“Wh-what? Where did you hear such a—”
“I’ve got faith in my ability to find those who’ve got complaints. The guilds aren’t a united front, you see.”
Rafed’s words suggested that some whistleblower who had a vendetta against his guildmaster had tipped Rafed off, and it had the blood rushing out of some of their faces. With one motion from Rafed, the soldiers piled in. The meeting’s attendees went quietly, perhaps because they knew fighting against such numbers was futile. Once they were gone, Kesten and the head priest appeared to take their place.
Rafed bowed. “My greatest thanks for cooperating with us.”
“It was nothing. You had a letter from the holy woman herself asking me to come to the viscount’s aid,” responded the priest with a smile.
One of the reasons the Iron Hammer had come to Anheim was because they had taken on a quest to deliver the letter from the Adventurers’ Guild in the capital. Ultimately, though, it was what got them stuck on beehive-collecting duty. Later, their members were heard grumbling, “And we thought this would be an easy job just delivering some supplies and a letter from the capital.”
After exchanging small talk with the priest, he left. Now, it was Kesten who turned to Rafed with a snide look in his eyes. “I see you are quite passionate about your work.”
“I’m just trying to protect myself. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“I don’t want to make any more of an enemy out of a man who’s not just the Hero’s friend, but one the holy woman would directly command others to help.” Then, in a tone both impressed and sorrowful, he added, “It would mean making an enemy out of all the churches on the continent.”
Kesten could only respond with a bitter grin and a nod.
✦ ✦ ✦
Just as Werner was leading his army against the bandits, back in the capital, Hubertus was meeting with Schündler, Minister of Military Affairs, to review a report. Hubertus nodded as he looked over the documents, but that was when Seyfert entered, bearing with him their plan to defend the capital. Seeing it as a good opportunity to discuss the plan further, the three proceeded to Hubertus’s office.
Seyfert was the first to speak. “What is it?” he asked, seeming quite interested in Hubertus’s expression.
“Our opponents are amateurs,” he said, handing Seyfert the report. Seyfert swiftly cast his eyes over the contents, and Hubertus continued. “It seems that Count Mühe, who was sent to Valeritz, and Count Schanderl, who was tasked with keeping the Salt Road safe, have both safely neutralized a horde of monsters.”
“So the monsters were lured north to separate them from the knight brigade headed to Anheim.”
“It seems that the battle happened just where we predicted it would.”
Currently, Valeritz was being rebuilt to serve as Marquess Kneipp’s new fiefdom. It was still a strategic point connecting trade between the capital and the temple of Finoy. The road connecting Wein to the island of Zallois to the northeast also opened the capital to the ships plying the path between the island and the port town, making it an important road for the salt trade. It was an obvious target for an attack.
“I hear that Marquess Norpoth is also quite wary of the watering hole on the road to Marquess Kneipp’s erstwhile fiefdom.”
“We were attacked there as well, but it was nothing outside our expectations,” said Hubertus, his eyes still on the plan the Minister of Military Affairs had prepared.
Seyfert nodded. “Just as Viscount Zehrfeld had feared, it appears that their goal is diversion and to stop the knight brigade’s approach.”
“Our enemies must certainly have someone at the helm,” Schündler said.
Hubertus answered coolly. “That, too, is as we predicted.”
Both Seyfert and Schündler nodded in agreement.
The plan that the Demon army’s strategist had created was not itself off the mark. However, they failed to step outside of the box with their targets. All three of them surmised that their opponent was little accustomed to battle. But at the same time, the Demon army still had someone strategizing for them. At the very least, they had to stay vigilant, as their enemies were not just wild beasts that could be cowed with brute force alone.
“Still, it is quite difficult to maintain our supply lines when the battle stretches to so many lands.”
“Though we are currently preparing to deploy the knight brigades directly under Viscount Reinisch, Viscount Degenkolb, and some others to the important cities in both the east and west,” muttered Schündler.
Seyfert nodded. “Indeed…though I doubt this situation will last much longer.”
“You truly think so?” asked Schündler.
Seyfert responded with a nod. “Our enemies are making moves in Anheim. It is hard to surmise what a man like Lord Werner may be planning, but he is not so daft that he’d fail to understand the situation.”
The letter he sent told them of the possibility of an assault on the count’s domain and an attack inside the capital. He could of course have been considering that the Demon army would create a diversion, but if he thought so far as to consider that demon spies may have once again made their way inside the capital, Werner would try to make a move himself. At least, that was what Seyfert had concluded.
“Even should he have a plan, there are those who are critical of him in Anheim. It would make sense for messengers to reach us via either Baron Zabel or Viscount Gröllmann.”
“I see. I wonder if it will really come to such.”
“I would not mind being wrong. As we have been able to preserve the knight brigade, at the very least, all is currently moving according to plan,” said Seyfert. That was when a servant entered the room with the message that a letter had been delivered from Baron Zabel. Schündler glanced at Seyfert, but in response, he only grinned.