Episode 120 Steps to Adulthood - The Saga of Lioncourt

The Lioncourt army advanced southward with majestic grandeur. ...Well, 'magnificent grandeur' sounds impressive, but let's be honest, it's more like a lazy saunter... He rode atop Noir, advancing in a slow, plodding manner. In fact, a butterfly matched their leisurely pace, staying alongside them the entire time. ...Such a tranquil scene... For some reason, the butterfly seemed taken with them, fluttering playfully around Noir's nose. Indeed, a bucolic scene, if not for the armed men surrounding them. "This is awfully slow... Rolo, isn't this boring?" He spoke to his friend, who was yawning beside him. "It can't be helped. The lords' army doesn't have carts, and with this many people, even taking a break is a major hassle," Rolo replied, glancing around at the surrounding soldiers with a wry smile. Marching could be dull… The soldiers, surprisingly cheerful, created a lively atmosphere reminiscent of a school trip. At the rear, he could see merchants and clerics trailing the army. Indeed, their number seemed to grow proportionally with the size of the army. "Oh, looks like the scouts are back. Domier's with them. Did they find something?" Domier, who led the scouts, had returned, likely with news or findings to report. He had been dispatched to Count Dalmont and had successfully fulfilled his mission, bringing back the Count's reply...which was succinctly, "Understood." What a brusque response. Domier's report included the discovery of a village. He dispatched an advance party to negotiate with the village...with a show of force as necessary. Their demands were for rest and supplies: a place to rest, food, and women. Naturally, the village had the right to refuse. Should that happen, negotiations would become more forceful, but that was their prerogative. According to the report, this village was the second-largest in Baron Cocteau's territory. While it lacked a stone wall, it was encircled by a fence, and each of its two main clusters probably had about a hundred households. Though its layout was peculiar, the settlement was more city-like than a village. "Strange shape for a village, split in two." "Perhaps two separate villages grew together?" Rolo wondered as both of them leisurely observed the village. Nearby, several village representatives were negotiating earnestly with Maurice and Andre. For a matter of this scope, he wouldn't personally get involved; doing so would undermine his subordinates' authority. The demands he made this time weren't excessive: the provision of food supplies, the temporary loan of women from ages 14 to 40 (excluding pregnant women), and the use of houses for the soldiers overnight. ...There shouldn't be much to hesitate about... After all, this land was to be annexed post-war. He wasn't inclined towards reckless looting, but the other side had to cooperate. After some time, Maurice approached, his face troubled. Did negotiations fail? If so, it would simply lead to looting. Maurice need not fret over this. "What's the matter? Didn't go well?" At his question, the earnest butler shook his head. "No, it's disheartening to trouble Your Majesty with such trivial matters, but..." Maurice began recounting the situation with the villagers. Essentially, the village's ruling knight fled with his family, causing confusion among the villagers. With leadership unclear, they couldn't give a definitive response. "I see. Then I'll declare this village a city. Make the village chief the mayor and the elder councilors the city council. The knight abandoned the village, so I'll take it in. Bring me paper and ink." He hastily scribbled, 'Jumel declared a city. We'll discuss details later. Varian,' then handed it to Maurice. Jumel was a name meaning 'female twins,' fitting since they were borrowing women and the village was split in two. "This is a brilliant idea! I am deeply impressed!" Maurice, clearly moved, bowed before quickly returning to the villagers. "This should settle things smoothly." "Indeed, should we put a bounty on the fleeing knight? He'll likely be found quickly," Rolo suggested with a smile as they watched the incoming provisions and women. "Well done, Andre, Maurice." Though both humbly demurred in unison, their contribution was significant. Choosing not to destroy the village was beneficial both to Lioncourt Kingdom and the villagers. After all, they had no interest in needless cruelty. As long as things could be resolved peacefully, it was all for the best. A short distance away, a worldly-wise woman consoled a crying girl, saying, "Wars happen all the time. You'll get used to it by the time you're an adult." The army advanced. Although there were occasional night raids by the enemy, they were prepared each time. Their counterattacks ensured no major incidents occurred. There was a small skirmish last night at a distant camp. ...Night raids against a large army were textbook strategy... Yet night raids were tricky business. Baron Cocteau was proud and not particularly quick-witted, yet he seemed a competent leader. Attacking a force this large required more than ordinary leadership. ...Once joined with Poncello, maybe I'll ask Young Master Ge about the baron's character... They proceeded steadily toward their rendezvous point: Cocteau Castle. Stopping for resupply at several villages along the way, the army continued its march until Cocteau Castle came into view. Cocteau Castle was a fortified city ensconced within strong stone walls, albeit of modest height, with a reasonably sized townscape. "Huh? Something's off. There's someone in front of the castle," he muttered to himself, partly as a warning to those around him. A few men stood unarmed before the gate, perhaps seemingly ready to greet them. "They're not armed, and there are five of them. Maybe they're here to surrender?" "Alright, halt the army! Somebody go fetch those guys!" Nodding at Andre's assessment, he ordered the army to halt and decided to hear them out. He quickly relayed instructions to the commanders to prepare to meet the men in front of the gate. There was no need to negotiate on their turf; better to call them over and intimidate with numbers. In the corner of his eye, Domier could be seen leading the cavalry out...ever the industrious one. The men walked through the ranks of his army's commanders. Without resisting, they had been brought into the camp by Domier. "Good work." Seated alone amid the standing ensemble, he graciously acknowledged Domier's efforts. The setup felt somewhat theatrical, akin to a school play, but such straightforward displays were sometimes necessary. Incidentally, the chairs were hauled along on carts...a slightly absurd practice, he mused. The men introduced themselves as the mayor and council members of Cocteau City, as well as knights who had abandoned the baron. Baron Cocteau, perhaps realizing he was outmatched, had reportedly fled to Cambér Castle in the south, known as a formidable fortress in Cocteau territory. These men offered their surrender, claiming that there were no soldiers left in the castle. A suspicion struck him. It was difficult to articulate, but his intuition told him, ‘This is just like Bachelard, just like Baldwin’s fake surrender.’ Yet, he had no evidence. These 'surrenders after the war has begun' are tricky to handle. His own mishap was a bitter memory where he got deceived and lost an eye. ...Even Cao Cao faced something similar at Red Cliffs...uh, with Huang Gai? It was definitely someone who feigned surrender and caused quite a disaster... If a surrender could be a ploy, it might seem wise to refuse all surrenders, but that's not feasible. If word got out that "Varian doesn't accept surrenders," it would deter future surrenders. Moreover, refusing surrender might push Baron Cocteau to fight with all his might against him. Unlike subordinates who could switch allegiance to a new master, Cocteau bore responsibilities. For instance, Viscount Amey, driven from the northeast, still sought the return of his land at the capital, while the kin of the viscount he ousted from Bachelard remained unfound. Dealing with someone who fights to the end is bothersome. People generally wish to avoid such entanglements. Despite pondering with an “Hmm,” he decided to follow his intuition. In matters like this, reasoning takes a back seat. “Alright, no surrender will be accepted! Domier, lead the cavalry and scout the perimeter. Viscount Drenne, take your forces and secure the fortress section of Cocteau Castle. Viscount Arbeau and Jean, lead your forces to secure the walls and defense towers. The rest, hold your position.” Upon delivering these orders, the men who had offered surrender began to visibly panic. They must have realized their trap had been uncovered, and their distressed shouting started. “Ah, well. Sorry, but you’ll all be executed,” he said casually, standing up as the men let out pitiful cries. “Varian, hold on a second. Let’s not execute them,” Jean intervened, stepping forward to shield them. The men visibly sighed in relief. “It’d be a waste to kill them. Let’s tie them to shields and use them as a human shield,” Jean proposed with a proud grin. This childhood friend had a knack for ideas, always entertaining. “That’s brilliant! Let’s do that immediately, as expected from Jean!” Clapping his hands in delight, he noted the astonishment among the other commanders. “Alright, move out!” With his command, the commanders sprang into action. Later, his premonition turned out to be wrong, and the castle fell without significant resistance. He had envisioned the entire castle exploding once their forces moved in, but upon reflection, Cocteau wasn’t one to employ such cunning tactics. Besides, without gunpowder, a sudden explosion would be impossible anyway… It puzzled him why he suspected a fake surrender. He might have been a tad unfair to the mayor and his fellows used as human shields. ...Well, mistakes happen—after all, we’re only human... Life is about learning from mistakes and moving forward. The key is to not repeat them. ...Though, if the baron intends to make a stand at Cambér Castle, he’s a fool... Acknowledging that, he internally mocked Baron Cocteau to lift his own spirits. Not the best habit, but knowing someone else was worse off could be a comfort, much like looking at bad test scores and feeling reassured, "I'm not the worst." The mayor’s corpse, pinned with two arrows to the abdomen, wore an accusatory expression, but what’s done is done. He whispered to the mayor, “Don’t worry, you were just unlucky,” and sent the body with alms to the church, hoping it granted him peace in the afterlife. Subsequently, he permitted his forces two days of looting, during which they rendezvoused with Poncello's detachment. The combined Lioncourt army now numbered nearly 6,000 strong. Having seized the enemy's stronghold, only the baron who fled south remained. The war that began in summer was already showing signs of conclusion.