Chapter 85:
Chapter 85:
Chapter 85
Two days later.
How long are we supposed to hold out like this?
Damn it, were all going to starve to death!
Mom when are we going back to our house?
The Kongurat tribesmens frustration exploded.
After nearly two weeks of being stuck in the mountains with nothing to eat, their patience was wearing thin.
Shit, what if you were a Kongurat, what if youre a Kerrates, its better than starving to death in these mountains eating nothing but tree bark!
You just have to hold on!
One by one, impatient tribesmen began to turn away from the tribe and make their way down the mountain.
Chief, the tribesmen are breaking away, not many yet, but soon even I will be among them, marching down the mountain to surrender to the Kerrates!
I see.
Chief, if this continues, even the warriors might start to surrender, we cant let that happen!
To stray from your tribe in the Haver Prairie is to risk ones life.
The Tribe will not tolerate anyone who tries to leave it.
They are hunted down and killed.
If there are any family members left behind, they are skinned alive and thrown to the wolves as a terrible punishment.
Thats the law of the prairie.
But.
Let them go.
Amukhan seemed unwilling to stop the departing tribesmen.
What? No, Chief, the tribesmen are.
It doesnt matter. We dont need to stop them from leaving, and we dont need to chase them down and kill them.
What is wrong with you, have you forgotten the laws of the prairie?
We will win anyway.
!!!
Reinforcements are on the way. It wont be long. They will come and defeat the Kerrates. Then, supremacy of the prairies will be ours. So dont bother with those who leave. Eventually, they will have no choice but to return to us.
I-is that true?
I am a warrior before I am a chieftain. Why would I, a warrior, turn my back on my enemies and crawl into the mountains to hide? If I didnt have faith, I would have died fighting. Isnt that the pride of a warrior?
Chieftain
If you trust me, gather your strength, for you will soon be fighting. It would be a pity if you were too exhausted to fight.
Amukhan hadnt eaten much in the past few days, and he was thin and pale, but his eyes were still alert.
It was his unwavering faith in Otto that had kept him calm in the worst of times.
* * *
Kahahahaha!
Togril laughed out loud as the Kongurat tribesmen began to surrender one by one.
Theyre starting to give up. Amukhan, you son of a bitch. Ill see how long you stay in the mountains without coming out. Hmph!
As far as Togril was concerned, Amukhan had two options.
He can hold on and starve to death in the mountains.
Or he can descend the mountain on his own feet and die in a last stand.
I never thought Id be able to claim supremacy of the Haver Prairie so easily and without shedding a drop of blood.
Thanks to the Kongurat tribe making themselves into a rat in a barrel, Togril ended up winning the war without having to fight a single major battle, so it was even weirder if he was in a bad mood.
But there was one person who threw cold water on Togrils good spirits, and that person was.
But its a little strange.
A general opened his mouth cautiously.
What do you mean strange?
Amukhan is a warrior among warriors, and it is incomprehensible that he would lead his people on the run. Hed rather die fighting, than show his back.
So?
Furthermore, a problem arose with reconnaissance activities. Sentries and scouts continue to disappear or be found dead. Its clear that the enemy contingent is desperately trying to keep our troops from having eyes and ears. Maybe our troops are walking into a trap.
You fucking wretch.
Togril jumped to his feet, drew his sword, and slashed at the generals throat.
*Spurrrt!*
Blood gushes like a fountain.
*Thud!*
The generals head rolled on the tent floor.
I made it clear that we should not be swayed by the movements of the enemy.
Togril spat out bitterly.
Its bad enough that were on the verge of the Great Victory, and youre cowed by such an obvious ploy? This is the man who is supposed to be the general in charge of our warriors, and hes sitting on the top position! Listen up, everyone! The work is already done! If we waver here, well only be giving them a way out! Do you understand?
Yes, Chief!
The leading figures of the Kerrates tribe in the tents shouted back, terrified as if they were having a convulsion.
For if they spoke against Togril, the strongest and most ferocious man in the Khabar Steppes, they would have their throats slashed like the dead general.
Cause of that stupid bastards bullshit, Im getting a bad taste in my mouth. Tsk!
Togril spat on the ground and left the tent.
And that dawn.
The generals words had come true.
Chief! Chiiieeeeef!
Whats going on?
Togril, who had been sleeping soundly, woke up, offended by the commotion.
How dare you disturb my sleep?
Were in trouble! Theres a massive invasion of the Magritte Kingdom!
What, the Magritte Kingdom Army?
Togril narrowed his eyes as if he didnt know what the hell that meant.
The Magritte Kingdom troops couldnt have broken through Helmuts defenses, didnt they say they were forced back with heavy losses?
Well, I dont know about that, but there are tens of thousands of Magritte Kingdom troops approaching!
No.
Togril looked confused, not quite understanding.
Are you saying that the Magritte Kingdom army is approaching here on some kind of business, or that the Continentals are coming to the aid of the Kongurat?
Thats something Im not sure about.
And what are our Scouts and Sentinels doing while there are literally thousands of them closing in on us.
In that moment.
Oh no.
Togrils mind flashed back to the words of the general whose head he had beheaded a few hours earlier.
Its not just Magrittes army, they say Helmuts army is in the mix too!
What, Helmuts army?
Then.
Aaaahhhh!
Kill them all!
An uproar erupted outside the tent.
Chief, the reinforcements Helmut sent us have mutinied!
What?
Its a mess! With Helmuts reinforcements and our warriors mixed up in the fight, its hard to prepare for the approaching Magritte Kingdom forces!
You mean Helmut and Amukhan have been working together and manipulating me from the beginning?
Even though things had gotten to this point, Togril couldnt quite grasp the situation.
How everything started to go wrong.
Or what the hell was going on.
But one thing he knew for sure was that he had been set up, so he picked up his spear and left the tent.
* * *
The armies of the Magritte Kingdom marched straight into the Kerrates camp, and a fierce battle ensued.
Kairos, Camille, and the magic swordsmen rested as they watched the battle unfold in the distance.
They were too exhausted from hunting down the Kerrates scouts and sentries to join the battle.
Heheheh! Its Pansy, sending the Magritte Kingdom army instead of the Lota Kingdom army.
I wonder what hes been up to.
Kairos and Camille didnt know exactly what had happened, but they realized that Otto had used some dirty trick to turn the Magritte Army into his puppets.
There was no reason for the Magritte Army to have come this far otherwise.
My troops! Crush them all!
Even Helmut had shown up with his own army, so clearly Ottos plan had worked.
At last!
Meanwhile, Amukhan saw the battle raging below the mountain and realized it was time.
Look, Kongurat tribe! Reinforcements have arrived! Your time of suffering is over! It is time to strike back at the Kerrates!
The Kongurat tribesmen and warriors were stunned as Amukhans words became reality.
They had assumed they would starve to death in the mountains, but they hadnt expected help to arrive.
Warriors!
Amukhan called out to the warriors of the Kongurat tribe as if he had been anticipating them all along.
The time has come! This is our chance to crush the Kerrates! I know you are all exhausted! But we cant let this opportunity pass us by! So those of you who have any strength left to fight, join me down the mountain and strike them down right now! We, the Kongurat Tribe, cant afford to be left out of the battle!
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
Then the warriors of the Kongurat tribe let out a mighty shout, grabbed their weapons, and followed Amukhan.
The warriors of the Kongurat tribe hardly look like the men who, just a short time ago, were too weak to lift a finger from hunger.
They were born warriors, and the mere mention of the word battle sent a rush of adrenaline through their veins, overcoming their hunger.
When the Kongurat tribe was added to the mix, the composition of the battle was bizarre.
Magrittes army, Helmuts army, and the Kongurat tribe.
Its a very awkward scene, with forces that have been killing each other united to fight the Kerrates.
Die, you bastard, die
A stunned looking Magritte soldier.
You almost made me jump out of my boot, you bastard!
A soldier of Helmuts realm pats his shocked chest.
You idiots, dont be distracted!
Even the warriors of the Kongurat tribe yelling at the Magritte Kingdom army and Helmuts soldiers.
Its no wonder theres so much dissonance between the factions, who havent practiced together, and whose uniforms arent identical, and who arent particularly on good terms.
They couldnt distinguish between enemies and allies, leading to team kills.
Another problem was that all three factions were exhausted, so their combat power was significantly lower than usual.
The Kongurat tribe was starving.
Helmuts army had yet to recover from the aftermath of the previous battle.
The armies of the Magritte Kingdom, who were not only suffering from the aftermath of the battle, but also from the strain of marching back and forth between the capital and the Haver Prairie.
None of the three factions were in any condition to fight in the first place.
Because of this, the Kerrates, despite being outnumbered, were never pushed back.
Dont be afraid! Theyre just a bunch of lousy misfits!
Kill them all!
You weaklings! Hahahahahaha!
Despite being caught by surprise in the middle of their encirclement, and not being able to utilize their cavalry at all, the Kerrates managed to overwhelm the allied forces.
The power of a well-fed, well-rested, and well-coordinated army can overcome any numerical disadvantage.
Moreover, the Kerrates had something the Alliance did not: absolute control of the battlefield.
The presence of an absolute force that dominated the battlefield.
Come on, you scum! Ill wipe you all out!
Togril.
He was the chieftain of the Kerrates, the most powerful tribe in the Khabar Steppes, and the most powerful man in the field.
And unfortunately, there was not a single person in the current coalition who had the strength to stop him.
Kairos, Camille, Amukhan, and Helmut were all exhausted and incapacitated, leaving no one to stop Togril from dominating the battle and slaughtering them.