I’d concocted a little plan for the heap of supplies in the storehouse. To prep, I used my day off to return to Bardenhawk.
By now, I’d won over around 30 percent of Barbatos’s soldiers. First, I’d used word of mouth. Then, I earned the others’ respect through patrol work and training. Across all the local settlements, there were about a thousand soldiers in all.
I only needed my own platoon and one other to enact my plan successfully, but at some point, the scope of everything had grown much too large. And although this was technically a miscalculation, it ultimately proved to be a happy accident.
I rang the bell in the room. Shortly afterward, I heard the sound of scattered footsteps as one of my men hurried in.
“Teacher! Do you need anything?!”
I’d been given my own set of trusted assistants who were available to help at a moment’s notice. They were there at the ready to hoist my bags, care for my personal steed, or fulfill any other task I set them to.
They seemed to adore me, and they weren’t the only ones. Barbatos Guerrera’s personal foot soldiers were steadily becoming my own private army.
“I’d like to talk with all the platoon captains in town. Could you ask if they’d be willing to gather?”
“Yes, sir!”
After I told him of the four villages to check in with, the man clicked his boots together, stood at attention, and rushed off.
About thirty of the platoon captains assembled in the barracks for the meeting.
“What business do you have with us today?” one of them asked, voicing what all the others were surely thinking.
I started off with a question: “Do you all want to go to war again?”
None of them seemed to understand what I was getting at. They looked to their neighbors, perplexed.
One of the younger platoon leaders raised a hand. “We don’t want to, but if we must, then there’s no helping it. That’s why we’ve worked so hard under you, sir.”
A majority of the captains gave scattered nods of agreement.
“All right. Everything I’m about to tell you is of grave importance to the Felind Kingdom. More importantly, all of it is true.” I told them of the connection between Barbatos Guerrera and the Welger Company, then showed the letter I’d obtained as proof.
“Th-the count is…inciting insurrection?!”
“This can’t be true…”
“But…it’s exactly as you’ve told us, sir…”
The ink on the missive would only reveal itself beneath moonlight. Its contents evidently gave a new level of credence to the whole alleged conspiracy.
I asked the now speechless officers, “Why is it that this is the only region actively recruiting so many soldiers?”
“Surely it’s because adventurers are unreliable, and the count hoped to resolve matters with his own men…”
“I’m sure that’s one way to interpret it. Were that the case, however, he’d only need a small force. Every town under his dominion has a standing army of soldiers. Does your lord truly need so many fighters to stand guard and handle adventurer work?”
A captain next to me must have surmised where I was going and commented, “Guerrera’s army totaled thirty-three hundred strong last month.”
“I—I suppose that is quite a lot…,” another man remarked.
“We don’t even do adventurer jobs more than three times a month.”
“Same with watch duty. Even spread across the villages, there are hundreds of us in each one.”
“I thought we were here to protect against attacks…but really, we have nothing to do. We spend most of our days training…”
At last, they’d realized the situation they were in.
“Just as the letter says, Count Barbatos Guerrera is gathering a military force for an insurrection. That stockpile of weapons and rations is for the coming attack.”
The captains were motionless as they took in my words. Each of them was clearly filled with righteous indignation. Their eyes reminded me of Almelia and Elvie.
Bowing to everyone, I said, “I came here to stop him. I need your help. Please, lend me your strength. I beg of you.”
They responded immediately.
“Of course we will. You never needed to ask.”
“Yeah, I don’t want to fight another war.”
“My men don’t want to, either. I only wanted to get stronger because fighting against the demons made me realize I was weak.”
After lifting my head, I brought it back down again to reply, “Thank you. Just like you all, I want to protect my normal life.”
They all nodded, their minds made up.
I couldn’t let these captains or their charges die, not after seeing that resolve.
“This insurgency can’t be stopped with more fighting. In short, all we need to do is make sure it can’t happen.”
I told everyone my plans.
“—And so, your job is to give your people the orders.”
This strategy would definitely get me to Barbatos Guerrera. I peered out the window in the direction of the old castle. A straightforward assault wasn’t an option because of all the traps and powerful guards surrounding him. My plan would take care of two birds with one stone, though—possibly even three. There was always a method to deal with stubborn targets. It was just a matter of time and patience. And should no opening present itself for you to seize upon, you merely needed to make one.