The Champion's Return
Page 25
“Draulight!?”
“Correct. While this alphabet may even encompass different sounds than ours, by matching them to our own alphabet, we can discern what each letter represents. With that, we can substitute in part of the message, then start deducing what the letters adjacent to the ones we know are...”
Schwerin took out a piece of parchment and started listing the letters.
“See, with just this limited information we can decipher sixteen other letters. It’ll get more difficult from here, but we can use context clues to help narrow down the possibilities.”
“I see...”
The senators exchanged glances, then turned back to the messenger.
“We’ll decipher this. You get the search for the slaves started. Mobilize the city garrison as well.”
“Y-Yes, Your Excellency!”
It took an entire day before the Senators decoded the message and discovered that it said the slaves were planning to flee across the Glacier Sea to the north.
Three days had passed since Draulight’s escape, and the Senate still hadn’t been able to pick up the slaves’ trail. The reason for that was because Draulight and the others were hiding within Ioro Lange’s sewers.
“Hey, you sure we shouldn’t be running?” One of the gladiators whispered in the darkness.
Draulight, who was keeping an eye on the surface from a nearby tunnel, whispered back, “The soldiers searched the sewers the first day of our escape. They didn’t find anything, so they don’t think there’s any chance we could be here. That’s why we returned.”
“I get that, but we can’t just sit here forever. Who knows when someone might think to check again?”
“No, I’m pretty sure we’ll be safe for a while. The longer we wait, the further out they’ll have to extend their search net, which means they’ll start stretching themselves pretty thin. Right now they’re still trying to figure out which direction we went. And thanks to the hint we left behind, they’ll assume north.”
“You sure about that...”
Draulight returned to the passageway where the other gladiators were waiting and said, “There’s a lot less soldiers patrolling the city streets. And I bet you none of them are searching for us. Tonight we’ll sneak out of the city via these sewers.”
“So it’s finally time?”
“However, we’re going to be heading west first.”
“Why west!?”
“I thought you said we were escaping to the south?”
Draulight nodded firmly and replied, “If we go south now, we’ll all die. First, we need to make preparations to cross the mountains.”
Around the same time, the Senate was in the middle of a heated argument.
“Those blasted heretics live near the Glacier Sea. If those escaped gladiators join forces with them, things are going to get a lot worse.”
“Indeed, each of those gladiators is worth a hundred men. We cannot let them teach those barbaric heretics how Rolmund soldiers fight. Those gladiators know too much. They might even be able to teach the heretics metallurgy.”
“Then we have to send a search party to North Rolmund immediately!”
Schwerin, the senator who’d figured out how to decode Draulight’s message, frowned.
“But are we sure they went north?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” another senator replied.
“Think about it. Why would they leave behind a vital clue like this for us to find? They’re risking their lives on this escape.”
“You mean, you think this cipher is a diversion?”
“It’s a possibility at least.”
After a few minutes of silent consideration, the senators came to a unanimous conclusion.
“We’ll send search parties south as well. No, we’ll send them in all directions.”
A few more days after that, Draulight and his companions set out for the southern mountains. Along the way, he’d picked up various supplies and freed many more slaves. Their party exceeded one hundred people now. They were avoiding the main roads and sticking to mountain trails as they wound their way south. As it was winter, they were all marching through snow.
“Hey, Draulight. Why’d you take all those serfs with you? Those guys don’t even know how to hold a sword,” One of the gladiators asked.
Draulight surveyed his surroundings, then replied, “Yes, and all we know is how to fight. Once we’re over the mountains, we’re going to need their help to learn how to farm and build houses.”
“But a huge group like this is gonna stand out...”
“Which is why we’re going through the mountains. In winter, neither serfs nor pilgrims travel through here. There’s nowhere to get firewood or wild berries, and wolves are everywhere. The only people who’d brave the mountains in this season are hunters and woodcutters.”
Draulight waved off his companion’s worries and started barking orders to the group.
“Raise your knees when you walk, guys! Think of it like climbing stairs. Keep your back straight, and always be aware of your center of gravity.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ll tire out slower when walking like this. It’s good practice for everyone before we start scaling the really big mountains. Everyone’s already got a bunch of stamina thanks to all the gladiator fights they’ve been through. All that’s left is using it efficiently.”
“You sure have a lot of energy...” The gladiator muttered sullenly. At this point, though, no one was going to disobey Draulight. He’d gotten them this far, after all. Suddenly, he turned around and said, “Also, it’s time we started making insulation gear for ourselves. We won’t survive in the mountains with these clothes.”
The gladiators exchanged glances.
“Why not?”
The gladiator who’d asked that question was wearing a thick fur cloak. It was crudely made, but it kept out the cold well. However, Draulight shook his head.
“These cloaks are too coarse, and they’re not waterproof. If they get wet they’ll be less than useless. Plus, as we get higher, the wind’ll start coming from below, and it’ll just blow your cloaks up. You’ll freeze to death in a heartbeat.”
The gladiators exchanged glances. One of them hesitantly asked, “You sure know a lot about mountain climbing. Have you done it before?”
Draulight resumed walking and looked off into the distance.
“Yeah...a very long time ago,” he replied.
Half a month had passed, and the Senate still hadn’t discovered Draulight’s whereabouts. They’d sent out teams to sweep all the major highways and set up checkpoints on every entrance to the Glacier Sea, but they’d seen neither hide nor hair of the escaped slaves. Word of the coliseum breakout had reached the common people, and rumors and speculation abounded. Moreover, pilgrims and merchants were spreading those rumors all across Rolmund.
Meanwhile, Senator Schwerin had gathered his personal troops to lead an expedition out of Ioro Lange. As he prepared to set off, another senator wearing traveling garb came up to him. He was another young senator, roughly the same age as Schwerin.
“Where might you be headed, Lord Schwerin?”
“I’m returning to my lands in West Rolmund. If the slaves are heading south, they may have passed through my territory.”
“I see. Well, I shall continue guarding the highways leading to the Glacier Sea. However, I’ve decided to take personal command of the border checkpoints.”
Smiling conspiratorially, the senator added, “But really, you’re doing all this to prepare for next time aren’t you?”
Schwerin nodded calmly.
“Over these past five years, we’ve had sixteen different incidents. Mass escapes, revolts, you name it. Considering the situation, it is only prudent that I prepare for next time.”
“Understandable, especially since we lost our gladiators this time. They were the most well-treated of all our slaves. If even they were unhappy with their lot in life, then...”
Both of them knew exactly what they were referring to with “next time.” Hence, why they smiled.
“The next time we see each other might be on the battlefield, you know.”
“I pray that isn’t how things play out.”
Still smiling, the senator who controlled parts of North Rolmund grabbed his horse’s reins.
“Goodbye, Lord Schwerin. May we meet again,” he said.
Schwerin bowed his head in farewell.
“I’m sure we will, Lord Bolshevik,” he replied softly.
“I see the perceptive ones have already caught on. All that’s left is to see how we can escape this impending disaster.”
The cold winter wind whistled through Schwerin’s cloak as he spoke.
A few more days passed uneventfully. While a number of senators were catching on that the republic was on the verge of collapse, Draulight and his followers had reached the base of the mountains.
“Hmm...I see.”
Draulight nodded to himself as he looked up at the towering mountain before him. He’d already outfitted his party with waterproof jackets and insulating underclothes.
“According to the local serfs, the worst of the winter is behind us. The weather should be clear for a few days at least, too. We can do this.”
Many of the serfs living around the area had joined Draulight’s exodus. They were the ones who’d informed him of the local geography and weather patterns.
“I’ll consult with the locals and plot out our path. Meanwhile, you all rest. We’ll be starting our climb bright and early tomorrow.”
The gladiators nodded, their trust in Draulight now absolute. He’d somehow managed to avoid every single patrol while leading them here.
“Aye. I can’t believe we’re finally here...”
Draulight made to leave, but then turned back around as if he’d suddenly remembered something.
“Oh yeah. Once night falls light campfires and thoroughly cook all of our food. Then dry everything out, or it’ll freeze up in the mountains.”
“You sure we should light fires? What if the soldiers see them?”
When they’d been in the mountains, the slaves had been extremely careful about when and where they lit fires. Even on the coldest nights, they kept their fires small to make sure they wouldn’t be spotted. However, Draulight just responded, “We won’t have time to cook while we’re up there. And we absolutely need preserved food we can eat while we walk. Hunger will make your body colder.”
“In other words, we need the food more than we need to avoid detection. Gotcha.”
At daybreak, the nearly two hundred slaves began their ascent up the snowcapped mountains.
“Be very careful not to get wet. Don’t walk so fast that you start to sweat. Moisture will sap body heat like nothing else. Moreover, if you sweat, you’ll need more water.”
Draulight kept a watchful eye on everyone as he explained how to climb.
“Also, make sure you’ve all found sturdy walking sticks. The more you use your arms to climb, the more your legs will get to rest. And you’ll need your legs.”
Draulight led the climb, looking back often to make sure everyone was keeping up. The gladiators trailing behind him smiled in relief.
“I thought those serfs would slow us down, but they’re keeping pace. I’m surprised,” one of them mused.
Draulight nodded and replied, “They’ve all got pretty toned bodies too, thanks to all that farmwork. It’s just they’ve never had enough food to really make use of them.”
Just then, one of the serfs in the rear shouted, “They found us! There’s soldiers chasing us, Mr. Draulight!”
“There’s a hundred...no, two hundred of ’em!”
The gladiators turned around and drew their swords.
“Tch, so they came.”
But before they could charge the oncoming soldiers, Draulight held out a hand.
“Wait. With our numbers and equipment, we can’t win. Especially when we’re dressed to climb, not fight. Besides, if you guys get exhausted here, you won’t have energy left for the ascent.”
“We’ve kinda got bigger problems than mountain climbing right now!”
“Besides, isn’t our job as gladiators to protect the serfs?”
Everyone was raring to fight. Draulight sighed and said, “Right now we don’t have armor or shields. All we’ve got are our swords and our climbing sticks. Do you really think we can win?”
“Well...”
There was no way gladiators burdened down with blankets and provisions could fight trained soldiers armed with spears and bows.
“But it’s not like we can just run! Our packs are too heavy for that! And there’s women and children with us!”
“I know. Leave this fight to me.” Draulight paused before adding, “The rest of you climb. We’re going with the plan I told you yesterday.”
“Hey Draulight, don’t tell me you’re planning to...”
Draulight waved to the other slaves, interrupting his friend.
“Don’t worry, I’m not planning to sacrifice myself. It’s not like a suicidal rush would even help us. Anyway, make sure you follow the path I plotted out. Don’t go off-course.”
Draulight pointed to their destination to drive the point home, then started going down the path he’d come.
The pursuit party’s morale was low.
“Why’d those goddamn slaves have to show up here of all places...” One of the platoon captains muttered with a sigh. His fellow captains nodded in agreement.
“I heard they’d gone north, so I figured we’d be fine... Guess those fires that woodcutter saw really were from them.”
“Now that we’ve found them, we can’t let them go or we’ll be the ones punished. Still...”
The soldiers knew they were up against veteran gladiators. Unlike these troops who’d just received basic military training, the gladiators had fought life-and-death battles numerous times. Meanwhile, Rolmund’s soldiers had just been eliminating bandits and suppressing revolts. They were far from seasoned warriors.
“I heard some gladiator called Draulight’s leading them.”
“Oh, I’ve heard the rumors about him. Apparently he’s some kinda master fighter. They say he’s four Bashcals tall and has arms thicker than a tree trunk.”
“I heard he can split a man’s helm with one blow.”
“My friend told me he’s never lost a single battle, even though he’s fought hundreds of times.”
“Gladiators are monsters...”
As rumors of the escape had spread, stories of Draulight’s prowess had become highly exaggerated. Just then, one of the platoon captain’s soldiers shouted, “I’ve spotted the slaves, sir! They’re climbing up the mountain single-file!”
“Morons. They’re defenseless up there.”
“Sure, there might be gladiators mixed among them, but they’re still slaves. From the looks of it, they don’t even know how to organize a retreat.”
The captain had no experience with mountain climbing, and so was reading their formation from the perspective of a military commander.
“Alright, let’s wipe them out before they have a chance to get in formation. Chase them up the mountain.”
“Up the mountain, sir?” One of the junior captains asked the senior captain in command.
“It’ll be a pain if we lose them in the forest down below. But there’s only rocks and snow up above. They won’t have anywhere to hide there.”
“I see.”
Draulight’s party had already climbed above the tree line, so there was nowhere for them to hide. The soldiers caught up to the slaves before long. Before they could mount an attack, however, a lone swordsman jumped out from behind a nearby boulder and ran at them.
“KIYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
“Gwah!”
The swordsman cut down all the Rolmu
nd soldiers in his path as he charged down the slope.
“Wh-What the hell!?”
“Enemy attack!”
“That scream—is that Draulight!?”
The soldiers readied their spears, but their footing was unstable and they had a hard time getting into formation. On the other hand, Draulight moved swiftly across the uneven ground. He deftly dodged the soldiers’ spears as he dashed through the snow.
“He’s the leader of the escaped slaves, capture him!”
At their captain’s command, the soldiers started running up the steep mountain slope. But their heavy armor, shields, and pikes weighed them down, making it impossible for them to catch Draulight.
“Dammit! Shoot him, you fools!”
“We can’t, sir! It’s impossible to get our archers in formation on a slope like this! And the wind’s too strong to get a straight shot!”
Though they were struggling, Rolmund’s soldiers were slowly succeeding in cornering Draulight. There was a tiny dip in the mountain surface that they were driving him into. The slope there was extremely steep and covered in icy sleet. Even Draulight would have a hard time climbing out of that. Once they had Draulight where they wanted him, the soldiers crowded around the hollow’s rim, their spears held at the ready. Even now, they were wary of his exemplary swordsmanship.
“Good, we’ve got him! Advance, men!”
Draulight stood still, seemingly resigned to his fate. He held his stance, but made no move to try and escape. But then, just before the soldiers reached him, he raised his sword high and yelled, “Do it, now!”
A second later, a group of slaves with ropes tied to their waists appeared far above the battlefield. They thrust their walking poles into the snow and started shouting.
“Raaaaaaah!”
“Hyaaaaaaaah!”
The soldiers exchanged confused glances.
“The hell?”
“What’re they doing...”
“I thought they’d start shooting arrows at us, but they’re just shouting.”
Tactically, the slaves’ actions made no sense. After a few seconds of confusion, the captain in charge decided to ignore them.