly stopped in their tracks.
In unison, they dropped to one knee and shouted in a thunderous voice.
“Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty!”
Where the soldiers of the Kingdom of Lota knelt.
There stood their king, Otto de Scuderia, mounted on a huge horse, looking down on the Lota Kingdom troops.
The five magical swordsmen.
And with Helmut’s daughter, Elise.
“As of this time, the army will be under my direct command as King.”
Otto commanded the Lota Kingdom Army.
“Lota Kingdom Army.”
“Yes!”
“Advance on the capital of the Magritte Kingdom.”
15,000 Lota Kingdom troops.
Chuck! Chuck! Chuck! Chuck! Chuck!
The halted troops began to move again.
The Lota Kingdom army joined Otto.
Advancing toward the capital of the Magritte Kingdom.
