Chapter 4 – 0. Northern Twilight (4)
“The great unification of the foreign races?”
“I heard that conflicts in the Far North are never-ending for generations!”
“Unless someone outstanding leader shows up…”
Oriane groaned quietly. Even after Margrave Gerard’s death, there were several invasions by foreign tribes. However, the couple were busy keeping each other in check, so it was only one or two tribes, and about half of them had a strong protest character, so they would return if they gave them food.
But twelve tribes.
This means that all the nomads who roamed the limits of the far north gathered together. And there was only one invasion of this scale in the Margrave’s history.
“It is the second coming of the Great Invasion of Rus.”
“This is an urgent matter to be reported to the King.”
The four retainers, including Baron Marbo, agreed. Usually, they were busy taking care of their own interests, but this time, they immediately unified their opinions. That’s because today’s situation was not something to be taken lightly.
“Lord, please make a decision.”
I tightened the fur that Oriane had wrapped around me like a cape. It was because if I didn’t do that, the northern cold would pierce my heart like a sharp dagger. In fact, the cold of the watchtower was very bitter even now wearing winter clothes.
The snow that was blown by the wind crashed as dangerously as my own heart.
“It is difficult to estimate the number of the enemy because of the bad climate, but even the smallest tribe among them number a thousand. Even more so, if all 12 tribes were gathered, no matter how conservatively we recruited our troops, it would easily exceed 10,000.”
“This is a story based on the premise of only trained warriors. Until now, there has never been a single leader who has united the twelve tribes in the far north. If, as Baron Lavalle said, some divinity leads them…”
“Even the great war that Margrave Gerard fought while he was alive was an alliance of only nine tribes. If so, an all-out war with twelve tribes could be over thirty thousand. There are no more than 5,000 soldiers of our Marquis Command.”
“Barons Lusson and Hugues are right. Even if the elite soldiers guarding this fortress manage to fight, the soldiers recruited from other districts within the territory will easily defeat one foreign warrior and ten will die.”
If someone you don’t know well sees it, you could ask if I’m judging too pessimistically. But these were none other than the four barons of Lemoyn. They were the driving force and pillars that supported the frontier Baekryung, and they were the ones who accompanied Gerard, her husband, while he was alive.
Reality, not exaggeration or bluff.
With a bitter smile on her face, Oriane finally turned around. After that, he looked at the last vassal, who had remained silent despite the baron’s remarks, and sought his opinion.
“What do you think of the vice-count?”
The deputy count of Corvin, a warrior with a strong momentum like a mountain in spite of his ordinary body, finally opened his mouth.
“It’s not even worth a second thought.”
“What exactly?”
The de facto second-in-command following Marquis Gerard. In the past, he was a loyalist who gave the honor to Hansako Oriane, even though he himself could inherit the territory. He glared at the four barons with sad blue eyes like a knight, and answered clearly.
“All of it.”
“Do you have any insight?”
“Of course.”
Corvin nodded his head and continued.
“I will point it out from the beginning.”
First, it was the army that Baron La Vallee and Baron Lusson had mentioned.
“Enemy numbers are definitely important. But the two barons forgot that there was something more important than that.”
“What is it?”
“This is their purpose.”
La Vallee and Lusson wriggled. Corbin continued his words without hesitation.
“Look. All of you here are acting as if the war has already happened, but in this cold weather, not sending messengers or attacking means something else most likely.”
The Far North Limit Line is a line that divided the environment in which humans could survive in the past to the north. No matter how strong the foreign peoples of the snowy plains stretched from the Marginal Baekryong to the top, they couldn’t survive in the land beyond the limit line.
Because they are people too.
Similarly, protests are meaningless in this kind of weather. Because it will be faster to verb. The enemy won’t even know it. Nevertheless, he is showing off his presence in front of the fortress like this.
“In short, there is room for negotiation.”
“In addition?”
“Baron Huygues and Baron Marbo discussed the inferiority of forces. Apparently, when Margrave Gerard had a great battle against them, there were only nine tribes led by the chief warchief. He was Tamir.”
Wig made a puzzled expression. Marbo listened politely.
“Tamir, the Great Warrior, lost his arm and was defeated after a close battle with the Marquis. Considering their propensity to value dragon power, it would be safe to say that there is no way he will come back.”
“If it’s Tamir, I’ve heard from him too. He is a person who is comparable to my opponent, but somehow he was in a strange state only that day. So he said he could win easily. They said it would be hard to see him again because he respects the honor of a warrior so much.”
“Then could it be that Tamir is leading them now?”
Oriane blinked. It was because he did not understand the intention of Kovin’s words to her.
“As Baron Marbo said, a new star must have appeared for the aliens in the snowfield. However, the leadership of a leader who has not accumulated experience is always lacking. The tribe at the far north limit was not torn in twelve pieces for nothing.”
Wars are not necessarily won just because they are outnumbered. There must also be a commander’s arrangement accompanied by strategy and tactics.
Thus, the vice-count Corvin hinted that he was not blindly pessimistic about the upcoming battle.
“Are you saying it’s worth a try?”
Oriane asked.
“First of all, the key is whether you can build a negotiation. It’s never too late to bump into each other when compromise is difficult. If you give me 1,000 of my soldiers plus 5,000,000 more elite soldiers from the citadel, I will meet with the enemy general and come to a conclusion.”
All four barons shut up in unison. Unlike Kovin, the only solution they came up with was to request support somewhere in a nearby territory. It was natural to be quiet in front of him who declared that he could solve it on his own.
“Are you all right, Vice Countess?”
“Since ancient times, the central political world, including the royal family, has been eyeing our Marquis of Lemoang. If possible, I would like to get through this crisis by asking for help from a nearby estate, as the barons say. However, despite the fact that your wife has served as a lord for the past few years, the high-ranking aristocrats in the capital have not lifted the stigma of being a proxy or temporary.”
Oriane’s face became grim for a moment. It was as Corbin said. After the death of her husband Gerard, the fact that the estate was ruled by her as a proxy only meant that the central government did not recognize her legitimacy.
“The Margrave’s Corbin family is a body that has sworn allegiance to the brave Duke Gerard and his wife Oriane. It doesn’t matter if I’m okay. So please command me according to your will.”
It was obvious that it was the intention of the royal family or the central family that followed him. If there’s anything to complain about, they’re trying to get rid of it as an excuse and take over the Marquis Command. There was nothing special about the relationship that the wife of the unexpectedly dead Marquis Baek led her estate for several years without any common noise.
“If you do, I will ask for this land.”
Oriane tidied up her snow-blown bangs and lowered her head calmly. Even an Amman aristocrat, it was an unconventional action towards his subordinates. It was also an expression of admiration.
“It’s hard to hold on to.”
Corvin waved his hand in bewilderment. Even then, seeing Oriane not knowing how to move, he knelt down and bowed.
“I will simply offer this one body.”
It is the yard where the lord bows his head and the servant kneels. He couldn’t just watch them because they were barons.
“For Lemoyn.”
Baron Marbo prostrated himself and recited.
“God bless the vice-count.”
La Vallee followed suit.
“Peace to the North.”
“And blessings.”
The last after Lusson was Baron Hughes.
“Thank you, everyone.”
Then the vice-count added in a determined voice.
“I will make sure this Corbin returns with good news.”
And he never came back with his soldiers.
* * *
Three days later
Oriane headed to the dungeon of the citadel with two guards. They were the same two people who arrested Rom when he abused him. The visit of Dior’s knight was a secret that only a few knew about because it was done so secretly.
Naturally, all three of us, including myself, knew that he was detained here.
“Wait here.”
“Gwa, are you okay?”
“What harm can you do to me behind bars? I must have caught a cold and was shivering. Guard the entrance so that no one comes in or out.”
Two soldiers with spears saluted. Oriane stepped down the stairs, one by one, where the cold wind rushed in. She found one side of the dungeon, which is usually used as a freezer with iron bars, and she hoped to meet a man who was locked in a closed door with only blankets and dry food.
Romuald Dior.
A man who promised that with a pair of clothes and iron hooves, and 10 smart soldiers, he could drive out the foreigners to the far north.
“You came earlier than expected.”
He said, feeling the presence of people even before standing in front of the bars. I don’t know how he convinced me that it was him who came to me. He was an extraordinary man in his own right, so he only thought so.
Again and again, Oriane, who tried to feign composure as much as possible, finally stood in front of him.
“Didn’t the Vice-Count Corbin lead the soldiers out and not come back?”
“… !”
Efforts were immediately futile. It was because of the appearance of Rom, who was fine with only one rag-like outfit in the yard, which made his stomach feel cold every time he breathed even though he was wearing a warm winter suit. It was also because he, who would not have met anyone even while imprisoned, had an accurate insight into the situation in the citadel.
“How?”
“From the beginning, he was loyal to Prince Gerard, not his wife.”
It was. Vice-Count Kovin took 1,000 soldiers led by me and 500 troops from the citadel and immediately surrendered to the aliens. Even Oriane realized that fact yesterday, after the blizzard had stopped, after seeing him pointing at the territory among his enemies her.
So the barons were devastated.
Even now, they ran rampant on the roads, saying that they should notify the nearby territories and the central political world and ask for support. They got along for the moment, but if they kept rejecting them, they were even showing signs of uniting and causing a rebellion.
“I heard that Romuald of Dior, a famous family, is a knight with the power to turn the tide of the game by himself.”
“It is a lie.”
“Sir assured me that this situation could be solved with one horse and ten soldiers. If the public opinion is true, I don’t think it’s false.”
“For now, let’s do that.”
“This frozen land is our home nonetheless. We cannot allow them to be exploited by the greedy aristocrats of the center, or trampled on by strangers blinded by revenge.”
Oriane said, biting his lip softly.
“Help. Please.”
Even though he was the one who should have received an apology for what happened the other day, he apologized in reverse.
“I sincerely apologize for the past rudeness.”
“I was trembling in this cold place for three days. I think it’s a bit insufficient to just go beyond words.”
The man, who had not coughed and appeared to be in good shape, was not afraid of trembling. However, since it was Oriane who regretted it, she had no choice but to give up one more step in front of him who was distracting her.
“If you want something…”
Then, as if he had waited, Rome smiled and said.
“Listen to the skirt.”
Prove how desperate you are.
