Medieval Knight System: Building the Strongest Empire Ever!-Chapter 69: Prisoner Interrogation

The duchy army was warmly welcomed by the Feuzen villagers, but Michael held firm that he couldn’t allow soldiers inside the village and set up a separate camp. The Feuzen village chief and residents generously shared food so the duchy army could rest well. That was why our men were resting now.

"I witnessed Sir Wolfgang’s exploits with my own two eyes."

"Becoming a soldier of the Streit family is the greatest fortune of my life!"

Ted and Oscar were deeply inspired by my performance and trembled with emotion. No, don’t be that moved—it’s awkward. Who knows how many battlefields we’ll march through from now on. I was also reassigned to command the Rosenheim soldiers. Militia captain Gustav was no less impressed than those two. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"I’ll never forget fighting under the Gale Knight and will pass the story down to my descendants. That great tale of valor—bravely charging into enemy lines and shattering them!"

"Calm down. How is this small amount of merit a tale of valor?"

"It was a magnificent exploit worthy of a heroic ballad, wasn’t it?"

By that logic, wouldn’t Fiel, who played such a strong vanguard role, be more fitting for the praise? But my subordinates insisted that only I had shone on that battlefield. I had no idea myself, but those who watched called it an amazing exploit, so honestly, I was embarrassed.

In truth, when I led the cavalry and charged, I wasn’t in my right mind at all. I only remember guiding the troops by reading combat power and morale through the scouter. The fight with the Burgundian knight, on the other hand, I remembered far more vividly. My men kept heaping praise on me to the point that I eventually fled to Michael’s tent.

"As expected, our brother-in-law is no ordinary man. I never thought you’d achieve this much."

"...Lucky to have such an excellent brother-in-law, right?"

"Of course! Thanks to you, we won with minimal casualties, and now we can return to Breisburg with our heads held high. Hilda choosing you was practically God’s own doing."

Since the duchy army was commanded by the Steiner War Minister’s family, every casualty weakened our forces accordingly. In that light, thanks to my leading the detachment and raiding the rear, we had defeated an enemy twice our number with minimal losses. It was an encouraging achievement indeed.

"You worked hard too, brother-in-law. The burden of commanding with His Highness right beside you must have been enormous."

"Thanks for understanding. Besides you, no one else grasps that hardship."

"What’s visible isn’t always what matters, right?"

"That’s true. We were fortunate that His Highness showed courage—it kept morale from collapsing."

Michael confided that he had actually nearly lost his composure when the enemy advanced, attempting to envelop us with their numerical superiority. Not from fear of battle, but from the dread that the Crown Prince might not escape safely. At that very moment, I had led the detachment like a bolt of lightning and struck the rear, breaking their formation apart.

Had it really been that close?

I’d had no idea, since I was wholly focused on reading combat power and morale through the Commander Scouter.

"Your timing was impeccable. If you’d been even a moment later, things could have gone badly."

"Then buy me a round when we’re back in Breisburg."

"Of course. Let’s drink until we can’t drink anymore. My wife and Hilda will allow it."

That was only if we got back safely, of course.

Unfortunately, Michael and I couldn’t rest just yet.

First, the two of us bore responsibility for the duchy army, and on top of that, we had taken far too many prisoners—over eighty who had surrendered. And most soldiers, far from resting, were out on the battlefield collecting the dead while busily looting whatever they could find.

"Brother-in-law, shouldn’t we bury the corpses first?"

"The soldiers are busy looting right now. None of them will want to stop for burials."

Looting the enemy’s weapons and equipment on the battlefield was practically the victor’s prerogative, since soldiers could earn income beyond their campaign pay through plunder. The Rosenheim soldiers had also joined the rush and were busy claiming what they could. Disputes had already broken out.

I had promised Ted and Oscar separate rewards, so the two of them stayed out of it. However, I did request five of the surviving warhorses with the aim of building retainer cavalry. The Crown Prince readily agreed. Michael, who had a good eye for horses, selected from the surviving warhorses and handed them over to me.

As for the captured knights, their equipment and horses were strictly kept separate, because we could claim prisoner ransoms through future negotiations. If ransom was paid, the knight’s equipment and horses would be returned; if the ransom couldn’t be paid, the equipment and horses would be forfeit and the knight sent away empty-handed.

What I truly coveted were the knights’ horses, but since those were tied up in the ransom process, I had no choice but to settle for five horses taken from dead cavalrymen. Fiel also requested horses in lieu of loot. After fighting alongside me as cavalry, he too had recognized the need for retainer cavalry of his own.

"Hmm, got lost and wandered all the way down to Rosenheim?"

"That’s exactly what the Burgundian commander said. Isn’t it hard to believe?"

"I’m more surprised that you can speak French, brother-in-law."

The Crown Prince could speak French as well, but since it would have been improper for the Crown Prince to conduct the interrogation directly, I ended up doing it instead—I was the only French speaker in our camp besides the Crown Prince himself. So I went to meet the Burgundian knights imprisoned in Feuzen’s jail.

"Listen here. Are you telling us to eat this slop? Even my servant doesn’t eat such swill. At the very least, I’d like white bread and Roden wine."

"I’m sorry, but we’re short on supplies right now, so I can’t grant that request."

"Ah, an educated knight who speaks our language. I salute your bravery."

The Burgundian commander wasn’t cowed in the least despite being a prisoner and boldly asserted his rights as a noble. His name was Jean de Plessis, and he introduced himself as a member of an old knight family from Besançon. He also requested courteous treatment, assuring me that his family would pay the ransom.

"Streit? The name sounds familiar somehow."

"Sir Plessis, I believe he’s the Gale Knight."

"Ah, that’s it! The hero who saved the Crown Prince from an assassin! Being defeated by a knight of your reputation is nothing to be ashamed of. I simply lost to a worthy opponent!"

This Burgundian knight called Jean was a shameless man beyond anything I could have imagined.