<h4>Volume 3, Chapter 183: Battle of Fatina (1/2)</h4>


    The patriarch, Benem Nemush, was murdered in cold blood!


    Word of the patriarch’s death spread even faster through the various countries than Gowen Ranid’s.


    When the Genius Adviser of the n Coalition of the Red King received that news, he immediately advised his n leader, Brandika.


    “The Kushain believers should quickly fall apart after this. I suggest we go ahead and take Fatina now.” [Carlion]


    Like a beast sensing its next prey, Brandika fiercely smiled.


    “Alright, let’s do this, you bastards!” [Brandika]


    pping his knees and standing up, the rest of the adventurers under his direct control that were drinking in the tent stood up as well. Cell the Sword Dancer, Grave the Enchanter, Saldin the Commander. Every one of them was a brave and capable member of the Red King.


    Because of the report that the patriarch mobilized his army of 10,000 to the west, they were currently headed north. There were also n leaders from other ns apanying them out of admiration of Brandika.


    Adventurers weren’t exactly soldiers, but they weren’t far from it either; hence, it didn’t take them long to adapt to the battlefield, and by the time they had upied a vige from the Kushain believers, they could already be counted as a force of the Red King.


    “Still, who would’ve thought the goblins would be able to crush the fanatics. That was unexpected… They might turn out to be an unexpected adversary.”


    “I don’t really think so, but… The details of the battle should arrive soon. We can scrutinize it closely then.”


    Brandika and Carlion chatted as they headed to the head of the army.


    They had set up an intelligencework of their own, so they actually knew of the movements of the Kushain believers even before Elrain Kingdom asked for their help.


    They had originally set off to restrain the enemy, but from the looks of things, this might actually turn into a real siege. Brandika happilyughed at that.


    “A siege will take time… It would be best if we could conclude things quickly,” Carlion said.


    “Ho, does our genius adviser have any ns?” Grave the Enchanter asked.


    Carlion smiled. “It’s notplicated enough to be called a n, if anything, you could call it a prank.”


    “That’s even better! Good, let’s go with that!” Brandika said.


    Carlion nodded. “Mr. Saldin, please advance the army in a shy manner. We’ll announce that Elrain Kingdom hase and that we’ll be sourcing our food locally. Meanwhile, Ms. Cell will be leading some stealth specialists to infiltrate the enemy. After that when Elrain Kingdomes, we’ll announce that everyone will be killed.”


    “Ha ha ha, as usual, you say some really dark stuff without missing a beat.”


    Saldin themander of the front lines rode with his horse and ordered the army to advance faster. He gathered the vulgar adventurers and had them put on the equipment of the Elrain


    Kingdom soldiers. They would be needing it once they start attacking the viges.


    “…If I have to,” The gnome warrior, Cell, said


    “Please don’t misunderstand, this order didn’te from the n leader but me,” Carlion exined.


    “Hmph, I know. I just have to do that, right?”


    “Please choose the time wisely and spread some rumors that the feudal lord intends to hand over the people to the enemies.”


    “I’m hating this more and more, but alright.”


    “As for you, old teacher. I’ll need you to make the Red King more famous.”


    The old teacher cheerfully smiled in return.


    The Red King separated its forces into two groups. Saldin led the advance guard, while Brandika led the main force.


    The main force slowed down their pace and saved the vigesid to waste by the advance force.


    Saldin’s forces were thorough. They took the food and burned every building down. When every building was gone, they would move on to the next vige.


    “Pigs should cry and beg!”


    Saldin himself was originally a fiendish bandit. It was Brandika who picked him up and raised the adventurers in the advanced force. If not for Brandika, Saldin would probably be renowned today as an infamous but great bandit leader.


    They spat mud at Elrain Kingdom’s reputation, spreading words of their treachery, while they extolled the Red King, and spoke admiringly of their magnanimity.


    “We are the army of Count Sapnir from the Elrain Kingdom!”


    At the old enchanter’s words, the vigers who had their food taken cried out. Their food had already been taken, and they had none left to give. They were at the end of their wits, such that they considered bracing themselves for a fight or simply run.


    “I pass on to you the words of my master, Brandika. We of Count Sapnir’s Army may be from Elrain Kingdom as well, but we are deeply saddened by what the Elrain Army has done; therefore, we shall bestow upon you pity and share with you enough food until Fatina. Whether you join the fray there or die here is your discretion. Do as you please.”


    To cling onto thest thread of hope after being pushed to the brink of death is true for both man and nation. Like this the people who had everything taken from them, started to flow into Fatina as refugees.


    But regardless of how the city-state of Fatina shared borders with Germion Kingdom, it did not have an unlimited supply with which to support people.


    Elrain Kingdom’s army steadily approached them.


    News of the patriarch, Benem Nemush’s, death finally reached Fatina. Moreover, the higher ranked of the army did not return from thest battle, causing the feudal lord to answer for them.


    The feudal lord of Fatina was a bishop who was deeply loyal to Benem Nemush. It was only thanks to his predecessor being removed and Benem Nemush’s backing that he was able to secure


    his position. But because of that Benem Nemush’s death greatly weakened his position.


    Carlion had predicted this far when he came up with his scheme.


    “The feudal lord will want to stabilize everything, but all the refugeesing in will only cause the public order to worsen.”


    Carlion exined his scheming to Brandika as he rode alongside him.


    “In such times, people always turn their sight outside. But that is a double-edged de.”


    “So you’re saying they’ll eventually have to fight us.”


    “Yes, that’s right. We’re relying a little too much on luck here, but I’d say we have about a 70% chance of sess.”


    “That’s more than enough.”


    After the forces of the Red King left the woods, the walls of Fatina could finally be seen. It was the second city-state of the Kushain believers, one situated in a grain-producing territory in the south.


    “By the way, what are we going to do if this fails?”


    “We’ll take the long way. We’ll surround them and wait for them to run out of food. Fatina’s feudal lord is a deeply loyal man, so I doubt he’d have much food in reserve. Odds are he would much rather bet everything on an all-out battle than wait for his 200,000 people to starve.”


    That doubleyered strategy put a smile on Brandika’s lips as he looked up at the walls of Fatina.


    “You went out of your way to prepare this stage, so we’ll have to make the most of it and show the world the might of the Red King!”


    Wielding his long double-edged battle axe (Valdis) on his shoulder, he rendezvoused with Saldin and took position outside the walls of Fatina.


    “We’ve sessfully spread the rumors,” Cell emotionlessly said.


    Carlion happily nodded.


    It was then that Fatina’s gates opened and an army moved out. They numbered roughly 12,000.


    Because of the weapons on the walls of Fatina, it was extremely difficult to attack them while they were preparing.


    But Brandika wasn’t one to attack while the enemy was preparing, anyway.


    “We’ll crush them magnificently. Otherwise, it won’t be any fun.”


    Brandika only held his long axe as he watched the enemy feudal lord encourage his soldiers while seating atop his three-eyed horse (hipparion).


    “Hear me! Believe me! The Red King shall reward the devoted! I am the man who shall be king!”


    Cries erupted from the Red King’s army. Like a rampaging me, those emotions swirled into fanaticism and pushed on the back of the Red King, Brandika.


    “Take on a three serpent formation! The n leader, Brandika, shall take the center. Saldin to the right nk and Cell to the left!” Carlion the Genius Adviser said, and the army of the Red King immediately followed.


    “Bring victory to our n leader!”


    Though he looked weak as he drew that de, the soldiers still cried out in response to Carlion’s words.


    “Victory!”


    “Go! Take their heads and hang it by the gates!”


    At the behest of the n leader, Brandika, the Red King’s entire army charged into Fatina’s army of 12,000.