Chapter 1523: Chapter 64: Siege (34)
Many times, those who think they are well-informed are actually the last to know.
Such was the case with Houdel.
Early in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, a “fellow townsman” of Houdel came rushing to him in a hurry.
This fellow townsman was also an officer cadet, but his relationship with Houdel couldn’t really be called close.
Houdel had first been a soldier, then got recommended to become a reserve officer. As for this “fellow townsman,” he had gotten in through exams directly.
As for the so-called bond of being from the same town, that was even more far-fetched.
Their past statuses were worlds apart, and in the past, the other wouldn’t even give “Monkey” a second glance.
The two had not been assigned to the same post during the current siege battle.
Besides, Houdel, by nature, was someone with pride and arrogance, never bothering to network or socialize.
So, the two only knew each other’s names and backgrounds, barely even acquaintances.
But this time, the other took the initiative to come over, sneakily running outside the fortress wall and begging the sentry to call Houdel.
A baffled Houdel exited the gates and was immediately dragged by the other to a secluded spot.
After a glance around, the fellow townsman, eyes filled with a hint of expectation, licked his lips and said mysteriously, “I’ve heard that Blood Wolf has come to Kingsfort.”
Houdel was taken aback, feeling a mix of irritation and amusement, “Who says so? If Blood Wolf came to the frontline, could I not know about it?”
The fellow townsman showed a hint of disappointment but still explained, “It’s true. Blood Wolf arrived yesterday afternoon, first took a look around outside New Town, and then went up to Magit Island in the evening. Lots of people saw him.”
The confidence in the other’s words made Houdel himself doubt for a moment.
Suddenly, a wave of grievance surged in Houdel’s heart—how could Blood Wolf come to the front without informing him, his “trusted aide”? Instead, letting outsiders hear the news first.
The more Houdel thought about it, the more agitated he became. He looked at the fellow townsman with growing dislike and asked irritably, “Did you come all this way just to tell me this?”
The fellow townsman was at a loss for words. He had come to Houdel in hopes of gathering information, not expecting that Houdel knew even less than he did.
“Anything else?” Houdel turned to leave, “If not, I have things to do.”
“Wait…” The fellow townsman hastily grabbed Houdel.
Houdel frowned, “What’s up?”
After a bout of intense inner conflict, lip biting, and much hesitation, the fellow townsman stammered, “There’s something else you might not know. I can tell you, but you must promise, absolutely promise, not to tell anyone…”
“Can’t promise that,” Houdel shook off the fellow townsman’s hand, laughing in anger, “Tell it or don’t; it’s up to you.”
The fellow townsman’s face flushed to the color of a liver after being rebuffed, holding back for a long while. Finally, in a fit of frustration, he pulled Houdel close, whispered into his ear:
“Maplestone City has been lost.”
It was as if trying to force two bladders’ worth of water into one, Houdel’s mind was suddenly overwhelmed.
He could hardly believe his ears. After a moment of stunned silence, he pushed the fellow townsman away, “Are you fucking crazy?! Where’s Maplestone City? How could it be Maplestone City’s turn?!”
“Keep your voice down!” The fellow townsman was so anxious he almost wanted to punch Houdel to stop him from speaking so loudly, “Don’t let anyone else hear.”
Houdel’s mind calmed down slightly, and now it was his turn to scan the surroundings carefully. After confirming there was no one else around, he asked, “Explain clearly, what happened, how did… it get lost?”
“I don’t know the specifics either. They say the United Provincials came by boat straight from Mirror Lake, and they’ve even cut off our retreat… I’m scared, so I came to you, to see if you know anything…” the fellow townsman tearfully looked at Houdel, “We won’t be… finished, will we? I… I just became an officer…”
“You’re not even an officer yet,” Houdel replied coldly, looking down on the other’s cowardice, “Who told you about these things?”
“Don’t worry about that.” The fellow townsman was loyal to his information source and wouldn’t say a word no matter how much Houdel pressed.
Houdel’s mind was on the brink of splitting; the potential consequences of Maplestone City’s fall, and their retreat being cut off, were like a tangled mess, occupying his heart, with no way to sort it out.
In the chaos, the only thing he was sure of was that once these news spread, it would definitely deal a huge blow to morale.
He had to stop it.
Suppressing his inner unease, Houdel grabbed the fellow townsman by the collar, and almost face-to-face, he snarled a threat through clenched teeth:
“Listen carefully, do not tell anyone else these things. If the sky falls, there are taller people to hold it up. Even if it’s true, it’s not your place to spread it around. If I hear you blabbering again, I’ll knock all your teeth out.”
The fellow townsman felt utterly wronged, “I told you out of kindness.”
Houdel also felt a bit guilty, but once he had started down this path, his pride wouldn’t allow him to soften up, so he hardened his heart and continued to scold, “Did you hear me?”
The fellow townsman nodded and walked away in despair.
Watching him leave, Houdel dragged his heavy footsteps back into the fortress where they were stationed.
Outside the tent, young Majiya, who was cooking barley porridge, noticed something off about Houdel’s mood. He put down the fire-blowing pipe and asked with concern, “What’s wrong?”
Sitting by the iron pot, Claude, who had been yawning incessantly, also cast an inquisitive look.