I'm A Sucker For Extras - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

“Stoppp”

The voices of everyone present fell silent at the fiery voice of a woman, as if splitting the plain.

The prisoner’s struggle ceased.

Aidan looked at the castle wall with surprise. The princess, who had just scolded him, was biting her lips and staring at him with a stern expression.

“Your Grace! Are you going to let the people of the North die without even listening to what the imperial family has to say?”

The princess raised her head defiantly, glaring down at the Duke.

Regardless of the princess’s intentions to stop the advance, it was indeed effective. At least the Duke was now willing to listen.

River sent a warning glance, but Aidan looked away.

As Aidan glared at her with a fierce gaze, the princess, seeing that he had acquiesced to negotiation, began speaking.

“We request a truce for the next three years.”

A truce? Aidan snorted.

River interjected, “Calling a truce in front of the man who won the entire war, is there no one in the imperial family who can do simple math?”

Moreover, three years? The duration was vague. Does this mean they’re going to build up their strength and attack the north?

Or are they suggesting that we wait three years for them to starve to death and then scoop up the unoccupied northern lands like fallen grain?

Either way, it was a proposition that did not need consideration.

However, there were captives on the castle wall.

River cursed inwardly.

The captives, who had been resolute, were now hesitating at the princess’s outcry, likely feeling fear creeping in.

River didn’t want to sacrifice them, but thanks to them, justice was on the Duke’s side.

But now, in the midst of negotiations, the situation has shifted.

The Duke now found himself in a position where he had to make a choice for their lives.

It was a move made by the princess.

“If you do not accept this proposal, I will kill them here. If they willingly sacrifice themselves…”

The princess paused and gestured behind her. Archers aimed their arrows towards the inside of the castle, towards the village within the fortress. Flames flickered at the tips of the arrows.

Then the princess continued, “I will burn down all the granaries within the castle walls.”

The sound of gnashing teeth could be heard everywhere, not just from River and Aidan.

It meant that they wouldn’t surrender easily, even if it meant dying together.

If the granaries of the castle burned now, the North would be doomed.

Even though they could grow potatoes and turnips, it was a long-term plan. They couldn’t store enough food for the winter from now on.

It meant holding the lives of not only the people of the North and the people of the wilderness; all the people would be held hostage.

‘This is what the imperial family is like…’

But the princess showed no sign of hesitation.

Even though she seemed in a bad mood, she appeared like someone who could make a judicious decision without getting excited.

Not only in Aidan’s eyes but also in River’s, she seemed to be a person with the will to enforce her threat if necessary.

River leaned in and whispered to Aidan.

Aidan, having heard him, sighed heavily and nodded solemnly.

Taking a step forward, Aidan spoke, “I have a condition.”

The princess nodded slightly, maintaining her raised posture, as if urging him to speak.

“Recognize the autonomy of the North.”

The princess bit her lips. It was a small gesture that was hard to see from a distance, but Aidan, with his sharp eyes, could see it.

Without showing any signs of being upset, the princess continued to gesture as if urging him to speak.

“I’ll take all the prisoners on my way back, and I’ll take one-third of the granaries in the imperial palace.”

“Agreed.”

Surprisingly, the princess responded coolly. Her attitude seemed as if she had expected this much.

Aidan barely managed to suppress the urge to look at River with a bewildered expression. Although he couldn’t see it, River also had a surprised look on his face.

“In exchange, we have a condition as well.”

“Speak.”

“I want Duke McCarthy back.”

It was something Aidan had been intending to do anyway, and he didn’t plan to take him.

Aidan nodded without hesitation.

Once the deal was sealed, the princess turned without saying anything.

Before turning around, Aidan and the princess’s eyes met.

Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were burning. They were filled with anger, not resolve.

Instinctively, Aidan felt that this wasn’t the end.

And so the truce was signed.

❖ ❖ ❖

The North was no longer a part of the empire under the emperor’s rule. Therefore, they no longer had to pay taxes to the royal family, and the fear of being plundered disappeared.

If they received one-third of the abundant southern grain, they could survive the winter and dream of future cultivation.

Aidan expected more stringent conditions from the imperial side, but it turned out to be unexpected.

River was satisfied. He had come prepared for death, and this outcome felt like a victory.

However, most of the soldiers who had wanted a glorious victory within the imperial palace seemed to turn away with a somewhat disheartened feeling. They had thought they had won everything, but returning without a clear victory felt unsatisfying.

Aidan wasn’t pleased either.

“Your Grace! Please make the north a happy place for our children!”

The expressions and cries of the prisoners jumping off the walls were vividly engraved in Aidan’s mind.

He felt the weight on his shoulders.

But Aidan didn’t have the luxury to focus on his own feelings. He knew what he had to do.

The remaining soldiers were waiting about a hundred steps away, observing the situation.

Aidan confidently shouted from atop the black horse.

“We won! We’ve regained enough food to survive, and we’ve abandoned the cruel and incompetent Riley Imperial Family! Let’s become true Northerners and return to the North!”

He roamed among the soldiers, changing his words and shouting again.

“Let’s go back with wagons full of food for our mothers, fathers, and beloved wives and children! To the North!”

Someone echoed the Duke’s words.

“To the North!”

“Let’s go back! To the north!”

“Let’s go back! Home!”

“Yeah!”

Only then did the soldiers laugh and cry. The journey back was filled with songs.

River breathed a sigh of relief, proudly watching the retreating figure of his lord, Duke Aidan.

‘Ah, he’s no longer a duke now. I need to decide on the name of our country.’

❖ ❖ ❖

Aidan’s army returned triumphantly to their camp.

It was difficult to celebrate here as it was too close to the imperial palace.

They couldn’t lower their guard just yet.

Once the day broke, they planned to finalize the prisoner exchange and collect the provisions. Then, they would climb up to the fortress of Perdan and celebrate there.

Aidan and some soldiers, including River, decided to keep an eye on the imperial palace from the hill.

That evening, the first batch of prisoners were returned.

The exchange with Duke McCarthy and the provisions were scheduled for the next day.

Only then did Aidan let out a sigh.

That’s when he could finally figure out why he had a nagging feeling at the base of his spine.

‘She hasn’t appeared.’

With the camp being so lively, there was no way she hadn’t heard the news.

‘I hoped she would come out first, rejoicing and welcoming us. Facing the most challenging thing in front of the imperial palace.’

He felt naive in his thoughts.

‘Is it because of what I heard from Duke McCarthy? ‘

‘You failed in your assassination, Brody. I should’ve stopped you.’

“That woman is more precious to me than anything else.”

Bree. And Brody.

‘No, no, no. Let’s not jump to conclusions. It could be a leak to the enemy. It could be a diversionary tactic.’

“River, I’ll leave the position for an hour.”

“Uh, Your Grace?!”

Without waiting for River to stop him, Aidan quickly mounted his horse and rushed into the camp.

‘I need to hear whatever she has to say, even if I won’t hear anything at all. Just to see her, make eye contact with her, and hold her in my arms is more than enough.’’

‘I miss her. I miss her so much.’

He reached the tent in no time. Jumping off the horse, he walked briskly, hastily pulling aside the curtain and calling her name.

“Bree!”

The tent was dark.

Only one lantern dimly lit the space, as modest as usual.

If she had heard his approach, she could have gotten up and come out. But there was no response.

‘Is she still sleeping?’

He thought so, but his heart was pounding strangely.

“Bree…?”

She wasn’t in the bed.

The tent was neatly arranged, and it seemed there was no warmth anywhere.

Even the fire in the stove was dying out.

‘Why would someone who feels the cold so much let the fire go out?’

In confusion, Aidan approached the stove, lifted the poker, and added more wood to revive the flames.

‘Maybe she heard the news and went outside?’

As he was about to pat his hands and turn around, something unfamiliar caught his eye.

‘What’s this?’

He approached the table with a puzzled look.

On the table, there was a small vial and a note. The vial was filled with tiny pills, smaller than peas.

He absentmindedly picked up the note, thinking it might explain the medicine.

❖ ❖ ❖

“No! Are you out of your mind?”

With a bewildered expression, River blocked Aidan, who was about to leave the camp.

He had spoken so hastily that River almost got hit by his words.

“I’ll be back by morning.”

“This isn’t the North, and is it possible even ‘that’ here? No, what if there’s movement in the palace overnight? What if it’s a plan to assassinate the Duke?”

It was frustrating, but the words were painfully accurate.

Moreover, for some reason, Aidan noticed the gaze of the princess as she turned away after his last words.

‘If you let your guard down, you’ll die.’

“For heaven’s sake!”

Aidan shouted, clutching his head. A throbbing headache that felt like it might shatter surged.

Then he remembered the contents of the note Brody had written and left.

Your Grace.

Since you me my granted freedom.

Please keep your promise.

P.S. The pills in the vial have the special effects you desire, Your Grace. I’ll make sure to send a new vial to Your Grace when the medicine is about to run out, no matter what happens. Be happy.

-Brd.

The B and r of the signature were joined, and the d at the end seemed to be added after much hesitation, hanging awkwardly.

What is this? A last bit of conscience? Something like that?

He tightened his grip on the vial. Even though he could hardly see anything due to the severe headache, he forced a smile.

“Your Grace!”

He felt his mind getting blurry, and he collapsed right there.

The hand holding the vial hit the ground, and the lid opened, scattering tiny pills like beads.

Worried about him, people rushed towards him, and the small pills were crushed into the soil under their hurried footsteps.

‘She… gave it to me… for the headache… the headache that I should take it for…’

He tried to reach out, but there was nothing he could do. In extreme pain, he closed his eyes.