abcnovels
Chapter 80:
Chapter 80:
Chapter 80:
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 Marquiss army will be enough to stop the enemys offensive, so dont worry too much.
Im 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 kings 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, theyve 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 armys experience in combat was minimal.
Besides, didnt you tell us the secret of this fortress? The power of the holy relic will help our forces, so well be able to hold out. Im confident of that.
Yes, I trust you.
Ill be counting on you, so take care.
Dont worry about that.
By the way, Im very bitter.
What?
Its 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 its 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.
Its an ironic reality, isnt it? When a monarch trusts his subjects, they rebel. If the subjects trust the ruler, the ruler gets rid of them.
Isnt that the way it is with humans, that those close to us hurt each other?
Youre right a hundred times over.
Lets put all that aside for now and focus on revenge.
Youre right, too.
Ill see you in a week, and then.
Otto turned on his heel and grinned at Helmut.
Ill 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 Helmuts fortress and headed west toward the capital of the Magritte Kingdom.
Otto de Scuderia King of Lota If thats the man.
Helmut looked at Ottos 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 Helmuts 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 cant beat them head-on.
At this point, the Kongurat had suffered so much damage while Amukhan was away that they didnt have the military strength to fight a large-scale all-out war against the Kerrates.
But Kairos didnt seem to care about Amukhans 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 youre just a wimp for all your size.
Thats 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 dont mind the other stuff, but I dont 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!
Ill 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 youre loosened up Id 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, theres 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 Helmuts ability to take on large armies with a small force.
You stupid, foolish bastard. If you dont think youre 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.
Youre telling me to run away instead of fighting them?
If you dont 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.
Thats enough, what more do you want?
Brother, the reason people dont run away and fight to the death is to defend their lives. Even if running away prolongs ones 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 its precious Ackk!
This time, Amukhan took a beating and walked away.
If you run away, will this place, Ulaanbaatar, cease to exist?
Like?
Amukhans 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 thats highly unlikely. They need this place, too, and theyre going to get it. How many idiots are there in the world who would shed blood in a war for nothing?
!
Yeah, lets say we give in a hundred times and they trash the place and burn it to the ground. What difference does it make? Well just put up a new tent and build a house. Isnt that your specialty?
Huh!
Amukhan gulped at Kaiross 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. Theres a mountain nearby, isnt there?
That, yes.
Well survive a few days in the mountains, and then hell take care of the rest.'
Oh!
Hope dawned on Amukhans 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 couldnt understand the idea of fleeing to the mountains with only water to drink and dried meat to eat.
Dont worry, everyone! Its 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.
Im going on a special ops mission, so grab your tribesmen and run.
Im 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 youre a chieftain, youre supposed to be right by your peoples side so that they dont become restless and agitated., pointed out by Kairos
Ah!, exclaimed Amukhan
Its not like there wont 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 youre a chieftain, a monarch, or a village mayor, Kaiross 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 Helmuts 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.