100 Border

A few weeks later I returned to Jazłowiec, accompanied by 2000 Lisowczyków recruited by Łaszcz and Moczarski ... and from Jazłowiec we went to Zaporozhye ... covering the distance of 1000 kilometers with additional wagons loaded with supplies was not pleasant, fortunately most of the carts and cannons set off much earlier, when I was still in Warsaw... If we had a good day, we were able to cover 30 kilometers, but usually we did not cover more than 20 kilometers in one day ... the further east, the more difficult it was to find something like good roads, we were lucky if there was a road at all... but the weather was our ally, it was warm and it rained rarely, so we did not have to travel through the muddy terrain.

Of course I knew it was only a temporary ally, when the late fall and winter came, the weather would be our curse ... and it was one of the problems I had to solve, I had quite a lot of warm clothes, but only for my soldiers. Most of the Cossacks, Tatars and Lisowczyków will be on their own. I will also have to build some barracks, warehouses, stables and field kitchens near Moscow for soldiers, horses and supplies.

We got to Zaporozhye at the beginning of September, but it was only half of our way, we were separated from Moscow by another 1,000 kilometers. Luckily the carts, supplies, cannons, Tatars and Cossacks were already in place and ready for further journey. I was a little excited, this was the first time I commanded such a huge army, which consisted of my 1500 soldiers, 2000 Lisowczyków, 10000 Cossacks, 40000 Tatars and 150 cannons.

I didn't even mind that Khan, instead of 50000 people, only sent 40000. It was still enough for my plans... and after two days of short rest we set off.

Not a whole month later we crossed the border of the Duchy of Moscow ... on the same day the first villages and settlements were on fire. I summoned Saddat, Łaszcz and Moczarski.

"Saddat you will tell the Tatars that they are to move east and west and destroy all villages, settlements and small towns. Take people from 15 to 30 years of age captive ..." (MC)

"And the rest of the younger and older people?" (Saddat)

"The rest ... no, I don't need them. Kill everyone." (MC)

"(har har!) Hetman Jazłowiecki is not afraid of what others will say about him ... or how history will remember him." (Samuel Łaszcz)

"History will remember me as I wish. It doesn't matter what I do... but it does matter who writes the chronicles about me. Do you know what the difference is between a hero and a monster?" (MC)

"I don't know, Hetman has to enlighten me." (Samuel Łaszcz)

"Heroes and monsters do not exist... In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth I will be a hero, and in Moscow I will be a monster. In one country they will praise me for my deeds, in another they will curse me... You go north, the same orders as for the Tatars. And don't say your conscience won't let you. You murdered and rap.ed your countrymen ... and here are only enemies." (MC)

"(haha) No worries, I will carry out orders ... with pleasure. And how is Hetman's conscience? Do you sleep well at night? (haha)" (Samuel Łaszcz)

"My conscience is clean ... because is not used. This world also needs bastards, not only saints." (MC)

I did not like Łaszcz, but with each day I spent with him, he gained a little respect in my eyes. He said what he thought, he didn't pretend to be someone he wasn't. He was a murderer, a liar, a fraud ... but so am I, only we differed in the scale of our actions and our motives.

A few hours later, the dispatched soldiers returned with a couple of hundred prisoners ... and that was just the beginning.

(Masovian Voivode Stanisław Warszycki / King Władysław POV)

"Your Highness, most of the nobility, senators and ministers support your candidacy. It is certain that you will sit on the Polish throne." (Stanisław Warszycki)

"Thank you, but there is probably some opposition as well." (King Władysław)

"I wouldn't call it the opposition, but I don't know how to judge it either." (Stanisław Warszycki)

"Who are you talking about?" (King Władysław)

"Hetman Jazłowiecki. During the councils he urged the ministers to approve you, Lord, as the new King." (Stanisław Warszycki)

"If it was as you say, Jazłowiecki is my ally." (King Władysław)

"But it is Jazłowiecki's insistence that Tomasz Zamoyski is pushing the unfavorable Pacta Conventa." (Stanisław Warszycki)

"It is enough that we will have the majority of votes, and for Pacta Conventa... Jazłowiecki wants a larger fleet, modernization of the army, construction of the Military Academy and the University of Warsaw ..." (King Władysław)

"Yes, Your Highness." (Stanisław Warszycki)

"Very good. I agree to increase the fleet and modernize the army. The University and the Academy are too expensive. Add that it will strengthen the fortress in Kamieniec Podolski ..." (King Władysław)

"Your Highness, Hetman Jazłowiecki has already done it out of his own pocket. He supplied the fortress with new cannons, muskets. I also heard that he was supposed to pay for the new fortifications." (Stanisław Warszycki)

"So much the better. It will save me a lot of money ... instead of strengthening the fortress ... I will build four palaces. Pass this on to my followers and let them close the topic of Pacta Conventa. Jazłowiecki will get some of what he wants and will be satisfied." (King Władysław)

(End POV)

"Lord, why do you need so many prisoners? They delay our march, they must be fed ..." (Saddat)

"You'll see when we're near Moscow. Give them only enough food so that they don't starve ... if they rebel, use a whip and tell them that man eat to live, don't live to eat... and hang those who complain the loudest." (MC)

There were still hundreds of kilometers to go, and Saddat was right that dealing with such a large number of prisoners was burdensome and costly, and they also slowed us down.

However, there is a method in this madness.