Treatise Of A Failed Knight-Chapter 236: War Is Never A Pleasant Thing
The war is over.
With the Great Northern Tribe’s army destroyed and the final resistance towards our invasion on the Central Plains squashed, we have finally achieved one part of our goal.
Now, the aftermath follows.
Firstly, we take care of all the corpses, gathering them into a pile and then burning them.
Leaving them to rot would not only be disrespectful, but there’s a high chance that disease could fester as a result.
The battle took place just a few miles from the coast of the Central Plains, so I can imagine the kind of plague that could ensue if proper precautions are not taken.
Besides burning corpses, we take our time to count our losses and assess our gains.
Starting from gains—
’All the Armaments and millitary wealth of the Great Northern Tribe are ours now. We are not pillagers, so we aren’t attacking their territory to plunder more resources, considering there are civilians who need them. But, all the spoils of battle are ours, including some new B Grade Armements.’
Since we follow Kalakuta’s code, our gains are only limited to the battlefield.
Hence, they do not exceed these things.
As for losses, the most overt ones we have suffered are the deceased Magivores. Essentially, all the Cadre 2 Magivores perished in the war, and hundreds—almost a thousand—Cadre 3 Magivores suffered the same fate.
As for Cadre 4, other than the three who fell after I sent them to kill the Minister of Combat and her forces, two more died during our attack on the Tribes.
That makes a total of five of them dead.
Personally, I do not consider this a major loss.
For one, Cadre 2 Magivores are very weak and easy to refill. In fact, there were excesses we left behind in No Man’s Land simply due to how inconvenient it would be to transport them all.
Besides, we could always replace them with new Magivores that can be found in the Central Plains.
In fact... we can do this for all fallen Magivores.
Naturally, finding Cadre 3 Magivores will be harder, and Cadre 4 Magivores will be even more difficult to access, but I am certainly not clueless on where to start finding them.
I have been in the Central Plains before, and I did command some Magivores during the period I was here.
I believe the time has come for me to retrieve them.
But first—
"We have done it, my brothers!"
Kalakuta stands in front of us, his two strong arms raised valiantly as he grins with very deep passion.
"Although the lives of we Freedom Fighters were not shed during this conflict, there was still a lot of death and chaos. Husbands, fathers, sons... they died on this battlefield and we are partly responsible for their deaths."
"...."
The crowd is solemn as they listen.
Now at the coast, ready to depart from the Central Continent, we listen to Kalaluta’s grand speech of encouragement.
Although the battle itself was rather brief, this campaign has lasted an entire week—largely due to the cleanup that had to occur afterwards.
Now, it’s time for most of us to go home.
’But I still need to retrieve Magivores and Kalakuta also has stuff he wants to do...’
"... And although we took their lives, they lived in accordance with their will. They chose to battle, to resist our ideals. As such, although we disagree with their philosophies, we will treat our enemies with the respect that is deserving of those who fight valiantly until their last breaths." He continues speaking, his tone growing louder and more energetic as he addresses us.
"And so, as we look unto the future, look inwards and remember what your own will and resolve is. Do not forget what it is we fight for..." He clenches his fists as his arms remain in the air and shouts.
"For the sake of freedom!"
"FOR THE SAKE OF FREEDOM!"
Everyone erupts in cheers.
Myself included.
Once this is all over, I approach Kalakuta and inform him of my intentions to find Magivores and replenish our ranks.
Since Kalakuta also has unresolved business in the Central Plains, he agrees for us to travel together.
"We can have about some Freedom Fighters waiting behind since we need to pilot the sea vessels to transport the Magivores." He suggests, to which I nod. "How many do you need?"
"Not much. Maybe a dozen or so men. I only plan to replenish the Cadre 3 and Cadre 4 Magivores. There’s also a high chance that I won’t return with many of them, since No Man’s Land’s climate and Special Resources might be incompatible with them."
Mangivores require special living conditions and highly specific diets to survive for an extended period, after all.
Taking them away from their habitat for a brief period to use them for battle is one thing, but many more factors go into long-term breeding.
Since we just fought a battle, I don’t see the Freedom Fighters actively engaging in warfare anytime soon.
But—
’Our forces have reduced, and some of these Nations might see this as a kind of vulnerability. We have to bolster our numbers, just in case...’
Thus, if I find Magivores compatible with No Man’s Land, I will bring them with us.
"Duly noted. We should depart now."
I nod, and after a brief conversation with everyone, Kalakuta and I take our leave.
We—just me and him—march towards a destination even I was a little skeptical of when he first told me.
... The Central Plains’ Tribes.
Kalakura visits them one after the other, dwelling in their midst and speaking with them in a very calm and respectful tone.
Naturally, we had to visit the Great Northern Tribe first, but even after... we went to the dwelling of all the others.
I already decided to leave all the talking to Kalakuta, since it was his decision.
And... I’m glad I did.
There is something about this man, Kalakuta.
He has a way of stirring the hearts of people and swaying men with his words.
He doesn’t even do this intentionally or with malicious intent. It is simply who he is, and what he represents, that inspires those he speaks with.
Thus, even when visiting Tribes who lost their strongest warriors and while addressing the grieving people who would naturally resent him for his actions, Kalakuta somehow manages to soften their hearts.
I watch as he tells them the truth of his goals.
I watch him apologize.
He cries with them. He laughs with them. He dances with them.
Even if it is inconvenient or foreign to him, he spends as much time in these Tribes as they will allow or desire for him to remain.
For those who chase him off, he does not impose his presence.
For those who accept him, he happily joins their company. Bearing no resentment in his heart or a passion to subjugate these people, he only merely wishes to speak with them.
To help them understand him.
That he has no reason or desire to colonize the Central Plains. To reveal his desire for them to freely live and enjoy the land in its abundance.
He even goes ahead to ask about the number of casualties each Tribe suffered.
He doesn’t have to... but he does.
Because... he cares.
I know the Tribes can see this, too, which is why many accept and embrace him despite the great tragedy he has brought upon their continent.
Only after leaving the Tribes does he tell me;
"I also visited every city, town, and village in the Northern Empire after the war. I had to check on their wellbeing and help them understand that we do not wish to replace the tyrannical government, but simply wish to set everyone free."
What a guy!
Although I used to find Kalakuta’s grand nature almost surreal. It made me view him as disconnected from humanity.
Now, I find myself revising my position.
In these moments of understanding and compassion towards complete strangers... I have noticed something deeper and more primal within this man.
Humanity.
"Knight... I truly believe war is a terrible thing. War is always a terrible thing. But it is also the only way to achieve our goals."
He sighs while smiling at me.
The heaviness in his heart is visible, even to me. But what can I do but smile back?
There is so much I wish to stay.
A lot stirs in my heart.
But to what end?
’All conflict is, in the end, a natural byproduct of diverse groups possessing diverse ideas. It is largely inevitable.’ I sigh deeply. ’Both sides believe in their own ideals and the test of that is the battle. The results determine which ideals will become truth.’
Such is life and politics.
"All of this battle and bloodshed may end up being pointless in the end. But, I truly believe it is the right path to take. War is never a pleasant thing, but the battle for freedom will never not be a good thing." I finally respond.
For a moment, Kalakuta is dazed by my words. It is almost like he cannot believe what I have just told him.
After dwelling in silence for some time, he finally speaks.
"Knight... I truly feel as though no one understands me like you do. Not my other brothers or my women."
I smile at this.
Having Kalakuta admit this to me is certainly a desired result.
There are no ranks among Freedom Fighters, just positions based on utility.
No one is above the other.
However—
’Right now, I have solidified myself as Kalakuta’s right hand man. Not only is my utility evident to the Freedom Fighters and Kalakuta himself, but he and I are starting to share a close bond that exceeds the others...’
This pretty much makes me the second most important person among the Freedom Fighters.
My position has finally been solidified.
Even disregarding that, I cannot argue against Kalakuta’s words. I also feel great kinship with him and resonate deeply with his ideals.
He is more than a leader to me.
"Let us return, my brother."
"Yes... brother."
We make our way back to the shore with the few hundred Magivores I managed to capture, and eventually make it back to No Man’s Land, where pretty much all the Freedom Fighters were waiting for him at the shores.
"Kalakuta! Kalakuta! Kalakuta!"
They chant his name like he is some kind of deity. They cast their gazes on him as though he is their savior.
They welcome him back as their hero.
But...
’I can see something which they cannot. A side of this person that escapes them.’
Kalakuta is none of these things.
He is but a man.
For it is in every man’s true nature to hold compassion and desire freedom.
Kalakuta is no exception.
