Chapter 232
Chapter 232: I Can’t Just Take It Lying Down. (1)
Claude took a deep breath and began to argue.
“Why does the Lord take charge of discipline? Is the Lord some kind of barbarian instructor?”
It had barely been some time since the war ended, and now there were talks of another deployment? Especially against the notoriously ruthless barbarians.
Everyone, not just Claude, wore expressions of disbelief.
But Ghislaine responded with an expression that seemed to imply, “What do you mean, of course?”
“Then isn’t it my duty? Right now, it’s my father handling it, but isn’t the next in line me?”
“…”
It wasn’t wrong. The responsibility for the barbarians had always belonged to the House of Perdium. That was why they had received the authority and duty from the Duke.
“Uh… No, sure. I understand about the responsibility. But weren’t we discussing how to get horses right now?”
“Oh, they have a lot of horses.”
“So… you mean we’re going to steal them?”
“Exactly! Who says we shouldn’t raid them? This time, it’s our turn to plunder. I refuse to be victimized!”
“…”
Claude’s face showed sheer shock at that statement.
The horses from the northern barbarian lands were known for their toughness. Thus, the barbarians were adept at cavalry fighting.
Their livelihood depended on their quick mobility to raid here and there.
However, barbarians were notably weak in siege warfare. The many tribes scattered around made it hard to unite, and since they were mostly cavalry, they couldn’t muster much strength in a siege.
Knowing this, the barbarians often only poked at fortresses in passing, usually circumventing them to enter the kingdom instead.
That is why the strategy of blocking the paths from the Northern Fortress and pursuing them had worked well, allowing the impoverished Perdium to endure against the barbarians for many years.
Yet now, Ghislaine announced a plan to take horses from those whose livelihood depended on them.
“Um, is that really okay? If it were that easy, Perdium wouldn’t have struggled for so long…”
“It was tough because we were poor. We needed to hit them hard, but we’re short on troops and supplies. But now, do you think we can’t fight back? They fight among themselves too!”
“…”
The retainers once again found themselves at a loss for words, bowing their heads.
Perdium had always struggled for various reasons. With troop conservation being a priority, they couldn’t afford to haphazardly initiate purges.
But now, what about Penris? They had plenty of supplies and 400 knights. The barbarians were grouped in small tribes, so once they decided to move, they could easily overpower them.
“They’re suffering from famine too. We need to seize the horses before they eat them all. Don’t you think? Plus, I had a tough childhood because of them. It’s time to collect our dues.”
At this remark, Belinda vigorously nodded her head.
“Exactly! Lord Perdium couldn’t give Young Master much allowance because the barbarians made things financially tight. Young Master’s rebellious phase in childhood was probably all because of the lack of pocket money!”
“…”
With no words left, Claude glanced around. Other retainers seemed to feel similarly, merely observing the situation.
In a context where they were focused on developing their territory, entering yet another war felt somewhat burdensome. However, hearing Ghislaine’s words made him reconsider; perhaps it wouldn’t be that difficult after all.
Claude turned to Belinda, who always opposed him for the sake of it.
“What about the butler? Are you against this?”
After a moment of contemplation, Belinda quickly replied.
“I’m in favor.”
“What? Why? You’ve always opposed wars!”
“I just hate those guys.”
“…You want to go to war just because you hate them?”
“Ah, what do you want me to do about it?”
Claude had no retort. After all, is there a more definite reason for war than that?
He clicked his tongue and searched for another to consult.
“Old Fergus! What’s your take on this?”
“Hoh hoh hoh… I’ve always despised the barbarians.”
‘Great!’
The sentiment held by the people of Perdium towards the barbarians ran deeper than Claude expected.
Shaking his head, Claude continued speaking to Ghislaine.
“Still, most of our forces consist of infantry. Is that okay? The barbarians excel in cavalry tactics. If they run away, it’ll all be for nothing, right? We do have many knights, but our endurance is somewhat lacking, isn’t it?”
“We can get cavalry support linked with Perdium. Just select a few infantry to manage logistics while the rest stay to guard the territory.”
Claude and the retainers nodded. The Knight Order of Penris excels in instantaneous destructive power. No one could withstand their numerical pressure.
As long as they had cavalry backing them up, they could conserve strength for a somewhat prolonged battle.
“Understood. I’ll prepare right away.”
“Good. I’m pleased that the time for opposing the fortress has been shortened.”
‘Guess I half-gave up on convincing them.’
However, with everything he initiated succeeding, he felt some level of trust forming.
Regardless of the retainers’ hidden feelings, it was fortunate for Ghislaine that opposition was waning. Leading troops and leaving their post should be resolved as swiftly as possible.
“I have to act quickly while Harold and Amelia are tied down. Now is the perfect chance with the Duke Faction focusing on the Crown Prince Faction.”
Thus, he waited for Amelia’s rebellion to begin, even amidst delays caused by transportation issues.
In truth, there was a need to tidy up the barbarians, even if just for the sake of getting horses. They needed to stabilize the rear before a larger war broke out.
It was never advantageous to divide Perdium’s forces during crucial times. If it itched, it was better to scratch it cleanly.
“Let’s move quickly without worrying since this was all planned. Assemble all the knights.”
At Ghislaine’s command, everyone moved busily. With improved military strength and overflowing supplies, others also felt quite confident.
After all, they were a territory recognized as one of the best in the North.
Claude, while preparing for the war, surveyed the atmosphere in the territory and sighed.
‘It’s fascinating. Everything has come to be thanks to the lord’s madness. Well… maybe I’ll cooperate a little.’
Claude tried to push away the thought that he had always been coerced into compliance.
Seeing how he instilled this confidence in the people and even nurtured the strength to match that confidence was indeed impressive for a lord.
As Claude was leisurely preparing for departure, Ghislaine approached him.
“You’re coming too. Pack up.”
“Me? Why? Why should I go? I really can’t fight!”
“Staff officer and rear support.”
“…”
Claude deeply regretted not putting up more of a fight against that decision.
*
Waaaaah!
At the Northern Fortress, the battle with the barbarians was underway.
“Climb up!”
Countless barbarians were charging toward the Northern Fortress. They wore leather pants ideal for riding and beast-fur tops.
With skull-shaped helmets and battle axes in hand, they embodied their aggressive nature.
Zvalter, while fending off the barbarian warriors trying to scale the walls, encouraged the soldiers.
“Hold them back! We can repel them!”
Six small tribes had united to attack the fortress. Although the numbers were more than expected, it still seemed manageable.
What Zvalter worried about wasn’t the fortress being occupied.
‘This is bad. They must be circling around to enter.’
The barbarians were also aware of their weakness in siege warfare. Therefore, even when attacking the fortress, it wasn’t for the actual occupation but merely to keep Perdium’s troops tied here.
The real intent was a raiding party that moved elsewhere to pillage various northern villages.
In fact, such methods were usually avoided by the barbarians due to high risks.
However, due to severe famine, they had to resort to drastic measures. After all, they needed to feed their own tribes. Even conflicts among themselves had become more frequent.
“Brother! No, Lord! If this continues, other territories in the north will be invaded as well. Those punks will pass the blame onto us!”
“Grr…”
Zvalter also groaned. He didn’t mind being criticized; that was nothing new. But thinking about innocent lives lost festered his anger.
What on earth should be done?
‘In the current situation, we can’t go outside the fortress.’
Although circumstances had improved compared to earlier, they were still in a situation where they needed to conserve their strength. The barbarians were disperse in great numbers across the vast northern lands.
If news spread about suffering significant casualties from going out to fight, other barbarian tribes would likely unite and invade again.
‘If this continued to chip away at our strength, this place would ultimately fall. There’s no other way…’
Although Ghislaine had spoken casually to Claude about the situation, it was far from easy.
Other lords were merely providing vague support in hopes of conserving their forces, pretending not to notice. Nobles from the Duke Faction had no interest in this place. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince Faction was too preoccupied with checking the Duke Faction.
Only Perdium remained.
Here, they had been waging a lonely fight for a long time.
‘I wanted to ask Ghislaine for help, but… I never thought they’d unite and invade so soon.’
Zvalter shook his head several times, trying to shake off his regrets, before shouting out again.
“Quickly repulse them! Once they retreat, we’ll form a pursuit party as quickly as possible!”
At his words, the knights and soldiers gritted their teeth and engaged in battle.
“Damn them!”
“Stop flailing around!”
Thanks to their growing skills and improved conditions, morale among them wasn’t low. However, everyone was still suffering from chronic fatigue and depression due to unrelenting exhaustion.
They were enduring it all by burning through their accumulated rage and maintaining a positive mindset.
Those who couldn’t hold on eventually left. That was why Perdium always struggled with a lack of knights, leading to betrayals like Jamal and Philip, who had kidnapped Elena in the past.
Zvalter knew well how hard it was to endure here based solely on a sense of responsibility.
“It’s okay! It’s okay! We will prevail as always!”
He gathered his thoughts again. But he and everyone else understood. Even if they managed to push them back now, it didn’t equate to a real victory.
The only reason they could endure up to this point was that the barbarians remained divided and were operating within their own tribes.
There were plenty of times he wanted to give up. However, Zvalter always gave his best for his beloved family, the territory residents, and the kingdom.
Zvalter looked around the battlefield with tired eyes.
‘I’m getting old now…’
The once young and vibrant wolf of the North was gradually weakening.
His skills had grown, and his experience had deepened, but his spirit was whittled down by the harsh winds of the North every day.
And when the heart weakens, no matter how strong the body is, it tends to crumble.
‘I want to rest.’
Even someone as responsible as Zvalter could think such thoughts, let alone others.
Yet all the people of Perdium continued to follow the excellent lord Zvalter until the end.
There was something special about him.
He cared for everyone and exhibited a sense of duty that never wavered even in hard times.
The people of Perdium were inspired by that noble attitude, dedicating their lives to follow him on this arduous journey.
While the Perdium army was growing weary, the barbarians were growing bolder.
They were so exuberant that they nearly forgot what operation they were even performing.
“Hey! Watch out, you idiots!”
“These crazy bastards! We didn’t come to occupy today!”
“Stay back and just stall for time!”
All around, the barbarian warriors were trying to control their fellow warriors, but their combative nature made it hard to rein them in.
Most barbarian warriors seemed to enjoy combat; seeing blood drove them into a frenzy.
Originally, the plan was for merely holding the Perdium forces in place while other warriors conducted their raids.
However, with the deranged individuals attacking the fortress with excessive fervor, the conflict only escalated, inevitably leading to increased casualties among the barbarian warriors.
Schaak!
“Guhhh!”
“Die! You bastards!”
“Go die yourself, you scum!”
As the battle heated up, emotions piled high as both sides found themselves neck-deep in anger. This fight that seemed never-ending was proving easier on the attackers than the defenders.
Barbarian warriors shouted loudly from all corners.
“Let’s retreat for now! Let’s take a breather and come back!”
“Just a couple more days! Then the others will bring food!”
“You dumbasses! You poor suckers of the North! Hahaha!”
The barbarians laughed loudly.
Though they faced heavy losses, they had completely immobilized the fortress troops. They had come here due to a lack of food, but fighting was still a source of enjoyment.
The barbarians began retreating, mocking the Perdium forces.
The Perdium soldiers looked on with exhausted eyes as the enemy withdrew.
Even after sustaining heavy losses, they did not raise triumphant shouts of victory.
After all, this wasn’t a true victory.
Even at this moment, others were likely circling around and invading the northern part of the kingdom.
Despite this knowledge, they needed to hold their ground at the fortress.
This overwhelming sense of helplessness and humiliation washed over them, feeling as if they were just enduring what was to come.
Yet even more powerful was…
‘It’s hard…’
Though the Perdium knights and soldiers had grown stronger than before, the exhaustion clinging to their hearts only deepened.
‘I want to rest now…’
‘When will this fight ever end…’
‘Someone, please…’
But that desire remained a mere wish.
This would be an endless cycle.
It had been true before, was true now, and would remain true in the future.
Only by fleeing or dying could this saga reach its conclusion.
Yet they didn’t give up.
They were the last elite remaining in this place, living with pride in defending the kingdom’s northern lands.
Watching the barbarians retreat weakly, one knight murmured as he spotted a cloud of dust rising in the distance.
“What’s that? Is more coming?”
The only army roaming around this place was the barbarians.
It was rare for those who usually moved in small units to gather in such numbers. It seemed like they were steeling themselves against famine.
“Get ready for battle! Reinforcements are coming!”
Knights shouted at various locations. If more barbarian troops poured in, it would surely be troublesome, but there was no other option.
It was their duty to defend this place with their lives.
Just as everyone was forced to stand up and pick up their weapons, exhausted and unable to even rest, one knight’s eyes widened in realization.
“W-what? That banner?”
A pendant resembling Perdium’s crest—a black background with a white wolf—had merely been altered to have a red wolf instead, representing Penris.
Schaak!
The symbol of a new army rising as a powerful force in the North.
The flag of the red wolf flapped above the groups rushing in from all directions.
As the sound of hooves grew closer, the figure became clearer to others’ eyes.
Dudududududu!
Horses thundering towards them as if to shake the earth, and at the very front, leading them…
A soldier recognized the identity and shouted loudly.
“It’s the Grand Duke! The Grand Duke has come with an army!”
Ghislaine was galloping towards the fortress, positioned behind the barbarians.
