Chapter 31

On the third day, I personally took soldiers to go defend. “Listen up, everyone. You only have to hold out! Don’t worry about killing your foes!” The enemy came even more forcefully than before. They must’ve thought they could end this. Or maybe they thought my side didn’t have any will to fight. I desperately suppressed any lingering doubts I had. No matter what happened, I couldn’t show that I was worried. If my men’s confidence in me wavered, my profession bonus would vanish. My soldiers needed to believe they were on the side of a conqueror. But with the enemy attacking in such great numbers, my men must have some inkling of the situation, too. If they were attacking so boldly, maybe that did mean nothing was coming? In the back of my mind, I had the idea to send an envoy to make peace with Archbishop Cammit. Truthfully, that would signal a clear defeat for me. With it, my influence would plummet. I wouldn’t be able to control the cities. However, if I took too many casualties, the growing wound would endanger my ability to remain as regent in the capital. Leading an army without showing any worry on your face was surprisingly difficult. I’d been going to battle so confidently for so long, after all. …And then, just before noon, Yadoriggy appeared next to me dressed as just another soldier. “The reinforcements have arrived.” “Arrived? …Where?” Half joy, half disappointment would be an apt description of my reaction in that moment. The reinforcements couldn’t be here on the battlefield; there was no sign of any new forces’ arrival. “From the rear.” “The rear?” “Forty-five hundred reinforcements led by His Majesty have arrived at the enemy’s rear.” “Ha…ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” I burst into laughter after a beat. “Right, right! So he took his troops all the way around to hit them in the back! That would take time.” “Yes. So as not to attract too much attention, I was told he also set the rendezvous point for the lords as another town, rather than the royal palace.” I was beset by doubt once more, however. “So they’re behind the enemy, huh? I’d like to confirm—His Majesty didn’t say anything about attacking the regent, did he?” It wasn’t impossible that I’d been betrayed. Siding with the cathedral—which looked like it would win—was an option for him. Without the king’s support, I would have no choice but to flee to where I’d come from. Whether that would end well was quite doubtful. Hasse had outwardly been gracious to me, but it there was no denying that I held some power. I hadn’t quite tweaked the political system, but there would be little wonder if he wasn’t happy with me. Besides, Kelara was originally Hasse’s vassal. If he’d told her this was the perfect opportunity to kill me…then just as Akechi Mitsuhide had betrayed Oda Nobunaga… I looked Yadoriggy in the eye. Time seemed to stand still. She opened her mouth slowly. “There is not a sliver of doubt that he is on Your Excellency’s side. He is already assailing the cathedral, with the royal standard flying high.” I nodded, and my head flooded with a million thoughts. “Well done, Yadoriggy. You’re dismissed.” Yadoriggy promptly blended in with the other soldiers and disappeared from sight. I raised aloft my ancient sword, the Stroke of Justice, and yelled, “You have endured bravely! Now it’s time to counterattack! Let’s crush the cathedral!” My voice reverberated nicely, as if my whole body were a musical instrument. “Listen well! All units will attack without delay. We’re going to assault cathedral forces across the river! Ignore the trifling petty lords!” With that, there was an instant shift in everyone’s mood. Laviala came to me with tears in her eyes. “It’s here at last—the chance you were waiting for! I was so tired of waiting!” I wondered why she was about to cry, but once I saw the others’ faces, I knew. When I’d decided to attack, everyone had felt with their body and soul that we could win. And so they now believed victory was at hand. They were right about that, and I was going to go prove it to them. “This battle changes to our advantage starting now. Our headwind is now a tailwind! But do be careful as you attack. The enemy is still larger than you!” My men’s shouts were deafening. “Lord Alsrod, I have one question!” Laviala approached me. “If the archbishop is there with them, what should we do?” Priests were clergymen, so ostensibly they weren’t soldiers. Generals who’d merely gone through the motions of becoming priests were considered military members, but an archbishop was unmistakably clergy. He was technically a noncombatant—and thus shouldn’t be killed. “Laviala, we may be fighting the cathedral, but a place that reeks of death is no place for Archbishop Cammit to be. He’s officially recognized as an archbishop by the royal family, so he must be inside Orsent Cathedral praying for the victory of his troops.” To be honest, I hadn’t been able to confirm whether he was here or not. His name wasn’t on Yadoriggy’s map of enemy positions, either, hence why I could say the following without issue: “So,” I began, “the archbishop simply isn’t here. Should you see someone in a priest’s robes, kill them without mercy.” I could feel my men’s morale rising. “Such a person is not a priest, but the enemy general’s trickery! Anyone who claims to be the archbishop is fair game!” “All right! I won’t disappoint you!” Laviala answered emphatically, and she promptly ran off. All right, time to get my hands dirty, too. Yes! What fun! This is what I live for! Oda Nobunaga was whooping with joy. For a while I was worried how this was going to turn out, but if you can kill that damn priest, all my worries will be gone! Kill! Kill! Kill! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s about an eighty percent chance the archbishop isn’t here. That was just a way to raise everyone’s spirits. I wonder what will happen if the archbishop really does die. At the very least, Orsent Cathedral won’t forgive me until I’m dead—no, not even then. They’ll probably be impossible to get under control. Not sure whether that’ll be good or bad for me. If Orsent Cathedral doesn’t stay unified, then I’ll win, and if they come together and obsess over killing me, then I guess I’ll lose. They’ll probably invite outside forces to form a pact against me. I know why you were saying that. I just hate people who pretend to be saints. There wasn’t a single real saint to be found back in my time. Several of them were much stronger than a cowardly general. True. They’re coming out to the battlefield, so they can all be treated the same. Before I sent my men out, a horse came into my camp. Kelara was riding it. “Forgive me for addressing you without dismounting. Kelara Hilara reporting—I completed my mission, so I have returned!” “I wish you’d come a day earlier. You’re to blame if this shaves a few years off my life.” I was finally relaxed enough for wisecracks. “His Majesty was too enthusiastic. Rather than a demonstration, he really did decide to lead troops to fight the cathedral, so the march was very cautious.” “I can see that. I never expected he’d suddenly appear behind the enemy. Do they seem worried?” Kelara nodded. “When the different petty lords understood the situation, they shrank in fear, and it seems some of them withdrew their soldiers in an attempt to escape,” she said. “Having small territories makes people small-minded.” People with no redeeming qualities aside from adherence to tradition couldn’t possibly point a bow at the king. Even if they wanted to fight a newcomer like me, they’d never from the beginning consider coming to blows with royal authority. Thus, I’d decided the war would go my way if I got King Hasse to join me. Not even the cathedral had hoped to defy royal authority head-on. So now it must be in utter disarray. I didn’t know who was commanding the cathedral’s troops in this battle, but they definitely wouldn’t give permission to kill the king. “Half of the enemy have already lost their will to fight. We’ll drive off the other half. Then we can go home victorious!” I’d have to give Hasse my heartfelt thanks afterward. Usurping his power could come later. I had to improve myself as regent before I could consider that. Once noon had passed, the atmosphere made a total about-face. Atmosphere controlled everything on the battlefield. If soldiers who were convinced of victory clashed with soldiers worried about defeat, the former would always win. Up until now, I had gone about most battles in ways that had given me an advantage from the start, so I hadn’t been that aware of the change. It really was dramatic. The enemy troops that had been standing against me—no, fearlessly attacking me—until the previous day suddenly had their backs to me, desperately fleeing through the river. They were sending up quite a spray. Arrows then pierced them, and they fell over. The river water turned slightly red. The battlefield started to look like a mortal game of tag. Or perhaps that was the essence of battle in itself. Special ability Conqueror’s Presence activated. Takes effect when recognized as a conqueror by many at once. All abilities are tripled from the usual. Additionally, all who lay eyes on you experience either awe or fear. This had to be thanks to my troops’ belief in victory. “Keep going! Don’t relax now—we don’t want the king to think his regent’s men are cowards!” I spurred my men on while shouting at the top of my lungs. Soon we’d make it across the river. It was finally our turn to attack the enemy’s position good and proper. “That’s right! The king is helping attack the cathedral!” “We’re in the right! We can’t lose!” “The cathedral is horrified, everyone! Crush them!” Plenty of arrogant bastards had been hiding under the wings of the cathedral, so there were plenty of people cultivating hatred for it. It was now acceptable to crush the cathedral, thanks to this battle. Once people’s minds had changed, we were in control. Beyond the river, our foes were in greater disarray than I’d imagined. The king had probably thought I would just sit and watch. He hadn’t provided direct military assistance to anyone for a long time. I had Kelara waiting nearby, watching the king’s troop movements. I had put her regiment under the command of another general this time, so she couldn’t lead troops right away anyway. “Kelara, you’re the one who made the biggest difference in this battle. Well done convincing the king.” “His Majesty has always sought to change his lot in life—to become king and founder of a restored royal line.” “And you sensed his feelings and brought them to the forefront.” I was truly glad I’d put her in my service, despite her profession, Akechi Mitsuhide. “I daresay all past kings wanted to leave a big mark and do great things. However, they didn’t have the courage to act. For generations the kings didn’t have enough battlefield experience to act spontaneously.” “So despite all that you managed to convince him.” “I wasn’t sure I could do it myself, so I enlisted the help of your wife.” “Oh,” I accidentally said aloud. I hadn’t been thinking about my wives at all on the battlefield. Right—Lumie had probably never felt as terrified of war as she did now. “Your wife entreated her brother the king to send his troops by any means necessary. I believe her zeal spurred His Majesty to action.” “I see. When I get back to the capital, I’ll have to give Lumie the biggest hug. It’s frustrating I can’t do more for her.” “Perhaps spending the day together in her room would be the best repayment.” That would be difficult with all the work I had to do… “I’ll think about it.” Our troops penetrated deep into the cathedral’s forces. For us to be able to get this far in, they must’ve had no more will to defend themselves. It couldn’t be a trap. Even if they meant to encircle us, it would be impossible with their men so flustered. “Thanks to their earlier allies’ retreat, their whole force must be falling into disarray. They’re ready to break, I can tell,” said Kelara. “You’re right,” I agreed. “Given the circumstances, there must still be someone important around.” We advanced into the very heart of their force, but as they had no will to fight, there was almost no danger. And then, I came upon a certain man—Archbishop Cammit, the ruler of Orsent Cathedral. So he really had come here. Around us his men repeatedly cried, “This man is not a soldier! He’s a priest!” Unable to run away before the others due to his position and abandoned by his useless allies, he found that his unlucky fate was nearly sealed. “How do you do, Your Grace?” I said smugly from my horse. Taking notice of me, the archbishop looked like he might faint on the spot, but somehow getting ahold of himself, he gulped and put on his most priestly face. “Your Excellency, are you here for this foolish priest’s head?”