"A bunch of idiot bandits, actually planning to ambush us. They must have a death wish."
Roderick held up his telescope and studied the wooded slope ahead and to one side. Nothing seemed amiss on the surface, but to a seasoned soldier like him, the signs were as obvious as a big white goose among a flock of chickens.
As a former junior officer of the Republic Third Infantry Regiment, Roderick had extensive combat experience. His defeat and surrender had not been his fault either. Exhausted and starving, there had been nothing he could do.
Now that he served under Prince Chris, he had fine equipment and fifty veterans under his command. Roderick had no fear of an attack by a few petty bandits... in fact, he saw them as good friends coming to hand him military merit.
At the thought, a radiant smile spread across Roderick's face. He lowered the telescope and turned to Joachim beside him.
"Pass the word quietly. Everyone is to prepare for battle. When the fighting starts, take as many bandit heads as you can. For every head we take, everyone in our transport convoy gets an extra five silver dollars!"
As he spoke, Roderick licked his lips, growing excited himself.
His men were even more eager. As the message spread, not only did the soldiers grow excited, but even the laborers, who were not supposed to fight, quietly reached beneath the wagons and gripped the Arming Swords and spears hidden there.
Under Prince Chris's bounty order, for every enemy the transport convoy killed, each guard received five silver dollars, while each laborer received two.
Although the laborers' reward was smaller than the guards', two silver dollars was hardly loose change that someone would ignore if it fell on the ground.
If they killed just