Firearms in a Fantasy World

Chapter 73: Prisoner Camp

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

On the morning of the 4th, Malon Ganard woke from a restless sleep, his demeanor subdued as he completed his morning ablutions and went to the castle's dining hall for breakfast.

He had dreamt again of the scene where he overheard the conspiracy, which had deeply shaken his soul.

Yesterday, his brother Paul Grayman had already led the troops to Byerldine to suppress the rebels such as Ankiro and Ebbert. Malon wondered about the current situation of the battle.

He trusted Paul greatly; seeing Paul so confident, the conflict should soon be resolved.

After breakfast, Philip, the steward of the Grayman household, approached him and informed him that Steward Ford and Baron Abbott were seeking an audience with him. Malon then proceeded to the hall to meet them.

"Congratulations, my lord Earl!" Steward Ford and Baron Abbott stood up to congratulate him as soon as they saw him.

Malon looked puzzled, "What happened?"

Old Ford explained, "Yesterday afternoon, Lord Grayman defeated the rebels Ankiro and others. Buteya City is now under our control."

Malon's jaw dropped in astonishment, "So soon? Didn't he just set out yesterday?"

He had thought that even if Ankiro and the others were defeated in open battle, with Buteya's walls and provisions, it would take at least a week to besiege the city. He had stayed up half the night worrying about the safety of the city's residents.

"Ankiro's forces were nothing more than a bunch of farmers freshly conscripted. Even though they kept some private soldiers, it didn't change the overall situation." Hansel had seen the soldiers patrolling the streets of Buteya—a ragtag bunch compared to the elite soldiers in Alden Town.

Malon clasped his hands together in a prayer-like gesture, "Thank the Lord of Light for his blessing!"

Steward Ford smiled and said to Malon, "Lord Grayman requests your return to Buteya today to stabilize the hearts of the people in Byerldine as soon as possible."

Malon nodded, "Very well, I'll depart immediately."

...

Meanwhile, Paul was in the Lord's mansion in Buteya, listening to reports on the outcome of yesterday's battle.

Based on interrogations of several knights and minor leaders, the rebel force numbered over 2,000, with nearly 400 of them previously serving as private soldiers for Ankiro and about 300 mercenaries. The remainder were farmers or serfs conscripted from various parts of Byerldine.

After the battle, the Alden army captured a total of 823 prisoners of various types. Others who survived scattered during the battle, including 98 enemy combatants killed, not counting the many wounded.

He instructed the officers in charge of managing the prisoners, "Carefully differentiate them. If they are recently conscripted farmers, feed them a good meal and send them home to save our provisions. If they are former private soldiers of the rebels, detain them temporarily and release them once the situation stabilizes. If they are knights, do not release them without my order."

An officer asked, "What about those born as serfs? Should we not keep them ourselves? Theoretically, they are not prisoners but spoils of war."

Paul was taken aback and said, "Let them choose for themselves. If they wish to stay in Alden, I will let them become freemen. If they want to return to their original place, do not hinder them."