The war against the goblin tribe brought significant harm to Ridget's soldiers. Organized by Marcus and Catherine, all lightly wounded soldiers took on the role of medics. They received herbs and bandages from two extraordinary individuals and tended to the soldiers with severed limbs and injuries.
Knight Host couldn't bear to see this and sent out all his subordinates to assist Ridget's soldiers in treating the wounded. With Host's support, Kane sat down to rest on relatively clean ground, visibly exhausted.
At this moment, Catherine, who had finished counting the casualties, approached Kane. Concerned, she asked, "My Lord, are you alright?" Having witnessed the intense explosion earlier, Catherine doubted Kane's well-being.
Kane weakly waved his hands, attempting to show he was unharmed. "I'm fine, Catherine." However, in Catherine's eyes, it seemed more like self-reassurance.
Setting aside the heavy emotions, Catherine reported the casualties from the war. "My Lord, we led a total of 69 armed infantry, scouts, and cavalry into battle. After the conflict with the goblin tribe, we lost over 30 soldiers, including 21 infantry, 9 cavalry, and one apprentice extraordinary."
Such significant personnel losses would leave Ridget's security and defense vulnerable. Kane sighed and instructed Catherine, "All deceased soldiers' families should be given one to two Deli coins as compensation."
In the Kingdom of Dyrin, three currencies circulated: Marion Copper Coins, Kalos Silver Coins, and Deli Gold Coins, named after three prominent figures in the kingdom's history. Marion was a great mage, Kalos the second king who implemented progressive reforms, and Deli the kingdom's founder and the first human to break through to the fifth tier epic level.
"Yes, my Lord," Catherine nodded in understanding.
Kane continued to inquire, "Did you mention that Ried also fell in battle?"
"Yes, my Lord, he was killed by that despicable goblin extraordinary," Catherine said with evident sorrow.
"Ah... Lost another potential extraordinary," Kane looked up at the sky, somewhat helpless.
The losses from this battle were enormous, not just in terms of soldier compensation but also in terms of military strength and potential extraordinary individuals. It would likely take a long time for Ridget to recover.
After Kane received the situation report, Catherine joined the rescue efforts again. As dusk approached, the sunset cast its glow on the battlefield, adding a different color to its somber atmosphere.
After burying all the fallen soldiers, Kane's party, along with the Host's team, left the forest. In the village of Maeko, the villagers, who had spent the day working in the fields, returned home. Children ran back to their houses at their mothers' urging, while the elderly sat under the trees, enjoying the evening.
In this peaceful atmosphere, Kane's troops, including the Host's squad, entered the village. Villagers were astonished by the heavily wounded group, wondering what kind of enemy could have inflicted such damage on this formidable force.
Observing the injuries, the villagers noted that alongside Kane's group, a lively cavalry unit followed, led by a commander who was currently conversing with Lord Kane on horseback.
"Who is that, my Lord?" a villager asked.
"That's Lord Host. Lord Kane's uncle. I never thought he'd come back," an elderly villager replied. This elder had experienced the rule of three generations of lords in Ridget.
Kane's group quickly passed through Maeko and headed toward the castle. As they arrived, the steward Geese, accompanied by a group of servants, stood at the castle gate to welcome them.
Numerous wounded soldiers were transferred to the castle's infirmary. The physician Liam and his two assistants, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of patients, enlisted the help of castle servants to manage the situation.
On the other hand, Host was guided by Geese to a bedroom for rest. Although Catherine and Marcus had participated in the battle, they were only affected by the suppressed atmosphere and suffered no injuries.
As for Lord Kane, he had to stay in the infirmary. Although he had recovered much earlier, he pretended to be weak throughout the journey, deceiving everyone. Therefore, when he was assisted into the infirmary, he exchanged a meaningful glance with Liam.
"Liam, I'm unharmed. This matter must not be disclosed," Kane instructed.
"Yes, my Lord." Suppressing his doubts, Liam nodded and left the room, leaving Kane alone to maintain the facade for the sake of avoiding suspicion from Host.
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