Chapter Seventy-Two: Great Merit

Chapter Seventy-Two: [Great Merit]

Kevin and Butler had already arranged a defensive formation far to the south of the valley, prepared to hold their position and await reinforcements. Suddenly, their subordinates reported that people were rushing out of the valley. Kevin immediately ran to the front and, from a distance, saw Shaya and his two companions fleeing in a ragged state, with Odin warriors howling in pursuit as they reached the mouth of the valley.

Without hesitation, Kevin leapt onto his horse and rode out to meet them. Luckily, the Odin warriors did not give chase; upon reaching the valley entrance, they merely shouted for a while before retreating.

Once Shaya and his companions were rescued, they collapsed on the ground as if all their strength had drained away, and were carried back by the Byzantine cavalry.

Within their own ranks, Shaya suddenly burst into wild laughter. The fear, tension, and relief of surviving spilled out, transforming into uncontrollable laughter. He laughed so hard he doubled over, disregarding the pain from his wounds, though his laughter was mingled with cries of agony, making the scene somewhat strange.

“Hahaha! I actually survived! I made it through! Hahaha!”

Kato and Shalba had their wounds bandaged as well. Kato’s injuries were not as severe, but Shalba had suffered terribly. The last arrow from Kokolan that struck Shaya sent him flying, and when he landed, Shalba was underneath, resulting in several broken bones. Fortunately, none of the bones pierced vital organs; otherwise, without a priest present, he would have been doomed.

Kevin and Butler gathered around the three, questioning them closely. When they heard that Shaya had escaped alone, stumbled into the woods on the slope beside the valley, and encountered an Odin priest…

“What?!” Butler suddenly shouted, “You said you killed a priest?! An Odin priest?!”

The man’s dejection vanished, replaced by excitement and fervor. Kevin’s eyes widened, staring at Shaya, mouth agape, unable to utter a word.

“Uh… To be precise, it wasn’t me who killed him, but their own people shot him. Probably because they realized he couldn’t be saved, so they…”

Shaya’s tone was uncertain.

“No matter how it happened, you captured the priest, that’s certain.” Kevin suddenly punched Shaya’s chest, causing him to cry out in pain and cough up a few mouthfuls of blood.

Kevin quickly withdrew his hand, nervously glancing at Shaya.

“Baldy, are you trying to kill me?” Shaya moaned, feeling that this was the most severe injury he’d ever suffered.

Kevin awkwardly rubbed his bald head, while Shalba and Kato weakly added, “It was Shaya who captured the priest. We were just rescued by him. We won’t compete with him for the credit. Haha…”

Kevin, visibly moved, stared at Shaya, “You fool! Don’t you know that in the Odin army, every legion is accompanied by a chief priest whose status is almost equal to the legion commander?! From your description of the priest’s attire, he was certainly not an ordinary priest, but a chief priest of the legion! Shaya, do you realize how great an achievement it is to kill an Odin chief priest?!”

“How great?” Shaya asked, bewildered—he wasn’t Byzantine, so how could he know their laws?

Kevin swallowed, his face glowing, “This achievement is enough for you to receive a noble title and a grant of land! You’ll be a lord! As for rank, at least a knight! If His Majesty is pleased, you might even be made a baron—though hereditary titles are unlikely, it would probably be a lifetime honor.”

“Knight? Baron? How large would the land be?” Shaya asked naively.

“Generally, a knight receives a small plot, enough to establish your own manor. For a baron, you might get a village as your domain. In your territory, you can make laws, collect taxes, and even have your own private guards—if you can afford it.”

“A village… Would it be as big as Wildfire Town?” Shaya’s eyes shone.

“As big as Wildfire Town… unlikely,” Kevin shook his head. “Wildfire Town is a small city. A typical village is about a quarter the size.”

“Damn…” Shaya suddenly sat up in excitement, his face twisted from the pain but unable to contain himself, “A quarter is as big as Black Alley! Haha! That means I’ll be like a mayor! I can do whatever I want in my territory! If I fancy something, I bring it home! If I see a woman I like, I just take her! Hahaha…”

Kevin, Shalba, and Kato’s faces froze.

This rookie… this country bumpkin! We thought he was a decent person, but if he becomes a noble, he’ll surely be a tyrant!

Watching Shaya laugh maniacally, Kato suddenly blinked, “There’s another thing! When we were captured, the Odin warriors interrogated us and described someone—they mentioned a weapon like this kid’s favorite black fork, and his appearance and attire matched him… On the slope where we were ambushed, he killed many archers… I heard an Odin reindeer cavalry leader was also slain.”

Shaya paused, nodding casually, “Yes, I took down quite a few at the time…”

Kato took a deep breath, “Did you split someone in half with one blow? Cut through the waist?”

“Uh… yes…”

“That settles it.” Kato grinned slyly, “Looks like we’ll have to call this guy ‘lord’! He’ll at least be made a baron, and a hereditary one at that!”

Seeing Kevin and Shalba’s puzzled expressions, Kato smiled wryly, “I know some Odin language. I heard them say that among the reindeer cavalry killed by Shaya, there was a ‘Highness’!”

Highness?! Royalty?!

Kevin and Shalba were utterly stunned.

A long time passed…

Butler, his voice hoarse, stared at Shaya, “A chief priest, plus a ‘Highness’! Damn! Kid, you won’t be able to avoid being made a noble even if you wanted to!”

Shalba grabbed Shaya, laughing, “You’re rich now! Hand over the money you won from me before, hahaha!”

Shaya was overwhelmed by his sudden fortune—noble lord? Baron? Hereditary? The delighted country bumpkin began to dream happily of his future as a landowning tyrant.

……

By afternoon, General Adrick arrived with the First Banner Regiment. The arrival of these mounted infantry gave Butler and Kevin’s battered troops powerful support, boosting everyone’s morale.

The First Banner Regiment, being mounted infantry, quickly set up camp on the south side of the valley, right at the center of the flat terrain. The accompanying supply units constructed defensive works, tall wooden boards forming palisade walls…

Shaya was recuperating in the tent with Kato and Shalba; his wounds were severe. The last arrow he took was infused with intense freezing power, almost freezing his wound and blood. During treatment, he found the wound had been instantly frostbitten, and his lungs suffered internal injuries—his breathing was labored, and he coughed up blood. Though his constitution was robust, it would be days before he recovered.

While chatting idly with Shalba, Kevin entered with two orderlies, his face solemn, “The general wants to see you!”

“Oh? Is it about the reward?” Shaya’s spirits soared.

“Idiot, rewards come after the battle,” Kevin said, half laughing, half crying. “The general wants to ask you something.”

The orderlies carried Shaya’s bed into General Adrick’s temporary command tent. The scar-faced general scrutinized Shaya for a moment before smiling slightly, “Well done, kid.”

He walked over, inspected Shaya’s wounds, and asked, “Were you afraid?”

Shaya scratched his head, “I was very afraid at first, but once the fight started, I forgot about it.”

Adrick was taken aback, then laughed heartily, “Ha! Good kid! So many try to act tough in front of me, but you’re the first to admit fear—that’s honest! Who isn’t afraid of death? If given a choice, who would want to die? But often, people are forced step by step forward; no one is born fearless. Hmph, you’re good, honest.”

Shaya was speechless—honest was hardly the word the general should use for him…

(Much grumbling from Duoduo…)

Adrick smiled, his eyes flashing, “Your merit will be rewarded after the battle.” He pulled from his boot the dagger he often played with and handed it to Shaya, “This is for you!”

It was the general’s prized dagger. Shaya examined it, seeing the blade gleam with a cold, sharp light—a rare weapon indeed! Most pleasing of all, the hilt was pure gold…

He grinned, playing with the dagger, when Adrick’s expression hardened, “You fought those archers on the road. Tell me what they looked like, their gear, and combat ability!”

Shaya was puzzled, then suddenly inspired, “General… do you mean…”

“Hmph,” Adrick’s eyes flashed with ruthlessness, “Since when do the Odin people have such elite archers? The ones who blocked you weren’t Odin troops!”

“Not Odin… elite archers… could it be those from the sea…” Shaya blurted out.