chsdbacks #401 - Returning from a Victory
#401 - Returning from a Victory
“It's already noon, why haven't they returned yet?”
Standing on the city wall, straining their necks to gaze towards the northwest, a dozen city councilors and militia leaders waited anxiously.
Wealthy merchants in silk robes, with tasseled caps, nervously rubbed their walking sticks, many with dark circles around their eyes.
Last night, the Saintess, against their advice, forcibly led six hundred cavalry reinforcements on a night raid, and they hadn't slept well since.
At the crack of dawn, they braved the rain to stand on the city walls, ensuring they would receive news as soon as possible.
The pattering rain flowed down the gaps in the stones, over the wooden plaques, over the beaver relief panels, and over the white chamomile flowers that struggled to peek out from the wall.
Water droplets fell to the ground, washing out the bloodstains in the cracks of the wall, but the air was much less bloody.
After a night of heavy rain, the six hundred cavalrymen who should have returned in the morning still hadn't arrived.
“I told you, we shouldn't have taken the initiative; now we're in trouble.” Gazing at the empty plains, a mercenary leader couldn't help but mutter.
As if he had started something, various hushed murmurs spread among the crowd on the wall.
“Why don't we send some people to check it out?”
“We finally got reinforcements; we can't just throw them away, can we?”
“Maybe they were defeated, too ashamed to return, and they've all run away by now.”
“Her Holiness must have her reasons for doing this; don't speak carelessly.” Councilor Skag of the Saintly Path faction walked over and reprimanded in a low voice.
Although those murmuring were unconvinced, they closed their mouths.
Sitting on a bench, Armand remained calm; he hadn't even come in the morning, but at noon.
While waiting for Jeanne, he was even reading a book and taking notes.
Martin still maintained a calm appearance, but he was becoming anxious.
After all, six hundred against three thousand, five times the enemy; if something went wrong, the reinforcements they had waited so long for would be gone.
What he feared most was something happening to Jeanne, which would be the most fatal.
Currently, the two key figures of the Salvation Army were Horen and Jeanne.
If something happened to Jeanne, it would be even harder to fight for Rapid Creek City.
“Look, look!” Standing on the unprotected battlements, a boy in a straw hat stood on one foot, pointing in a direction.
Everyone immediately crowded in that direction, some even leaning half their bodies over the city wall to look.
Hooves heavily pounded in the muddy water, and a light cavalry rider appeared in sight.
The beast-man stood up in the saddle, holding up three heads high on his spear: “Victory, victory! The noble coalition has been defeated, and all three devils have been executed!”
“Victory, victory!”
…………
“I'm a little late.” Gripping the saddle, Jeanne leaned over and jumped off her horse, reaching out to pinch Armand's face, which was thinner than before. “Too many prisoners, and the road was too slippery.”
Beside her, the oak gates of the city were wide open.
Prisoners were tied with long ropes, trudging forward with difficulty.
Tarpaulins covered the goods that filled the carriages, heading towards the Little Creek City church in the dazed gazes of the citizens.
They actually won; it didn't seem like a small victory, but a major triumph.
The only question was, what exactly was the extent of this victory?
“How many prisoners? What are the spoils of war?” Martin asked impatiently.
“Seven armies, more than three thousand people, of which a little less than a thousand escaped.” Jeanne took off her helmet and tucked it under her arm, untying her braided hair from behind her head, letting it fall naturally down her back. “Of the remaining two thousand, we brought back more than eight hundred, all the most elite, the hussars can't hold these ones down.”
“Wait, wait, do you mean the Kashya County noble coalition was completely wiped out?” Councilor Skag approached, asking in almost disbelief, “That's more than three thousand people, and so many knights.”
“What knights? I'm fighting knights.” Jeanne rolled her eyes. “More than three thousand people stationed in seven camps, each camp with only three to five hundred people, among which the knights numbered only a few dozen in the small camps, and only two hundred in the large ones.
We have six hundred cavalry, including elite Holy Gun cavalry, and we had the help of a rainy night. If we still couldn't win, we might as well go home and sell potato roots.”
The militiamen and citizens who came to welcome them looked at each other in dismay.
They still couldn't understand that the Kashya County church had spent more than a month mobilizing three thousand troops led by Musac, the strongest knight in Kashya County.
These three thousand people marched ostentatiously for more than half a month to the vicinity.
Before the war even started, two-thirds of the wealthy merchants and city councilors in Little Creek City had been frightened away.
They thought they were going to fight a defensive battle, but with the arrival of this Saintess, it turned into an annihilation battle.
This young girl led six hundred cavalrymen and fought six battles. Such a strong army collapsed overnight, and the crisis was inexplicably resolved.
Were the Kashya County noble coalition too weak, or was the Salvation Army too strong?
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You know, all the citizens and militiamen of Little Creek City were prepared to coexist with the city and fight to the last moment.
They had written their wills and told their wives where they had hidden their private money, but suddenly they were told they didn't have to fight.
Although this was a good thing, many militiamen still showed a confused look on their faces.
“This, this is impossible, all seven camps were wiped out?” an old mercenary asked incredulously.
“Not quite…”
Several mercenaries breathed a sigh of relief. Well, how could all seven camps be destroyed? Their defensive strategy still had some validity.
“…Mauritz led the Kush knight camp and ran away in advance, we didn't catch them, and Baron Shecidon was beaten up and also ran away with dozens of knights.”
In the dazed gazes of the militiamen, Jeanne counted on her fingers one by one.
“That Shecidon, we could have caught him.” Corlebo handed the reins of his warhorse to the page next to him, smiling with regret. “But the rain got heavier, and the water rose at night, washing away the bridge, otherwise he would definitely not have escaped.”
The mouths of the mercenaries were tightly pursed, so your annihilation means total annihilation?
Adjusting his robes, Armand cleared his throat. “Sister, let's put these knight prisoners in the city's dungeon, and just lock up the rest.”
“Okay.” Without thinking, Jeanne nodded, beckoning to the leading Holy Gun cavalrymen, telling them to guide the prisoners into the city or to the wild.
Armand then called the Saintly Path councilors, lined them up, and prepared to introduce them to Jeanne: “Sister, let me introduce you, these are important representatives of Little Creek City.”
Councilor Skag, standing at the head, immediately put on a smile, tidied up his clothes, and walked forward with a smile, about to salute: “I'm very happy…”
Unexpectedly, Jeanne looked at his silk clothes and yawned: “Ah~, I'm too tired, prepare some food and water for me, and a bed, let's talk after I wake up.”
Councilor Skag's bowed waist suddenly froze, and a drop of water from the city gate cave landed on the back of his neck, causing his body to tremble.
Martin stepped forward to defuse the situation: “Her Holiness has been fighting for so long and is too tired, let's introduce them at the formal banquet in the evening.”
“Mr. Skag, let's meet formally at the evening banquet.” Jeanne mechanically said a greeting and walked towards the city, leading Carrot.
Amidst the whispers of the onlookers, Skag straightened his back, unperturbed, and shouted to his men:
“Get some roast chicken and wine, and roasted pig trotters, be sure to have them ready before the Saintess is seated.
Also, prepare the best Fran Nan wood bed, no, move my daughter's bed over, the one with the velvet mattress and silk quilt, yes, go now.”