184 – Now, we charge forward at full speed. (1)
Cain, nearly captured, had experienced hellish training for the last few days.
Ghislaine had been really excited, after all.
It was useless to resist. Before the justice of overwhelming violence, he was powerless.
Even if he could endure the training, Claude couldn’t hide his concern about the momentum that seemed to drag them into the battlefield.
It was extremely risky to drag the heir of a territory like that as just a regular soldier.
But Ghislaine casually said, “The crime of not repaying my money is huge. If I don’t collect it properly, I’ll look like a fool. If you don’t have money, you have to repay in other ways.”
“If you die in war, it will be quite a headache.”
“It’s fine. That guy won’t die easily.”
“Why? Does he have some hidden ability?”
“The fact that he dares to owe me money and is still alive means he’s exceptionally lucky. There’s no way a guy like that would die in this kind of war, right? That doesn’t make sense.”
“…Ah, I see.”
Claude clicked his tongue a few times and gave up trying to argue. He just couldn’t understand the lord’s way of thinking.
“Well then… if we’re doing this, make sure to crush them thoroughly. It should be surprising to everyone.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll sweep them away for sure. That’s my specialty. You know my win rate is 100%, right?”
“Of course, 1 win in 1 battle. I hope it turns into 2 wins in 2 battles. I really wish that crazy plan succeeds. Please take care of yourself.”
Claude had been horrified when he first heard Ghislaine’s strategy during the planning meeting. But if it could succeed, it was certainly the way to win with minimal damage.
So that plan was kept strictly confidential. It was a method that could only be used in this war.
‘If the operation fails… the lord will definitely die. Should I stop him now? It’s too risky.’
Claude closed his eyes and sank into thought.
The time to dissuade him had already passed. There was no way to stop him now that they had completed preparations for departure.
He could only leave the results up to the heavens and hope for victory.
Unlike the worried Claude, Ghislaine looked pleased as he inspected each knight.
Even though they were headed to war, everyone showed no fear or tension.
Perhaps thanks to their hellish training, they all appeared to be brimming with confidence.
It wasn’t completely wrong. The truth was they had a look of pent-up aggression, looking for a place to vent their frustrations, but they certainly weren’t afraid.
Ghislaine loved that expression.
“Very good. After this war is over and we change the gear, it’ll be even better.”
Currently, the knights were wearing under armor made of Blood Python leather beneath their armor.
At this level, they wouldn’t easily die against regular soldiers.
If the remaining armaments were changed as planned, they would definitely become even more powerful.
As each squad completed their departure preparations, Gillian approached and bowed his head.
“Preparation is complete.”
“Good, now let’s start to depart slowly…”
Just as the simple departure ceremony was finishing up, a commotion erupted in one corner, and a group came running in.
They rushed over.
It was the dwarfs and the mages.
Galbarik shouted with a face that looked like he was about to cry.
“Lord! You want us to go to war! What do you mean all of a sudden? We did everything you asked! We built everything! We were told not to form a charge!”
Next to him, Alfoy openly yelled while crying.
“We did everything we were told! We don’t want to go to war! Can’t we just stay and guard the house?”
Seeing them wailing, Ghislaine chuckled.
“Nope. We really need you for this operation. Don’t worry, I won’t make you charge into battle.”
Galbarik pleaded like he was begging.
“We agreed that once the urgent matters are done, we’d get a vacation! Starting now, it’s vacation time! You liar!”
“What are you talking about? The dates haven’t been set yet?”
“……”
“I’m not lying, so don’t worry. The vacation is after the war ends. We gotta stick to the procedures, no matter what.”
Galbarik was at a loss for words. Thinking back, they hadn’t set a vacation date in a hurry.
They just thought it was fine as long as the urgent matters were settled. They somewhat acknowledged their mistake in not confirming the dates.
But now, hearing the lord—the craziest human in Penris, or even all of Ruthania—talk about ‘procedures,’ his blood pressure felt like it was about to explode.
“Uwaaaah! Strike! Strike! We won’t go! We can’t go! Guarantee our rights!”
“Our mages absolutely won’t go either! Slaves have human rights too!”
The dwarfs and mages were causing quite a ruckus. But Ghislaine dismissed them with a single nod.
“Take them away.”
“Uwaaaah! I don’t wanna!”
They were dragged away by Gillian and made to stand behind Cain, who looked like death warmed over.
Once everything was truly prepared, Ghislaine was flanked by Gillian and Kaor on his sides.
And behind them stood Belinda, the only one wearing the black robe.
Ghislaine looked around at them and slowly opened his mouth.
“Let’s get going.”
Fergus, standing next to Claude, tightly held Ghislaine’s hand and said,
“Young Master, please be careful. Are you really sure I can’t go?”
Seeing Fergus’ worried face, Ghislaine awkwardly smiled and said,
“It’s fine, just stay home and rest well. Following me will be hard on your heart.”
Before Fergus could respond, Kaor jumped in.
“Hey, old man. There’s no need to worry. I’ve become super strong.”
He might be strong enough, but for some reason, he didn’t inspire confidence. Still, Fergus smiled kindly and said,
“Alright, alright. I’ll trust you. Please take good care of our Young Master.”
“Leave it to me.”
Confident after learning the new Mana Circulation Method and swordsmanship from Ghislaine, Kaor looked very self-assured.
Belinda, seeing Kaor, clicked her tongue a few times and adjusted Fergus’s clothes while saying,
“Old man, make sure to eat on time. Don’t forget your medicine. Don’t worry too much, you know my skills, right?”
“Of course, of course. I know how skilled my butler is. You take care of yourself too.”
Fergus urged Gillian and the others multiple times to return safely.
Only after Fergus, who was particularly worried, finished saying his goodbyes did Ghislaine lead the knights to start moving.
With the news that the lord was heading out personally, the territory residents gathered like clouds.
Their faces were all filled with worry.
Things were getting better in the territory, and suddenly going to war didn’t make any sense to them.
Moreover, the lord was heading out directly? If anything were to happen to the lord, all the happiness they currently had would vanish.
“What should we do? Is he really going to be okay?”
“If I had known this would happen, we should’ve volunteered to join the soldiers.”
“The lord said he’d recruit once the construction was done. But who knew a war would break out already?”
The murmuring among the people began to grow louder.
This situation was completely different from when the previous lord went to attack Perdium.
Back then, they didn’t care if the lord lived or died. In fact, they’d rather he went and died.
I thought so.
So, I just watched the army set out like a dead fish.
But today’s lord is different. He is the pillar of hope for the people and takes responsibility for everyone.
At that moment, some people, stirred with emotion, shouted.
“Lord! Please come back safely!”
“Knights and soldiers, please be careful!”
“Oh Goddess, bless Penris!”
What started as a few shouts quickly turned into a thunderous cheer filling the territory.
It was heartfelt concern and support from the people. The knights and soldiers, who were experiencing this for the first time, were a bit flustered but soon stood tall with pride.
Ghislaine also smiled at the people, giving a slight wave.
“Waaaaa! Definitely achieve victory!”
As she stepped outside the castle, receiving the enthusiastic cheers, Ghislaine gripped the reins and said,
“Entire army, from now on, advance at full speed. We must strike before the enemies are properly prepared.”
“Understood!”
The rallied knights and soldiers responded enthusiastically.
Hee hee hee!
With the whinny of Ghislaine’s horse as a signal,
The Penris Army surged forth like the wind toward Count Cabaldy’s Territory.
*
Count Cabaldy had already heard rumors that there was a surplus of food in Penris.
Considering his own territory was in dire straits due to food shortages, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t tempted by those rumors.
With a serious expression, Count Cabaldy began discussing the current situation with his retainers.
“What did Count Desmond say?”
“He said to wait a little longer. It seems internal affairs are difficult at the moment.”
“And the Duke?”
“He promised to send food as quickly as possible. Just a little more patience…”
“How long!”
Count Cabaldy yelled, slamming down his chair.
Even now, they were scraping together every bit of food hidden by the territory residents to feed the soldiers. It was becoming unbearable.
The territory residents, already suffering from extreme forced labor in the iron mines, were filled with complaints.
Count Cabaldy was suppressing those people with his army, with brute force, so they wouldn’t rise up.
But now, even that army was on the brink of starvation, making the situation dangerous.
With the possibility of riots looming, if his army turned against him, there would be no way to manage things.
“I heard there’s plenty of food in Penris. Is there any way we can strike there?”
At Count Cabaldy’s words, his retainers gasped and shook their heads.
“We don’t have enough food to wage war right now. Resupply is impossible. The soldiers are also starving, and morale is low.”
“Isn’t it the case that the Duke warned us not to act recklessly?”
“Moving now would give the Crown Prince faction a reason to attack. Right now, it’s more important to manage the situation.”
Count Cabaldy bit his lip.
What the retainers said was undeniably correct. Acting now would be tantamount to inviting disaster from both the Crown Prince and Duke factions.
While they could win a fight, it would be a victory with nothing but wounds. There was no guarantee that other lords would offer support.
Reluctantly, Count Cabaldy proposed another plan.
“Trade iron for food from Penris.”
His decision met with concern from the retainers.
“Baron Penris is aligned with the Crown Prince faction. They won’t look favorably on any iron offered.”
“The Duke and Count Desmond have promised support, so it might be better to wait a little longer….”
Faced with negative responses, Count Cabaldy hissed through clenched teeth.
“Whose retainers are you? With our food supplies running out, how long do you plan to wait? If you don’t like the deal, should I seize all of your properties first?”
At Count Cabaldy’s fury, the retainers simultaneously fell silent.
Since Count Cabaldy’s territory was the largest iron production site in the North, his standing within the Duke faction was relatively decent.
However, Count Desmond, who should have been providing food aid, suddenly cut off support.
He had already sold all the surplus to Ghislaine, leaving them barely getting by, but not knowing that, Cabaldy’s side could only view it as being abandoned.
Count Cabaldy had also requested support from the Duke Faction, but with so many places suffering damage, they had fallen lower on the priority list.
The quick-witted Count Cabaldy quickly grasped the situation. He had a decent political sense.
“Think carefully. No matter how much we may struggle, to the Duke Faction, we’re just country bumpkins from the North. The iron mines aren’t exclusive to our territory.”
At those words, his retainers couldn’t offer any rebuttals.
Count Cabaldy’s Territory wasn’t trivial, but there were many places more important in the eyes of the Duke Faction than Count Cabaldy’s lands.
There was no way they could go hungry just because they chose to uphold their loyalty while the Duke Faction refused to help.
Count Cabaldy was also notoriously known as one of the most ruthless lords in the North.
Thanks to his strong armed forces, he was safer than other lords, but if someone incited a rebellion among his soldiers, it would be much more dangerous.
“Anyway, we are the ones backing Desmond from behind. While he may be displeased about dealing with us, he can’t just cut ties over a few transactions.”
When Desmond sought to charm the lords of the North, he first reached out to Count Cabaldy’s Territory.
This place was strategically important for that very reason.
Able to make good use of the cards he held, Count Cabaldy quickly allied himself with the Duke Faction upon recognizing the current trend.
Having a firm grasp on the complex political landscape, he believed that this time, neither the Duke Faction nor Count Desmond could afford to ignore him. He was confident he could maintain a boundary that they could accept.
“Baron Penris is, after all, a dead man walking. Giving him a little iron now won’t change that. His military power is weak, so there’s no problem there.”
The retainers nodded, acknowledging the logic.
Upon reflection, Baron Penris’s fate had already been sealed. So, it seemed there wouldn’t be any significant issue if they exchanged a bit of iron for food.
Even if factions were different, there were countless cases of trading what was necessary. Unless they were outright enemies, they wouldn’t ignore each other completely.
The only reason iron was tightly controlled by the Duke Faction was that it was a strategic resource.
One retainer cautiously asked.
“But what if Baron Penris, being in a favorable position, tries to undercut the price? We’ve been mostly blocking their supply of iron.”
“Promise to loosen the iron supply a little going forward. But also slip in a threat: if he continues to act cocky, we might cut him off completely. He’ll have no choice without us.”
“Understood. If we push and pull appropriately, he’ll have no choice but to accept our proposal.”
“Right, anyone with a brain would want to make a good impression on us through this opportunity, if they want to procure iron at a fair price in the future.”
Count Cabaldy and his retainers were confident that Ghislaine would have no choice but to accept their proposal.
Count Cabaldy basically controlled the production and distribution of iron in the Northern region. Thus, Baron Penris likely hadn’t been able to easily obtain any iron until now.
Even though food prices were soaring now, once the situation stabilized, iron prices would shoot up even higher.
If they got cheeky using food as leverage, it would make things much tougher for them later.
“Set off immediately. Once it reaches Count Desmond’s ears, it’ll just become a hassle.”
As Count Cabaldy gave his order, his retainers nodded and prepared to leave.
But then, the door to the war room burst open, and a knight rushed in, shouting urgently.
“The enemy has invaded!”
In disbelief, Count Cabaldy and his retainers blinked in surprise.
There had been no declaration of war or any signs of conflict. There had been no communication from the sentinel fortresses. So how could there suddenly be news of an invasion?
What worried them the most was the possibility of a rebellion.
With his expression stiffening like a statue, Count Cabaldy asked, “What do you mean? Speak clearly. Are you saying there’s a rebellion?”
The knight swallowed hard, and with a look of disbelief on his face, replied, “Ghislaine Perdium… No, Baron Penris’s army is camped right in front of our castle.”
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