Since an inexperienced soldier like me had been chosen as commander to our main force’s right flank, I’m sure Lord Norpoth couldn’t believe his ears at first. There was a good chance I wouldn’t be the best leader, and if I faltered and the right flank collapsed, it was possible that our whole army would be wiped out.
Knowing that danger, Marquess Norpoth most likely hired seasoned mercenaries that could carry out a reprisal should the right flank fail. He split them from the main force and put them under my command, but had Goecke determined I was unreliable back then, he probably would have acted on his own.
To take things further, there was even a chance the crown prince had predicted Marquess Norpoth would put Goecke into my forces. Since my family dealt with civil duties, the crown prince might have known Lord Norpoth would back me up and specifically chosen him as my partner. It was kinda scary, considering His Highness really might have seen that far ahead.
Another possible battle formation was the echelon formation, where troops were arranged diagonally. In diagrams depicting this formation, the right flank was usually put in front since in places like China and Europe where shields were used, the right flank consisted of seasoned soldiers who could jump into battle at the drop of a hat. Diagrams where the left flank were put in front were limited to countries like Japan where shields weren’t used nor diagrams written in peace time. Not that all this had any bearing on the topic at hand.
In this instance, my main reason for hiring the mercenaries was that I wanted a group I could use freely, but I also wanted to create some rumors. If my predictions were correct, Goecke would also become an indirect spokesman for me.
“The master of a Mercenaries’ Guild who has been recognized by a marquess could have friends and acquaintances anywhere after all.”
Given my current position, it was advantageous to cultivate an ambivalent reputation, trending more toward bad than good. Still, if my reputation was too bad, people in the royal court might begin to see me as a liability to be cut off. Even if the crown prince and Duke Seyfert viewed me fondly, there was a limit to what that could do for me.
Information that came from below couldn’t be ignored. I was sure the crown prince and ministers listened to the rumors spreading around town and considered them when making decisions. With that in mind, it was important to have allies who had influence over the mercenaries fighting on the front lines. Ugh, what a pain.
With that being the case, I had plans to put another measure or two into place, but I’d leave that for later.
“Anyway, that’s how it is for Sir Goecke. Him being more aware of my reputation than me is exactly what I want. By the way, have there been any developments with the bandits?”
“As we executed their leaders with no hesitation as soon as we arrived, it seems that they have begun to gather in groups,” reported Neurath.
“Sounds better for us. Chasing small groups of ten or twenty around wastes more of our provisions.” That was one of the reasons why I had given them time to regroup. I had already requested to Viscount Gröllmann and Baron Zabel—deputies of other provinces—that they simply chase off any bandits that arrive there. Though given the way people in this world often were, there was a good chance they were hunting those groups down, anyway. As long as it restored public order, I didn’t care much either way.
After placing pieces on the map to get a full view of the situation, there was just one group that looked like it could prove troublesome. They were situated on a single hill among flat lands. To put it frankly, if I was gonna set up an encampment for battle, I would have picked the exact same place. This was one of the worst places they could be.
“As for our enemies over the border?”
“From what we can see of the opposite shore from here, there are no obvious movements.” Schünzel was in charge of border reconnaissance. As the bridge connecting Anheim and Triot had fallen, there was a wide, perilous river separating the two territories. Thinking back on it, there was only a river in the game toward where Triot was, and you couldn’t actually get to Triot itself. That was convenient, given the story.
But that didn’t hold up in real life. There was no longer a bridge, but if the refugees were desperate enough, they could still cross the river. Nor would that be impossible for monsters, given their strength, which raised issues in creating a defensive line there. Damming up the waters and then unleashing when the timing was right was a common tactic, but that wouldn’t work against the Demon army.
As I was considering all this, a warning light began to flicker in a corner of my brain. I pondered what it could be, then asked Frenssen, “What’s the recent situation with refugees from Triot?”
“While they may have slightly increased in number, there are no considerable changes.”
With that, I knew what was off. In the game, the Demon army underestimated even Mazel sometimes. There was no need to spell out how they felt about humans in general. Given their overconfidence and the presence of Demon Commanders in Triot, it wouldn’t be strange for the Demon army to begin an invasion right about now. In other words, it was strange that things had remained uneventful for this long.
I was thankful, seeing as I had yet to properly prepare for them, but there had to be a reason the Demon army was biding their time.
I folded my arms and pondered for a moment, ultimately deciding to rethink what I’d concluded before my appointment. I couldn’t just leave things to the bigwigs in the capital. I’d have to report this to them myself. I doubted the kingdom was ignorant of the Demon army’s plans, but they may not have realized their sheer scope and magnitude.
“Frenssen, I want to deliver a letter to my father in the capital. I’d like you to prepare three groups of adventurers for the task.”
“Yessir.”
Given the monsters that spawned in this world, the best way to send a letter was to prepare multiple squads with significant strength, each bearing a copy along a different route. Adventurers contributed vital reserves of martial strength, so I wasn’t too happy about losing them, but I needed this letter to reach its destination. Skywalk Boots could ensure the letter’s safe arrival, but we only had so many.
I turned my attention to a different matter. “Wait, Frenssen. I have another request regarding the adventurers.”
“Yessir. What is it?”
“I want you to summon the worst behaved group of adventurers in Anheim.”
“Huh? The worst behaved?”
It wasn’t just Frenssen; Neurath and Schünzel were giving me a look as well. But during a siege, adventurers like that would only get in the way. Plus, the troublemakers in Anheim were those connected with the Salters’ Guild, and there was a good chance the townsfolk and garrison hadn’t been able to deal with them. In that case, it was clear that removing them from town would be for the best, given what lay ahead.
I explained that, and while the others were taken aback initially, they did come around. If we needed to get rid of them anyway, we might as well use them.
“But won’t this anger Lord Ingo?”
“Oh…I guess. But I’m the one he’ll be mad at.”
My mother would probably be even more livid. Still, taking actions like this would be useful for getting me back to the capital, so they’d have to deal with it. With that in mind, I stood up and headed to the kitchen so I could write my letter.