Reincarnated to the Past 32: Thracian Overture (7, end) (Patreon)

Reincarnated to Earth
Chapter 32: Thracian Overture (7, end)

-VB-

The surrender came before the gates broke.

I was honestly happy that it did, because if any of the tribe’s assaults did break the gate open, then I would have no choice but to follow through completely with my proposal to the warriors.

“Halt the attack!” I shouted loudly. There was a pause and then hesitation as men backed off. “They have surrendered!” I added in for a good measure.

That got the warriors to back off.

I looked up to the “diplomat” who came with the word of surrender. The diplomat in question was standing on the battlement above the gate where I was commanding the men. The diplomat stopped waving the white flag(scarf?) hanging to a stick.

“Open the gate so that we may discuss terms!” I shouted.

There was a pause before the man disappeared from my view.

There were shouts on the other side of the gate before I heard heavy wooden beams being lifted and tossed aside. The gates opened with a heavy creak, and some of the wood that made up the gate even fell away. It just went to show everyone that we were very close to breaking through.

The representative in question also paled before clearing his throat and walking forward. Now that I saw him in full, I realized that this was the man who had stood next to their king.

“I am now the new king of Istria.”

… Ah. So the ailing king died.

I spoke no words to condolences because I didn’t feel it nor was it polite between warring people.

“You are?” I asked casually.

“I am Renius, son of Deneclaw.” There was a pause before he spoke up again. “And before I surrender and negotiate our peace, I will have you know the truth.” Then two men from behind pulled a third man to the forefront in ropes. “This is my father’s friend, who you know as our envoy to you. What you did not know was that he went against my father’s orders to befriend you by attempting to sit himself as your lord. He is yours to handle as you see fit; we’ve already confiscated everything he owned.”

Then the two soldiers pushed the man into the mud, making him go splat on the road.

I crouched down and inspected him. Despite the bruises and cuts on his person, he was definitely the same man who had a shouting contest with Ghigari. I stood back up and kicked him in the face, making the man groan in pain. I looked up and allowed Renius’ words to play through my head.

“We were both fooled by this man, then.”

“Yes.” He glared at the muddied man in anger, but there was not a little amount of anger directed at me too. “He is the cause for our suffering.” And the ‘our’ here wasn’t including me but including him and his entire city.

“... Very well. I accept your surrender. Let us negotiate how our peace will be like. Do you wish to follow me out into the fields where the stink of the dead won’t haunt you or will it be within your walls?”

He looked at me in surprise. “You would trust us with your safety?”

I supposed that it would seem that way.

I walked over to him and grabbed the piece of wood that fell from the gate. I grabbed it in one hand, barely fitting in, and then I squeezed.

The wood snapped into splinters and fell away. Renius paled at the sight as did his men.

“I can defend myself well enough,” I laughed as I dropped the splintered wood and shook the splinters away. To my own surprise, none of the splinters had even penetrated my skin. Odd.

“Very well. Let us enter my home.”

I gestured for two of my warriors to accompany me, and Hoktim quickly stepped up before anyone else. I was really beginning to appreciate the guy. The other was actually Johaken. I nodded to them in thanks before following Renius.

Walking through Istria’s street, I got a good look at the results of my siege. People laid dying covered in their shit and vomit, the sick living stacked their dead in a corner just out of the way of the main traffic, and the thin limbs and gaunt faces followed me as I walked up the small hill towards the palace I saw in the distance.

These scenes of victims of war ebbed the closer we got to the palace. Instead, I saw people mourning.

I ignored it all.

Renius led us to a patio, where chairs and a desk had been prepared. He sat first, as he was the owner of the house, and then gestured for me to sit.

“As the representative of the Lower River Kettins and no more -” I spoke up, and that seemed to shock Renius and his retinue. “- I have demands.”

“We’ve heard them, and they were too much.”

“... but before we go there, I have to ask. Is it true? That you and your father had nothing to do with the diplomat as you have claimed at the gate?”

“It is true. My father wanted allies in case the Phyrgians to the south came attacking our ally Byzation. I know not how the people of the Gataens work, but us Thracians are a divided people. Each city-state is a kingdom of its own, which serves as the only reason why we have been unable to unite. Against a large united enemy like the Phyrgians, we cannot win without burning our own fields to starve them out.”

“So your father sent a diplomat to us hoping to get an ally…”

“But the man used his position to become a lord of someone else.”

“Sucks.”

Renius gritted his teeth.

“He was my father's trusted friend. It is what it is. Your people paid very little for my father’s mistake while we have paid far too much.”

I didn’t say anything for a moment.

“Unfortunately, you did not surrender before my people attacked your gates, and we nearly made it through. The past terms are no longer enough for us to simply leave, not after marching all the way here.”

“And what would you rob from us even more?”

“As the leading general in this war and perpetrated party on my side, I demand half of your artisans and their families, five thousand talents* of grain and fifteen talents of gold now, and one thousand talents of grain and one talent of gold to be given to the Lower River Kettins as tribute annually for the next ten years. Any of the reparations that cannot be met will be taken in double their weights from your slaves. During this time, the City of Istria will be under the protection of the Lower River Kettin.”

Renius’ fists curled up into white-knuckled fists, but he didn’t speak out in anger.

I knew that he was remembering what happened to the fields. That was the point of why I burned the fields. It was a warning and siege tactic rolled up into one. The first time they refused my terms, I burned their food and farms. The second time they refused? How would I react? Call off the truce and sack the city? Hang every man and enslave all women and children?

He didn’t know. He feared me.

I could see it in his eyes. There was anger, yes, but he feared me more.

He bowed his head.

“I accept the terms.”

“And the Lower River Kettins pledge to abide by the terms. We will not loot or harm a hair on Istrian citizen’s hair. We will, however, stay until all of the war reparations have been collected and volunteers have been decided to man your walls.”

I stood up and left.

“For what it’s worth,” I said right before I left the patio. “I wish you luck in your rule. Long live the king.”

I ignored the angry sobbing of a robbed and broken man behind me.

-VB-

Johaken shifted uneasily as his brother-in-law finished his speech before their warriors, and watched as how easily the promise of divided loot calmed the warriors.

But no one so much as spoke out against Alan’s warning to not harm any Istrian citizens during their stay. The unspoken promise of violence he would visit upon them needed not be said, not when the smell of smoke and death clung to the air around the city as an example of what happened to those who angered him.

It was scary how Alan waged war. Was this how wars were waged in his homeland?

If so, then Johaken didn’t want to be anywhere near it. There was no honor in this. No glory in slaying starved men who can’t lift their spear up properly.

Alan won them the greatest victory in all of Kettin history, but the methods he used sickened Johaken to the deepest core of his mind and body.

“Johaken, with me.”

He jolted out of his train of thoughts and followed his brother-in-law as he walked away from the celebrating warriors. Once they were out of anyone’s range of hearing on this vast hill overlooking Istria, Alan turned to him.

Johaken shivered a little.

“Brother, I have a request of you.”

“How can I help?”

“I do not trust any of our elites to not visit what their diplomat tried on us to the Istrians.”

Johaken blinked before he frowned. He could certainly see several of his peers try such a thing.

“But I know that you will not.”

He didn’t like where this was going.

“So for at least a season, I hope that you will lead the warriors in the defense of Istria.”

“... Why me?”

Johaken opted to ask instead of refusing. Alan was the wiseman of the tribe. He knew things. His reasons were deep. He wouldn’t just simply ask him for help if he didn’t need it.

“Because you listen to me. While you do have a warrior’s pride, you do not allow it to blind you like it blinds so many warriors.”

That was true, even if he’s had his own episode or two. He did challenge his brother-in-law for a spar, after all.

“You were also not the one who burned this city to the ground. The people here do not know you as they fear me.”

Also true.

“And this way, you will rule this city for however short or long you want it, and learn how to rule without negatively impacting our tribe with mistakes.”

His eyes widened. “You mean…?”

“Both of us know who your father wants for him to be succeeded by.” he replied.

Johaken nodded. It was a sore point, but one that he begrudgingly accepted.

“It may even be so that I will be forced to take the role of chieftain if the elders and the other leaders choose it. They have seen me bring the tribe victory after victory.”

“I know. I know that you have been leading the tribe while I have been … not doing much.”

“And this is your chance. To show the tribe that you have guaranteed tribute from the Istrians.”

“Yes, but it will mean that I am away from the tribe and my family.”

“That is why I only ask for a minimum of a season. Besides, if something were to happen to me, you are next in line anyways. This will be a good experience for you.”

Johaken sighed. “Fine. Fine! I’ll do it. Stop pestering me now.”

“Besides, you might get a wife here, and maybe you might stay.”

For a moment, Johaken thought back to their visit to the Istrian palace, where a buxom woman had been mourning.

“...Maybe.”

Alan grinned knowingly. “Oh? You already have someone in mind?”

Johaken playfully struck his brother-in-law on the shoulder. “Shove it. It’s my business.”

-VB-

A/N:

*talent: 1 talent = 26 kg-ish