Chapter 53 - 5-4
Kushitante was irritated by the slowness of the soldiers during the march.
In this phase, speed was everything.
He wondered if that understanding had not permeated through the ranks.
Taking the place of his nephew Kuboro, the man who had stepped in as aide was a man named Hazab. A Southerner with a brown face, a professional soldier in his thirties.
"They are not slow. They are moving at considerable speed."
Hazab answered the chief's grumbling with a slight reprimand.
"It is only that the chief's mind is racing. Please calm down. Everything is going well."
—Not everything.
However, he admitted that the situation was progressing mostly favorably.
Above all, the fact that they had been able to defeat Geraha's army early on had been effective. This had bought them a considerable amount of time. On top of that, the report of Sanga's betrayal had come quickly. Furthermore, the enemy did not yet know that they were aware of Sanga's betrayal. It was a grace bestowed by the Great Bird God.
Kushitante had appointed Pusiteto as the general of the reinforcements. He would hide Pusiteto's army within the city walls of Gorium and have them respond to Sanga's army. If Pusiteto could stall Sanga's army, the effect of Kushitante's Kosa army surprise attack would be doubled. The more they increased their speed, the higher the probability of victory became.
Still, there was one anxiety.
The retreated Geraha army.
He knew the location of Geraha himself. Scouts brought detailed reports frequently. However, where was the main force? He did not know. They were somewhere, still in a state where they could fight. The scouts dispatched in all four directions had not brought back any highly reliable information. If that were the case, he had retreated them to a considerable distance. Most likely within Kosa's territory.
Hazab said there was no need to worry.
The general of the Geraha army, Geraha Wolf, had been unable to rejoin the main force and was wandering with a small number of soldiers.
The Geraha army without its general was—
—a dead army.
Hazab's words were correct. Even so, Kushitante feared the possibility that the Geraha army might suddenly appear from behind. There was no helping it when one was afraid.
Astride his horse, Kushitante layered thought upon thought. He reviewed the situation.
First, there was his younger brother, Sanga. He had decided to betray him quite some time ago. He had accepted a peace treaty without any sign of having clashed with the enemy. There was no mistake.
Sanga's son, Kuboro, had also known of the plan.
Without hesitation, he had attacked Kushitante.
—If the matter is exposed, I will slay the chief.
He had been prepared with such resolve.
If Sanga's betrayal had been at the start of the plan, then the oblique order of the Geraha army was understandable. If they wanted the operation to succeed, they would have wanted to stall him there, even if they had to struggle.
And yet, the Geraha army had retreated easily.
That was where he felt a sense of incongruity.
He also didn't quite understand why they had stayed at a place eight ri from Gorium with a small number of guards.
To top it off, while they seemed to have detected the scouts here, they were apparently moving north.
—Is the Geraha army in the north?
He didn't think so.
He had a bad face, but he was a general who led an army. He would hide his soldiers in a place where he could take the rear.
He was somewhere.
Geraha was using himself as a decoy to lure them.
On the other hand, he could not ignore the scout reports saying, "The Geraha army is not in this area." Errors are common in battlefield intelligence, but if the reports were correct—Geraha's actions were not a lure. It was a simple flight. He was merely trying to flee into the main force of the Kosa army.
Kushitante was riding his horse based on the latter prediction.
In other words, even if the Geraha army existed, their location was quite far.
They would not make it in time for the decisive battle between Kushitante's army and the Kosa main force.
—Most likely, this is it.
This is the correct answer. Most likely. Probably, it should be so.
"We've caught up, it's the scouts!"
Hazab drew his horse close and shouted.
"Good! Capture the Wolf monster. Make it known to everyone to capture him alive without fail!"
If he captured Geraha himself, there would be no need to fear the Geraha army.
The order to capture him alive was to use him as a hostage. There was also the purpose of obtaining information.
If it came to this, there was nothing to stop Kushitante's army.
However, the situation changed dizzyingly.
First, enemy soldiers appeared. It meant the enemy was not stupid. They must have scattered scouts in all directions.
Kushitante did not panic.
The appearance of the enemy was not a problem. Those fellows had the intention of collaborating with Sanga's army to pincer them. That operation would not hold. Sanga's army would not make it in time.
Kushitante's bald head glistened as he looked in all directions, confirming there was no shadow of the Geraha army.
There was no presence.
"Charge!" Kushitante announced. "Those fellows are brave. Face them with resolve!"
The soldiers were tired from the movement. However, they charged here.
—The enemy will retreat.
Kushitante held a conviction.
They should not respond to a decisive battle where no reinforcements are coming. The enemy was only showing a posture of meeting the attack. Before entering a retreat, one tends to behave particularly bravely.
Kushitante's army cut across the plain.
Along the way, he noticed dozens of Kosa cavalry lying fallen. They were showered with arrows like hedgehogs. At the time, he thought perhaps there had been some serious violation of orders and they had been executed.
He had no time for that.
The Kosa army turned the large backsides of their horses toward them and began to flee. He had predicted they would retreat, but it was strange. If they had no intention of engaging in combat, why had they come out this far?
He had thought the enemy's aim was to show an intention to fight, deceive them, and sneakily let soldiers escape from the rear. It seemed that was not the case.
To the ears of Kushitante as he galloped, a voice calling "Chief, Chief" reached him.
It was the Kijimute scout. He was riding alongside Kushitante at a slight distance.
"What is it!"
"I found the Wolf monster. He's lost his horse and is showered with arrows!"
"Don't let him die! Capture him alive!"
He couldn't concern himself with scouts right now. He had caught up to the Kosa army within the distance where his arrows could reach. The enemy was congested and faltering. Their formation was in disorder.
"Fire!"
With a single word from Kushitante, arrows covered the sky.
When the enemy cavalry fell, the pursuit speed of his own side slowed slightly to avoid them.
Kushitante did not allow the soldiers to surge ahead, continuing the pursuit sluggishly.
The cavalry at the rear of the enemy were hit by arrows one after another, tumbling over.
—So this is Kosa.
Despite the winning battle, Kushitante was bewildered.
Strange.
Had they not anticipated the appearance of Kushitante's army, and were they not prepared to fight the Tawaru? They looked as if they had fled in surprise.
If so, what were they doing here?
He remembered the sight of Kosa cavalry lying like hedgehogs. He also remembered the report that Geraha was wandering, showered with arrows.
—Internal strife?
The Kosa army fled back into the hilly region they used as their base.
Kushitante stopped his own army. It would give the enemy a gap to escape, but Kushitante exercised caution. His side was exhausted. If they pushed in now, the enemy soldiers defending the base would fight bravely. The losses would be great. After the war with the Kosa army was settled, the Tawaru would also have to deal with Sanga's army.
Kushitante's army leisurely began preparations for camp.
Then Kijimute came again. He had to let this man's squad rest eventually.
"What is it?"
"Are you still insisting on capturing Geraha Wolf alive?"
"I insist. Have you still not caught him?"
"He is beyond our control. If we approach, he inflicts great injuries. One man had his head split and was killed. May I shoot arrows at him?"
"I told you I will not permit that. Throw a net over him and catch him. A lasso is fine too. If you lack men, you may take whoever you want."
"Yes, sir."
"Also, you said he was showered with arrows. Treat him."
"Understood. In that case, I ask for time. I will wait for the monster to collapse from exhaustion."
Kushitante let out a laugh. "Kijimute, be a little happy. The achievement is not small."
"I hope so." Kijimute departed on his horse with a sulky face.
Even as the sun set, the enemy did not move. Even after midnight, they did not move.
The next morning, upon hearing that they had apparently begun to retreat, the Tawaru chief felt offended.
As expected, he was being looked down upon too much.
He immediately rushed up the hill and charged into the enemy base while showering them with arrows.
The Kosa army's counterattack was weak. They were in a state of retreat.
If it came to this, it was nothing. He gave them a thoroughly painful experience, and by early afternoon, he had driven back all the enemy soldiers.
—Now, only the Geraha army remains.
While listening to the victory shouts of the soldiers, Kushitante thought.
Come to think of it.
"What happened to Kijimute?"
Hazab looked back at Kushitante with a half-asleep face. "Who?"
"The scout who was sticking to the Wolf monster."
"As for the monster, I heard he was captured a while ago. A messenger came to me."
"Finally. He was captured alive, yes?"
"That should be the case."
—This is fine.
If there is a hostage, he can at least deter Kosa's movements.
He should be able to buy enough time to confront Sanga.
Kushitante's army settled down for the time being in the place where the Kosa army had pitched their tents.
Two days after driving away the enemy, an urgent messenger from Gorium arrived.
He carried a letter on parchment. It was from Pusiteto.
—Sanga.
It seemed his younger brother had committed suicide. It said that Sanga had ordered his subordinates to pierce his own throat with a dagger. Sanga had apparently attacked Gorium and Sadiin. Both were cities with high city walls, and to make them fall required personnel, preparation, and time.
—Did that work?
Kushitante thought gloomily. Kushitante had hung Kuboro's corpse on the city gate of Gorium. If Sanga passed nearby, he must have noticed his son's wretched corpse.
His younger brother must have been driven by passion. He must have realized that the price of betrayal is not cheap.
Since the Kosa army had tucked their tails and fled, that betrayal had not served a purpose.
That is likely why he committed suicide. Since it was about a betraying younger brother, he was not in a position to praise him, but—
—He was resolute.
At the very least, he wanted to say that. Such a way of living and dying is acceptable. I cannot do it, Kushitante thought. For that reason, he was impressed by his brother's quickness in giving up. Above all, Kushitante was relieved that the situation of brothers fighting each other had been avoided.
In Pusiteto's letter, it also said:
'Sanga's army has surrendered, and the prominent figures have all come to surrender together.'
Pusiteto was seeking instructions on what to do with them.
Kushitante called Hazab. Hazab was a member of the Tawaru, but originally a Southerner and knew letters. He had him write the reply to the letter.
"Listen. First, praise Pusiteto and express gratitude to the soldiers."
"Understood."
Next, what should be written was about the traitors who had surrendered.
—Do as you see fit.
Setting aside the soldiers, it was fine to slaughter all those who had surrendered. It was also fine to give mercy to everyone. Listen to each person's story, and following past precedents, make the judgment deemed best.
"Regardless of what measures you take, let it be done in your name."
He did not forget to include that sentence.
If the traitors were killed, that was fine. However, if they were kept alive, it would be in a form where they were kept alive only by Pusiteto's mercy.
—The chief has not yet made any judgment.
He would create such an ambiguous state. You have not been completely forgiven. It was a silent threat that he could hand down punishment at any time.
Suddenly, he remembered Geraha Wolf.
He had left him alone because he was busy, but it was about time he met him.
He actually met the Wolf monster three days after that.
He had been busy with the matter of Sanga's army's surrender. Scouts had brought in some useless fake information called the 'Kosa Great Counteroffensive,' and Kushitante had been chased by the need to verify it. The Great Counteroffensive was fake, but there was one interesting story.
A story he wanted to let Geraha hear.
The monster was housed in one of the tents. Sentries were posted to watch day and night. Kushitante visited the tent without notice and entered by brushing aside the curtain without calling out.
Geraha was sitting cross-legged. Even just his upper body had a majestic presence that one had to look up to. He was a man like a Southern elephant. He had his back rounded, his face thrust forward, and his mouth open. His face was covered in bandages.
Kijimute was beside him. While smiling, he was in the middle of carrying something that looked like rice porridge to Geraha's mouth with a wooden spoon. He stopped his hand and made a surprised face.
"Ch-Chief..."
The monster leaned his face forward of his own accord, took the spoon in his mouth, and licked off the porridge.
"What are you doing?"
"Since you said to treat him—"
"Why not let him do something like eating by himself?"
He was a prisoner, but his hands and feet were not tied.
"I heard his cheek was pierced by an arrow, and since he said that wound hurts, I was nursing him—"
Geraha swallowed what was in his mouth. "Are you the King of the Tawaru?"
It was a voice that resonated heavily. He was looking this way with eyes peeking through the gaps in the bandages.
"Do you not know the courtesy of introducing yourself first?"
"I am Geraha Wolf."
Kushitante suppressed a laugh. It was a tone as if a youngster were trying his best to create an atmosphere.
Geraha continued.
"I am the Great King Geraha of Kosa. Bear that in mind."
Kushitante couldn't hold it back and burst out, laughing loudly. That laughter naturally faded away. Unexpectedly, it might not have been a laughing matter.
"It seems the army you led will not come to rescue you."
"They have likely returned to Kandasyata long ago."
"That Kandasyata. I came to see you because I wanted to say this. You see, the chief of Kosa has died. There are rumors that he was killed."
Geraha did not answer.
"What is it, so-called Great King? You didn't call yourself Great King because you knew that, did you?"
"Salakesh-sama lived a long life."
"This is also a rumor. There is a man named Sinkuk in a collateral branch of your clan, isn't there? That fellow who fled like a dog just the other day. Apparently, he has called himself the Great King."
"That person is a fake."
"Do you intend to say that you are the real one?"
"King of the Tawaru," Geraha said while looking somewhere far away. "Lend me soldiers. Give me a horse. From here, I shall slay Sinkuk."
He seemed serious, and Geraha tried to stand up.
Kushitante hurriedly shouted. "Fool! Sit! Have you gone mad and forgotten your position! Just sit!"
"I have never been made to forget my position. I have been the Great King since I was born."
"Shut up! Just sit!"
The self-proclaimed Great King sat down with a thud.
"First, recover. Then I will hear your opinion. Kijimute."
After calling him, he went outside. Kijimute followed.
"What is with that guy?" Kushitante questioned at a place away from Geraha's tent. "Has he lost his mind?"
"He might have," Kijimute answered briskly. "However, other than the matter of the Great King, he seems sane. It seems he lost his older brother in the previous war. Tenge Wolf."
He knew the name Tenge. He had heard he was a master of war.
"Geraha says that that master of war was killed by Sinkuk."
"Internal strife, as I thought. There were traces of that. Geraha is thinking of revenge, and that is why he says he will slay Sinkuk?"
"That... I don't really know." Kijimute put his hand to his head.
"Can he be restrained?"
"Probably. Despite how he looks, he is an honest man. There is even a feeling that he is considerate of us. However, if he decides to go, he will likely steal a horse and leave."
"Do not let him go anywhere," Kushitante ordered. "Tell him that the King of the Tawaru will treat him as a guest."
"You will make him a guest?"
"No, in reality, he is a prisoner. But give him the hope that he might be treated as the Great King eventually, and keep him quiet. He should not be able to return to Kandasyata. He is a man who has lost the place to return to. Make him understand that well."
"Understood."
"Kijimute."
"Yes?"
"Don't be swallowed by him, okay?"
Kijimute's face seemed to turn slightly pale. "Of course, such a—"
"Then, fine."
Kushitante left the place and forgot about Geraha for a while.
It was a month later when Kushitante disbanded the army. He made a triumphal return to the center of the Tawaru plains, a place called the 'Great Wasteland.' Kushitante received cheers everywhere he went. The Great Wasteland was the chief's territory, but any Tawaru could easily enter and pitch a tent.
He spoke with Pusiteto for the first time in a while.
He was a pale, fat man. He had a gentle-looking face and small eyes. Now that the war had ended, he had thinned a bit and was tanned.
"Among the main brains of Sanga's army, I beheaded Sichi,"
he spoke in a low voice. He wasn't speaking of a secret; his voice was small from the start.
"Because he was Sanga's close friend."
"That is correct. As for the others, I will take their livestock. Among Sanga's subordinates, I lightened the punishment for the Southerners a bit. They only did what they were told, and conversely, they seem trustworthy."
"Very well."
"Kosa will not move for a while, will they?"
"They won't be able to move for a year."
"That one who was captured, the—"
"Geraha. A man called Kijimute is taking care of him."
Geraha Wolf was gaining popularity. He was a rare, large trophy. His ugly face, sewn with war arrow wounds, had twisted further, becoming an appearance that didn't seem of this world. The Tawaru people went to see him specifically out of a desire to see something scary.
Geraha was indifferent and apparently greeted them with things like "Hey."
Kijimute came to Kushitante and petitioned directly to be allowed to continue caring for Geraha. Kushitante permitted it. This man's achievement was great.
Apparently, he was feeding Geraha good food and dressing him in clean clothes. He made the spectators maintain moderation and made the children who came to test their courage behave properly.
"Is that man alright?"
"Kijimute, eh? I'll let him do as he likes."
The Tawaru grazed not only sheep but also cattle. The cattle were made to climb the mountains and eat the grass of the highlands. Those mountains were covered in snow, and the time for the cattle to return to the plains had come again this year.
Around the same time, representatives of the plain nations arrived at the Great Wasteland, protected by gold-glittering soldiers.
Carts filled with tributes followed in a line.
The plain nations chose the Tawaru, not Sinkuk who called himself the Great King. Kushitante's war had finally ended.
Just as the movement south was beginning, Kijimute came galloping on his horse.
"Chief! Chief!"
Kushitante couldn't remember the messenger's name immediately. "What is it, Kijimute?"
"Geraha Wolf has gone."
"Did he escape?"
"Yes. Saying he would borrow a horse."
—What a fool.
Kushitante thought instantly. If he returned to Kandasyata now, he would undoubtedly be killed. For some reason, he remembered Sanga. Those who rush toward death are, in other words, those who can no longer feel the scent of the current of the times turning in their favor.
Fools.
In their haste, they can see nothing.
Because they cannot see, they do reckless things.
"Leave him be. You should return to your own tent as well."
Kijimute returned with his shoulders slumped.
He looked old, but he was still before thirty. He probably sympathized with Geraha.
However, after about three days, Kijimute came again.
"Geraha has returned."
"Returned? What is that? Where did he go?"
"That is—"
Visiting Geraha's tent, Kushitante was surprised. Young Kosa men were sitting on the ground, greedily eating mutton. There were probably twenty of them. Geraha was in the middle, roasting meat over a bonfire.
"What do you intend?" Kushitante raised a thick voice from atop his horse. "Why are there Kosa people here!"
"These are my soldiers," Geraha said. "I want you to let them stay here for a while."
"Where did you pick them up?"
"They weren't just lying around. I went to the villages on the outskirts of Kandasyata and invited them, saying Sinkuk is a fake, so come with me."
"So, these are the dimwits who believed that, then?"
"King of the Tawaru. You see, in ten days, ten times as many will gather. In twenty days, it will become a hundred times. Won't you lend me Tawaru soldiers? I want to take Sinkuk's head."
"Do you think it works like that?"
"You surely cannot refuse to lend a hand entirely."
"I can! Why do you think I cannot!"
"Because it is the request of the Great King of Kosa."
Kushitante returned that day, his heart filled with rage.
More than ten days passed after that.
This time, he had his retainers prepare for war and headed toward Geraha with about fifty riders. He brought Pusiteto and Hazab along.
Around the tent where Geraha had been sleeping, several other tents had been built and spread out, becoming a complete Kosa settlement. It seemed they had even brought in flocks of sheep, as they were grazing in a distant place.
Finding a young Kosa man cooking something outside, Kushitante shouted.
"Call Geraha!"
Before long, Kijimute came running. Geraha walked leisurely behind him.
"Quite a few have gathered," Kushitante said to Geraha. "What did you say to deceive them?"
"There were people who told me for a long time that I was the Great King. Those who believed what those people said were this many."
"As you can see, I have come to kick you out."
"Is it finally time? King of the Tawaru, won't you lend me soldiers?"
"I will not. First, show me the proof of being a king."
Kosa people came out of the tents one after another. All of them mounted horses, and one by one, they were gathering behind Geraha. Kushitante did not take his eyes off Geraha.
"I have brought one parting gift."
Saying so, he signaled Hazab.
What Hazab brought was an extraordinarily giant horse. It was a size larger even compared to Kosa horses. Its mane was long, and its exposed teeth were like hammers. Its thick neck, with veins bulging, was like a monster, and its chest and rump were clumsily robust. Its legs were short but thick, and the hair was so long it covered the hooves. The tail's hair was disordered; it was by no means a beautiful horse.
"In the western mountains, there are the Dwarf Mountains. Beyond that is the north. I hear miserable people who till frozen fields live there. A country there called Siddim offered this to me. This is a breed that grows in that north. Among the heavy horses known for being large, it is exceptionally large, and is called a Giant Horse."
Geraha was captivated.
"To the fools of Siddim, this apparently looks like a useless horse. They say they make it pull plows. I feel sorry for the horse."
"King of the Tawaru. I like it."
Taking the reins from Hazab, and as Kushitante watched to see what he would do, Geraha mounted the Giant Horse. It was not a trained horse. The Giant Horse became a bucking horse. Just as he thought that, it suddenly started running. At first, the horse stopped immediately, but when Geraha urged it with his body and legs, the Giant Horse increased its speed in the blink of an eye.
Around the Kosa tent group, a strange horse and a strange man began to circle in a large loop. Laughter reached this far. Geraha was laughing.
"The finest gift," Geraha said, approaching Kushitante. "Let us gather the finest things, gather the finest things, and take the world together, King of the Tawaru."
Geraha ran the horse again. The young Kosa men suddenly became excited and chased Geraha on horseback. They were circling relentlessly. A group of fools.
"Kijimute, what do you think?" Kushitante asked. "What will become of that?"
"I do not know. If thinking normally, nothing will come of it. However, that man..."
"It will, eh? I certainly feel that way."
The giant man's laughter resonated. Kushitante remained unable to take his eyes away for a while.
—Nothing will come of it.
It cannot happen. That is why I release him. Or rather, because it would be troublesome if something did happen, I release him.
Then why did I give him a horse?
Because somewhere in my chest, I think that something might actually happen.
Regardless, I cannot let such a guy live in my territory. Geraha no longer looked like a child. He drifted with a slight eeriness. He was trying to become something.
—No, even so.
His face was eerie, but even so, what was that freshness? It was refreshing like the wind. In Kushitante's eyes, it looked like a freshness blowing in from the interval of the eras. The King of the Tawaru remembered his childhood when he ate grasshoppers. An excitement like that time was throbbing in his chest.