Drawing Cards in the Middle Ages to Rise in Ranks-Chapter 496 - 275: The Small Man’s Choice (Part 2)
Ivan lifted his head and snorted lightly, "What if I say no?"
The scarred guard’s remaining eye glinted with danger, "What did you say? Infidel dog."
Ivan raised his tone, "You still don’t know what an important figure you have imprisoned. I am a trusted minister under Lord Taqidin, commanding an entire cavalry of Mamluks."
"And still you dare be so arrogant as a prisoner?"
The scarred guard drew his weapon with a sinister expression, "No matter how high an official you are, you are now under my charge, understand?"
Ivan leaned against the prison cage with disdain, "Just a brainless fool, you still don’t understand what my identity means - it means I am your Lord’s money bag now, got it?"
The scarred guard’s face immediately went stiff.
Ivan lowered his voice coldly, "Now, prepare some food for me and my soldiers. I also need a doctor to look at that poor guy’s leg crawling with flies.
Otherwise, when my Lord pays the ransom, I will surely denounce you to your Lord - because of you, he will be short at least five hundred bright gold coins!"
The scarred guard’s single eye flickered with a dangerous light, and after hesitating for a long time, he clanged his half-drawn weapon back into its sheath, "Wait, I will consult my Lord."
Ivan, full of confidence, gestured "please leave" with a wave.
Surveying the surroundings, he met with admiring gazes and winked at Fulk, "Learned something?"
Fulk couldn’t help but laugh, "Impressive!"
With just this interruption, he almost forgot the knot in his heart. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to stick with this interesting man Ivan - after all, he had already become an unforgivable sinner in opposition to the Holy Spear Guardian.
...
A man lifted the tent flap excitedly and said:
"Derum, there’s an execution of deserters happening in the square. Why aren’t you going to watch the spectacle?"
Derum was drinking sullenly, his nose red, and upon hearing this, he stood up and grabbed the man by the collar, "You scoundrel, nearly half of our brothers died, and you still have the mind to watch the fun?"
The man was taken aback, then angrily retorted, "So what? Would hiding in the tent all day like you bring back our brothers? We’re at war with the Saracens, with Saladin. Didn’t you consider what a significant figure Saladin was before you brought us here? With just a finger, he could crush Piercer Rauf, who rides above us. Didn’t you know the cost of warring against such a big figure?"
He angrily twisted free of Derum’s grip and scolded, "We are just poorly equipped nomads. Those slave cavalry, Kumans, Turks, which of them are not stronger than us? When we were still herding sheep, they were already slaughtering miraculously."
Seeing Derum’s somewhat puzzled expression, the man continued:
"Wake up! All that talk of making achievements and knightly titles is unimportant! Being alive now is the greatest luck!"
Derum sat on the ground somewhat dejectedly.
He covered his face, "Ali, when Sheikh and the others agreed to join the army with us, did they expect this outcome?"
This war, the merit they gained wasn’t enough to earn even a "cavalryman" title. Eighteen came, now only ten remain, nearly half died, and all the achievement they gained was three Mamluks.
As light cavalry, the effect they could exert in a frontal cavalry charge was indeed too limited.
Ali grabbed Derum’s shoulders with some anger at his lack of progression, "Pull yourself together, Derum, you’re the captain of our squad. Next, we’ll follow your command to expedition Egypt."
Derum looked at his clansmen with some numbness, "I want to pull myself together too, but now you tell me, after we go back, how do I account to the parents of our dead brothers? How do I account to Sheikh? Going to fight in Egypt, how many more lives will be lost?"
Ali was silent for a moment, then stammered, "Marquis provided high compensation for the fallen, averaged out, each can settle in Alandler and be assigned land to establish their farmstead..."
Derum sighed; under Losa’s command, even the dead were properly taken care of, which was a fortune amidst misfortune, but it didn’t make him feel any better.
"Ali, doesn’t your family only have you left?"
Ali nodded, and his voice also choked up. For serving Piercer Rauf and fleeing Rauf’s territory, they lost too many brothers. This time those who came with them were most of the young adults of the Shayue Tribe.
Derum remembered the bold words when they left.
He couldn’t help but smile bitterly, "If I hadn’t challenged the Ulm Knight initially, but instead had honestly fulfilled our scout responsibilities, things wouldn’t have reached this state. It’s my fault towards my brothers."
The tent flap was suddenly lifted.
"No one blames you, boss!"
"This is our choice too. The Shayue Tribe never breeds cowards!"
A group of young scouts from the Shayue Tribe barged into the tent. Each was sun-kissed dark-skinned but very spirited. These young scouts, decent in riding skills initially, through the baptism of war, had already counted as real warriors.
Derum was somewhat choked, "Do you still recognize me as your leader?"
"Of course."
"You are irreplaceable!"
"It wasn’t your fault. If it weren’t for your command, we might have been wiped out."
"You’re the only one who can speak Frankish around here. Without you dealing with the Franks, it’d be impossible for us."
Everyone chimed in.
"All here?"
Outside the tent, a young knight in a red cloak entered.
"Quite lively."
With just a glance around the tent’s furnishings, he basically understood what had happened.
"Lord Ulm."
Everyone greeted him one after another.
Their scout squad now counted as part of Ulm’s direct cavalry team, as Ulm’s staunch supporters. Even if some didn’t have good feelings toward the Franks, they held deep respect for Ulm and, almost never met, Losa.
"Let me tell you some good news."
"What is it?"
Ulm smiled and said, "Your Sheikh, with old Hassan leading a group of your Shayue Tribe elders, beheaded nearly a hundred in the defense battle at Eira Port, and their achievements are outstanding. Lord Andreas originally wanted to promote old Hassan to Alandler’s Protector and even knight him, but he asked to give this opportunity to you."
Everyone was stunned, full of disbelief.
Derum, for a moment, didn’t know if he should be happy or sad.
He said with a complex expression, "Could Sheikh, at his age, still accomplish such a great feat?"
Ulm, smiling, said, "When the news came, I was also surprised, but that’s the fact. Lord Andreas told me in a letter, now there’s an interesting saying circulating in Eira Port."
"What is it?"
"Old dogs have good teeth too."
Ulm patted Derum on the shoulder, "Go freshen up and get yourself a good robe. This afternoon, the Lord will personally knight those who have achieved merit in this battle, and you’re among them."
Derum: "..."
In the envious eyes of his small companions.
Derum only felt light as a feather, was there surprise? Yes, of course!
But more so, it was a heavy feeling so weighty it made him unable to breathe, an overwhelming sense feeling making him want to cry bitterly.
"Master, do you think I really have the qualification to be knighted?"
Ulm smiled and placed a hand on Derum’s shoulder, "Of course, though you are still a bit immature now, I believe, it won’t be long before you become a qualified conductor."
This recognition from the person he admired most instantly reddened Derum’s eyes.
