149: Chapter 91 Farolis’s Opportunity 149: Chapter 91 Farolis’s Opportunity The flag, deep crimson in color, was adorned with the complex pattern featuring a majestic black dragon spreading its wings.
This was the emblem of the Orland Royal Family, the Drakemar Family.
In this era, this flag was essentially the national flag and symbol of the Northern Kingdom.
Walking past fences and watchtowers, surveying the sprawling tents, although uncertain of exactly how many troops this town-like large camp hosted.
But remembering what Selva had seen, the hundreds of Armored Heavy Cavalry consisting of knights and servant cavalry around the Earl of Buck, considering the likely ratio of knights to the infantry they led, and comparing it to the troops owned by his Sealing Lord Baron Eriv.
Just in this besieged main camp alone, regarding archers, horses, spears, and cavalry, there wouldn’t be fewer than several thousand soldiers, both in light and Heavy Armor.
And the craftsmen and civilians supporting this vast army, their numbers would have to be at least doubled, a scale which could be claimed as a force of tens of thousands in the history books.
Yet this force still far from reflected the strength of the Northern Kingdom.
According to the situation known from asking Knight Balfe, the pressure exerted on Kantadar by Orland’s southern campaign, besides the small amount of troops dispatched by His Majesty the King, only mobilized the troops from Gray Pine Valley Domain of the kingdom, the Northern Kingdom did not yet plan to declare full-scale war with Kantadar.
Leon withdrew his gaze, making way for a column of Heavy Infantry, stepping heavily in dense rows, unaware if they were off to perform a task or to change guard at a watchpost.
Watching the hundreds of fully-armored elite soldiers, carrying heavy weaponry and marching forcefully toward the outside of the camp, Leon felt envious, but was very clear that it was not something he should covet now.
These hundred tall and strong professional warriors, even with standard military pay and rations, could probably cost thousands of gold crowns a year.
Not yet including the luxurious infantry Heavy Armor, weapons, and many more daily maintenance costs.
And serving these hundred precious Heavy Armored military lords, who knows how many civilians were needed, and the money spent on these logistics was truly staggering.
Of course, such a colossal annual expenditure, if truly affordable, would definitely be worthwhile to maintain such a frightening group of elite Heavy Infantry.
These fully armored elite soldiers, provided the military leader was not a fool, could easily defeat forces many times their size of light-armored soldiers on the battlefield, and face an equal number of Heavy Cavalry unperturbed like mountains.
And if the enemy lacked even decent armor, then even thousands, or tens of thousands of this rabble would merely be lambs to the slaughter before them.
Of course, such luxuriously styled troops, ordinary nobles definitely could not afford them, even if they could scrape together that much money, they generally would choose a more cost-effective way of raising an army.
Leon speculated that probably only great nobles like the Earl of Buck or even the Royal Family could handle their daily military expenses.
…After a while, he finally saw the Thorny Flower emblem flag, Leon came to the Farolis Family troop’s encampment, after notifying them, learned that the Sealing Lord was still attending a general meeting, so he had no choice but to follow the Thorny Flower Family guards into the tent to wait.
Not waiting long, Leon soon saw Baron Eriv return, clad in plate armor, but his expression seemed somber, apparently in a poor mood.
Once the Sealing Lord sat down in the tent’s chair, Leon held his helmet and saluted him by touching armor.
“Thank you for taking the time to see me during your busy military duties, my lord.”
“No trouble, seeing you is a pleasure compared to watching some fools spout nonsense every day here,” Baron Eriv said with a bitter smile.
Looking at the brave young man he had taken under his command over a month ago, the Baron’s face eased the displeasure accumulated during the military council and instead remarked with emotion, “I heard from Azeryan earlier that you guys actually stirred up some trouble at the Felcon’s castle in Western Port?
You really can’t sit still, my boy.
It looks like I need to find someone to write a legendary tale about your bold adventures.”
Leon helplessly replied, “You flatter me, my lord.
I believe you are also aware of the circumstances, Lokhak’s sister was in danger, and there was no way we could ignore that lady’s plight.”
“Of course, you all did very well, such an act of valor is indeed worthy of my Farolis Knights.
If I were still as young as you, I might have joined your adventure,” Baron Eriv said, laughing appreciatively.
After speaking, the Baron inquired about his own little vassal’s purpose, “But what brings you to the front now?
Can’t wait to enter the battlefield and gain some glory?”
“I will respond immediately to any call from you, but this time, I have to report an extremely important matter that concerns the Thorny Flower Family, the ongoing war, and possibly…
it may even concern the entire Orland Kingdom,” Leon answered gravely.
But he glanced at the Sealing Lord and did not speak immediately, only because there were still unfamiliar eyes and ears in the tent.
“Involves the entire Kingdom?
You really dare to say,” Baron Eriv raised an eyebrow, unsure whether his little knight’s words were too exaggerated, but considering the character demonstrated by the other, he still temporarily dismissed the attendants around him.
“Balfe stays, everyone else may leave.”
The attendants saluted and exited the tent.
When only the Sealing Lord, himself, and the presumably trustworthy Knight Balfe, remained in the tent, Leon finally said, “Lord Eriv, the terrifying Cursed Land in the Nightmare Forest may have disappeared!
From Southern Kosos, it seems possible now to directly cross through the forest and reach the territory of Kantadar!”