The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 35: Captured Once Again

After crossing the river, the Iron Wall Legion takes two days to rest before setting off again. Exiting the small forest, they come upon a duchy's outpost.
The guards at the outpost are initially terrified when they see such a well-organized force emerging from the woods and immediately light the signal fire. To their surprise, the army, bearing a banner embroidered with a shield and spear, does not attack. Instead, they claim to be a part of the duchy's forces.
Once the outpost captain is brought forward, Fabio presents his seal and the coalition's appointment letter. The captain, unable to verify their authenticity, s the situation to the border fortress.
A few days later, a cavalry unit from the duchy arrives, led by a noble. After inspecting Fabio's seal and cross-referencing some information, the noble admits he's unable to decide whether the Iron Wall Legion can enter the duchy.
However, he offers them temporary accommodation at the outpost and promises to arrange for some supplies from the fortress to be lent to the Iron Wall Legion for the time being.
After waiting for half a month, Fabio is fuming with suppressed anger. His mood is terrible, and on Henwell's suggestion, he has stationed the army a few kilometers from the border fortress. Despite the snowfall, there's still no response from the duchy.
Today, Fabio humbles himself to request supplies from the fortress general to help his men survive the winter. The general claims that the fortress is short on resources and that the two batches previously given were squeezed out with difficulty.
Fabio knows this is nonsense; he's no farmer and understands the strategic importance of a border fortress. It's stocked to sustain an eight-thousand-strong force, including logistics personnel, for three years under siege.
Resisting the urge to punch that noble, Fabio politely declines the offer to stay for the winter and returns to his camp.
After explaining the situation to Henwell, Henwell suggests, "We still have funds. I'll take some men to Iron Pit City nearby to purchase supplies and winter fuel. There's no need to fight with these petty officials; they're just following orders. The real blockade isn't them—they lack the guts and authority to act on their own."
Fabio sighs, "We risked our lives in battle, and this is the welcome we get upon returning!"
Henwell thinks to himself, who told you to have such naive expectations? Did you really think there'd be a hero's welcome waiting?
……
Five days later, Fabio approaches the fortress commander and asks, "Are you sure you haven't seen my men?" After receiving a definite reply, Fabio returns to his camp without further questioning.
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The next day, Duveen returns with his men and meets Fabio privately. Fabio, with a calm demeanor, asks, "Are you certain?" Duveen nods, "Yes, Henwell and his group were ambushed and killed. The bodies were damaged, but it's clear they were our people. One of them—his build resembles Henwell."
"Any evidence?" Fabio presses.
Duveen hesitates, then Fabio sharply demands, "Speak! Who did it?"
"There are traces of the border fortress cavalry—armor fragments and some fabric, all used by their scouts."
Fabio remains silent for a while, then Duveen kneels on one knee, "Commander! I will find out who killed Henwell. He saved my life multiple times; I won't let him die in vain!"
Fabio, his voice hoarse, replies, "He saved me several times too. Now, notify all officers to gather for a meeting."
Over a hundred officers crowd into the main tent. Fabio surveys them and quietly asks, "Who are you?"
The officers exchange puzzled glances, unsure of Fabio's intent. Duveen steps forward, "We are the Iron Wall Legion!"
"We are the Iron Wall Legion!" the officers echo.
Fabio nods slightly, "Yes, we are the Iron Wall Legion, forged through bloody battles, fighting our way back from Wilderness City in the Ika Kingdom to our duchy."
Fabio continues, "And who does the Iron Wall Legion belong to?"
This time, they respond in unison, "To you, Commander!"
Fabio draws his sword, "Good! Our honor has been insulted. We fought our way back, only to be treated unjustly. They refuse us winter supplies, deny us a place to camp, restrict our movement, and even ambush our men procuring supplies! I feel humiliated and disregarded! My Iron Wall Legion feels wronged! What about you? What do you say we should do?"
The officers, long holding back their frustration, draw their swords, "Fight!"
Fabio commands coldly, "Spread the word—prepare the entire army. Tomorrow morning, we advance on the border fortress. Disarm the garrison, and if there's resistance, eliminate them!"
The soldiers respond with resounding agreement!
……
The next day, as the Iron Wall Legion storms into the border fortress, a hooded man turns to Henwell, who is sitting on the ground, and says, "See? Isn't this result quite effective?"
When Henwell remains silent, the hooded man chuckles, "Kid, I've heard you're quite clever. Now you understand why Lord Fabio had you captured, right? It was all for this situation. He needed a reason to deploy the army!"
Henwell quietly replies, "You're one of Count Obiken's men, here to eliminate me as a threat. This wasn't Fabio's doing. He's too soft-hearted to go through with this."
A few days ago, Henwell, along with a dozen guards, set out to Iron Pit City to purchase supplies, only to encounter scouts dispatched by the fortress. They had orders to take Henwell to meet someone. Henwell suspected it was the duke's envoy, who wanted to use him to negotiate terms with Fabio.
Before Henwell could agree, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows of the cavalry. The scouts were swiftly killed, their throats slit before they could react.
Realizing he's up against a formidable opponent, Henwell quickly orders his guards to form a defensive line and sends out a distress signal. But before the flare can ignite, it's knocked to the ground by the attacker.
Despite Henwell's guards being seasoned warriors, they couldn't hold out long against the elusive assassin. Henwell himself is disarmed and knocked unconscious after just a few exchanges.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a cave. The man offered no explanations and refused to answer Henwell's questions.
Though he didn't harm Henwell further, he confiscated all of Henwell's hidden belongings. Each day, he provided Henwell with food and water, laced with something that kept Henwell weak and unable to muster strength.
Today, the man finally takes Henwell out of the cave to witness Fabio's assault on the border fortress. At this point, Henwell has deduced the man's origins.