The postbattle cleanup proceeded remarkably quickly.
With two high-ranking insiders helping them, the duke's army barely put up any resistance before Rob's squad of knights and mages crushed it completely.
The lucky survivors were taken prisoner, while the dead had their lingering souls dispersed and were buried on the spot. In just half a day, the entire camp lay beneath a thick layer of earth.
Lush grass and shrubs would cover the place, as though nothing had ever happened.
All the mages were bound in writhing, purplish-red vines whose thorns pierced deep into their flesh, preventing their mana from circulating.
The knights, warriors, and Nall Magical Beasts were all locked in specially made cages, then placed under the personal guard of the Knight Bamboos to ensure they had no chance to resist or escape.
These lofty knights, mages, and warriors, who normally lorded it over others, now got a thorough taste of life as prisoners. They did not even dare demand that Kroya provide the comfortable treatment due to nobles.
They had already seen another group of knights and mages, who had long been exchanging knowing looks with Ian and Yasos, walk away without encountering any resistance.
"They did this on purpose! Reef Island joined forces with the duke's son!"
At the sight of this,
they knew that even if they managed to survive, they could no longer expect any rescue from Olivier or the Nall family. Or rather... they might be better off dead.
They had been dragged into a struggle for power among nobles, and those nobles would hardly spare a thought for them.
They were hauled off to Reef Island.
Soon, a detailed roster was delivered to Kroya-
"Seventy Battle Mages, fifty Nall Magical Beasts, thirty level-two knights, and thirty level-two warriors."
After carefully reviewing the roster,