Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 241: Aftermath

Chapter 241: Aftermath

Two days passed since the end of what was to be known as the Battle of the Bleeding Plains, which saw Alpheo's army triumph against Prince Lechlian's.

The first day was reserved to looting, as the soldiers combed the battlefield, stripping it of what little value remained. Weapons , armors, coins from the fallen—all were scavenged with practiced hands.As whatever could be sold was taken, some even starting taking the teeth of the dead soldiers, planning to sell them to doctors that would use them as dentatures.

As the sun began to set on that first day, the mood of the camp shifted. Alpheo, keen to bolster morale and remind his troops of the triumph they had earned, ordered a feast unlike any seen in recent campaigns. 

 Alcohol flowed like rivers, loosening tongues , which coupled with the good amount of loot that the soldiers had taken , were as happy as a man with a fat purse could be.

With the start of the second day however everything returned as it was , as the preparation for the storm of the city of Arduronaven started to seriously be prepared, letting everybody see, foes and friends alike that Alpheo planned to hammer the nail and finish what he started.

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The quiet scratch of a quill against parchment broke the stillness in the tent. Alpheo sat hunched over a plain wooden table, his face lit by the flickering light of a single candle. His hand moved steadily, the letters flowing from his thoughts to the page as he wrote to Jasmine. The words, though framed in the context of war, carried a personal touch. He detailed the battle, the triumph hard-won and the costs heavy, but he did not linger there. Instead, he wove in notes of longing for her company, updates on trivial matters she might find amusing, and questions about home. This was not just a report to a wife but a tether to the life he had left behind.