Chapter 108:Battle of Schafendorf (9)

Schafendorf vicinity battle.

The result was twenty-six dead, fifty with major and minor injuries, and a valuable victory achieved with their sweat and blood.

At least, that’s how it looked from Lord Lothar’s forces’ perspective. Groans echoed from various parts of the Military Camp as they prepared for a stealthy retreat.

It was a stark contrast to the previous night’s victory celebration, thick with the smell of alcohol. Keldric frowned.

No matter how victorious, it wasn’t a flawless victory.

A victory without any casualties was impossible. Especially since they didn’t have any brilliant strategists on their side.

Then, who would take responsibility for the seventy-six casualties, dead and wounded combined?

Keldric didn’t want to bring up some empty theory of responsibility. However, every event that followed the world’s causality was always accompanied by responsibility.

The result of this battle was a victory, but someone had to take responsibility for the losses.

And Baron Yaben wouldn’t bear all that responsibility.

Even if conscripted peasant soldiers died or were injured in battle, it was considered that they had fulfilled their duty as territory residents.

The lord compensating the bereaved families was just empty talk. At best, it only extended to maintaining their land use rights.

Mercenaries were a given. They were paid for their lives in the first place.

If they lived, they risked their lives and earned money; if they died, it was simply the end.

If someone sought the life of a rough man, then it was time for the mercenaries to step forward.

However, the lord’s private soldiers, or the elite soldiers Keldric had brought, were different.

If they died, Baron Yaben would typically compensate the bereaved families.

Either by enlisting the deceased soldier’s child as a private soldier again, or by providing them with monetary compensation. These were the so-called preferential treatment for bereaved families and monetary compensation plans.

The elite soldiers Keldric had brought were not much different.

In the current situation, with three soldiers dead, Baron Yaben’s compensation would probably be sent to Bogenberg.

Three out of forty. It was a small number if you considered it small, and a large number if you considered it large. Keldric couldn’t easily gauge the weight of that number.

Keldric had never felt any particular aversion to killing people. It wasn’t like he was going to suddenly agonize over their deaths now.

However, there was a sense of moral responsibility.

Whatever the reason, Keldric was the one who had brought the soldiers here.

Their deaths would be transformed into a few silver coins, and that money would go into the hands of the children who had lost their fathers and the women who had suddenly become widows.

Those few silver coins were the assessed price of what was called ‘responsibility.’

In contrast to the light price of the soldiers’ lives, Keldric’s anguish gradually increased in weight.

Was responsibility such a weightless word?

“Lord Keldric. Is there something outside?”

“Ah, Lord Rutger.”

As Keldric, lost in thought, was staring blankly outside, Lord Rutger, who had entered the tent, greeted him.

“It’s cold, so close it quickly. Lord Lothar is coming too.”

“Alright, I will.”

Lord Rutger gestured to a servant inside the tent. The servant quickly moved and lowered the door curtain.

Except for Lord Tomar, who was bedridden due to injuries, all five knights had gathered.

“I wonder where Lord Lothar is headed…”

“I think he’ll probably keep advancing.”

“By the way, that mage’s corpse…”

While waiting for Lord Lothar, Keldric organized his thoughts.

Whatever the case, no one could resolve the fate of those who were already dead.

What he had to think about now was the direction the survivors would move in.

And Keldric had survived. That was enough for now.

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“Advance to the Ramdes Plains.”

Lord Lothar said abruptly. The knights’ expressions went blank for a moment.

Keldric was the same. Ramdes Plains. It wasn’t a place name he knew.

“The Ramdes Plains, you say?”

Lord Rutger seemed to know it. He asked back with a slightly surprised look, and Lord Lothar nodded nonchalantly.

“Gottfried, if that brat retreated, where would he have gone?”

“That’s…”

“His army is exhausted. The number of soldiers has also decreased significantly, and it will probably be impossible to recover quickly.”

It was unknown where Lord Lothar had heard such information, or whether he had thought of it himself.

However, it sounded plausible. Lord Rutger also listened to him quietly.

“He wouldn’t have gone straight back to the barony. If that were the case, it would be tantamount to abandoning this side.”

A servant took a wooden stick and drew a map on the dirt floor.

The place with several round hills was the current location, and if you moved your gaze along the line, it was Einhorn.

Einhorn was the village that had been looted and turned to ashes before. Keldric’s brow furrowed strangely.

“Our losses are not severe either. We still have a healthy number of soldiers.”

As Lord Lothar said, the number of soldiers was still at a level where they could fight.

Even after excluding the dead and wounded, there were a little over one hundred and fifty soldiers. If they gathered more soldiers in addition to this, they could recover fairly quickly.

“However, we need to replenish our forces, Lord Lothar.”

“I would like to ask for your opinion on that. What should we do? I want to solidify this victory.”

And capture that damned Gottfried brat too.

The murderous words that followed were unnecessary. The knights glanced at each other and began to ponder.

“…Hiring mercenaries?”

“Mercenaries, huh.”

However, there were already few options. The most viable option among them was hiring additional mercenaries.

“Then we’ll have to go back to Belam.”

“That’s right.”

“To let those guys, whom we just crushed, go like this.”

“…..”

Lord Lothar didn’t seem to like that very much.

It was understandable, as Baron Gottfried’s army had suffered truly devastating losses.

Even if you only counted the rough estimates, about sixty people had been killed, and forty prisoners had been captured.

Among them, one knight was killed, and another knight, Lord Gerhard, was captured and released after paying a ransom.

For Baron Gottfried’s army to rise again, it would probably require a lot of silver coins and manpower.

And if you completely crushed the enemy, tracking down and eliminating the remaining forces was fundamental.

Lord Lothar wanted that. However, the knights’ reactions were lukewarm.

“Lord Rutger. I respect your experience and the honorable choices that come with it.”

“I am honored.”

“However, I want to say that we must not stop here.”

Should they pursue Baron Gottfried, who was driven to a state of annihilation, or should they take a step back for a forward advance?

Keldric couldn’t choose either. A frustrated sigh escaped him.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

He never imagined that his military knowledge would be so narrow.

Education would be necessary, but more than that, it was experience. The reality was that there were still few formalized strategies and tactics.

Keldric’s mind raced. He considered both situations.

If they pursued Baron Gottfried’s army, they would leave the recovery of the dead and seriously injured to Schafendorf and leave.

Then the soldiers, exhausted from one battle, would have to go through the snowfields. Moreover, there were few bases to rest in the middle.

The potential destination, the Ramdes Plains, was in an even worse situation. The village of Einhorn, which should serve as a supply base near there, had already been reduced to ashes.

Therefore, it was not a good choice. But if it succeeded, it would be a jackpot.

And secondly, they would return to Belam as they were.

There was nothing greatly deviating. Baron Gottfried would return safely to his territory, but it would be impossible to gather that many soldiers again in a short period of time.

Then they could replenish their forces appropriately and advance.

The problem was Baron Gottfried’s army, which would be preparing its defenses in the meantime.

Both sides had their pros and cons. Keldric pondered deeply.

And when a person uses their head, a good idea was bound to come to mind at any time.

“Lord Lothar. How about doing this?”

Keldric opened his mouth boldly. Everyone’s eyes turned to Keldric.

“Tell me.”

“Divide the forces. Split the main force from an elite group with good mobility.”

First, the detached unit, taking advantage of its mobility, pursues Baron Gottfried.

In this process, direct engagement was avoided. However, they would subtly threaten those who were retreating, making it difficult to replenish their forces.

Then Baron Gottfried’s army would not be able to easily return to the barony or the city.

Second, in the meantime, the main force would return to Belam to replenish their forces and return.

“Then, they will have to fight without properly replenishing their forces.”

Surprised looks poured in from all directions. Keldric, feeling awkward, scratched his chin and waited for an answer.

“Lord Rutger. What do you think of Lord Keldric’s opinion?”

“…It’s not bad. However, it will be necessary to focus on disruption in the process.”

Instead of absolutely avoiding engagement, they could create confusion with torches and shouts, or launch night raids to accumulate fatigue.

Lord Rutger added to Keldric’s somewhat weak opinion.

“It wouldn’t be bad to shake their morale with messengers. Mixing in lies, such as saying that the forces of Duke Saltzhof are joining, so they should surrender quickly.”

“Ooh…”

Lord Lothar exclaimed in admiration. The other knights’ reactions were also not bad.

“It seems good to do as Lord Keldric says. Any objections?”

There were, of course, no objections. It was a way to catch two rabbits, so the knights didn’t refuse.

“However, there is a problem.”

“What is it? Lord Rutger.”

Lord Rutger turned to Keldric. Keldric blinked, not knowing what was going on.

“Who would be best to lead that detached unit?”

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Lord Lothar’s army had completed its preparations for a full retreat.

Some crude wooden fences and the like remained, but the shepherds would break them on their own if they were bothered by them anyway.

By the time they had completely dismantled the last tent, dusk was already settling on the snowfield.

Lord Lothar ordered them to stay in Schafendorf for a while. Thanks to this, the soldiers wore expressions of relief on their faces.

And as the dawn rose again at daybreak, a group of soldiers left Schafendorf.

“Damn it, it’s really damn cold. I miss the embrace of a beautiful woman…”

“…”

It was the detached unit led by Keldric and Lord Henri.

Taking advantage of the darkness of dawn, they, who had rested appropriately in Schafendorf, headed towards the snowfield where the sun was rising.

“W-Why are we…”

Alyssa, shivering from the cold, made a tearful face. Keldric avoided her gaze without answering.

It was good that he was recognized for his good plan, and it was good that Keldric seemed to have grown based on his own experiences. Everything was good. Everything was good, but…

‘My mouth is the problem.’

As the saying goes, the one who speaks must take the lead, and Keldric did just that.

Unable to overcome Lord Rutger’s subtle expectations, Keldric ended up having to follow the opinion he had uttered with his own mouth.

‘Since it’s a brilliant plan that you proposed, it would be right to take on the most honorable and important task.’

There was nothing to say to that.

With an apologetic heart, Keldric personally wrapped a wolf cloak around Alyssa’s shoulders.

“Tell me if it’s too hard. I’ll send you separately.”

“I-I’m okay… Ptooey!”

“…Are you really okay?”

“Cough… I’m f-fine…”

Keldric looked back. A snowfield covered with snow stretched out.

The horizon visible in the distance was testing the waters as the darkness receded.

In a little while, the sun would rise from that pure white horizon. Then the cold would subside a little.

“Let’s hurry a little. The more we move, the more heat we’ll generate.”

And, he would be able to pursue Baron Gottfried that much faster.

A special unit comprised of two knights, one mage, five cavalrymen, and twenty elite soldiers pushed through the cold.

Their horses’ heads were pointed west.

That direction ultimately led to the Permafrost of the north, a place Keldric had never been.

And, Baron Gottfried’s territory as well.

If given the opportunity, one must act accordingly.

Furthermore, he had a responsibility to punish the one who had left an indelible scar.

And so, Keldric headed toward that land of opportunity and responsibility, braving danger as always.