“Lord Galvin, are we really not going to clear out the bandits?” Officer Odo was very puzzled by Baron Belian’s decision not to have the Patrol Team clear out the bandits in the hills, but the Patrol Team had already been hired and had no choice but to follow Baron Belian’s arrangements.
For Baron Belian, bringing the grain and the new recruits enlisted in Kitzby back to Kalk Fort as soon as possible was a more pressing matter than clearing out a few bandits entrenched in the dense forest valleys.
In this camp raid, Art’s Patrol Team had one Soldier killed, two Soldiers seriously wounded, four Soldiers lightly wounded, and countless others with minor sword and knife injuries; additionally, two coachmen sent by Sap were killed.
The bandits were also almost completely wiped out. After post-battle inventory and interrogation, there were a total of fifty-seven bandits from six different groups involved in this raid on the convoy. Soon after the battle began, seven or eight fell in front of the shield formation, and Jason and a few others also killed three behind the formation; after the shield formation dispersed and the order to pursue was given, four more bandits were hunted down. Apart from the two minor leaders and seven or eight lackeys who ultimately escaped into the dense forest, the remaining bandits either lay on the ground as cold corpses or were bound hand and foot to the wagon wheels, becoming prisoners of war.
Originally, the Patrol Team had only killed about ten people on the spot, but the injured and disabled bandits lying on the ground became targets for the bloodthirsty Soldiers to vent their anger. Any bandit who couldn't get up from the ground was given a finishing blow by the Soldiers, so after the count, nearly half of the bandits were killed, and almost every Patrol Soldier had bandit blood on their hands. In addition, Baron Belian and his two attendants alone killed eight people.
The bandits had been impoverished for many days, so their spoils of war were naturally not much. When Bass led the Soldiers to the place in the dense forest where the warhorses were hidden, only one horse and one mule remained of the eight mixed horses and green mules mentioned by the captives. There were many weapons scattered on the ground, but Art really didn't care for the bandits' long sticks, short knives, hand axes, and iron forks; in the end, they only collected two or three sets of leather and cotton armor, three or four chipped military swords, a dozen long knives and short spears, thirty-something small silver coins, and over a hundred copper fennies. It was said that there was a lot of gold and silver treasure in the bandit lair deep in the hills, but Baron Belian was anxious to transport the grain and continue his journey, unwilling to cause more trouble. Moreover, the escaped bandits might have already emptied the lair, so Art had no choice but to give up.
“Lord Galvin, my lord requests your presence in the tent for discussion,” one of Baron Belian’s attendants entered from outside the tent, interrupting Officer Odo and Art’s discussion.
Art stood up, straightened his armor, and instructed Officer Odo: “You go arrange the funeral for our fallen brothers. I will invite Baron Belian and Lord Galvin to attend. Also, arrange for the two seriously wounded brothers to be placed in the carriage Galvin brought. I will ask Galvin to take them back to Sap for treatment.”
Officer Odo nodded in agreement and left the military tent.
Art also followed the attendant out of the military tent and entered Baron Belian’s military tent.
Galvin was eloquently conversing with Baron Belian in the tent. The unexpected ambush on the convoy had actually annihilated the bandits entrenched in the southern hills, finally loosening the grip on Sap’s throat and reopening the trade route to Provence.
“Art, you’re here, quickly sit down. I was just discussing your Patrol Team with Baron Belian. I really didn’t expect you to wipe out the bandits in the hills so easily,” Lord Galvin’s tone was filled with uncontrollable excitement.
Art walked directly to a wooden stump serving as a stool, sat down, and looked at the two in the tent, replying, “Lord Galvin, we also didn’t expect the bandits in the hills to be so rampant, daring to attack a convoy guarded by dozens of people. But it’s good now, there are no large groups of bandits in the dozens of miles of hills. However, as you must have seen, we also suffered heavy casualties in this raid.”
Galvin turned to look at the camp outside the tent flap and said to Art, “You don’t need to worry too much. I will definitely take your wounded Soldiers back to Sap for good treatment.”
“Thank you for your generosity and kindness, Lord Galvin. Also, please take those bandit prisoners back to Sap for detention. I have already dealt with the leaders and hardened criminals among them; the rest are just coerced lackeys, and I will take them back to supplement our laborers and slaves.”
“Good, no problem, I won’t let them starve to death in my prison. Furthermore, I also plan to write an urgent sealed letter to Viscount Pierre, reporting your outstanding military achievements.” Galvin said, taking a deerskin money pouch from his Pregnant and handing it to Art.
“Art, this is the bounty I promised for clearing out the bandits, thirty-five large silver coins. To compensate for your dead and wounded Soldiers, I’m also giving you the horse outside the tent.”
Galvin was generous. According to the pre-arranged terms, Art would send troops to assist in clearing out the southern hill bandits, and Galvin would pay a military expense of up to five thousand fennies, which was the Patrol Team’s total military expenditure for nearly two months. Now, Galvin not only paid the full military expense but also additionally gifted a strong adult horse worth over fifteen hundred fennies.
“But you have to promise me one condition.”
Art knew there was no such thing as a free lunch and asked, “What condition?”
“You have to safely bring my convoy back to Sap. This convoy is one-third of my merchant fleet, and I need these wagons to make money for me.”
This condition was not too harsh, and Art agreed.
Outside the military tent, Obert, under the leadership of Team Leader Colin, was dragging the bandit corpses one by one into a large pit for burial.
Obert couldn't stand the scattered limbs and distorted, wide-eyed corpses any longer. He “wah-ed” and vomited up all the meat porridge and wheat gruel he had eaten that morning. He wiped his mouth and said to the unbothered Colin, “Colin, aren’t you disgusted?”
Colin stared at the corpse in front of him, which had half its head cut off, and said, “Of course I’m disgusted. Now, whenever I think of eating meat, I feel sick.”
“Then why aren’t you at all—”
“Not afraid, you mean? You haven’t seen enough. This spring, we were in Ars堡, and the scene there was even more f***ing disgusting. For several weeks after the battle, I didn’t eat a single bite of meat. When I saw that red and white mushy meat, it reminded me of the green intestines and brain matter all over the ground, just like this—” Colin used his dagger to pick up a pile of red and white stuff and held it in front of Obert.
“Wah~ Wah~ Wah~”
Obert hadn't even finished listening before he ran aside, clutching his stomach and vomiting violently. Another new recruit dragging a corpse next to Obert saw the vomit spewing from Obert’s mouth, and his stomach churned. Vomiting sounds echoed all around…
“A bunch of useless new recruit softies!” Spencer, the “Quartermaster” who was rummaging through the bandit corpses by the large pit for any overlooked valuables, spat at the new recruits kneeling on the ground and vomiting. He then turned and used the hilt of his short sword to smash the bandit corpse’s buck teeth—
“Spencer, where the hell have you been? It’s time to make lunch!” Officer Odo’s rough voice rang out.
“Officer Odo, I’ll go back and start the fire right away.” Spencer reached into the corpse’s gaping mouth, pulled out a silver tooth, wiped it on his clothes, kissed it fiercely, and tucked it into his Pregnant.
After burying the fallen Soldiers at noon, Galvin and seven or eight cavalrymen from the fort took the prisoners and wounded Soldiers back to Sap, while the southbound convoy continued its journey with the grain.
… … … …
Without the worry of bandit attacks along the way, the southbound convoy progressed smoothly. A day and a half later, the convoy had already left the mountains and reached the northern border region of Provence.
Upon reaching the Provence territory, the atmosphere suddenly became severe. Fully armed troops were stationed and patrolling at various important traffic routes and large and small villages, forts, and strongholds. Checkpoints became more numerous, and inspections became stricter. Fortunately, the convoy had Baron Belian’s banner, so they passed through checkpoints without hindrance.
That night, the convoy spent the night in a border fortress called Simplon. The lord of Simplon warmly hosted Baron Belian, and the Patrol Team Soldiers were also allowed to “relax” a bit in Simplon Fort. The veteran Patrol Team Soldiers, who had accumulated a good amount of pay, rushed with mischievous smiles to the “battlefields” of Simplon’s streets and alleys, while the new recruits who had just joined the Patrol Team were not so lucky. Firstly, they were ordered to guard the grain wagons in the camp and not allowed to go out. Secondly, their pay was indeed not much, and they couldn’t afford the high fees of the Simplon women.
Looking at the veteran Soldiers going out in groups of three or five to seek pleasure, a newly joined Lucerne laborer recruit said resentfully, “Damn it, when I save enough pay, I’m definitely going to have a big feast and then find two girls to sleep with properly!!”
Kazak, who had just passed by, heard the two new recruits’ discussion, stopped, and said, “Gerr, you don’t have to wait until you save enough pay. Galvin said he’d give you military rewards when we reach Kitzby. You killed a bandit, and according to this battle’s spoils, you’ll have at least sixty fennies. Then your wish can come true.”
“Kazak—no, Officer Kazak, is that true? Will the military rewards be distributed so soon?” The laborer Soldier named Gerr asked his familiar brother-officer.
“Galvin told Officer Odo himself. He said the battle was tough, and we shouldn’t treat everyone unfairly.” Kazak had the second half of his sentence unsaid—if they didn’t spend it now, they might not live to spend it later.
Laughter and merriment filled the taverns big and small in Simplon Fort all night long…
In the early morning of the next day, after the Soldiers returned to camp, the convoy continued its journey, heading towards Kitzby, east of Simplon.
Although there were sporadic bandits eyeing the grain convoy on the road to Kitzby, the Patrol Team Soldiers, with fresh bloodstains on their hands, were highly vigilant. The sporadic bandits, seeing that their prey’s fangs were too sharp, did not dare to raid.
The destination the grain convoy was heading towards was currently undergoing an unprecedented Soldier recruitment. Baron Belian’s other two attendants, guided by someone during this period, hired several city cooks to make porridge and stewed meat, attempting to lure people with delicious food to recruit Soldiers and laborers to go south to Kalk Fort to defend against the enemy.
The two attendants had been recruiting Soldiers in Kitzby for over half a month under Baron Belian’s orders, but many vagrants, upon hearing that they had to return south, especially to the war-torn Aosta region, immediately shrank their necks and walked away. After half a month, despite offering high military pay, the two attendants only managed to recruit thirty-something desperate individuals who loved money and weren't afraid of death.
Left with no choice, the attendants had to use Baron Belian’s banner to request Viscount Aldor Coppola, the lord of Kitzby, to send people to assist them in offering a considerable salary outside the city, recruiting a group of refugees of varying strength and age through both hiring and conscription.
One attendant stirred the almost cold wheat gruel in the pot with a wooden spoon and said resentfully, “But what can we do? That clerk was also a damn liar, saying that cooking a few pots of hot porridge among the refugees would recruit many strong men. Look, if Galvin comes back and sees that the two of us have only recruited so few people, how will we explain ourselves?”
The other attendant also looked worried: “I told you, but you didn’t believe me. Who would follow us south to their death for a meal of wheat porridge?”