Chapter 23

That night, I was completely enraptured with this brown-skinned dwarf woman. “I told Laviala there was nothing between us, but I guess that’s a lie now…” “It was true at the time you said it, so I don’t think there was any deceit,” Kelara said as she lay next to me. Her face already had the look of a knight again. I felt like I had a bodyguard there with me. Soltis, the head of the Nistonia clan, came with his wife and daughter. He said he’d left his son at home, perhaps fearing an assassination would end his line. Of course, having been asked to come with his family, he couldn’t just come by himself. So he brought his women with him. Even in times of war, murdering women is considered uncouth. When a castle fell and its lord was about to die, it was common practice to let the women out alive. Together with Kelara, I greeted Soltis. Laviala was showing his wife and daughter around. “Thank you for coming all the way here from so far away. I have been eager to establish friendly relations with your clan. I’d like to introduce you to my vassal Kelara.” Kelara bowed. “No—thank you. It is an honor to be invited by you and the crown prince…” Soltis was stiff and unsmiling—in fact, he seemed a bit nervous. “I’m not one to beat around the bush, so I’ll be blunt: Did you think you might be assassinated?” “C-certainly not…” My asking so directly seemed to have startled him. “Worry not, for I am a servant of the crown prince. I could never do anything to sully his reputation. If I did, the surrounding lords would all surely leave.” “Right. That is true…” “First, I would like to present you to the crown prince. Afterward, I shall show you around the castle with Kelara.” Seemingly having settled into his new role, Hasse now acted majestically. The meeting room was filled with expensive furnishings to remind his guests that he was not the crown prince in name only. His seven-year-old daughter was there, too, relieving the tension. Well, the formalities are over. Now just to follow Kelara’s lead. “My name is Kelara Hilara. First I will now show you to the top floor of the castle, where you will have a good view of the town of Maust.” From the viewing area on the top floor, we indeed had a great view of Maust and all its waterways. Oda Nobunaga had said it looked like a go board, but I didn’t know what go was. Maybe it was like chess. “I’ve been to the royal capital several times myself, and this place looks like it could be easily mistaken for it…” Soltis seemed astonished, seeing the landscape in a new light. “Comparing it to the capital would certainly be an exaggeration, but I am honored by your compliment. The population probably exceeds ten thousand.” “Ten thousand… That certainly is a metropolis…” As my domain had expanded, population growth had accelerated. “If we were to take in the crown prince, his abode needed to befit him. We’re relieved to have our appearances in order. Well, Kelara, show us the next spot.” “Yes, sir, as you wish. Let us proceed to the weapon and armor room.” Where Kelara headed was a collection room of weapons and armor, the room having been established for this day. As my territory had grown, many large temples had become a part of it. Sometimes they’d received offerings of the finest-quality armaments from people praying for victory or whatnot. This was where I displayed them. The floor was covered in a carpet with intricate patterns, too. Together with the arms that adorned it, the room was truly a sight to behold. “Wow… What a collection…” “I’m a soldier at the end of the day. Besides, many of my vassals lack any sort of sophistication, so if I collected only paintings and antiques, they would complain that I’ve gone soft. But for instruments of war, I have an excuse.” “I don’t think even the royal palace has this much…” “Well, I had to collect enough to make this like a palace away from home for the crown prince.” Kelara graciously continued entertaining Soltis—especially at dinner, where all manner of delicacies were brought in and various kinds of alcohol were served. Kelara poured some liquor for Soltis. “We have an assortment of beverages sourced from many territories. I suspect you’ll enjoy comparing the flavors.” “Oh, how very kind of you.” He seemed to be gradually starting to relax. “We will now present you with a performance by several dancers from the royal capital. May I direct your attention forward, please?” Girls dressed in bright and alluring clothing appeared and began to dance to the sound of a flute. Several layers of thin silk cloth fluttered about, matching with the girls’ steps. “Miss Kelara—and Count Nayvil, too—I’ve not experienced such luxury in all my life. So this is the authority of someone on par with royalty.” It seemed Soltis had realized our difference in power. There was still something important left, however. “Come tomorrow, we humbly request that you watch our soldiers as they march. My lord Alsrod is working very hard to give the crown prince a proper escort to the capital,” Kelara said in the capital’s clear accent. The next day came. From high up on the castle, Soltis, seeing the display of my guardsmen as they marched and performed, was literally trembling—or so I heard. Of course, I was watching the performance nearby myself, as my presence helped motivate my men. I heard everything about Soltis from Kelara. “You can get your troops to move with this much discipline…?” he’d apparently said to her. And she’d replied, “There is a secret to this.” “And what might that be?” “My lord has proven himself on many battlefields. He has defeated his enemies with inferior numbers on more than a few occasions. A soldier could not be prouder of fighting for and under the command of such a man. They give their all even during drills.” She said Soltis had gulped at that. “Also,” she’d added, “Siala Prefecture will be on the way as he escorts His Highness to the capital.” Right where the Nistonia clan was. “If he had the cooperation of the Nistonias, I think my lord would be most relieved.” Soltis must’ve understood the threat. However, Kelara was never one to provoke. She’d then respectfully bowed her head. “As a vassal, it is not my place to say this, but—can I not ask you to lend Alsrod your strength?” There wasn’t a shred of any lie or embellishment to Kelara’s story. I knew because right after the dancers’ performance the previous day, Soltis had come to me directly and said, “When you come to Siala Prefecture, I shall guide you as head of the Nistonia clan.” “Thank you for choosing to aid the crown prince.” I grasped his hand firmly. Thus, without fighting, the Nistonias and their navy were mine. Next was a full-on attack on the Antoinis. Everything was in place. I had Hasse give the order to all lords along the road to Siala Prefecture and the royal capital that they should accompany him. Most of the lords of Siala, including the Antoini clan, refused to comply with what they saw as an invasion. I was fine with that. This war would see all of Siala come under my rule. My guard troops had grown considerably in number. There were too many for just the Red Bears and the White Eagles, so I established a new unit I named the Black Dogs. As captain of the Black Dogs I appointed Dorbeau, a werewolf from Brantaar Prefecture who’d once run a school for spearmen. He’d later joined the White Eagles and mastered the three-jarg spear before anyone else. “You are not my soldiers. You are the soldiers of the man who will soon become king. I am but a commander. Keep that in mind as you go to battle.” ““Hoorah!!”” Their voices echoed as one. I suppose I do enjoy the battlefield, after all. Of course, I couldn’t really be going out on the front line anymore, though. “Bathe His Highness’s enemies in blood! Your heroism will be rewarded!” ““Hoorah!!”” Apparently knowing they were no match, the Sialans decided to abandon their smaller forts and join together with the Antoini clan’s main force. Clearly they realized it’d do them no good to be destroyed piecemeal. Our enemies had reportedly received reinforcements from prefectures besides Siala. Their numbers were too great for a single prefecture otherwise. Our men numbered eight thousand, theirs sixty-five hundred. On the other hand, this meant they were a jumbled assortment of troops. We could win by destroying their coordination. I didn’t act right away. Taking position on a hill, I waited for them. My less numerous opponents set up across from us. Then, as we stared each other down, I carried on writing letters as if in peacetime. Of course, the subject of those letters was how I’d reward anyone who switched sides. I addressed them to the top vassals of the Antoinis as well as smaller independent lords. Whether they actually switched sides didn’t matter, as my goal was to send them into paranoia. Worrying if their neighbors would betray them would naturally weaken them as they fought. “Lord Alsrod, you’re unusually relaxed,” Laviala remarked quizzically. “What? You think I’m an impatient man?” “At the very least, you never take your time attacking your enemies, right?” “It’s fine; others are attacking them as we wait. Eventually they won’t be able to wait any longer.” “Oh, that’s right. The attack from the sea.” Exactly. The eight thousand I mentioned were land troops. Soltis Nistonia was attacking the Antoinis’ coastal stronghold, Tobiye. If they took Tobiye, they could use it as a base to pressure the Antoinis’ home castle—popularly known as Midland Castle—farther south. There was no way the Nistonian navy could lose at sea, meaning the fall of Tobiye was virtually certain. The Antoinis would then have no choice but to return home. However, it’d be impossible for them to withdraw their entire force from my army. They would decide they needed to drive us back with a frontal attack first. That was when I’d crush them. Five days into the stare down, an envoy came reporting that Tobiye had fallen. I called my generals to a meeting right away. “The enemy now has no choice but to attack. They will probably charge, so have the archers hit them with concentrated arrows from the forward castles when they do. Then have our crack troops attack with spears. As long as our enemy thinks this is a contest of numbers, we can’t lose.” Generally, the side with greater numbers was stronger. But by providing each soldier with the right training and weapons, you could bring out a strength beyond the sum of its parts. And with my numbers being greater than the enemy’s, the battle would be decided quickly. What an easy fight. Not even a hint of danger. Oda Nobunaga offered his own opinion of the situation. Honestly, I wasn’t going to have any real trouble until I got to the royal capital. The problem would come after I got there—only then would my enemies finally think to work together to attack me. Until I got to the capital, they would all be worried about themselves in the end. Their interests would only coincide when a lord besides themselves had come close to the capital, and they realized they needed to stop it. There’s no one left in my path who can beat me. Quite true. Now go and prove to them your soldiers’ might. “When they retreat, ravage them. I’ll give three counties to the one who takes their clan leader’s head.” My generals reacted with great excitement. And so, just as I’d expected, the enemy attacked head-on. They probably just hoped they could somehow get us to pull back. They aren’t organized enough. Their leaders command separately, so there’s no coordination. What a lost cause. Oda Nobunaga pointed out their faults. He was exactly right; the enemy was old-fashioned. They couldn’t contend with modern military tactics. From a forward castle on high ground, Laviala shouted, “Everyone fire!” She simultaneously lowered a big red flag. A volley of arrows went flying, reducing the attacking enemy numbers from far away. After three or so more such volleys, our spearmen plunged in from the front. Their long three-jarg spears shattered enemy skulls, whether they were protected by heavy iron helmets or not, and the dead soldiers collapsed straight to the ground. If the enemy’s momentum stopped, we were at a total advantage simply from having greater numbers. The tide of battle had quickly become one-sided. “Kelara’s deliberately targeting the weaker lords,” I noted. Once those fell back, the other soldiers would likewise try to fall back before anyone else. They’d be impossible to control. Noen Rowd and Meissel Wouge’s troops were doing well driving them back, too. “All right, let’s see if they can take the enemy general’s head.” The odds of the commanding general dying on the battlefield are extremely low. I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Thanks. In the end, the Antoini army was completely routed, and it returned to their home castle. However, given their utter inability to defend it, this too they abandoned, fleeing into the arms of Melya, the neighboring prefecture to the south. Driving out the remaining resistance in Siala, I had now unified this prefecture as well. The real hero of this war was Soltis Nistonia. I granted him as territory two neighboring counties and a few outlying areas. Returning to Maust, I reported my subjugation of Siala to Hasse. “The terrain makes it difficult to march on the royal capital from the north, so let us use the traditional entrance from Fortsouth Prefecture. All that stands in our way to the capital now are Melya and Fortsouth Prefectures. The most capable lords of the Melya clan and Fortsouth’s Santira clan are gathering. Still, as for whether they can stand against us, I do not think they will be a problem.” In the cardinal directions around the capital were four prefectures, and although they were among the few highly populated regions of the kingdom, as was the capital itself, the south side was more developed than the north. So entering from the south was the precedent, aside from some surprise attacks. Rather than there being a single owner of the prefecture, though, it was held in separate parts, mostly by top vassals who’d been given land one by one because of their close relations with the royal family. In the past, no one had supposed a powerful lord would cause a big rebellion, so the top vassals hadn’t been given that much land. The rebellions of powerful lords could be defeated by other powerful lords along with the king’s personal troops. However, once the realm’s lords stopped obeying the king, and the commanders of his personal troops started acting according to their own will, the military power of the royal family had come close to zero. They had kept up appearances by depending on lords who did have power. “Well done! Getting to the capital is just a matter of time now!” Hasse said. Unifying Siala had brought us much closer to getting to the capital. “I am currently trying to convince the lords of Fortsouth to join our side. If they do, you will instantly be able to enter the capital like a king, with your head held high.” The capital was militarily difficult to defend. It was originally a walled city, but with the rising population, people had begun living on the outside, and parts of the wall had been destroyed. Trying to defend outside the city, and fleeing to the countryside if unsuccessful, had been the way of things for the past several generations of kings. Even if they had tried to fight to the end inside the castle, the capital would have been destroyed. None of the capital residents would have recognized a king who’d made such a decision, and without the support of their subjects, they wouldn’t have been able to rule their land any longer. “We’ve practically already won. It’d be nice if my cousin Paffus just handed over the throne. He shouldn’t make my subjects throw away their lives needlessly.” Hasse was clearly already king in his own mind. Of course, if we didn’t make that a reality, there would be problems. “At present, it seems the king intends to fend off our forces with all his might,” I informed Hasse. “Hmph. He doesn’t know when to give up…” “Of course, that is his intention—nothing more.” I brought Hasse a few letters. “Gradually, more and more people are trying to join our side. As they do, eventually the king must give up and flee to some lord far away.” “Ah! Quite good, quite good.” “To accelerate this process, let us hold out rewards and promises of land to entice more to our side. Likewise, I shall encourage the king to abdicate.” “I see, I see!” Hasse’s voice was getting louder and louder; apparently, he was in a very good mood. “But speaking of rewards, I must give you one first.” “That is most generous of you.” “You already have more land than anyone except those on the frontier. It’s time you carried the title of marquess, not count.” Indeed, being a marquess might be an effective way to help suppress my enemies. Marquess could for all intents and purposes be called the highest rank attainable for a vassal, given only to the king’s advisers. “Yes, my liege. I humbly accept.” “And there’s been another happy event in your life, I hear. It seems your concubine is with child, yes? How wonderful.” Fleur, the sister of my general Meissel Wouge and my concubine, had sent word of her pregnancy the other day. Hopefully her child would be just as healthy as Seraphina’s and Laviala’s children. “Here, I want you to have this cooking playset that was passed down in the royal family. It’s intricately made from wood; the food looks like smaller versions of the real thing.” “I will gratefully accept that as well.” My title therein changed from Count of Fordoneria to Marquess of Fordoneria. In the castle town, since I lived in a castle surrounded by water, apparently people called me the water fortress marquess. Now there was still a bit more I needed to do. I went out to the rear courtyard at night, where I was greeted by fourteen or so wolves. They weren’t exactly my pets—although you could say I’d practically hand-raised them. They were the rappas. I’d been putting them to work frequently, and gradually their number had grown. No longer with their original master—my financial officer Fanneria—they were now officers under my personal command. “Find out if the lesser lords of Siala intend to obey my orders and report back to me,” I instructed. One wolf with especially nice fur stepped forward. “Go ahead,” I told them. “You may speak.” At that, the wolf changed into humanoid form. It was a young female werewolf. Her hair was trimmed to an even length just so it touched her shoulders, maybe to keep it out of her face. “What is it, Yadoriggy?” Even I didn’t know her real name. “Is it all right to dispose of anyone who’s clearly useless?” “Yes, but no more than two. No, actually, maybe it’s safer to take out the trash first…? Do as you please.” “As you wish,” Yadoriggy replied succinctly. “I suspect the people of Siala don’t understand the position they’re in. They would probably side with the Melyans if their forces came.” “Probably. I’d like to pacify them before getting to the royal capital. Is there anyone who’d be fit to govern them?” “If that prefecture is the front line, perhaps Sir Kivik?” “Very well. I’ll think about it.” An elder even among my commanders, Kivik had also been the first person to recognize my talents and serve me. We had put our lives on the line fighting together at Fort Nagraad as well. Maybe being in a place where war could break out anytime better suited his personality. Yadoriggy certainly wasn’t wrong there, and I doubted anyone would be envious of Kivik, either. Yadoriggy returned to her wolf form, and the wolves dispersed to their respective destinations. The crown prince might have wanted to go to the capital right away, but a rebellion on the way back to Maust would only dampen our spirits.