Chapter 250: Plan B
The afternoon sun cast a golden light across the dry grasslands. The foundation work on the new wall was finally nearing completion.
As the concrete was poured into the beams, a group of craftsmen followed Prince Simon’s instructions. They used metal rods to repeatedly stab into the freshly poured concrete and pull them out again.
In modern construction, this is done with a vibrating rod to shake the concrete and remove air pockets. Since they didn’t have that equipment here, this was their best manual method.
"Viktor, we’ll start backfilling in three days. When you do, make sure to water the soil thoroughly so it compacts well." Simon instructed a middle-aged craftsman nearby.
Viktor had once been a slave bought by Edger. He was later assigned to the construction team. In his former life, he was a bricklayer, so when Simon gave technical orders, he picked things up quickly.
Since Simon planned to create a permanent construction corps for Brambleford, he made sure to mentor people with potential. Viktor was one of them, and over the past few days, Simon had personally taught him the finer points of wall-building.
"Yes, Your Highness," Viktor answered carefully, always keeping a humble tone. As a slave, he knew his place. Just being noticed by the Prince was already more fortune than he had ever dreamed of.
He’d been studying hard, believing that if he proved himself, perhaps one day he could shed the label of ’slave.’
Just then, a cheer rose from the distance. Simon turned his head to see a group of cavalry approaching, all clad in silver armour.
"My Lord, looks like Benjamin and Lancelot are back. Seems like the nomads have started chasing them." Said Aiden.
Simon nodded. "That’s called when the enemy advances, we retreat. If the nomads waste all this energy hunting us only to find no one, it’ll drive them mad."
Aiden chuckled. "They’ll be pulling their hair out."
As the riders drew closer, their faces came into view; it was Lancelot’s unit. They were also driving along several thousand captured horses.
"My Lord, we’re back," Lancelot reported, covered in dust and grass. The journey had clearly been rough.
Simon patted him on the shoulder. "Not bad. I was starting to worry you’d stay out there too long."
"I wouldn’t dare. Either the nomads would kill me, or Your Highness would take my head." Lancelot joked, then asked, "Has Commander Benjamin returned yet?"
"Not yet," Simon replied, his expression turning serious.
Lancelot’s smile faded. "That’s bad. On our way back, we spotted a unit of five thousand nomadic riders heading toward Dunmere. They were clearly trying to cut off our retreat. We barely made it back."
Just as he spoke, Liam shouted from the city wall. "My Lord! Cavalry approaching!"
The three of them rushed up the wall. Simon took the telescope and saw a group of nomadic cavalry loitering far outside the city, clearly observing but not attacking.
"They’re here to cut off Benjamin," Aiden said, narrowing his eyes.
"What do we do now? Not even a general like him can fight through five thousand with only a thousand men." Lancelot said anxiously.
Simon, however, already had a backup plan. He just hadn’t wanted to use it unless he had no other choice. "No choice. Open the mountain tunnel."
"The tunnel! How could I forget?" Lancelot brightened.
Last autumn, the nomads had used a cave ten kilometres west of Dunmere to sneak into the city. That invasion had failed, and afterwards, Lancelot had been ordered to seal the tunnel and post guards there.
In the last battle, the nomads didn’t use that route again; clearly, only that first raiding party had known of it.
"Mountain tunnel?" Aiden asked, confused.
Lancelot explained. "There’s a narrow cave ten kilometres west of the city. Only one man and horse can pass at a time. I sealed it last year."
"No time to waste. Go open it now and wait for Commander Benjamin. If the nomads haven’t found it yet, we’ll use it again in future raids. But if they do, we’ll collapse it. Either way, the harassment plan can end now; the foundation is done, and finishing the wall will be much simpler."
"Yes, sir!" Lancelot turned and rushed out with a team.
"So that’s why you’ve been so calm," Aiden said with admiration. "You already had a plan."
Simon nodded. "That tunnel was our final backup. Before they left, I gave both Lancelot and Benjamin a sealed note, only to be opened if they were in danger. Lancelot never had to use his, so he didn’t know."
"Let’s just hope the General opens his now," Aiden murmured.
Meanwhile, Benjamin’s unit had just reached the foot of the Salas peak outside Dunmere. He still remembered when Emperor Alaric himself had named those peaks during a royal tour of the empire.
"Commander, nomad riders spotted outside the city." A scout reported.
"So they’re not completely stupid," Benjamin muttered, signalling his troops to halt.
"What now?" A junior officer asked.
Benjamin squinted. In his time exiled to the mines, he’d made peace with life and death. He’d known going into the steppe was dangerous, but he had gone willingly. All he wanted was to help push the nomads back one day.
"Hah! Are you all afraid to die?" Benjamin suddenly laughed loudly.
"Never!" The troops roared.
Benjamin lifted his telescope. Against five thousand cavalry, their thousand-strong force couldn’t possibly break through.
He might not care if he lived or died, but his men were elite, seasoned officers, veterans, and captains. Over the past ten days, he’d been teaching them how to survive on the steppe: how to hide, find water, change formations, and evade pursuit.
Losing them all here would be a tragedy.
Then he remembered the note Prince Simon had given him.
He hesitated, then opened the sealed envelope.
Reading the contents, Benjamin couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head.
"Into Salas Peak. His Highness already left us a way out." He said, rallying his men and pointing toward the mountains ahead.