Chapter 68: Two Paths

Chapter 68: Two Paths

Two Paths

Eastern Mansion

One hundred troops, bolstered by the militia, were mobilized under Sir Justin’s command. Sir Harold to lead the column and greet the approaching relief force from White Lake. It was an unusual sight, as the siege had already been lifted, and Korelia had been freed.

Still, the townsfolk made merriment of it and greeted the forty knights like heroes for coming to their aid.

While the forty knights from White Lake entered Korelia, two hundred men, along with their supply carts and camp followers, headed north of Korelia and set up camp near the river.

Inside the Eastern Mansion, with confirmation that the incoming army was indeed reinforcement, Lansius breathed a sigh of relief and adjusted the arm sling for his wrist.

The anticipation for the news gave Hugo time to think, yet he couldn’t unravel how he was supposed to besiege Korimor with limited men and supplies. “My Lord,” Hugo began his case.

“Korimor isn’t like Korelia. Maybe Korelia could be intimidated with just three hundred, but Korimor, even with just a paltry amount of defense, could comfortably fend off a larger number of invaders for months.”

Lansius was content watching him speak, so Hugo continued, “We need more men, siege ladders, siege engines, and plentiful supplies if we plan to starve them out.”

“Too bad they’re burnt,” Lansius commented about the siege engine, regretting the loss of good quality wood and timber that he could reuse. “But we don’t need siege engines. They’re slow and heavy.”

Hugo was piqued. “Slow, My Lord?”

“Yes, we probably would lose the element of surprise if we marched with those siege engines. Even in parts, they are heavy.”

Something didn’t sound right, so Hugo argued, “But, even using the direct northern corridor, the men would still need to spend at least twenty days marching.”

“That’s too slow. I think we can do it in ten days.”

“Ten days?” the deputy blurted out. “That means, a cavalry-only force?”

“Cavalry transport,” Lansius corrected him.

Hugo rubbed his chin after hearing his Lord’s suggestion. While it was possible, it presented a dilemma on its own. “Does My Lord think that the nomads would assist?”

Instead of answering, Lord Lansius gestured for his pageboy to approach. Margo hurriedly presented himself in front of his master, who commanded, “Call the tribesman.”

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The tribesman came to the upper floor of the mansion. It wasn’t as spacious as the hall below, but it was well-made and luxurious to his eyes. He saw the Lord of Korelia standing beside a table with a grand map on top of it.

Approaching with eyes on the ground, he bowed deeply and said, “My Noyan, how may I serve?”

Hugo was intrigued by the calling but didn’t ask, as they were in front of a guest.

“Tribesman, I need to transport men to Korimor using the northern corridor. Is it possible?” asked Lansius without mincing words.

The tribesman, fully aware of this race that Lansius had proposed earlier, replied, “If they can ride, we can provide the horses. If they can’t ride, we can borrow some of the tribes’ wagons they used for yurts.”

Lansius nodded happily, and the tribesman inquired, “How many men does My Noyan wish to move?”

“Two hundred,” he revealed.

The tribesman paused for a moment before commenting, “It would be quite a task.”

“Is it possible?” There was a slight concern in Lansius’ voice.

“Certainly. It can be arranged,” the nomad answered confidently.

Hugo was surprised by the nomad’s approval and asked, “With the hunt for remnants still ongoing, how could you provide more horsemen for this?”

The tribesman, still in his armor despite being indoors, grinned as he looked Hugo in the eye. “Not only our men but our women and children are also expert riders.”

And then he returned his gaze to Lord Lansius. “My Noyan, if you wish for this to happen quickly, then let me return before sundown.”

“One more thing,” said Lord Lansius. The tribesman bowed his head slightly, awaiting command.

The Lord took a deep breath and said, “I need to talk about the Tribes’ future.”

The tribesman didn’t question and simply nodded deeply.

“How many wives does a tribesman usually have?” the Lord asked.

“The prominent member usually has two or three.”

“And how many children does your father have from his wives?”

“Five from my mother and three from my other mother,” the tribesman replied without hesitation.

Lansius nodded, while Hugo was puzzled by where this discussion was going.

“Listen well, if the number of nomadic tribes right now is over one-thousand people, then in less than thirty years, you will probably reach ten times that number.”

“Why?” asked Audrey.

“Unlike Lord Jorge or Lord Omin, the Lord of Korelia is more promising. No mercenary would abandon such a good Lord after just one or two setbacks.”

Audrey smiled, knowing it to be true. Loyal or not, the mercenaries weren’t foolish enough to squander a capable warlord. However, it was hard for her to trust Lady Daniella.

Like most people, Audrey was suspicious of the Nicopolans, especially one who looked as smart and capable as Daniella. "Tell me, are you or your men involved in enslaving the tribesmen?"

Daniella's eyes widened. "I would kill my men if they ever did so."

"You honor your upbringing," Audrey complemented. “We shall ride together sometimes." She finished up her conversation.

Daniella nodded politely. “It would be an honor, My Lady.”

Audrey almost rose but paused halfway, meeting the Nicopolan’s gaze. Her instinct flared up, so she sat down again.

Carla looked at her questioningly, while Daniella remained unmoved.

“The Lord wishes for me to ask you this: How many men defended Korimor castle? How are their defenses and garrison? Also, tell us about their leader.”

Daniella's eyes widened. She couldn't believe the implications of the question. Despite their miraculous victory, Korelia's forces were small and had suffered high numbers of wounded and dead. Thus, she hadn't expected swift reprisal. Yet, clearly, Lord Lansius had entertained the idea, making Daniella realize just how completely and swiftly the Korelians had turned the tables on the Western Lords.

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Lansius

Inside his private chamber, the victor of this war, Lansius, sat comfortably on the bed. As he had expected, his retainers barred him from going outside. After Hugo and the tribesman had left the mansion, the servants brought Lansius a serving of warm broth with a duck egg and gruel.

It was okay, but he didn’t like the taste of the jumbo egg yolk. Nevertheless, his staff insisted it was good for bruises and bone healing.

With marriage planned for next week, Lansius wanted to be in good shape, so he consumed the broth despite the bad aftertaste. He found himself wishing he could have simply fried the egg or salted it.

With Audrey gone to meet with Daniella, the upper floor of the mansion was quiet. So quiet that Lansius could hear the ringing in his ears, a byproduct of training and taking too many hits on the helmet.

A small price to pay for victory...

All the tension from yesterday’s battle had been eroded, although as he had experienced before, the horrors of war would linger for many months to come. He had seen flashes of men getting trampled beneath his destrier, but he was neither disturbed nor afraid.

He was simply mesmerized by how vivid the recollection was. Lansius shook his head; he didn’t want to ponder about it. Afterward, he drew a deep breath.

If only they knew that leaving people with nothing to do can actually hurt more than it helps.

He wished he had something to work as a distraction, otherwise, his brain would play those charging and trampling memories on repeat.

He drew another sigh, realizing he had yet to visit Sterling. Lansius missed the squire’s company. The young squire possessed a good intellect and critical thinking that made him a valuable discussion partner.

Lansius considered calling Cecile, but he knew she had too much on her plate right now. Left with nothing else to do, he turned his attention to the parchments on the desk and rose from the bedside.

He approached the desk, pulled out the small wooden chair, and tried to get comfortable. With just one hand, he slowly put away the stacks of parchment to the side. He wanted a fresh parchment for this one.

There was a plan he had yet to put on paper. His favorite quotes came to mind:

Knowledge isn’t power; it’s merely potential. Power comes from applying that knowledge. Wisdom comes from learning when and why to apply that knowledge.

Lansius had been pondering for a long time about Lowlandia, ever since he realized he was going to be independent in this land.

The Great Lowlandia, with all its politics, blood feuds, and problems, was a province in a state of war. With the Imperium failing and chaos at the door, Lansius realized that a drastic measure was needed to rein in the province. A half-hearted attempt would backfire and lead to a bigger tragedy.

He saw only two options. The first historically occurred on the steppe plains near the Onon River, leading to the birth of the largest Empire humankind had ever seen. Its method was effective yet inhumane.

History tells the story of Temujin of the Onon River, who, during his wars, ordered all men taller than the wheels of an ox-cart to be killed. He spared only the women and young boys who wouldn’t remember their fathers or uncles. In this way, Temujin – who would be remembered as Genghis Khan – ended the tribal blood feuds and paved the way for the unification of Mongolia.

Lansius wanted no part in such a method. So, he was left with another, less direct but equally drastic solution.

Thus, he sharpened his quill pen carefully, prepared his ink, and wrote several words:

征 sei

夷 i

大 dai

将 shō

軍 gun

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