The outpost was lit up as usual, as if nothing had happened.
When Art opened his eyes again, it was already completely dark. The arrow wound on his left shoulder had been treated with special herbs brought from the Valley Medical Officer, and the most intense pain had passed. Now, all that remained was soreness, numbness, and hot swelling.
“My Lord, you’re awake?” Ron came to Art’s bed with a bowl of thick meat broth seasoned with spices.
“Ron, is everything outside alright?” Art supported himself with his right hand and sat up, enduring the pain.
“My Lord, Officer Odo and Officer Angus have made all the arrangements. The captives and drivers from earlier today have been sent to that cave by Officer Odo, along with the captured supplies. Officer Angus has set up cavalry outposts five miles to the south, north, and east of the outpost. All the supplies in the outpost that haven't been taken away are gathered in one place, so if there’s any sign of the enemy, we can set it on fire and withdraw.”
“No enemy Soldiers have come yet, so it’s likely we haven’t been discovered.”
Art pondered for a moment, then said, “Let’s just stay here for a few days. Maybe we can wait for another Quartermaster Corps. Are Angus and Odo in the outpost?”
“Officer Odo is back, Officer Angus just went out on patrol.”
“Then go call Odo in.”
Ron placed the soup bowl on a wooden stool beside Art’s bed and turned to leave the room to find Odo.
Art glanced at the meat broth on the wooden stool and only then realized his stomach was rumbling and hunger was surging. He tried to reach for the bowl, but a sharp pain shot through his shoulder again.
“This is so damn unlucky!!” Art cursed inwardly.
Just as he endured the sharp pain to lift the wooden bowl to his lips, Ron entered the room with Odo.
“Odo, have the captives and supplies been properly arranged?” Art sounded a bit weak, his voice not loud.
Odo stepped forward and crouched by the bed, replying, “Rest assured, My Lord, the captives and supplies are all hidden in the cave. On the way, I killed an enemy Soldier guard who tried to escape. The rest are all tied up in the cave. I’ve assigned four Soldiers to guard them, and then sent people back to Talburg to organize laborers and Soldiers to transport the supplies and captives back to the military fort.”
“Excellent! You weren’t discovered when moving the supplies, were you?”
“Probably not. I sent scouts along the way to the cave. My Lord, you were injured and unconscious during the day, so we didn't dare risk taking you away from here. Should we leave now?” Odo asked.
Art took a sip of the meat broth, shook his head, and said, “No rush. Since we’re already here, let’s not treat ourselves as guests. We might as well stay a few more days. If we’re lucky, we might even get some more provisions and supplies.”
Odo lowered his head and thought about the pros and cons for a while, then said to Art with some concern, “My Lord, isn’t this a bit too risky? This is enemy territory after all. If we get surrounded, none of us will escape.”
“Hmm, it is a bit risky. So, when Angus returns later, tell him that starting tomorrow, we’ll send out scout cavalry to set up hidden outposts five miles to the south and east, and eight miles to the north, centered around the outpost. Each outpost must carry dried wolf dung. If they encounter a large Quartermaster Corps or an urgent enemy situation, they are to immediately light the wolf dung to give warning. Except for a few bold and meticulous Soldiers who will wear enemy Soldier uniforms and pretend to be enemy Soldiers in the outpost, everyone else will be ambushed in the watchtower. Once the prey enters, they are to pounce on them. Additionally, have horses and carriages ready in the watchtower. If a large number of enemies approach, we will set it on fire and quickly withdraw.”
“You and Angus will be responsible for this matter.” Art instructed Odo.
“Yes, My Lord!”
Odo did not leave after receiving the order. He looked at Art’s heavily bandaged shoulder and asked, “My Lord, should you return to Talburg to recover from your injury first? Angus and I can handle things here.”
“My injury isn’t too serious. Although I can’t participate in combat for now, riding a horse to escape is still fine.” Art replied, looking at his shoulder.
… … … …
In the afternoon of the third day after capturing the enemy outpost, Art, wearing an enemy Soldier’s cloak and with his arrow wound, was observing the south side of the main road at the outpost entrance.
During the past two days of occupying the outpost, two passing beer merchants, a general goods merchant, and six passersby had already been detained in the outpost. Art, as usual, forcibly confiscated all their belongings, but since these people were just civilians, Art did not yet have the habit of indiscriminate killing, so he merely temporarily confined them in a dilapidated room in the outpost.
Odo came down from the outpost and walked to Art’s side, saying, “My Lord, two days have passed, and no enemy Quartermaster Corps has come from the south. If we wait any longer, we risk exposure.”
Art gazed to the south, seeing neither wolf smoke nor returning scouts. “According to what the captives said, basically every two or three days, a batch of supplies passes through here from the south to the north. It’s already the third day, so the next Quartermaster Corps should be arriving.”
“They should be here, but the last Quartermaster Corps hasn’t reached the next outpost in three days. The enemy Soldiers at the next outpost will probably be suspicious and might send people to investigate.” Odo replied.
“Your concern is valid. Give the order for everyone to prepare to withdraw. At a single command, everyone will retreat to the mountains to the west.”
“Yes.” Odo went to make the arrangements.
Just as Art was about to turn back into the outpost to rest, a scout cavalry galloped from the south.
“Is there an enemy? Why was no wolf smoke lit?” Odo grabbed Jason’s reins and asked urgently.
Jason dismounted and swallowed, then said to Art and Odo, “My Lords, a convoy with a red background and flying bird emblem flag has come from the south. Two carriages, seven guards, including two cavalrymen. They should reach here in less than an hour.”
“Finally, they’re here. Seven people guarding two carriages, it must be valuable goods. My Lord, do we attack?” Odo was a bit excited.
“Attack, we definitely attack. Haven’t we been on edge these past few days, waiting for them?”
“However, the enemy has seven people, and two cavalrymen. We cannot be careless.”
Art pondered for a moment, then looked up and instructed the few people gathered around him:
“Jason, ride quickly to the east and north to notify Angus and Ron to hurry back.”
“Tuba, have everyone else hide in the outpost for the ambush. Soldiers with bows and crossbows should find good positions. Soldiers who can ride horses should hide behind the outpost. When the scout cavalry return later, they should also ambush behind the outpost. As soon as the front opens fire, all cavalrymen are to charge forward and cut them down.”
“Odo, have those few make a fire and roast meat in that open area. Make the fire burn fiercely, and the meat smell delicious. Also, set out a few empty wine barrels.” Art pointed to the three Soldiers disguised as enemy Soldiers at the main entrance of the outpost.
An hour later, the convoy guarded by seven Soldiers slowly approached the outpost.
The outpost gate was wide open. On an open space nearby, a whole smoked pork leg was sizzling over a campfire. Wine barrels were tilted on the ground beside the campfire, and three disheveled, drunken outpost guards lay sprawled on the ground.
“A bunch of Bastards, to let them guard the outpost, and they dare to get this drunk.” The convoy leader, on horseback, cursed angrily as he looked at the few people drunk into a puddle beside the outpost gate.
The rider beside the leader dismounted and walked to the campfire, kicking a Soldier who was sprawled on the ground. The Soldier moved, but didn’t wake up. The rider kicked him again, still no response, but a nearby Soldier was roused. He rubbed his eyes and slowly got up.
“Bastard!! Who told you to drink? Where’s your Commander?” The rider yelled at the Soldier, who reeked of alcohol.
The muddled Soldier raised his hand and pointed to the outpost, answering indistinctly with a southern accent, “Commander~mander, drunk, sleeping~ inside~” Then he collapsed back onto the ground.
“Scum!!” The rider spat at the collapsed Soldier, then turned and returned to the mounted leader’s side.
The leader glanced at the wide-open outpost gate, waved to the convoy behind him, and led the way into the outpost.
The dismounted rider, leading his horse, prepared to follow, but seeing the sizzling roasted meat on the campfire, his mouth watered. He let go of the reins and walked towards the campfire. Just as the rider bent down to take the roasted meat, he inadvertently caught sight of a drawn short sword tightly gripped in the right hand of the drunken Soldier beneath him. As he was about to flip over the drunken Soldier to take a closer look, the Soldier’s squinted eyes suddenly opened wide.
“Huh? You…” Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden twang of a bowstring resounded from inside the outpost. Then, this dismounted rider was tackled by the suddenly rising “drunken” Soldier. As a short sword pierced his chest, the corner of the rider’s eye caught sight of a troop of cavalry charging out from behind the outpost…
This was the only battle Art did not personally participate in. When he feigned drunkenness and pointed the inquiring rider towards the inside of the outpost, the outcome of this brilliant ambush was already decided.
Four cavalry bows and a crossbow directly shot the mounted leader who first entered the outpost into a hedgehog. The remaining five enemy Soldiers were surrounded by cavalry charging out from both sides of the outpost. After two were cut down, the other enemy Soldiers all threw down their weapons and knelt on the ground.
The battle ended in the time it took to drink a bowl of soup. The convoy leader died without understanding why so many arrows suddenly flew from his own outpost to claim his life.
“My Lord, this dirty trick is really effective.” Odo walked out of the outpost and said to Art, who was sitting by the campfire gently rubbing his shoulder.
“It’s also because the enemy was too careless, not even sending a scout.” Art said with a smile.
“This is their own territory, their own outpost. How could they have imagined it would be openly occupied by a group of enemy Soldiers, haha.” Odo was already laughing uncontrollably.
“Come on, let’s see what good things are in the carriages.” Art offered his right hand to Odo, and Odo pulled him up with effort.
The two ignored the captives being guarded by Soldiers with longswords and short spears, and went directly to the two carriages, pulling back the thick felt covers. The moment the felt covers were removed, both their eyes widened—the carriages were neatly stacked with brand new shields and armor. After counting, there were not only fifteen sets of well-made double-layered leather armor and iron helmets with nose guards, and thirty iron-rimmed leather round shields, but also three sets of chainmail with the quality of fine iron and one set of iron scale armor.
Pulling back the felt cover of the other carriage, it was also filled with excellent weapons: twenty sheathed longswords, ten shortswords, twenty fine iron spearheads, ten horn longbows, five bundles of light arrows, two bundles of heavy arrows, two bundles of crossbow bolts, and three crossbows wrapped in layers of oilcloth.
Looking at the weapons in the two carriages and the captured supplies inside and outside the outpost, Art disregarded the arrow wound on his shoulder and couldn't help but burst into laughter…
“Odo, pack up, we’re withdrawing…”
Two hours later, only an outpost engulfed in roaring flames remained on the main road…