Chapter 348: ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ (3)
Johan also felt a little sorry. Johan was the one who got the eunuchs drunk, received money and then handed them over to the envoy group.
He thought he would be flayed alive by the angry sultan, but he seemed to have survived unexpectedly.
โGet up. Iโm glad to see you like this.โ
โ!โ
The eunuch was delighted when the duke spoke to him in a gentler voice than he had expected. He was such a fearsome figure that he had no idea how to react.
Even if they were acquaintances, there was a limit to it. Anyone, even an acquaintance, would be nervous and scared if someone who had crawled on his stomach, slaughtered soldiers, and crushed the wizardโs skull approached them.
โYes! Iโve seen Your Highness before!!!โ
โ?โ
Johan was a little embarrassed when the other person was too happy. Why is he so happy as if he were a dog meeting his master after a long time?
โ๐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ณ๐บ?โThe eunuch was thinking of subtly changing the subject if he glared at him or asked him a question, but there was no sign of that. Anyone who saw him would think he was an old friend.
The captain next to him was amazed at his excessively friendly behavior.
โAs expected of Your Highness. Even the sultanโs eunuch reacts like that to Your Highnessโs fame.โ
โThatโs a little different. . . Anyway, thank you.โ
Johan ordered the less tired of the remaining men to pursue them and cleaned up the battlefield. Thanks to the help of the mermaids, the work was easy. The mermaids looked carefully and brought up the salvaged items.
The captains were amazed once again at the sight.
โI didnโt know mermaids would help. . .โ
โItโs amazing.โ
They had been on ships all their lives, but few of them had seen the tail of a mermaid, let alone seen one. In the first place, mermaids were a symbol of ominousness in the sea. It was nothing good to meet them.
However, now that they saw the mermaids appearing like this and helping the duke, they felt as if they were in a story from mythology.
There really were miracles.
The people of the republic, who were among the least religious in the expedition and were always criticized by the bishops of the order for their unique materialistic attitude, made the sign of the cross with a sincere heart this time.
โLift it up slowly. You fools!โ
โ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฒ. ๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฑ, ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ค๐.
โNow the box is broken on the side and everything is spilling out!โ
โ๐โ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ! ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ !
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
Suetlg and Caenerna were leading the rear party, assisting Iselia. Their objective was simple: to go around the remaining territories and enlist more troops.
Although Johan had swept through quickly, capturing feudal lords and conscripting forcibly, there were still many territories left. Furthermore, there were still pagan feudal lords who were still watching the situation. It was their role to persuade or coerce them into joining.
It was not as difficult as they thought. When things were evenly matched, persuasion was difficult, but the Dukeโs prestige was now almost absolute. Even when they sent messengers, they were treated with utmost courtesy.
However, the wizards were not at ease.
โThe elf king might be a fool!โ
โShh. There are many ears around.โ
โThe elf king might be using his head as a helmet!โ
โ. . .Thatโs funny, but be quiet.โ
Suetlg calmed Caenerna down. He understood her feelings. News had come that the elf king had been captured.
The wizardsโ reaction was a little different from that of the knights.
The knights respected the elf king, who had fought to the end without showing his back even in an unfavorable situation. It was a bravery that only the best of knights could show.
However, to the wizards, it was absurd. With his full strength and no desperate situation, why would he insist on fighting alone instead of simply retreating and joining up?
โI heard that the Sultanโs army is that large. . .โ
Caenerna trailed off anxiously. Her fingers tapped the horseโs back repeatedly, showing how anxious she was.
โItโll be fine.โ
Suetlg said calmly. Caenerna looked at him in surprise.
โMaybe itโs just me, but it seems like Iโm the only one in this camp whoโs worried. . . Is it just me?โ
โIโm worried too. Itโs just that I have faith.โ
โIn what?โ
โIn the providence of God.โ
At the sound that did not fit Suetlg, Caenerna looked like she had seen a malevolent spirit. Suetlg tried to clear up the misunderstanding by elaborating further.
โThe providence of God is not something grand. It is simply doing what you can do now and not being afraid of tomorrow that has not yet come. His Highness the Duke is impeccable in that regard. Isnโt he different from those feudal lords who do nothing but pray lazily?โ
โThatโs true, but. . .โ
Caenerna glanced at Iselia. There was no confusion in her expression as she glanced at the blade once and then sheathed it again at her waist.
Does that elf of the Bluea family know that and thatโs why sheโs not unnecessarily anxious?
โNo. Itโs just that His Highness is naturally fearless.โ
โ. . . . . .โ
โWhat can I do? Itโs the truth.โ
Suetlg said it in a roundabout way, but his meaning was clear. Caenerna looked at him in surprise.
โSuetlg-nim. The wizards are complaining. . .โ
โAgain?! Since those guys were really treated. . .โ
Caenerna was furious. There were many wizards in the camp who had been brought from the Holy Land and nearby. It was a kind of preparation for dealing with the Sultanโs large army.
The problem was that these wizards, who had followed them obediently when told to, had started to complain.
If the Duke had been in the camp, they would have kept their mouths shut out of fear, but since the Duke was not there, they complained, โ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ,โ โ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐จ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ถ๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ต๐ข๐ด๐ต๐ฆ,โ โ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด, ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ท๐ฆ.โ
Seeing them, Suetlg and Caenerna unknowingly began to reflect.
Isnโt it because of these wizards that there are so many bad rumors about them?
โItโs not that difficult.โ
โItโs because that jinx has bad luck!โ
โIf we treat them well now, they wonโt complain later. Just be patient for a while. Give them what they want.โ
As they sent the servants back, this time Gerdolf came running from the front. The knights, who had the nickname of the butcher, appeared, and the servants were scared and ran away.
โHave you confirmed it?โ
Gerdolf nodded. Suetlgโs face hardened.
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He had heard that a monster had appeared in front of them and blocked the road, and it seemed that it was true.
โIt will take too long if we go around. . .โ
โItโs good to treat the wizards well. We should have them catch it.โ
Caenerna nodded at Suetlgโs words. It was a very good idea.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โThis eunuch is the Sultanโs advisor and is known as the philosopher of the court.โ
โOh. . .โ
The captains, who didnโt know much about it, applauded as if it was great. The eunuch looked embarrassed, but he seemed happy. After all, no one would hate being complimented.
โTo leave such a person behind and run away. Isnโt the Sultanโs brother really stupid?โ
โYouโre right!โ
In fact, Balharni had left the eunuchs behind and retreated when he retreated.
The eunuchs, dressed in splendid clothes, became good prey for the warriors who rushed in to catch the expensive hostages, and thanks to that, Balharni was able to escape during that time.
And it was no good for the eunuchs to go with him. Wouldnโt they be the ones to badmouth the Sultan in order to live when they returned?
The eunuch knew that, so he cursed Balharni.
โThatโs right! Heโs a real idiot.โ
โEven this philosopher says so, so it must be true.โ
The captains, who would have responded with โ๐๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ด๐ฐ? ๐๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆโ๐ด ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ช๐ต?โ even if Johan had said, โ๐๐ฏ ๐ง๐ข๐ค๐ต, ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ค๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ข๐บ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ธ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ด,โ were impressed.
The captains applauded again. They were somewhat well-informed. But they had never heard of the eunuchโs name. . .
Judging from what he said, there must be something to it!
โThank you, Your Highness. For treating me so well. . .โ
The eunuch burst into tears. After they returned to the Sultanโs camp, their lives were spared, but they could not enjoy the power they had enjoyed before. It was natural after such a defeat.
They had to do things that only the youngest eunuchs could do and could not participate in important conversations. In the midst of all this, he was moved by the warm treatment he received.
โCome to think of it, Iโm curious about something.โ
โYes. What are you curious about?โ
โI heard that King Angoldolph is being held captive in the camp. Is he doing well? Iโm worried about him since weโre close.โ
โThatโs. . .โ
The eunuch hesitated. Information about the prisoners held in the camp should not be easily given out. Moreover, the elf king was such a high-ranking hostage that the Sultan was personally in charge of him.
โCanโt you tell me? Thatโs fine.โ
Johan said coldly on purpose. The eunuch could not help but notice the change in the Dukeโs voice. The eunuch hurriedly answered in a flustered manner.
โNo! I was just worried because I didnโt know enough.โ
โWhatever it is, tell me slowly.โ
โ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆโ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ.โ
Johan thought to himself. When there were many people, they would brainstorm and think hard, but the eunuch, who was relatively young, couldnโt even think of doing that.
From the other personโs point of view, it was a lot of fun. If he pushed, he would be pushed, and if he pulled, he would be pulled. . .
He was just thankful that the old eunuchs hadnโt been caught.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โTo rescue His Majesty Angoldolph. Iโm impressed!โ
The knights in their seats were impressed by the plan that came out so soon after they had won at sea. However, the feudal lords from the empire reacted somewhat nervously.
โDoes Your Highness have to go yourself?โ
โThe enemyโs morale must have been dampened since their surprise attack through the sea was thwarted. It might be better to wait this time.โ
โThe elf king is strong, so heโll be fine even if heโs a prisoner for a long time.โ
โ. . . . . .โ
The elf knights from the kingdom who had joined the expedition looked at the feudal lord who had just spoken as if he was ridiculous. However, the feudal lord ignored them as if he didnโt see them.
To be honest, the elf king was not a welcome presence within the empire. He was a strong ally when it came to civil war, but now on the expedition, they wondered if they really needed to save him.
โ๐๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ข๐ณ๐บ.โ
Of course, the elf knights from the kingdom, as well as those who had fled to this side after losing, were quite a force. If the elf king commanded them directly, they could exert several times the strength. Johan knew from experience how fierce the fearless elf knights were.
Moreover, if they succeeded, they could give the enemy a greater shock than the last naval battle. It would be several times more shocking to rescue a hostage from right under the Sultanโs nose.
The captured eunuch was much more useful than he had thought. He squeezed out all the information he had, both useful and useless. Based on that, Johan drew a rough map.
If he could just find the right opportunity, he could go right in and shake things up.
โYour Highness. I have something to ask you. . .โ
โSpeak.โ
Ulrike asked politely, and Johan nodded. Ulrike asked carefully.
โWhat if the king himself doesnโt want to be rescued?โ
โWhat are you talking about. . .โ
Johan was about to say that it didnโt make sense, but he stopped. There was no way Ulrike would have said such a thing just because she didnโt like the elf king.
โ๐๐ฐ. ๐๐ด ๐ช๐ต ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ?โ
Come to think of it, there was a high possibility that he had sworn not to escape on his own while being treated properly when he was captured. It was not uncommon for such oaths to be made.
However, most nobles broke their oaths in such situations. Nobles did not have the same strict faith as monks, and they could repent later or come up with a suitable excuse. That kind of flexibility was essential for a noble.
However, the elf king was likely to be old-fashioned in that regard. Johan thought about Ulrikeโs words for a moment, but he said firmly.
โI can persuade him.โ
โ. . .Really?โ
โOf course.โ
Ulrike was surprised.
To be able to persuade the elf king. Of course, she knew that Johan was close to the elf king. However, that was separate from persuasion. The elf king was such a person that he would be stubborn even if his own mother sent him a letter.
โI believe you because Your Highness says so. If you have any orders, I will support you as much as possible.โ
At Ulrikeโs response, the feudal lords in their seats sensed that the meeting was coming to an end. If a great feudal lord of that level agreed with the Dukeโs opinion, those below had to follow suit. It was better to come out first if they didnโt want to be scolded and blamed and have their soldiers taken away.
โI will support you too, Your Highness.โ
โMe too. . .โ
โThank you all.โ
Johan nodded and thought.
โ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ. . . ๐ ๐จ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐โ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ฆ.โ
,Johan also felt a little sorry. Johan was the one who got the eunuchs drunk, received money and then handed them over to the envoy group.
He thought he would be flayed alive by the angry sultan, but he seemed to have survived unexpectedly.
โGet up. Iโm glad to see you like this.โ
โ!โ
The eunuch was delighted when the duke spoke to him in a gentler voice than he had expected. He was such a fearsome figure that he had no idea how to react.
Even if they were acquaintances, there was a limit to it. Anyone, even an acquaintance, would be nervous and scared if someone who had crawled on his stomach, slaughtered soldiers, and crushed the wizardโs skull approached them.
โYes! Iโve seen Your Highness before!!!โ
โ?โ
Johan was a little embarrassed when the other person was too happy. Why is he so happy as if he were a dog meeting his master after a long time?
โ๐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ณ๐บ?โ
The eunuch was thinking of subtly changing the subject if he glared at him or asked him a question, but there was no sign of that. Anyone who saw him would think he was an old friend.
The captain next to him was amazed at his excessively friendly behavior.
โAs expected of Your Highness. Even the sultanโs eunuch reacts like that to Your Highnessโs fame.โ
โThatโs a little different. . . Anyway, thank you.โ
Johan ordered the less tired of the remaining men to pursue them and cleaned up the battlefield. Thanks to the help of the mermaids, the work was easy. The mermaids looked carefully and brought up the salvaged items.
The captains were amazed once again at the sight.
โI didnโt know mermaids would help. . .โ
โItโs amazing.โ
They had been on ships all their lives, but few of them had seen the tail of a mermaid, let alone seen one. In the first place, mermaids were a symbol of ominousness in the sea. It was nothing good to meet them.
However, now that they saw the mermaids appearing like this and helping the duke, they felt as if they were in a story from mythology.
There really were miracles.
The people of the republic, who were among the least religious in the expedition and were always criticized by the bishops of the order for their unique materialistic attitude, made the sign of the cross with a sincere heart this time.
โLift it up slowly. You fools!โ
โ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ฒ. ๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค ๐๐จ๐ฑ, ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ค๐.
โNow the box is broken on the side and everything is spilling out!โ
โ๐โ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ! ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ !
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
Suetlg and Caenerna were leading the rear party, assisting Iselia. Their objective was simple: to go around the remaining territories and enlist more troops.
Although Johan had swept through quickly, capturing feudal lords and conscripting forcibly, there were still many territories left. Furthermore, there were still pagan feudal lords who were still watching the situation. It was their role to persuade or coerce them into joining.
It was not as difficult as they thought. When things were evenly matched, persuasion was difficult, but the Dukeโs prestige was now almost absolute. Even when they sent messengers, they were treated with utmost courtesy.
However, the wizards were not at ease.
โThe elf king might be a fool!โ
โShh. There are many ears around.โ
โThe elf king might be using his head as a helmet!โ
โ. . .Thatโs funny, but be quiet.โ
Suetlg calmed Caenerna down. He understood her feelings. News had come that the elf king had been captured.
The wizardsโ reaction was a little different from that of the knights.
The knights respected the elf king, who had fought to the end without showing his back even in an unfavorable situation. It was a bravery that only the best of knights could show.
However, to the wizards, it was absurd. With his full strength and no desperate situation, why would he insist on fighting alone instead of simply retreating and joining up?
โI heard that the Sultanโs army is that large. . .โ
Caenerna trailed off anxiously. Her fingers tapped the horseโs back repeatedly, showing how anxious she was.
โItโll be fine.โ
Suetlg said calmly. Caenerna looked at him in surprise.
โMaybe itโs just me, but it seems like Iโm the only one in this camp whoโs worried. . . Is it just me?โ
โIโm worried too. Itโs just that I have faith.โ
โIn what?โ
โIn the providence of God.โ
At the sound that did not fit Suetlg, Caenerna looked like she had seen a malevolent spirit. Suetlg tried to clear up the misunderstanding by elaborating further.
โThe providence of God is not something grand. It is simply doing what you can do now and not being afraid of tomorrow that has not yet come. His Highness the Duke is impeccable in that regard. Isnโt he different from those feudal lords who do nothing but pray lazily?โ
โThatโs true, but. . .โ
Caenerna glanced at Iselia. There was no confusion in her expression as she glanced at the blade once and then sheathed it again at her waist.
Does that elf of the Bluea family know that and thatโs why sheโs not unnecessarily anxious?
โNo. Itโs just that His Highness is naturally fearless.โ
โ. . . . . .โ
โWhat can I do? Itโs the truth.โ
Suetlg said it in a roundabout way, but his meaning was clear. Caenerna looked at him in surprise.
โSuetlg-nim. The wizards are complaining. . .โ
โAgain?! Since those guys were really treated. . .โ
Caenerna was furious. There were many wizards in the camp who had been brought from the Holy Land and nearby. It was a kind of preparation for dealing with the Sultanโs large army.
The problem was that these wizards, who had followed them obediently when told to, had started to complain.
If the Duke had been in the camp, they would have kept their mouths shut out of fear, but since the Duke was not there, they complained, โ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ,โ โ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐จ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ถ๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ด๐ถ๐ช๐ต ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ต๐ข๐ด๐ต๐ฆ,โ โ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด, ๐ด๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐น๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ท๐ฆ.โ
Seeing them, Suetlg and Caenerna unknowingly began to reflect.
Isnโt it because of these wizards that there are so many bad rumors about them?
โItโs not that difficult.โ
โItโs because that jinx has bad luck!โ
โIf we treat them well now, they wonโt complain later. Just be patient for a while. Give them what they want.โ
As they sent the servants back, this time Gerdolf came running from the front. The knights, who had the nickname of the butcher, appeared, and the servants were scared and ran away.
โHave you confirmed it?โ
Gerdolf nodded. Suetlgโs face hardened.
He had heard that a monster had appeared in front of them and blocked the road, and it seemed that it was true.
โIt will take too long if we go around. . .โ
โItโs good to treat the wizards well. We should have them catch it.โ
Caenerna nodded at Suetlgโs words. It was a very good idea.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โThis eunuch is the Sultanโs advisor and is known as the philosopher of the court.โ
โOh. . .โ
The captains, who didnโt know much about it, applauded as if it was great. The eunuch looked embarrassed, but he seemed happy. After all, no one would hate being complimented.
โTo leave such a person behind and run away. Isnโt the Sultanโs brother really stupid?โ
โYouโre right!โ
In fact, Balharni had left the eunuchs behind and retreated when he retreated.
The eunuchs, dressed in splendid clothes, became good prey for the warriors who rushed in to catch the expensive hostages, and thanks to that, Balharni was able to escape during that time.
And it was no good for the eunuchs to go with him. Wouldnโt they be the ones to badmouth the Sultan in order to live when they returned?
The eunuch knew that, so he cursed Balharni.
โThatโs right! Heโs a real idiot.โ
โEven this philosopher says so, so it must be true.โ
The captains, who would have responded with โ๐๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ด๐ฐ? ๐๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆโ๐ด ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ช๐ต?โ even if Johan had said, โ๐๐ฏ ๐ง๐ข๐ค๐ต, ๐ข๐ค๐ค๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ค๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ, ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ข๐บ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ธ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฅ๐ด,โ were impressed.
The captains applauded again. They were somewhat well-informed. But they had never heard of the eunuchโs name. . .
Judging from what he said, there must be something to it!
โThank you, Your Highness. For treating me so well. . .โ
The eunuch burst into tears. After they returned to the Sultanโs camp, their lives were spared, but they could not enjoy the power they had enjoyed before. It was natural after such a defeat.
They had to do things that only the youngest eunuchs could do and could not participate in important conversations. In the midst of all this, he was moved by the warm treatment he received.
โCome to think of it, Iโm curious about something.โ
โYes. What are you curious about?โ
โI heard that King Angoldolph is being held captive in the camp. Is he doing well? Iโm worried about him since weโre close.โ
โThatโs. . .โ
The eunuch hesitated. Information about the prisoners held in the camp should not be easily given out. Moreover, the elf king was such a high-ranking hostage that the Sultan was personally in charge of him.
โCanโt you tell me? Thatโs fine.โ
Johan said coldly on purpose. The eunuch could not help but notice the change in the Dukeโs voice. The eunuch hurriedly answered in a flustered manner.
โNo! I was just worried because I didnโt know enough.โ
โWhatever it is, tell me slowly.โ
โ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆโ๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ.โ
Johan thought to himself. When there were many people, they would brainstorm and think hard, but the eunuch, who was relatively young, couldnโt even think of doing that.
From the other personโs point of view, it was a lot of fun. If he pushed, he would be pushed, and if he pulled, he would be pulled. . .
He was just thankful that the old eunuchs hadnโt been caught.
๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ
โTo rescue His Majesty Angoldolph. Iโm impressed!โ
The knights in their seats were impressed by the plan that came out so soon after they had won at sea. However, the feudal lords from the empire reacted somewhat nervously.
โDoes Your Highness have to go yourself?โ
โThe enemyโs morale must have been dampened since their surprise attack through the sea was thwarted. It might be better to wait this time.โ
โThe elf king is strong, so heโll be fine even if heโs a prisoner for a long time.โ
โ. . . . . .โ
The elf knights from the kingdom who had joined the expedition looked at the feudal lord who had just spoken as if he was ridiculous. However, the feudal lord ignored them as if he didnโt see them.
To be honest, the elf king was not a welcome presence within the empire. He was a strong ally when it came to civil war, but now on the expedition, they wondered if they really needed to save him.
โ๐๐ถ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ข๐ณ๐บ.โ
Of course, the elf knights from the kingdom, as well as those who had fled to this side after losing, were quite a force. If the elf king commanded them directly, they could exert several times the strength. Johan knew from experience how fierce the fearless elf knights were.
Moreover, if they succeeded, they could give the enemy a greater shock than the last naval battle. It would be several times more shocking to rescue a hostage from right under the Sultanโs nose.
The captured eunuch was much more useful than he had thought. He squeezed out all the information he had, both useful and useless. Based on that, Johan drew a rough map.
If he could just find the right opportunity, he could go right in and shake things up.
โYour Highness. I have something to ask you. . .โ
โSpeak.โ
Ulrike asked politely, and Johan nodded. Ulrike asked carefully.
โWhat if the king himself doesnโt want to be rescued?โ
โWhat are you talking about. . .โ
Johan was about to say that it didnโt make sense, but he stopped. There was no way Ulrike would have said such a thing just because she didnโt like the elf king.
โ๐๐ฐ. ๐๐ด ๐ช๐ต ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ?โ
Come to think of it, there was a high possibility that he had sworn not to escape on his own while being treated properly when he was captured. It was not uncommon for such oaths to be made.
However, most nobles broke their oaths in such situations. Nobles did not have the same strict faith as monks, and they could repent later or come up with a suitable excuse. That kind of flexibility was essential for a noble.
However, the elf king was likely to be old-fashioned in that regard. Johan thought about Ulrikeโs words for a moment, but he said firmly.
โI can persuade him.โ
โ. . .Really?โ
โOf course.โ
Ulrike was surprised.
To be able to persuade the elf king. Of course, she knew that Johan was close to the elf king. However, that was separate from persuasion. The elf king was such a person that he would be stubborn even if his own mother sent him a letter.
โI believe you because Your Highness says so. If you have any orders, I will support you as much as possible.โ
At Ulrikeโs response, the feudal lords in their seats sensed that the meeting was coming to an end. If a great feudal lord of that level agreed with the Dukeโs opinion, those below had to follow suit. It was better to come out first if they didnโt want to be scolded and blamed and have their soldiers taken away.
โI will support you too, Your Highness.โ
โMe too. . .โ
โThank you all.โ
Johan nodded and thought.
โ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ. . . ๐ ๐จ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐โ๐ญ๐ญ ๐ซ๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ฆ.โ