“Officer Odo, we couldn’t catch him; he got away.”
On the side of the trade route north of the manor, Jason, who had gone with a cavalryman from the Patrol Team to pursue the Watchtower Commander, reported the situation to Deputy Captain Odo of the Patrol Team, looking chagrined.
“Useless! You couldn’t even catch a man who was shot with an arrow. How do you usually train?” Odo’s scolding voice rang out.
Baron Belian’s personally commanded ambush battle was victorious. When over twenty Patrol Team Soldiers, ambushed on both sides of the trade route, rushed out, the greedy wolves chasing their prey turned into slaughtered rats. In less than half an hour, six enemy bodies lay on the ground, while the Patrol Team only suffered four minor injuries. But the Commander, who was shot in the left chest by Art, actually managed to escape during the melee. If this fellow led a large group of enemy Soldiers in pursuit, the large convoy would be in great danger.
“Odo, don’t blame him. Hurry and get the convoy to pass quickly and enter Kalk Fort as soon as possible. If we get entangled by pursuers later, so many of us won’t be able to escape.”
“Yes, Baron.”
Odo turned around and yelled at the two men directing Soldiers to finish off the wounded: “Baskazak, you two quickly clear the battlefield. Take everything you can, and all weapons, armor, and valuables are to be entrusted to your care.”
“Jason, ride north and tell Tuba and them to bring the convoy over quickly.”
The three received their orders and went about their busy tasks.
Spencer was also very busy. According to the Patrol Team’s custom, all weapons, armor, and valuables exceeding twenty fenny in price had to be handed over for distribution after the battle when clearing the battlefield. However, to encourage Soldiers to fight bravely, they were also allowed to keep some small items and less valuable goods.
As a veteran of the Patrol Team and an important “first attacker” in this ambush battle, Spencer naturally had the privilege of prioritizing the selection of spoils. At this moment, he was rummaging through the body of an enemy Soldier that had been riddled with holes. He wouldn’t touch the weapons or armor, not because he strictly adhered to military discipline, but because he simply wasn't interested in those things. He had already searched the money pouch and taken all dozen copper coins; now he was looking for the holy crucifixes that Soldiers usually carried with them. Some wealthy Soldiers had silver crucifixes. But Spencer searched for a long time and found no trace of a holy crucifix.
“Scum, not even a holy relic on you. No wonder God didn't bless you and let you die tragically here.” Spencer didn't care that the enemy Soldiers who wore holy crucifixes also didn't survive.
Colin stormed over to Spencer, yelling, “Spencer, you scum! You’re afraid of death when fighting, but when it comes to plundering valuables, you suddenly turn into a warrior!”
“I told you not to throw the grain bags, but you insisted. Now look, Officer Odo wants us to pick up all the goods we threw on the road.”
“Huh?” Spencer looked up in surprise.
“Let’s go, what are you still staring at? Do you expect me to go alone?”
“I… I still have to clear the battlefield as ordered…”
Colin wouldn't be fooled by Spencer’s excuse. He picked up a stone from the ground and was about to throw it. “Do you believe I’ll smash your dog’s head?”
“Alright, alright, I’ll go! I’ll go!”
“What a shame about all these good things lying here…”
“What a shame about this good thing.”
Ron stood by the crenellated wall of the watchtower, examining a damaged crossbow in his hand.
Ron was one of the three men in black who had stealthily entered the watchtower with Art. After Spencer and Colin pretended to be merchants to lure the enemy Soldiers from the watchtower into pursuit, the three of them quietly entered the tower.
Perhaps because no one had dared to harass this outpost for many days, the people in the tower were very relaxed. When the three closed the tower door and crept all the way up to the crenellated wall at the top, the two remaining Soldiers were actually standing by the wall, smiling and watching their companions chase their prey.
Art was the first to stoop and sneak behind a Soldier, stabbing his throat with a sword; Ron, who followed slightly half a step behind, found the Soldier in front of him already on guard. When Ron swung his sword, the Soldier blocked it with the crossbow in his hand, and the bowstring was split by the broadsword. After working with Art to kill this Soldier, Ron picked up the broken crossbow from the ground and cried out in distress. This type of crossbow was a heavy military weapon, usually controlled by large castles and the elite armies of great lords. Even the armory in Tinietz only had six or seven such heavy crossbows.
“Alright, Ron, you two stay here and observe the surroundings. If there’s any enemy activity, quickly give the alarm. I’ll go down and check the situation over there first.” With that, Art descended the tower via the wooden ladder.
It was already completely dark. An empty carriage was parked in the manor, and seven or eight Patrol Team Soldiers were counting the spoils in the watchtower. This watchtower was probably set up temporarily; everything that originally belonged to the manor had been plundered by the enemy Soldiers. Apart from a small amount of stored provisions, there were no other weapons or valuables in the tower. After a thorough search, they only found a small half-barrel of beer, a few bags of rye bread, and some miscellaneous items belonging to the Soldiers. Adding what was confiscated from the killed enemy Soldiers, there were only over two thousand fenny in coins, eight sets of weapons and armor, and two warhorses.
Looking at the weapons and armor stacked on the carriage, Baron Belian pulled Art aside and said, “Art, I want to discuss something with you. You know I’ve recruited so many Soldiers now, but Kalk Fort lacks weapons and armor. Our existing weapons aren’t enough to fully equip all the newly recruited Soldiers. So I was wondering if you would sell me the weapons captured this time, especially that crossbow. I only have eight of these siege weapons in my possession. I am willing to offer one thousand fenny to buy this crossbow, and I’ll buy the damaged one as well. You name a price for the other weapons; I won’t haggle.”
“Lord Belian, it was your idea to take down this outpost in the first place, so you should naturally have a share of the spoils. As for the other weapons, I’ll only keep four pieces of leather armor, and the rest are yours. As a condition, both warhorses will belong to me, how about that?” Art also lacked weapons and equipment, but Baron Belian needed these things more than Art did at the moment.
Ultimately, Art received four sets of thick leather armor and two warhorses. Of course, Baron Belian still paid Art one thousand fenny for the weapons.
Everyone didn’t linger long at the manor. After a quick cleanup, they immediately set off towards Kalk Fort…
When they arrived at Kalk Fort, dawn was just breaking.
This once unremarkable castle north of Aosta had become a true battlefield of carnage. The city walls were extensively damaged, and at their base lay various broken and ruined siege engines.
Teams of Soldiers were patrolling the city walls, archers in the arrow towers tensely watched the distance, and the brown-bottomed Pegasus banner flapped in the wind on the city wall, its sound like hunting. Numerous cheval de frise were set up in front of the tightly closed city gates. The gate-guarding Soldier saw the slowly approaching convoy and, after careful observation, noticed that the convoy was led by their Baron’s banner. He quickly reported to the Commander defending the city.
Soon, the main gate opened, and several cavalrymen charged out of the gate archway.
The leading knight hastily dismounted and approached Baron Belian, “My Lord, you’ve returned. Last week, over a hundred enemy troops came to attack the city, and we almost lost Kalk Fort.”
“Let’s talk inside the city; it’s not safe outside.” Baron Belian finished speaking and led the convoy into Kalk Fort, where a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted within the fort.
Art led the Patrol Team into Kalk Fort and had just lain down in a thatched hut when the sound of ox horns blared from the fort wall, signaling an alarm. A troop of Lombardy cavalry charged towards Kalk Fort from the northern trade route.
Art, disregarding the fatigue of traveling all night, struggled to get up from his straw bed, roused Ron and Jason, who were sprawled asleep in the hut, and walked out the door.
“Ron, go wake them up.”
Ron, putting on his armor and strapping on his sword, ran towards another straw shed~
Art climbed onto the city wall. Outside the city wall, about an arrow’s distance away, over thirty cavalrymen were lined up, confronting them. Thirty men wasn’t a large number, but thirty cavalrymen was quite a sight. Art was surprised by the Lombardy army’s reaction speed; the cavalry had already caught up in just a few hours. Fortunately, they hadn’t lingered at the manor, otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
The thirty-odd cavalrymen outside the city were led by a fellow bearing a gray bear crest banner. Art was relatively familiar with the Lombardy noble system, but he didn’t recall any Lombardy family using a black bear crest. It was probably a new military honor that had emerged during this war.
The leader of the cavalry rode alone to about fifty paces outside the fort gate, stopped, and snarled at the people on the city wall: “When Kalk is taken, I will surely slaughter all of you.”
The leader’s words carried an intimidating boldness and killing intent. Jason couldn’t help but feel a tremor in his heart, his calves feeling somewhat weak. “My Lord, these fellows… how are they even more… than those ruthless bandits…?”
“More frightening than ruthless bandits, right?” Art smiled and glanced at Jason beside him. He had to admit that the cavalry below the city wall indeed carried a killing aura from prolonged warfare. This kind of killing aura wasn’t something one could gain by killing a few ruthless bandits; only those who had crawled out of piles of dead bodies could possess it.
“Art, it seems you won’t be able to leave for the next two days.” Baron Belian had appeared behind Art at some point.
“Lord Belian, shouldn’t you send troops out to engage them?” Jason asked timidly. In his memory, such occasions should be like those sung by bards, where brave guardians led their armies out to drive away invaders.
Baron Belian and Art both laughed simultaneously. “Young man, you can’t trust the boasts of bards. Going out to engage them at a time like this would be foolish.”
“Strengthen defenses, strictly guard against sneak attacks.” After giving orders to those around him, Baron Belian descended from the city wall.
“Art, let your men go back to sleep. Get plenty of rest. Tonight, I’m holding a banquet in the inner fort and invite you and your Commanders to attend.”
The cavalry outside the city continued to hurl insults and provocations into the wind. No matter how hoarse they became from shouting outside, the Soldiers on the city wall remained completely unmoved. Losing interest, the enemy Soldiers had no choice but to ride away.
Art surveyed the young and strong Soldiers in armor and wielding weapons on the city wall, and couldn't help but sigh—it seemed Provence still had elite troops and fierce generals. Lombardy's ambition to conquer Provence in one fell swoop might not be so easy to achieve…
That night, Kalk Fort was filled with jubilation. Baron Belian’s trip north had brought back much-needed grain to Kalk Fort and recruited over seventy Soldiers. Although these temporarily recruited Soldiers weren’t considered elite, having veteran Soldiers who had survived countless battles leading the defense of the city posed no problem.
Kalk Fort could hold out for several more months.