Chapter 162: Chapter 141: We’re in Trouble, It’s Really a Cold Lizard
Salim felt his head swim after hearing what Henry said. He had never imagined he would bear such an important responsibility.
’A glorious Warrior of the Imperial Legion? Me? Am I even worthy? So the safety of the entire desert region rests on my shoulders now?’
He recalled how he had originally agreed to be their guide just to get a few camels in return. Now, he was suddenly a "key figure" responsible for protecting the peace of the entire desert.
Seeing the bewildered look in Salim’s eyes, Henry continued, "Salim, I know this is a lot to ask, but I have faith in your abilities.
If you continue to guide our troops through the desert, I will personally give you a shipment of iron woks, hammers, shovels, salt, and even more camels when we get back."
Salim’s eyes lit up at the mention of these supplies. It was obvious what they would mean for his tribe.
Iron woks and tools would increase their daily efficiency, salt was a precious commodity in the desert, and more camels meant they could conduct trade and exploration over greater distances.
Although the desert regions seemed commercially developed and everyone appeared wealthy, that wasn’t actually the case.
Most people in the desert regions were still poor, merchants included. Only the major traders and the owners of large Workshop complexes could afford to live in luxury.
And that was to say nothing of his people, the Bedouins. If not for the fact they could speak the imperial tongue and help occupy the vast, uninhabited desert expanses, the Empire would have rounded them all up and sent them to the mines long ago.
"My lord... I... I accept."
Gritting his teeth, Salim made his decision. "I will guide you across the desert, but please, you must protect my life."
Henry immediately promised to guarantee Salim’s safety, assuring him he wouldn’t be put in mortal danger.
"Don’t worry, Salim. We won’t just protect you; we’ll protect your family too. You’re an indispensable partner to us." Henry clapped Salim on the shoulder, a gesture of trust and respect.
Salim’s value wasn’t merely as a guide. More importantly, the desert environment was complex and unpredictable. Only someone like Salim, who had spent his whole life in the desert, possessed a keen perception of its changing weather and terrain.
Henry wasn’t afraid of encountering the Lizardman army. Worst case, they’d fight a battle and retreat to Hobia. His real concern was natural disasters, like sandstorms.
Salim went back to feed the camels, knowing there was no turning back now.
Henry, Boman, and Fass sat in a circle on the sand, a map spread out before them.
They needed to calculate their supply consumption precisely to ensure the mission’s success.
"At our current rate of consumption, how long will our food and water last?"
Fass glanced over the provisions list and answered, "If we strictly ration our daily intake, the food and water should last us for about a month.
But that doesn’t account for combat or other emergencies. If we see any fighting, our consumption will increase dramatically."
Henry nodded, his gaze sweeping over the map as he searched for the best flanking route.
"The flanking route to get behind the Lizardmen will take about a week, by my estimation. If all goes well, the return journey will be shorter. We can head straight east and circle back to Hobia."
Boman frowned. "Does that mean we have to complete the reconnaissance mission within three weeks? Otherwise, we won’t have enough supplies to make it back safely."
Fass brought up another point. "And our warhorses need food and water, which will increase our consumption even more... The three-horses-per-man arrangement is incredibly costly in the desert."
Henry thought for a moment, then said, "We’ll travel no more than twenty kilometers per day and rest for seven hours. Tell Salim to keep a sharp lookout for any potential oases."
Boman and Fass both agreed. ’After all, Henry is the commander,’ they thought. ’He’ll get the lion’s share of the credit when the mission is over. As long as his orders aren’t completely unreasonable, we just have to follow them.’
The three of them discussed late into the night, formulating a detailed operational plan that covered supply management, travel routes, emergency protocols, and coordination with the soldiers.
More than twenty soldiers were crammed into a single tent, and a small pot was shared between every thirty men. They looked quite miserable.
As Henry and his two companions ate and drank with the soldiers, they discovered the Mamluk Cavalrymen were surprisingly shy, often falling silent and seeming bashful.
It was hard to believe these were the most feared mounted decapitators in the desert.
The next day, as the sun rose, Henry gathered all the Cavalry and announced the daily operational plan.
He stressed the importance of conserving resources and demanded strict adherence from everyone. The Cavalrymen all voiced their understanding.
The column of Cavalry set out again, led by Salim. They left the oasis and continued their journey south.
The desert winds grew more intense, but Salim expertly guided them around sandstorms and quicksand.
This further convinced Henry that Salim was a rare talent he had to secure. ’Who knows,’ he thought, ’when I might need to fight in the desert again?’
As time passed, they gradually neared the Lizardmen’s sphere of influence. Henry ordered the Cavalry to heighten their vigilance, ready to deal with any potential Lizardman patrols.
During a rest stop one night, Salim sought out Henry.
"Baron Henry, we may have already reached the Lizardmen’s territory."
Fass nodded in agreement, pointing to the map. "Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be right here, just over seventy kilometers from the Lizardman army in the Hobia region.
We need to proceed with greater stealth and avoid a direct confrontation with the Lizardmen. Our primary mission is reconnaissance and harassment, not open battle."
Over the next few days, Henry’s Cavalry moved discreetly through the desert, successfully evading two Lizardman patrols.
Salim grew more accustomed to this life. He even began to feel a sense of belonging, eating and living alongside the soldiers every day.
Two days later, Henry’s unit finally discovered a massive Lizardman encampment in the desert.
The discovery made Henry both tense and excited. ’We might be close to the Lizardmen’s core territory!’
Henry immediately ordered his men to halt at a safe distance to avoid being spotted by the Lizardmen.
Taking only Boman, Fass, and a few elite Scouts, he observed the Lizardman camp from a distance.
Henry carefully observed through a spyglass—a luxury item from the western coastal kingdoms, given to him by the Third Prince. He estimated the Lizardman gathering numbered between seven and eight thousand.
He saw tall, powerful blue Lizardmen and smaller, light-green ones. But what truly captured Henry’s attention were their so-called terrifying mounts.
"Gods, Henry, do you see those massive green things? They’re bigger than Minotaurs and Bearmen... No, they’re a whole size bigger than our warhorses! Look at their claws... they’re even walking on just two legs."
Boman muttered under his breath, but even though his voice was barely a whisper, Henry and the others could hear the shock in it.
"Fass, you always say the only reason I beat you is because your nose is always stuck in a book in the library. So? Have you ever read about these things in your ancient texts?"
Fass rolled his eyes, exasperated. "You idiot. The Lizardmen were only discovered about two hundred and thirty years ago. The Empire has fought so few wars with them you could count them on one hand. What ancient texts could there possibly be?"
Henry didn’t join their squabble. Others might not have known what it was, but Henry recognized the massive creature.
’That thing is called a Cold Lizard.’
They were predators in the truest sense, far more dangerous than any black bear, tiger, or lion.
Cold Lizards would attack any animal that dared draw near and were especially adept at taking down prey several times their own size.
Which led to a problem: the Empire had no animal larger than a Cold Lizard!
Henry used the spyglass cautiously, wary of the sun’s reflection giving away their position. All the Cold Lizards were fitted with saddles; they were the Lizardmen’s mounts.
In Henry’s memory, they possessed hides capable of withstanding heavy blows, unparalleled speed, and the raw strength and predatory instincts of a carnivore.
When the Lizardmen needed to split their forces, they would unchain the Cold Lizards at the start of a battle, letting them charge forward to rip and tear through enemy lines.
Using a large pack of Cold Lizards as a vanguard was devastatingly effective, similar to a fire-oxen charge. And Cold Lizards were larger, stronger, and more bloodthirsty than any ox.
"Let’s find a way around," Henry said. "We’ll see if they have any other camps. If not, we’ll fire one volley of arrows and then retreat to Hobia."
’The mission rewards aren’t even clear, so why should I risk my life? If we get surrounded by those Cold Lizards, we’re done for!’
’Never mind that I’m not wearing my black helmet and armor on this trip; even if I were, it wouldn’t do any good. I’d just be a crunchy snack for them.’
’It’s just a suit of Chaos armor. Do they really think the top-tier anti-Chaos squads are just for show?’
The Scouts sketched a map of the Lizardman camp on a sheet of parchment, noting its general location and the estimated number of soldiers and mounts.
Henry led his men, moving cautiously between the dunes and doing their best to stay out of the Lizardmen’s sight.
After returning to the main party, he led the Cavalry on patrol for another two days. They found no other Lizardman forces, which allowed Henry to breathe a small sigh of relief.
He wasn’t sure what the map of this world truly looked like, nor did he know the Lizardmen’s current situation.
But he knew that as long as the number of Lizardmen didn’t exceed ten thousand, the Empire still had a fighting chance.
"We’ve been observing for several days, and the Lizardmen’s activity seems to be increasing. We must return to Hobia as soon as possible."
Henry’s tone was grave. He didn’t even mention his earlier idea of firing a parting volley of arrows.
Boman nodded. "I agree."
"I agree as well."
The officers among the Cavalry also voiced their approval of Henry’s decision.
’The mission is complete, anyway,’ they thought. ’Best to retreat quickly.’
’If the Lizardmen found them now, it would be a desperate flight for their lives with almost no chance of survival!’
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