Chapter 77 Tracking the Deserter
Back in the day, Duke Skoda was so brilliant that no one could ignore him. That's why later, when people learned of his death by poisoning, many citizens of the Soth Empire couldn't accept it and even broke down in tears.
Todd was one of them.
And now, Anne's arrival seemed like a hand pushing away the dark clouds, letting sunlight shine on everyone again.
He couldn't help thinking, damn it, how could I possibly see a little girl as the next duke? That's impossible, right?
But then he suddenly heard soldiers in the crowd whispering, "Isn't she the second sword master of the Virlet family?"
"I heard so, and it was confirmed by Lord Friedel himself."
"Wow, being compared to Lord Skoda - does that mean she'll achieve the same things he did?"
"Maybe, after all, she's Lord Skoda's daughter!"
Todd was completely stunned.
He remembered the first time he met Anne. She wore a mask and a large cloak, arriving in Savannah travel-worn. Todd was sharp enough to immediately recognize that beneath the mask was a noble girl - after all, common folk rarely knew how to ride horses, not to mention her every word and action revealed the composure and manners of nobility.
Old Donna, who sold horse feed, said Anne had asked him about the situation in Savannah and Warlinekza. The battlefield was no place for a noble young lady to travel without guards or bodyguards, yet she insisted on heading to the eastern front - it was practically suicide. That's why he subtly tried to warn her when she left, hoping she'd understand the danger ahead.
After all, that was the very place where the empire's hero, Duke Skoda, had accidentally died from a poisoned arrow.
Yet Anne still went. The sound of her horse's hooves grew fainter and fainter, but the look she gave Todd before leaving made his heart heavy, leaving him at a loss for words.
Many days passed with no word from Warlinekza, until two nights ago when soldiers rushed in with news: the allied forces would attack Savannah through the Else Mountains. They urged everyone to evacuate while the soldiers defended the land.
Those soldiers were clearly members of the knight order stationed at the eastern front, and leading them was Anne.
Todd could tell that Anne had a gift for commanding troops and making arrangements. Perhaps before long, the Soth Empire would have another female knight commander, and if everything went smoothly, she might go even further - further than anyone could imagine.
By then, the younger generation would replace the fallen heroes, and no one would remember that sacrificed duke.
But now he knew the truth - Anne was Duke Skoda's daughter, a Virlet. Suddenly it all made sense: that sad, determined look in her eyes when he'd drunkenly rambled about Duke Virlet's death.
Duke Skoda had left, but that didn't mean everyone from the Virlet family was gone.
Anne carried the responsibilities of her family, her father, and her brothers. She would continue to stand on the Soth Empire's battlefield bearing the name Virlet.
The Virlet family had never left.
Anne didn't know about this little incident at the back of the group, but even if she had heard about it, she wouldn't have deliberately stopped it. After all, to lead these soldiers, the results of one or two battles weren't enough to make them completely obey her. Right now, she needed an identity that could command everyone's respect - like being Duke Skoda's daughter.
However, Todd's feelings about hearing this weren't something she needed to worry about right now.
Those deserters had already reached the junction of Sigma Wilderness and the Else Mountains and would soon enter the Else Mountains directly. When Cynthia came to report this, Anne had already finished cleaning her sword. The cold blade now seemed like an indestructible courage, allowing Anne to charge toward the future without hesitation.
"Let's go."
Anne smiled. Obviously, they couldn't track them with a large group. This time, the five of them would take the lead in tracking, leaving markers along the way for the soldiers behind to follow.
The five of them hid behind the grass and carefully observed. Only six deserters had survived - based on their builds, four were from Zotfort, and the remaining two were soldiers from the Viller Empire.
The Zotfort men seemed particularly jumpy, turning to look at every rustle, which made the two Viller Empire soldiers next to them laugh heartily.
"What's wrong? You're so tall, but actually just a scared little kid who wants mommy at the first sign of trouble?"
"What's there to look at? Not only is it impossible for Soth Empire troops to be chasing us, but even if there were, we'd just pull out our knives and fight them, right?"
The mocked Zotfort soldier immediately got angry. "What do you demon-possessed idiots know? When marching, you need to pay attention to your surroundings, especially since we're still in Soth Empire territory!"
"You bunch of guys who only know how to swing weapons randomly - no wonder you couldn't take Warlinekza after so long!"
"Oh, you damn bastard, don't think I don't know about you guys. Didn't you lose so badly in the southern battlefield that you had to run to our king with your bare asses begging for help!"
"Damn it, that was tactics, not losing! Would your pea-brain that could be used as a watering can understand what tactics means!"
"Big dumb oaf!"
Not far behind, the five people tracking them looked at each other, all seeing a hint of speechlessness in each other's eyes.
Morris stroked the sword at his waist. "Clearly, the soldiers from Zotfort and the Viller Empire still haven't learned to get along. The smallest conflict can make them start arguing."
Anne nodded. "That's for sure. These two nations weren't on friendly terms to begin with. This sudden cooperation was probably agreed to by the royal court and just dumped on the military to handle."
Samira asked in confusion, "In their current state, won't they start fighting among themselves without us having to do anything?"
"You're forgetting one person," Cynthia said with a serious expression. "General Frol of Zotfort - he's not someone easy to deal with. With him around, the cooperation between the two nations won't fall apart so easily."
Duncan flipped the twin swords in his hands. "True, I saw him at the border before. That man clearly excels at scheming. The idea to contact the Viller Empire for cooperation probably came from him."
As the five were thinking, the argument ahead escalated, even showing signs of turning physical.
A Zotfort soldier swung his fist, about to smash it into a Viller Empire soldier's face. Not only did the other man not dodge, he raised his own fist and charged forward.