Academy Slave Instructor

42 – Terms of Surrender

Terms of Surrender

Imperial Year 272. Quetranca gateway

I sit on the wall and look down.

The cool wind that tickles your hair maintains a perfectly pleasant balance enough to enjoy the warm sunlight for hours.

The sight of troops lined up over the thick green is truly magnificent.

The black armor, which can be said to be the symbol of the empire, further increased the sense of intimidation of the knights, and the quality of the armor and weapons of ordinary soldiers was so good that if you saw it without knowing it, you would be mistaken for a knight of a country lord.

It might have been embarrassing since they camped in front of the gate for more than a month, but the soldiers maintain their morale and keep their ranks tightly.

Seeing the majestic spirit of the knights and elite soldiers full of morale filling the plains, nothing but exclamation comes out.

“Damn it, that’s f*cked up.”

“I’m talking about it, but if you’re a commander, please don’t say anything that will damage your morale.”

I turn my head to see Joshua.

Although she is scolding her, her face is smiling happily.

“It was a compliment to a good army.”

“Please do not let the commander praise the enemy’s army.”

Joshua approaches with a wry smile and looks down at the walls.

“Wow…… It’s grown again… That’s f*cking f*cking.”

“Look, that’s f*cking sh*t.”

The imperial army has been lined up for a month without a single battle after arriving, just staring at the wall. We are the one guarding the gate, but we do not move as if the other side is guarding it.

The attacking side is showing a passive attitude, but the soldiers’ morale is not dropping. Are those guys going to be golems?

“Seeing how quiet it is… I guess the captain was right.”

“Yes, they are decoys. It would hurt my pride to say that Edelian, the great general of the empire, is acting as decoy.”

“Is it time to laugh? It’s not just us screwed, the kingdom screwed.”

“Damn it, I told you that I wasn’t going, but you didn’t listen and it’s disgusting.”

Nothing has been confirmed, but the empire called me out with Adelian as bait.

On the border between my despicable and unreasonable kingdom, the Kingdom of Kaylan and the Empire, the only way for troops to easily pass is the Ketranka Gate.

The rest has to come back through the mountains or through the swamps, both of which are too costly and difficult to penetrate for large armies.

But you chose that path? And in my lovely trash kingdom, there seems to be no talented person who can win even with the heavenly terrain to block the demon army.

Because the war continued and everyone disappeared into the dark side of history.

Izek, Tolman… The faces of comrades who walked together on the battlefield flashed through my mind and I became confused.

The gate to Ketranca, which was built with money, can be blocked to some extent no matter who comes, so I said I would move after seeing the situation in District 2.

The war had already been lost by the time I came here because of the whining of the damn king and the central aristocrats.

“Huh? Come to think of it, does this mean that the Empire is afraid of me? They didn’t go through the filthy dung swamp just to avoid me.”

“You’re handsome. The kingdom looks like it’s going to end, but wouldn’t you be afraid of being bold enough to spare?”

Joshua frowns and shakes his head, but I calmly lean against the wall.

“There’s nothing we can do now. The quality of the soldiers is so different that as soon as I move to the rear, I will not miss the gate and attack the gate. It’s just the difference between ruining it.”

“It’s not something the commander will say, but I can’t refute it because everything is right.”

The commander is the soldiers’ hope and the only one who can protect their lives. If I didn’t come to the gate from the beginning, but once the appointed commander leads his unit and leaves, the morale of the soldiers guarding his gate runs out.

I’m envious of a poor guy who leads a great army. With just a few lieutenants, those soldiers can defend the gate.

It doesn’t get any better if I complain about what I don’t have. War is always decided by how you roll the cards in your hand.

But now you can’t even sit in front of the table and get banned from entering.

It’s a situation that makes me feel helpless, but I don’t have any emotions because I’ve already expected this to happen. All that was left was to calmly accept the situation.

Without doing that, while watching the army of the empire, the adjutants come to me. The thing has finally come.

“Captain, the messenger has arrived!”

“How many?”

“Yes? Uh, uh…”

Perhaps embarrassed by my question, Garwin rolls his eyes and stutters, incongruous with his rugged body.

Then, Melanie, who had followed the other officers, answered instead.

“This is the 8th messenger. It is the content of the cry for help as the Imperial army has reached the tip of the capital.”

“That’s a great number.”

I let out a small sigh and turn my head back to the Empire.

This is the 8th messenger sent, but the first one received from the gateway. Already surrounded from front to back.

The imperial army encamped on the road leading to the gateway formed a siege network that could barely be reached by sending messengers 8 times.

I can’t imagine how many imperial troops entered the kingdom to be able to spread such a siege. The soldiers in front of the gate are also full, but it’s funny that a huge country like an empire is fighting an all-out war with a kingdom like this.

No, it’s even funnier that you can push into the capital by way other than the gateway in just one month. No matter how much the armed forces went out, they were so helpless? Who the hell defended it, at least opened the door to welcome you?

“Should I have violated the king’s order and stayed?”

“Then they would have imprisoned me for treason. Well, the Empire would have liked it better.”

Joshua calmly responds to the bitter self-talk.

As we were talking as if it were someone else’s business, the imperial side blew a loud horn. It is a regular event that started a few days ago.

“Oh, again. Aren’t you tired of those bastards?”

“Edelian seems to be having fun too.”

Listening to Joshua’s ridicule, I look down at the bottom of the castle wall.

No matter how much ceremonial training they have received, numerous soldiers move in unison, creating a straight path from the main base to the gateway.

A man with a shaggy face walks through the space where the carriage will pass to the gate.

We’re approaching a perfect spot to be sniped, but the man doesn’t show any signs of fearing our attack.

“Elliott Trayer! Stop your useless resistance and open the gates! Can’t you see the soldiers of the great empire? If you give an order right away, your head will be hanged over the wall before the day is over! Edelian Shane Aidelia No matter how generous you are, there is a limit to your patience!! Can’t you open the door right away?!”

I want to laugh at a man full of arrogance, but I can’t.

Why? Because that idiot is the 2nd prince of the Kaylan Kingdom, he is the least b*tch when he refutes it.

“How on earth can the most important person be caught on the other side of the border?”

“You shouldn’t try to understand incompetence.”

“No, I don’t understand. What can I do to make a human who should be stuck in the capital become a prisoner?”

Even though he is stingy with everything in the world, it is an absurd situation to appear as a prisoner on the other side of the border when there is no way that a warm-hearted king would have sent his child to the battlefield.

It’s absurd even up to that point, but the captive is inviting surrender to live. He is also a member of the royal family.

“I always cursed at a country with no answers, but there were more floors under the floor. It’s beyond imagination.”

“Commanders should always imagine the worst case scenario. That’s not enough yet.”

“Thank you for letting me know about my shortcomings. You are the best lieutenant of all.”

It’s sarcastic, but Joshua smiled and said, “I don’t want to say anything.”

“Elliot!! How dare you disregard my words?! You are vulgar, befitting a filthy blood of Baron Trayer! If you have even a little noble nobility, come forward proudly and kneel before me!! “

Since the opponent is not being treated, the 2nd prince gets angry and shouts.

Do you understand the position of a prisoner of war to kneel before him? Is he even mistaken that he is leading the imperial army?

“I’m a bit pissed off.”

“Then kill me.”

“Huh?”

Melanie, who was watching quietly, raised a spear and took a javelin stance. The eyes full of murder are sincerity that is not a joke at all.

“Hey, stop it, stop it!! If you kill that thing, it will really fight until one side loses!”

At my words, the other lieutenants jump on Melanie and cling to her body.

“Let go! f*ck! I’m going to kill that bastard!”

I wonder where the strength comes from that slender body, and I approach the wall, dragging the sticks of rice cakes hanging from my limbs.

Still, I can’t throw a javelin with such an uncomfortable posture, so it must be okay.

It seems absurd to me, but the second prince’s invitation to surrender is working pretty well. The morale of the soldiers is bound to drop when their country’s prince is clamoring to surrender.

Even Melanie is making a fuss with anger, but the general soldiers as well as other adjutants are confused. Except for the first day, Adelian, who has been locked up in the barracks and doesn’t show his face, must be smiling by now.

“What are you going to do? If you don’t accept the surrender, the unworthy second prince will be executed, so even if the kingdom wins, the captain will take responsibility and be executed.”

“It’s not my fault, so why am I responsible?”

“Isn’t Calen Kingdom the sum of irrationality and absurdity? You’ve been through a lot so far.”

Ah- my poor motherland. I mean, I worked really hard here. Stupidly

“Let go! It was 93 wins in a row!! 100 Wins isn’t far away!! Because of that crap!!”

“Stop calming down, Melanie. And it’s a pity, but since you’re an adjutant, the record of victories only remains as my major.”

After I corrected the mistake, Melanie, who had gone mad surrounded by raucous men, stopped her movements and looked at me.

“So… That makes me even more angry.”

Beautiful but easy-to-fight blond hair, and even brighter golden eyes look at me with sad eyes.

At Melanie’s words, the cluttered surroundings become quiet and the atmosphere becomes solemn. Only the unaware Joshua grins and stabs my side with her elbow.

I don’t like this atmosphere, but thanks to Melanie, I realize what I need to do.

Until now, I was loyal to this unanswered kingdom, abandoned my territory, and had only been on the battlefield for ten years. It was because there were people who followed me that I was able to endure.

It doesn’t matter what kind of kingdom it is. Those who have followed so far must be safe.

“Call all the lieutenants in the other districts, and also call the scribe.”

“…… I understand.”

When I was told to call the scribe, Joshua, who knew what I was going to do, gave orders to the other lieutenants with a calm face as if he had never done that, and gathered everyone together.

As I was still looking around the impressive formations of the imperial army, I met the eyes of the 2 princes who were still chattering.

There must have been a lot of things piled up on me until now, as if it were the imperial army, it turned into angry eyes and made a louder noise.

I smiled silently and cut his throat with my thumb.

The 2nd prince, who was excitedly talking about the gesture of killing him, stutters his words with a contemplative face. There are still primary criticisms that have nothing to do with surrender, but the servile voice that is not confident like before is funny.

Why are you messing around with your tail at the slightest push?

I’d like to put an arrow through his forehead, but even though he’s a prisoner, he’s an envoy who encourages surrender, so the Imperial Army, who emphasizes the beliefs of soldiers, can’t tolerate it.

All the main characters guarding the gateway gathered while making fun of the 2nd prince. The scribe stands next to me and prepares to take notes.

“As you may have noticed, we surrender. The Imperial army has already passed through that dung swamp and entered the interior, so the kingdom will be destroyed in about a month. There is no answer to guarding the gate. But we cannot give up the gate. You don’t want to meet the military either.”

There is no home ground advantage as the Imperials are already entrenched behind the gates. It is a battlefield where you can be sure of a hundred defeats. The adjutants who have been through many battlefields together understand the situation and look down silently.

“I’m going to surrender… But it’s a Kerlanca gateway that’s famous for its iron walls, so it’s a waste to just give it away. So I’m going to attach some requirements.”

“Does the surrendering side attach conditions?”

“What can I do, whether the kingdom perishes or not, if we do crazy things to defend the gate until the end, the empire will lose money. It needs time to occupy and stabilize it, but if the gate is blocked, additional reinforcements will have to be sent to the sh*thole, so the empire is f*cking sh*t. You’ll lose money. You have to pay the toll to go through the gate.”

“I did everything with the captain, but I didn’t know you could do bandits.”

A lieutenant makes a joke. Fortunately, they said they surrendered, but fortunately it wasn’t a very uncomfortable atmosphere.

“Everyone tell me what you want. There will be few scribes.”

“……”

At my word, the adjutants are quiet. As I watched in the chilly atmosphere, one of my adjutants asked me.

“Do we want…?”

“Yes, everyone say it one by one. It shouldn’t be too big since there are a lot of people. Oh, I already put the condition that you will not be captured as prisoners of war. Of course, you will be imprisoned during the war, but after the war you will be free. Hey.”

“Is that… Acceptable?”

“What if we don’t accept it? The longer we guard the gate, the more astronomical the loss is to the other side. Isn’t it super fun to say that we’re surrounded? I can see your expression.”

Some of the adjutants giggle.

“That’s good, you dare to eat the gate guarded by the captain for free. Let’s raise the toll tax once more.”

“Edelian’s poop-chewed expression has already been shown a lot by the captain, so it’s not worth it, but I’ll take what I can.”

The scribe, who can’t keep up with the atmosphere, writes a letter of surrender in embarrassment.

I see Melanie with a confused expression, as if she hasn’t given up on her dream of winning 100 consecutive wins.

“Stop giving up and tell me what you want.”

“…… The neck of the 2 princes?”

“Of course not. Don’t be silly. And it’s not his fault for this defeat.”

“… Then I’m confident I won’t kill you even with a small knife in the side… No, even with a punch to the face…”

“You’re very tenacious, too.”

Weird and persistent Melanie was cut off and other requirements were reduced.

After a long time, when all the requirements were written down, a scroll that was too long to be called a letter of surrender was completed.

If you loosen it all at once, it might roll around and reach Edelian.

“I don’t know who’s surrendering.”

“My war goal is to make the opponent angry as much as possible.”

“Not a goal to brag about.”

“Why? 92 Consecutive wins with this? 93 Consecutive wins, isn’t it something to be proud of? Then, come on.”

I rolled up the scroll and placed it in Joshua’s hand. At the action of asking for his letter to be delivered, he looks up at the letter in his hand in silence.

“I’m a high-level person to run errands. And I haven’t written down the requirements yet.”

“There is no one close to Edelian.”

“Are you doing this on purpose? Last time I fed Edelian’s back with a knee kick, so if I go there, only my head will come back.”

“At least you’re the closest person. And you shouldn’t ask for it. The empire will give you a lot, so what more do you want? If you’re too greedy, pretend.”

“… Did you know?”

The corner of Joshua’s mouth, who was laughing single-singly, falls down.

I forget because he is always smiling, but when he erases his smile, he has a sharp impression and looks like a completely different person.

“Roughly.”

“… I’ve seen him from the sidelines for a while, but he’s a more terrifying person than that. Kkeuh… I see. I’m thankful for many things, but the most important thing is that he saved my life.”

“I’ve used it a lot too, so there’s nothing to be thankful for, but if you’re thankful, talk to Edelian.”

“I will do my best.”

Joshua, who was a spy for the Empire, bows politely and leaves without looking back.

Melanie, who has been watching us in the midst of chatter and chaos, hears Joshua’s true identity and she looks at me blankly.

I had nothing to say, so I shrugged my shoulders with a wry smile and called my adjutants.

“Pay attention, everyone. We took a bit of power, but we surrendered. The kingdom was destroyed… It hasn’t been destroyed yet. It’s respect for the Empire and Edelian for accepting the force. If you can’t keep it, I’ll open the back door, so get out of the gate right now. Did everyone understand?”

“Yes, I understand!”

I let out a small sigh as I looked at each of the adjutants who responded loudly.

“Thank you everyone so far. Live well.”

Imperial Year 272.

The Kingdom of Kaylan could not overcome the Empire’s attack and disappeared from history.

The strategy of Emperor Julius II, who tied Elliott Trayer, who is called the kingdom’s hero and the devil of the world, to the gates of Quetranca and completely excluded from the war, is talked about by luxury talkers. Also, as an aside, Elliott Trayer’s bold and endlessly long surrender letter is said to be a collectible that collectors seek at all costs.

– The brilliant history of the empire. Author Gade Powell