290 - 295

The Ploy

Apologies for the late release. This is the third one of the week.

'Entrance with no exit' - the quintessence of the plan Lorist and Shuss had devised. Lorist needed the group to be able to spend two days in undisturbed peace. The rest would allow the slaves to rest and recover and allow them to find ways to arm the slaves.

There were around 1600 slave at the dueling grounds. Coupled with the female slaves and other servants, there were more than 2000 people. Unfortunately, even after turning the whole place upside down, they only found 400 sets of weapons and armor. Most of them were obtained from the instructors of the slave fighters at the dueling grounds. Apart from Charade and the other Norton household knights and soldiers, only Blademaster Shuss and roughly a hundred slave fighters were armed. The rest were completely unarmed.

The main reason Lorist left the dueling grounds to return to Blood and Flame was to see whether he could find a way to get his hands on weapons. All 1000 slaves had already awoken their battleforce. They would be a force to be reckoned with if they were properly armed. Lorist felt that the slave fighters could play a huge role in the upcoming assault on the capital. For the time being, however, he did not have the means to put the plan into action.

It was already noon by the time Els got to Blood and Flame. When the innkeeper inquired about his absence, he said that he had sprained his ankle and had had to rest for a few days before he was able to return. The guards had also changed shifts, so no one knew of his whereabouts, which had led to the issue. It hadn't been until his morning that he learned that his guild's guards were looking for him, which was why he was in such a rush at the moment.

After satisfying the innkeeper's curiosity, Els took Lorist to a corner for some food and a chat. He took out a report from Charade and handed it to Lorist. the report stated that the group was short on medicine, weapons, and food. The slaves were under tight guard despite the state of war the kingdom was in and its recent deployment of the majority of its forces.

Of most immediate concern was the shortage of food. The food they had could only feed the roughly 2000 people for three days. On top of that was the fact that the rations were extremely bare. The group only had two single-serving meals of porridge a day, it was hardly a proper diet for a force soon to go into combat. The current state of their food stores was only possible thanks to the stashes they found near the instructors' dorms. If not for those, they would have run out of food that very day. Besides the dire state of their food supply, they were also severely wanting for proper medicine to treat the 300 injured slaves.

Charade urged Lorist to remedy the situation as soon as possible.

Lorist felt quite troubled. They were in the enemy's capital, even if they could procure all the necessary supplies, it was nigh impossible to get it all into the dueling grounds without raising the suspicion of only every armed individual in the city. Even if everything else went off without a hitch, just the royal defense army alone - camped right outside the grounds - posed a severe problem to the success of the operation. The majority of the army had been deployed, but, even so, around 20 thousand men remained. Most of them were the bumbling drunks of the Snowshame army, but there was bound to be one or two vigilant people. If he made any mistake, the entire force in the dueling grounds would end up trapped there without any escape route or possibility of survival.

"Milord, what if we launch an ambush in the night?" Els asked in a low voice, "Before I returned, I passed through the army's camp. I even went inside for a walk. the food stores and armory are located at the back of the camp, with only a wall between them. If we attack in the dead of the night and catch them off their guard, we should be able to take hold of the two before they can react."

Lorist shook his head.

"Things won't go that smoothly. Our forces might be able to pull it off, but the slaves aren't disciplined. They won't follow orders nearly as easily. If we bring them with us on the attack, there is a good chance they'll run amok, disregard our orders and go on a killing spree. They'd be surrounded by the time they finally snap out of their frenzy, if at all. They'll be completely wiped out. We must not underestimate the hatred they hold for the capital's citizenry. If we give them a chance to vent too early, it'll do us no good."

Els couldn't argue, he knew Lorist was right. He had himself heard the slaves clamoring for a weapon and demanding a chance to kill their captors and masters. Some even claimed satisfaction with an equal exchange, their life for one of the enemy's, anything more would be a bonus. It took Blademaster Shuss and his gold-ranked companions quite a bit of time and persuasion to calm them down. If not for their careful work, the Norton soldiers would have long since been robbed of their weapons and equipment.

"Ah, Els! You're back!" exclaimed a joyful voice. It seemed that Tarkel had just woken and was glad to see his friend sitting with Lorist as he descended the stairs.

"Those bastards spent almost the whole night drinking... I had to accompany them until I vomited twice. Darn, I still feel hung over..." complained Tarkel as he walked over.

He took an open seat at the table and asked the innkeeper to bring him something to eat.

"Milord, did you find Knight Charade and the rest?" whispered Tarkel.

There was a glint of sharpness in his hungover expression as he asked Lorist. The latter nodded ever so slightly and waited for the maidservant serving the food to leave before he recounted his trip. At first, Tarkel received the news just fine, but when Lorist came to the part about helping the slaves secretly take over the dueling grounds, Tarkel spat out all the ale he drunk.

"Mi-milord... Your excursions always bring unexpected results," resigned Tarkel.

"Unexpected my ass. I already have a huge headache and haven't the slightest idea what to do. Even though the 1000 slaves would be a decent addition to our force, the problem right now is how we'll keep this force hidden until the rest of the household troops make their way over," said Lorist as he knocked his head repeatedly with his wrist.

Els described the slaves' situation.

Tarkel gave it some thought before he said, "So Milord intends to keep these slaves hidden until the attack, then use them to deliver a crippling blow to the defenders to ease your entry into the city?"

Lorist nodded.

"That's the idea, but we lack the supplies necessary to last that long, and the equipment to make the slaves useful. Even if we manage to procure it, we won't be able to move it into the dueling grounds. Well, it's not that we'd be able to source the supplies so easily anyway. Els's idea to ambush the Snowshame army's campsite is the best option we have.

Tarkel furrowed his brow and spun his mug of ale around.

"Milord, you've forgotten to take into account another important piece of news. Didn't Drei say yesterday that King Lud III would organize another large-scale show at the dueling grounds during which the Snowshame Army will pit the slaves against one another as a sacrifice to Singwa? That ceremony marks the boundary of the amount of time we can hide the slaves in the city for. If the Snowshame army finishes forming, the current state of affairs will be revealed.

"Additionally, given that the supplies at the dueling ground are so lacking, there will be a resupply run every two or three days. We don't know if the guards will be changed either. If either of these things happens, everything will be exposed. It's hard to say whether we'll be able to hide this for another two or three days, let alone until our forces arrive."

"You're saying that we should take the initiative? So you also agree with Els's suggestion to ambush the slavers and mercenaries?" asked Lorist.

"I do, Milord," said Tarkel, "After all, the Snowshame army's purpose is to reinforce our enemy. If we can inflict a lot of damage we could incapacitate them and it'll be another burden off our minds. our forces will be able to breach the capital with more ease and fewer casualties as well. The only thing we have to consider is how to preserve the slaves' fighting strength so they can deal as much damage as possible."

The scene of the alley where several drunks laid sprawling flashed into Lorist's mind.

"If we can make everyone in the camp drunk, then everything will work out..."

The plan sounded wonderful, but it was completely impractical. There were at least 20 thousand people in the camp, Lorist had no idea how much alcohol would be needed to get them drunk.

The door to the inn opened and four garrison soldiers marched in. After they talked a bit with the innkeeper, they came to Lorist and the rest and one of them asked, "Do you people know Kalik?"

"Oh?" Tarkel mused as he stood up, "Yes, Kalik was the one who fled to the capital with me. I guess you can consider him my friend. He left yesterday night and still hasn't returned. Did something happen?"

"Well, your friend went to the noble's sector and threw a drunk fit. He even cursed Viscount Timba for forgetting the kindness he was shown. In the end, he was pummeled badly by the servants and locked up in the garrison. When he regained consciousness this morning, he begged us to deliver this letter to you. He wanted us to ask you to help him get out of there," said the soldier as he rubbed his thumb and fingers together in a wanton gesture.

"Oh, so that's the case. I am indeed Tarkel, thank you for your troubles," said Tarkel as he handed the soldier a gold Forde before he had the innkeeper cook up some good dishes for the four.

The soldier stared at the coin in his hand with a beaming smile before he hurriedly stashed it into his pocket.

"Friend, how should I get Kalik out of lockup?" asked Tarkel.

The garrison soldier smiled and said, "You can always spend some money. Otherwise, Kalik will be sent to the dueling grounds. The king has already ordered that those who escaped from Nupite to the capital be drafted into Snowshame. People like Kalik who haven't reported to their station yet will be sent to the dueling grounds. Any deserters will face the same fate. The more fearful of death they are, the sooner they'll die. Naturally, nobles are an exception."

"Then, friend, can you help me and take us to Kalik?" Tarkel asked.

Seeing the soldier look at his three companions enviously as they were served their food, Tarkel smiled and said, "Friend, I will have another table ready for you. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. I have a huge reward waiting for you if you deal with this matter properly."

The moment he heard about the huge reward, the soldier felt his waist pocket and wet his lips before he responded, "Alright, I'll go with you."

Tarkel left with the soldier and returned half an hour later with a haphazard-looking Kalik. He had a bruised and dirtied face. At that moment, Drei, Chelwar and a few other mercenaries got down from upstairs and laughed at Kalik's sorry state, saying that there was no way that kissing that viscount's ass was going to do him any good. Fortunately, Tarkel had interfered and bailed him out. Otherwise, his life would definitely be over.

No longer being able to stand the humiliation, Kalik snapped and said, "Is there anything wrong with trying to get on Viscount Timba's good side? After all, I was one of those who accompanied him during our trip to the capital. As long as he put a word in for me, I wouldn't have to give my life..."

Tarkel hurriedly ordered more dishes for the soldier that had accompanied him before walking over and saying, 'Kalik's right. With but a word from the viscount, he wouldn't have to report to serve the army. But I heard that the viscount wasn't in his residence last night. He was held back at the palace by his elder sister. That's why Kalik was just a little unlucky last night. He had visited when the viscount wasn't around and ended up drunk to the point of causing a fit. He can hardly be blamed considering all he went through."

The rest continued to laugh. Kalik blushed intensely and shut up.

Tarkel shook his head and said, "Well, Kalik still has to report to the army today or he'll be dealt with as a deserter. Chelwar, since you're his friend, make sure to see to it that he doesn't end up too badly. But don't worry, Kalik. I will visit the viscount's mansion this afternoon to deliver a message to him on behalf of my guild. If he returns and sees the letter, I'm sure that he'll send someone over to invite us there. I'm sure we can ask the viscount for a favor and get you guys out of Snowshame. I only have the few of you left of the friends I've made, so I hope that nothing bad will happen to you."

The words made Kalik tear up and also caused Chelwar, Drei and the other mercenaries to praise Tarkel for his camaraderie. Tarkel brushed the praises off before having the innkeeper prepare some more food. In the end, Tarkel ended up reporting to the army camp completely drunk with Chelwar's aid.

With the inn finally quieting down, Tarkel returned to Lorist and Els's table.

"Is this how you spend the funds the house provides for you? What's the benefit of making friends with those hoodlums?!" Els said, contempt laced in his voice.

Tarkel smiled without giving Els an answer.

"Milord, let's visit Viscount Timba after having a change of clothes. The garrison soldier informed me that the viscount has just returned to his residence. I have an idea that can get us out of our sticky situation."

"Let's hear it," said Lorist, raising an eyebrow.

"We can use the name of Viscount Timba to get large amounts of food and wine into the army camp. We can say it's to bolster the army's morale. When they're drunk and passed out, we can mobilize the slave fighters for an ambush. Not only will we be able to cut down on casualties, we'll also be able to get what we need," explained Tarkel as he mimed a cutthroat gesture when no one else was looking.

Lorist's eyes widened before he said, "The crucial part is convincing the viscount to go along with our ploy..."

"We can use the Peterson Merchant Guild's name to make a business proposal to the viscount which he can profit from without any financial investment on his part. I'm sure the viscount would also love it if the deal can benefit his sister and brother-in-law at the same time."

Lorist stood up and said, "Well, time's running short. Let's visit Viscount Timba right away."

The Persuasion

Here's the fourth release of the week, enjoy the read!

Lorist noticed that Els seemed rather downcast.

"What's wrong?" asked he.

Els looked at Tarkel. The man was calling a carriage to head to Viscount Timba's residence.

"Milord, don't you think Tarkel is a little too sneaky? He was getting along so well with Chelwar and Kalik, and yet he so easily comes up with a plan that dooms them at a moment's notice. I'm a little apprehensive about befriending him; he might just turn his knife on me when I least expect it..."

Lorist was speechless. Els might have served as a syndicate boss in the past, but that was mainly because his subordinates had forced him into the position. He wasn't like your typical syndicate boss, he treasured camaraderie and was a man of principle. Tarkel, on the other hand, had muddled in the lowest depth of society and had seen much of the deceit and duplicity it had to offer. He appeared friendly and generous - as a good man should - but there were few lines he did not dare cross to achieve his goals.

At Geldos he had suggested Lorist use the families of Count Cobry's soldiers as hostages to force their surrender. Lorist had rejected the proposal outright. He was a principled man from a military house. He would never resort to such dishonorable designs. It was a shame neither he nor his house would be able to live with.

His suggestion had caused Lorist to take true note of Tarkel. He had a rare adeptness at making friends and connections, and was deft at intelligence gathering. These traits resulted in his forced relocation to The Northlands. Lorist understood that the house would require both virtuous and vicious talents to develop and thrive, so he did not mind -- and even appreciated -- Tarkel's insidious nature. Lorist was not averse to using Tarkel, as long as he was obedient and loyal.

It seemed now that Tarkel was far better than Els at intelligence gathering. Els' behaviour had slowly aligned ever closer to that of a standard household knight ever since he joined Lorist's personal guard. he prioritized chivalry and honor over results. Lorist could only console Els by patting him on the shoulder.

"Like it or not, I have no choice but to use these methods to save Charade and the others this time," said he.

Their visit to Viscount Timba's residence proceeded very smoothly. The viscount had his aura of wealth and nobility restored. He received Tarkel and the rest with joy. Tarkel mentioned Kalik's case after some pleasantries, but, perhaps because the viscount had heard of Kalik's visit to his residence, he only hummed in agreement. Tarkel quickly changed the subject to the state of the conflict.

Viscount Timba asked, "Why are you that concerned about the war?"

"Hahaha, well, we have been traveling for more than a year already, but because we've been trapped here by this war of yours, we have yet to visit many places, nor have we been able to set up our trade network in the kingdom..." answered Tarkel.

"Please, you don't need to worry," the viscount chortled, "Start a trading firm in the capital for the time being. I will act as the guild's guarantor so no one will dare cause you any trouble."

"That's amazing, then, why don't I give you thirty percent of the shares of our upcoming venture?" offered Tarkel.

The viscount was surprised but felt that he could not possibly receive such a huge benefit for not doing that much. In the end, however, he found himself unable to refuse Tarkel's kind gesture and settled for a third of the venture's shares.

"I've seen the state of Snowshame's troops. I can't help but feel a little worried. The army is already made up of mostly just mercenaries and slavers, so they can't match up to the royal defense army, but it seems they also lack the will to participate in the upcoming counteroffensive. Their morale is incredibly low," warned Tarkel.

"That's right," the viscount conceded, "Snowshame is still far from having enough troops and their morale is also rather low. That's a given since most of those who were enlisted just escaped from Nupite. They have continuously complained and caused trouble ever since they were conscripted. Even the garrison soldiers are having a lot of trouble dealing with that lot..."

"I feel His Majesty has been a little too hasty with the conscriptions. He should've settled the refugees first. Those with significant contributions should have been promoted and rewarded -- it would have roused the ambitions of the others. it would have been ideal if he had baited the refugees into volunteering.

"The main difference between volunteers and conscripts lies in their combat strength and rate of desertion. These are crucial factors to success on the battlefield; they are the difference between whether a unit breaks or holds in a dire situation. If Snowshame's soldiers desert or break, they are completely useless to the kingdom, and might even end up being assets to the Nortons," expounded Tarkel.

"That's what I think as well. However, the King himself is unable to come up with a method to raise their morale..." agreed the viscount.

"There are ways. It only depends on whether His Majesty is willing to execute them. Our guild once had to assemble a strong combat unit at short notice. We built up their moral and improved their determination with only three things. We gave them lots of meat and alcohol, promised hefty rewards, and enforced strict military discipline. Even though we had far less time to train and prepare our unit than proper armies would, at the end of it they were still able to compete with regular military forces of similar size and armament.

"The meet and alcohol provide the nourishment and enjoyment the troops need, thus strengthening their bodies and improving their morale. Well-fed and satisfied soldiers are grateful soldiers. Grateful soldiers become loyal soldiers. And loyal soldiers become soldiers willing to die for your cause.

"Rewards must also not be limited to money. Coin is important, yes, but not everyone yearns for money alone. Some yearn for fame instead, give to them honors and praise. Some yearn for peerage, grant them titles and land. Anything that will make the soldiers more willing to take the field on our behalf, and obtain victory in our name is a worthy reward.

"As for enforcing military regulations, that's pretty much a given. The soldiers who feast and drink from your purse, who are given the chance to rise in the ranks must earn their keep through loyal service. Kill a few of those who wish to receive without giving and the other will fall in line. They must understand that rewards and benefits go only to those who earn it with their blades, shields, bows, and axes."

Tarkel's detailed explanation successfully roused the viscount's interest and they continued to debate how they would reshape the army.

"If someone had come up with this suggestion earlier, Snowshame wouldn't the mess it is now!" grieved the viscount, "It's too late for my brother-in-law to rescind his orders and accommodate the refugees properly..."

Tarkel's lips twitched, eager to spill the words swimming in his mouth. Though he kept quiet, the twitch couldn't escape the viscount's notice.

"Please, feel free to speak your mind,"

"This is actually a good opportunity that you must not miss, no matter the cost," Tarkel encouraged, " I've come to understand that you are someone with excellent ingenuity and great foresight. It's a shame that many people treat you as a noble that's only relying on the name and prestige of your elder sister, the regent consort, and overlook your talent. Your sister's status is far too great; it easily eclipsed you in the eyes of others..."

Viscount Timba nodded softly. Tarkel's words resonated with his deepest thoughts an hidden feelings.

"This is the opportune moment for you to shine, for you to show others what you are capable of. Surely you understand what I mean. Snowshame has already disappointed your brother-in-law, the king and, as you have said, a sudden change in approach isn't possible anymore. That's the root of the problems Snowshame has right now.

"But what if you make an appearance to reshape things? Given your status as the regent consort's younger brother, and your experience fleeing Nupite without any gold-ranked knight or large escort, your words hold much more weight than those cowards who discarded their arms to flee. As long as you are willing to deal with the mess that is Snowshame, I'm sure that the king will be more than happy," said Tarkel without restraint.

"That's true, you speak sense. But I do not wish to lead Snowshame into battle," agreed the viscount with a troubled expression.

"No, Lord Viscount, you misunderstand my meaning. How could an exalted noble such as yourself march onto the battlefield? That is not permissible. Heck, the loss of even one strand of your hair is a huge loss for the kingdom; you will play a huge role in making the kingdom's future prosperous. All you have to do is whip Snowshame into shape. There will be others to lead it into battle."

Good lord, Tarkel, your flattery knows no bounds,<.i> thought Els and Lorist.

They were incredibly embarrassed to hear the shameless and cringy words. Viscount Timba, in stark contrast to their attitude, seemed to be enjoying the attention he was given. His eyes sparkled like two bulbs of crystal in a stream. Every word that entered his ear lowered his guard towards Tarkel that little bit more.

"I feel you should start to reorganize Snowshame. It will cost you a teensy bit of money, there's no way around it, but in exchange, you will greatly improve your reputation, everyone will see you in a better light, much less His Majesty. There's no doubt in my mind whatsoever that your sister will also be very proud of you. A most ludicrously profitable trade. I can already imagine the day I hear praises sang in your name in court. Oh revered Viscount Timba, it almost brings tears to my eyes. If I can still gain your support in my venture when you are so highly regarded, my trip here would have been worth it."

"How much do you think this will cost? Tarkel, do you have an estimate?" inquired the viscount hesitantly.

"Implementing everything won't cost a lot," Tarkel affirmed, "I've already made some estimations. Providing the 20 thousand soldiers with meat and alcohol is not that costly; it'll only cost around 800 gold Fordes per feast. According to my calculations, feeding one soldier to the brim only costs 50 coppers, only half of a large silver. An average baked potato costs less than 15 coppers and a large serving of ale is only around 10 coppers. A soldier will be more than satisfied with a baked potato and a large serving of ale. Add 30 coppers' worth of delicious meat to each man's meal and you have one satisfied man ready to serve you.

"One gold Forde is worth 20 large silvers, so each gold Forde is enough to feed 40 soldiers. Even 20 thousand soldiers will only cost you 500 gold Fordes. If you up the spending to 800 to improve the quality of the alcohol and have some surplus meat to be shared around the soldiers will be even more pleased. This is a big step up from their usual black bread and vegetable soup. I am certain many of them are sick and tired of such bland meals. As long as you treat them well this once, these soldiers will be grateful from the depths of their heart.

"You should first ask your sister if its fine for you to do this. Your sister's approval is tantamount to the king's tacit approval. With this in place, it'll be easy for you to reorganize the army and to claim credit for their improved performance. If you can show your talent today, then no one will be able to criticise you for enjoying the King's favor."

"So, it will be around 800 gold Fordes in total?" hesitated the viscount.

"You can rely on the Peterson Merchant Guild to give you a hand. We will donate 500 gold Fordes as a sign of support," offered Tarkel.

"Oh?" Viscount Timba mused with surprise, "Tarkel, tell me honestly. Why are you willing to help me out this much?"

"I'll be frank with you, Lord Viscount. While I call it a donation, I will easily get the money back as long as you agree to do this twice," snickered Tarkel.

"Oh? How so?" asked the viscount, intrigued.

"Lord Viscount, will you refuse to let me supply the meat and alcohol if I donate the 500 gold Fordes?" asked Tarkel.

"Of course not. I would be more than willing to let you handle this business given your generous donation," replied the viscount.

"The meat and alcohol business will actually be a very profitable transaction for me. The price per soldier I mentioned earlier doesn't take profit into account. We can make it up by selling all that in large volumes, especially by buying some old or dying goats that are incredibly cheap. After all, we're only feeding the common soldier. All we have to do is cook the meat in a large pot and nobody would be able to tell the meat's quality.

"Additionally, if we can get our hands on some expiring smoked meat, the price will be even lower. In other words, I'll easily be able to earn 400 gold Fordes in profit for every feast you organize for the soldiers. If you do this twice, we will be able to earn the 500 gold Fordes back," explained Tarkel, revealing the secret to his profitable formula.

"I also understand that after escaping to the capital without your belongings, you're a little tight on finances. If your sister accepts your proposal, you might even be able to request a 1000-gold-Forde budged for each feast. You should ask for a budget for three feasts from the get-go. As for the meat and alcohol, let me serve you on that front. I will definitely ensure that the accounts for each feast would be flawless. That way, you will also be able to solve your financial shortage. What do you think?" asked Tarkel in a low voice.

"Very well," Viscount Timba beamed, "your proposal is magnificent. I will visit my sister at the royal court right away, so I hope you three can wait here for a short while. When I return, we'll discuss the details of the plan. Is that alright with you, Tarkel?"

Tarkel stood up and bowed respectfully before he said, "Lord Viscount, it is my honor to be able to serve you. We will wait here for the good news."

Termination

Enjoy the final release of the week. My examinations will be coming to an end around the middle of November, so the erratic release schedules should no longer be the case.

Editor's note: Hidden in this chapter is a reference to a comic series by my two favourite comic artists. Let's see who can find the reference and name the series!

Here're two hints to help you on your way:

1: Both artists are French.

2: The comic series plays out in an ancient village.

Tarkel's efforts were extremely effective. Word spread that very night that Viscount Timba had received the King's approval to reward Snowshame.

The soldiers made merry all night. The garrison forces and the royal defense army's exclusion made them very jealous; the night was a rowdy one.

The following day was even more hectic. Barrel after barrel of ale was moved from the taverns all over the capital. Jarred baked potatoes and sliced beef, mutton and pork were brought to the campsite. Tarkel also had Chelwar, Drei and the rest hire some cooks and purchase all sorts of fruit and decorations to prepare for the festivities.

More than 700 men joined the army in less than a day after word got out. At the thought that the army would be at full strength in just five days at this rate, Lud III couldn't help but smile.

Viscount Timba was also overjoyed that he managed to siphon 5000 gold Fordes out of his brother-in-law's pocket. Despite that, all he gave Tarkel for three days' worth of food and drink was 1000 gold Fordes.

Tarkel did not disappoint him either and only spent small amounts to bribe the warehouse managers around the western warehouse sector for part of the necessary supplies. He instructed the chefs to whip the stored grain into bread and other pastries and purchased lots of salted fish. All the preparations were completed about an hour before sunset. The atmosphere around the army camp was one of merriment and jubilance.

As the main sponsor of the event, Viscount Timba came over to have a look. He toasted the soldiers and promised that anyone who managed to distinguish themselves in the upcoming battle would be heavily rewarded. He also announced that military regulations would soon be enforced. However, the latter part of the viscount's announcement had largely slipped out of the soldiers' minds as they stared wide-eyed at the servings of smoked meat, fresh fruit, crunchy vegetables, steamed fish, baked potatoes and a filling cup of ale, as well as the mountain of dried rations like bread and other pastries.

As the viscount approached, Tarkel had the impression that he thought the food wasn't enough and prepared to explain, but, to his surprise...

"This feast is far too much for the likes of them! Why would you bother serving them fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish? Isn't it simply a waste to prepare that much bread and dried food? Heck, we could've decreased the portion of meat by half... As for the baked potatoes, they should have been mashed and mixed with some water. That way, one serving can be made into three... If my house's butler were to be put in charge of this, he would've been able to save another 500 gold Fordes. Sheesh, spending this much on these brutes is nothing but a waste."

The angry viscount had shown Tarkel yet another side of slaver nobles. He couldn't help but chuckle.

Hmph, he thinks that 20 thousand people's worth of food costs that little? I had to add 400 gold Fordes from the funds the house gave me to prepare this feast! Oh well, since this will be their final meal, they deserve at least this much...

The gates closed as evening came, but a few soldiers from the other forces managed to sneak inside, not that Tarkel minded. He had prepared enough foodstuffs and alcohol to accommodate a few seeking death. An hour or two before midnight the came slowly fell silent. The soldiers, satiated, fell into a drunken stupor, which quickly turned into a dead slumber. There weren't even enough soldiers to organize patrols. In the whole capital, not a single alert soul could be found.

In this silent darkness, the slaves emerged from their hiding places. Els opened the rear gates and, under Lorist's guidance, the slave fighters launched the boundless massacre.

Blood seeped into the ground and ran streams into the underground tunnels and ducts. The place had fallen from heaven to hell in less than an hour. Just sixty minutes earlier the camp was a paradise, now it was purgatory. But, unlike the scene might suggest to the casual observer, those that died did so with smiles on their faces.

Vomit soon replaced the blood on the ground and washed it from the gutters. Even the slaves who had sworn to reclaim their debt in blood began to hesitate. Killing helpless unarmed sheep was hard on the soul. Many even vomited when the true nature of their actions struck them.

It was no feat to kill a drunken opponent. It was far too easy. A single, gentle, horizontal wave was enough to bring them eternal peace. Despite the ease and efficiency of the dispatch, or perhaps because of it, a few dozen such dispatches softened even the hardest hands.

These were humans, not livestock. What had been a devil that all the slaves reviled and hated in common, in its drunken slumber, had become a helpless infant.

"This is no battle... It's cold-blooded murder," one of the slave fighters lamented as he dropped his sword, "I'd rather face them in battle than claim their lives without making a single sound..."

"You only think that because you consider yourself a warrior," Lorist said in a clear, low voice as he appeared before the slave, "You are wrong. Those drunk unconscious fools are no innocents. They are beasts with hands steeped in blood and sin. The weight of the souls of innocent women and children they killed, or doomed to a fate worse than death, crush whatever innocence they might have had left. Think, how many times have they snuck into villages to kill, plunder, pillage and rape? How many of your loved ones have they deprived of their freedom? In their eyes, you are not humans like they are. They only see you as sheep. You are nothing but livestock to them, tools to fatten their wallets!

"Think about your loved ones who died by their hands; your comrades forced to fight each other for their entertainment. Are you still able to hold any mercy for them in the face of their crimes? Wield your blade, warrior. It is your responsibility to fight alongside your comrades. Those sleeping on the ground are nothing more than savage beasts. For each you kill, at least one innocent soul will be spared torture..."

The man hung his head, picked up his sword, and continued the slaughter.

"You, at the front, move faster!" cried an urgent-sounding voice from behind, unsatisfied with the hesitance and relatively low efficiency of the slaves in front. More than a hundred Norton soldiers, wearing the equipment of the royal defense army, marched forward. They didn't wear helmets, only expressionless faces as they slaughtered those at their feet industriously.

A cloud hid the silver moon, the goddess unable to stomach the sight laid bare beneath. The blood moon beside her, however, glowed lustily.

Even an hour of slaughter was only enough to finalise the slumber of a third of the camp. It was no wonder Charade had rushed those at the front. He had been put in charge of just over 2000 youths. They were emptying the stores at the back of the camp and scouring the eternally slumbering for equipment. He was most worried about the enemy coming to realize what was happening before he had taken what he needed.

The 2000 youths were the result of his efforts on the day before. Their residential area was situated right behind the dueling grounds where the family members of more than 600 slaves lived. It was built right in front of the northern wall, which was garrisoned but a full regiment. From their vantage point, they could observe all the movements of the slaves within their residential area.

Even so, Charade sent a few trustworthy gold-ranked slaves to bring back all the slaves they could. They managed to bring about 3000 people to the dueling ground via the underground waterway.

Lorist zoomed about the campsite and waved his longsword with great ease. Starlight glinted off his blade as he took the lives of hundreds in moments.

Unlike the slaves, Lorist felt no strain nor guilt for killing these drunks. To him, it was like one of the video games from his past life. The drunks were inconsequential NPCs. Unbeknownst to him, however, his eyes gradually turned blood red. He radiated the unmistakably acrid smell of blood. It disturbed the already unnerved around him. All he could sense, however, was that his vision gained a slightly crimson tint.

Lorist came to a standstill. His consciousness flowed across the slaughterfield however he wished. It did not take him long to sweep across the entire campsite. He quickly found 200-odd men yet to fall asleep. They sat at a circular arrangement of tables and benches, preparing to roast a wild boar on the spit beside a bonfire in the middle. A few soldiers were in a hut off to the left. They rubbed their backs, preparing to sleep. To the right, a few cooks were making some food for themselves. Off in the distance, Lorist could also sense a pair of slaves who had secretly snuck off with some bones that still had a few strips of meat attached.

Wierd, why do I feel so similar to how I felt when I killed the 300 or so men back on the ship? It feels as if everything my consciousness can touch is within a piece of space that I have complete control over... I can even predict how every person is going to move. I wasn't in control of my body back then, but now I am?

Lorist squatted, stood straight up, stretched his hands and waist, lowered his head, tilted his body, and even stretched all his fingers high up into the air. He made sure that he could move however he wished.

It must have been the dire situation I was in back then that forced me into this red world. Right now, however, it only took the death of a few drunks to get me back here. I didn't even really exert myself... How did this happen? Why am I still conscious and feeling more refreshed than ever?

Unable to figure out more about his current state, Lorist put it to the back of his mind.

Since I'm already in this blood-red world, I might as well make the most of it.

With but a slight leap, Lorist's form vanished into thin air. When he reappeared, he was already at the frontmost bonfire in the camp. He twisted his body. Countless flashes appeared all around him, like ethereal blades they reaped the lives of everyone near him. The two hundred soldiers may not have been asleep like their brothers were, but they fell just as soundlessly. The one closest to the fire dropped the cup of ale he had been holding. It fell, mouth fire-wards, and spilled its contents on the coals. The liquid boiled away in moments and the fumed burst into a ball of light momentarily.

The ten or so cooks nearby raised their heads to look. But the moment their vision landed on the corpses, their expressions paled. Just as they were about to cry out in terror, a silhouette materialized in front of them. Their last sensation was cold and metallic. It slipped into the mouth and burst out of the back of the neck at the base of the skulls.

With the cooks crumbling like the bread they had baked earlier in the day, Lorist recalled the two slaves. Moments later his form materialized next to the stove. He raised his head and saw the two slaves gnawing at the bones. Their shoulders bore the brands that made them property.

The flat of his blade tapped the slaves' heads. If he wanted to spare them, they would have to sleep for a while. If they were given a chance to glance at the hell that had opened up outside, their sanity might not survive, and Lorist couldn't have the two emptying their lungs noisily.

The slaughter finally ended two hours on the other side of midnight. The world through Lorist's eyes regained its normal hue. But, although he didn't feel that he'd need to sleep for several days like the last time, his face was still pale.

Blademaster Shuss came to Lorist. His face rivaled Lorist's.

"Tired?" asked Lorist.

"I don't feel physically tired, but I don't feel any joy at the sight before us. I don't understand why, but after killing so many of those slavers I hated, I don't feel any rush of relief or satisfaction. In fact, I almost feel sick of killing those poor sods..." pondered he.

Lorist laughed with a raspy voice.

"True. A thousand have killed 20 thousand. This result would be nothing short of amazing if this were a battle. And we didn't even part with a single soul... We only feel like this victory is unearned because the enemy didn't even have the chance to try and put up any resistance. We are warriors, not slaughterers, it's only right that we find such killing distasteful. Why don't you bring the slave fighters back first? The massacre tonight was no doubt a huge shock. They'll need the time to recover."

Lorist pointed at the slaves around him as he spoke. They were lamenting their actions. Some stood empty-eyed and stared into the distance, some at the corpses on the ground. Other sat on the ground - they buried their heads in their arms in failed attempts to hide the tears they were shedding.

Shuss looked to the Norton soldiers behind him.

"Milord, your household troops are truly the cream of the crop," he awed, "They're incredibly well-trained and resolute. It's like the slaughter just now never happened."

"They believe their actions just," Lorist appreciated, "Killing these lowlives is like killing magic beasts. Actually, it isn't any different. Just like the magic beasts, they invaded our territories, trampled our homes, and disturbed the peaceful lives we were leading. They know they can only protect those they care for by killing as many of them as possible. The people of House Norton don't mourn for the enemy. It's their honor to die by our blades. Besides, the only good enemy is a dead enemy."

"'The only good enemy is a dead enemy,' huh? Well said!" praised Shuss.

"Come, let's go check out the back," Lorist instructed tranquilly, "Charade must have finished moving everything by now. Oh, you two over there, come here. There are two slaves near the stove there. Bring them to the dueling grounds for now."

"Yes, milord," replied the two guards nearby.

The Death of a Nation

Hi guys, sorry for the late release this week. As I've mentioned in the discord server, some electrical problems occurred and I was unable to charge up my laptop to work on the rest of the chapter until I visited the cafe earlier today. I'll still try to hit five chapter releases as usual, but if I'm unable to do so, I'll be sure to make up for it in the following weeks.

Two whole days passed from the start of the dueling grounds' takeover to the completion of the Snowshame's massacre. Actually, occupying the duelings grounds was a rather trying act for Lorist, Charade, Blademaster Shuss and the rest. Fortunately, in the time between the takeover and the massacre, only two messengers were sent to the grounds. The first brought news of the impending change of shift for the royal defense army. The other delivered instructions for the grounds' occupants to collect the requested supplies.

The messenger asked uncomfortable questions when they noticed a marked absence of familiar faces, and so, to keep the grounds' state a secret, they had to be silenced, even the questions were only asked in passing. Fortunately, the feast hosted by Viscount Timba had caught the attention of everyone within the capital, so no one bothered to find out where the messengers from the royal defense army and the storehouses had gone. For all they knew, the two had gone to the feast to stuff themselves.

When the sky brightened, the slave fighters retreated. All they had to do was wait for chaos to break out when the massacre was discovered and defend their station at the dueling grounds until the main Norton forces come to relieve them.

Els made use of the darkness brought on by the obscured moon to leave Hamidas. He made his way to the light cavalry scouts who were sweeping the plains around Hamidas and informed them of the goings on in the city. Their new orders were to finish off the deployed forces and move on the capital as soon as possible.

The moment the Hanayabartakingdom lost Snowshame, it's fate was sealed. There were only the royal defense army and incongruous mobs of mercenaries left to defend the capital.

Around midmorning, the next day, the two squads of royal defense army troops on their way to replace their comrades at the dueling grounds noticed the stench of blood coming from the royal defense army's camp. The squad leader felt something was amiss and quickly ordered his men to investigate the situation. Two soldiers scampered up the walls to see what was going on. They peaked over the top and found themselves back on the ground moments later. Their half soulless bodies tried to explain the glimpse of hell they had gotten, with little success.

The gates were forced open. As the sight inside was revealed bit by bit through the crack between the solid gates, those who realized what they were seeing, turned to stone. From sand to wall to rooftop, from knife to stool to stove, everything was dyed crimson. The air itself was acrid and the sweet, pungent stench of metal brought vomit to everyone's mouth.

The capital's bells were finally rung. News of the silent extermination of Snowshame spread throughout the capital. Panic reigned supreme.King Lud III pulled the terrified Viscount Timba off his carriage and asked whether that was the result of his 'reward' to the army before he beheaded him almost right away.

Investigations later revealed clues that pointed, invariably, to the dueling grounds. Two squads were sent to check. None of them returned.

The dueling grounds loomed like a giant beast over the city. Not only did it swallow slaves by the hundreds and thousands every year, now it also swallowed soldiers wholesale.

No one dared to get close to the place. The capital's force reserves were completely depleted. It only had 4000 garrisoneers, 2000 royal guards, and under 2500 men from the royal defense army responsible for protecting the warehouses. The dueling grounds were clearly occupied by someone or something hostile. And it was not something to be trifled with either -- it had already exterminated two blademasters and several gold-ranked soldiers without anyone's notice, and had thereafter exterminated 20 thousand soldiers -- in a single night. The enemy had come prepared, and struck where it would hurt the most.

Lorist recalled a saying from his past life that amounted to meaning 'one's territory should never be encroached upon by others'. That was the current situation for King Lud III. After he beheaded Viscount Timba, his anger gradually turned into terror as he stared at the 20 thousand corpses in the camp before he lost his wits altogether in a panicked fit. Given that the enemy was able to kill more than 20 thousand people in a single night, how long would they take to storm the palace and take his head?

The more the king thought of the possibility, the more fearful he became. He had everyone that could fight guarding him at all times. But the loss of the two squads that had entered the dueling grounds had been the last proverbial straw that broke camel's back. The king slowly lost his sanity, he frequently gave nonsensical orders.

First, King Lud III wanted to conscript his citizens as soldiers; he wanted every male between 16 and 50 in the armed forces. He also mobilized the regiment of troops guarding the northern sector of the city and the palace to the dueling grounds to prevent any attempt at a surprise attack.

Additionally, he ordered the slaves to clear the corpses in the campsite and demolish the camp and every building within it so that the ballistae on the walls had a clear line of fire on the dueling grounds. All the ballistae were also ordered to move to the lower section of the dueling grounds.

Third, King Lud III ordered all the nobles to gather their forces and assault the grounds. The order, however, crossed the line for many of the nobles. Furious bickering followed, which gave Lorist and his forces the time needed to rest and recover.

When the king gave his orders, Lorist, Shuss, and the three gold-ranked fighters -- Jades, Messen, Sendhank -- were seated together at the topmost audience seats of the dueling grounds, chatting listlessly as they monitored the situation outside.

"So, what are you guys going to do after the kingdom's extermination?" asked Lorist.

Shuss did not respond. He seemed rather lost. He had been sold to the slave kingdom and was a slave fighter for more than 20 years. All the slave fighters that had joined at the same time were dead; it would not be a stretch to call him the illegitimate child of the Wargod given the luck he had for surviving this long. Not only did he not die, he managed to train all the way to the blademaster rank despite being only a silver rank when he first joined. He had never bothered to think about what he would do if he were ever given his freedom. He only ever focused on his survival.

Jades was someone from the former Krissen Empire. In fact, he used to be a knight of the imperial family. However, his ill fate caused him to faint from an injury during his maiden battle and he was looted by scavengers on the battlefield. Fortunately, he was rescued by a person of good heart. Only to be captured later by slavers and sold to a mining establishment where he mined copper for four years. By the time he managed to recover from his injuries unbeknownst to his captors, he lashed out in frenzied murder to exact revenge. However, he was unfortunate enough to encounter King Lud III and a rank 3 blademaster, Locksy Kabia, who had come to check on the mines. He was defeated in moments and was sent to the dueling grounds.

Messen had been the leader of a mercenary band, but his band was destroyed because of a conflict with Duke Gouffman's slavers. He was sold to the dueling grounds and had been fighting there for the last five years. His biggest wish was to kill Duke Gouffman with his own hands. He had never thought about what he would do thereafter.

Sendhank wished to return home to exact revenge for the tragic events he had suffered. He used to be a noble of the Symleis kingdom. But, due to his fanatic passion for the martial arts and his youthful ambitions to breakthrough to the gold rank before marrying and settling down, he traveled far and wide often, at the cost of his fiancee. In the end, she had an affair with his younger brother. He was drugged with force-dispersing toxin during one of his short stays at him and, by the time he woke up, he had been sold as a slave. His younger brother took his place in the line of succession.

"Well, I'll welcome you should you at any time wish to serve House Norton or live in the dominion," offered Lorist,

This was the first time he asked them to join his side.

"I will gladly join the house, Lord Locke. I only ask that I be allowed to observe it for a year or two before I swear fealty," accepted Shuss.

"Naturally," agreed Lorist.

Jades and Messen said they would consider the offer. but wished to return to their homes first for a time. If they found family, they would bring them along.

"I'm sorry, Lord Locke, but I can't accept your offer. My home lies far south of the former empire, within the Romon Empire. I want to return home and pay back my fiancee and brother for their treachery. I also want to retake my rightful position as the head of my house..."

"I understand, Sendhank, there's no need to say anymore. I also had to offer up a life in Morante to return and take my place as the head of my house. I wish you nothing but fortune and good luck on your journey and beyond. May we meet again sometime, in situations more fortunate than these."

"May we indeed."

On the 3rd day of the 10th month, the extermination of the 20 thousand men of Snowshame had plunged the whole of the Hanayabarta kingdom into chaos. Apart from the initial two squads that were sent to inspect the grounds, no other offenses were made.

On the 4th day of the month, the kingdom finally made their move. They sent out all six of their blademasters. It was the only force left in the capital that could pose Lorist some threat. It was led by the rank 3 blademaster Locksy Kabia. Since he was both a protector of the royal family and Lud III's swordsmanship instructor, he had to do something about the situation for the sake of the kingdom. Accompanying him was the commander of the royal guards, rank 1 blademaster Viscount Sakri and four other blademasters of noble employ that had escaped from Nupite.

What Blademaster Locksy did not expect was that he would be at a disadvantage fighting Lorist the whole time. Even when Viscount Sakri joined him, they still only fought to a draw.

What surprised him most, was that the other blademasters struggled just as much as he did in their own fights. Shuss fought the only rank 2 blademaster in the group, the one that had chased Josk and Yuriy all over the hilly area. As the battle progressed, Shuss began to gradually gain an edge over his opponent.

Jades, Messen and Sendhank desperately fought against a rank 1 blademaster each. It did not take long for them to realize that the three rank 1 blademasters were mere pushovers. After an hour or so, the three blademasters were worn to the bone and barely holding on.

The three gold ranks, however, were more spirited than ever. They traded inconsequential wounds to land savage strikes on their opponents. In the end, the three blademasters crumbled. Two escaped, but the third was ended.

The rank 2 blademaster fighting against Shuss was also forced into a corner. He, too, eventually retreated. Sakri followed suit soon after.

The first assault on the dueling grounds ended in Lorist's victory. Only five of the six blademasters managed to escape alive.

On the 5th day of the 10th month, the kingdom once against launched an attack, but with more forces at their disposal than five blademasters. Accompanying the five blademasters were more than ten gold-ranked knights and swordsmen, with a few thousand more soldiers from the nobles' to the nobles' levies. This time around, they did manage to put Lorist in a precarious position. While he did manage to kill almost a hundred in the early hours of the fight, which included just over 5 gold-ranks, his power alone was not able to sway the tide. Shuss, Jades and the rest were forced to the first basement. Lorist soon followed.

During the second assault, the kingdom managed to force Lorist and the insurgent slave fighters down to the first basement. Messen and Sendhank were both heavily injured, tough Shush only suffered light injuries, luckily. Lorist was fine, apart from expending a little too much energy.

On the 6th day of the 10th month, the kingdom resumed their assault and attacked the first basement. Much to their surprise, however, Charade had filled the empty food sacks they took with mud and had stacked them up all over the first basement, turning it into a maze. No matter how many were sent in, none returned. Not only that, Lorist and Shuss were both able to move freely around the maze. Even Blademaster Locksy was forced to retreat.

The excursion ended, once again, Lorist's triumph.

On the 7th day, the kingdom's forces changed their tactics and gathered up to a thousand slave laborers instead to start digging from the top. They intended to collapse the whole first basement. But at noon, the first report of their defeat arrived. It appeared that the only cavalry unit of the kingdom had suffered a sudden ambush from an enemy cavalry unit that numbered a thousand when they were suppressing the slave revolt at one of the manors of the royal family. All but seven of the 1800 men were dead. The forces of the enemy, scouts of House Norton, had already entered the lines of sight of the soldiers defending the walls.

That afternoon the kingdom's forces assaulted the basement ferociously. With the dueling grounds being occupied, it would almost be impossible for them to fight properly against the enemies outside the city. Only by removing the tumor that was the insurgents in the dueling grounds would they be able to protect the capital.

The fighting continued well into the night. The kingdom attacked non-stop, and Lorist and his comrades resisted valiantly. Quite a number of holes in the ceiling of the first basement was visible, with droves of the kingdom's troops dropping in from them. The ground was littered with layers of corpses. By the time Lorist and the rest were finally forced into the second basement, it was already far into the next day's morning.

Both sides sustained heavy casualties, with more than 70 of Lorist's household troops dead or injured alongside 300-odd slave fighters. However, the kingdom's forces fared even worse; more than a thousand were dead and a thousand more injured. They had lost almost all their able-bodied fighters.

There was no battle on the 8th. Neither side made any offensive moves.

On the 9th, however, yet another report arrived. It stated that the royal defense army had been lured into the hilly area and surrounded. The army was completely decimated and the king's uncle was dead. The already crumbling capital fell apart completely at the news.

On the 10th, the Norton cavalry scouts encircled Hamidas. Some element of the scouts could be seen from every vantage point on the walls.

On the 11th, the rest of the Norton forces arrived along with tens of thousands of liberated slaves. They began setting up camps and defense lines all around the capital.

The 12th saw Lud III forcing the capital's people to man the walls and sending a messenger to request a cease of hostilities, which Fiercetiger Loze refused outright.

At eight that night, Lorist led the slave fighters on a surprise attack against the northern walls and managed to occupy it completely. Droves of Norton troops flooded into the capital and the royal capital fell in mere hours.

Afternoon on the 13th, following the decapitation of Rank 3 Blademaster Locksy Kabia, the despairing Lud III killed his three consorts and his nine-month-old newborn son before setting his palace on fire. The slave kingdom, Hanayabarta, founded little more than a century earlier, had truly come to an end.

Arrangements

This here is the second release of the week, enjoy!

This chapter is still in an unedited state due to the exam season catching up with us all. The edited version will be updated as soon as it's available.

Lorist laid lazily on a luxurious-looking bed. Having slept for a whole day and night, he had just woken up not long ago and still felt rather drowsy and did not feel like getting up just yet.

Lorist's laziness was not because of him being in a weakened condition. He was just pondering about that blood red world he had just experienced. At afternoon the day before when he led the forces of the household on an attack to the palace, he had faced off against Rank 3 Blademaster Locksy Kabia. Logically speaking, Locksy should be far inferior than Blademaster Zarinan who was sent to assassinate Lorist some time ago. Zarinan was considered to be a quasi-swordsaint by many, meaning that his prowess was incredibly close to that of a true swordsaint. While Blademaster Locksy was still rather formidable, he was not particularly strong and was at a disadvantage when battling against Lorist.

Even so, Locksy Kabia was a rather stubborn person who had managed to keep Lorist occupied for more than two hours. From time to time, he would retreat and have the archers protecting the palace fire volleys in Lorist's direction, causing him much trouble. The most annoying part was that Locksy's swordsmanship attribute was not particularly weak against Lorist's own, with Locksy's being a similar sneaky, chilling type. In fact, he thrived off the cold temperatures generated by Lorist's swordsmanship.

In the end, Lorist once again entered that blood red world. Within that world, Lorist could feel his speed, agility, strength and other bodily qualities double or triple in intensity, allowing him to decapitate the rank 3 blademaster in a mere ten strokes, all the while fending off more than 20 hidden strikes from the royal guards.

The moment Lud III saw the death of Blademaster Locksy from the distance, he knew that he no longer had hope of delaying the inevitable, so he began to set his palace on fire. At that very moment, Lorist had just receded from the blood red world and felt incredibly exhausted. The moment he heard the guards ahead report on the burning of the palace, he laughed out in relief before collapsing into deep slumber.

Lorist was wondering about the nature of the blood red world. As much as he would like to call it a swordsaint's domain, it was a little different from what he had heard about them as described by others. Additionally, he felt that his swordsmanship still was not up to a swordsaint's standard. At best, he was only as skilled as Zarinan had been, being only at the quasi-swordsaint level.

The domain that was most-detailedly documented was that of the Windstorm Swordsaint of the Kalia kingdom, who had once deployed his domain for others to experience first hand. Those lucky enough to be present during the demonstration described it as being put directly into a storm all of a sudden that caused them to be unable to open their eyes from the wind and rain. In that situation, most would be unable to fight properly given the decreased visibility and other annoyances and could only wait for one's impending death.

That was the reason Lorist thought that even if he were to breakthrough to the swordsaint level, his domain would be one of snow and ice. That opinion was also shared by the blademasters that had faced him in combat. What, then, is this blood red world anyways? Even if it's not a domain, I feel absolute control over my environment after entering that world. I could even kill rank 3 blademasters like they are livestock. In this blood red world, with but a thought, I can appear wherever I want. Given how deeply this resonates with my soul, it feels like a domain, if not anything else...

However, Lorist could not be assured of two points. First, he had never heard of any swordsaint that had managed to master two different domains. Second, given how his swordsmanship still did not pose too much trouble to Blademaster Locksy to the point that the latter was able to hold on for two whole hours, it was apparent that Lorist's skills were still far from that of a swordsaint. Should it have been the opposite case, he would have defeated the old blademaster within 50 exchanges.

But Lorist suddenly remembered that he was not training properly in the battleforce technique he learned in his current life. Instead, he was using battleforce to cultivate the Aquametal Technique which he inherited in his past life. Perhaps, that would be a factor that would distort the nature of his domain. Thinking back at the insane boost in abilities the blood red world afforded him, it felt almost like a buff in a video game that boosted his abilities from 10 points to around 40. That was why Locksy was unable to take more than ten of his empowered strikes and fell at the eleventh one.

This blood red world should be a domain, then. When I am in that state, my abilities should rival that of a swordsaint's. That's why I suffer some fatigue as backlash after being in that state and have to rest up well.

Guess I should name this blood red world. What should I call it? Bloodred Domain? Lorist shook his head and recalled the night he engaged in slaughter with bodies littered all over him in the camp. Since a slaughter always succeeds the manifestation of the domain, let's call this the Slaughter Domain. I should work on familiarizing myself with this ability as soon as I can. Perhaps, I should adjust my training to focus in that direction and try my best to train my body until the state it is at within the domain.

Upon concluding his thought session, he felt rather relaxed and called out, "Hey, anyone?"

Jim came in and asked, "Milord, what do you need?"

"Oh? Why are you here? You're still injured. You should rest up," said Lorist.

"Milord, I'm already fine. The military herbalist gave me a checkup yesterday and said that my body has recovered completely, thanks to the medicine Els brought to the dueling grounds that time. I only need another few days of rest for a complete recovery. Also, I'm the vice leader of your personal guard. I am only fulfilling my duties as soon as possible," replied Jim.

"Fine, suit yourself. Just make sure you don't overwork yourself," Lorist said, "Who's in charge of the situation right now?"

"Sir Charade is, Milord. Sir Loze had already passed on the duties to Sir Charade the moment they met and went on to take charge of the security of the capital," reported Jim.

"I see," Lorist said as he nodded, before he instructed, "Get me some food and drink. I'm starving to death already."

Right after Lorist downed two pieces of bread, Charade entered the room with a thick stack of folders and said, "Milord, you're finally awake."

"Aren't you handling things just fine?" asked Lorist as he picked up another piece of roast chicken.

"Ugh," Charade groaned, "Locke, I was originally going to thank you for coming into the dueling grounds alone to rescue me, but now I understand that you did all that just so that I could take over most of the work again!"

Lorist laughed and said, "Fatty, aren't you the one who likes desk jobs the most? Why did you change your mind all of a sudden after being taken captive?"

Charade sighed and said, "Actually, I want to take a break."

"What for?"

"Thinking back at the household soldiers who had died protecting me at the dueling grounds, like Knight Fad, I know this can't go on any longer. I want to take a break to properly train and break through to the gold rank. If... If I were a gold rank, there would be far less household soldiers who had to sacrifice themselves for my sake. At the very least, that rat-faced blademaster wouldn't have used me to threaten Els. Because I've been neglecting my own battleforce training, I caused so much trouble in the end," grumbled Charade.

"That's not your fault. You're the chief knight of the household and it's only right for the household soldiers to defend you. However, I do agree that it's about time you raised your abilities. I'll agree to let you off on a break, but that can only happen after we return to The Northlands. For now, you'll still have to help me deal with the bulk of matters here at the Hanayabarta archipelago," said Lorist.

"Naturally, we won't be staying here for too long. I promise you that we'll return to Silowas by the end of the 10th month or early next month," added Lorist.

"Then what will happen to the archipelago?" asked Charade.

"We'll take it as our own dominion. This place will be yet another overseas dominion of our household."

"However, we don't have the official mandate from the Andinaq royal family to do so. I'm afraid we can't make this place our dominion, Locke," reminded Charade.

"No worries," Lorist said as he waved, "The second highness didn't care about us when we mobilized our forces. Additionally, the kingdom we exterminated isn't officially recognized by many other nations of the continent. They're nothing but pirates gathered up in one lair. If we leave these islands be, it might actually become the homes of real pirates in the future. That's why we can't leave this place lawless and unattended. Forget about an official mandate. I don't care if others don't acknowledge this archipelago as our overseas dominion. If there's anyone who objects to our claim here, I'd like to see them try to defeat our Oceanic Legion to reclaim these islands."

Since Lorist was dead set on keeping the Hanayabarta archipelago under the jurisdiction of House Norton, Charade no longer advised against it. After all, there were benefits in having yet another overseas dominion.

"Locke, I understand. Oh, and, make sure to sign these documents," said Charade as he passed over the folder stack.

"What are these?" asked Lorist.

"The forms for distributing food and other supplies, reward for distinguished soldiers, and a list of items the fleet will be sending back to Silowas. Also, there are some distribution permissions for weapons and equipment for the new local defense forces."

Lorist sighed and began signing one document after another.

"Aren't you going to look them over?" asked Charade.

"The fact that you brought them to me for a signature means that you've already given it a good look. There's no need for me to spend that much effort to recheck everything," replied Lorist.

"Alright, thanks for having so much trust in me. Actually, I still have another thing I want to discuss with you," said Charade.

"What's it about?"

"It concerns the slaves. Currently, there are more than 100 thousand slaves settled in at the capital. Apart from the 30 thousand or so that are under the command of our forces, the rest are mostly those that worked in the manors of the royal family. If they are left to their own devices, they'll be nothing but a leech on our food and resources. Additionally, the wheat in the fields of the manors are ripe and ready for harvest, but are so far left alone. I believe that it won't be too good an idea to force the slaves to do so. What should we do about this?"

Charade felt rather troubled that perfectly good wheat was being left to rot as well as the fact that they were feeding the 100 thousand slaves for nothing in return. The sight of food being moved out of the warehouse to the unattended slaves around the capital pained his heart. But even so, there was naught he could do to the slaves who had responded to the house's call to rebellion.

"How much goods did we obtain from this place?" asked Lorist without even answering the earlier query.

"It's not completely accounted for yet," Charade said as he flipped open a brown-colored folder, "Milord, this is the report on Port Nupite from Hector. There are more than 5 million gold Fordes alone confiscated there, with another 3 million gold Fordes' worth of silvers and coppers. Also, there are lots of valuable luxurious goods that also add up to millions. Hector stated in his report that he had formed a slave scavenging unit to dig up the underground warehouses of those slaver nobles and traders. He believes that we will gain another few million gold Fordes' worth of goods by the end of the month.

"Also, we sealed the three treasuries of the royal family and there are at least 1 million gold Fordes' worth in there. I believe that after we scour the noble sector, we will gain even more. Locke, the lack of funds for our house is practically solved already. The funds we gained from the Hanayabarta kingdom alone is enough for us to continue development for ten more years."

"Hehe," Lorist chuckled, "I was the one who said it first. Money comes fastest when it's taken from the hands of a kingdom. Naturally, that only applies if we can obtain victory with the least sacrifice. The only sad part is that the dominion of the house is located far too remotely, leaving only other poor folks or troublesome ones around us. Sometimes, I really wish that our dominion is located at the Falik Plains next to a juicy piece of meat like the Teribo kingdom. Just the thought makes me drool..."

Charade laughed and said, "Milord, we're nobles, not bandits! Don't say these kinds of things in front of others. Also, you said that we attacked the Hanayabarta kingdom as an act of retaliation of their slavers and slave traders that attacked Silowas. We are perfectly in the right for fighting back and exterminating their kingdom. We did not do this out of need for money."

"No worries, I know. Earning money is just one of our side goals. Everyone understands this," Lorist said with a laugh, "Since we earned so much this time around, we can afford to be a little lenient on our spending. Post notices all over the capital later stating that we are recruiting the slaves for the wheat harvest. We will need to put the fields at the plains near the capital to good use and plant winter wheat after the current harvest. Even if we have enough stockpiled food, we can't count on those completely.

"Those who help with the harvests will be guaranteed food, shelter and good clothing. We will also pay them a salary. I believe that those freed slaves would love to start accumulating wealth of their own. Those who work hard will be compensated a small silver a day. I believe that will entice lots to join in.

"Also, from tomorrow onwards, the slaves that refuse to help us out will only be served two bowls of porridge a day with no bread or meat. Those who don't work don't even deserve food in the first place, and our provision of two servings of porridge is already more than we're obligated to provide. We don't have any special relationship with them, so there's no need for us to feed them well."

Charade stared wide-mouthed and said, "Milord, that won't be too good, right? I don't recall you asking the light cavalry scouts to announce that when you were riling them up for revolt."

Lorist shook his head with a smile and said, "No. All we promised in exchange for them to help us resist the oppression of the royal defense army and the capital's cavalry troops was freedom. Right now, they are free to go wherever they want and do whatever they want. No one would look at them as slaves anymore. We have already fulfilled our end of the bargain, so that doesn't obligate us to sustain them for the rest of their lives, understood?

"If these free men are willing to labor for us in exchange for other benefits, they are more than welcome to do so. Our house requires that kind of hardworking people who are willing to work for their own livelihoods, not parasites who don't want to put in their part of the effort. If there are any that oppose our decision, we will show them the wrath of the Raging Bear!

"Also, you can make it known that we will soon be recruiting those among the slaves to expand our army. Make sure to spread the word that we aren't looking for the fittest or strongest to join, but rather those who served us the best."

Charade understood Lorist's intentions and said, "Milord, I understand."

"Good. There are over 400 thousand slaves here on the Hanayabarta archipelago, with most of them being youths that aren't tied down by other family members. If we use them wisely, they will grow the manpower of the Norton house by far. Failing that, they will become very troublesome for us. I plan to leave around 200 thousand slaves here at the archipelago and give them farmland and houses. They will live here as subjects of the house from then on.

"Other than that, I plan to recruit ten brigades of soldiers. Coupled with the ten brigades already formed at Port Nupite, there are more than 60 thousand soldiers, which are just enough to make up for the house's inability to keep this place defended. In chaotic times, one must have enough might to protect oneself. As for the rest of the slaves, those who don't wish to return to their homelands can be allowed to move to Silowas to replace the lost subjects there so that we can continue to develop that place. That will be the rough outline of the plan. What do you think?" asked Lorist.

"That sounds appropriate, Milord," replied Charade.

Dread Monument

The most prominent building in Hamidas which also served as the center of power for the Hanayabarta kingdom, was where Lud III would summon his nobles for meetings or wave to the adoring masses.

There were 36 huge pillars supporting the great hall, with all of them made from greengold stone. On the pillars were engravings of intricate patterns and murals that depicted the various legends and folktales of the era. That building was Herbitra, also known as the Palace of 36 Pillars.

At that moment, droves of people made merry within the great hall. Lorist had hosted a large celebratory feast over there to commemorate the victory of the House of Norton as well as the extermination of the Hanayabarta kingdom, fulfilling his promise of 'those who slight the Nortons shall be put down, far as they may be'.

"Let me dedicate this first toast to the heroic soldiers and fighters that have sacrificed themselves to wash away the humiliation of the house while liberating the slaves!" announced Lorist before he poured the cup of wine onto the ground.

The hundreds of fully-armored knights and ten other elaborately-dressed officials within the hall did the same.

"This second cup shall be dedicated to the slaves who have suffered for the past century under the tyrannical reign of the Hanayabarta kingdom. They have been subjugated, emasculated and enslaved. Despite that, they were the ones who built this kingdom from the ground up. Do you see the 36 majestic pillars in this hall? Who would think for a second that those were built at the cost of countless numbers of corpses?! They have lost their freedom here and became nothing more than animals. In the eyes of the demonic slavers, they are no different from livestock!

"But that has changed since our arrival! The House of Norton has already exterminated this sinful nation! The slaves are finally freed and restored dignity as all humans deserve. However, we did come a little too late, as there are many others whom we were unable to save. Let us mourn and grieve for their suffering. This toast is made in their honor."

Lorist poured the wine once again on the ground. While Lorist's true reason in attacking the kingdom was to gain the resources gathered over the century by the kingdom, he had to pretend that saving the slaves from suffering was his main goal in the interest of political correctness.

As for the liberate slaves who would not join the forces of the Nortons or help out with the harvest or other tasks and preferred to laze around in the camp despite only being served two meals of porridge daily, Lorist did not really care about them. Since he has already given them freedom, Lorist felt that they were free to decide their destinations and vocations. As long as they did not obstruct the house's operations, they were free to do whatever they wanted.

However, all the resources around the archipelago down to the smallest grain was the de facto property of the Norton house, not to mention the ships that would be required to send those slaves off to their hometowns. Without Lorist's permission, not one of them would be able to leave the archipelago.

There were some free slaves that remained within the camp that had gotten sick of eating nothing but porridge and wanted to get some farming tools to harvest some wheat for their own consumption. However, they were stopped by patrolling guards right away, because almost all the property of the slavers were already in the hands of the Norton house.

Those slaves were dissatisfied from being denied their will and argued that they deserved a share of the wheat because they had a part in cultivating it. It did not take long before they were brought to the main camp of the Norton forces and showed the corpses of near a thousand Norton soldiers who had died fighting the slavers. Following that, those slaves were given 20 canes each to ensure that they understood the reason the wheat belonged solely to the Norton house. The fortunate thing was that they no longer had to worry about starving, as they were punished to help out with the harvests for their transgressions.

All was according to Charade's plan to spread the propaganda that the Hanayabarta kingdom had fallen only because of the huge sacrifice of House Norton to liberate the slaves. 'That's why everything on the archipelago belong to us, as, without us, you would still be slaves whose lives are at the whims of your masters. Even though you're now free men, your freedom came at the expense of the Norton house. So, we're under no obligation to sustain you any longer.'

All the Norton soldiers were rather convinced with Charade's arguments. Additionally, House Norton did not leave the slaves to their own devices for survival. They did offer opportunities for the slaves to work for proper meals, clothing, shelter and even payment. Not only that, the slaves were not required to do anything remotely threatening to their lives. That was why the Norton soldiers despised the slaves that did not help out even when being given the chance and thought that they were thankless and shameless fools.

"This third cup of wine is dedicated to the slave fighters who fell before the coming of dawn," Lorist said before he gave Blademaster Shuss and the other slave fighters a glance, "Without their painstaking resistance, our house would never have been able to occupy the capital with so few casualties. It was their life and blood that limited the enemy's ability to launch a last-ditch resistance against us, defending the dueling grounds until our forces arrived. This toast will be in the honor of the brave warriors and their sacrifice."

After the three toasts, the atmosphere within the hall reverted to its former merriness. Everyone began to celebrate again. A group of young and beautiful female slaves with varied talents put on a magnificent show of dance, sleight of hand and performances for the conquerors of the Hanayabarta archipelago.

As it was a celebratory occasion, the soldiers of the Nortons received a great number of bonuses. Those who participated in battle were awarded ten gold Fordes, with the injured receiving double that amount. Additionally, they were also treated to a sumptuous feast. As for the volunteers that helped out, they received a large serving of ale and a huge piece of smoked meat. Even the slaves who did not contribute got two pieces of black bread sandwiching a piece of meat.

On the next day, Lorist gathered the knights and important officials of the house for a meeting about the fate of the Hanayabarta archipelago.

Nobody held any objection about making the Hanayabarta archipelago the dominion of the Norton house nor Lorist's plans for the 400 thousand or so slaves there. However, some had differing opinions about what to do with Hamidas.

Hector and some other administrative officials believed that the capital should be kept intact, especially a palace as magnificent as Herbitra. While it did have a tainted history of being built on the backs of slaves, it was still a magnificent building that should be cared for over the generations.

Blademaster Shuss and two gold-ranked slave fighters, Jades and Messen, who were attending a meeting like this for the first time, stressed that the capital had to be demolished, especially the dueling grounds, which reminded them of their most painful experiences in their lives. Countless comrades of theirs had fallen to their deaths there and only the demolition of the symbol of their pain would appease them.

Potterfang on the other hand believed that the demolition of the capital would allow them to gain favor more quickly with the slaves. During his time being in charge of the security of the slave camps, he found that all the slaves have deep hatred for the Royal Capital of Hamidas, with some calling it a devil's den and other's thinking it no different than hell. The slaves would definitely be more obedient following the demolition of the capital.

Malek thought that the demolition of the capital would save them quite some trouble when they excavate for the hidden riches of the slaver nobles, as they would no longer have to ensure the integrity of their buildings during their operations.

Charade approached the matter from a different perspective and thought that the demolition of the capital would be far more beneficial for the administration of the Norton house at the Hanayabarta archipelago. For one, Hanayabarta was quite far away from the main dominion and maintaining a castle as large as the capital would definitely put quite a heavy burden on the finances of the house. Since the house would not be moving their headquarters to Hanayabarta, there was no need for the capital to be kept.

Herbitra alone would cost at least 300 gold Fordes yearly to maintain. While the annual amount was by no means astronomical, the upkeep over decades or a century would be staggeringly high. That way of spending was no different from dropping gold coins into the sea; one would not even hear the coins reach the ground.

Not only that, given how far Hanayabarta was from the main dominion of the Nortons, an enemy attack on the island was only a matter of time. As a measure of precaution, the demolition of the capital would serve to make it easier for the house to rule over the various islands and their forces would not incur as much casualties to quell any revolts or chaos.

Also, while there would be over 100 thousand slaves staying behind at the archipelago that would require farmland and houses, only a brigade of soldiers would be left to defend the area at most. That was why the area to be defended must be decreased. In the future, the area around the capital would only serve two purposes: as a trade center and a storage hub for food and other resources.

The reasons Charade brought up cemented the decision to demolish the capital. Lorist decided that apart from the business sector, that would be retained and expanded, the other sectors of the capital would be demolished. However, that would only occur after Malek and the rest finish scouring the noble sector and royal sector for their treasures.

Lorist also managed to convince them to retain the 36 pillars and the half of the dueling grounds' audience seats to serve as a reminder to future generations about the two buildings that were the cornerstone of the slaves' suffering.

Upon deciding Hamidas's fate, Lorist declared Hector the first governor of the Hanayabarta archipelago with his first term lasting five years. His duties during that time was to ensure that the 100 thousand slaves were given farmland and houses so that they could settle down into their new lives and become the subjects of the Norton house.

Gold-ranked knights Josk and Yuriy would check on the manors at the plains around the capital once more to capture any subject of the Hanayabarta kingdom that might have escaped to make sure that not a single one of them was spared. They were also tasked to transport all the goods found at the manors to the capital.

Gold-ranked knight Malek was put in charge of the scavenging of the valuables within the capital as well as the transportation of the goods found at the western city sector. Apart from some food and other supplies, the rest were to be brought to Port Nupite to be shipped to Silowas.

Gold-ranked knight Fiercetiger Loze would command the half of the Norton troops that stay behind and assist Malek with the transportation of those resources, as well as guide the rest of the slaves to Port Nupite. Only those who wanted to stay would be allowed to remain at the plains near the capital. The rest must leave with no exceptions. However, the Norton house did promise those who wish to return to their homes that they would be guaranteed safety and transport to the main continent of Grindia for no fee at all.

Lastly, Lorist made gold-ranked slave fighters Jades and Messen aides to Potterfang. Those three were given only three tasks: the formation of the ten new brigades to maintain security through the recruitment of the 16 silver-ranked and 400 other bronze or iron-ranked slave fighters, the transport of the 100 thousand plus captured subjects of the Hanayabarta kingdom to Port Nupite to where the other captives were held, as well as the cleansing of the battlefield. The last task involved the decapitation and embalming of the heads of the enemy corpses that would be sent to Port Nupite. The headless corpses were then disposed through burning.

Some felt that Lorist's order to keep the heads of the enemies a little weird. Charade on the other hand asked Lorist how they would deal with the 100 thousand or so captives of the Hanayabarta kingdom.

Lorist stayed silent with a gloomy look for a good while before he softly announced his decision. "Behead them all."

Everyone present were shocked beyond their wits. Hector and Charade jumped with terror as they said, "Milord, you can't do that! Those are 100 thousand human lives!"

"They are not human, merely animals wearing human skin," Lorist said as he thumped heavily on this desk, "They have never seen the slaves as fellow humans and are the demons of this sinful kingdom. Even if they are commoners instead of nobles or slavers, they have lived in prosperity thanks to the blood, tears and deaths of the slaves. Not only that, I've made an oath to bury 100 Hanayabartans alongside each of our dead soldiers. But now, these 100 thousand captives are still not enough to make it up to our comrades who died at the dueling grounds! My decision is final, and I will shoulder all the consequences of it!" exclaimed Lorist, before he left to conclude the discussion.

On the 24th day of the 10th month of Year 1773, Count Norton Lorist ordered for the beheading of up to 100 thousand Hanayabartans at the shores of Port Nupite, and used 176243 heads to build a 33-meter-tall human-head pyramid, which was known as the Dread Monument.

Right before the beheading, the governor of Hanayabarta, Hector, had kneeled to Lorist and begged for seven whole hours before he finally received permission from Lorist to spare the lives of 12 thousand young women that would be made the wives of the liberated slaves of the archipelago. The genocide of Hanayabarta was deeply imprinted in the hearts of many.

During the 3rd and 4th months of Year 1774, when many of the slaves that left the archipelago to return to their homes at Grindia, word of Lorist's use of more than 170 thousand heads to build a pyramid spread across the nations on the continent. Almost overnight, the name of the Roaring Raging Bear became the go-to tale that mothers told their misbehaving children.

In the 5th month of Year 1774, word of the extermination of the Hanayabarta kingdom spread to another island-based nation -- the Shyarsia kingdom. The queen of the nation that was famed for their spice production, who was the cousin little sister of Lud III, cried until she fainted when she heard the news. Her son, the young prince, instantly ordered his royal uncle to mobilize their troops against the occupying forces at Hanayabarta for causing his mother that much grief.

The army sent out by the Shyarsia numbered 18 thousand men. They left with a fleet of 40-odd ships and by the time they arrived at Port Nupite, it was already the latter half of the 6th month. Being noon when they arrived, the distant human-head pyramid was more apparent than ever for the newcomers. At that time, Port Nupite was defended only by a brigade of 3000 soldiers with the defense infrastructure still incomplete. As the knights of the garrison soldiers readied themselves for a battle to the death, something incomprehensible happened.

The fleet of the Shyarsia kingdom circled around at the front of the human-head pyramid and left for the seas, never to return, as if they had come just to witness the pyramid itself. Not one of their men got off shore for a fight.

In the 8th month, Senbaud's Oceanic Legion arrived at the Hanayabarta archipelago with six sail-powered, cannon-equipped warships to patrol the area. The moment Senbaud heard about the arrival of the Shyarsia fleet, he set out for the Shyarsia kingdom right away. But before they even exchanged the first volley of fire, the Shyarsia kingdom raised their white flag in surrender. It was later known that everyone of the Shyarsia kingdom was terrified by the human-head pyramid. Given that none of them wished for a similar one to be erected at their kingdom, they surrendered immediately for safe measure.

Thus, the Kingdom of Shyarsia became the first nation to subordinate themselves to the House of Norton, marking the beginnings of a new era.

Seriously, that was no joke. It really happened.