Chapter 114: The Tragic Fate After Defeat
The expedition army of the Kingdom of Grey Mane was like the Sword of Damocles hanging above Kant’s head. It would appear anytime, putting him in the most dangerous situation. One wrong step and he would be in the abyss of eternal damnation.
Time was not on Kant’s side because he did not have the initiative and could only passively accept it.
This was undoubtedly the reason that made Kant the most anxious he had ever been.
He had not become the strongest. To the enemy, Kant’s Oasis Lookout and the “Drondheim” that had changed from a village to a fortress, was still weak. Even if he had the power to fight back, it was still not enough to make the enemy worry.
This was contempt, confidence in their own strength, and they were underestimating Kant.
And to Kant, this might be the enemy’s flaw.
He must return to Oasis Lookout as soon as possible and try to be fully prepared.
The experience gained from this attack and the coarse salt that he brought back could all become Kant’s strength in the shortest amount of time, preparing him for the next battle.
After the small battles along the way and the battle at the tribal ruins, the original five Sarrandian Horsemen were already very well prepared and could be upgraded to Kant’s another Class 5 troop at any time. This type of heavy cavalry was as good as the Swadian Knight in the original version which was the king in the desert, the Mamluke!
Kant’s only Class 5 troop was different from the Class 5 Raventern Rangers. As archers, they only had a supporting role in the war.
On the other hand, these heavy cavalry, which was the strongest in the desert, were the true force that could charge into the enemy’s formation. They were invincible and could tear apart the enemy’s troops and destroy them. They were the symbol of true power!
Although there were only five of them, they were like the sharpest blades among the longswords.
This was because they had already become the most crucial and terrifying weapon.
These five Mamlukes led Kant’s current 50 Swadian Heavy Cavalrymen, as well as the 15 Sarrandian Horsemen, 25 elite Desert Bandits, and perhaps the 20 desert bandits who could be recruited every week in the future.
This was like breaking the surface through a single point.
A cavalry of fewer than 100 people was enough to crush an army of more than 1,000 people from the front and directly cut it into halves.
Moreover, with the experience of the others, their power was likely to reach its peak.
Before the expedition army of the Kingdom of Grey Mane arrived, Kant would have this Sarrandian Cavalry clear the desert.
They would intercept and kill small groups of Jackalans.
It would also help them obtain a large amount of experience as soon as possible and finally go to a higher level.
The Sarrandian Horsemen and elite Desert Bandits were both light cavalry. There was no need to worry about the Swadian Heavy Cavalry. Although they were a Class 4 troop, they could not go deep into the desert to fight alone, but as long as they brought enough food and water, they could fight everywhere.
Therefore, what Kant lacked was time.
“What a pity!” He frowned and sighed in his heart. “The power is not in my hands.”
While he was thinking, a Sarrandian horseman quickly came over and reported, “Lord, everything has been collected.”
“Hmm, that was quick.” Kant nodded and praised.
On the salt-alkali land not far away, the peasant used tools to collect the coarse salt that could be taken anywhere. All of it was packed in sacks and carefully tied up. They were placed on the backs of the 10 one-humped camels that came with them. The bulging sacks were filled with coarse salt and were put on the camels steadily. They looked heavy, but to these camels, who were used to carrying things, they were nothing out of the ordinary.
Back then, the Arabic merchants relied on these one-humped camels, known as the Ship of the Desert, to form a large-scale caravan. They crossed the vast desert and harsh desert, selling goods from the east and the west. The profits were quite substantial.
“Inform the surrounding desert bandits.”
Kant opened his mouth and instructed the Sarrandian Horseman beside him, “We are preparing to return.”
“Understood.” The Sarrandian Horseman nodded and immediately rode off.
The elite Desert Bandits had already spread out, forming a five-man team to repeatedly scout the surroundings. They were either holding machetes to chase after and kill the small groups of Jackalans who thought that they were lucky and stayed nearby. While ensuring the caravan’s safety, it also happened to increase their battle merits.
Of course, these battle merits were what Kant understood as a battle experience.
No one would be willing to accept the status quo.
They were all living people with their own ideas.
Becoming a powerful and respected Top-Class troop was their lifelong pursuit. Of course, they were willing to work hard.
Moreover, they all saw their hope.
In this miracle land, under the leadership of Lord Kant, there were already seniors who were about to become the Mamluke.
This was a goal that every Sarrandian soldier was after.
“Harrumph —”
The desert horses beneath them snorted, and the elite Desert Bandits that had dispersed gradually retreated.
However, they weren’t fast.
Because beside them, Jackalans with their heads lowered were walking side by side. Their bodies were covered in tattered animal skin and linen, and the spiked club that was in their hands had disappeared.
It seemed that these low-level Jackalans had been captured. They even let go of their weapons and chose to surrender.
They returned to the salt mine.
Kant looked at the prisoners, there were close to 300 low-level Jackalans. He was also stunned.
Turning his head to look at the elite Desert Bandits, he could not help but shake his head and laugh. He asked, “This really puzzled me. Why did you bring back so many captives when you went out to investigate? And these Jackalans actually obediently surrendered?”
“In fact, Lord, as you can see.”
These elite Desert Bandits shrugged and said helplessly at the same time, “They really surrendered.”
The Sarrandian horsemen were standing guard at the side. Although their spears were broken during the charge, the shiny Elite Scimitars were tightly held in their hands as they were vigilantly watching those dirty and sloppy low-level Jackalan. If there were any unusual movements, they would just barge in and kill them.
Even Kant found it hard to believe, not to mention the others, that these uncivilized, savage low-level Jackalans actually chose to surrender to them.
Just like it was theoretically impossible for Kant and his Oasis Lookout to surrender to the expeditionary army of the Kingdom of Grey Mane and the high-level Jackalans from the Mannheim Coast.
They were not of the same race. They were even hostile races who fought for the hegemony of the desert and survival.
There was not much difference between surrender and death. The final result was still the same…
Death!
It was just a matter of time. If they resisted, they would still have a small chance of surviving.
But once they surrendered, how could Kant let them go?
Kant snorted and stretched out his hand to instruct the elite Desert Bandits, “Since they have chosen to surrender, bring all of them back. The mine owners of the Snowfield iron mines in the Kingdom of Vaegirs were never short of Denar!”
Leniency?
It did not exist for Kant.
Which race and which power would be lenient and let their enemies go when they were on the rise?
It was just like an ancient country that had developed since ancient times, it had almost occupied half of Asia, and its enemies had been reduced to ashes one by one. Could it be that these territories were all given to it as a reward?
What a joke.
Being merciful to his enemies was being cruel to himself.
Kant preferred to eradicate the roots of the problem!
“Yes, My Lord.”
The elite Desert Bandits responded, but their actions were not polite at all.
They pulled out their scabbards that were hanging on their waists and slapped the back of these low-level Jackalan’s heads or cheeks. Those Jackalans, who had lost their morale and wildness, quickly gathered together.
Some people brought hemp ropes to tie up the Jackalans’ hands and feet.
Although they were Jackalans, they looked no different from 300 dogs.
Kant looked at these Jackalans coldly.
He felt extremely complicated. The losers of the battle were so miserable. Only the winners chad the right to be arrogant. If he didn’t want to be like the losers, other than winning the difficult battles, he needed to become stronger.
“Let’s go.” Kant got on the horse, turned around, and left.
“Let’s go.”
The elite Desert Bandits also yelled. They used the scabbard in their hands to hit the faces of the slower Jackalans.
Some used too much strength and the Jackalans were badly mutilated. Even a few of their teeth were knocked out.
But so what.
The Jackalans who had chosen to surrender and become captives didn’t have the slightest bit of courage and savagery that they used to have. Although they were generally more like animals than humans, under the threat of death, they behaved more rationally.
Since they had surrendered, they did not want to die.
The whole team began to turn back.
Their speed was not fast because of the load on the caravan and the Jackalan captives.
They still ate their meals on time, set off at dawn, rested at noon, traveled in the evening, and slept at night. Their schedules were very regular.
There were no longer any Jackalans in the tribal ruins that had been destroyed by Kant.
After losing the well, this place had lost its value of existence.
In the vast desert sea, there might be oases with other water sources, but they were extremely rare. It was extremely difficult for these low-level Jackalans to find them, and even if they found them, they wouldn’t be able to support too many Jackalans.
The Nahrin Desert was known as a desert for civilizations, a forbidden area for other races. It didn’t exist in the poems that the poets sang but in the lessons of blood and tears.
The days of these low-level Jackalans, even if they were patient, became more and more miserable.
Of course, Kant did not care.
It would be better if all these Jackalans died in the desert so that he would not have to go back again in the future to eliminate them.
Two days and two nights passed.
The troops led by Kant finally returned to the Oasis Lookout.
They had tonnes of coarse salt but were short of water and food. The 300 Jackalan captives could not even walk properly anymore.
