Jard looked down at the map he had spread open on the table. Before Sesto’s arrival, Jard had held a strategy meeting with the commanders of the respective Chivalric Orders in this very room. The meeting’s primary objective was to go over the geography and the enemy’s combat strength. Now, however, Jard was pointing at the map like a veteran warrior.
“Sesto, this here is Scudet, and this is the stronghold that we took from the enemy in the last battle. There’s another stronghold on the coast, but it won’t be easy for them to attack us from there because we have the geographical advantage. More importantly, by taking this fortress, we have flipped positions with them; they are now on the defensive.”
Sesto nodded vaguely at this, the smattering of knowledge Jard held. “Because we took this fortress?”
Jard chuckled at his brother’s confusion. “Do you not understand? Think about this from Yelenetta’s perspective. What would happen if we were allowed to further invade their lands?”
He put his finger on the map and slid it along horizontally. Following this action with his eyes, Sesto then came to a quick realization. “Ah! They would be isolated. In other words, they’d be forced to hole up while we pincer attacked them. That would leave them unable to get supplies, right?”
Jalpa nodded, satisfied, acting like a teacher although he had himself only learned this fact minutes prior. “Precisely. In essence, if Yelenetta doesn’t take back this stronghold, they won’t even be able to attack us. Conversely, we can use the newly acquired fortress to strike at them, but if we leave it unoccupied, Yelenetta will send their forces to take it back. After all, there are enemy cities and defense points located in three different directions; it would be easy for them to resupply.”
“I see now… So Yelenetta will attack again soon?”
Jard smiled boldly and folded his arms. “Exactly. That is why we must be prepared for battle at any time. We must ensure that the Chivalric Orders we’ve been loaned have the best equipment and supplies. We should also supplement them with mercenaries and adventurers, if at all possible.”
Sesto looked down then, a pathetic expression on his face. “Ah, but I don’t have any money left. What should I do?” he whispered, his face turning pale.
Jard laughed toothily. “Fear not! With the victories that lie ahead of us, you can borrow as much money as you need! Borrow from a company and prepare your men. This is the perfect opportunity to add some accomplishments to your name. Surely you don’t wish to fail because you were too cheap?”
“R-right, I get it,” Sesto replied, nodding confidently.
A battle to obtain territory was an excellent chance to acquire military achievements. Any noble would view this as an opportunity to rise in the ranks, and that meant that the price of supplies and hiring mercenaries would skyrocket. Goods and personnel were so hard to come by that even having the money available didn’t guarantee that you could get what you wanted. House Fertio was certainly both wealthy and powerful, but regardless of how many companies and mercenary groups lent their support, a considerable amount of money would still need to be spent.
Despite all of this, Jard felt victory was all but assured, so he did not hesitate to spend the cash. In the end, he not only emptied his own pockets but also borrowed a great deal of money to support his war effort.
Van
“HEEEEY! I’VE GOT NEW MACHINE BOWS FOR YOU ALL!”
“Lord Van!” Khamsin called back. He was noisily loading machine bows, arrows, and bolts onto one of the new war wagons. “We already have enough for everyone!”
In the back of the wagon sat Van, manufacturing new weapons, and Lowe, watching this happen. Lowe was unsure what to do with all the new arms. It was all a bit chaotic.
Nearby, members of the Chivalric Order watched this uncommon sight with pained smiles as they looked over the new weapons.
“Lord Van’s made a new type of machine bow,” said one member.
“Man, I feel bad for the enemy,” remarked another.
They laughed among themselves, but their eyes displayed the trust they had in Van. All their armor had already been replaced with hybrid-style equipment made from wood blocks and mithril. This new equipment was light and flexible while also boasting high defensive capabilities—and the most vulnerable sections were all coated with mithril to boot.
Because of how the production process worked, all the old equipment could be reused, so there was no shortage of materials. This was also why Van was able to use any free time he had to perform experiments and modify pre-existing designs. He had already attached suspension to the carriages and replaced all their wheels with tires made from the most appropriate monster hides. At this point, these were the most comfortable carriages in the world.
Elsewhere, the Chivalric Orders hunted monsters, which also served as excellent training. The citizens with free time on their hands made preserved foods and helped to prepare for the long military campaign ahead. In this way, Van was able to prepare for war without breaking the bank.
“Lord Van, we have more folks looking to move here!” called a lookout.
“Okay!” Van responded breezily. “What kind of shape are they in? If they seem hungry, feed them first and let them take a bath!”
“Understood!”
The lookout in question nodded as if this happened all the time, then returned to the front gates. In Seatoh Village, immigrants were a weekly occurrence and something everyone had long since grown accustomed to.
Well, save for the traveling merchants, the newly arrived former slaves, and the adventurers. “This really is such a strange village.”
“Right? I don’t think I’ve ever seen Chivalric Orders or nobles act so kind to outsiders.”
“I think Lord Van is just unique.”
Overhearing this conversation, Van turned around. “Unique? I feel like that could be a little misleading…”
The lord of this village, a paradise to its citizens, disliked being described as “unique.”