Chapter 85

"Alright, then."

The Commander-in-Chief, unable to resist Otto's threats, finally decided to follow the orders.

"But I have a condition. Our soldiers are very tired now, so let them rest in the capital. Let them take a break and…."

Poke!

A fork stabbed the king's buttocks.

"Ouch!"

The king writhed, making a sound like a pig being slaughtered.

"No, why are you stabbing His Majesty's buttocks with a fork again!"

"Don't mess around."

Otto shot a disdainful glance at the Commander-in-Chief.

"Is there a chance to die using techniques in front of a master?"

"…."

"Am I crazy? Let you into the capital? Why? So you can pretend to rest and then cause a ruckus? You're pushing it too far. Do you think I'm a monkey?"

"…."

"Don't even think about messing around. If you do, I'll slit this guy's throat and install the crown prince. Every time you do something I don't like, a member of the royal family will die."

"I understand, please don't do that."

"If you understand, get out now."

Otto pointed east.

"Your fate, including this boar, will be decided by what you do."

"I will remember that."

Thus, the Commander-in-Chief, following Otto's orders, led the army back east.

"Assign scouts to keep a close watch on them to make sure they don't cause any trouble. If any suspicious signs are detected, report immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Otto issued the order and watched the retreating Margrave army in the distance, muttering to himself.

"Alright, let's go then."

"Uh?"

"Now we need to go see your father."

"Ah?"

"I'll follow you."

Otto did not intend to leave the Konyrat tribe in the hands of the Margrave army alone.

* * *

The Konyrat tribe, who had fled to the mountains, faced immense hardships and adversities.

The mountains of the Haver Plain were barren, with no food available.

Moreover, there was a shortage of drinking water.

The Kerait tribe, which had surrounded the mountains, had occupied all the water sources, making it impossible to obtain drinking water.

Thus, the Konyrat tribe, after their supplies of water and food ran out, resorted to peeling and eating tree bark, plucking and eating grass, and collecting rainwater to survive.

"Chief, please take this."

A warrior offered a piece of meat, either raw or cooked, to Amukan, who was resting against a rock.

It was a roughly roasted squirrel caught in the mountains.

"No, you eat it."

Amukan shook his head.

"Have you not gone without food for several days?"

"No, Chief, please take it."

"I'm fine."

Amukan did not use his position as chief to fill his own stomach.

'The chief must set an example. He must always show strength and yield to the tribe. Only then will the tribe trust and follow me.'

Amukan had been able to maintain his position as chief thanks to the leadership he had learned from Kyros.

The nomads of the Haver Plain valued survival above all else.

The fact that the tribe had abandoned Ulan Bator and followed him into exile was a miracle.

Considering the usual values and behavior of nomads, it would not have been strange for the tribe to betray Amukan and surrender en masse.

"They might attack, so conserve your strength. I can still hold on."

"Chief…."

"Just a few more days. Reinforcements will come. Trust me and hold on a little longer. This difficult journey will end soon."

"Ah, I understand!"

The warrior gained courage from Amukan's words.

The chief's confident tone gave the tribe the motivation to endure, no matter how difficult the situation.

"Tell the tribe that all trials will end within a week at the latest. So I will also hold on here."

"Yes!"

However, Amukan's heart was not at ease.

'This is a crisis. If this goes on for another day or two… even our tribe will break out of the mountains and surrender to them… Your Majesty… please come quickly.'

In fact, Amukan did not have the confidence to instill faith in the tribe.

He was simply holding on, trusting his lord Otto.

* * *

Meanwhile, the mood of Toghril, the chief of the Kerait tribe, was very foul.

"General Hoeyas was found dead."

"General Kuching has gone missing."

"Enemy cavalry is raiding our rear. Though few in number, they are extremely powerful and highly mobile, and we keep suffering."

Toghril was leisurely waiting, surrounding the mountain where the Konyrat tribe had taken refuge.

The Konyrat tribe was like a rat in a trap.

There was no need to go through the trouble of entering the mountain to hunt them down.

Time was on the side of the Kerait tribe.

However, the constant bad news from the rear was making Toghril increasingly irritable.

"These rat-like bastards…."

Toghril gnashed his teeth, but it was difficult to deal with the small, elite enemy force causing chaos in the rear.

All his troops were deployed to surround the mountain, leaving no room for a game of cat and mouse.

"What should we do, Chief?"

"Just let them be."

"Uh…?"

"We don't have the resources to chase these rats. If we pull troops, the encirclement will weaken, and the Konyrat tribe might escape. For now, let them run wild. Anyway…."

Toghril smiled sinisterly.

"In a day or two, the Konyrat tribe will no longer be able to hold on and will come down the mountain to surrender. Then only Amukan and a few loyal warriors will remain. The rest can be dealt with afterward."

"Understood."

"I need to blow off some steam, so bring me wine and meat."

"Yes, Chief."

Toghril indulged in wine and meat in his lavishly decorated tent, even calling in beautiful dancers for entertainment.

He decided to enjoy himself until the Konyrat tribe, exhausted, came to surrender.

* * *

While the Konyrat tribe was holding out in the mountains, Kyros, Camille, and the swordsmen performed admirably.

They successfully carried out countless special operations, such as rear disruption, assassination of key figures, and reconnaissance.

However, given the situation, they could not significantly influence the overall tide of events.

With the Kerait tribe launching a full-scale offensive and the Konyrat tribe taking refuge in the mountains, they could not achieve a significant impact.

After the final operation ended,

"…I should have resigned long ago."

Camille leaned against a rock and muttered to herself.

Every employee, no matter who they are, has a resignation letter in their heart.

Knights were no exception.

Though they were a professional (sort of), knights were still civil servants who received a salary from the state.

They were wage earners of this era, receiving a meager salary while being overworked by their evil boss (Otto).

After ten days of such overwork, even her usually neat and tidy appearance had become ragged.

"Cluck."

Kyros laughed at Camille.

"Knights who serve a bad lord are destined to suffer."

"…."

"You should have jumped ship when you had the chance. Now that you're here, blame your own foolishness. Cluck, cluck, cluck."

"Did your knights suffer a lot, sir?"

"Hmm."

Kyros was momentarily speechless at Camille's question.

"Suffer… Cluck. Yes, they did. They suffered for serving a bad lord."

Kyros recalled the faces of his subordinates who had helped him build the empire across the continent.

They were now likely reduced to bones….

'They suffered so much but never enjoyed the fruits of their labor. I am sorry. It is all my fault. If I hadn't been betrayed by that despicable scoundrel… you wouldn't have met such a miserable end.'

His subordinates, who had followed him all their lives and endured every hardship, were undoubtedly purged by Emperor Argon.

He had made them suffer without giving them the rewards they deserved.

"Don't just suffer for your lord. If you don't like it…."

"Sir."

Camille interrupted Kyros.

"Knights are selfish beings."

"Hmm?"

"Knights serve their lords out of chivalry, not for the lord's sake. We live to uphold chivalry and find meaning in life by doing so. Even if the lord is a devil in human form, we strive not to betray our chivalry. There is no wealth or honor in it."

"…Is that so?"

"If the lord is worth serving, that is enough for a knight. I can confidently say that there is no greater blessing for a knight."

"Cluck."

Kyros chuckled.

He felt a slight relief from the guilt in his heart after hearing Camille's words….

'Were you happy serving me? Was I worth serving? I hope so. That is just my desire and hope.'

Kyros wanted to ask his old subordinates if they had been happy serving him.

Of course, it was an impossible wish.

His subordinates were already reduced to bones….

"Anyway, you and your kind have always been a headache."

"I agree."

"You are a lucky one. Having a knight like you, who is so principled and rigid."

"That is true."

"Cluck, cluck, cluck!"

Kyros laughed, got up, and started walking.

"We've rested long enough. Let's go."

"Again?"

Camille honestly thought they had done enough.

Despite successfully carrying out dozens of special operations, they had not changed the course of the war, leading to a sense of futility.

"Why? Because it feels like meaningless resistance, like training a dog?"

"Honestly, yes."

"I feel the same way."

"Uh…?"

"We've shaken up the rear enough to pull some troops. However, the Kerait chief's determination to hold out suggests he is willing to accept this level of damage. Now, we have only one task left."

"What is it?"

"Soon, Puzil will lead an army. We need to…."

Kyros smiled.

"Prevent them from realizing Puzil is leading an army by cutting off their information network."

"Cut off the information network…!"

"From now on, we will focus on hunting their scouts and messengers. We will cut off the flow of information that reaches their eyes and ears. Then, they will be caught off guard by Puzil's army. Hehehehehe!"

Kyros was not just a brute with strength.

As he said, Kyros was a man who built an empire with a club and two X balls.

This meant more than just extensive combat experience.

He had accumulated a vast amount of experience in strategy, tactics, politics, diplomacy, and economics, making his perspective on any situation several times more insightful than that of ordinary people.