vstars Chapter 432 Leaving
Chapter 432 Leaving
John was standing above the hall waiting. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approaching from afar broke the solemn silence in the hall. John slowly turned around and saw the familiar Kusha messenger Abu.
John's brows furrowed instantly, a trace of displeasure flashed in his eyes, and he said coldly:
"why is it you again?"
Aibu hurriedly bowed slightly, with an awkward but calm smile on his face, and explained:
"This... may be because I am familiar with your culture, so His Majesty asked me to convey his will again."
His voice echoed in the hall with an elusive meaning.
John knew that this was not a question of cultural familiarity, and he stared at Abu with a sharp gaze, as if he wanted to see through him. But Abu pretended to be calm and waited for John's next words.
"Enough of the small talk, what's going on again?"
John asked, his voice low but with unmistakable authority.
Then Abu straightened his clothes, cleared his throat, and told him everything that Kalishika had said:
"Your Majesty warned the Kushans in the fortress that as long as they were willing to leave the fortress, His Majesty would pardon them. This was His Majesty's last act of kindness. His Majesty did not want to see his people going further and further down the wrong path. On the contrary, if they did not come out this time, when the fortress was breached, the remaining Kushans would be executed for treason."
Suddenly, with a "swoosh!" sound, John drew out the sword from his waist, and the blade flashed a cold light under the dim light. This sudden action startled Aibu, and his body shook, with a flash of panic in his eyes.
John pointed his sword at Aibu and said:
"Do you think I don't know what you guys are up to?"
Aibu quickly explained, speaking very quickly:
"My Lord, this is just His Majesty's order. I am just a messenger. This suggestion was not made by me. Although I am an envoy, I am just a small person and have no power to influence His Majesty's decision."
As he spoke, he looked at the sword in John's hand with horror, as if he wanted to distance himself from the matter.
John snorted coldly, put away his sword, and waved at Aibu:
"Okay, you can go now. Someone take him to rest."
Abu felt as if he had been pardoned. He turned around and followed the soldiers out of the hall in a hurry. His departing footsteps sounded somewhat flustered.
John looked at Abu's back as he left, took a deep breath, and calmed down his excitement. He knew that now was not the time to act rashly, and he had to deal with the situation calmly. He turned to the soldier standing beside him and said:
"Go and get General Renard."
Not long after, Reynard hurried over. As soon as he appeared, John told him everything that Abu had said. Reynard stood there, his eyes slightly widened, and the expression on his face kept changing as John told his story, first with surprise, then falling into deep thought.
After listening to this, Reynard said in surprise:
"Sir, this is to create conflict between the Kushans who are fighting with us in the fortress and us pagans. This strategy is really vicious. If we allow them to leave, the number of troops in the fortress will be reduced by one third, which is a big blow to us.
"But if we force them to stay, they will definitely resist. They are familiar with every corner and defense facility here. Then the army of Calixga outside the city will join forces with them to break through the city."
John's eyes flashed coldly, he clenched his fists tightly and said:
"Yes, this Galixiga is a cunning guy. We must think of a way to deal with him and not fall into his trap. I will immediately order someone to find out the situation of the soldiers in the city, and you go and invite Chief Hashim to come. We need to discuss this matter carefully."
Reynard nodded, turned around and quickly left the hall to find Chief Hashim.
Soon, Chief Hashim came hurriedly. When he saw John, he immediately stepped forward and asked:
"Sir, what's going on? I heard many soldiers from my tribe say they can go home. What does this mean?"
John then slowly and in detail recounted how Calixica persuaded the people of the fortress to surrender.
Chief Hashim listened and sighed helplessly.
There was a trace of struggle in his eyes. On the one hand, he understood that this was an open plot. Galixica was trying to divide the forces in the fortress. This method seemed simple, but in fact it was extremely clever.
On the other hand, he also knew that his soldiers were almost exhausted. The continuous fighting had exhausted them physically and mentally, and many of them missed their hometowns and relatives far away. Now that they heard that there was a chance to go home, who wouldn't be tempted?
Seeing Hashim's hesitation, John thought for a moment and then said:
"Then ask all your generals to come to the hall. I want to hear their ideas. After all, this concerns the future of your tribe's soldiers."
Hashim immediately sent someone to call the generals, and soon groups of generals dressed in Kusha costumes came into the hall one after another. They looked confused and tired, and they all looked listless.
Seeing that most of the people had arrived, John signaled Hashim to explain the situation to the generals. Hashim cleared his throat and said loudly:
"Brothers, I came here today to hear your thoughts on staying and resisting Galicia. After all, now that this special decision has been made, everyone can speak freely."
However, when the generals saw John, they hesitated and dared not speak. The atmosphere suddenly became very dull, as if a huge stone was weighing heavily on everyone's heart.
John saw their concerns and said:
"Don't worry, I promise you that no matter what choice you make, I will not punish you."
Hearing John's words, a general who looked younger and more straightforward stood up. He saluted John respectfully and said:
"Sir John, to be honest, my soldiers and their families are homesick. Now that they have the opportunity to go home, they all want to go home. I understand their feelings. After all, we have been fighting on the battlefield for too long, and our families are always our concern."
As soon as this was said, it was like a gap was opened, and many generals followed suit and said:
"Sir, my soldiers and their families want to go home. Too many people died in the long foreign war, and the remaining ones are exhausted."
Hearing this, John thought for a long time. His brain was working rapidly, weighing the pros and cons. The generals around him were silent, all looking at him with expectation in their eyes, as if waiting for his final decision.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment, and the hall was so quiet that only the sound of people's breathing could be heard. Finally, John looked up at everyone, as if he had made up his mind. After taking a deep breath, he said:
"Okay, I agree to your request to go home. You can go back to reunite with your family and live a peaceful life."
Hashim breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had put down a heavy burden, but at the same time he asked worriedly:
"Then what should you do, Lord John? After all, you once saved us when we were in danger. Now you are facing Gabriel alone. What should you do?"
John waved his hand, his eyes full of determination:
"It doesn't matter. After using this trick, it seems that he won't be able to hold on for much longer. If Galixica keeps his promise, you can return to your hometown and live a peaceful life. The Kusha continent has been in war for many years, and now we need a qualified ruler to stabilize the situation. I believe that all this has been determined long ago."
Although Leonard next to him didn't say anything, he also agreed with John's statement. He stood aside and watched all this silently, but his heart sank again. He knew that this decision meant that their strength would be greatly weakened and the future situation would be more severe.
The setting sun shines through the window into the hall. John calls Abu for lunch in the afternoon. There is simple but rich food on the table, but neither of them has much appetite.
John told Abu that he agreed to Kalishica's terms and said seriously:
"Aibu, when you return to the tent, you must explain to His Majesty Kalishika that since I have made this decision, I hope he can keep his promise."
When Aibu heard John's words, he was stunned for a moment, then he stood up excitedly and said loudly:
"Lord John, you are indeed a man with a big heart. His Majesty Gabriel is also a man who keeps his word, you can rest assured. I will go back and tell His Majesty the news immediately."
Then, with John's consent, Abu immediately left the city and returned to the Kusha camp. When he came to Kalishaka and narrated the incident in detail, even Kalishaka stood up from his seat in surprise.
His eyes widened, as if he had heard something incredible. He rubbed his ears repeatedly, unable to believe that John had such courage.
He could only sigh in his heart:
"Even though we're opponents, I can't help but admire his magnanimity. Compared to me, he's a better leader."