Chapter 144

Chapter 144

***

Valensha had fertile lands spreading widely and was one of the representative port cities of Sinatria.

With active trade and high food production it was worthy of being made the capital of a country, but it had one fatal flaw, which was exactly that it was not an advantageous terrain for defending.

"......Since a very long time ago, Valensha has a history of being occupied by various forces. Attaching themselves here and there is a long-standing tradition of this place. That is why everyone calls this place the 'Land of Treason'. You must absolutely not trust the Amir, Señor El Cid."

A knight belonging to the army attached by King Santonio said to Rickart.

Rickart stationed the army outside the city, and was continuously looking around the port riding the red horse. There were exceptionally many cats in the port, and they didn't run away even when seeing people.

One yellow cat in particular was even asking for a nap, sprawled out under the warm sunlight.

Rickart answered while looking at that cat.

"I will keep that in mind."

The people in the port didn't seem to have much interest in whether Rickart brought an army or whatever.

Loading or unloading cargo onto ships, checking items against ledgers, and floating ships out or coming in. That was all.

The sea breeze was as cool as its bluish color. Scolding seagulls were annoying but they weren't a threat.

"The Amir has sent someone."

While Rickart was looking at the sea, Raimund approached and conveyed the words. Since he was now the commander of the army, they couldn't speak directly to Rickart without going through an intermediary. Even though they weren't far away.

Turning his head right away, the person the Amir said he sent was surrounded by the knights of the Flame Knights.

They weren't particularly threatening him or anything, but merely being looked at closely by the knights seemed to be a huge threat to him, as he was cowering as much as possible.

Rickart didn't even tell him to come, and looked down from his horse and asked.

"Where should I go to see the Amir?"

"Pardon? Ah, I will guide you."

"No. I asked where I should go."

Rickart had come as an occupying force through and through, not as a guest. Though courtesies should be shown to someone who surrendered, a line still had to be drawn clearly.

In short, it wasn't that he would go because the Amir told him to come or go, but that he would go if he wanted to go.

The person who came as a messenger quickly understood the meaning of those words.

"......If you go towards the West Gate, there is an orchard not far away. The Amir is there."

"I understand. You may go."

As soon as Rickart's words fell, one of the knights roughly grabbed him by the nape of his neck, dragged him out, and pushed him away.

Although somewhat violent, they could clearly convey that we were not people who came to enjoy a vacation.

The Amir's messenger left the spot miserably like some dog caught in the rain.

Watching his departing figure, Raimund said to Rickart.

"Still, since he is a surrendered person, wouldn't it be better to soothe him a little?"

"No. If treated strictly, they will rather be satisfied."

"Why so?"

"There must be a reason for surrendering out of the blue, but if I just smile foolishly and share pleasantries, he will think I am weak."

"Do you know the reason he surrendered?"

"It is obvious. People who attach themselves here and there ultimately stimulate the patience of kings. No matter if it's a goose that lays golden eggs, a beast cannot play around with humans. Rather than handing the goose over to a neighbor, it might be better to kill it and eat it."

To put it in words, it meant they brought in King Santonio's army to block an enemy. But that enemy was none other than the lord they served until previously, a Sultan named Yusuf.

"......Did he hand over the entire city to hire mercenaries."

"No. If he had rather hired mercenaries it would have cost an enormous amount of money, but did it cost money now? He brought in the King's army without spending a single penny."

Raimund had been active here for a long time continuously, but being affiliated with the closed-off Flame Knights, he didn't well understand their nature, or the running board itself.

Actually, surrendering even while converting was a bit special. They hadn't gone so far as to convert until now, but to draw in the suspicious King Santonio, the Amir of Valensha had also made a strong move in his own way.

Anyway, Rickart slowly looked around the port, and only after the sun in the sky moved a bit did he go towards the West Gate of the city.

He saw it when coming too, but the farmlands near the city truly stretched out endlessly. It was all wheat fields, wider than an average Empire's territory.

When the wind blew, the still unripened green wheat truly rolled like waves.

Passing the farmlands and reaching a low hill, a low stone wall entirely surrounded the hill, and beyond it trees were planted in rows. However, the orange-colored fruits hanging on the trees were unfamiliar.

Rickart dismounted his horse and entered the Amir's privately owned orchard. His close aide knights guarded the surroundings of the hill from horseback.

As he walked among the trees of the orchard, a refreshing scent he smelled for the first time in his life fascinated Rickart in an instant.

Piercing through all the comfortable scents of dirt and wood, leaves, and flowers, the refreshing scent of the fruits popped out and stole Rickart's attention. Rickart couldn't help but automatically stop his steps and stare at the trees.

A thought suddenly occurred, wondering if this is what it would be like if sunlight turned into a scent. The scent of the unfamiliar fruit was like sunlight.

"It is an orange. Different from a lemon."

Someone said. Turning his head to look, it seemed to be the Amir of Valensha; instead of fine clothes, he was dressed in shabby work clothes with his sleeves rolled up. Judging solely by his appearance, he was closer to the Franken side rather than a Salaman person.

He reached out his arm and plopped an orange fruit off, then using a dagger he made a slit and peeled the thick skin. And splitting the flesh in half, he handed one to Rickart.

Rickart sniffed the smell once, observed it this way and that, then popped it into his mouth. As the fruit juice burst out, a perfectly harmonized sweetness and sourness was intensely felt. It was to a shocking extent.

"It is something I improved and grew myself. Even the Salaman people failed to cultivate it, but I succeeded. Don't you think it was worth doing?"

"Although it is a heavenly scent and taste, even this will become tiresome. Since humans are such animals."

"Then how about conveying it to someone tasting it for the first time like you, instead of a tired person? For example, a loved one or."

People occasionally, when experiencing something good or eating something delicious, would think of their parents, their lovers, or their children.

The taste of the fruit called orange was intense and sweet, an innocent experience. To the point one would definitely want a loved one, a precious person to experience it at least once.

Only, it felt like too leisurely a hobby to survive in this rough world.

"Your words are correct. Amir of Valensha. However, one cannot always live soaked in sentimentality."

"That is true...... I am Ahmad. You are probably, El Cid right?"

Rickart nodded his head.

"Have you heard the term Land of Treason?"

This time too Rickart nodded his head. People often referred to Valensha as the Land of Treason.

"To honorable people we might not be understandable, but looking differently it is also merely one of the ways to survive. A hero who commands like thunder, an Emperor who placed the whole world under his feet, a dynasty boasting powerful authority are all bound to fade away in the face of time eventually. In the end, this orange might be the one to remain the longest, is what I mean. And conveying this happy taste to people, perhaps even commoners rather than nobles later on."

It could be known what Amir Ahmad was saying meant, it was understood, and it was accepted. But it was far from what Rickart pursued.

Such thoughts could be sufficiently read from Rickart's expressionless face. Like, I understand it all, and I'll respect it, but a feeling of not being very interested.

So Amir Ahmad put the remaining half orange in his hand into his own mouth, chewed it crunchingly, and said.

"They say 20,000 men. According to what I heard. Although I tried making this and that unconventional proposal, the Sultan seems to have already firmed his resolve. He will arrive before the wheat ripens this year and sweep everything away. It is unknown how many people he will kill and plunder. I could run away. But still I guard my seat. Because I love this city. That is the only thing I pledge my loyalty to."

20,000 men. If it was 20,000 men purely of combat personnel excluding supply troops, it was a truly tremendous number. It was a troop strength capable of even having a bout with the Empire.

The Sultan's strong will could be felt from that number. That he would rather just destroy it instead of giving it away to someone else.

Then one could think, why not just stay still instead of attaching to King Santonio, but it was unknown how many complex matters and events had occurred under the surface during that time.

However, even though Rickart clearly heard that tremendous number, he had not the slightest agitation. Amir Ahmad was quietly staring at such Rickart, meticulously observing him in his own way. Whether he was pretending to be so, or if he was a person truly of that caliber.

Rickart's troop strength, combining the forces of the Flame Knights and King Santonio's army, was a little over 6,000. It was a difference of more than 3 times compared to Sultan Yusuf.

"The distance?"

Rickart asked exactly only this.

"They would be setting up camp around now. Going alone on horseback would take about two days, leading an army would take about three or four days."

It was closer than expected. A tremendous troop strength was in a state right under their noses.

Whether he considered it someone else's business, or wasn't afraid, Rickart had no changes in expression. Merely looking around the orchard continuously, he spoke like this.

"Pick all these fruits and give them to the soldiers. If divided in half or so, everyone without exception will be able to eat them."

Then Amir Ahmad of Valensha quietly gazed at Rickart for a moment. He thought he would make an unreasonable demand, but it was because he made a far more romantic demand than expected.

"......Is that all? What about war funds?"

"Weekly wages and a reward for victory. Keep it ready."

"Do you not need anything else separately?"

"Well...... Once a year, send a person to bring these fruits to Adelorn."

Ahmad found it strange no matter how much he thought about it. Because Rickart didn't demand things like offering beautiful women or offering treasures of the Ancient Empire.

Military commanders were usually arrogant and self-centered, but Rickart wasn't so.

"I will be going."

As if his business was finished, Rickart turned around and exited the orchard. Before leaving, he picked a whole basket of oranges and took them. Because he himself needed to eat some too.

Exiting the orchard, he told Raimund and the people what conversation he had with the Amir, and a knight asked.

"Letting alone being outnumbered, can we trust him? What if we go out to fight and the Amir strikes our back? What if he locks the castle gates when we retreat?"

"If we think of all those things one by one, we cannot fight a battle. He will inevitably decide who to attach to while observing the victory or defeat anyway. So we only need to think about winning."

Rickart hadn't trusted Ahmad in the first place. Merely confirming that their interests aligned, he just thought that was enough.

"By the way, 20,000......"

"If we fight relying on the terrain, it's sufficiently manageable."

When one knight worried, Raimund spoke confidently.

However, Rickart, just as he did when he was cornered as a bluffer, brought up an extraordinary tale again this time as well.

"No. We will face them in a pitched battle and crush them."

"......"

Everyone collectively decided to trust and follow Rickart, but they were already starting to think this was a bit too much.

Because he himself is so strong, doesn't he have any sense regarding military command? Does he think other people are like him? It was such a worry.

Anyway, the oranges Rickart distributed to the soldiers tasted amazing. Though it was unknown if it was to the extent of having no regrets even if they died during the battle.

It was natural for family and friends to be precious, and to Rickart right now, the most precious people were the soldiers.

Rickart didn't treat the soldiers like livestock or tools to be used, but truly respected and treated them as person to person.

It was because of what he had experienced in his past life. What he had deeply harbored back then, he was also simultaneously resolving his grievances having become a military commander now.

Both then and now, soldiers were sinful people, yet at the same time they were pitiful ones. At least Rickart could understand their hardships.

The meaning contained in the oranges was like that.