"Your Highness!"
Saragan's quarters were nearby, so it didn't take long for her to arrive. Saragan saw Krald rolling on the floor and motioned to her maids to close the door.
“Your Highness, what’s wrong? Why are you doing this?”
“Sa, Saragan, this is a big problem. Uh... what should we do? The Grand Duke of Melgan... Melgan is here. Tien’s soldiers... I think they’re going to attack us. What should we do? What should we do?”
“Your Highness, calm down. Is that true?”
“It’s true! It’s all true! That woman... Didn’t you see the soldiers she brought? Tens of thousands of soldiers were lying outside! Didn’t you see that?”
Krald clung to Saragan's collar like a child. It was as if he was in his right mind, but Saragan was strangely calm. Saragan hugged Krald, who had started to sob after screaming and whispering.
“If that is true, you should not be crying like this, Your Highness. Send a messenger to Tien and inform him of this. Only then will King Iland prepare something. Now... calm down. Agima, bring that.”
As Saragan nodded, the maid standing guard at the door took out a small gold box from her sleeve and politely held it out. Saragan opened the lid, took out one of the items neatly packed inside, put the water spout in Krald’s mouth, and lit it.
“Now, Your Highness. Drink deeply. It will calm you down.”
Krald, who was shivering, took a deep breath. The fire on his tip flickered red and grew bigger, and soon a thick, blue smoke flowed out from between his lips. Saragan held him in her arms and slowly soothed him like a baby until Krald, who was breathing heavily, calmed down.
“Are you feeling a little better?”
Krald nodded. His face was pale and his fingertips were trembling, but the morbid seizure had disappeared as if it were a lie. Saragan pulled the water droplet out from between his lips and handed the rest to Agima to handle.
“Is there anyone outside?”
As soon as Krald shouted, the attendant came running. He glared at the attendant, who was bowing his head, with sparkling eyes, and spoke in an agitated voice.
“Send a soldier who is good at handling horses to warn the King of Tien. The great army of the Grand Duchy of Melgan is encamped, so he should not pass straight through the Grand Duchy, but find a detour.”
“Understood, Your Highness."
Krald, who had been watching the attendant run away in a hurry, let out a deep, painful sigh and buried his forehead in Saragan's chest.
The thick, exotic scent emanating from her body made his head feel tired. Closing his eyes as if he were tired, Krald crouched down in a shabby manner as if he had aged by several decades in an instant.
“We can’t just rush in without giving them a chance to close the gates! The Grand Duke said he would provide military support. Didn’t he say he would provide supplies as well! The lord of the Alliance will also come forward. Do you think the likes of Melgan can hold out? If we get our hands on the fertile territory of the duchy, the difficulties we’re having now will be nothing.”
Even the veteran adjutant was speechless at the sound of his shouts and pounding on the makeshift table. Iland's eyes did not even see the faces of the exhausted soldiers. He was caught up in the golden illusion he had created, and he already believed that was the only solid future. Advice does not work on such a person. Advice is just a waste of time.
Neither the adjutants nor the soldiers lying on the grass soaking dry bread in boiling water knew that this war would lead to the end of Tien. Only Iland could not wake up from his vain dream.
"Your majesty!"
Someone shouted urgently from outside the barracks. As one of the adjutants lifted the cloth, a soldier hurried in and bowed.
“What is it?”
“Your Majesty, a soldier has arrived, claiming to be from the Grand Duke of Rotair. He says he has urgent news for you.”
Iland's eyes flashed for a moment. The adjutants looked at each other with bewildered faces, not knowing what to do.
“Bring him.”
“Yes, I understand.”
A look of anxiety crossed the adjutants' faces at the mention of soldiers sent by the Grand Duke. Iland looked around at the adjutants.
“Listen carefully, the guy coming in soon is Melgan’s spy.”
There was a moment of silence. The adjutants standing around the table all looked bewildered.
“Your Majesty, what do you mean? A spy?”
“Someone told me that there was a spy from the Grand Duchy of Melgan among the soldiers. They were trying to trick us into... preventing us from going to the Grand Duchy.”
“What on earth...? Your Majesty, is that really a spy? How did you know that? None of us knew about it.”
Iland looked at the adjutant's bewildered face with mocking eyes.
“There may be spies among you, so how could I carelessly say such things?”
“Your Majesty! How...!”
“Isn’t it natural for me to be suspicious? If you are truly loyal to me, why did you so defy my order to advance and choose to camp out?”
“Your Majesty, I have already told you. The soldiers are exhausted and hungry. Furthermore, even if the Grand Duke of Rotair promised an alliance, he is a foreign Prince! How can I trust a promise that is nothing more than words and lead my entire army in the middle of the night?”
When the hot-tempered adjutant shouted, the veins on Iland's forehead swelled. Then another person stepped forward.
“No, now is not the time to discuss such things. Your Majesty, who informed you that there was a spy from Melgan among your soldiers? Order him to be brought in. We must verify this.”
“He was a soldier too. How could I possibly remember each and every soldier’s face?”
“Don’t each soldier wear shoulder straps of different colors? That’s so we can tell who’s commanding them. Just tell us the color of the shoulder straps, and we’ll go out and find them.”
“So how can I remember all that! What do you think of me? I am a King! Why should a King care about the way his subordinates dress? If you want to know who that person is, why don’t you go out and catch them one by one and ask them!”
The light went out of the eyes of the adjutants who were watching Iland stomping his feet and screaming. No one could open their mouths in despair, but Iland seemed to think that it was proof that his words had been accepted.
At that moment, the soldier who had entered the barracks brought in another soldier carrying Rotair's flag. He looked exhausted from riding his horse for more than half a day, and Iland stared at him with a smirk.
“You have something to tell me?”
“Your Majesty the Illand of Tien, I have come on horseback at the command of the Lord Krald. Your Majesty, the troops of the Grand Duchy of Melgan have arrived at the Grand Duchy. Therefore, you must now lead your men and make a detour to the southwest.”
“Really? The Melgan Grand Duchy’s troops are in the Grand Duchy? That’s quite surprising. Prince Krald promised to ally with us, so why did he bring Melgan’s troops into the Grand Duchy?”
“That... That was not his intention. his Majesty, while the Duke of Laetian was absent, the Grand Duke of Melgan led the army without permission. His Highness is also very concerned, so please...”
The soldier's words could not last long. Iland, pulled out the sword one of his adjutants was holding and cut off his head. Blood gushed out from the roughly cut neck. The soldier, with his eyes wide open, fell to the ground, dead.
"Your Majesty!"
The adjutants who had been listening intently to his words were also shocked and could not continue speaking. Iland, who had been groaning, nervously wiped the blood that had splattered on his face and carelessly threw down the sword he was holding in his hand.
“It’s just as the soldier said. Who would dare to deceive someone like me, a cunning spy?”
“Your Majesty, if this is true and the soldier who leaked the news to you is a spy, then the situation is serious. We must immediately send someone to the Grand Duke to confirm this and move the soldiers to the southwest.”
“Shut up! Where are you going when there’s a piece of meat right in front of you? Everyone, move to the Grand Palace before dawn. Anyone who argues will be beheaded. I can’t wait any longer.”
Iland's face, covered in blood, was grotesquely twisted. Tien's soldiers crouched under the night sky, oblivious to anything. In the meantime, no one saw a man in armor sneaking through the exhausted, sleeping men.
Saragan's quarters were nearby, so it didn't take long for her to arrive. Saragan saw Krald rolling on the floor and motioned to her maids to close the door.
“Your Highness, what’s wrong? Why are you doing this?”
“Sa, Saragan, this is a big problem. Uh... what should we do? The Grand Duke of Melgan... Melgan is here. Tien’s soldiers... I think they’re going to attack us. What should we do? What should we do?”
“Your Highness, calm down. Is that true?”
“It’s true! It’s all true! That woman... Didn’t you see the soldiers she brought? Tens of thousands of soldiers were lying outside! Didn’t you see that?”
Krald clung to Saragan's collar like a child. It was as if he was in his right mind, but Saragan was strangely calm. Saragan hugged Krald, who had started to sob after screaming and whispering.
“If that is true, you should not be crying like this, Your Highness. Send a messenger to Tien and inform him of this. Only then will King Iland prepare something. Now... calm down. Agima, bring that.”
As Saragan nodded, the maid standing guard at the door took out a small gold box from her sleeve and politely held it out. Saragan opened the lid, took out one of the items neatly packed inside, put the water spout in Krald’s mouth, and lit it.
“Now, Your Highness. Drink deeply. It will calm you down.”
Krald, who was shivering, took a deep breath. The fire on his tip flickered red and grew bigger, and soon a thick, blue smoke flowed out from between his lips. Saragan held him in her arms and slowly soothed him like a baby until Krald, who was breathing heavily, calmed down.
“Are you feeling a little better?”
Krald nodded. His face was pale and his fingertips were trembling, but the morbid seizure had disappeared as if it were a lie. Saragan pulled the water droplet out from between his lips and handed the rest to Agima to handle.
“Is there anyone outside?”
As soon as Krald shouted, the attendant came running. He glared at the attendant, who was bowing his head, with sparkling eyes, and spoke in an agitated voice.
“Send a soldier who is good at handling horses to warn the King of Tien. The great army of the Grand Duchy of Melgan is encamped, so he should not pass straight through the Grand Duchy, but find a detour.”
“Understood, Your Highness."
Krald, who had been watching the attendant run away in a hurry, let out a deep, painful sigh and buried his forehead in Saragan's chest.
The thick, exotic scent emanating from her body made his head feel tired. Closing his eyes as if he were tired, Krald crouched down in a shabby manner as if he had aged by several decades in an instant.
A mocking smile appeared for a moment in Saragan’s eyes as she looked down at him, then disappeared.
The winter days were short. Just as the advancing Tien troops began to glimpse the border of the Grand Duke, a fiery glow began to color the western sky, and soon the sunset.
Barracks were erected here and there across the plains, and smoke began to rise. The faces of the soldiers who had marched for days without rest were clearly exhausted.
The only one who was full of energy was Iland, who ordered his adjutants and attendants around as he pleased and lay down in the carriage. While the soldiers had to sleep on the grass without even a proper mat, he went around the barracks, which were equipped with a brazier, a carpet, and even a bathtub, and grumbled incessantly.
“The Grand Duke is just a little further away, so why are you saying we’re staying overnight? Are you all thoughtless?”
The adjutants’ eyes met in the air. No matter how much they talked about the dangers of marching in the middle of the night, Iland would not listen. From the beginning, they had repeatedly told him that they should find a safe place while the sun was still up, set up camp, and organize the army, but they were all ignored. Iland just lay down on the carriage and kept complaining that they were not moving fast enough.
“We’ll pass through the Grand Canal before dawn tomorrow. We’ll go straight to Melgan. Understood?”
At Iland's words, one of his adjutants stepped forward. He was a fairly experienced officer, and he had been disciplining and reinstating Iland every time he attempted an unreasonable expedition.
“Your Majesty, the soldiers are very tired. They haven’t had enough rest, so we need to regroup once we reach the Grand Palace. Otherwise...”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about! The King’s aide is talking about such depressing things, so nothing will get done! Do you not know how important this war is?”
“I’m telling you this because I know. Your Majesty, the military power of the Melgan is considerable. Also, they have been strong in sieges since ancient times. If we close the gates and hold out, our chances of victory will decrease with each passing moment. To prevent that...”
***
The winter days were short. Just as the advancing Tien troops began to glimpse the border of the Grand Duke, a fiery glow began to color the western sky, and soon the sunset.
Barracks were erected here and there across the plains, and smoke began to rise. The faces of the soldiers who had marched for days without rest were clearly exhausted.
The only one who was full of energy was Iland, who ordered his adjutants and attendants around as he pleased and lay down in the carriage. While the soldiers had to sleep on the grass without even a proper mat, he went around the barracks, which were equipped with a brazier, a carpet, and even a bathtub, and grumbled incessantly.
“The Grand Duke is just a little further away, so why are you saying we’re staying overnight? Are you all thoughtless?”
The adjutants’ eyes met in the air. No matter how much they talked about the dangers of marching in the middle of the night, Iland would not listen. From the beginning, they had repeatedly told him that they should find a safe place while the sun was still up, set up camp, and organize the army, but they were all ignored. Iland just lay down on the carriage and kept complaining that they were not moving fast enough.
“We’ll pass through the Grand Canal before dawn tomorrow. We’ll go straight to Melgan. Understood?”
At Iland's words, one of his adjutants stepped forward. He was a fairly experienced officer, and he had been disciplining and reinstating Iland every time he attempted an unreasonable expedition.
“Your Majesty, the soldiers are very tired. They haven’t had enough rest, so we need to regroup once we reach the Grand Palace. Otherwise...”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about! The King’s aide is talking about such depressing things, so nothing will get done! Do you not know how important this war is?”
“I’m telling you this because I know. Your Majesty, the military power of the Melgan is considerable. Also, they have been strong in sieges since ancient times. If we close the gates and hold out, our chances of victory will decrease with each passing moment. To prevent that...”
“We can’t just rush in without giving them a chance to close the gates! The Grand Duke said he would provide military support. Didn’t he say he would provide supplies as well! The lord of the Alliance will also come forward. Do you think the likes of Melgan can hold out? If we get our hands on the fertile territory of the duchy, the difficulties we’re having now will be nothing.”
Even the veteran adjutant was speechless at the sound of his shouts and pounding on the makeshift table. Iland's eyes did not even see the faces of the exhausted soldiers. He was caught up in the golden illusion he had created, and he already believed that was the only solid future. Advice does not work on such a person. Advice is just a waste of time.
Neither the adjutants nor the soldiers lying on the grass soaking dry bread in boiling water knew that this war would lead to the end of Tien. Only Iland could not wake up from his vain dream.
"Your majesty!"
Someone shouted urgently from outside the barracks. As one of the adjutants lifted the cloth, a soldier hurried in and bowed.
“What is it?”
“Your Majesty, a soldier has arrived, claiming to be from the Grand Duke of Rotair. He says he has urgent news for you.”
Iland's eyes flashed for a moment. The adjutants looked at each other with bewildered faces, not knowing what to do.
“Bring him.”
“Yes, I understand.”
A look of anxiety crossed the adjutants' faces at the mention of soldiers sent by the Grand Duke. Iland looked around at the adjutants.
“Listen carefully, the guy coming in soon is Melgan’s spy.”
There was a moment of silence. The adjutants standing around the table all looked bewildered.
“Your Majesty, what do you mean? A spy?”
“Someone told me that there was a spy from the Grand Duchy of Melgan among the soldiers. They were trying to trick us into... preventing us from going to the Grand Duchy.”
“What on earth...? Your Majesty, is that really a spy? How did you know that? None of us knew about it.”
Iland looked at the adjutant's bewildered face with mocking eyes.
“There may be spies among you, so how could I carelessly say such things?”
“Your Majesty! How...!”
“Isn’t it natural for me to be suspicious? If you are truly loyal to me, why did you so defy my order to advance and choose to camp out?”
“Your Majesty, I have already told you. The soldiers are exhausted and hungry. Furthermore, even if the Grand Duke of Rotair promised an alliance, he is a foreign Prince! How can I trust a promise that is nothing more than words and lead my entire army in the middle of the night?”
When the hot-tempered adjutant shouted, the veins on Iland's forehead swelled. Then another person stepped forward.
“No, now is not the time to discuss such things. Your Majesty, who informed you that there was a spy from Melgan among your soldiers? Order him to be brought in. We must verify this.”
“He was a soldier too. How could I possibly remember each and every soldier’s face?”
“Don’t each soldier wear shoulder straps of different colors? That’s so we can tell who’s commanding them. Just tell us the color of the shoulder straps, and we’ll go out and find them.”
“So how can I remember all that! What do you think of me? I am a King! Why should a King care about the way his subordinates dress? If you want to know who that person is, why don’t you go out and catch them one by one and ask them!”
The light went out of the eyes of the adjutants who were watching Iland stomping his feet and screaming. No one could open their mouths in despair, but Iland seemed to think that it was proof that his words had been accepted.
At that moment, the soldier who had entered the barracks brought in another soldier carrying Rotair's flag. He looked exhausted from riding his horse for more than half a day, and Iland stared at him with a smirk.
“You have something to tell me?”
“Your Majesty the Illand of Tien, I have come on horseback at the command of the Lord Krald. Your Majesty, the troops of the Grand Duchy of Melgan have arrived at the Grand Duchy. Therefore, you must now lead your men and make a detour to the southwest.”
“Really? The Melgan Grand Duchy’s troops are in the Grand Duchy? That’s quite surprising. Prince Krald promised to ally with us, so why did he bring Melgan’s troops into the Grand Duchy?”
“That... That was not his intention. his Majesty, while the Duke of Laetian was absent, the Grand Duke of Melgan led the army without permission. His Highness is also very concerned, so please...”
The soldier's words could not last long. Iland, pulled out the sword one of his adjutants was holding and cut off his head. Blood gushed out from the roughly cut neck. The soldier, with his eyes wide open, fell to the ground, dead.
"Your Majesty!"
The adjutants who had been listening intently to his words were also shocked and could not continue speaking. Iland, who had been groaning, nervously wiped the blood that had splattered on his face and carelessly threw down the sword he was holding in his hand.
“It’s just as the soldier said. Who would dare to deceive someone like me, a cunning spy?”
“Your Majesty, if this is true and the soldier who leaked the news to you is a spy, then the situation is serious. We must immediately send someone to the Grand Duke to confirm this and move the soldiers to the southwest.”
“Shut up! Where are you going when there’s a piece of meat right in front of you? Everyone, move to the Grand Palace before dawn. Anyone who argues will be beheaded. I can’t wait any longer.”
Iland's face, covered in blood, was grotesquely twisted. Tien's soldiers crouched under the night sky, oblivious to anything. In the meantime, no one saw a man in armor sneaking through the exhausted, sleeping men.
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