Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 168

Chapter 168: Hannibal and the crossing
A somber day dawned upon Rusra. The residents had already began the task of cleansing the city of blood and granting a proper funeral to the deceased ones, laying them to rest beside their kin. This city had never experienced so many losses in a single day.

Within the grand hall of the castle, Henry, Olaro, Leier, and the captain were gathered around a circular table, observing an old map found inside the lord’s chambers.

“Well, the map we found in my Royal Library didn’t have many of these villages and didn’t depict these alternate routes” – Henry said, his finger tracing the poorly drawn lines on the map – “It seems like their major cities are all built along the White Merchant Road. So, if we keep going down this route, we might not be able to reach the capital in a month. We have to find another way.”

The capital Etrira lay nestled in the southwest of the kingdom, built atop one of the mountains that composed the endless range that stretched from the Frozen Forest to the far away south. The White Merchant Road was the only way up the capital, which was surrounded by the endless rugged peaks, making it extremely difficult to be sieged and attacked.

“Captain, is there any other route to Etrira?” – Henry asked, but the captain shook his head and replied – “I apologize, my lord—my king. Apart from nobles, I doubt anyone inside these walls has ever ventured there.” – He couldn’t help but feel tense while in the presence of his new king. He almost addressed him as a mere lord rather than his king. This mistake could actually cost his head.

Henry drummed his fingers on the map, pondering – “Are there any nobles remaining in the city?” – he asked again, though he already knew the answer, feeling the need to ask nonetheless. Question often helped him think.

“N-no” – The captain stammered, lowering his head and getting ready for a beating. The previous lord would beat him up whenever he said something displeasing to his ears, making him expect the same treatment. Yet, no punishment befell him, and Henry continued to study the map, searching for a solution. The captain felt relieved.

“Any suggestions?” – Henry turned to Olaro and Leier, who were also observing the map intently. However, they were equally devoid of ideas – “If only we could traverse these mountains” – Henry mused, his gaze fixating on the mountain range delineated on the map. Suddenly, an idea ignited within him, his mind racing nonstop.

“Yes, the mountains! How could I forget!” – Henry exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement, his fingers tracing the map as he looked eagerly at Olaro and Leier. “What if we go through the mountains?”

Looking at the mountains’s on the map, Henry remembered about the terror of the Roman Empire, Hannibal Barca, the single strategist who achieved a feat deemed as impossible, crossing the Alps and threatening Rome in its own domain. Hannibal was a Carthaginian general and military genius who lived during the Second Punic War, born in 247 BC.

The Second Punic War was marked by the long-standing rivalry between Carthage and Rome for the control over the Mediterranean. It escalated after conflict of interests in the Western Mediterranean, particularly over territories where Spain and Sicily are located today. The Roman Empire’s coastal routes were heavily fortified and its naval superiority made it difficult to directly invade the territory. In order to bypass this obstacle, Hannibal chose to cross the Alps and surprise the romans with endless troops inside their territory.

“Through the mountains?” – Olaro repeated, raising an eyebrow and rubbing his bald head, trying to think about the possibility presented by the king – “That’s impossible isn’t it? Those peaks are extremely dangerous and there is no clear path to follow, and we have an entire army to move.”

“It’s not impossible. Think about it. The White Merchant Road is fortified with important cities and we can’t expect that everything will go smoothly like Rusra, right?” – Henry’s pointed at the mountains on the map, making sure they could visualize his plan – “Even though they’ve lost their king, if we take the conventional route, they’ll anticipate our approach and raise their defenses. And, with Etrira situated atop a mountain, it will much more challenging to conquer it, even more so with their heightened defenses. We need to take them by surprise.”

Leier leaned in, her hair falling over a part of the map as she tried to grasp the plan better – “But how? We don’t know the terrain, and we’re not prepared for such a journey. We also don’t have enough supplies to feed the soldiers.”

At those words, Henry paused and smiled – “We have food, don’t we?” – He turned his gaze to the captain – “I heard you guys are about to harvest the potatoes you planted a few months ago, right?”

The captain met Henry’s intense gaze, feeling as though the king’s purplish eyes were delving deep into his soul and pulling it out – “B-But…” – he began, about to defend the village’s line of survival, but Henry’s unwavering stare silenced him – “Y-Yes, my king. We are about to gather the potato harvest” – he admitted, unable to defy the king’s stare and wishes. He didn’t want to see his head being hoisted in the middle of Rusra.

“Great! Do it today, I need it done for tomorrow. We can’t waste anymore time here” – Henry commanded, but sensing the captain’s inner turmoil, he added – “Don’t worry, I won’t let you all starve. As soon as I conquer the capital, I will return with food for Rusra. It’s only temporary. I’ll take only what’s necessary, and you can ration the rest until more food arrives.”

The captain’s eyes lit up with gratitude – “Thank you, my king!” – he exclaimed, bowing deeply. The king could have just confiscated their whole food without any promise, using their forces to silence any kind of revolt. This scenario meant that they were going to starve for the whole year and many people would die. However, by promising that he would give it back, he was giving them a line to be saved.

Henry turned back to Leier and Olaro – “One problem solved. What else?” – he asked, his satisfied smile never fading away. He was genuinely excited; perhaps this war would end sooner than he anticipated.

Olaro raised his hand, seeking permission to speak – “How are we going to cross the mountains, my liege?” – he inquired, still puzzled about the way to be taken. He had been many times in the mountains and knew that there was no clear path to be followed.

Henry retrieved a parchment from his clothing, explaining – “There was a book detailing Etrira’s construction, which mentioned that miners used the mountains to extract some kind of special rocks requested by the king to be used in the construction” – He unfolded the parchment, revealing countless words on it, like any detailed manuscript – “It’s an ancient pass utilized by miners, offering an easier route compared to scaling dozens of steep peaks. We just need to find the first valley and follow it south, then we will reach the capital”

“How do we find the valley?” Leier inquired, her eyes fixed on her king – “The parchment says anything about its location?”

Henry shook his head, gesturing with his hands as he explained – “”No, that’s why I want to send two hundred scouts up the mountain as quickly as possible, and I need you to accompany them. And, I nee-”

“Excuse me, my king…” – A timid voice interrupted Henry’s explanation, causing him to turn to the captain, who appeared to be struggling to find his words, afraid to be killed out of nowhere – “If you’re referring to the Screaming Valley, I have an idea of its location.”

“Screaming Valley?” – Henry didn’t mind being interrupted, at least not when someone was just trying to give him useful information. He grabbed the man’s shoulder rightly, almost breaking his bones, his fingers pressing into the captain’s flesh.

Grimacing with discomfort and pain, the captain forced out his words – “It’s not far. It’s a place where we bring convicts to face punishment according to their crimes. Those with light penalty will be chained there for two days, without food and exposed to the freezing mountain winds. If it’s a death penalty, we just push them down.”

Henry’s grip loosened as he processed the captain’s words – “Screaming Valley” – he repeated, a thoughtful expression crossing his face – “That could be our route.”

Henry turned to Leier – “Prepare a group of scouts” – he instructed, his tone firm, not wishing to delay any second more – “The captain will guide you to the Screaming Valley’s location. I need you to verify if it’s indeed the valley and assess if our army can pass through it.”

Henry felt excited at the thought of finding the valley that could lead them to the capital of Aritreia. If he managed to use the valley, he could surprise his adversaries without them even realizing the predator sneaking on them, ready to pounce and devour them with a single bite.