Chapter 24: Military Rules

Chapter 24: Military Rules

After Arthur and Airael left, the peeper who had been spying on them dashed into a nearby tent.

At that moment, both Arthur and Airael glanced back in this direction.

He thought he was hiding quite well.

Unfortunately, he underestimated Arthur and Airael’s counter-surveillance abilities.

Arthur and Airael exchanged glances.

Airael forced a bitter smile and said, “Looks like it’s just as you suspected.”

At the same time, she felt a twinge of sympathy for those people.

Their fate was inevitable.

However, their sacrifice wasn’t without value.

This could help establish Arthur’s authority.

And it was also one of the purposes of their patrol in the camp today.

Leading an army isn’t just about winning battles; you also need to maintain sufficient dignity within the ranks.

Although dignity can be increased by many means, “military rules” will always be a significant part of it.

“Let’s go see what they’re playing at.”

Arthur’s voice broke the silence as he appeared completely nonchalant, taking the lead toward the location of the tent.

Airael hurriedly followed him.

Their steps were light; anyone bold enough to organize gambling in a military camp must be someone quite extraordinary, and those willing to participate were no ordinary characters either.

One misstep, and they could expose themselves.

Then catching them in the act would be impossible!

The observer who entered the tent told the people inside, “They’ve left!”

His voice was soft, but it reached everyone inside.

Upon hearing this, the people in the tent relaxed.

One by one, they pulled out their previously hidden items to continue playing.

Their gambling tools were quite simple—just some dice.

They were betting based on guessing the points.

The dealer was a big guy with a bushy beard, looking quite jolly.

He turned to the informant and said, “Haren, why not join us for a round?”

As he spoke, he tossed a small bag of gold coins to the other.

This was payment!

“I’m not interested in that sort of thing.”

Haren replied after catching the coins and started to walk out of the tent.

The inviting dealer, Sal, suddenly felt a bit awkward.

At that moment, someone next to him piped up:

“Sal, you know how he is—don’t mind him. Let’s keep playing; I’m determined to win back what I just lost!”

“Exactly! I barely won anything earlier, but this time I’m sure I’ll win!”

…

As one person spoke, others chimed in, and the tent filled with chatter.

“Alright! Let’s continue, but winning won’t be that easy!”

Seeing this, Sal decided to drop his concern about Haren and focus on the game in front of him.

Compared to gambling, the previous situation seemed trivial.

Outside the tent, just as Haren stepped out, he literally bumped into Arthur and Airael.

Seeing the two, he instinctively wanted to go back to give a warning, but under their gazes, he found himself completely frozen, helplessly watching as Arthur and Airael approached.

Arthur glanced at the tent, listening to the commotion inside, and with a stern face, asked Haren, “What are those people doing in there?”

Haren fell silent.

“Open the tent!”

Arthur commanded next.

Haren shut his eyes.

He knew it was too late for any excuses now.

“Yes, sir!”

He could only obey and unfasten the tent.

Inside, the people were still unaware of the situation’s severity. One person, noticing Haren’s return, joked, “Haren, why are you back? You want to join in the fun? Just come in; we’ll save you a spot. Hey—what’s taking you so long? Don’t just stand there at the door!”

But just as he finished speaking, his mouth fell open in disbelief, unable to finish his sentence.

“What’s wrong?”

Others noticed his strange expression.

But as they followed his gaze, they too were left with similar looks of shock.

“The Legion Commander! And Miss Ailia!”

Someone shouted, and the atmosphere in the tent immediately turned tense.

“Sal!”

Arthur, stepping into the tent, glared at Sal, who was still holding the dice.

The dice fell from Sal’s hand and rolled away.

“As the captain, do you know what you are doing?”

Arthur was visibly furious.

Sal was someone he held in high regard within the military.

He was jovial and capable, having performed outstandingly in yesterday’s battle.

But he never imagined Sal would be involved in something like this.

Gambling in the camp was no small matter.

“I do.”

Sal bowed his head.

He was straightforward.

At this point, saying more wouldn’t help.

Caught in the act—gambling is gambling.

Thus, he didn’t try to come up with any excuses.

Perhaps not making excuses was the best plea.

“Are you willing to accept the punishment?”

“Absolutely! Please punish me, Commander.”

“Please punish me, Commander.”

“…”

Sal admitted his guilt, and the others had no intention of denying responsibility, each following suit, waiting for their punishment.

Looking at their expressions, Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle.

It felt as though he was the one in trouble here.

Then, he quickly put on a serious face and declared, “Fifty lashes for the ringleader, thirty for the accomplices!”

“Yes, Commander!”

After announcing the verdict for Sal and the others, Arthur’s gaze turned to Haren: “Though you didn’t participate, as an accomplice, you should also face punishment.”

“I accept my fate, Commander.”

Haren readily acknowledged his guilt.

“Twenty lashes!”

“Yes!”

…

In an open area of the camp, Sal and the others were tied to a wooden post.

Their armor had been removed, leaving them dressed in simple cloth.

Before them stood the enforcement team wielding whips.

“Crack! Crack!—”

The whips struck their backs with a sharp sound, demonstrating that the enforcement team was merciless.

Arthur was watching them right beside.

Initially, the punished managed to hold back their outcries; gradually, however, their screams began to escape as red marks appeared on their skin, making them look quite pitiful.

Around them, soldiers watched the scene, feeling a chill in their hearts.

Especially those gambling enthusiasts who hadn’t been caught.

They resolved to never gamble in the camp again; if they did, they might end up tied to that post themselves.

They warned themselves internally.

Due to the relatively lighter punishment, Haren was the first to finish.

After the enforcement team completed their task, they untied him, and as soon as the ropes were off, he collapsed to the ground.

Arthur glanced over briefly before shifting his attention to the others.

After a while, the punishments for the others ended, leaving only Sal still receiving his.