Chapter 91: Chapter 91

After suffering a terrible defeat in the battle on the southern plains of Hasra, Conrad abandoned the capital right away and retreated to his maternal grandfather’s territory in the west instead of recklessly continuing a defensive war.

Thanks to that, Elvin was able to take possession of Hasra smoothly and without resistance.

Afterward, hell unfolded in the capital.

The troops of the Ruman Kingdom under Prince Elvin, particularly the soldiers who were former pirates, ran wild like demons, satisfying their desires.

The Horais semi-horse archers were also no slouches when it came to being masters of slaughter and pillage, but at least they were originally captives and overwhelmed by Shan’s charisma.

In contrast, Prince Elvin was receiving help from the King of Ruman, making it difficult for him to treat those subordinates harshly.

Days followed where young women did not dare venture outside their homes, and even healthy men could not walk the main avenues, having to hide like rats between alleys.

Thus passed about a month.

Having finally finished reorganizing in the capital and connecting the supply trade routes with his base in the southern region, Elvin turned his gaze toward the east.

Having just stepped out to a city west of Shedil when they heard this news, Shan and Roden coaxed and coaxed their exhausted horses, somehow returning to Shedil City in just a single day.

Leaving the exhausted animals at the stables, they immediately requested an audience with the count.

The count welcomed them with a warm smile thanks to having heard reports of the pair’s recent deeds, but the moment he learned of the invasion news, his expression turned grave.

“At least two thousand men…”

“When we heard the story yesterday, it was only word that they were just preparing to depart from the capital. Considering the time it took for the news to travel, we probably have about a fortnight to spare.”

Originally, dispatching a large-scale force was not something that could be done secretly unless under special circumstances like Palles.

Rumors were bound to spread naturally through the middle-management layer during the process of organizing rations and supplies, negotiating pay with subordinate mercenary units, and so on.

Furthermore, taking into account that the movement speed slowed down as the size of the army grew, one could estimate that it would take around that much time.

Most likely, it might arrive later, but it would not arrive any earlier.

“Have you heard anything about the composition of the force?”

“We do not know that much yet. For now, it is merely news passed along word of mouth from peddlers.”

“If the ratio of conscripts is high, that would be one thing, but… if he sends a proper army, it will not be easy to withstand.”

Although they had faithfully rebuilt for several years since the ogre invasion, while Shedil City itself might be fine, the population of the neighboring villages that had been wiped out had not all recovered.

Naturally, the number of soldiers that could be conscripted was far too lacking compared to the scale of the territory.

On top of that, had Cheryn not recently attempted a large-scale recruitment among the Altoans in this eastern region?

Considering that the strongest and agile young men had been pulled out, one had to view their military strength as having weakened far more than it appeared.

A vassal who was sitting with them let out a sigh and muttered.

“I do not understand why he is suddenly targeting the east. There is Conrad in the west, Duke of Morayen in the northwest, and Palles in the north.”

“He probably sent them to threaten after hearing rumors that the princess is in earnest winning over the east. If he makes them lose heart and back down out of fear beforehand, there will be no need to fight.”

Shan gave voice to the thought that had crossed his mind when he heard the news.

The reason he had thought of such an idea was that Elvin’s current action was in the exact same vein as what he himself had tried to do, and what Cheryn had intended.

For the one holding power to brandish it and intimidate…

In many ways, it was an easy, convenient, and predictable method.

However, making a move to detach a portion of his troops to attack despite having multiple enemies around him was praiseworthy as a sharp tactic.

Because if more time had passed and Cheryn had distributed some of the magic devices to the eastern region, dealing with it would have been much easier than it was now.

“How about requesting relief from the princess?”

“It is far too sudden, so it will be difficult to make it in time.”

Roden answered another vassal’s question.

Even if they dispatched a messenger as fast as possible, it would take four to five days just for the news to reach her, and for Cheryn to organize and send an army after confirming it would take at least a fortnight or so.

By that time, the force departing from Hasra would have more than enough time to reach Shedil City.

“Mmm.”

“Frustrating as it is, that fellow thrust in at a most opportune moment.”

“It is at least fortunate that thanks to the young master personally taking the lead in forging peace with neighboring territories, we can expect support from that side.”

“Had he not done so, it really would not have been easy.”

Everyone nodded at a vassal’s words.

The number of professional soldiers that Shedil City, currently under vigorous reconstruction, could mobilize was merely around three hundred men.

Even if they hastily conscripted all explorers and mercenaries to inflate their numbers, it would be around five hundred to six hundred men.

Adding the two hundred semi-horse archers and the Altoan mercenary unit left behind by Cheryn to this, it barely amounted to about a thousand men.

Even doing so, it was only about half of the enemy army.

Of course, if they issued a large-scale conscription decree, they could pull out thousands of conscripts in an instant, but those were merely a fake army that would scatter the moment the tide of battle turned even slightly for the worse.

Through past battles, Shan had firmly realized that an army whose numbers were merely inflated in such a way was like a body fat with blubber instead of muscle, easily breaking apart.

“For now, I will spread this news to all neighboring territories including the vassals and request support. I shall also contact Princess Cheryn. Shan!”

“Yes, Father.”

“I will entrust the command of my army to you. As a valiant knight and descendant of the Kurt family, can you protect the eastern region from the enemy?”

“I will surely protect it. Just as I did from the ogres.”

At the calm, unwavering tone of his response, the count nodded and patted his shoulder.

*

At the news that war was about to break out, Shedil City instantly fell into a frenzy.

Not a few wept, lamenting that the vortex of civil war that had swept across all of Pendia had finally reached this remote eastern corner.

However, some among them also accepted it as an opportunity.

The prime example was none other than the explorers who had come seeking wealth and honor.

“Rather than rummaging through that damned Demonic Realm searching for Alto artifacts that who knows when will show up, let’s take this chance to perform feats on the battlefield. Who knows? Maybe one of us could even become a knight.”

“That’s right. Besides, they’re paying quite a good sum if you get hired as a mercenary this time…”

Shan disposed of part of the spoils left behind by Cheryn and used that money to draw in the explorers.

As the man handling the practical work, Roden ran around here and there, setting pay according to each person’s skill and assigning the units they would belong to.

“You bastard, what did you just say?”

“I said wash up because you stink. Or are your ears clogged because you haven’t cleaned them out either?”

“I’ll kill…”

“What do you think you are doing right now?”

The two explorers, who had flared up and were about to cross weapons, turned their eyes toward the low, thick voice coming from behind.

A knight of strong-featured appearance covered in a beard was glaring at them with sharp eyes.

“S-Sir Roden.”

“We are on the verge of battle right now. Know that if you are caught fighting privately, neither of you will escape unharmed!”

Along with his words, the flail he was carrying on his back was drawn and slammed against the ground with a loud thud.

As a large crater formed on the ground along with the roaring sound, a passerby was startled and tumbled over.

“Answer.”

“U-Understood!”

“We are sorry!”

As Roden nodded and vanished with a swaggering stride, the two who had been fighting until a moment ago looked after him with awe-filled expressions.

Leaving the spot, Roden tried his best not to show that his legs were shaking.

‘Whew, still, it’s more bearable than before.’

Although he did not yet have the nerve to fight with weapons drawn against him, he still felt that he was improving little by little after experiencing several wars.

To the extent that he thought that if things continued like this, he might be able to overcome it someday.

Afterwards, he had to continuously mediate and police the relations between the gathered soldiers and mercenaries.

It was because disputes arose without end when individuals with such strong personalities were gathered together.

Meanwhile, Shan, as the count’s successor and commander-in-chief of the army, dealt with the count’s vassals and the nobles who had come from neighboring territories to offer support.

“Thank you for coming in person, Viscount Elos.”

“Since Young Master Shan also came in person last time, it is only proper that I show this much sincerity as well. Besides, it weighed heavily on my heart that I could not help because I was isolated in my territory during the past ogre invasion…”

Starting with Viscount Elos who was at the closest distance, the nobles who had sent the joint petition last time sent their forces one after another.

Among them were those who sent only commanding knights and soldiers instead of coming in person like Viscount Elos.

The force gathered in that manner totaled five hundred men, with fourteen knights, and about thirty squires and armed cavalrymen accompanying them.

Added to that were four hundred troops scraped together from Shedil City and the vassal houses, two hundred mercenaries of explorer origin, two hundred semi-horse archers, and a two-hundred-strong Altoan mercenary corps armed with magic devices.

On top of this, they recruited mercenary groups that came loitering nearby upon hearing news of the war, as well as young Altoan men who had failed Cheryn’s past troop recruitment, as volunteers.

As a result, an armed force of about seventeen hundred to eighteen hundred men was finally completed.

Truly the result of squeezing out every bit of potential in eastern Pendia.

In terms of mere numbers, it was comparable even to the army of the Palles region.

“Somehow, an army of this size actually came out of this desolate neighborhood.”

Roden muttered softly as he watched the appearance of the assembled army.

Of course, only the numbers were similar; in terms of quality, it fell far short compared to the army of Palles.

For while these men were seasoned in dealing with monsters, they had little proper war experience, and their equipment was also poor.

Judging by the example of past battles, if the two armies collided, this side would likely be miserably crushed.

Naturally, even when facing Elvin’s army coming from the west, it was hard to be certain that they could win.

If there were elements that could fill in the lacking areas, it would be the Altoan army heavily armed with magic devices, the outstanding horse archer unit, and Shan’s overwhelming skill.

“Damn, I don’t know if going out to fight head-on is right…”

“Still, we can’t only fight battles we’re sure to win.”

“True, that’s so, but still.”

Roden, who had been speaking in a lacking-confidence tone, nodded at Shan’s words.

A week after attempting to assemble troops.

A messenger who had arrived from Cheryn a little while ago requested that they stall for time as much as possible.

Stating that if they drew the enemy army to Shedil City and fought a siege battle to stall for time, she would send a relief force.

However, in the current situation, doing so was difficult.

For according to what the semi-horse archers scouted while constantly traveling back and forth west, Elvin’s army was committing tyrannies against every city and village in the central region they encountered as they approached east.

Naturally, there was little chance that they would behave quietly when they entered the eastern region.

To show dignity as the leader of the east, instead of cowering in their stronghold, they had to repel foreign enemies of that scale.

If they failed to do so, it would become a major obstacle when Princess Cheryn spread the magic revolution as planned and bound this region with the New Faith faith in the future.

Leaving behind the units awaiting orders, Shan pulled on the helmet he had tucked under his arm onto his head.

“Alright, let’s head out.”

*

The Eastern Allied Army that set out from Shedil City moved along the main road leading toward Hasra.

By now, news of their departure was surely known to the enemy as well.

For among the peddlers traveling to and from Shedil, there were certainly those who thought they could sell this news at a high price to Elvin’s side.

During the march, Shan stroked various items worn on his body and clicked his tongue.

‘Man, I really received a lot…’

Before setting out, Count of Shedil had summoned Shan and given him several magic devices.

Among the artifacts from the Alto era that the Kurt family had collected over hundreds of years, those left behind without being stolen by others or sold off.

This also meant that he had become a truly acknowledged adopted son, rather than a successor chosen out of necessity simply to protect the Shedil region.

The first among them was the Necklace of Vigilance.

It granted powerful intuition to the wearer, warning of enemy attacks the moment crisis approached.

However, because it did not reliably warn of every attack, one could not lower their guard just because they wore this necklace.

The second was the Cloak of Repose.

When the surroundings turned cold, it changed to warm the body, and when the surroundings turned hot, it changed to cool, lowering body temperature.

While not particularly useful in combat, it helped maintain physical condition, and it was even more useful because it was currently the height of hot summer.

The third was the Ring of the Awakened One.

It enhanced the wearer’s five senses, helping them see farther and hear better.

As a bonus, it also had a bit of night vision capability, though this part was of little use to Shan.

The fourth was the Commander’s Horn.

Similar to what jousting emcees used in the past, it was an item that could more freely adjust vocal volume, making it easy to issue commands to many people.

In addition, there were several other items like the Spear of Lightning and the Sword of Balance, but since the items he was already using were better, he distributed them to the two squires following him.

The magic armor that the count had favored in his younger days was also a bit large for Shan to wear, so he handed it over to Roden.

In fact, it was not just Shan; almost every other noble or knight also possessed one or two magic devices.

In the first place, what were the origins of those who held territories next to the Demonic Realm?

Like Count of Shedil, they were either descendants of the Eastern Pioneer Order of Knights or successful Demonic Realm explorers, so it would have been stranger if such families had no heirlooms passed down.

“Goodness, looking at it like this, we appear quite shabby.”

Having recovered to some extent in the meantime and taking on the role of commander of the semi-horse archers, Ranta spoke with an embarrassed expression.

Just as he said, the appearance of the semi-horse archers was not impressive at all compared to the other nobles and knights holding or wearing magic devices on their bodies.

In the first place, it could not be helped since the only ones who held anything that could be called magic devices in the land of Horais were the heads of several massive tribes, including the Grand Chieftain who could be called their royal family.

“If you perform proper feats in this battle, I’ll ask the princess to try and make some magic devices that you guys can use as well.”

“Is that true, Master!? No, I would never dare doubt what you have said! Of course not!”

At Shan’s casually dropped words, Ranta was startled and expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

His appearance, bending his waist in half while atop his horse to bow, brought out an involuntary chuckle.

Thus, coaxing and managing the unit scraped together from here and there, about four days of movement passed.

At last, the enemy army appeared far off in the distance.

The spot where they faced each other was right in the border area where central Pendia crossed over into eastern Pendia.

“They’re here…”

Roden muttered with a nervous expression, rubbing his hands.

Thanks to the semi-horse archers constantly scouting back and forth as they approached, the enemy’s troop composition had been confirmed to some degree.

Three of those infamous elephants, a mercenary unit composed of Ruman pirates numbering about a thousand, five hundred conscripts from southern Pendia, and about five hundred pagan mercenaries.

Because there were so many variables, it was a lineup that made it hard to guarantee whether they could win or not.

While the two armies were slowly drawing closer, someone riding a horse with a white flag tied to it emerged from Elvin’s camp and approached them.

A nobleman with a nervous impression, estimated to be around thirty years old.

The nobles of the Eastern Allied Army who saw his face grimaced.

“…Isn’t that Young Master Mars?”

“I heard he was in Beshalia, yet he somehow managed to come all the way here.”

His name was Mars Kurt.

He was Count Kaal Kurt’s only son and the man who was originally supposed to become the next Count of Shedil.

Although more than a decade had passed since he left for the capital, several people recognized his face since they were acquainted during his boyhood days.

Having been disowned not long ago, he shouted, pointing a finger at the Eastern Allied Army with a rage-filled expression.

“Hear me! Recently, my elderly father made an erroneous judgment due to his mind becoming addled, so His Majesty the King ordered that the title of Count of Shedil be inherited by me! In the name of the legitimate Count of Shedil, I command you to disperse immediately! You are participating in a rebel army!”

At his claim that he was the real Count of Shedil, the Eastern Allied Army answered with silence, without even a single murmur.

Flustered by that chilling atmosphere for a moment, Shan, standing at the front, personally stepped forward and approached him.

At the appearance of his stepbrother, or more precisely, the villain who had usurped his title, Mars, who had originally been faint-hearted, grew visibly nervous.

“W-What is it? I am merely a messenger…”

“If you were the real Count of Shedil, you should have stood in the way of the army coming to plunder the east.”

Shan’s voice resounded far into the distance despite him not shouting loudly.

It was thanks to the aid of the magic device horn.

“You are bringing Ruman’s pirates into your hometown of the eastern region, and I am trying to stop them. There is no need to even say who is more suited to be the ‘Guardian of the East.’ Stop talking nonsense and get lost. Even if everyone here dies, there will be no one who accepts you as count.”

“You…!”

At Shan’s echoing voice, Mars’s face flushed bright red.

Because he was disowned by his father, he could no longer remain Elvin’s friend or enjoy all sorts of pleasures in Beshalia.

Although he had the career he had built as a capital bureaucrat in the meantime, even that was merely based on his status as the count’s son.

Though the only way to overturn all of this was to incite the eastern nobles to collapse the enemy or at least cause even a little division, the eyes turned toward him were nothing but cold.

The culprit of all of this was undoubtedly that Altoan bastard in front of his eyes.

He wanted to draw his sword and cut him down right now, but knowing that Shan was an opponent he could not win against even if there were a hundred of himself, he did not dare put it into action.

As the expectation he had secretly harbored in his heart (that the lords of the east might reinstate the proper successor) vanished, Mars returned to Elvin’s camp with his shoulders slumping.

Shan quietly watched him and pondered.

‘Should I kill him, or not?’

Even though he was a disowned son, killing him felt like it would make the count sad, but letting him be felt like it would be annoying.

After pondering for a moment, Shan soon reached the conclusion of ‘let’s just go with whatever happens.’

Not going out of his way to catch and kill him, but not striving to keep him alive either: just about that much.

Whether he lived or died, he would let him follow his own luck.

Along with that thought, as if replacing Mars, another knight rode his horse and approached Shan.

Even though he had not lowered his visor, it was easy to know his identity.

For a knight a head and a half taller than others with long arms was not very common.

Despite him approaching without even a white flag representing a messenger, Shan did not assume a combat stance.

When the knight, who stopped at a distance of about ten meters, raised his visor, simple, innocent eyes were revealed.

“I am sorry I could not greet you when I saw you last time, Sir Shan.”

Lug greeted him with a face that somehow harbored sadness.