Chapter 26: Quenching Thirst by Imagining Plums

But it was no longer up to Dragumo to decide. Lord Komer clearly was determined to seize Livonia, that land of great significance to the entire Nicosia. It was said that this land had been promised to Lord Komer by Princess Kakiya. Dragumo had even paraded around in this area several times, showing off his power. For some reason, after Lord Komer withdrew from Livonia, he never sent troops back there again. Yet now he was rushing to enter it as if in a hurry. Could it be that Princess Kakiya and Lord Komer had an affair, so that Lord Komer hesitated to take action while Princess Kakiya controlled Katin?
Now, with Lord Komer loudly declaring his intention to fight to the death against the guys from the Northern Alliance, was it also because he owed someone a debt and had to repay it?
Although Dragumo’s sleazy and dirty thoughts might not be accurate, they luckily hit on a reality: Lord Komer indeed had an affair with Kakiya. As for talking about repaying debts, that was completely off-topic. Lord Komer wasn’t the kind of man who would return territory just because he owed someone. In his mind, if he wanted to keep Kakiya as his lover, he had to take control of Katin without hesitation. Only by controlling Kakiya’s fate could he make her obediently lie in bed and do as he wished.
Turning Kakiya into his lover in bed wasn’t anything to be proud of in essence. There were plenty of beautiful women, but being able to bring two female heirs of the Romanov dynasty to bed and make them his possessions was an extremely tempting dream for any man. Achieving this dream could undoubtedly boost a man’s self-esteem and confidence. What is the purpose of life? Isn’t it to enjoy life to the fullest? Just for this reason, Lord Komer felt it was worth it.
Thirty roll-on roll-off cargo ships of varying sizes sailed silently along the Nisi River.
Putting aside the geographical factors of the large Greenland forests on both banks, the Nisi River was undoubtedly a very suitable waterway for navigation. Strong winds blew from the Abyssal Sea, keeping it warm in winter and cool in summer, gradually entering the inland areas along the river mouth. Ships only needed to set full sails to move upstream quickly, just as efficiently as going downstream. Such a conveniently accessible waterway, if not restricted by the primeval forests on both banks, would naturally become another route like the Catalonia River.

Disembarking at the mouth of Lake Nysa, Dragotho had to take a detour of dozens of miles to avoid the habitats of the monsters. Although risking a passage through those habitats could save time, the danger was too great, and Dragotho didn’t dare take the risk. The repeated warnings from Lord Komer before his departure put immense pressure on him.

Dragotho hid quietly in the dense forests surrounding the Zuck Valley. The situation was dire—the enemies had arrived faster than expected, as evidenced by the multiple plumes of smoke rising from the only town in the valley. With just a few dozen households in that town, there was no reason for such smoke plumes to appear; clearly, it was the enemy camped outdoors.

The orcs were unusually quiet, which pleased Dragotho. These were no longer the orcs from when their army was first formed. After several battles and strict discipline, they had adapted to military rules that were vastly different from their usual ways of life. To keep their pay, they first had to abide by the rules—and they had done just that.

The scouts still hadn’t returned, which worried Dragotho. Those human scouts were always so cautious, unwilling to overlook even the slightest suspicion. He only wanted them to determine the enemy’s exact location. Time was key to victory. No matter how many enemies there were, if they could catch them off guard, Dragotho believed his men could overwhelm them in one swift strike.

A few bird calls came from afar, and the already alert half-elf archers breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, the figures of several scouts appeared beside the trees at the edge of the cliff. Their agile figures made Dragotho envious—these humans’ nimbleness made them far more suitable for scouting than the burly orcs, just as half-elves were better suited for archery.

“How is it?”
“Lord Dragotho, we’ve basically figured things out. These guys just arrived, about two hours before us. Most of them have just started setting up camp to rest.”
“What about those smoke plumes?”
“They’re lighting fires to prepare hot water and soup. It seems they’re quite tired too.”
“How many are there?”
“There’s probably only a thousand in the valley, but it seems another two thousand have already arrived in Livonia.”

Dragoemo’s heart sank. The Northern Alliance troops had already entered Livonia? How could he complete his mission then? Eliminating those Northern Alliance troops in the Zuk Valley wasn’t difficult; the real issue was how to take Livonia itself. Two thousand Northern Alliance soldiers were neither too many nor too few. If they were prepared and engaged in a protracted battle with reinforcements arriving later, his three thousand men would be doomed.

“What’s the composition of those thousand men in the valley?” Dragoemo tried to calm himself. After all, he was an experienced veteran of many battles. How could he fight in such a state of agitation? He despised himself for getting scared at the slightest sign of trouble—how could he even think about fighting tough battles?

“Well, we’ve spotted dozens of warhorses, likely belonging to the Northern Alliance cavalry. Their main force seems to be infantry.” It seemed the scouts had done an excellent job.

Dragoemo remained silent in thought, but the half-elf archer leader beside him spoke up, “Lord Dragoemo, could we use these cavalry to our advantage?”

“Hmm, how?” Dragoemo’s mind lit up. It seemed someone else had thought of the same thing. Livonia had to be taken, but the challenge was how to do so and hold it. There were only a few castles near Livonia’s capital that couldn’t really be called fortresses. It seemed the Northern Alliance hadn’t anticipated an attack from the Nise River. Judging from the performance of those troops in the Zuk Valley, they were completely unprepared, thinking that advancing this far meant victory.

“If we capture all those men in the valley, especially wiping out the cavalry, and then launch a rapid attack on Livonia to catch them off guard, I think we have a chance. But holding Livonia once we take it will be difficult—the Northern Alliance troops will soon overwhelm us.”

The half-elf leader was a handsome man in his thirties. These mixed-race people always managed to inherit the best traits from both their paternal and maternal lines. Just their appearance and physique set them apart from other races.

Dragumo was also considering this issue. It was sixty kilometers from the Zek Valley to Livonia, and with his army’s marching speed, they could reach there in four hours. If they dealt with those guys in the valley now and then prepared to march swiftly into Livonia, it would be deep at night—perfect for a surprise attack. His men had rested on the ships for two or three days and should be back to full strength, ready to fight again.

“Are your archers in order?”

“Absolutely. We’re just waiting for Lord Dragumo’s command.”

“Good. Then stay put for a while. Some of you must seal off the valley entrance tightly—not a single mosquito should be able to get through,” Dragumo said through gritted teeth.

Glancing at his officers, who were all staring at him eagerly, Dragumo felt his confidence surge. With so many passionate men at his side, what was there to fear? Was he really becoming more timid as he aged? Back when he rebelled in Leon, he hadn’t been so cautious; he’d thought capture meant certain death—could a head really be cut off twice? Yet now he had become so hesitant. At the thought of it, even Dragumo felt his face burn.

“Well, we can’t afford to worry too much now. Lord Komer ordered us to defend Livonia and didn’t expect those bastards from the Northern Alliance to return so quickly. But since we’re here, we must press on—not only that, but we must do it brilliantly. We must take Livonia and hold it. Those fools from the Northern Alliance think they can just waltz in and be safe. Let’s show them that trespassing in someone else’s garden comes with consequences. Our lord is waiting for news of our victory; he’s prepared generous rewards for us. Half of Livonia’s treasury will belong to us. We’re about to make history!”

Dragumo tried hard to imagine how Komer would inspire his soldiers in such a situation, but to his disappointment, he realized he could never match him. Other than gold shields, he couldn’t think of anything else that could inspire these men, who were staring at him with eager eyes.

But this is fine too—simple and affordable, far better than those vague promises. Let Livonia’s treasury be the greatest goal of our army. As long as we can take Livonia, I believe Lord Komer won’t hesitate to hand over that treasury. As for the fact that this so-called treasury doesn’t exist, that’s not something we need to worry about right now. Just focus on surviving first.