Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 68: First mission(2)

The hall lay shrouded in a heavy silence, akin to the stillness of a crypt, as Prince Arkawatt entrusted the first mission to Alpheo. Observing the trio of men before him—Robert, Shahab, and the prince himself, Alpheo understood something.... he was given a lot of bullshit from them.

As he approached the map, Alpheo's keen eyes darted between the faces of his companions. No one is surprised nor did their eyes blinked, he thought as stepped on forward. Apparently he was not called to give his lot on the war-meeting, hell it probably already ended!He was called only to be given his task.

"Look here at the city of Aracina," Prince Arkawatt began, drawing Alpheo's attention to a specific point on the map. Fixing his gaze upon the designated location, Alpheo took note of the city's layout and position . Situated along the coast, Aracina possessed the advantage of access to naval supply routes—a potential lifeline in times of conflict.During siege one could bring supply and men , provided they had the ship.

Yet, despite its coastal position, Aracina appeared to be a modest settlement at least from the map , lacking the bustling trade activity characteristic of major ports. He immediately recognised his primary role though.It was the shield protecting the capital from the prince of Oizen.

"I see it in your eyes that you've already grasped the essence of your mission," Prince Arkawatt declared, his voice carrying a note of urgency as he fixed his gaze on Alpheo. "As you can discern from the map, Aracina is the linchpin in Shamsa's strategy. If he aims to besiege Yarzat, he'll undoubtedly target this city to secure a vital supply route."

Alpheo nodded thoughtfully, as he looked down at Arkawatt's hands that were gripping the wooden table's edges hard.

"And your mission, Captain, is to ensure that Aracina remains firmly under our control. It is the only thing protecting the capital''

Alpheo's mind whirred with tactical considerations as he surveyed the map once more. "So, Your Grace, you want me to safeguard Aracina against any attempts to wrest control from us,and wait for your arrival to relieve the city.In short I will need to buy enough time for you to arrive in full force?" he summarized, his voice tinged with resolve.

"That is precisely the task at hand," the prince confirmed, his tone firm and resolute. ''How many men are currently in your control?''

''600 men, Your Grace,'' Alpheo responded, his voice steady and assured. "400 infantry, 100 bowmen, and 100 light cavalry, all ready to serve you."Initially he wanted to make them heavy cavalry unfortunately he lacked the armor for the horses , so he would have to be content with armorless horses, and chain-mail wearing riders.

Shahab's eyes widened imperceptibly at the sizable force Alpheo commanded. It was more than double the troops he had brought to support his liege. However, he quickly masked any surprise, maintaining his composure.

"Well, I suppose your numbers will be sufficient to garrison the city," Prince Arkawatt mused, considering the implications of the formidable force at Alpheo's disposal. "If you have no further questions, you may proceed to begin your preparations."

Alpheo inclined his head in acknowledgment, his gaze unwavering. "Actually, Your Grace, I do have a few inquiries regarding my mission," he interjected politely, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Go ahead," the prince encouraged, gesturing for Alpheo to continue.

"Firstly, I would like to inquire about the current garrison strength of the city and the identity of the individual entrusted with its defense," Alpheo stated, his tone measured and composed.

The prince appeared momentarily flustered, evidently unaware of such details. However, his second-in-command stepped in to provide the necessary information.

"The city is currently garrisoned by 80 men, Your Grace," Sir Robert offered, his tone clipped and businesslike. "With the potential to recruit up to 200 more from among the citizens. The man in charge of its defense, as designated by royal decree, is a captain named Fahil."

Alpheo absorbed this information thoughtfully before proposing a course of action. "In that case, Your Grace, I propose temporarily relieving Captain Fahil of his duties and assuming command of the city's defenses," he suggested, his voice laced with diplomacy.

However, Sir Robert was quick to object, insisting on Fahil's authority. "He is the one tasked with command, not you," he interjected sharply.

Alpheo countered, his tone firm but respectful. "But considering the size of my forces compared to his, it would be impractical for him to hold authority over me," he argued, appealing to the prince's sense of pragmatism.

After a brief deliberation, the prince reached a decision. "Very well, I shall draft a decree granting you the necessary powers," he declared, signaling his approval of Alpheo's proposal.

Alpheo regarded the prince with a steady gaze, his expression thoughtful as he posed his next question. "Your Grace, how long do you estimate it will be before you can muster your forces and march toward Aracina in full force?"

Prince Arkawatt's brow furrowed slightly as he considered the inquiry, his mind already calculating some estimates. He glanced at the map once more.

After a moment of contemplation, the prince finally responded, "I would estimate approximately four weeks, at best," he declared, his tone firm despite the underlying uncertainty.

'Quite a time' Alpheo thought wondering how many would also come to aid their liege. However, he knew better than to voice his concerns further; the prince had made his decision, and it was not his place to question it.

"Your grace, if you allow me, I have one last request," Alpheo ventured, his tone respectful yet determined.

"Go ahead," the prince replied, his attention fully focused on Alpheo.

"May I be allowed to be given some arrows?" Alpheo asked, his voice carrying a note of urgency. "I fear that if I am to hold the city, I will be in need of as many arrows as I can."

The prince considered the request for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Very well, I have no reason to be parsimonious on them, especially considering the importance of your task," he conceded, his tone decisive. "Please inform the fletchers to provide sufficient arrows, and assure them that they will be duly compensated at the end of the campaign," he instructed Sir Robert, who promptly acknowledged the order with a bow.

"And when do you think you will be able to march?" the prince inquired, turning his attention back to Alpheo.

"I would say three days, your grace," Alpheo replied promptly, his gaze steady as he met the prince's eyes.

The prince's expression betrayed a hint of disappointment at the delay, but he saw no immediate issue with the timeline. "Very well, I expect much from you," he remarked, his tone firm yet encouraging. "You are dismissed," he added with a wave of his hand, signaling the end of the audience.

Alpheo bowed respectfully before turning to leave the room.

As they walked out of the room, the tension was filling the air , thick with unspoken words and hesitant glances. Even as they passed through the hall, no one dared to break the silence. Servants bustled about, their presence a subtle reminder to keep quiet and not cause a scene. Only when the heavy wooden door of Alpheo's room closed did a hushed voice finally rise, breaking the oppressive stillness .

''Laedio'' Alpheo said as he turned ''Please go inform Asag that in three days we will be marching .Tell him to prepare supplies and stock up on what we miss.'' As he finished he sighed as he plopped down on the chair.

Laedio did not move and stood still, joining the other in wordlessly staring at their leader.

''If you have something to say now it is the time ''

Jarza was the first to speak ''This was not why we were hired to fight.We were to partecipate in an invasion where we could raid at our liking, now instead we are to fight in land we cannot pillage.''

''Jarza is right''Egil quipped in , as he too was looking forward to putting some villages on fire '' The contract was signed under the thought that most of our gains were to be made through raiding .''

Alpheo said nothing and turned his head toward the window , as if the answer was outside

''How will that beggar get the coin to pay us?We could have stood calm and content if coin was to be made during the campaign, that is no longer doable.Will we raise our steel for free?''

The other two Clio and Laedio, did not say anything but their were completely agreeing with Egil.In the end Alpheo opened his mouth and finally spoke ''So I see you are all very good in complaining'' He snorted through his nose '' any of you has any suggestion then?We signed a contract and received our horses as pre-payment, surely you would not have us betray our first contract after the prince has been so forthcoming? Who would hire us after that?I certainly would not''

The group said nothing , then Egil spoke up ''We could refuse to march to the city citing that was not what the contract entailed''

''Which would still break the contract , seems like you did not read it '' Alpheo spoke which in reality he did not either, as they were all illiterate '' The contract says that we are to fight for the prince, it says nothing about offensive and defensive war. Remember for us mercenaries , as strange as it sounds, respecting our word is very important. If people are sure we will be bound by them, then they will have an easier time opening their pouch.''

''Yet our first employer's is pretty empty''Egil muttered in a low voice

''We will be paid nonetheless, if not by coin I will certainly find a way to get us our due .In one way or another'' he said as he sat down on a chair

''Sti-''

''IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER'' Alpheo shouted as he bashed his closed fist on the arm of the chair '' This is our first war, and yet you are already bickering before we take any step.Did you think that the road would have been smooth and straight.Well welcome to the real world.

Life's full of shit , deal with it!'' His gaze moved through the group, they rarely heard him shout, most of the time he was all smile and jokes, so looking at him be angry was quite a sight .

''This is our first throw of the dice, and yet you are complaining even before the numbers are shown.I am tired all of your chirping, you thought it would be easy?Well it's not!Let me tell this once again, we are foforeignersere, we are distrusted from the first moment they see us, so the best thing we can do is actually not give them another reason to add to that .'' His fingers moved to his forehead, as he massaged the ache away

"If anyone has any truly helpful suggestions, speak up now," he urged, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "Otherwise, I'd appreciate some peace and quiet. My head is pounding, and your complaints certainly aren't helping."

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