zorin City, Naharog County.
"Neigh!!"
The galloping sounds of the horse attract the attention of the guards who are patrolling the city wall. They see scattered dust from far away coming closer and closer. At first, they thought it was the enemy and were ready to sound the alarm bell. After a careful look, they realised the banner fluttering on the incoming force is that of the royal family.
"Go tell the lord." said the chief guard to his subordinate.
The guard nods before sprinting toward the lord's manor where he was greeted by his acquaintance who is working there as an entrance guard.
"What's wrong? Why are you running?" His acquaintance asks after seeing his friend running in a hurried manner.
"The army led by the first prince has co. I need to inform the Count." The young guard replied.
"Wait here, I will call the butler."
Soon, the butler arrives at the front and the young guard fulfils his duty before returning back to his post. His shift was not over yet.
Inside the mansion, the butler gently knocks on the door.
"What is it? I am busy right now." Count Nelson answers the knocking with a question.
"Milord, the first prince is approaching zorin." inform the butler from behind the door. He can also hear the cry of a young woman inside the office. He is not shocked in the slightest as such incidents frequently occur. He stops counting after the number reaches thirty. To his lord, the commoner is nothing but a toy he can play with.
'Which maid has beco a milord's victim this ti?' The butler asks inwardly, he can only give compensation to that maid later. He has been doing so secretly for years now.
The door was open and the maid rush out of the office crying. Her clothes are in a ss and the sa goes for the Count.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and prepare for a celebration tonight." ordered the Count.
"As you wish, milord." The butler proceeds to the kitchen. The chef needs to work hard tonight.
....
"Your Highness, we almost arrived at zorin." Philip said. He tried to lift up the depressing mood but failed miserably. There is still a lingering fear on their face.
Niall ignores Philip's words. His mind kept wandering, 'What is bravery? What is a knightly way? What is honour?' All the teaching his instructor once told him while he was just a little kid doesn't apply to that battle.
He can clearly see the Ryntum soldiers hiding behind those weapons and watch the cavalry being slaughtered like a coward. They only move when the noble army turns its back. This is his first war but everything he has known about the war was turned upside down.
The gate was open and the army smoothly entered the city without any problem. Count Naharog is waiting for Niall with a smile on his face. However, when he sees the army, he frowns a little.
'Why there are few cavalries.' Warhorses are expensive to buy or keep. It is not surprising that the Count asks albeit only in his heart. Even so, the Count keep smiling. He will enquire about it later.
"Welco, Your Highness. I thank you for your successful endeavour in the war. Please rest for a while my chef is making a feast for you."
"We didn't win," Niall mutters under his breath but Count Naharog is unable to catch it.
"Hmm? Did you say sothing, Your Highness?" Count Nelson asked.
"We didn't win! Can't you see the number of soldiers here? We didn't win! We lost almost 7,000 people without putting a dent in their number." Niall shouts with a loud voice.
The count, the butler, the entrance guard, and the nearby maid are all shocked.
'Impossible' Everybody thinks the sa word. Count Nelson on the other hand breaks the sweats.
It took a while for everyone to recover from their shock. Count Nelson made a small cough, "For now, why doesn't Your Highness get inside first? I would like to hear the circumstances."
"Let us do as the Count said, Your Highness," said Philip.
The three of them enter the mansion. In one of the rooms, the count begins to ask the question. Having no choice, Philip narrates to the count about their humiliating defeat. The count shows various expressions from surprised, disbelieving, questioning to
Count Nelson fell into deep thought. He needs to think of a way to fix this ss. After all, he was the one that encouraged Niall to make the first move without waiting for other forces. Niall's success will solidify his position as the first prince's sole supporter. Once he succeeds in making Niall the next king, the benefit he gets will be unimaginable.
"Your Highness, I think it is still not too late." said the count.
"What do you an?"
"I can still recruit grown n and young boys to fill the gaps in our army." Although the loss of almost all cavalry hurt him a lot, he needs to think rationally. Now, resupplying the army is an imdiate matter. It's not a good thing for him if both the duke and the second prince find out about this rush attack.
"You still have more n to conscript?" Niall is a little surprised.
"Of course, the n that I send to the Noble Coalition are just a fraction of the n population I possess. I don't see any reason to conscript all of them."
"But with the weapon they have, I don't see any point replying to the number." Niall throws his opinion.
"Who said the number advantage is useless? Can they fire continuously? From what Your Highness told , there is a gap in their attack. We should utilize that gap."
"That's true. They lacked mobility and the weapon required several people to operate." Philip added.
The Count agrees, "Exactly. The reason Your Highness lost is not that our army is inferior but because we or our horses never encounter such a thing. In all likelihood, those weapons are that brat's new creation and they didn't find an effective way to use them."
"Since Richard is not an idiot, he probably realizes it as well. He will definitely protect the weapons. How should we bypass them?" Niall asked.
"That's where the number cos in. We just need to flood the location where the weapons are with our soldiers."
Niall thinks for a while, "Fine, let's do as you said. I don't see any problem with that." He continued to say, "Though the population is going to decrease slightly, we will just let them repopulate again."
"Excellent. You have matured so much in a short span of ti." The count said with a polite smile on his face. He then calls his butler by ringing a bell.
The count said in his mind, 'This isn't good. He starts to get control of his emotions. I would personally lead the army if I know this is going to happen.'
Though he didn't show it too much, he was surprised by Niall's calmness. Aside from the earlier outburst, he doesn't throw any tantrums. This developnt goes against what the count expected. People change for the better when they experience failure and people lose themselves in their success, especially in an easy one. Letting Niall grow into a stable man is not what the count wishes for.
Soon, the butler arrived. The count imdiately issues an order of conscript.
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