Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 308: An unkown sponsor

Chapter 308: An unkown sponsor

Inor moved briskly through the sprawling chaos that was his camp, his eyes scanning the disarray around him. It was not a sight that inspired confidence. Tents and crude shelters fashioned from scavenged fabric and wood dotted the area without any sense of order. Families huddled together around meager fires, clutching what little they had left. Children played aimlessly, their laughter rare and subdued, while others simply sat, staring hollow-eyed at the dirt. There were no barricades, no sentries posted, and no discernible structure to the camp.

A sigh escaped him as his boots kicked up dust on the uneven ground. It wasn't just disorganized—it was indefensible. Anyone with even the faintest military experience could see that this was an easy target for a raid or ambush. Inor's mind wandered briefly to the camps of the Herculeian army, where he'd served during the war. 

But those camps had been manned by trained soldiers. This rabble was different. Farmers, laborers, and broken families—none of them had the discipline or knowledge to recreate the efficiency of a real military force. Inor knew it was a futile effort to even try. He'd barely managed to keep them alive, let alone whip them into any semblance of an army.

His pace quickened as a scout, which was more as a watchman as he had no horse approached him, breathless and wide-eyed.

"Inor! A group of men with carts appeared ahead of the camp. They surrendered to our scouts and said they wanted to speak with you."

"Carts?" Inor stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing. He didn't trust easily, especially not strangers with supplies in tow