Chapter 63: Chapter 63

In truth, Palles Fief originally did not have a particularly large stockpile of mana stones due to its regional characteristics.

It was not as though large monsters prowled around relatively often to provide many hunting opportunities like in other places, nor was there any place to use the mana stones they happened to obtain.

Although Cheryn had requested Count of Palles several years ago to begin gathering a certain amount of mana stones for her plans, that amount was hardly enough to handle the recent explosive demand.

“Frankly speaking, it was beyond my calculations. I didn’t think the yield would drop this much when left to other mages.”

Cheryn, who had been looking down at the documents with a troubled expression, let out a sigh and put them down with a click.

Currently, the division of mana stones and the production of magic devices were being carried out by hired mages rather than her own hands.

This was because Cheryn herself had her days completely full just overseeing the general affairs of the fief, monitoring the interior with spiders, inventing new magic devices, and designing production processes.

However, in addition to their basic lack of competence as mages, assigning them work without letting them understand the concepts for confidentiality reasons reduced efficiency even more than expected.

With a slight exaggeration, it was fair to say that nearly half of the mana stones put into the work were currently being thrown away.

“Did you use the mana stone of the ogre we caught before as well?”

“Strictly speaking, that isn’t my possession. Besides, I can’t use such a precious thing to make mundane objects. I’m adjusting it with absolute devotion, so go quickly and fetch good armor.”

Cheryn glared with wide eyes, saying she could not tolerate an item meant to be used for the strongest knight being damaged in such a manner.

Shan did not know the details, but it seemed to be a craftsman’s stubborn pride.

“……Then should we go hunting toward the Demonic Realm?”

“Rummaging through that place doesn’t guarantee a lot of mana stones will come out. Besides, it takes too long.”

Even if Shan tore apart and killed every monster he encountered, a harvest could only be gained if a large monster possessing a mana stone appeared.

Even back when wandering the Demonic Realm, obtaining just one cockatrice mana stone across two expeditions had been the best they could do.

In short, no matter how strong one was, there was a clear limit to what a single person or a single group could hunt while roaming around.

Moreover, deploying a large force toward the Demonic Realm would leave Palles’s defenses vulnerable.

“Rather than doing that, it’s better to bring them from a place where mana stones are piled up.”

Cheryn’s voice as she spoke sounded somewhat chilly.

Shan and Roden instinctively divined what she meant.

Humans were the only creatures in this world who piled up large quantities of mana stones.

“It doesn’t seem like…… a trade. Somehow.”

“Since there have been many things undertaken recently, neither supplies nor funds are very ample. The Shedil Fief was traded with last time as well, so mana stones won’t be piled up that much there either.”

If so, there was only one method.

It meant they had to procure mana stones through coercive requisition, or to put it bluntly, plundering.

That target naturally had to be the hostile faction.

“Even without this, it was about time to press Conrad once. According to the news heard, Elvin is being completely shattered. The balance breaking is not very pleasant for us.”

Crossing the river from Palles and moving west for about four to five days led to regions supporting Conrad.

Although Old Faith believers who rejected magic were the main trend, it was usual to embed at least one mana stone into the castle gate if possible due to practical problems.

Cheryn spoke with a mean smile, stating that stripping all of those to procure mana stones, as well as extorting other strategic supplies, could significantly weaken Conrad’s forces as well.

“Is it war……?”

Roden muttered with a slight scowl on his face.

It was out of regret that fellow humans had to kill and be killed simply because they served different lords, rather than fighting monsters.

Of course, he did not dare admonish Cheryn here that such a thing must not be done.

Because if they did not attack first, Conrad’s side would attack anyway.

After completing all preparations and putting overwhelming quantities at the forefront.

“For peace, one must wage war. It’s funny even saying it, but reality is like that.”

Cheryn said, wiping away her laughter.

*

The preparations for war were made lightning-fast.

It was thanks to the administrative system that Cheryn had striven to assemble like a fine-tuned machine.

The sight of all supplies needed (from conscription to organization, from marching and combat to siege) being resupplied in an instant was truly marvelous.

The army gathered in such a manner possessed quite a grand momentum.

First, there were 188 well-armed Altoan mercenaries (the number being larger than before because more people had fled here during that time) and two hundred soldiers supported by Count of Palles.

Adding about a hundred soldiers supported by four barons, the number reached around five hundred.

Combined with Shan and a dozen knights sent by the count and the barons under him, it became a military force capable of easily trampling several countryside fiefs.

The fact that such a standing army came forth even while leaving enough troops to defend the Palles region in case of unexpected situations proved the immense prosperity of this land.

It was a mobilization power difficult to dare imitate in other fiefs, which suffered from chronic population shortages due to being plagued by monsters constantly.

Of course, if this army engaged in a head-on clash with Conrad, who had dozens of lords backing him, they would be crushed to death as they were, but fortunately, most of his army was currently headed south to fight Elvin.

They literally only needed to threaten or attack the fiefs in northwestern Pendia that remained as empty shells, plundering all kinds of strategic supplies including mana stones.

“Even so, don’t push yourself too hard. No one knows when the war situation might change. Always keep scouts deployed steadily, and if the atmosphere feels strange, retreat immediately……”

Cheryn nagged several times like a mother of a child setting out alone for the first time.

Since she spoke out of worry, Shan smiled brightly and nodded instead of finding it tedious.

Several magic devices invented in the meantime were also mobilized for this expedition.

Representative examples were lamps that lit up the night and refrigerators that kept the interior cool to enhance food preservation.

“With this, we can certainly carry fresh meat or bread for at least several days longer…… That’s terrifying.”

Roden clicked his tongue as he looked at the crate loaded onto the cart.

It was because he knew from experience that an army found it hard to eat fresh food unless it actively plundered.

Currently, since only a few had been made, they only prepared special meals for knights or high-ranking soldiers, but once fully commercialized, the army’s combat sustainability would surely become far broader than before.

Before long, the army gathered in the plain in front of the count’s castle declared its departure before Cheryn and Count of Palles.

The commander was assumed by Cheryn’s knight, Sir Shan Barendil, whom she had appointed directly.

“May this be an army unashamed before the names of the Goddess and the royal family.”

“I shall keep it in mind, my Lord.”

“I shall pray for your victory, my most powerful knight.”

In front of everyone’s eyes, Shan knelt on one knee and received the axe Cheryn handed down.

Of course, in actual combat he would naturally use Guardian of the East, so this was close to a symbolic meaning.

“Be careful.”

A small whisper that could only be understood by looking closely at the movement of her lips.

Shan looked at Cheryn’s worried expression and replaced his answer with a broad grin.

Leaving the city of Palles, the army went straight down to the southern port and boarded the ships prepared in advance.

Because the numbers were so large, even after mobilizing all the ships, all personnel and supplies could only be moved after going back and forth several times.

Shan, who took the first ship and came straight out of the fortress, patted Arwin’s neck when she stomped her hooves while huffing snorts as if excited.

“Yes, yes. It seems you like coming out after a long time.”

Having focused on personal training over the past month and a half while his body grew, not being able to run around outside to his heart’s content seemed to have been boring.

As he was diligently soothing Arwin, Roden, who disembarked from the ship right after, approached and asked.

“How is the armor, Sir Shan?”

“It’s not that bad. Though it’s a bit loose.”

It had been about a month and a half since his full-fledged growth period began.

Shan grew nearly ten centimeters taller in an instant, gained a lot of muscle, and his body shape also changed.

Naturally, there was no way the existing plate armor he wore would fit his body.

Even so, to make new armor, the blacksmiths of Palles were somewhat lacking in skill.

It was unavoidable since the target of comparison was the armor craftsmen of Hasra, who could be called the best in Pendia.

In the end, he had to wear Kamad’s armor, which had been tossed aside without a place to use.

Befitting top-grade armor given to a royal knight, once the straps were adjusted well, it became passable to wear, though slightly uncomfortable.

Still, to display full power, custom-making a new one fitted to the body would naturally be best.

“I wish I’d hurry up and grow completely. Then we could just melt it down, hammer it, and fit it, right? We could even modify the armor using the ogre mana stone.”

Since he was still continuously growing, adjusting the armor size to his current body was useless.

According to Cheryn’s words, did she say he would probably grow to over 180 cm and under 190 cm?

He was already growing absurdly fast, but he thought it would be nice if he grew up quickly and his body fixed its size.

Roden, who was laughing at Shan’s grumbling, turned his head.

Over there, boys of Shan’s age were standing on horses with nervous expressions.

One was an Altoan, and the other was a Westerner.

“Vico, Tavera. Check if anyone was missing while crossing the river.”

“Yes!”

“Understood, Lord Roden!”

The two boys were squires Shan had newly selected a short while ago.

Since Roden had to perform the roles of both adjutant and staff officer, assistants for combat and general tasks were needed.

Vico was an Altoan with hard scales growing all over his body like armor, and Shan personally selected him as he had the best aptitude among Altoan boys of an age suitable to be taken as a squire.

Coincidentally, he was the nephew of Kob ‘the Long Arm’, who had participated in the troll hunt with Shan in the past and was currently a high-ranking soldier of the mercenary band.

And Tavera was a distant relative Count of Palles and a second cousin of Sir Aran.

Though this side was selected through connections rather than talent, he still had the grit to endure knight training.

Furthermore, coming from a knight family, he had trained since childhood, so his current skill was slightly better than Vico’s.

“How is it, are they somewhat usable?”

As the two ran off to deliver commands to the army, Roden asked in a low voice with a slightly more comfortable tone.

Shan tilted his head.

“What is?”

“Those two fellows.”

“If it’s skill, they still have a long way to go. It’s only been a month or two of teaching them.”

Unless one was an extraordinary existence like Shan, for an ordinary human, combat techniques were something that had to be painstakingly instilled into the body over at least several years to decades.

Of course, both had basics learned as apprentice mercenaries and descendants of knight families, but since it had not been long since they started full-fledged squire life, there was much to learn.

“Not that. Things like behavior or character.”

“Wouldn’t Roden see those things better than me? Well, they don’t look bad.”

Both boys were the same age as Shan or a year or two older, but in front of him, they did not dare put on even a pretense of cockiness and crawled low.

It was natural since a genius knight who had achieved mythical feats while they were running around with runny noses training with wooden practice swords was their lord.

Even if they showed a somewhat absentminded side in daily life, there was no way they could dare treat him casually.

Even more so because they had witnessed that tremendous training intensity during the process of training together recently.

“Well, then that’s fine. If they get too cocky, tell me. I’ll give them a lesson.”

“You really treat me like a child.”

In fact, the person those two were even more terrified of than Shan was Roden himself.

He was the adjutant Shan trusted the most and the person who took care of all matters big and small for the unit, so it could not be helped.

While conversing, Roden looked at the two walking around various parts of the camp and formed a lonely smile.

“Those two will be able to become knights someday. I’m envious.”

For a half-baked warrior who could not fight people, it was a staircase he could never climb in his life.

The young man’s complaint of abandoning the path of a knight due to edge phobia scattered over the plain.

Shan, who watched this quietly, stretched out his leg and kicked Roden’s shin.

“Ack! That hurts, you punk.”

“Others will hear.”

“Ack.”

Roden, who had spoken out loud without realizing it, quickly looked around.

Fortunately, since they were a bit distant, no one had heard his words.

Although there were a few who showed surprised expressions upon seeing Shan kick his own squire.

“Why act as if it’ll never happen in your life when you’re still training continuously these days?”

“……Did you see?”

“Yeah.”

In the dark night, Shan happened to see Roden staying behind alone, devoting himself to training.

Seeing him tie a dagger to a string, throw it to one side, and dodge it as it returned.

Doing something that ordinary people, no, even children, could easily accomplish, Roden broke into a cold sweat that soaked his entire body.

It was because even a blade flying without a person holding it was that terrifying to him.

Yet Roden did not give up, even while suffering terribly.

“You too will be able to overcome it and become a knight someday. Definitely.”

Shan truly believed so.

He had met many people in the meantime, but among them, there was no one who could truly do anything like Roden.

Even if it were a problem that seemed entirely unresolvable, he would surely find a way and overcome it.

At the confident encouragement of his lord and friend, Roden wore a blank expression for a moment before snapping his head away.

Shan laughed and spoke playfully.

“You’re crying.”

“I’m not crying, punk.”

“Liar.”

Turning his head, Roden let out a snort as he blew his nose.

*

Before advancing in earnest, Shan’s army first visited several fiefs adjacent to the river in sequence.

The lords here were originally on friendly terms with Palles Fief, but after Cheryn came to power, they maintained a somewhat ambiguous relationship.

It was because the domain of Duke of Reinel she claimed included their fiefs.

They feared that swearing loyalty to Cheryn would infringe upon their vested rights, while also fearing being attacked if they openly resisted, so they could not clearly define their stance.

In truth, this reaction was also intended by Cheryn.

Originally, a vassal relationship was not one-sided.

If a vassal was loyal to a lord, the lord had to protect the vassal in return.

However, putting defense across the river aside, she did not yet possess the power to protect the fiefs across the river against Conrad.

Therefore, she intentionally pretended to infringe upon their vested rights, forming an ambiguous relationship where there was no need to protect them in times of emergency.

That was why when patrolling across the river, conducting practical training, or crossing back and forth for trade, the two factions acted distant with each other.

Until today, when Shan broke that unwritten rule and personally visited each lord’s manor.

To countryside lords governing small villages and a few small towns where at most hundreds to thousands of people lived, five hundred properly armed and trained soldiers were an immense threat.

Sending messengers in terror, they were thankful that Palles Fief did not harbor intentions of invasion, while having to show their faces in person for negotiations.

Coming in front of the castle for the conference and facing Shan in person, the old baron let out a pained groan.

“An IOU……”

“Her Highness the Duchess promised to repay with items of equal or greater value than mana stones.”

“If it’s Her Highness the Duchess, you must be referring to the princess?”

“Yes, of course. Are you perhaps denying that she is Duke of Reinel?”

At Shan’s question, the old baron shook his head in terror.

As if he did not answer like that, the boy before his eyes would tear him apart right away.

Even though he clearly had slightly drooping eyes and a gentle impression, a sharp pressure-like feeling could be felt from the gaze staring quietly at this side.

Whether it was due to the feats accumulated in the meantime, or the unique aura held as a strong person.

“No, that is not it!”

“That is fortunate. If that were the case, I would have to protect my lord’s honor.”

Having pressed the opponent fairly skillfully as instructed in advance by Roden, Shan presented the prepared document to the old baron.

Its contents were simple.

Hand over all the mana stones currently held, as they would be repaid three years later.

So to speak, this was an IOU and a non-aggression pact at the same time.

Because attacking a target to whom repayment was promised without justification was a dishonorable act that anyone could see was meant to default on the money.

“……Give me a moment to think.”

The old baron immediately entered a meeting with the retainers who had followed him out.

The knights naturally rebelled fiercely.

“Absolutely not. If we offer up all the fief’s mana stones, how will the castle’s defense be handled in the future?”

It was widely known news that during the monster grand offensive a short while ago, the cockatrice mana stone had played a large role when Shedil City fended off the attack of the ogre horde leader.

Possessing more and stronger mana stones allowed one to gain a major advantage in defending castle gates or walls.

Bluntly speaking, ordinary wooden castle gates could crumble once struck by a troll.

However, an official on the opposite side of these arguments shook his head back and forth as he refuted.

“Let us hand them over. Keeping them only invites fights for no reason.”

“Coward!”

“Even if cowardly, shouldn’t we survive? Does holding mana stones give us the ability to fight that army?”

“If we endure well in the castle……”

“It will soon be wheat harvest season. Even if they just set fire to the fields, all of us will starve to death. Even if not, if all the villages collapse, what on earth remains? At any rate, large monsters requiring mana stones appear once every few years at best. What is the point of dying right now to guard against a threat that might come who knows when?”

Unlike the lord’s castle protected by stone walls, villages or fields were protected only by wooden palisades or fences.

Naturally, in front of an army of that size, it would be nothing more than a defensive measure with little significance.

Listening to the retainers’ debate and contemplating for a long time, the baron finally made a decision.

Approaching Shan, he squeezed his eyes shut, signed, and tucked the document away.

“I will prepare the mana stones.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

Performing such acts a few more times while moving around brought in several fairly usable mana stones.

Of course, all of them were merely low-quality mana stones obtained from mediocre monsters, but considering the usage, even these would be unusable due to lack of availability right now.

On the way leaving, Shan looked back and said in a low voice.

“Somehow everyone has sorrowful faces.”

“Well, calling it a transaction, it was practically taken away after succumbing to force.”

“And to think we really intend to return them with interest included.”

Not to exaggerate, taking these mana stones, making a few magic devices, and returning them would be equivalent to making a fortune for them.

Because any decent Alto artifact was far higher in value than such low-grade mana stones.

For now, they might harbor some ill feelings, but when power to advance outward was gained within a few years, handing over such objects as reward would be enough to bring them under their command.

Having obtained a few mana stones like that, Shan led the army and pushed straight southwest.

Passing through wide plains, passing through dark forests and valleys, and crossing several streams, they slept outdoors for three days and stopped at two villages over two days to replenish provisions.

The villagers feared the tyranny of the suddenly arriving army, but Shan’s army did not go wild, slaughtering people at random or looting goods.

They simply paid a reasonable amount of money and ‘requisitioned’ necessary supplies.

“Everyone remember. The residents here are also residents of the same Pendia. Any case of harming civilians will be dealt with severely.”

Every time they entered a village, Shan gave such a stern warning.

This was Cheryn’s request.

The fiefs visited earlier were the same, but ultimately Pendia was a land she had to rule as queen someday.

Not to mention not accumulating bad fame as a ruler, cities and villages had to be kept as intact as possible to collect more taxes.

Of course, since humans were not beings that necessarily listened just because someone spoke, once a frivolous soldier harassed a woman excessively, got into a quarrel with her husband, and beat him up badly.

Shan ended the punishment by tying that soldier in the village square and lashing his back just once with a whip.

“Kghhh……”

“Take him down.”

At Shan’s command, soldiers with terrified faces took down the soldier who had been tied to the tree.

Though it was just a single whip stroke, the villagers did not dare complain to Shan that the punishment was too light.

It was not merely bruised, but literally the flesh on his back was torn as if cut by a knife, dug deep enough for bone to be visible.

Anyone could see it was an injury that would lead to death soon if he did not receive treatment from a priest.

Holding the bleeding whip, Shan looked at the soldiers gathered in the area and warned in a low voice.

“Remember. Unless attacked first, acts of inflicting unnecessary harm on civilians are strictly forbidden.”

To the soldiers, that single low warning sounded colder than a superior shouting at the top of his lungs.

They could feel that the moment they violated this, he was a person who would truly kill them and more.

*

A day after strictly enforcing discipline among the soldiers, finally, the targeted city appeared far off in the distance.

It was the city of Zerkan, ruled by a noble who supported Conrad.

“We’ve finally arrived……”

The city of Zerkan was a city with a high cliff behind it.

From what he heard, did they say a fairly large iron vein was below there, supplying abundant metal resources?

Upon noticing that Shan’s army had arrived, bells rang boisterously, and people working in facilities outside the city ran inside the castle gates.

Looking at the castle gates that slammed shut, Shan first sent a messenger.

Siege preparations were made to some extent, but if possible, it was better to obtain what was needed without resistance.

“Promise that if they surrender, we will not touch anything other than strategic supplies and mana stones.”

“Understood.”

Yurk, the Baron of Lugen, personally stepped forward as the messenger.

In contrast to his former arrogant behavior, the sight of him obeying Shan’s command and bowing his head clearly revealed the hierarchical relationship between the two.

Yurk, carrying a white flag and approaching the front of the castle gate with a few guards, shouted to urge surrender, and before long, the opponent showed themselves above the castle wall.

‘That’s……’

The person appearing to be the commander of the garrison above the castle gate was a woman of a similar build to Roden.

Her age was probably around thirty or forty.

Her body was clad in sturdy chain mail, and the axe slung over her shoulder was large enough to sever a horse’s neck in a single blow.

However, a feature even greater than that was the two rabbit ears rising above her head.

Seeing the rabbit ears, one side of which was half-severed, an Altoan mercenary shouted in surprise.

“……Could it be, the Slaughter Rabbit?”