Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 218

Chapter 218: Hate and Love Chapter 218: Hate and Love The worst of winter had swept through quickly this year, with its icy winds and biting frosts seeming to pass in a blink.

Now, as March arrived, the last remnants of the cold melted into the air.

The days grew longer, sunlight lingering just a bit more each evening.

People began to shed their heaviest cloaks, and a tentative energy filled the air, as if the whole world were taking a deep breath, ready to wake from the quiet slumber of winter.

It had been a brutal winter for the coastal villages.

The Free Lords, from across the seas wasted no time to relive the best time of their history ,as they had launched relentless raids, sweeping through the settlements with brutal efficiency.

Barns were ransacked, filled with the year’s hard-earned stores of grain and produce, only to be emptied or set ablaze .

For some villages, this meant facing the rest of winter with little to sustain them, and in the harshest cases, nothing at all.

In response, the court had stationed ‘The White Company’, or as they were called by the various people that saw the mighty of the only southern private army, ‘The Black Stripes’, along the eastern coast.

A name who by the way Alpheo hated.

Now, though the coastline was vast and impossible to fully secure, the presence of these troops shielded key stretches, creating safer zones where villages saw less destruction and where families could sleep with a measure of ease.

Jasmine, seeing the toll taken on her people, ordered grain from the reserves to be distributed to the hardest-hit communities, while buying it from the empire once it proved not to be enough, something they were happy to part with given their heavy need of coins.

Such an act of relief was only possible due to the wealth amassed from thriving trade relations with the Empire and neighboring principalities.

The coffers of Yarzat in fact brimmed with wealth, something that the ministers in court had not seen in decades, stocked and ready to finance war when the time came.

Inside were an impressive 27,000 silverii-a fortune amassed not only from the bustling trade routes but also from a handsome ransom collected for the heir of the neighboring princedom of Oizen,that had been paid in full .

Months earlier, young Sorza, the long-missing heir, had been released from Yarzat’s custody, with one year of truce still present between the two states.  —— It was a bright, clear day-a day that would once again remind the world that logic and reason were the true forces steering the power that governed everything.

Alpheo had always despised physics, a sentiment shared by many devoted to the humanities.

If anyone had asked him why, he’d have said it was because understanding the laws that controlled reality seemed useless for the ordinary person; knowledge of physics did little, he thought, to improve daily life for an average person.

But now, faced with undeniable evidence, Alpheo found himself confronting the flaws in his own thinking.

A large pavilion of rich, dark cloth had been set up outside the towering walls of Yarzat, its thick canvas providing shelter from the late winter sun.

Inside, Alpheo sat on a sturdy wooden chair, sipping cool water from a clay cup as he observed a team of servants preparing an onager for its next launch.

Nearby, the men strained as they loaded the formidable war machine with a 30-kilogram stone, securing it with practiced care to ensure a flawless shot.

To Alpheo’s right stood Pontius, the head engineer, a man well-seasoned in siege craft and strategy.

Pontius was a recent gift from Marthio, regent of the Empire, a gesture made in honor of Alpheo’s birthday.

Alpheo had personally thanked lord Marthio for sending Pontius, recognizing immediately how valuable the veteran engineer would be for Yarzat’s forces.

Skilled engineers were rare in his territory, and this man’s expertise was already proving invaluable.

”Behind every great man, there is a likewise great woman.

And Behind every great city-taker army is a likewise ass-kicking engineering corpse” Was Alpheo’s proclamation to his friend as soon as Pontius’ arrival.

Since his arrival, Pontius had been set to work training young recruits, given the months of peace before the next war.

Many of them were sons of Yarzat’s wealthiest merchants, seconds and third sons sent with hopes of getting an army job.

Alpheo watched the stone being drawn back in the onager’s sling, his eyes occasionally drifting to Pontius, who was deep in conversation with one of the apprentices.  Pontius, bald and with the sun glinting off his smooth scalp, walked back toward Alpheo with a brisk, almost impatient stride.

His eyes, sharp and slightly narrowed, held a hint of resentment-a sentiment he didn’t try to hide.

Pontius had often voiced his displeasure about his transfer, grumbling to anyone within earshot about being moved from the grand imperial palace to what he considered the provincial backwater of Yarzat.

Something that Alpheo did not take offense to, as it was probably right .

Speaking in european terms, it must have been as if moving from the Alhambra palace of Granada to the tower of London.

Here he was, he would say, stuck in a place where the wind was harsher, the landscape less refined, and the people, in his opinion, utterly unsophisticated.  As he reached Alpheo, he didn’t bother to disguise his tone, addressing the prince with the slightly condescending air that his years of experience had bred in him.

Alpheo, ever calm, merely gestured for Pontius to sit before leaning forward to ask, “And how are your pupils performing, Pontius?

Do you find them satisfactory?” Pontius gave a dry chuckle, crossing his arms.

“Well, your grace, they’re enthusiastic enough.

But enthusiasm does not create engineers,” he said, glancing sideways at the youths struggling with another onager in the distance.

“Most of them are dull bastards who think they know something about construction because they’ve seen a ship or a bridge or two.

I’d say, if they listen half as much as they boast, we might have two or three competent minds by year’s end.

But don’t expect miracles.” Alpheo’s eyes showed a flicker of amusement at Pontius’s blunt arrogance.

“So you find no promise among them?” he asked.

Pontius sighed, grudgingly nodding.

“There are a few who can hold their own under pressure,” he admitted, albeit reluctantly.

“They’re untrained, but they could be shaped into something worthwhile-given time and strict instruction.” His tone softened just slightly as apparently there were some pupils that gained his goodwill.

Alpheo leaned back, a faint smile crossing his face.

“Then I’ll expect much from you Pontius, after all it is not everyday that we have the honor of meeting such smart minds like yours…” Pontius said nothing, as he merely gave a nod, his face betraying a flash of irritation as soon as he turned back to watch his pupils.

Alpheo was well aware of Pontius’s arrogance.

The man’s grumblings and superior attitude were hardly subtle.

Yet Alpheo chose to ignore the engineer’s sharp remarks and condescension, letting them slide with quiet tolerance.

He knew he had little choice-someone as skilled as Pontius was rare, and Alpheo needed his expertise, even if it came wrapped in complaints and disdain.

The importance of a man like Pontius outweighed the man’s irritating habits; Yarzat’s future strength depended on talents like his, given that in all reality the land his wife commanded were truly provincial and lacking in human resources.

Surprisingly, though Pontius often sneered at the provincial life in Yarzat, there were aspects of his work here that left him unexpectedly impressed.

Among these was a remarkable advancement in the aiming methods Alpheo had developed.

Working from basic principles of physics and geometry, Alpheo had implemented adjustments to the onagers that significantly reduced aiming errors.

By incorporating simple but precise measurements into the construction, each stone thrown had an error range of only a dozen of meters at most , an incredible improvement considering the onager’s reach of 300 meters.

Something that Alpheo had achieved , by dedicating extensive time to refining the design and perfecting the specifications, issuing precise measurements to the court engineers so that each weapon matched the exact standards needed for accuracy.  While Pontius’s pride didn’t allow him to openly praise Alpheo, he found himself impressed despite himself, something that changed the view in which Alpheo was regarded by the man.  “You’ve done well with them, Pontius.

Their accuracy has improved beyond expectations.” Alpheo said once he regained Pontius’ attention Pontius shrugged, his tone still curt.

“They’re passable, at best-too shabby for real combat ” Despite the gruffness, a flicker of pride hinted at his own satisfaction.

“Well, that’s what you’re here for,” Alpheo replied, smiling.

“But such progress deserves a reward, wouldn’t you agree?” Pontius raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

Rewards were not something he’d often encountered under past patrons.

Alpheo continued, “I’ll arrange for a mansion in town, complete with servants-yours to keep.

And let’s add 500 silvers for good measure.

Use it as you wish.Take it as a bonus for the good work” Pontius was momentarily stunned.

He couldn’t fathom how the ruler of Yarzat, a modest state by imperial standards, could have such deep coffers for rewards and projects alike, as since he came to work in Yarzat, the princess had literally thrown silvers around as if they were confetti.

The thought lingered, but he wisely kept it to himself, replying instead with a pleased smile, “Your generosity knows no bounds, your grace ” Alpheo inclined his head.

“I do have a job for you, though.

One requiring your full attention and those keen students of yours.In a month, at best, war will erupt between us and the Prince of Herculia,” Alpheo stated with quiet confidence, his voice low, but edged with the clarity of one who had already thought through every angle.

“I have my suspicions you already know to why” Pontius nodded keeping his mouth shut about the rumors he had heard about Lechlian’s gift.

“And when it happens,” Alpheo continued, “you and your corps will follow the army, of course.

I will need you and your pupils to be ready for long marches and even harder work by the end of it.

The stakes will be high, and we will need every weapon at our disposal, especially that of mind” Pontius nodded, but Alpheo wasn’t finished.

“I want your students ready to not just build the machines of war, but to lead others in constructing them.

We’ll need many hands, and we can’t waste time on inexperience.” His gaze was steady, his words calculated.

“You will teach them how to direct others-those with no knowledge of construction at all.

They will need to know how to manage labor and direct the creation of these siege crafts ” Pontius straightened a little at the challenge, the fire of his professional pride flaring within him.

“It will be done, Your Grace,” he said.

Alpheo gave a small nod of approval, his focus already shifting to the task at hand.

“Good.

I eagerly await the results,” he said, his voice cool but filled with quiet authority.

“Make sure your students are prepared.

When the time comes, there will be no room for error.” As he said so his mind drifted back to the siege of Confluendi.

During that long confrontation , the White Army had performed admirably in constructing their camp, following the usual methods of siegecraft and defensive engineering.

But it wasn’t the seasoned soldiers the problem; rather, it was the newly enlisted men from various lords’ territories who had, despite their initial inexperience, managed to perform below his expectations.

Alpheo could remember how, at first, he had thought the soldiers-mostly farmhands, tradesmen, and young recruits-would falter at the immense tasks required in such a large-scale siege operation.

He had expected clumsy efforts, slow work, and the inefficiencies that came with untrained hands.

Yet it was even worse than he expected.

 The camp they built was disorganized, their fortifications weak, and their siege equipment poorly constructed.

The soldiers lacked the necessary skills and understanding of basic logistics, making simple tasks far more complicated than they should have been.

I realized too late, he thought as he looked back at his previous campaign, that I relied too much on the idea that sheer numbers would make up for lack of skill.

I was wrong…

As a consequence, the small number of engineers he was given were overwhelmed by the amount of work , further extending the required time to finish everything.

Alpheo realized that relying solely on numbers and enthusiasm had been a mistake.

Without proper training and expertise, these soldiers could not manage the complex demands of a siege.

He knew that If his army was to succeed in future campaigns, he needed to focus not only on numbers but on bringing in men with the right skills and knowledge to lead, plan, and build effectively, hence his kind and generous attitude towards the arrogant bald man in front of him, as if he was not in such dire need of such skills, he would have had him whipped weeks ago.

Hence his excitement and expectation over the group of boys that he had nurtured during winter, made possible by the teacher kindly gifted by his friends in the north.