Inside the spacious command tent, everyone listened as
"The situation in the Northland right now is like this: Duke
Everyone in the tent burst out laughing.
Lorist chuckled as well. "We've already made contact with Knight Josk, who's holding Rock Fortress. He says there's no need to worry about that rabble — they could be given another hundred years and still wouldn't take Rock Fortress. He was very glad to hear that our convoy has reached the Northland and is looking forward to seeing everyone again soon."
"We're currently in the western part of the Northland. From here, riding hard, it would take five days to reach Rock Fortress. On foot, I'd estimate more generously — given the logistics of transporting so many supplies and the marching speed of the refugees, it would take over a month. I've decided to first take this location..." Lorist tapped a spot on the map with his small wooden pointer. "Count Spenser's domain. It's only a day and a half's ride from Rock Fortress, making it perfect as our logistics hub and forward base."
"I'm quite puzzled about what madness has seized Count Spenser this time. He and our family have been neighbors for nearly a century — the relationship hasn't been great, but there has always been some contact and basic courtesy maintained. I really can't understand why he so enthusiastically answered Duke Lukins's summons and was the first to lead his family forces to attack our Rock Fortress. I wonder if he drank some foul potion..."
Lorist scratched his head. "Forget it, I don't care to find reasons. Since he's determined to make an enemy of our Norton Family, he'd better be prepared for our retaliation. I've already ordered
Bodenfing stood up. "My lord, awaiting your orders."
"Depart shortly. Take your heavy infantry legion and travel by carriage to Count Spenser's domain to take over the castle and assume responsibility for the garrison camp's defense preparations. The convoy's supplies and the refugees will all head toward your position. You'll be responsible for the security and patrol of the entire main camp."
"Yes, my lord."
"Felia, Malek — your garrison legion will be responsible for the defense and vigilance of this route. Telman's knight corps will serve as the mobile force to handle any unexpected situations along the way. In case of anything, Felia takes primary command, with Malek and Telman as deputies. Understood?"
"Yes, my lord. We understand."
Felia, Malek, and Telman stood up.
Lorist continued issuing orders: "The main camp here will be under Shrade's coordination for supply and personnel transport. Security will be handled by the guard battalion. Dolles's chariot squad, Pete's mounted archer squadron, and Rose's three iron-armored lance cavalry battalions will all be under my command. We will sweep through the southern region and turn that so-called precious heartland of the Grand Duke into a wasteland. Let him understand the consequences of offending our Norton Family. Finally, we will regroup at Count Spenser's domain and give those fools who tried to take our Rock Fortress a nasty surprise — let them taste the might of our family's armed forces…"
"Pete, you will lead the mounted archer squadron to seal off the area from Bin Mountain to the Somme River. Don't let news of our southern raid reach the enemy camp outside Rock Fortress. I will order Yuri's scout light cavalry to support your operation."
"Yes, my lord."
"Rose, you will take two iron-armored lance cavalry battalions straight to here — the Hendley Ford Bridge checkpoint and
"As you command, my lord. I won't let you down." The fierce tiger Rose stood to answer.
"The remaining iron-armored lance cavalry battalion and the chariot squad will be under my direct command, along with a small guard detail. From here we will begin our attack on the Grand Duke's southern domain. We're going to strip that so-called Grand Duke's domain bare. The principle is this: wealth, grain, weapons and equipment, carts, Northland horses, cattle, sheep and other livestock, farmers, craftsmen and artisans — we take them all. Nobles have their wealth confiscated. As for merchant goods, we'll requisition them at half price. Shrade, you also need to prepare a convoy to haul away our war spoils." Lorist was planning to strip the Grand Duke's domain of everything it had.
"My Lord, wait—you seem to have forgotten that there is still an army of Duke Lukins stationed here. I find it a bit strange. Why would this five-thousand-strong Northland Legion unit be garrisoned in a manor castle right on the border of the Grand Duke's domain? Look at the other two manor castles and seven towns in the Grand Duke's territory; they each only have a squad of the Northland Legion, and even his capital now only has a single squadron left for defense and security. Is there some kind of scheme behind Duke Lukins placing this army here?"
"Their commander is Golden Knight Hennerd. You all know he was once captured by me. Duke Lukins went mad because they hadn't transported the spoils seized after sacking Northfield Town back first, and he blamed Hennerd and Chevani for the defeat. Although Knight Chevani has died in battle, the Grand Duke still confiscated his family's property and left his corpse unburied, forcing his family to beg in the streets—an incident that nearly sparked a mutiny within the Northland Legion.
The Duke wanted to buy Hennerd back at the price of a criminal for punishment. I couldn't stand by and waived the ransoms for him and the other Silver Knights who surrendered, letting them return. Intelligence says that after going back, Hennerd used those Silver Knights to rally his and Chevani's old subordinates, as well as soldiers dissatisfied with the Grand Duke. He took two battalions of soldiers and deserted, forcibly seizing this manor castle to gather strength and protect themselves. They now ignore the Grand Duke's commands, and he can do nothing but reluctantly accept the situation.
Don't be fooled by the fact they are still called the Northland Legion—the Grand Duke's orders are useless to them. Otherwise, he wouldn't have pulled soldiers from the Hendley Ford Bridge checkpoint and Frest Fortress Castle to attack Rock Fortress. I was just planning to set out tomorrow for that manor castle to meet with Knight Hennerd. Reach a tacit understanding with him, and have him stand aside and watch the show. If he can't appreciate the favor... heh, given our family's armed field strength, we have a very good chance of wiping out his five-thousand-strong unit..."
Bodfinger nodded. "Then I am relieved. I wish my lord every success."
"Very well, that's it. Everyone, go prepare. Let the angry bear banner of our Norton Family fly over Northland. Let the people of Northland witness how the fury of our roaring bear is unleashed..."
"Yes, my lord."
The response thundered through the great tent, and everyone left with spirits high.
...
This manor castle, named Cherry Blossom Ridge, is nestled among mountains and beside waters, with beautiful scenery. It was supposedly built as a vacation retreat by the third generation of Northland's Grand Duke, who loved cherry blossoms. However, at this moment, two armies were arrayed against each other in front of it.
Sir Henned was greatly surprised to see Lorrister arrayed before him. "What are you doing here? Isn't the Duke leading the Northland lords to attack your Stone Keep?"
Lorrister smiled. "I came to see an old friend — partly to say hello, partly because I'm looking to make a move against the Grand Duchy, and having you camped here with a force is rather inconvenient. If you could just stay out of whatever happens out there, I'd have peace of mind. So tell me, Sir Henned. What would it take for you to stay out of the war between me and the Duke?"
Sir Henned dodged the question entirely. "Baron Norton, you should address me as
He pointed to the west. "The territory is that piece right next door..."
Lorrister was surprised. "Oh, congratulations, Baron Shahin."
"You can just call me Henned. All my friends do."
"Heh, then call me Locke. We're friends."
Lorrister thought for a moment. "Why didn't you take your troops back to your family's lands?"
"Can't. The land is barren — can't feed five thousand soldiers. Actually, this place used to be part of my barony too. The three previous Grand Dukes of Northland were fond of the scenery here on Cherry Blossom Ridge, and they carved off half of it from our family by force, making us vassal lords to the Grand Duchy. Now that I've got my army stationed here, isn't that practically reclaiming the family lands?" Henned said.
"So what do you think of my proposal just now? Henned." Lorrister asked.
Henned grinned craftily. "Locke, you've put me in a tough spot. After all, no matter how you look at it, I'm still the Duke's vassal lord, and the soldiers under my command belong to the Northland Corps under the Duke's banner. If I just stand by and watch you make a move against the Grand Duchy's territory, how could I face the world? Could I even call myself a knight?"
Lorrister furrowed his brows. "Are you saying you insist on fighting me?"
The knight Henned shook his head. "I'm not stupid. Just look at your soldiers' equipment. Then look at the leather armor my men are wearing. I'm not going to throw an egg against a rock. Let me put it this way, Locke — you don't particularly want to fight me either, do you? Agree to three conditions of mine, and I'll find a way to avoid war between us. What do you think?"
"Go ahead. What are your three conditions?"
"First, leave this mountain fortress and the nearby town of Evanson untouched. They're the source of food and provisions for my troops."
"Agreed." Lorrister nodded.
"Second, I'd like to send people along with you to bring back the families of my soldiers from the Grand Duchy. That way, these soldiers will truly become the armed force of our Shahin family."
Lorrister thought for a moment and asked, "You mean the Duke previously used the soldiers' families to threaten you?"
Henned nodded. "After I inherited my father's title and lands, I sent the Duke a letter of departure — I was no longer his Family Knight, but his vassal lord. However, the Duke refused to recognize the legitimacy of my succession. He wouldn't issue me an inheritance certificate, and he warned that if any of my soldiers defected with me, their families left behind in the Grand Duchy would be punished. So we had no choice but to stay put."
…his son's decision to avoid being branded a traitorous knight — he stepped aside himself, allowing Henned to become a vassal lord.
"Fleeing" was the term used when a Family Knight left his lord's household of his own accord due to dissatisfaction with his master, thereby reverting to the status of a wandering knight or a free knight. Becoming a vassal lord and no longer serving as a Family Knight was also considered fleeing.
"Didn't that Grand Duke Lukins consider sending troops to punish you?" Lorrister asked curiously.
"Of course he wanted to, but he couldn't pull it off. We were all comrades from the Northland Legion — who would be willing to slaughter each other? Even if he gave the order, no one would listen to him. That's why he went after your Norton Family instead. How come you're not worried about your Rock Fortress, yet you've got the nerve to come and stir up trouble in the Grand Duchy?" Henned asked Lorrister.
"Heh, you've seen the defensive facilities at Rock Fortress yourself. Do you really think the private militias and peasant levies that Duke Lukins scraped together from the various vassal lords could take it?"
"That's fair enough. Oh right — are you going to agree to my condition or not?"
"Fine. You can send people to bring back the families of your soldiers," Lorrister said. "What's the third condition?"
"I want to send a battalion of my men to pose as part of your family's armed forces and operate alongside them. I want half of everything we seize." Henned opened with an outrageous demand.
"Get lost. One-tenth, at most," Lorrister countered.
"Don't be so stingy. Over five thousand of us holed up here can barely scrape together enough to eat — no other benefits to speak of, and we're living miserable lives. I have to think about my men's futures. You can't hog all the spoils for yourself. If you consider me a friend, throw me a bigger share," Henned began to plead his case.
"I have ten times as many men as you do. One more share, that's it. Two-tenths — any more and we might as well just go to war," Lorrister said.
Henneid snorted in disbelief: "Keep talking, I don't buy that you have that many men..."
But seeing Lorrister's dark expression, he reluctantly agreed: "Fine, two-tenths, two-tenths — I agree. But you still have to grant me one more request."
Lorrister fumed: "Are you ever done? If you want to keep pushing, we might as well just settle this with a fight."
Henneid hurriedly waved his hands: "This is a personal request — it's fine if you say no..."
"Just say it already. What is it?" Lorrister said impatiently, and then noticed that Henneid seemed rather sheepish.
"Um, ahem, Locke. What I mean is — could you return Mina, Hanni, Chris, and Morelina to me? I've missed them for over half a year now..."
"Wait. Who are these Mina and the others? How are they with me? I don't even know who they are," Lorrister said, utterly bewildered.
"Oh... they're the four women who were in my room that night in Northfield Town, the night you captured me. I really care about them. You must have taken them into your household, right? Could you give them back to me?" Henneid wore an ingratiating expression on his face.
Lorrister thought for a long while before vaguely recalling there might have been a few women like that. He shook his head: "I didn't take them into my household. They should be with the other women who were rescued from Northfield Town — I gave orders that no one was to bother them. But I have to say, I find it rather strange. How can you kill their fathers and brothers and then fall in love with them? Aren't you afraid they'd stab you a few times while you're asleep?"
Henneid curled his lip: "I didn't kill their parents and brothers — that was the Grand Duke's order, nothing to do with me. It was I who protected them from being violated by the soldiers. They should be grateful enough to throw themselves at me, really. I'm glad you haven't touched them, Locke — you're a true brother to me. So when will you send them to me?"
"Go pick them up yourself. If they're willing to go with you, fine. If not, don't force them — a melon twisted off the vine won't be sweet. You should understand that. By the way, if you don't fight me, how do you plan to handle the Duke's censure and everyone else's opinions?" Lorrister asked.
"What's so difficult about that? Just watch me." Henneid wheeled his horse around and rode back to his own lines. He loudly ordered the horns sounded and preparations made for battle, then drew his longsword, pointed it at Lorrister, and roared at the soldiers to fight for the honor of Grand Duke Lukins.
Unfortunately, in the midst of the charging advance, Knight Henneid's mount stumbled, leaving its rider seriously wounded. Henneid's men snatched him back and retreated into the manor castle, barring the gates for a last stand.
Lorrister and his Iron-Armed Lance Cavalry Battalion sat dumbfounded, watching the show that Knight Henneid had written, directed, and starred in — the brave battlefield struggle, the heroic wounding, the glorious retreat...
"That actually works?" Lorrister said.
...
Chronicle of the Continent, Northland Chapter:
On the eleventh of April, 1768 of the Galentean Common Calendar, the newly installed head of the Norton Family, Count Norton Lorrister, led his forces in a raid on the Northland Grand Duchy. The Northland garrison of five thousand men stationed at Cherry Blossom Ridge fought bravely under the command of Golden Knight Henneid to repel the invaders. During the fierce battle, Knight Henneid's horse stumbled and threw him from the saddle. Though gravely wounded, he fought on tenaciously until his men desperately fought their way back to retrieve him, forced to retreat into the manor castle for a last stand. As a result, the entire Grand Duchy suffered the ravages of the Norton Family's forces, and the southern heartland that the Lukins family of the Northland Grand Duchy had painstakingly cultivated over generations was destroyed in one fell swoop — an event known to history as the Southern Devastation... (To be continued.)