"Did I just win?"
When Chris emerged from the command spire and stood by the castle gate, looking at the Republican Army soldiers kneeling in droves outside, it still felt strangely unreal.
That was it? I'd won?
Wait, wasn't a siege supposed to drag on for ten days or half a month before it really got started?
How had mine been decided in just a day and a night?
"How many prisoners did we take?"
Chris shook his head, banishing those thoughts, then turned to ask the Clerk beside him.
"We're still counting. We don't have an exact figure..."
"Take a guess. Give me a rough number... Clerk, you know what I want to know."
Chris cut off his clerical attendant, who paused.
"One hundred and twenty-one prisoners inside the castle. Below the castle, we can probably capture over three thousand. There are another ten thousand civilian laborers waiting in the main camp farther away, with a sixty percent chance of fleeing. The captured weapons, armor, arrows, gunpowder, and other supplies are difficult to estimate..."
"So we've hit the jackpot in one go."
Chris rubbed his chin. After a moment's thought, he headed toward the nearest group of prisoners. He had a question he wanted them to answer.
"Your Highness, that's dangerous."
Bruno hurried to stop him, but Chris waved his arm aside.
"It's fine. You'll protect me..."
Chris smiled faintly, a teasing note in his voice.
"Bruno, haven't you always wanted to prove you're the best bodyguard? This is your chance."
Bruno's face flushed slightly. He knew Chris was teasing his overly sensitive pride, but the prince was right. He had always longed to prove himself.
Bruno took a deep breath, gripped his halberd tightly, and followed Chris with clanking footsteps, warily scanning the prisoners around them.
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