After returning from the palace, Duke Jean begins to gather soldiers for the mission.
It didn't take too long for him to find 50 soldiers who aren't engaged in any military operation. Most of them just laze around enjoying their off day.
Currently, the soldiers gather at their headquarters in the capital.
While waiting for the duke to arrive, murmurs and chattering gradually fill the area as soldiers start talking to each other. The majority of them voiced their complaints and displeased this last minute mission.
Nobody is happy getting a call during holidays.
"Man, you're here too? I can't believe we're the chosen ones." Mock the soldier to his friend.
He snorted, "Yeah, man. Thanks to this mission, my long awaited vacation plan with my family is ruined."
"Same here. I've already promised my girlfriend to take her out on a date. Why the hell did they call me? There are plenty of soldiers in Inver."
"Accept it, we're unlucky."
"Do you think there's a chance to withdraw from this mission?"
"Dunno. Even if you can, I won't let you. We're all in this together."
A few minutes into their chattering, they see one of their commanders enter their sight with an unhappy look on his face. He is clearly in a bad mood. All soldiers quickly stop chattering and quietly watch their commander.
Seeing this, the same thoughts surface in their mind,
'Poor guy, he's unlucky like us.'
Then, the commander shouts out loud.
ραпdα nᴏνɐ| сom "THE MINISTER OF WAR, DUKE JEAN YOLGER HAS ARRIVED!"
A shocked expression is visible on the soldiers' faces upon hearing his words. Gasps can be heard from all of them. Inwardly, everybody is guessing what kind of mission they are in for the minister of war to personally give his attention to.
Duke Jean Yolger entered from the left side wearing his luxurious military uniform. It has the same design but the material it is made of is completely different from the soldiers' flax.
Jean's sharp eyes look at the soldiers in front of him. From their expressionless face, he can see hidden displeased faces beneath them.
"Brave soldiers of Inver, I know some of you are reluctant to join this mission. Some of you are dissatisfied with me for disturbing your precious holiday with your family and loved ones. But, you must know that deep within my heart... I - DON'T - CARE! As soldiers of Inver, you're expected to be ready at all times to serve the kingdom. Therefore, listen carefully."
Knowing the duke can see their displeased expression, the soldiers decide to throw away the dissatisfaction they have in their hearts and take his word seriously.
"All of you are required to move toward Filgen. There, you are supposed to be additional forces that guard the border between us and Ryntum. Your mission is to conduct a patrol in surrounding areas. At least, on paper. However, your real job is to provoke the Ryntum soldiers into attacking you first. That's it. Beware, any leak would result in an extermination of you and your family."
The soldiers feel chill down to their spine. Each of them is questioning the purpose of doing such action. But none of them are willing to ask. They know better not to act smart in front of these nobles.
In the end, they simply accept the order given to them.
From Inver to Filgen takes a week to arrive but with their number, it is possible to do it in four to five days. They were ordered to depart at the earliest time possible.
"Something weird with this mission." One of the soldiers whispers in a low voice.
"I know, right? The commander is being overly nice and goes as far as preparing provisions for us."
"Whatever happens, remember to prioritize our own life first."
....
1st September 301 Paign Era, Filgen City.
The northern part of Inver is a mountain range called Maneas Mountain Range. It creates a natural boundary between the north and the south. But not all part of it is mountains.
At a certain part, there's relatively flat land. Enough to move a large army to cross the other side comfortably.
To cover this vulnerability, each side builds a defensive city; Baroks on the north side and Filgen on the south side.
Because of its geographical location, the kings of Inver had been continuously sending people to Filgen. Their aim is to ensure Filgen had enough manpower to defend itself for a long period of time without totally depending on help from the capital in case an invasion happened. And to use Filgen as a springboard to launch an attack if they decide to.
The discovery of coal deposits drove the population to increase even more to the point it grew into a city.
A group of soldiers from the capital finally arrive at Filgen after five days of the journey.
They drop their luggage at the army base first.
"So, what's next?" The soldiers ask.
"We equip ourselves, get a horse and ride to Baroks in the north." said the commander.
"Are we going to go head on with only fifty of us?"
"Calm down. All we have to do is provoke them." The commander assures them.
"And how are we going to do that?" ask a bald soldier while raising one of his eyebrows.
The commander just smiles.
....
Baroks City.
A gate soldier doing his job normally. Merchants flow into Baroks from the south like usual. But he noticed something far at the back, "Hmm? That doesn't look like a merchant caravan to me."
"What's wrong?" asked his superior.
He pointed his finger, "That group is moving too fast. I don't think merchant caravans can move that fast."
The superior stares in one direction. "Hmm...Indeed, their movement is too fast. Get ready, it's potentially a foreign force."
Their presence not only alerted the soldiers but also the merchants who gradually became anxious about a possible attack.
His superior narrowed his eyes while curling the tip of his moustache. As soon as he saw a clear image, there was no banner or flag that could be used to identify this force. Based on his experience, they're definitely not an envoy or come for diplomatic purposes.
The superior calmly opened his mouth and gave out the order to his subordinates, "Quick! Get the people inside the city. The rest prepare to shoot."
The guards immediately loaded their muskets and took aim, nervously waiting for the order.
"Halt!! You are in Ryntum territory. Identify yourselves." Their superior voice resounds throughout the area. It can clearly be heard whether from inside or outside the city.
Contrary to his expectation, the cavalry didn't stop nor care about it as they continued approaching the closest merchant caravan. The merchant discarded his merchandise and made a run toward the city for protection.
"Fire the warning shots."
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
The shots have some effect of startling the cavalry as the bullets barely missed them.
For a moment, the cavalry stopped and hesitated to continue. It gives some time for the merchant to make distance from the unknown force. He almost enters the soldiers shooting range.
Seeing this, the superior shouted his warning one more time, "First warning! Identify yourselves or we'll shoot you again."
He was ignored once again as the cavalry proceeded to chase the running merchant.
"Shoot them again!"
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
Another volley of bullets was fired. This time it hit several horsemen. The screams of pain were heard from afar.
"Second warning! Identify yourselves now."
Even after all of this, the cavalry is still stubbornly chasing the merchant. The unlucky man got himself killed right before reaching the gate.
Achieving their objective, the cavalry turn around to escape.
"Not so fast. Soldiers, shoot them! At least one of them must die."
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
Two of the horsemen fall to the ground in a bad way and die instantly. Under a volley of attack, it is impossible for them to recover the bodies of their fallen comrades. With a heavy heart, they retreated to Filgen.
"Go and recover the corpses for me."
When the dead bodies were brought in front of him, the superior was stunned. He has a dreadful expression on him.
"I need to report this matter to the capital with haste."
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