Chapter 114: Bertrand The Impaler

General Bertrand was one of Victor's first commanders, second to only General Rapp. Because of this longstanding bond between the ruler and commander, Bertrand had developed a fierce and unwavering loyalty towards Victor.

Victor's orders were absolute and Bertrand would faithfully carry out his orders without question or a second thought. As such, the general moved the bodies outside of the wall and began to do something unthinkable to the corpses.

Bertrand had ordered the impalement of the rebel corpses as a warning to any who might consider following in their footsteps. The act was both cruel and effective, a stark reminder of the Luxenberg army's power. His officers, though some privately expressed unease, carried out his orders without question. 

They worked swiftly and efficiently, their movements precise and devoid of emotion. The scene, though horrific, was an ordered one. Each body was carefully positioned, each stake driven with calculated force. The setting sun cast long, grotesque shadows across the field, transforming the scene into something that resembled a macabre harvest.

Bertrand looked at his new artistic masterpiece, however, felt no triumph. Only a grim satisfaction, tempered by the knowledge that the rebels would surely retaliate after such a heinous display. He adjusted his sword belt, the polished steel gleaming faintly in the late afternoon sun. 

The French General mounted his horse, not looking back at what he had ordered. The gruesome display stood as a testament to his unwavering resolve. The silence, broken only by the occasional caw of a crow, hung heavier than the smell of death. 

He rode back towards the city walls, leaving behind him a gruesome spectacle, a stark warning etched into the very landscape. The war was far from over and this was not the time to be dealing with rebels, so acting with malice and cruelty was his way of trying to speed up the rebels coming out of hiding.

As intended this brutal artistic display proved effective in stirring the hornet's nest, not only inside the city but also the capital of Osterbon.

Within a week of the event, Fontaine spies had relayed the news to their master's in Osterbon. When they heard of what had happened, Geraldt and Gerhard would go ballistic, needing blood to satiate their hatred.

"That devilish bastard, not only did he execute them, but he desecrated their corpses. Many of those unfortunate souls had barely reached manhood, some of them were our city's elders. I get that they were angry about what had happened to their general, but to go this far is beyond heinous."

"Grand Duke Fontaine, please let me and my army ride out to liberate the city and my people. Those Luxenberg dogs will be eradicated, every breath they breathe in my city is an insult to my lineage. They need to die, especially that General Bertrand, or as the people call him, Bertrand the Impaler," Duke Geraldt Hirschmann exclaimed in anger.

Grand Duke Fontaine was visibly upset to hear about the atrocities that had befallen the freedom fighters of Joltz. Their patriotism was admirable and proved to be a useful distraction for the Luxenberg forces in the south of his domain. 

In spite of this, the grand duke was hesitant to leave his capital city, not with half the Luxenberg army relaxing on the region's border. There was every chance they would move to capture the city if the Fontaine army departed for Joltz.

"My friend, I know both you and your son are seething with rage about this grave and depraved act. However, there is half the Luxenberg army on the doorstep of this region. If we moved to liberate Joltz, we would be allowing the Luxenberg forces in the west to swoop in and capture the capital," Grand Duke Fontaine said empathetically.

No matter how much Duke Hirschmann and his son protested and urged the Grand Duke, there was no changing his mind. Victor had done well to use half of his army as a deterrent for the Fontaine Faction. With them cooped up in Osterbon it allowed Victor's forces in the south to stabilise the conquered cities, in particular, Joltz.

When Victor heard that General Bertrand fulfilled his orders to the letter, he was pleasantly surprised that the general was able to carry out such an order without protest. It showed Victor the loyalty that he commanded over his men. If they were willing to commit war-crime level atrocities on rebels, they sure would charge through hell for him. 

Back in Joltz, the rebel leader met inside the bank that they held in the western part of the city. There were a dozen or more rebel leaders convening to discuss their next moves after General Bertrand brazenly sent a message with those impaled corpses.

"That Luxenberg dog dares to challenge us, we shall give him a worse fate than we did his fellow general. His body will be paraded naked with his limbs removed and his entrails tied around his own neck. That bastard will not leave Joltz in one piece, I promise this to you all my comrades," A youthful rebel leader stated.

An elderly rebel leader shook his head and replied, "Now is not the time to vent our anger, we have suffered multiple defeats and have our fallen brothers used as war trophies for the evil general. We must act with patience and proper strategy, or we will join our fallen comrades in that field, dead and impaled."

The youthful leader was quick to quip back at the wise words of the elderly rebel leader. "What do you suggest then, many of our brothers are calling for blood and vengence. If you mean to delay their justice, then you would find yourself the target of their ire. Regardless, they grow restless and mean to act soon."

The rebel leaders looked amongst each other, softly debating what they should do, none of them were confident in chiming in on this heated discussion by the two leaders. They all fell silent when the elderly rebel leader was able to articulate his thoughts.

"For starters, we must bulk up the security here and at the merchant warehouse in the south, we can not afford to lose any more key locations. In terms of an offensive plan, let us rally the bulk of our forces and try and capture the palace. The enemy forces are split up and could be picked off if done successfully."

His words managed to entice all the leaders, the plan itself was a bit crude and needed refinement but the overall premise excited them. Drowning the city with Luxenberg blood was their mission after all and by the sounds of it, this plan would allow them to do so.

With their anger focused towards a more productive purpose, the rebels began to plan for thier next attack.