A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor-Chapter 1027 The Lonely Mountain - Part 3

1027: The Lonely Mountain – Part 3

1027: The Lonely Mountain – Part 3

“…Mm, we have weakness,” Karstly muttered to himself.

“Press is here, press it there… How would that go?

Where would that flame flicker?”

He opened his eyes for a short glimpse at what was ahead of him.

Likely a reminder of where the troops were stationed.

He traced a finger through the air, imagining the path that they would take upwards.

Though, whatever path he imagined was beyond Oliver.

There seemed to be no point on that mountain that was better than any other.

It was defended equally and it was defended optimally.

“Very well,” Karstly said eventually.

“Young Oliver Patrick, do you have an anger?

You failed to slay a man that you were ordered to slay, and you failed to do it twice.

I imagine that has stirred a rage in you?”

Oliver stiffened.

Karstly had an awfully indelicate way of hitting upon the most wounded places of a man.

“It has,” he said eventually.

Anger was about the only thing keeping his mind off the pain in his shattered hand.

He knew if he stopped thinking of the way ahead for even a second, then he would begin to think of all that he’d lost.

There were potentially years of campaigning to be had.

How was he meant to keep up with a broken hand?

It was barely worth thinking about.

“But of course,” General Karstly said, nodding.

“You had expected more from yourselves, I imagine.

You caused a stir in your first battle, but that is not enough for you, son of Dominus.

You expect yourself to be able to strike down the mightiest of foes.

You think yourself to be a sword of the highest order…”

Karstly drifted off again, and his eyes took on the devilish light of a man that had just come up with a new idea.

“But I think we have confirmed that the likes of Generals are beyond you.

Those Verna Rogue Commandants seem to be about all you’re good for.

Colonels, though they might be… They’re an awfully inferior bunch when compared to the might of a General.

They use Command in the crude way that primitives use fire.

With your hand so wounded, do you suppose you might be able to overcome one once more?”

The General didn’t hide the fact that he was attempting to rile Oliver up.

It was quite obvious what he was doing.

He was once more pressing Oliver where it hurt in order to draw a spirited reaction from him.

His crafty smile more than gave away those intentions.

But even knowing what he was doing, it didn’t do much to stop Oliver from rising to the challenge.

Indeed, his anger was having difficulty quenching.

His heart thumped with the desire for revenge, and for progress.

He sought strength.

And the only way that Oliver Patrick knew how to cultivate strength was through adversity.

His strength was built on the overcoming of many challenges.

“A Colonel that is embedded behind a wall of fortifications?” Oliver said.

“With my sword hand unusable?

Is that your mission for me, General?”

“You needn’t put it quite so impossibly.

If you do not think yourself to be capable of the challenge, merely say so.

There are many men eager to demonstrate themselves,” Karstly said.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it,” Oliver scowled. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

“I will.”

“You’ll try?” Karstly said.

“No.

I’ll succeed,” Oliver said.

“Adorable, isn’t he?” Karstly said to Lombard, breaking his stony expression, and once more returning to an easy smile.

“It’s so much like fighting alongside a younger brother that I find it hard to treat it as anything different.”

“…I am glad that you do not mind him, General,” Lombard said carefully.

Something about his tone told Oliver that he didn’t exactly approve of the way that the two were interacting.

“The fierceness of the youth is the source of all sorts of potential.

You have something to prove, Oliver Patrick – then prove it.

I have given you the stage that you need,” Karstly said.

“The stage that you were reaching for in the battle with good General Khan.

You declared that you and your men did not wish to wait in wings.

Now you’ve secured your part for yourself, you shall perform it adequately.

The swift victory of our forces shall be founded off it.”

“Thank you, General – for the opportunity,” Oliver said, dipping his head.

Karstly laughed.

“Yes, yes.

You can spare me the pleasantries.

Lombard, you will follow along behind him.

When he finds himself stuck, you will buy the time the Patrick forces need to withdraw.”

“And you, General?” Lombard asked.

“I will wait for my queue.

I am sure the men will welcome another opportunity to rest,” Karstly said, waving them away with a motion of his hand.

“Go, now.

Go.

Speak to your men.

Sniff out the weakness in the formation with that nose of yours.

We will follow promptly behind.”

Again, Oliver dipped his head, and this time Lombard did too, as the two retreated back towards their men.

“You’ve highlighted yourself,” Lombard told him in a low voice.

“I don’t suppose anyone ever told you that was the last thing you wanted to do as a fresh recruit?

Though, I suppose, with you it is an inevitability.”

“I couldn’t just wait it out, Lombard, there was too much opportunity,” Oliver said.

“Now you’ve got opportunity again, in the worst way possible, and you’ve dragged your men into it,” Lombard said.

“And you,” Oliver pointed out.

“And me,” Lombard agreed.

“But my positioning isn’t nearly as harsh as yours will be.

That hand of yours – how bad is it?”

“I can’t use it,” Oliver said firmly.

Lombard studied him quietly.

“It took me much time to get used to the loss of my right hand.

You can not expect to perform immediately without it.

You’re going to be far weaker.”

“I’m still a man of the Third Boundary.

Even without it, there’s much I can do,” Oliver said.

“We will see,” Lombard sighed.

“I had better warn Tolsey what it is we’re up against.

And you had better study that mountain.

If you can even get close to it without filling yourself and your men full of arrows, it will be a miracle.”