Chapter 11

The process of eliminating the small surrounding lords went on with near-frightening lack of difficulty. When there are many smaller authorities and one suddenly rises to powers, things become a one-sided fight. Now that I’d taken control of three counties for myself, the invasions and prefectural unification to come had instantly become easier. First, I came up with some schemes to gather more enemy vassals to my side. Those who feared an attack from me generally joined without trouble. Then, when I attacked, these vassals would betray their rulers, and the enemy—already being fewer in number—would easily be destroyed. Even supposing they found out about it beforehand and purged their vassals, it would weaken their influence, which worked to my advantage. Eventually, I gained control of seven out of twelve counties in Fordoneria Prefecture in the six months after defeating the Viscount of Marle. Since I had enough land by that point to reasonably call myself a count, I sent money to the embattled royal family, requesting approval to acquire the title formally. Putting up these kinds of appearances was important, too. For example, for a viscount it was easy enough to submit to a demand of allegiance from a count, but if it was from another viscount, some lords couldn’t agree out of pride. Lords in the countryside were essentially rural nobility. Rural or not, nobility was nobility, so there were many who worried about saving face. And that was why I needed to rise both in actual power and in form. Without any fuss, the royal family gave me permission to use the title of count. Now I could take the name of the prefecture and call myself the Count of Fordoneria, but since I didn’t control the entire prefecture, calling myself the Count of Nayvil would probably sit better with most. If I used the name of the prefecture, it’d provoke the rulers who still remained in power. Once I became a count, I decided to spend some time improving my newly acquired territory. First, in places I wanted to develop economically around Nayvil, I created areas where it was free to set up shop. I spread to everywhere the same system I had used in my hometown market. I further changed the system so that people could open shops without joining the trade guild. Oda Nobunaga claimed this was called rakuichi-rakuza, which sounded like some sort of cultish incantation, but according to him, the za in this case referred to the trade guild. I experienced some backlash from the trade guild, as expected, but I forcibly pushed the new system through as an order. When the trade guild had been established ages ago, it’d had value as something that protected merchants, but gradually it had turned into an organization that protected its vested interests. As a result, many trades became difficult for new merchants to enter. On top of that, the presence of the guild increased the prices of goods. Because of my support of the markets, the cities developed quickly. I could easily tell the population of the county capital, Nayvil, was increasing, and tax income definitely was as well. Development of the cities was a plus for my country. (In the domain, laws set by the Nayvil clan were what mattered, so you could call it a country.) Merchants from distant lands started to come, too. They must’ve had their eyes on us, realizing the kind of money they could make. Any money they spent here was good for me, too. As the cities flourished, I even decided to hire a financial officer. “My lord, you look most well.” A dog-eared werewolf bowed his head before me. He was a wealthy merchant named Fanneria who’d apparently earned his wealth as an oil salesman and then branched out to do business in a variety of goods. “Right. My territory has expanded, so I can’t look after everything myself. I’m counting on you.” “Yes, my lord. It will be easier for me to do business, too, with your effective abolition of the trade guild. This era of small-time merchants in the guild must come to an end.” “I agree. That’s why I hired you. Don’t let me down.” “Yes, sir. I do believe that in all likelihood, there are places in the river-port towns that can be developed more. Please allow me to investigate. I suspect there will come a time when trade is conducted using large ships.” “Very well. Where circumstances permit, I’ll fund renovation of the ports.” I needed to leave management of commerce to Fanneria for the time being, as I had to consider my relationship with the great power to the west—Mineria, ruled by the Count of Brantaar, where I’d fought with my life to protect Fort Nagraad. The Count of Brantaar and his family, the Caltis clan, had controlled the entirety of Brantaar Prefecture for generations. The greatest city therein was Mineria, so the domain itself was called Mineria. The locals themselves used Mineria as their country’s name. We had a truce with Mineria for now. The agreement had been formally concluded shortly after I’d left the fort. I’d thus taken that opportunity to expand my power, so surely Mineria must’ve started to grow concerned by now. And then, right on cue, they sent a messenger our way—not an actual vassal, however, but a priest. Using a priest as a messenger was common practice worldwide. We hadn’t had a messenger from Mineria for a long time, so everyone in the castle was on edge. Laviala in particular was glaring at the messenger as if to demand what the hell he was doing here. The messenger priest, however, seemed undaunted. Perhaps he was used to such treatment. “I have come to offer our lord’s congratulations on obtaining the rank of count,” he told me. “I see. I’m glad to hear that from one who has held the title longer than myself.” Being instantly combative would put my rustic origins on display, so I’d decided to reply graciously. “Currently, we are preparing to advance our troops north. As such, we would like to establish a stronger relationship with Nayvil than our current truce—an alliance. Would it be possible to hold a count-to-count conference just once? As for the location, perhaps a temple near the Mineria-Fordoneria border would be most appropriate?” Interesting. Seems reasonable to hear out their proposal. “Lord Alsrod, they could be plotting a surprise attack. Please be careful.” Laviala immediately recommended I exercise caution. I was just as skeptical, myself. On the other hand, the messenger had a smile plastered on his face. A crafty diplomat, indeed. At the very least, I couldn’t imagine a man like this would be capable of leading people to heaven when they died. “It is understandable that you have your doubts. I leave the decision to you. However—” “Forming an alliance would free us from having to worry about our west flank, so this could be good for us, too,” I interrupted. “If we were attacked by Mineria now, we wouldn’t have the troops to spare for defeating other lords.” “I am glad you have seen the light.” That could’ve easily been construed as a threat to the effect of Just try attacking us. Mineria was still clearly more powerful than we were. They had about double the land area, a larger population, and a superior army to boot. Having controlled a prefecture for so long, they were likely more united than us, as well. In short, Mineria still didn’t think much of me. They just saw me as a boy with ambitions who’d only just managed to claw his way to a title. Apparently, Laviala had quickly realized this, too; a scowl had come over her face. “Did you come here solely to insult Nayvil and Lord Alsrod? You do know we could launch an attack at any time, yes?” The messenger dismissed Laviala’s retort nonchalantly. “If it came to war, I believe we could ally with Nayvil’s neighbors and fight you together. I am sure you could not raise enough troops yourself to withstand an attack on all fronts.” Laviala looked furious. I was glad she had that attitude, though—and that the messenger had his. “Very well. I will discuss all this with Lord Ayles Caltis of Mineria.” I set the day and time for the conference and sent the messenger on his way home. Laviala had much to say when we were alone together afterward. “Lord Alsrod, why did you agree to such a thing? That man may have been polite on the surface, but he was really quite pompous! You are no less a count than his lord!” “Like I said, it’s fine. This way, if I can show him his impression of me was wrong at this meeting, the count will be ashamed to have looked down on us. Winning them over to our side is worth it. It’s not yet time for conflict with Mineria.” “But how are you going to change the impression of someone who looks down on you?” “I have my ways.” I grinned. “First I’ll train the hell out of the troops accompanying me. Not physically, but in discipline.” At this point, the vast majority of armies everywhere were just a hodgepodge of second-rate dawdlers. Most units really were a mishmash of peasants and the like. However, if those troops came with their steps all in sync, they would create a completely different image. “They say that in the old days, the royal guard was beautifully disciplined; their steps even made a single sound together. I want to create a force like that.” “Can you do it in such a short time?” “I’m confident I can. I’m not one to make excuses, you know.” Actually, I had gained a new special ability. As a lord with the rank of count, you have gained the special ability Conqueror’s Guidance. The trust and focus of soldiers under your command is increased by fifty percent. Using this special ability, I should be able to train troops even in a short time. Of course, relying only on special abilities would be a bad idea. Ultimately, profession bonuses were applied to your original ability. Someone without experience would only see a tiny effect no matter what bonus they had. In my case, if my men didn’t get reasonably motivated to begin with, my hard-earned special ability would have hardly any bite at all. “A massive army that moves uniformly on a single command…? Even knowing you as well as I do, that still sounds like a fairy tale…” “Laviala, I never said anything about a massive army.” “Oh?” She cocked her head to the side like a little girl. What I was going to create was a smaller unit with only elite handpicked troops. No matter how powerful my Oda Nobunaga profession might be, there was a limit to what I could do with peasant troops who hadn’t once undergone real training. After all, they were peasants, not soldiers. Thus, I decided to organize a guard unit made of professional soldiers. If they specialized only in fighting, they should naturally be more disciplined. They could at least get plenty of time to train. While I was at it, I decided to make two units: The Red Bears, with their arms and armor cloaked in red cloth. The White Eagles, similarly adorned with white cloth. This way, they could be recognized as something special even from afar, and those selected would be proud and motivated. I recruited volunteers from people I handpicked and who agreed to undergo intense training. The men were rapidly assembled. Anybody would want to be someone special, especially these individuals. This is just like my Black Cloaks and Red Cloaks. Fascinating. I formed the Black Cloaks from my cavalry and the Red Cloaks from my pages. Apparently, Oda Nobunaga had created similar units in his lifetime. But the Red Bears and White Eagles were still my original creation, of course. Now I get it. I figured out why I, a conqueror, was chosen as your profession. And you want so badly for me to ask why, don’t you? Well? What would that reason be? I believe that even in different worlds, there exist people with similar thoughts and ideas. You naturally have ideas that approximate Oda Nobunaga’s. The things you’ve experienced aren’t entirely the same, but some parts are very similar. That is why you were granted the Oda Nobunaga profession. Everything about this has been inevitable—not coincidental. True—the history books clearly talked about people in completely different countries who had comparable beliefs. Of course, it’s still strange that someone similar to me would become my profession. But professions are bestowed by the gods, so maybe that’s not for humans to know. So you believe in the gods. Just take care not to get in so deep that it consumes you or makes you go soft. The gods are for you to use. My inner voice seemed particularly verbose that day, but apparently, that was proof he was in a good mood. I had no complaints. In my youth, especially, I survived chaotic times by using several hundred elite troops. Fights between smaller groups of soldiers are decided by the men’s training. A good plan is necessary for ten thousand to beat twenty thousand, but for three hundred to beat six hundred, you only need good men. I found myself nodding unconsciously. With a thousand elite troops, taking a prefecture would hardly be a problem. I assembled the Red Bears and White Eagles to carry out their actual training. Everyone put on the bands of cloth I provided, their expressions stern. Of course, they didn’t look so severe out of criticism for me—these were faces full of determination. I’d made a name for myself not only at the battle of Fort Nagraad but also by taking the Viscount of Marle’s head. Without a doubt, I had become the greatest hero among the neighboring prefectures, so no one here underestimated my abilities. It felt good to have my combat ability in balance with my rank as count. Usually the higher up someone got, the less directly involved they were in battle. That much was only natural, as they couldn’t always be on the front lines, but as time went on, they’d start to forget how their troops felt. That could lead to flawed decisions on the battlefield. In other words, the more aristocratic a person became, the harder it was for them to maintain a soldier’s mindset. In my case, I’d become strong only after experiencing a great deal of misery on the battlefield. I had a perfect grasp of the suffering and despair of war. “Listen up. I rose from being the second son of a minor lord up to my rank now as count by making a name for myself in battle. But you see, due to my sudden expansion of territory, my soldiers’ training is no longer adequate for a count. This is a shame upon me, and it is a shame upon all of you.” I raised my voice to address the troops sitting before me. “And so from today on, you will learn to move and behave in a manner befitting a count’s guards. This is not for appearances alone. Perfectly coordinated movements will strike fear into enemy lords, showing them our power is real. The training will be difficult, but I want you to weather it and come out stronger for it!” ““Hooraaaah!!!”” my men bellowed. It was refreshing to hear. To think that so much had changed, compared to the time when the only soldier at my side was Laviala, was deeply moving. But this still wasn’t good enough. If I stopped here, so would my campaign. In all likelihood, there’d come a time later when we’d have to fight against great powers controlling one or two prefectures. If we didn’t get strong enough to win against such forces, then we’d be wiped out all the same. “First is marching! Honor guards parading through the royal capital look stronger than soldiers plodding along; that should be obvious!” I made them practice marching thoroughly, as I was sure that would be my most important weapon in the conference with Mineria. They were a large power, and military might always caught the eye of such people. Of course, you can’t really tell how strong a military unit is by appearances alone. However, if you watch how its soldiers move, you can clearly ascertain whether their leader is competent. What’s more, I’d already given Mineria a taste of bitter defeat at Fort Nagraad. If I could make them realize that was more than luck on my part, the conference would definitely turn in my favor. They probably wanted to be relieved to see that this newly risen power was no threat. They wanted to think this youngster, not even in his twenties, was just a show-off. The messenger had made threats of combined attacks against us, but looking at it the other way around, that meant we, too, could team up with forces around Mineria. They couldn’t afford to ignore a power that had come to control more than half of a prefecture’s counties in less than a year; that fact would trouble them. That was why they wanted to think I wasn’t an enemy to fear. Suppressing us in the form of an alliance was even better. Those must have been the sorts of things they were thinking. But I wasn’t going to give in to their expectations so easily. Instead, I was going to use Mineria to expand my own influence. After two weeks of training, my guardsmen’s movements made them seem like different people entirely. When I called “Ready!” they swiftly thrust their wall of spears forward. “Back!” returned the spears to upright. It was as if I were controlling magical puppets. They were clearly bursting with motivation. It was easy to tell these men were far from ordinary troops. Of course, my special ability Conqueror’s Guidance had an effect, but their natural motivation played a big part. I showed the spectacle to Laviala, too. “This is absolutely wonderful… I almost forgot to breathe…” She unconsciously held her hand to her mouth, clearly awestruck. “I’m gonna show this to Mineria at our conference. I can’t wait to see their faces—they won’t know what to do.” The day of the conference came. We held it across the river from Fort Nagraad, at a key temple in the area. No matter whose territory they were in, temples were ostensibly owned not by the respective lord but by the royal church—by the gods, even. Thus, they were often used for meetings. Of course, the lord’s guesthouse was sometimes used, but since Mineria’s central region was far away, there was nothing like that in the vicinity. Because the conference was being held on their land, the rule was that they would show us hospitality, and their lord would be waiting to receive us. It was the perfect situation to show off my elite troops. We took a break on our side of the river; I stayed in Fort Nagraad. That much went according to plan. Naturally there was no air of tension, as there had been during the siege. “Pardon me, Lord Alsrod… If we don’t leave soon, we may be late…” Laviala came into my room in the fort, perhaps thinking it strange I hadn’t given the order to depart. “It’s fine, Laviala; sit back and relax.” I offered her a chair beside the table, and she took it. “Forgive my asking, but might this be on purpose? Do you want to show your superiority by arriving late?” She was pretty sharp. But I had something else in mind. “Even after we arrive late, the conference won’t begin immediately. We’ll then be removing our travel clothes, taking more time. Basically, they’re going to have plenty of time to observe our troops. I’m gonna have them get a real good look at us.” “So that’s why…” “And since we’ll be arriving late, I’ve got one more little show for them. You’ll see when we get there.” And so we set out just under an hour behind schedule. Naturally, we arrived at the conference location just under an hour late, too. I’d heard from an agent I’d sent ahead that Ayles Caltis, lord of Mineria and Count of Brantaar, was watching my troops as they moved, so I made sure we went to the temple in a flawless procession. Today was the day. I could tell everyone was in high spirits. Mm, well done. The enemy lord will surely be frightened when he sees this. The conqueror himself seemed happy as a lark, too. They’re not an enemy. It’s not yet time to fight them. When I met with Saitou Dousan, lord of Mino Province, I deliberately brought second-rate troops and sullied my appearance, only to then surprise him by attending our meeting in formal attire. Dousan, having underestimated me, came dressed informally and was floored to see me wearing such dignified attire. But making a display of grandeur in the beginning works, too. You’re not wrong. It was intimidation just the same, after all. Thud, thud! Mere steps, when in perfect unison, carried significant weight. I could tell the people of the temple and the Minerian vassals were dumbfounded as they watched us march. “They’re so orderly…” I could even catch what they likely didn’t want me to hear. My special ability Conqueror’s Guidance made my men’s trust and focus 50 percent greater. Even soldiers in service of the royal family couldn’t march like this. I arrived safely at the temple; however, I had another act to play. “Good work, everyone.” I turned about to face my men with a commanding expression. “However, there was an individual in the White Eagles who was not on time, resulting in our arrival being delayed. May the offender step forward.” No such thing had happened. Naturally, I’d made it all up. “Sir! It was my fault!” A young soldier fearlessly stepped forward. I stood in front of him… Smack! …and lightly slapped him across the face, my expression unchanged. “Don’t let this happen again. Be careful next time. If you’re late to a battle, I may take your head.” “Yes, sir! Understood!” “Back in line.” He went back to his spot with a similarly stoic expression. All of it was a complete fabrication. A commander who treated latecomers with fairness, a soldier who fearlessly reported his mistakes—I’d more than shown off my troops’ discipline. I wasn’t sure whether anyone was watching this little performance, though. Laviala looked as if she’d figured out the reason for the delay. Now, time for this meeting. When I entered the room, Ayles Caltis was already waiting. He was a man not yet forty, with fiery eyes. It’d be too much to call him a hero, but maybe the word villain would fit. Mineria had grown even more during his reign. He looked nothing like any of the hopeless minor lords I’d met until then. This man desired to expand his territory and make his land prosperous; I could see it in his face. Behind me were Laviala and the veteran commander Kivik. Behind Ayles were two men who appeared to be part of his army’s top brass. “I sincerely apologize for the delay, Lord Brantaar. I misjudged my timing in these foreign lands.” Before taking my seat, I gave the requisite apology. There was a special tension in the air unlike any I’d ever experienced. I’d never met anyone of this stature, after all. Yes, he’s just like my father-in-law, Dousan, though far better-looking. To think they’d feel so similar! Oda Nobunaga was carrying on about someone else, but I couldn’t be so easygoing at the moment. I wasn’t feeling on edge, however—in fact, I was rather comfortable. “Please have a seat there, Lord Nayvil,” he said. There were just enough empty chairs for everyone in front of the table. “Don’t mind if I do.” “Lord Nayvil, as we have only our advisers present, let us be frank. Hearing your troops would come late, I had the opportunity to watch them.” “Good gracious, we trained them so hastily—how embarrassing. You see, it’s hardly been any time since I succeeded as head of the family, much less became count.” My mouth was smiling, but my eyes weren’t…probably. There were many gracious heroes in my time, but I wasn’t one of them. “On the contrary, if they were hastily trained, that would be far more disconcerting. Our defeat at Fort Nagraad was no fluke, I see. You’re a tactical genius. In my honest opinion, I’d rather avoid fighting against you.” I decided to carefully figure out what Lord Caltis’s true intentions were. At this point, I doubted he had a bad impression of me. “Victory and defeat are all about luck. That I did not perish during the siege was mere coincidence,” I replied. “Had I lost, I would be six feet under right now.” “Even so, it’s rare to see a lord who can think on their feet like that. I still don’t want to fight you—and you’re not even twenty years old yet. At that age, you still have plenty of room to grow.” “I likewise don’t want to fight with Mineria. That much we have in common.” “If you’d just been a pushover, I would’ve liked to get rid of you right away—but then you wouldn’t have become a count in the first place, now would you?” Laviala and Kivik suddenly looked as if they wanted to kill him. “Do you have your assassins at the ready?” “It would be difficult to kill you here. Even supposing I could, the moment I confronted you, I’d be killed myself. You’re not a lord that’s also a soldier; you’re a soldier who became a lord. If we crossed swords, I wouldn’t stand a chance. So firmly joining forces is best after all.” He really was an imperturbable man. And he seemed to admire my capabilities well enough. “You don’t have a wife yet, do you?” he asked. “No. I’ve never had a chance to find one between battles.” “In that case, may I suggest you take my daughter as your wife?” A political marriage to keep the peace with a threatening neighbor—a classic but worthy means. To be honest, I’d guessed he might say that, though I’d thought it would be once the conference had been going well. “You believe an upstart such as myself to be good enough?” “What’s wrong with a count’s wife being another count’s daughter? It seems like a good proposal to me; what do you say?”