Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 119

Chapter 119: Aftermath Chapter 119: Aftermath The morning after the ambush, Alpheo received a detailed report on the aftermath of the battle.

The casualty numbers were reassuringly low: only 13 of his men had been killed, and 34 had been wounded.

These relatively minor losses reflected the effectiveness of the ambush , apart from the difference in effectiveness and equipment of the two armies.

The report also gave news regarding the gains from the encounter.

The loot captured included 29 horses, which would be used to replace the dead horses , and a considerable amount of armor: 64 chainmails and 12 sets of plate armor.

All of which Alpheo would make to better equip all his forces.

While the warfare of this age mostly used plate armor for men on horses, Alpheo was aware of the great use it could have on infantry.

Satisfied with the outcomes, Alpheo decided to grant his men one full day to loot the battlefield.

He was aware of the toll these last weeks took on the men, as in less than half a month they had fought three battles,in which only in one were they allowed to actually loot, as in the first two Alpheo had to hand out a month pay in advance for each soldier to restore morale, as they had no time to take anything from their kills.  After the day of looting, Alpheo planned to lead his forces back toward the city they had fought to protect.

Alpheo sat at a small, roughly-hewn wooden table with his closest companions gathered around him.

The table was set with modest fare, but given the recent victory, the mood was light and spirits were high.

A seat had been left open for Shahab, whom Alpheo had sent someone to invite, though the man had yet to arrive, always if he bothered to Ratto, Alpheo’s young squire, approached the table with a platter of roasted chickens, their skin crisp and glistening.

He set them down with care.

The village they’d passed through had provided what they could.

Those chickens, however were not the robust, plump birds that modern farming produces .

These ancient chickens were lean, stringy, and barely one-sixth the size of the poultry that people now find in markets, a result of nature’s untamed selection rather than centuries of selective breeding.

“Hardly a feast fit for kings,” Clio joked,as he took a small bird for himself  Alpheo, smiling, waved him off.

“It’s enough.

Besides,since when are we so greedy?We have been eating jerky meat and hard bread for half a week.

I would have killed for something that didn’t shatter my teeth at every morsel” he laughed as he grabbed one.

The group settled in, pulling apart the roasted chickens with their hands.

Despite the small size of the birds, the men ate with hearty appetites, savoring each bite as they tore through the tender meat.

The fire crackled nearby, and the soft clinking of cups filled with wine added a relaxed rhythm to the evening.

Conversation was light at first, the men exchanging jests about the chickens and sharing stories of the battlefield.

Alpheo wiped his hands on a cloth, leaning back in his chair and surveying his companions.

He took a sip of his wine, eyes flicking to Jarza.

Setting the cup down, Alpheo spoke, his voice casual but probing.

“Let’s talk about the battle,” he began, eyes scanning the room.

“I want to know how our men fared.

How did they handle themselves out there?” Jarza straightened slightly, wiping grease from his fingers before speaking.

“Well enough, I’d say.

The orders were followed without any chaos.

Our oldest soldiers were disciplined as could be expected.

They almost instinctively looked to their superiors for direction.

No hesitation, no disorder.

We kept formation, and when the time came, they encircled the enemy as planned.” Alpheo nodded, listening intently.

His gaze remained fixed on Jarza, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Good.

That envelopement we pulled off, was proof that our drills are working.

The way we closed in on the van and center, forcing the enemy into a corner…

It worked like clockwork.

And that doesn’t happen without soldiers who know how to follow orders.” He looked around the table, raising an eyebrow.

“Anyone else?

Thoughts?” Clio leaned back in his chair, a frown on his face as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“My men were mostly recruits,” he said, his voice quite frustrated “Barely any experience.

I had to shout and grab some by the collar before they turned around and chased the ones fleeing to the left.” He shook his head, clearly annoyed.

“They broke formation too quickly, eager to chase down anyone running rather than sticking to their positions.” Alpheo listened, nodding thoughtfully as Clio spoke.

He had expected such problems from less-experienced soldiers, especially when the heat of battle tested their discipline.

After a moment, he turned his attention to Egil, who was still calmly eating, unbothered by the discussion.

Egil simply shrugged, not bothering to look up.

“My men did their job,” he said between bites of chicken, his voice casual.

There was no hint of pride or complaint-just a simple statement of fact.

Everybody there knew the lax attitude the man had on his troops.

Alpheo sighed, realizing that Egil’s cavalry had been as reliable as always, though the man’s indifferent attitude was still something he found hard to get used to.  Alpheo glanced at Clio again, wiping his mouth with a cloth.

“And how did Shahab’s troops fare?” he asked, his tone curious, knowing that Shahab’s unit was always something of a wildcard.

Clio gave a crooked smile, his mood lightening slightly as he leaned forward.

“Even worse than mine,” he replied with a chuckle.

“Most of his men were timid, barely eager to join the fight.

They kept to themselves for the most part, hesitant, you know?” He shook his head, finding the irony in it.

“Didn’t help that their officers stayed back the whole time.

While ours led the charge, theirs were more concerned with staying out of the thick of it.” Alpheo couldn’t help but smile at that.

“I suppose it’s no surprise, given how those men were gathered,” he mused, glancing over at the roasted chickens still on the table.

As the group continued their meal, Jarza set down his cup and looked across the table at Alpheo.

“So,” he said, his tone curious but cautious, “what happens now?” Alpheo paused, his fingers working at the bones of the small chicken in front of him, picking at the remaining bits of meat.

He cracked a bone between his teeth, chewing thoughtfully before speaking.

“Ormund and his eldest son are dead,” he said plainly, as if discussing a trivial matter.

“That leaves only the youngest-what, six years old?

He won’t be a problem.” The others listened quietly as Alpheo continued.

“The boy’s too young to hold any real power, especially without an army to back him.

And now that we’ve crushed Ormund’s core forces, the nobles won’t waste their support on a child with no military standing .” Jarza nodded, following the logic, but still unsure.

“So they’ll turn to Jasmine?” Alpheo gave a short nod, tossing the chicken bone onto his plate with a slight clatter.

“Most likely.

She’s the more viable candidate.

The nobles will back her over a boy still wet behind his ears , especially since she’s owning the capital, and has the support of Lord Shahab and a strong army at her back” Egil, barely looking up from his food spoke in an ironic tone .

“What about her betrothed?

He’ll have something to say about all this, I presume.” Alpheo smiled faintly, ripping another piece of meat from the chicken.

“Yes, he will” He paused, glancing up with a sly grin.

” I’ll be giving her a bit of advice on how to deal with the aftermath.

She may take it, or she may not.

But we’ve done our part-secured her position.

Now it’s up to her to maintain it.” The table grew quiet for a moment as Alpheo’s words settled over the group, each of them weighing their new position now that Ormund had been removed from the equation.

“And if she doesn’t listen to your advice?” Clio asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing I can do, though my lord Grandfather will certainly back my suggestion to her, making it more likely for her to listen to me, she appeared to be a smart lad and knows a good advice from a bad one” Jarza leaned back in his chair, swirling the cup in his hand with a smirk on his face.

“So…

looks like you’ll be the next prince.

Anything for us peasants?” His tone was light, but there was a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes.

The others glanced at Alpheo, waiting for his reaction.

Alpheo paused mid-bite, raising his eyebrows in mock surprise.

“Jarza, I’m hurt!” he exclaimed, placing a hand over his chest dramatically.

“You think I’d forget my loyal companions, the men who fought by my side and made all this possible?We have gone through hell and back together ” He shook his head, clicking his tongue.

“Have a little faith, my friend.” The group chuckled, and Alpheo leaned forward, lowering his voice just enough to seem conspiratorial.

“Rest assured, there’ll be plenty to go around.

In due time, each of you will be rewarded.

Land, titles-you’ll all be nobles before long.

After all, this victory wouldn’t have happened without you.” Jarza grinned , meanwhile Egil gave no heed to the reward as he didn’t even break his focus on the food in front of him.He was but a simple man.

Clio leaned in, his voice teasing.

“Land and titles, eh?

You’re spoiling us.” Alpheo waved him off with a grin.

“Nothing less for my trusted companions.

Besides, I can’t have you all causing trouble in the city whoring and drinking all day, a bit of responsibility is needed for each of you.

Some more than other ” he said turning to Egil.

The table erupted into laughter as they continued to eat, the mood lightening even more with every joke and jab.

Plates clattered, cups refilled, and the conversation flowed as easily as the wine, their spirits high in the glow of success.