As expected, most of the residents left the city and retired to Thebes, the formal capital of Achaea at that time. Nobody defended the city gates. Entering the city, Eric gave the order to kill everyone he met. Rudolph was alarmed, because he did not know that the agitators and scouts were instructed to leave the city on the morning of the fifth day, so as not to get into the meat grinder. The next few days everything was very methodical and measured - the prince's troops stormed the courtyard beyond the backyard without fuss and haste. Breaking in, they killed everyone who resisted, the rest were driven out into the yard and forced to dig a grave for the dead. When the foundation pit turned out to be ready, the bodies of those killed were staked in the assault, after cutting the remaining ones and also pushed down. We had to fall asleep ourselves. This approach helped avoid the collapse of the streets with corpses and the likely spread of some contamination, as well as emergency excavations, as in Sughd. In total, according to rough estimates, on the morning of April 19th, about six hundred people were killed, and only his soldiers and servants remained in the city. The promise was fulfilled - the inhabitants obeyed him and he cut out all those found inside the city walls. At the same time, Eric was doubly pleased, as he was able to avoid a really serious slaughter, because by the time of his arrival in Greece, up to twenty thousand people lived in Athens. The main goal he pursued, allowing the residents to leave and not allowing their total annihilation, was the massive PR of his methods. The more people learn that those who do not obey him will die, the fewer cities in the future he will have to storm. Everything was collected in the city, in general everything that had value. At the collection of trophies worked and representatives of Piraeus by order of the magistrate. Part he decided to leave to the residents of the port, in order to reward them for sobriety and adequacy of actions. The rest were loaded on ships and exported - either to Corfu, which was the transshipment base of the trading company of Demeter, or to Bosporus. On the morning of the first of May, the prince, at the head of his army of two mouths with a total number of about two and a half hundred advanced to the side of Thebes. In the evening he approached the frontier where he was met - in a small field near the apartment houses stood a large militia of several thousand people, which was led by a detachment of about a hundred knights. The militia, of course, was ridiculous, because it represented people in simple clothes, even without quilted armor, armed, than horrible - from just wooden clubs, to copies and working axes. But there were a lot of them, very many. It would be too troublesome to kill them. The guys, apparently, also understood that this battle does not threaten anything good, that's why they were the first to come to the talks.
- Good evening. My name is Eric Bosporsky. I'm surprised at such attention to my humble person or are you still waiting for someone else on this field? It's amazing where you found such a crowd of peasants?
" And good evening to you. "I'm Harald, Baron von Laneck. You are right, we are waiting for you.
Yes! But! Kind, is such an escort in vogue? - The prince had a very sweet smile on his face.
"What do you want from us? " Harald looked at him calmly, his eyes narrowing slightly.
- Oh, well, do not pretend to be naive. You know perfectly well why I came. But I have a good mood and spoil it with the death cries of this herd of sheep I do not want. Eric nodded at the militia.
" A good desire, but then what shall we do? "You just do not go away. At least the rumor about you says so.
- Sometimes it seems to me that there are more fairy tales about living me than about dead heroes. Although you are right, to the point. I think you understand very well that you do not have a chance in this fight. Eric paused and looked inquiringly at Harald.
- Why such confidence? You have two and a half hundred knights, it's very solid, but we have a hundred. You will have tangible losses. Plus these, "he waved carelessly toward the militia," there are a lot of them, but then how lucky. It is not excluded that you will kill them without much loss. But the total loss you will have is very serious.
- Note that every my warrior has a crossbow. Your hundred will fall from the first volley. After that I'll take care of these buffoons, who can not even get into a heap tightly. Look, look, - the prince waved his hand towards the militia, - they stand as if they are asked to walk through them with a crowd of heavy cavalry.
- Crossbows I somehow did not notice them at once. The Baron's face grew very sad. - It really changes everything. I do not want to deprive my people of life so mediocre.
- Correct conclusion. Now we will discuss the terms of your retreat.
- Are you not enough that we will give you the battlefield without a battle? The Baron was surprised.
Of course. After all, your life is undivided only in my hands and it's up to me to decide whether you will live or die. I think one of the peasants will escape from the battlefield after all, as there are many of them and it will be possible not to follow everyone, but the knights will all fall. Or do you doubt it?
- No, I do not doubt this. - He completely wilted his face. - Well, what do you suggest?
" For the knights, I propose two forms of capitulation, each of them will be free to choose himself. "The first is that they pay me 5 Vienna denarii each and, having sworn by their immortal soul, never again come out against me, even in my thoughts, move away from my eyes. The second option is that they come to my service, taking the oath of loyalty, that is, they become my warriors. As for the militia, they must pay for their impudence. Pay and remember who they are and what their place is. I want to see the decimation of this herd of rams, that is, every tenth of their number will be executed by their own companions. The rest will be free to return home.