Chapter 258: Five Premises |
Early in the morning on August 13th, I walked through the land of Quordenze, bathed in the light of dawn. Following me were the troops brought from Newnelly City. The sound of a large number of footsteps hitting the ground becomes a gigantic noise that can be heard from behind.
The number of soldiers was approximately 3,000.
That can’t be said to be a lot. Compared to the troop size that was planned in the original large army slow movement plan, it was less than one-third.
However, the ratio of Lord-class in the composition of the unit was unimaginably high.
[Strengthen thoroughly!]
The command of a senior military officer echoed high in the summer morning sky. The Lord-class military officers placed between serf soldiers responded loudly.
If body strengthening magic is not activated constantly, it will not have the desired effect. After clarifying their areas of responsibility, the Lord-class military officers divided into several groups and took turns in activating magic. By doing so, the entire unit would be constantly strengthened.
[How’s the progress?]
I asked my deputy who was running alongside me.
The person who was appointed as my adjutant was one of the executives who briefed me at Newnelly Military Base. Without slowing down, he came a little closer to me and answered my question.
[It’s going very well.]
[…..I see.]
Compared to the ultra-high-speed maneuverability of a small group of elite soldiers, all military officers, all mounted, and all Lord-class, the movement of this unit felt extremely slow.
Then, the adjutant smiled slightly.
[That’s an exception among exceptions. I think it’s wrong to compare.]
He said, as if remembering it vividly. This adjutant had also participated in Operation Snake’s Fang, so he must have been able to sense my frustration.
[There are currently no problems with the movement of troops. We are able to proceed while maintaining the best condition.]
The lieutenant said that it was unexpected that a force of this size could move so quickly.
[Is it really that difficult to constantly strengthen your army?]
[Of course. It can’t be achieved just by having all the Lord-class to cast strengthening magic. Coordination of body strengthening magic will require a certain amount of training. However, I didn’t expect that to be much of a problem.]
Our military officers have been extremely well-trained by the prolonged war. They had a wealth of experience in the field, and their teamwork was highly reliable.
[So, you thought the ordinary soldiers are the problem?]
[Affirmative. It wouldn’t be that difficult if it was just the engineering soldiers stationed in Newnelly…]
The engineer soldiers are a standing army, and although they are serfs, they are highly trained.
The lieutenant says that if this were a summoned territorial militia, they wouldn’t be able to move this accurately. “Following instructions from superiors” is not as easy as one might think. It’s even more so if you’re in a state of high tension due to body strengthening magic.
[Nambonan soldiers seem to be well trained. I thought they had more training than necessary, but it proved to be helpful this time.]
That’s what the adjutant evaluated while looking back.
[…Yes, that’s right. You trained them well.]
I shouted diagonally behind me. Running there was Raylight, who I appointed as a strategy advisor this time. When I called out to him, he sped up his horse a little and approached me.
[No, it’s only natural.]
[Don’t be humble. The engineer soldiers alone are too small. We were saved by the Nambonan soldiers that stayed in the city.]
To begin the operation, we needed soldiers with a certain level of awareness. Thinking about it that way, the only people I can pull are military officers, engineers, and my private army. There aren’t enough of them at all. There are usually only 30 people in my private army.
At that time, it could only be described as a blessing in disguise that highly motivated Nambonan soldiers were staying at Newnelly Military Base.
[Thanks to you, I think the first premise has been achieved.]
I said to Raylight.
The new strategy that I proposed was tentatively approved by senior military officers after several questions and answers. This is provisional and not a complete green light.
Several prerequisites were presented before implementing the new strategy. It also includes a promise to abandon the plan and revert to the original plan if these conditions are not met.
Well, there are many uncertainties in this new strategy. It was not my intention to become stubborn and force myself to do so, so I was able to accept it without any resistance.
There are a total of five premises that must be achieved.
It can be considered that the first premise, “mobilizing the necessary number of troops accurately”, has been achieved for the time being. Raylight also nodded.
[A blow that pierces the Spierzeig…adds a piercing attack. I think it’s safe to say that the first step was a success.]
[But, this is where the problem begins.]
As I passed the road that ran along the forest, my view suddenly opened up. At the same time, the lieutenant’s expression turned stern.
[From here on out, it’s uncharted territory.]
[Yeah. ……I know. The Arknoa.]
Arknoa Contaminated Area.
During the time of the priests, a major highway called the Amelia Highway was built in this area. It is a very important road that connects Newnelly and Othelloria.
It is also a place that was completely contaminated by the fifth-ranked threat class, the Demon Beast Arknoa, about 100 years ago.
[Alright, now, stop.]
I stopped the horse when I reached a point where the hoof would be damaged if I proceeded any further. With the front of the unit stopped, the entire unit was jammed in front and spread out a little to the sides.
[It’s still a terrible land.]
One of the military officers seemed to feel disgusted and was trembling slightly.
My body was also shaking a little. I don’t think it’s a feeling of discomfort towards corrupted soil, it’s more like a shiver of a warrior. I wanted to see the results of my plan as soon as possible.
[Get ready.]
When I gave the signal, a female military officer came from a little behind the unit. She had a girl by her side.
[Eve. Are you ready?]
[Yes.]
In order to hide her true identity even a little, Eve wore a large robe. It’s baggy and strangely cute. It reminded me of the first time we met. …although I don’t want Eve to remember it.
[Do you see the filthy soil spreading in front of you?]
[Yes…]
Eve’s movements were stiff. I felt like this is what would happen if I expressed this movement with my whole body: pinching my nose in front of something smelly. I guess she hates corrupted soil and can’t help but hate it.
[From now on, we will move straight through this land. Eve’s role is to create a path with purification magic. Can you do it?]
[…..Yes!]
She only said one word since a while ago. Maybe the discomfort made it hard to think straight. Although it’s been explained lightly, it seemed that the degree of contamination in the Arknoa region was beyond Eve’s imagination.
[You should just do it like you always do, alright?]
She’s been using purification magic for the testing almost every day for the past month, so she’s now used to activating magic on my orders.
[Just do it as usual. I have more of this.]
Saying that, I handed over a jewel that cast a rainbow-colored shadow in the morning sun. It is a Manaral crystal that has the property of storing magical power.
When Eve received the Manaral crystal, she closed her eyes as if checking the stored magic power.
Learning magic means capturing the fluctuations of magical power. Naturally, the larger the scale of activation, the easier it is to recognize fluctuations. There was a small amount of Manaral crystal in the tribute that arrived from Nambonan City, so I put it to good use in testing the purification magic. Unfortunately, no one has succeeded in learning so far, but the efficiency has improved to the extent that it is better than nothing.
In any case, I can cast purification magic using my magical power, albeit indirectly.
[Activate it in the direction of travel. Eve and I will go first, followed by everyone else…Try it once.]
Eve placed the hand holding the crystal on her chest and the other hand facing forward, and activated the purification magic.
A shining mist caressed the ground and flowed forward. It looked like dry ice smoke crawling on the floor.
[Ohh…]
The adjutant let out a voice of admiration. Following this, a commotion arose among the soldiers.
Along with the haze of light, the ground loses its poisonous color and turns into the familiar earth color. There was no one who was not confused by this mysterious phenomenon. Since Eve’s purification magic was kept secret, only a very limited number of military officers knew about it.
One of the military officers went ahead and picked up the soil to confirm that there was no problem. When I heard that, I made Eve ride with me on the horse.
[Let’s go! All troops, advance!]
I revealed the existence of purification magic without consulting my father. That was a big decision for me. If we are only worried about protecting ourselves, I shouldn’t have done this.
However, I decided not to hesitate anymore. So, I have no choice but to reveal it. There is no choice but to move forward. Since I bought Eve, I also took credit for the purification magic. Okay, there’s nothing wrong.
[The path for us is open!! Keep going! Victory awaits ahead!!]
The battle cry of the soldiers echoed from behind.
When two people ride on a horse, their bodies inevitably come into close contact. Eve was probably surprised by the men’s deep voices, and I could see that she reacted with a start.
[Are you alright?]
We’re riding in a pose where I’m holding her from behind, so I could barely see the back of her head.
Actually, all I could see was her robe. It felt like I was holding a giant stuffed animal.
[Yes, I’ll do my best.]
Although I couldn’t see her expression, I could definitely feel the spirit in her voice.
[You’re going to help that girl, aren’t you?]
It’s about Lupetta.
I told Eve that Lupetta is about to be attacked by a bad person, so I’m going to help her. Eve knew that Lupetta and I were in love. There’s no point in telling her about the war and strategy, so I hadn’t told her anything about that.
[Indeed.]
And there was no lie in this.
Spierzeig’s army is in the middle of a fierce attack on Reisleaf Castle. This was not a decisive battle in which offensive and offensive forces collided, but a siege battle in which offensive and defensive forces were clearly separated. The senior military officer said that in this case, the soldiers in the rear would be relatively safe, so there was a good chance that Lupetta would be sent out as a Lord-class soldier.
[Lupetta is my precious woman. I will protect her at all costs.]
I don’t know what will happen in a war. If I’m not good at it, my grandfather might recover and overrun Spierzeig’s army. If she’s unlucky, Lupetta might also be killed. At very least, I recognize that protecting Lupetta is one of my side missions.
[I will do my best.]
Eve is also excited about finding her mother. If she accepts my request now, the civil officers will remember better and they will allocate more resources to find her mother…that’s what she must be thinking.
I wanted Raeve to also join the army if possible, but I gave up on that this time. Considering her past, her heart might break the moment I show her the military men, even though she’s on my side.
Therefore, I decided to entrust my fate to her daughter Eve. Regardless of the success or failure of the operation, if she works diligently, I’ll let them meet again. I’m just that kind person.
[I’m sure those around you will appreciate Eve’s dedication and effort. I’m counting on you.]
[…..Yes!]
I urged the horse forward.
There’s no way everything could be purified with one activation, and if you move forward a little, there would be corrupted soil again there. After confirming this, Eve activated the purification magic again while riding the horse. I slowly sped up the horse’s pace while checking the progress of the purification.
If I proceed too quickly, the horse will step on the corrupted soil before the purification is complete. I adjusted my movements, being careful not to rush, and determined the best speed.
Once I was able to gain a certain amount of speed, I looked back.
I guess the width is about the same as a two-lane road. The area I passed through was completely cleansed, as if it had been wiped with a rag. A path had been created that was clear to anyone looking at it.
[How are you holding up? There’s still a long way to go.]
[I feel sick, but I’m fine.]
No matter how much you purify it, the filth continues forever, which is probably depressing. It seemed that the discomfort caused by the corrupted soil was severe, but it didn’t seem to have any particular effect on the activation. Although it may be difficult for Eve, this is not a bad result.
The second premise that must be achieved was “Create a road in the Arknoa Contaminated Area with purification magic”. The key here is to see if Eve’s mental power and my magic power don’t run out before we cross through.
There was a concern that Eve’s performance would deteriorate due to the influence of the corrupted soil, but it seemed that she was working normally. In fact, the problem may lie with me.
As I found out after testing, purification magic eats up quite a lot of magic power. The Arknoa Contaminated Area is quite large, and even if I proceeded in a straight line, there was a possibility that I would fall down on the way.
That’s why I left the body strengthening magic for the soldiers to the military officer and saved my magic power. If I had strengthened them directly, the troops would have advanced faster, but I chose to preserve my energy in order to conquer the Arknoa region.
I raised my voice while filling the spare Manaral crystal with magic power.
[Raylight! Melgin! Lead the way!!]
[Yessir!]
[Yes, understood!]
When I slowed down the horses a little, the two other horses overtook me.
The two people who are familiar with this smuggler route, which is not just smuggling, are Melgin and Raylight, who recently broke through this route. Surprisingly, Melgin was also able to ride a horse.
[If you move too far ahead, we won’t be able to purify the land in time. Proceed carefully or your horse will die.]
When I asked for their attention, they immediately gave me a signal of understanding. These two had been working together for about a month, so they had become fairly close.
They talked for a short time, but then immediately made a slight adjustment to their direction of travel to the left. Apparently the direction that I was heading in was slightly off.
[….this… it’s still unbelievable that the corrupted soil can be purified…]
Melgin’s voice reached my ears as I moved ahead. They must have been amazed to see the earth rapidly becoming purified under their feet.
[How far is it to the Amelia River?]
[At this speed, we can reach it before noon!]
As expected, since the purifying is done by only one person, we won’t be able to move as quickly as if you were moving inland. I had no choice but to slow down.
However, there are no plants or forests in the Arknoa Contaminated Area, so we have a good view of our surroundings, and in a sense it’s easy to march through. Uneven terrain that is untouched by humans may be the worst for horses, but I want them to be able to overcome those areas with magically enhanced horsepower.
The troops advanced on the ground not colored in mottled black and purple.
On the way, we took detours to avoid some very polluted points, but I think we were still able to proceed in the shortest possible distance.
[Umm, we almost reached Amelia River, are you sure it’s alright?]
Melgin asked this question when the Amelia River came into view in the distance. The water surface sparkles in the summer sunlight.
By the way, the person he’s asking the question to wasn’t me, but Raylight running next to me. It is quite natural that it is easier to talk to military officers who accompanied you on your return home than to a nobleman.
[No problem. Next is…]
In response to Raylight’s simple response, I continued to repeat my words.
[The third premise.]
Eve had been using purification magic for several hours, but so far no problems had occurred. I noticed that she’s starting to look a little tired, but I think she still has plenty to offer.
If this is the case, it can be said that the first half of “Create a path in the Arknoa Contaminated Area using purification magic and traverse it” has been completed. From here on, the third premise is brought into close focus.
[….wouldn’t we freeze while going through the river!?]
When Melgin and Lupetta sneaked in, they carried a small rowboat and used it to cross the river. Since there were no such preparations this time, Melgin is probably wondering how I plan to cross the Amelia River.
I hadn’t told Melgin anything in detail. Therefore, he was imagining it, expecting it, and getting excited.
There’s no way I could freeze a river, since it’s not a legend about Zeth. Orshian might be able to do it, but she’s not here right now.
The third premise is “Quick crossing of the Amelia River”.
I had no idea if this would go well. It’s a matter of relying on others, and all I can do now is pray. I have given instructions, but what will happen next….?
[…Young Master, please take a look at the river.]
Raylight said that while stretching out his right arm. Even though I was feeling chilly inside, I immediately looked in the direction his right hand was pointing.
There was still some distance to the Amelia River. Therefore, small objects that appear upstream appear small, like sesame seeds. However, my heart suddenly became excited. Especially as the number of sesame seeds gradually increased.
The closer we got to the river, the clearer the shape of the sesame seeds became. The next moment, I could not help but feel excited.
[They came!!]
There were a large number of merchant ships.
Before leaving Newnelly, I sent an order to Nambonan City. The message is simple: [Hurry up and gather the merchant ships and send them downstream. The meeting point is Old Amelia Public Road].
A large number of ships were needed to quickly move troops across the river. And I knew that Nambonan City could provide it.
It will be an opportunity for those who have incurred my grandfather’s displeasure and are in fear to return to their good name. I also said that I would pay the rental fee later. So, I didn’t think they would refuse to cooperate, but I couldn’t shake my concern that it would take a long time to arrive.
No matter what happens, my heart danced when they arrived at such a good time. The evaluation of Nambonan City has also become an all-time high.
The merchant ships also seemed to have noticed the presence of the military and were looking for a place to anchor. While giving signals to each other, we determined the meeting point and moved towards it.
By the time we arrived, several boats were anchored on the riverside, and a man who appeared to be the representative was waiting in a stiff posture.
[You’re from Nambonan, right?]
I spoke to the middle-aged man while still riding atop my horse.
They were told to send a ship, but it seems they never expected the army to cross straight through the corrupted land. The man was busy moving his head, looking at me and at the path created by the purification magic.
[Ye….yes. I’m in charge of water transport in Nambonan City…]
It seemed that the Head of the Water Transport Association attended in person. Apparently Nambonan City took the messenger’s words seriously.
Even while I was listening to the association leader’s greeting, merchant ships were arriving one after another. The military officers gave prompt instructions and packed the soldiers onto the ship.
I decided to board the slightly larger boat that the association leader was on and cross the Amelia River.
[Don’t worry. The current is relatively calm around here.]
The association leader said this while we crossed the river. He probably knows that most Nobles can’t swim.
[The west side of this area is a wetland area, and the water from the great river flows into that direction. It is said that the force of the main stream decreases because of this. In ancient times, if you wanted to cross Amelia, you would have to pass through here. I also heard about it. However, since the land was tainted by the poison of demon beasts, it became a water road that was no longer used…]
As the association leader said this, his gaze was directed toward the Quordenze side of the shore. Now, when someone looks at the Quordenze army that carved out this tainted land and built a road, I’m sure there are a lot of things they would think about. But, he never asked for details about it.
I won’t tell him anything unnecessary. But, he’s surely watching and listening carefully. They say you can’t shut a door to someone’s mouth, but it’s a problem if it’s spread too much.
[Be careful. This is a top secret operation. If you open your mouth unnecessarily, your life will be forfeited.]
The adjutant gave a verbal warning before I did. Well, it’ll probably come out eventually, but I guess I need to keep his mouth shut for now.
The association leader must have been frightened by those words, and remained silent for most of the time until we crossed the river.
It was good to be able to take a break, albeit for a short while. The ships were loaded with food, so the soldiers were able to have a quick lunch.
After landing on the opposite shore and preparing my troops, I called the association leader.
[I will liberate the people from Spierzeig’s tyranny. This is the path to that end.]
I continued to speak confidently like a Noble I am.
[It’s admirable that you responded to my call immediately. Now, return to the other side. You do your best to make the operation a success, and that will be a great exploit for you and for Nambonan City.]
The role of association leader and sailors did not end here. He is forced to help the next wave of Quordenze army cross the river, which will arrive later.
For that reason, I will make sure to convey to them that this cooperation will lead to military exploits. If you don’t show them the food, the worker will stop working.
Moreover, if there is a cause to save people suffering from tyranny, I am sure that their sense of chivalry and righteousness will be stimulated to some extent. By making it “a just fight to protect people from tyranny,” rather than “an arbitrary fight between Nobles,” they create a sense of ownership and increase motivation.
[Ha, ha ha! We will do our best to cooperate with the Mayor!! Please leave it to us!]
I’m not going to skimp on your performance, so please work hard. Eve and I mounted the horses again, leaving the association leader to prostrate himself.
[The third premise has been completed. The second premise…no, the second half begins.]
In front of me, the part of the Arknoa Contaminated Area was once again spreading out. The continuation of “Create a path in the Arknoa contaminated area with purification magic and traverse it” begins.
[Raylight, Melgin. I’ll leave it to you guys to lead the way. Needless to say, it’s Spierzeig territory from here onward. Be very careful.]
[Affirmative!]
[Please leave it to me!]
From there, the flow was almost the same as before. The two knights will lead the way, Eve will purify, and I will put magical power into the Manaral crystal. It’s rinse and repeat.
There was no enemy attack or anything. It was a truly peaceful march.
The change appeared when I was about a third of the way to my destination.
[…Uh…]
[Are you alright?]
Eve stumbled, fell backwards, and hit her head on my collarbone. This continued several times, so I decided to stop the movement of the entire army.
[…..Stop.]
Manipulating magic requires concentration. Moreover, this time she also needs to manipulate the magical power of another person sealed in the Manaral crystal. There will be a lot of mental wear and tear. Moreover, in addition to the scorching midsummer sun, the conditions were the worst, being in the middle of corrupted soil. It can be said that Eve did a pretty good job of working for hours under these conditions.
[Is there still a long way to go?]
When I asked Melgin, he said that the corrupted soil would continue for a little while longer. But, Eve felt like she couldn’t last much longer. If it…..
[Change course.]
[Young Master, that’s…]
As expected, the adjutant expressed reluctance. However, Eve was exhausted, and my magic power reserve was also almost at its limit.
[There is no other option. Let’s move on.]
When I told him that if things continued like this, even I would be down, the lieutenant couldn’t say anything. It’s better to escape from the Arknoa Contaminated Area while we still have time.
[Leave it to me! Weldburg Field is like my own backyard!]
Melgin said that, puffing out his chest.
The Arknoa Contaminated Area on the Spierzeig side extends along the Weldburg Field, which is also the origin of the demonic beast Arknoa. So if you want to enter, you can jump in right away.
At the insistence of all my adjutants and military officers, I moved my position from the front of the unit to the rear. Next, the soldiers were gathered around me, thickening the defenses in front, rear, left and right. Given the current situation, there is almost no need to worry about being attacked by enemies within the field. However, for Nobles, the Field is a mysterious place that they never enter personally. In order not to arouse their concerns any further, I obediently followed.
And then, we rushed into Weldburg Field.
[Is this the Field…?]
My footing felt solid. There was no corrupted soil, and it had not turned into a swamp. A solid land spread out there.
I had heard that the inside of the Field was a mysterious world where even the terrain was distorted, and that was correct. As rumored, detection magic is not effective either. Since I had just experienced a terrorist attack in the Royal Capital, I felt a slight chill down my spine. It is understandable that Nobles do not normally approach here.
There was an indescribable eerie feeling when entering the Field for the first time.
It’s always a strange atmosphere, where you might think it’s a bleak landscape, but then suddenly a scenic place appears. I felt like looking around, but unfortunately I didn’t have the time. And the group at the front continued to move forward, without paying any attention to my intentions.
[Have you marked the path?]
[We drive stakes at equal intervals.]
If it’s an Arknoa Contaminated Area, all you have to do is follow the single path that has been purified, but that’s not the case inside the Field. Some sort of marking was essential for the following troops.
[If that’s the case, that’s fine…. After all, it’s much faster than walking through the corrupted soil.]
[It seems that he has chosen a place with stable footing as we’re moving forward. As he said earlier, he must be familiar with this field.]
With Melgin’s guidance, we were able to move our troops at almost the same speed as when we moved inland. After all, maneuvering becomes faster when there is stable footing.
Thanks to that, we were able to get through Weldburg Field in no time.
[…..is this the Mist Village?]
In front of me, I could see the setting sun and a small to medium-sized farming village.
From the testimonies of Lupetta and Melgin, it is known that there is no Spierzeig shadow house in this area. However, military officers, including his lieutenants, were still extremely cautious.
The military officers took the lead, and after activating detection magic several times in several places, they headed towards the village with Melgin in the lead.
[Lupetta?]
[Captain-dono? Why…?]
When we arrived at the village, Melgin immediately called for someone.
What appeared was an old man who appeared to be the village chief, a group of elderly people, and Lupetta. It was interesting to see Lupetta got so upset at my unexpected appearance.
As expected, we couldn’t speak comfortably in front of a large group of people. I decided to move on before she made a gaffe.
[This Mist Village will now become Quordenze territory]
After declaring that, everyone, including the village chief, prostrated at the same time.
The main figures of this village, Lupetta and Melgin, and the village chief have already informed Quordenze. There is no way there will be any resistance forces.
And this was also the moment when Lupetta’s future was confirmed, as she had promised to “become my woman while she is in Quordenze territory”. Congratulations.
[The second premise has been fully completed. Next is the fourth. All troops, prepare for the next action.]
Breaking through the Arknoa contaminated area has been achieved. Now that the first, second, and third have been completed, there are only two premises left.
It’s already almost night, but the activities hadn’t stopped yet. Military officers who understand this were already prepared for war.
I called out to Melgin, who was looking at me as if I was missing.
[Melgin, you must fulfill your role here. Your actions will be evaluated as military deeds for the village. After the war, we will add extra measures. Encourage yourself.]
[Yes!!]
Leaving the enthusiastic Melgin and Raylight in the village for the next premise, the rest of the army marched on again.
Just to be safe, I decided to take some men from Mist Village with me as soldiers. They are more like guides than hostages. They are more familiar with the geography of the vicinity of Weldburg City.
[That’s Weldburg City.]
We arrived at our next destination not long after leaving Mist Village.
That city, colored red by the setting sun, would be about the same size as Evermill City in the Quordenze territory. Because it is located inside the Voistra Plain, it is not a city that will suddenly be attacked by enemies. Since the unification of the Voistra Plain by the Spierzeig family, the city has been surrounded by a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
Their defense isn’t strong as a result.
Now that they have sent their troops to Reisleaf Castle, it will be even thinner.
Therefore, it was a no-brainer to conquer it.
[…It’s so simple.]
The long peace of Weldburg collapsed in an instant. By the time the sun set, the city had become part of Quordenze territory.
[It was a complete surprise attack. It would be difficult to prevent it.]
Normally, it wasn’t a city that would be destroyed by around 3,000 soldiers.
The main reasons for the immediate fall were that there were almost no soldiers on the city’s side, and there were an unusually large number of soldiers on the Quordenze side.
[As expected, it seems that their soldiers were sent to Reisleaf.]
[Does that mean things will go as planned?]
[Affirmative. I can guess that the neighboring cities are in a similar state. Or maybe even the knights are absent.]
By the way, Knight Weldburg remained in Weldburg City. It’s past tense. There was no way he could withstand the rush of Quordenze’s Lord-class soldiers, and his life was lost in an instant. Violence in numbers is great.
[I’m curious if the fall of Weldburg has been exposed to the surroundings…]
[That’s probably not a problem.]
Many Lord-class military officers surrounded the city of Weldburg and then attacked all at once and captured the city. Knight Weldburg seemed to have sent out a message to nearby cities to notify them of the state of emergency, but perhaps due to a lack of manpower, all of them were serf soldiers. Of course, such a person would be instantly killed by our military officers. No missed shots.
Now, they are monitoring people entering and exiting the city, and are making sure that once people enter, they are not allowed to leave, even if they are commoners. Weldburg City is currently under huge house arrest.
There is little worry that information about the collapse will be leaked. We’ll probably be able to hide it for at least a few days. I don’t plan on staying here for more than a few days though.
[What about reinforcements from inland?]
[Some troops will arrive here during the night and into the early hours of tomorrow.]
The fourth premise that must be cleared is “Capture Weldburg City and use it as a bridgehead”.
By now, the knight army that had territory in the interior of Quordenze territory would be moving toward the Amelia River. Some of the army may have been transported to Spierzeig by merchant transport. They are planning to reach Mist Village via the road that I took, and arrive at Weldburg City.
The Quordenze soldiers sent from the interior will be an indispensable part of the new operation. They will help us carry out our operations, and they will also become a poison that erodes the unsuspected Voistra Plains.
[In that case, the fourth premise can also be considered a success.]
The adjutant agreed.
[A large hole to Voistra Plain has been opened. I would say that the penetration was a success.]
[The first, second, third, and fourth conditions have been met. Only the fifth remains. …I think the decision to proceed with the operation will be made tomorrow morning.]
All actions so far were the preparation phase. The transition to the execution phase is near.
[How are the soldiers doing?]
[We have people taking days off on a rotation. There have been no conflicts with local residents.]
It would be more accurate to say that the residents were so confused that they froze up, rather than because our soldiers were in control. This is a problem before it becomes violent. I guess it can’t be helped since the people who were feudal lords just a while ago were suddenly wiped out.
[Then, how are the Weldburg soldiers doing?]
Knight Weldburg was gathering the territory’s militia. Perhaps they had sent the main force of soldiers to the front lines, and they had conscripted temporary troops to compensate for that.
[It’s chaotic, but there’s no resistance.]
Approximately 1,500 soldiers were waiting in Weldburg City. Apparently, the military officers who give them instructions have already left for the other world, so they are frozen just like the ordinary residents. It is a very cold city even though it is midsummer.
[Is it possible to use them?]
[Although they are weak soldiers, they have their use.]
Weldburg City already belongs to the Quordenze family, and theoretically the territorial militia attached to it belongs to the Quordenze army. There is no problem even if you use it carefully.
Well, the people of the territory probably don’t have much interest in who the lord is. After all, most of them are aware that they are caught up in the war above.
[Isn’t there a problem with weak soldiers?]
[The ability of an officer will be more apparent with how well they can handle weak soldiers. There’s no problem.]
In the first place, there is a perception among them that the serf soldiers are weak and stupid. Highly trained soldiers like engineering soldiers are rather irregular beings.
Soldiers from other territories are not easy to use, but as long as there is an absolute hierarchical relationship between serf and Lord-Highlord, the bare minimum of orders will be valid, and it is the military officer’s ability that will make it work.
Aside from food and weapons, I’m surprised at the sound of “locally procuring soldiers”, but I think it’s normal for the Eruo continent.
[I’m giving you one instruction. Since we’re going to incorporate these guys into the Quordenze army, make sure to collect the flags and such so that it won’t be revealed that they’re Weldburg soldiers.]
A sense of unity is important. That will intimidate the enemy.
[Understood. I will dispose of everything.]
However, suddenly I think about it a little.
[…No, just collect it.]
After giving some other instructions, there was a knock on the door of the room. When I was allowed to enter the room, Raylight came in. It seems they came running from Mist Village.
[Young Master.]
Raylight’s voice echoed slowly.
[The fifth premise is here.]
I felt my heart beating louder.
It’s a new strategy that I proposed and have been pushing forward with all my might, but when I get to the point where I can actually execute it, I feel like I’m hesitant to take the final step.
[Very well. I’ll check after this too.]
However, I will move on. I’ll never stop again.
[Keep your soldiers well-rested.]
The outside of the window was already filled with the darkness of night. The critical moments are sure to continue from tomorrow.
[As soon as reinforcements arrive from inland, we will make a big move.]
Operation Snake’s Jaws.
I decided to take the plunge.
============
Illustration
The light blue is the route of Wilk’s army movement.