The Forgotten Field - Chapter 203

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 203
Barcas ordered the Knights to tighten their formation and mounted his horse once more.
As we advanced along the gentle ridge, the distance narrowed enough to make out the faces of the Knights.
He observed the Knight at the forefront intently. Though a helmet covered his head, I could discern his identity without difficulty.
Kailias. A high-ranking Knight among the top ten of the Roem Knights.
A man with whom I had clashed several times in the past.
Over the past two years, a Knight who had risen to a senior position through his merits approached with an air of confidence and offered his greetings.
“It has been a long time, Grand Duke Sierkan.”
“…What brings you to this place?”
“It seems you have not yet received word of the matter.”
The man spoke with arrogant presumption.
“The lords of the Northeastern Region have conspired with the remnants of the Northern Region. Upon receiving this report, His Majesty immediately ordered the Eastern Territories to be reinforced and the rebels suppressed.”
Barcas’s brow furrowed.
The man, who seemed to relish his displeasure, spoke with derision.
“Why such an expression? Surely you are not displeased with the reinforcements His Majesty has sent?”
“…What exactly do you mean by the lords of the Northeastern Region conspiring with the Northern remnants?”
“I trust you can infer the meaning without further explanation.”
The man spoke with pointed significance.
Unable to bear his insolent demeanor any longer, Beirov and the other Eastern Knights stepped forward with grim expressions. Only then did the sneering man click his tongue and add his remark.
“A fortnight ago, the Crown Prince captured Blodar Keep. Thanks to this, we were able to obtain detailed information regarding all forces involved in the rebellion.”
At this unexpected news, Barcas’s eyebrows twitched.
“Was there not a strict order to maintain a siege of the castle until a peace treaty could be concluded?”
“One cannot simply sit idle with rebels within arm’s reach. His Majesty himself acknowledged the Crown Prince’s merits.”
The man, speaking as if in defense of the Crown Prince, shifted the subject with a quiet sigh.
“In any case, let us depart. I shall provide detailed reports on the situation as we march.”
Barcas, who had been quietly observing the man while gripping the reins, soon gave the signal to advance to the waiting Knights.
Shortly after, the Knights, having reorganized their formation, began their march at a slight distance from the Roem Knights.
Kailias, who had ridden up beside Barcas at the head of the column, continued his explanation in a businesslike tone.
“A fortnight ago, the Crown Prince infiltrated spies into the castle beforehand, then unleashed a relentless assault. The strategy proved effective, and by the time dawn broke, he had succeeded in capturing the castle. The Crown Prince immediately displayed Duke Heimdal’s severed head at the castle gate, making plain to all the price of rebellion.”
“What became of Bjorn Blodar Heimdal?”
Barcas, who had been listening in silence, posed the question. The Knight’s previously confident expression faltered slightly.
“He was not within the castle. How or when he escaped remains unknown… but it appears that Bjorn and most of the core leadership fled shortly after the castle came under siege. The siege itself was merely a delaying tactic to allow them time to orchestrate external operations.”
Barcas let out a hollow laugh.
“So he sacrificed his own father and the greatest city of the North?”
“Is he not the very man who orchestrated this senseless war? It was foolish to expect him to retain his sanity in the first place.”
The man, having released a heavy sigh, continued his explanation in a measured tone.
“In any case, we have meticulously tracked Bjorn’s movements since the castle’s fall. The moment we obtained intelligence that he had fled eastward with his followers, we reported it to His Majesty. Upon receiving this report, His Majesty ordered the army stationed at the border between North and East to attack, while simultaneously commanding us to provide additional support.”
Barcas gripped the reins so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand stood out prominently. It seemed Darian’s telegram had been sent shortly after the imperial order was issued.
‘…The time for quiet resolution has already passed.’
Had I hastily attempted to conceal the crime, I myself would have been branded a traitor. Now that the Emperor had publicly dispatched reinforcements, armed conflict had become an inevitable course of action.
“Battles have likely already commenced at the border. We must make haste as well.”
The Knight who had finished his report spurred his horse forward and galloped ahead. Barcas silently pursued, quickening his pace.
After riding relentlessly for what felt like an eternity, a magnificent city encircled by sand-colored City Walls emerged beyond the horizon, bathed in the glow of sunset.
Observing the City Walls already belching smoke from the assault and the thousands of Soldiers positioned around them, Barcas commanded the Knights following behind to assume an attack formation.
Soon, accompanied by the resonant blast of war horns, Knights with drawn blades charged into the Field, transforming it into a battlefield.
To accurately assess the situation, Barcas carefully surveyed the military Camp from a distance.
Spearmen bearing the Grand Duke’s House banners were positioned at the northern and eastern sides of the Castle, while the Imperial Army’s infantry pushed siege towers against the Castle Gate to breach it.
Frowning at how rapidly the situation was unfolding, he spotted Darian issuing orders to Soldiers at the Camp positioned on the outer perimeter, and turned his horse in that direction.
“Your Excellency!”
Darian, upon seeing him, cried out loudly with evident relief.
Barcas dispensed with customary greetings and posed a direct question about the battle’s progress.
“I received detailed briefings from the reinforcements dispatched by the Imperial Palace. How are things proceeding?”
“As you can see, the Castle assault is progressing smoothly. However….”
The man, whose face had grown weathered from considerable hardship, continued in a heavy, subdued tone.
“The number of those implicated in the rebellion is far greater than expected. A large-scale purge appears unavoidable to restore order.”
Barcas gazed at the City Walls, damaged in places, with a stern expression.
The magnificent city he had visited to inspect his Territory shortly after assuming the position of Grand Duke was now engulfed in screams and flames.
Regarding the scene with a bitter gaze, he soon drew his blade and spurred his horse toward the front lines.
Through the shattered Castle Gate, Soldiers surged inward like a tidal wave.
Within the city, reduced to chaos by the bombardment, the clash of polearms echoed relentlessly.
Barcas charged into the melee, cleaving through the enemies blocking his path with a single stroke, opening a passage for the cavalry arrayed behind him.
Immediately after, heavily armored war horses advanced in formation into the city streets.
Soldiers attempting to block the enemy’s advance were knocked down by the massive frames of the war horses, tumbling to the ground, while the cavalry mounted upon them mercilessly trampled the enemy beneath their hooves.
Observing the brutal carnage with an expressionless face, Barcas led the cavalry past the Plaza toward the Castle standing prominently at the city’s heart.
The citizens had apparently evacuated to the Inner Castle beforehand, leaving the city interior nearly deserted.
Surveying the quiet buildings and central Plaza, detached from the turmoil of battle, he soon shifted his gaze to the tightly sealed Castle Gate and the formidable City Walls beyond the moat.
Archers stationed atop the Castle Tower stood with arrows nocked, awaiting the enemy’s approach. He halted the Soldiers attempting to charge toward the Castle Gate.
“Do not rush forward recklessly. We have taken the city; it is only a matter of time before we control the Castle.”
Barcas, having carefully gauged a distance beyond the enemy’s arrow range, turned his horse and issued orders to his Soldiers.
“Encircle the Castle thoroughly so not a single rat escapes. Within a month at most, they will raise the white flag.”
* * *
Tarlin surrendered before three weeks had passed. The Inner Castle Guard Unit had staged a rebellion, and the Castle Lord—the ringleader—had his head displayed upon the City Walls. Thanks to this, they achieved a bloodless entry.
“The new lord was barely more than a youth, having assumed his position only a few years prior. No one suspected he would betray both Grand Duke Barcas and His Imperial Majesty, selling military supplies to the Northern Region.”
The Guard Captain who had led the rebellion within the Castle spoke, begging for mercy.
Barcas, leading his Knights into the Inner Courtyard of the Castle, looked down at the man with an impassive gaze and replied.
“If what you say is true, I shall petition His Imperial Majesty for leniency on your behalf. However, should even a single word of falsehood be mixed into your account, you too shall face lawful punishment.”
The man bowed his head with a darkened expression.
Barcas issued orders to the Soldiers standing at attention behind him to apprehend those implicated, then strode across the Inner Courtyard with purposeful strides.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————