novelraw Chapter 183: Childhood Friend - Ear
Chapter 183: Childhood Friend - Ear
183: Childhood Friend - Ear
"We'll camp here tonight."
Rev commanded.
At his words, the seven hundred barbarian warriors under his command busily set up simple tents, prepared a clinic and a kitchen at the tranquil mountain base, and busied themselves with their tasks.
Some headed to nearby villages to replenish supplies after several days of mountain marching. The rustling of coins could be heard as Rev handed out money, gathering what little was left after just ten days.
An army costs money just by existing.
Since soldiers do not engage in economic activities, they must rely on others for food and clothing, and the burden falls squarely on the commander.
General Rev sighed.
‘At this rate, we’ll barely last three more weeks...’
He had traversed the entire Rodran mountain range, traveling for a solid four months, and twelve barbarian tribes had decided to join the cause, excluding the two that declined.Although they couldn't visit each tribe individually, the chiefs summoned dozens, sometimes over a hundred warriors from a dozen villages they contacted.
In total, perhaps around ten thousand?
It was no small number. Unable to lead such a large group, Rev requested the warriors to make their way to the Guidan territory on their own, a relief to him.
"Sir, I have a report."
Rev swallowed his sigh. His lieutenant entered the traditional hexagonal tent of the Meiwa tribe, and he feigned composure.
"Is it a casualty report?"
"Yes, sir. Seven injuries occurred during today's marChapter Most are minor blisters, but one is more serious. He injured his foot on a cart."
"Can he walk?"
"Not for now."
Rev nodded. He was irritated by the lack of safety precautions, but such incidents were common in the army, so he didn't make a big deal out of it.
"Assign two reliable warriors to him. Tell them to wait for the rear guard and join them."
"Understood. And..."
The lieutenant, Cesar, hesitated.
"We captured the deserter who fled two days ago. As you suspected, he headed south. What should we do with him?"
"...."
In the general's tent, devoid of chairs and tables, Rev sat on the floor. After contemplating on a narrow mat, he ordered the deserter to be brought in.
A warrior in his early twenties.
The reason for desertion was trivial. He had volunteered but felt guilty about leaving his wife and children behind, so he tried to return home in shame.
"Do you think military regulations are a joke?"
Rev spoke coldly, staring at the nonchalant deserter with a restrained expression.
"Did the service rules I recite morning and evening seem trivial to you?"
"...."
"Take him away."
Rev, leading the deserter outside, called the Meiwa tribe's chief warrior.
"This man is a deserter. How do your people punish traitors?"
"It varies, but usually whipping."
"Very well. Give him eight lashes. The punishment will be administered just before dinner, in front of everyone. Select someone to carry out the sentence and report back to me."
"Understood, General!"
The deserter's face turned pale. He looked to the chief warrior for help, who also seemed uncomfortable.
"General, is such a severe punishment necessary? He volunteered and seems to deeply regret his actions. Please, show mercy."
Rev replied coldly.
"Mercy? I'm not punishing out of anger. It's to uphold military discipline. So, no more objections and carry out the sentence."
"...Understood."
As evening approached, warriors who had gone to nearby villages returned, and as dusk fell, seven hundred warriors gathered at the center of the camp, attracted by the smell of stew cooking in the kitchen.
Murmurs spread among them. Though they hailed from different villages, they were all one family under the name 'Meiwa,' and they were full of complaints. Boos erupted when the deserter's tightly bound hands were secured to a tree trunk.
"Quiet!"
Rev stepped forward.
The warriors glared at the young general. Rev, an outsider, faced their stares and shouted.
"Why are you here?"
The murmurs subsided, but no one answered. Rev, momentarily forgetting his annoying lieutenant Cesar, raised his head.
"We are here to avoid becoming slaves, to protect our loved ones. We picked up weapons to fight as soldiers, not warriors."
Rev identified them as soldiers. Reluctant agreement spread among the warriors, and using his ability, {Leadership}, he continued.
"But look at you. Running off to eat, abandoning your life-saving weapons. You can't keep in line, and you jeer without distinguishing public from private matters. Do you think you're ready for war? Or did you follow us with a light heart?"
Silence fell.
As dusk settled on the mountainside, seven hundred warriors fidgeted, embarrassed. Some even quietly moved to form ranks.
Rev spared his words. Turning sharply, he ordered, "Carry out the sentence." The chief warrior himself took up the leather whip.
- Crack!
The eight lashes cut through the hearts of the seven hundred warriors. The deserter, who fainted on the seventh lash, regained consciousness on the eighth and was carried to the clinic.
During the subsequent meal, the warriors, now soldiers, received their rations in silence. The previously noisy dining scenes were replaced by stern military discipline.
[Achievement: Master-Servant Relationship - ‘34’, as long as loyalty does not waver, those who swear loyalty trust and follow Leo.]
The number increased by twelve.
Rev didn't know whose hearts were ignited, but the message showed an increase from twenty-two, including Cesar.
After quickly downing the stew brought by Cesar, Rev stood up.
"After the meal, you recite the service rules."
"Understood. You were impressive today, sir. Where are you heading?"
"Just a quick trip to the mountains."
Rev couldn't mention that he planned to hunt to supplement their food expenses out of fear of running out of money. As he exited the tent, he turned back.
"Oh, send a letter to the rear guard. Report two injuries."
"Yes, sir! By the way, there's something to report."
- Whistle!
Cesar whistled with two fingers on his tongue. Sinis flew in from somewhere, and Cesar spoke.
"War has broken out."
"...What?"
"Really? Wasn't this supposed to happen later? The warriors returning from the village say that northern and eastern border counts, along with many other nobles, have rebelled. Conscription is happening all over."
Rev remained silent for a moment.
Though it was scheduled, this was early spring, much sooner than initially planned.
'Something must have happened,' he thought, reassuring his lieutenant. Taking a few loyal warriors, he went up the mountain to hunt.
Cesar shrugged at the commander’s odd reaction and lowered Sinis from his shoulder. He squatted down, using the hawk's broad back as a makeshift desk to write a letter to the rear guard. Though he was used to it, Sinis occasionally ruffled its feathers in irritation.
*
It was ten days later when the seven hundred barbarian soldiers led by Rev joined the army.
Rev, having climbed up to the kingdom’s northwest along the Lognum mountain range, found the closest rebel army, encountering the army of the northern border count, Drazhin, advancing southward.
As promised, Leo was there.
"What happened? Why did the war start so early? The barbarian warriors haven't had time to train."
The original plan was for Rev to train the barbarians for at least a month in the Marquis of Guidan's territory before advancing west with the Marquis's army. Leo de Yeriel was supposed to meet them halfway after joining forces with the Marquis of Drazhin.
"There was an attack."
Leo, his hairstyle greatly changed, responded calmly.
His golden hair had grown longer, parted on the left and swept to the right. The handsome Leo de Yeriel looked good no matter what.
"Have a seat. We have a lot to discuss."
Leo sat at the table. The prince's tent, set up in the middle of the military camp, was spacious and furnished with most essentials.
Apart from a hammock instead of a bed, it was carpeted and befitting the prince’s dignity.
Rev raised his voice slightly.
"Advancing the timeline by three months? This isn’t just about training. At this rate..."
There wouldn't be enough time for Leo Dexter to come down. If they failed in this round, they needed time for Leo, from the engagement scenario starting six months later than other scenarios, to come down in the next round.
"I'm sorry. I really had no choice. The princes moved much faster than we anticipated."
Leo urged Rev to sit with a bitter expression. Rev sat with a discontented look, and Leo continued his explanation with a light sigh.
"If it weren't for Count Safia, we would have died in Nevis. It was that serious."
In summary, this is what happened:
Around January, while persuading nobles, Leo and Lena learned about Leo's birthday two weeks before Lena's. They held a small banquet inviting the nobles, during which an incident occurred.
About twenty assailants infiltrated the Marquis of Guidan's mansion to kidnap Lena. Leo, sensing the danger, fought desperately and barely managed to thwart them.
Leo's birthday party turned into a mess. But more serious was...
“This is a royal guard! I recognize him!”
One of the knights Leo killed was identified. Leo confirmed with his {Tracking Skill} that all the fleeing assailants were royal guards, turning him pale.
The princes had drawn their swords.
With two border counts forming a significant faction, they expected the rebellion plan to be exposed before Marquis Athon de Lognum's successor ceremony, delaying any rash movements. This expectation was shattered.
What provoked them so?
If it became known that the princes had used royal guards to attack a noble, many nobles would turn their backs on them, even those within their faction.
But there was no time for such worries.
The attack failed, leaving even fatalities beyond what the timid Prince Leo de Yeriel had imagined. Thus, the twin princes would likely take even more drastic measures.
“We must flee immediately! The army will soon be mobilized. In the worst case, the knightly orders might move...”
If the king intervened, they were as good as dead. As nobles of the kingdom, even if they suppressed the movement of the kingdom's knightly orders, they had no chance in Nevis, the territory of the Lognum royal family.
All citizens in and around Nevis were the king's subjects. The king had the authority to conscript them, and if the army entered Nevis, everything would be over. The homes of all nobles participating in the rebellion would burn.
The nobles attending Leo's birthday party hurried back to their estates. Leo and Lena escaped Nevis with the Marquis of Guidan, helped by the previously persuaded Count Safia.
“Open the gate!”
“I cannot. The king has ordered all gates of Nevis to be sealed...”
“Do you dare mention the chain of command in my presence? I am the supreme commander of Nevis’s defense forces!”
In truth, he had been dismissed. But in their hasty actions, the twin princes had not yet announced Count Safia's dismissal.
Leo and Lena, along with the nobles supporting the rebellion, escaped Nevis while Count Safia controlled the east gate. The king convened the assembly, declaring the fleeing nobles as traitors, thus starting the war.
“So... that’s how it happened.”
Leo’s calm explanation ended. The prince unfolded a map to outline the future plans.
“The border counts of Drazhin and Guidan have raised their armies. They are advancing, and these places... twenty-three noble families have pledged to join us. We still need to wait, but there are fifteen more likely to join. Also, Lena mentioned that three commanders promised to join if they were made nobles.”
“What? Why is Lena involved now?”
Leo, explaining with the map, looked up.
In a serious tone, he emphasized how remarkable his sister was, almost spitting with enthusiasm.
To be honest, it sounded like he was exaggerating.
Though our adorable sister is talented, Leo’s claims seemed over the top.
Without the {Bracelet of Barbatos}, I thought it would be impossible to persuade Count Soarel Demetri Ogleton, but Lena managed to move him.
Though the wizard count eventually refused to join, Soarel contacted his ‘Magic Tower’ and fellow wizards.
To support the rebellion if possible.
This alone was a tremendous help. Wizards often worked as mercenaries, but they weren’t driven solely by money.
Too many places offered money, so they only moved when they needed research funds.
“So, we’ve secured magical forces? How many?”
“Twelve. But that’s not the point. Our Lena...”
Leo tried to change the subject but started again. Rev waved his hand dismissively.
“Alright, alright, I get it. She’s an extraordinary royal. But honestly, she’s still just a kid...”
“Not a kid!”
Leo shouted. He stepped closer to Rev, meeting his eyes with a frustrated expression.
“Remember this well. This isn't just for you. Let our sister do as she pleases. She’s a hundred times better than us.”
It felt as though Leo was speaking to someone else, using Rev as a messenger. Amused, Rev chuckled.
“Huh? What’s this...?”
At that moment, he noticed something.
He reached out to Leo’s flawless face, devoid of any blemishes.
Leo’s long golden hair, swept to the right, covered one side of his face. When brushed aside, a severe scar was revealed.
From just behind the cheekbone to the ear.
The ear was split in half. It was clear he had been struck by a blade. A sword had narrowly missed Leo’s face.
Rev was speechless for a moment. The wound hadn't healed properly, leaving a gaping scar that spoke volumes of the urgent situation.
Leo pushed Rev’s hand away, brushing his golden hair back to cover the scar, and spoke calmly.
“It’s nothing. We survived, didn’t we? And Lena is safe.”
After a long silence, Rev said, “...Yes. That’s fortunate.” He didn’t add an unnecessary apology.
There was no need for words.
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