Chapter 136: Chapter 136

Although the royalty of all nations belonging to the Arman Alliance were a privileged class distinguished from the nobility, the Ruman Kingdom had exceptionally weak royal authority.

This was due to its nature as an archipelago nation composed of numerous massive islands.

Was it not a natural law that power weakened in places where eyes and ears could not reach and words could not be conveyed?

In such a situation, the island lords of the over one hundred islands separated by the sea were practically kings of small realms themselves, so the Ruman royal family had been coordinating the lords of other islands by mobilizing bloodlines, politics, and military force alike.

In that sense, the crushing defeat in Pendia not long ago was truly a tragedy horrifying even to speak of.

This was because most of the forces dispatched to the continent had been troops directly under the royal family or armies belonging to factions loyal to the royal family.

When the royal family lost its strength, powerful island lords directed suspicious glanced toward their ruler, and to subdue them, the king resorted to the drastic measure of once again provoking Pendia.

He had employed the clever scheme of bringing in a formidable foreign enemy to tighten internal solidarity.

The only problem he had failed to foresee was that Pendia took such provocation far more seriously than anticipated, and that they possessed the power to retaliate.

The Ruman Kingdom split into multiple factions over the king’s muster order.

There were those who submitted to the king out of loyalty and fear, those who cooperated with a grand perspective to keep Pendia in check, those indifferent to external affairs, and those who revealed their ambitions by targeting the weak king’s vulnerabilities.

While Ruman prepared its response amid confusion, Pendia likewise prepared for full-scale combat.

Licharzo Island, their next target, was on an entirely different level compared to the likes of Mobic Island, which they had attacked previously.

While Mobic Island was a small island inhabited by a few tens of thousands of people at most, Licharzo was a colossal island ranking among the top three in all of Ruman, populated by at least several hundred thousand people.

It was simply far too large to crumble and devastate with a surprise attack of fifteen hundred men.

Above all, since the King of Ruman had issued a full muster order, forces would soon gather from over a hundred islands.

To face an enemy of such scale, reinforcing their fighting force was essential.

“By order of the Queen! Reserve forces across all of Pendia, gather at Beshalia immediately!”

Back when Shan was busy subjugating pirates, Cheryn had already sent out this message via the magic transceivers.

Was it not said that even dust, when gathered, rises like a mountain?

As portions of the regular armies stationed in each domain gathered one by one, their numbers gradually swelled.

Unlike soldiers of other nations, they had no need to requisition or plunder local supplies as they passed.

This was because they could simply receive food supplies prepared in advance by bureaucrats along their marching routes.

Though it might have seemed trivial, it was an advanced system rarely found elsewhere.

As a result, the fleet returning to Beshalia after finishing the pirate subjugation welcomed over two thousand five hundred reinforcing troops.

Considering that all of them were properly armed regular troops rather than conscripts, it was truly a formidable force.

“I greet the Lord Protector!”

A knight, shouting smartly while snapping to a disciplined posture, realized that the person receiving him was the rabbit-eared female knight, Ravana, and showed an expression of flustered regret.

At this, Ravana smiled and spoke.

“Why, are you disappointed that I am not the Lord Protector?”

“Ah, no! It’s not that! But we were under the impression that we would be under the command of the Lord Protector…”

“It seems the order wasn’t passed down properly. Currently, Baron Satru and I are commanding the army in Beshalia. The Lord Protector will return soon, so command will be transferred then.”

Since their level of training and armament fell short of the royal capital’s regular forces initially assembled, the reserve troops needed to undergo separate training before being deployed to war.

As the past few battles had shown, whether or not one prepared for naval combat in advance made a tremendous difference.

Lug, who was standing beside Ravana, looked back at the soldiers standing behind them and spoke.

“Two thousand five hundred men. Combined with our original force, that’s over four thousand.”

“If we hadn’t increased our warships, we wouldn’t even have been able to board them all.”

Just as Ravana said, the ten warships Beshalia originally possessed could not have carried all those troops.

That was also why the number of troops sent out to subjugate the pirates had been limited.

However, thanks to gaining more warships while plundering the pirates, they could now fully accommodate a force of this size.

This was true even after excluding pirate ships that were excessively worn out or small.

While the two were talking, the knight who had brought the reinforcing troops asked cautiously.

“Um, may I ask where the Lord Protector has gone?”

At his question, Ravana and Lug looked at each other for a moment before nodding.

Although it was confidential, results should have emerged to some extent by now, so telling him wouldn’t hurt.

“He departed for the west. To bring reinforcements.”

“The west… Ah!”

The knight wore an expression of realization.

To the west of Pendia lay Libert, the largest and most powerful nation in the Arman Alliance.

*

“It’s been a while, Libert.”

“Strictly speaking, you should say it’s your first time, not ‘it’s been a while.’ You’ve never been to the south, have you? You lived your whole life only in that northeastern village.”

“That’s true, but still.”

On the deck of the warship cutting through the sea.

Shan and Roden chatted as they leaned against the bulwark, looking at the distant harbor.

After subjugating the final stronghold (the base of the Demon Flag) and skinning every single pirate there alive, they entrusted most of their forces to Lug and Ravana, ordering them to return to Beshalia.

Then the two crossed over to Libert with only a few warships and a portion of their troops.

Naturally, they did not expect large-scale support from the Kingdom of Libert.

They were officially excommunicated by the Western Holy See, and even aside from that, Libert was in a state where the flames of civil war had not yet died out.

However, if restricted strictly to the southern region, the story was somewhat different.

Having had frequent contact with foreigners since ancient times, southern Libertines possessed a relatively open disposition toward pagans and foreign races compared to other regions.

Meaning that at the very least, they were not opponents so completely closed off that dialogue was impossible.

Moreover, because the coastal southern region had been raided daily by Ruman pirates since ancient times, their regional sentiment toward Ruman could be described as the absolute worst.

In other words, even if military support was difficult, there was a high possibility they would turn a blind eye to them hiring mercenaries.

Brokering such arrangements was one of their primary businesses in the first place anyway.

Their mission was to sell the treasures and warships obtained from plundering the pirates here and hire mercenaries.

A moment later, the warship carrying the two anchored in Meln, a port city in southern Libert.

It was one of the core major cities in the south, comparable to Beshalia in Pendia, boasting a population of over two hundred thousand.

It could be considered a sustainable population count because Libert, lacking monsters, could freely expand vast arable lands.

When Shan and Roden stepped off the warship, dozens of soldiers greeted them.

To show respect rather than a threat, they carried no spears, wearing swords at their waists and bending one arm upward to politely pay their respects.

At their lead stood a young man who looked to be in his late teens or early twenties at most.

Dressed in the linen shirt and shorts typical of sailors, possessing a tanned frame and a nimble build, he extended his hand with a curious expression and spoke.

“I am Gillian Chambel, Count of Meln and Maritime Magistrate of Libert. You are the Lord Protector of Pendia, Shan Barendil, right?”

The reason the young head of the Chambel family had come to greet them was that they had sent advance notice via a fast packet ship.

After all, if a duke of a nation infiltrated another country (especially one currently close to a potential enemy state) without notice, he could hardly expect good feedback.

However, while they had expected him to send a few retainer vassals at most to receive them, they had not anticipated that the count himself would come out.

Moreover, his tone of speech was informal, as though addressing a close friend.

Although it was an exceedingly rude action, no hostility dwelt in the count’s eyes as he looked at him.

Though faint contempt and fear could be felt on the faces of the guards beside him, however.

At this, Shan took the extended hand and answered in a similarly informal tone.

If the other party had used such speech to look down on him, he would have shown displeasure.

“I am Duke Velakar, Shan Barendil. Thank you for the warm welcome, Count.”

“Don’t mention it! Feel free to call me Gillian. I’ll call you Shan as well.”

With that, the other man shook the joined hands in delight.

Shan was somewhat surprised by a reaction hard to expect from an Old Faith noble of Libert.

Thinking about it, including Duke of Morayen, there were indeed many eccentrics among the Libert nobles he had met in person.

Or rather, considering that the nobles under Duke of Morayen were all typical Old Faith believers adherents, were just a few of them unusual?

“I wondered how fierce a man called the Nightmare of Pirates would look, but you look handsome enough to bewitch quite a few women. Savante didn’t mention anything like that.”

Shan slightly grimaced at the Count of Meln’s words, unsure whether they were a joke or mockery.

Not because those words were offensive, but because he could not tell whose name had been mentioned at the end.

“Savante?”

“Hm? Duke of Morayen. Don’t tell me you don’t even know his name?”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, was that his name?

Unless they knew each other closely, there was rarely a reason to use a name rather than a title, so it was easy to forget quickly.

Gillian, the Count of Meln, who surmised this from Shan’s expression, chuckled in amusement.

“My word, he expressed so much affection for you, but it turns out it was complete one-sided love. I’ve found something to tease him about.”

“Are you acquainted with Duke of Morayen?”

“He’s a first cousin once removed on my mother’s side. Well, something like a distant cousin brother, I suppose.”

It seemed that high nobles’ family trees being entangled here and there was the same in Libert as well.

Then again, even in Pendia, if one went up a few generations for nobles of count rank or higher, royal blood frequently appeared.

Even the maternal grandfather of Count of Shedil, a rural noble, was the son of a Pendian king a few generations back.

Strictly speaking, he was a distant relative of Cheryn.

Gillian, who answered nonchalantly, turned his gaze toward Roden behind them.

“That large fellow in the back must be Baron Boldran, right? The famous Commander of Non-Lethality!”

“It is an honor to meet you, Count.”

Roden’s fame had also spread widely throughout Libert.

A peerless strategist who fought only monsters and never killed humans, while commanding firmly from the rear to lead allies effortlessly.

A knight of commoner origin who had risen as Shan Barendil’s primary aide.

At Roden’s polite greeting, he shook his head back and forth.

“Let’s speak comfortably. I don’t want to use unnecessarily solemn speech among nobles of a similar age.”

“…If you say so. Call me Roden as well.”

“Great, Roden! Now we’re communicating properly. There are so many rigid bastards around that it’s a real pain. It seems we can become friends after all.”

Although they had heard some things about him, judging by his manner of speech alone, he was indeed an individual so frivolous it was hard to believe he was a high noble.

Yet even while doing so, the sharp look scanning them gave the impression that he was not merely a brainless fellow.

In fact, despite his young age, the Count of Meln was evaluated as a figure with outstanding business acumen who had multiplied his family’s wealth and developed the city into a bustling hub.

Such a feat would have been impossible had he been just an immature young master.

“It’s troublesome to keep chatting here, so let’s talk while eating something at my residence! My chef has prepared plenty of delicious food, so look forward to it.”

Saying so, Gillian immediately invited Shan, Roden, and their attendants to his residence.

Refusing the host’s invitation when visiting another domain was impolite.

At the very least, if they accepted and ate his food, in accordance with hospitality customs, there would be no such thing as selling them out to the King of Ruman.

The two nodded and accepted the invitation.

*

As they moved in a grand carriage escorted by cavalry, everyone watched them with curious eyes, wondering who on earth they could be.

Inside the carriage, Gillian chattered non-stop to Shan.

Asking which of the legends currently spreading about him in the South Sea were real and which were fake.

Facing eyes filled with curiosity, Shan answered moderately.

That the facts were facts, and the exaggerated parts were exaggerated.

“Heh…”

“Did you really swim while wearing armor? Amazing!”

“Ahahaha! Their hearts must have frozen with terror!”

With just that, Gillian displayed the attitude of an excellent listener, clapping his hands and showing exaggerated reactions.

As Shan also chatted with quite some enthusiasm, before they knew it, they arrived at the count’s castle.

The Count of Meln’s castle was large and extravagant, fitting for a noble of Libert.

Gold decorations presumed to have come from the Southern Continent were scattered everywhere to a vulgar degree, and the walls were filled with Horais-style leather ornaments.

Several stuffed monsters presumed to have been imported from Pendia were also visible, the most impressive being an eight-winged gargoyle.

In one way or another, it was worthy of a residence belonging to the ruler of a trading city in the most luxurious and wealthy nation in the world.

Marquis Beshalia’s mansion had been quite splendid as well, but it certainly could not compare to this.

In Pendia, only something like the royal palace could probably compare.

“This is my wife, Melinda. And this is my sister, Venoa.”

“It is an honor to meet you.”

After washing up and grooming themselves, Gillian introduced his wife and sister once they sat down at the dining table.

Both ladies greeted them with refined, modest manners fitting for ladies educated under the Old Faith.

In Old Faith cultural spheres like Libert, introducing the women of the family at a private meal with a guest signified that they trusted the guest to that degree.

This too was an unexpected hospitality.

Melinda was a young lady around the count’s age, while Venoa seemed to be a few years older.

If she was a noble lady, she was of an age where she should have already been married; why was she living with her younger brother?

While he harbored such doubts, a chef arrived carrying plates of steaming food.

“I pray that my dishes may delight the palates of your noble graces.”

Southern Libert-style banquets featured less spice and a milder taste compared to Pendia.

Was it said that they valued elegantly preserving the natural flavor of the raw ingredients over producing vulgar, heavy flavors?

After enjoying a feast encompassing everything from seafood such as lobster and cod to land meats like pheasant, the count brought up the main topic.

“Now then, what is the business that brought the heroes preparing for battle against the Kingdom of Ruman to my domain? Is it a request for support after all?”

When the count asked with an inexplicably expectant expression, Shan shook his head.

“No, since that would likely be burdensome, we would just like you to allow us to recruit mercenaries here.”

If they were determined to gather mercenaries here in Meln, they could probably recruit at least several hundred, and at most nearly a thousand men.

For pirate hunters and merchant ship escorts from nearby small port cities would also rush over immediately if promised generous rewards.

Of course, even so, their quality would fall far short of Pendia’s regular army, but simply adding a unit proficient in naval combat and capable of tasks they could not perform was a huge help.

Besides, if they did not hire them, were they not individuals who would likely be hired by the Ruman Kingdom with high probability?

Decreasing enemies while increasing allies was like killing two birds with one stone.

Currently developing, Pendia needed a larger population.

If spending money like this could substitute for the price of blood, it was a profitable bargain.

At Shan’s words, the Count of Meln let out a “Mm,” speaking with a gloomy expression.

“Dear me, that’s a bit disappointing. I thought you had come to request support… Don’t tell me you believe you can win against the likes of the King of Ruman’s army just by hiring mercenaries?”

“That’s right.”

“Kh, I want to say you’re arrogantly absurd, but looking at what you’ve accomplished, I can’t even say that! Well, you’ve even earned the nickname ‘Green Phantom,’ after all.”

Wondering what strange, unheard-of nickname that was now, Shan grimaced, whereupon Roden beside him asked.

“There is one thing I would like to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“If we were to request support, do you have enough surplus capability to provide it?”

At Roden’s question, Gillian lightly swirled his wine glass and spoke.

“Meln is one of the top three major cities in southern Libert. If I set my mind to it, I could gather around three thousand troops skilled in naval combat right away. And ships to carry them as well.”

Three thousand men was roughly equal to the force they were currently trying to mobilize for the war with Ruman.

Then again, could the lord of a major city boasting over two hundred thousand people fail to manage even that much?

Certainly, Libert felt like it possessed an entirely different scale of population compared to Pendia.

Had they not been held in check by facing four nations in all directions (north, south, east, and west) they would have unified the Arman Alliance long ago.

While listening to the story, Shan voiced a question that suddenly came to mind.

“Then what about Duke of Morayen?”

“Hm? Why bring up Savante all of a sudden?”

“Well, I heard you were close friends with him. I thought a force of that size would be plenty to support him.”

Furthermore, Duke of Morayen had requested support even from the neighboring nation of Pendia, so his circumstances had to be that urgent.

Yet there was no way he hadn’t requested support from his first cousin once removed in his own country.

At Shan’s question, Gillian spoke with a baffled expression.

“Why should I help Savante?”

“Huh?”

“Being personally close is one thing, but Savante can’t give me what I need anyway, and the south agreed not to lay a hand on this civil war. There’s no reason for me to break the agreement alone and plunge into a muddy brawl.”

While looking like a frivolous, immature young master on the outside, he possessed an attitude that clearly distinguished public matters from private ones in aspects like this.

However, hearing those words raised a question.

“Then, unlike him, what is your reason for wanting to help us?”

“First off, it’s because I dislike the Ruman bastards. Every time those motherfuckers raid a merchant ship, the taxes I should be collecting vanish. Whenever I think about how much money that is, I feel like throwing up.”

Words that were truly logical.

To the point where it could be said that among domain masters adjacent to the sea on the continent, there was no one who did not hate Rumanians.

If Pendia defeated Ruman, it would result in the entire pirate force of the South Sea shrinking drastically.

However, the moment Shan and Roden saw the other man’s eyes, they could surmise that it was not merely for that reason.

Gillian looked at the two with greedy eyes and spoke.

“And here is the main point: I’ll actively help with the war against Ruman, so I’d like you to sell us the magic transceivers you’ve been using as well.”