Chapter 202: Those on the Run (1)

Chapter 202: Those on the Run (1)

“. . . . . .”

“. . .”

An awkward silence filled the tent where the nobles were gathered. The pagan expert noble who had been arguing that they should retreat earlier awkwardly avoided eye contact.

A noble who had no battle experience and knew little about command spoke up quizzically.

Are they trying to lure us?

Unless they are complete fools, they would not try to lure us like that.

One of the nobles murmured. Indeed, what he said was true. If they wait a little, the opponent was retreating at full speed. To lure someone, you need to match the speed to some extent, but the opponent was abandoning the spoils and supplies they had gathered and was running away.

The nobles did not know whether they should be happy or embarrassed about this situation, so they just kept looking at each other.

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It would have been best if they had captured several guys from Adviko and the Empire, but they ran away first.

Johan was regretful, but did not chase after Adviko. There was too much to do.

“Chase after those b*stards!”

Both the center and left were worried. If we had chased after Adviko and their allied camp collapsed, there would be nothing more absurd.

The warriors seemed regretful as they turned their heads in succession to look in the direction Adviko had escaped.

“Still. . . even if His Excellency is not here, there’s no way the others, who are not *ssholes, would immediately collapse, right?”

“Assume they are *ssholes.”

“. . . . . .”

At Johan’s words, the warriors who were grumbling closed their mouths. They could feel genuine anger mixed in.

If Johan’s leadership was weak, there would have been people who refused the order and ran out, but Johan’s presence was too great for that.

The warriors attacked the crumbling center of the enemies. Realizing their commanders had fled, the helpless enemies collapsed and fled. In such chaos, having several times more in number meant nothing.

“Don’t bother chasing the escaping ones! Maintain formation! Take care of the remaining guys first!”

When the enemy’s center collapsed beyond recognition, Johan received a report that the enemy’s right wing was also escaping.

‘Good.’

Johan heaved a sigh of relief. The enemies on the other side clearly panicked and fled hastily, realizing the allied army had escaped over there.

From Johan’s perspective, it was rather fortunate. After all, they had just gone through several intense battles without rest. He did not really want to clash with still robust enemies in this condition.

While his side had the enemies surrounded, to be honest, the allied encirclement was far from robust enough. . .

‘It’s like a sieve full of holes.’

“Those guys are escaping! Let’s fight fair and square!”

“Come back, you cowardly cravens!”

“. . . . . .”

Seeing the warriors next to him yelling tirelessly, Johan was dumbfounded. Even the veteran mercenaries, elites to some extent, were now sprawled on their horses, exhausted. . .

In fact, the mercenaries were hesitating whether to stop the warriors or not, staring at them.

‘Still, they pulled it off somehow.’

Johan looked over the battlefield with a strange sense of catharsis mixed in. The disorganized escape of countless enemies was a luxury only the victor could enjoy.

. . .Of course, for Johan, this allied force was one that made him grit his teeth, swearing never to join forces and fight again. . .

“Good job. With this, it should be quiet for a while. No need to think too far ahead for now.”

Starting with chasing the remaining enemies, and how to request compensation from Mairene City which dared attack the Order. . .

These were not issues Johan had to worry about now.

“We were very lucky in many ways.”

Seeing how things were going, if Johan had not come out early, it could have really become dangerous. If the center and left had collapsed, even Johan’s elite troops would have had to retreat first, no matter how outstanding they were.

“Yes. We were really lucky. Especially Jyanina. . .”

At Suetlg’s words, Johan nodded. Jyanina’s feats were unexpected to both Johan and Suetlg.

From Johan’s perspective, it was absurd that those who couldn’t properly ambush and caused disturbances blamed others for not fighting well. Of course they desperately fought with the soldiers afterwards, but. . .

Honestly, it seemed it wouldn’t have made much difference if they weren’t there.

“Shouldn’t we stop them?”

Johan quietly asked the bishop. The battle hadn’t completely finished yet, so it wasn’t good for them to bite and tear at each other like that.

“Why should we stop them?”

“. . .”

The Bishop of Castilionne looked at Johan as if he really didn’t understand.

Just because one is a bishop doesn’t mean one unconditionally loves peace and encourages reconciliation. If one was that slow-witted, one wouldn’t have been able to rise to the position of bishop either.

While it made sense to stop the quarrel since the fight wasn’t over yet, the bishop preferred punishing the useless cowards.

Besides, it wasn’t the bishop but other nobles who stepped forward and fought.

Johan realized he was the only one in this place who could stop the fight.

“Everyone, stop. They probably didn’t act cowardly on purpose either. According to the knights who were with them, I heard they fought quite bravely too.”

“???”

Johan’s knights looked at Johan in puzzlement.

They were the ones who hurriedly came to him as soon as the battle ended, saying ’Those cowardly b*stards! While His Excellency was fighting. . .!’

And now they bravely fought?

“If His Excellency says so. . .”

The feudal lords who were angry also hesitated, wondering what more they could say when the person who should be angriest said that.

The nobles who were condemned sent Johan grateful looks from their hearts and slightly bowed their heads.

The grace given at times like this left a deeper impression than a hundred words of courtesy or gift boxes full of gold coins. They sincerely thanked Johan in their hearts.

‘Count Yeats. Thank you! I will not forget this incident.’

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As the fighting was more or less over, one knight cautiously opened his mouth.

“Should we not chase after the escaping enemies?”

At those words, all those who had just fought nodded their heads at the same time. It was something worth doing.

Although the spoils of war and hostages gained from today’s battle were considerable, many had escaped. Adviko and his adjutants, as well as the knights and wizards from the Empire, and so on.

If they were captured, they could extract a huge ransom.

Originally, even if they escaped, it would not have been easy to chase them with so many soldiers. But this time was different. They had escaped with only their bodies from a completely collapsed state.

If we can catch them before they get out of this region!

“You’re right. Let’s organize a pursuit team quickly!”

“Your Excellency Count, will you come with us?”

“No.”

Johan flatly refused. He would never agree to catch them alone and then catch them together with these nobles who would turn them inside out.

“Your Excellency must be worried about the baron. To match your words, the baron may have to fall down.”

“These guys. . .”

As the other nobles added as if they were being condescending, the baron glared at them angrily.

“Fine. I will definitely catch those city b*stards and show them to you!”

“I want to go too. Bishop, you will allow me to join the pursuit, won’t you?”

Since the number was like grains of sand from the beginning, it was similar during the pursuit.

The nobles were stimulated by the competitive spirit mixed with the resentment that had just occurred. The nobles who had subordinates who could ride horses embarked on the pursuit without hesitation.

“. . .Your Excellency Count. Our family has a horse with good lineage that we would like to give you as a gift. Would you like to join us?”

Some feudal lords cautiously approached Johan despite having seen him be flatly rejected just before. It was more because they wanted to build closer ties with Johan rather than wanting to capture the enemy.