Recruitment Continues
Everything is in the palm of Ren's hand... of course, it's not. The eastward expansion of the Luine Kingdom was a miscalculation for Ren. After receiving the report, Ren, who had been pondering for some time, finally looked up and opened his mouth.
"I didn't think they would attack us so soon."
"Does this mean that they had more money to spend on the army than we expected?"
"No, I think the damage from the rebellion is certain. The only miscalculation was that they marched only the Hero's Knights. I thought that a great power would fight a battle worthy of a great power."
"Did we misread it?"
"Is it the Crown Prince's idea? Even if so, I didn't think the influence of the king would be this far."
What Ren misreads is the sense of danger for himself in the Luine Kingdom. Ren, who underestimates himself and doesn't care much about other people's feelings, sometimes fails to read how others evaluate him.
This is especially true when it is someone he knows, such as Heinz, but not when it is someone he doesn't.
"What are you going to do?"
"As planned, I will ask the Northern Alliance to do their best. The question is whether we will receive a request for support."
The Nord Empire will not move its forces without a request from the Northern Alliance. They are acting cautiously so as not to pose a threat to the Alliance.
"Will they be caught off guard by just one Order?"
"Perhaps. The Northern Alliance is superior in numbers. They will think they can fight on their own."
"Aside from the hero, are the Knights also strong?"
"Unfortunately, thanks to the rebellion that took place in the Luine Kingdom, they have a lot of actual combat experience. This is a big difference."
"It's the same in our country."
"Yes. That's why I was planning to gain experience against the Mercenary."
The Nord Empire is participating in the battle against the United Kingdom of Mercenary in order to gain experience in actual combat. Moreover, like the Mercenary, the soldiers are being paid to participate in the war. It is a typical Ren approach to gaining experience with other people's money.
As long as the purpose is to gain experience, they are not trying to end the battle early. He was trying to avoid damage, and yet he was trying various things. That was the way they were fighting. However, the fact that the invasion of the Luine Kingdom was earlier than planned.
"Was it to prevent us from buying time?"
"Have they found out about our plan?"
"I haven't made any preparations yet. I haven't informed the Northern Alliance."
"What is the point of rushing to invade?"
"It is more of a reconnaissance than an invasion, isn't it? And using a hero is a very drastic measure."
"Reconnaissance?"
"By actually engaging the enemy, they can measure our strength. Then they can determine our strength and decide the scale of the invasion, right?"
"...I see. So sparking a rebellion certainly caused this effect?"
If they really had the leeway, they would attack with an overwhelmingly large army without using reconnaissance. It means that the Luine Kingdom is in a situation where this is not possible.
"Even so, a miscalculation is a miscalculation."
"What are you going to do?"
"I have an idea. But first, we must finish the battle with the Mercenary"
"Yes"
"Training mode is over. Shifting to actual combat mode.
I will lead the entire army."
"Ha. Then I'll prepare to depart immediately."
"Yeah"
At Ren's command, Sergio left the tent to give orders to the soldiers. Soon the voice of the order echoed around them.
"...What are you relaxing about?"
"Eh?"
"I'm saying I'll lead the army. You guys should be ready too."
"Yay. Are you serious?"
"Isn't that obvious? This is an actual battle."
Both Kai and Mai are delighted by Ren's words. They have no fear of real combat, having erased their fear of death at an early age. It is not only the two of them. Most of the soldiers who serve as Ren's personal guards are the same.
Many of them are members of the anti-hero alliance who came to Nord to be given a place to die.
◇◇◇
For the United Kingdom of Mercenary, the events of the past few months have been like being stuck in a hole. The Luine Kingdom and the Lemberg Empire have been looking for developments, but there has been no sign of movement at all.
Thinking that there was a reason why they could not make a move, he chose to take the initiative. This decision was based on the belief that if he could control the northern part of the country to some extent before the two countries made a move, it would not be impossible for him to counter them. He was right in his thinking. If the Northern Alliance had not been formed.
When they invaded the neighboring country, they were blocked by an unexpectedly large number of troops. Before they had time to be surprised by that, other countries invaded them, breaking through multiple borders. When they realized that they were surrounded by enemies, they were overwhelmed by their forces.
Even the United Kingdom of Mercenary, which is overwhelmingly strong when it comes to one-on-one battles, is not so strong when it comes to fighting on multiple fronts at the same time. On individual fronts, the enemy may have more troops than they do.
The United Kingdom of Mercenary was gradually pushed back, and its front lines shrank. Conversely, the Mercenary moved to consolidate the front by retreating at once, but the Northern Alliance did not respond to this move.
Even after the Mercenary fell back, it did not advance all at once, but occupied towns one by one and consolidated its ruling posture. This forced the Mercenary to move forward to recapture the towns. The battle lines were also dispersed.
If this was the case, the next strategy adopted by the Mercenary was to destroy each of the towns individually. Each front would be on the defensive, and the king's army, which was the king's treasure, would be deployed to defeat the enemy in turn.
However, that did not work. A new enemy army suddenly appeared. The 5,000 elite troops of the United Kingdom of Mercenary, led by the king himself, were completely suppressed by the 2,000 enemy troops deployed in front of them.
"It looks like they are moving."
The King of Mercenary muttered quietly as he saw movement in the enemy lines in front of him. His face was filled with bitterness.
His own army, which he thought was capable of fighting on equal terms with the Platinum Knights of the Luine Kingdom and the Purple Dragon Knights of the Lemberg Empire, had been halted. He was not satisfied with that.
"What do you think?"
"Move the cavalry to the left and right. Pull them into the center and surround and destroy them."
"Ha"
From the main camp, the horsemen rushed to the left and right, passing on their instructions. Soon, slowly the cavalry on both wings moved forward. Behind them, mage units with infantry units as shields followed.
The strategy was to attack from the left and right with both cavalry and magic to bring the enemy to the center. On the other hand, cavalry units also came forward from the enemy's position.
"...A lot"
The King of Mercenary wondered a little about a large number of shadows of the advancing cavalry.
"Instruct the mage unit to prepare for an attack. Spread the cavalry unit further to the left and right, and attack the enemy army at the same time as the magic attack."
"Ha"
As expected, no messenger delivered the words. The main camp gave the order by beating drums. In the meantime, the enemy cavalry was getting closer and closer.
"...Hurry up! Magic attack! Hurry up!"
The enemy cavalry's unexpectedly fast pace makes them panic and give the order to attack. But it is magic that requires chanting. There was no way they could hurry even if they were told to.
"Cavalry! Stop the enemy!"
The order was given almost simultaneously with the thunderous roar that echoed through the area. After the lightning that sliced through the air settled down, what was seen were many horses and knights lying on the ground.
"Enemy! Left-wing, they're charging into the magician unit!"
"Back off! Don't allow the attack! Support from the right wing!"
"The enemy is coming! Contact with right-wing cavalry!"
A further new cavalry unit is moving forward from the enemy position. That enemy cavalry splits the cavalry that was about to head directly to the left flank for support, right across, and avenges one after another the cavalry in the rear that has stopped moving.
"Push out the center! Change to a square!"
"Enemy cavalry from the left wing! Too fast!"
"Send the infantry forward! Stop them!"
"They're coming from the center!"
"Just stop them!"
A cavalry unit of 100 horsemen runs freely between the United Kingdom of Mercenary's forces. The formation of the Mercenary is torn to shreds, and the chain of command is disjointed. They had completely lost control.
"Protect His Majesty! The enemy is coming!"
"Defend! Form up in front!"
Enemy cavalry approaching the main camp. The king's personal guard rushes forward to stop their advance and form a defensive line with their shields.
But then, a bolt of lightning quickly breaks the formation.
The Thunder Emperor―― the words were muttered. It was fear that spread throughout the entire army.
"Ridiculous! There is no Thunder Emperor in this era!"
The King of Mercenary's cries echoed hollowly. Both the king who said this and his entourage knew it. The existence of the man who bore the title of Thunder Emperor's disciple.
"Either die or surrender. Choose one."
The man who appeared before them was clad in all-black armor and a cloak that was also black with a silver lining. The armor matched his silver hair.
"...Nord's."
"Kaiser Ren of the Nord Empire. Are you the king of the United Kingdom of Mercenary?"
"That's right."
"Then let us hear your answer. Choose between death and surrender."
"...I haven't lost yet!"
"I see. Then I'll make you realize that you lost. Do it."
At Ren's command, Kai and the others attack the surrounding knights all at once. No one can resist it. One by one, the Mercenary knights fell to the ground.
"Do you feel defeated?"
"...Stop."
"The answer is death or surrender. Now which is it?"
"I can't surrender! Kill me now!!"
"...That's a pity. Then I will kill all your allies."
"What!?"
"Did you think it would end with your death? Your death is the death of all the Mercenary allies. I'll kill every single one of them."
"......You're insane."
"It's your choice. If you don't like it, surrender. I'll spare their lives."
Either way is fine. Ren showed this attitude. That frightened the King of Mercenary to no end. Ren, who was less than half his age, frightened the King of Mercenary completely.
"...I'll surrender."
"Why are you saying it only to me? Tell that to your subjects."
"...Surrender! Surrender! Everyone, lay down your weapons!"
Hearing the voice of the King of Mercenary's surrender, the Mercenary forces relinquish their weapons. The battle ended with a victory for the Nord Empire's forces.
◇◇◇
With the surrender of the King of Mercenary, the invasion of the Northern Alliance came to an end. Messengers were sent to each front to announce the surrender of the King of Mercenary, and one after another, the Mercenary surrendered.
Once the fighting had mostly subsided, the representatives of each country gathered in the royal capital of the United Kingdom of Mercenary for post-war processing.
"I, who have the least interest in this matter, will be the chairman of the meeting. Does anyone object?"
No one objected to Ren's words. In fact, Ren was the most appropriate person for the position.
"Now, in fact, we don't have time to take the time to carefully allocate the territory. We have received information that the Luine Kingdom is about to make a move."
The faces of the representatives of the countries that had been uplifted by Ren's words suddenly turned pale.
"First of all, there will be 10,000 knights led by the hero, and I think the number will actually increase even more. That's our opponent."
Then, relief spread. If the number is more than 10,000, it is because they are assured that they are more numerous. That is not a desired reaction for Ren.
"That's probably the spearhead, but we don't know how many will follow."
"Isn't that wrong? The invasion of the Luine Kingdom was supposed to be a long way off."
"I would like you to acknowledge that the Luine Kingdom had no choice but to start small with 10,000 or more."
"...That's true."
If it were to invade with all its might, the army should be many times that size. It was thanks to the Nord Empire's tactics that prevented it.
"But don't take it lightly just because it's over 10,000. After all, he's the strongest hero candidate and the only man with the title of hero."
"Yeah"
Some countries will betray the alliance if they think they are no match for the Luine Kingdom. But that does not mean they should let their guard down. Ren is required to respond in a way that is both reassuring and intimidating.
"Well, whatever the strength, we must stop the invasion as soon as possible. So we don't have time for a long discussion here."
He cut it off and checked the reactions of the people around him. Most of them looked convinced. The further west their country was, the more quickly they would demand a postwar settlement.
"I have a proposal here. The countries that border our territory will be divided in proportion to the size of the territory they occupy at the present time. What about the countries that don't have lands in contact with the United Kingdom of Mercenary, and divide the treasures they hold in proportion to the size of the territory they also occupy?"
"...I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"To put it simply. One country occupies one territory. The other country occupies the second territory. In that case, the entire territory of the United Kingdom of Mercenary is divided into three, with one being the territory of the first country and two being the territory of the other country. Do you understand this?"
"'I understand, but there are both rich and poor lands in the land. It is not simply a matter of percentages."
"Then, not by size, but by tax revenues."
"I see"
"This is just a policy. The actual adjustment will be made by the civil officials of each country. My proposal is to move the army westward after all countries agree on the general policy."
"It might be better for the country that gains territory, but not for our country."
"Is it no good?"
"I do not know how much wealth the United Kingdom of Mercenary possesses. If it seems to be too little, the expense will be more. In some cases, I think we will need a share of the tax revenues."
"Tax revenue..."
Worst opinion ever. Sharing one thing for a long time cannot go well. On the contrary, Ren thinks that it will only lead to disputes.
In this case, was he grateful for the early invasion of the Luine Kingdom? Ren's inner feelings are becoming very delicate.
"When it comes to tax revenue, there's the issue of collection rights. I don't think it's going to be both. I don't think it's a very good idea."
This is the opinion of someone who is afraid of getting into trouble. Ren would have liked to support the idea, but unfortunately, he only denied it and did not come up with an alternative.
"Shall we try to identify the property first?"
"By whom?"
"Our country. Because other countries would get all sorts of strange ideas."
"......Even in your country, is it not the same?"
"Same. Then what are you going to do?"
"Each country puts people out there."
"...Jointly, huh."
It would be nice to do it jointly. If it becomes a competition, it's the worst. Ren has only an ominous feeling about this.
"It can't be helped. Then we'll send out a representative from each country to do a thorough search."
"Well, then, that's that."
After that, each country made its own detailed arguments, and the meeting went on for a long time, contrary to Ren's expectations. There was a point in the middle of the meeting where Ren was so taken aback that he gave up the role of facilitator, which was partly his own fault. The clash of egos is the kind of thing that Ren detests the most.
It means that Ren as a public figure, but as an individual, he willingly took on a role that was most unbecoming of him.
◇◇◇
Ren returned to his tent with the feeling that the Northern Alliance meeting had left him in a bad mood.
However, strangely enough, Ren is not frightening at times like this. If anything, he has the air of a sulking child.
"What's wrong?"
Rin was the first to notice Ren's displeasure.
"Bothersome"
"Did you get into trouble?"
"Better yet, it would be nice to have a dispute, but they're being kind of indirect and insistent."
"...You can't come to a conclusion."
"Yes. Why can't the adults understand what's going on?"
"People are inevitably caught up in the interest that lies before them."
"I know that. But reason and a sense of responsibility should hold them back. Who are they who can't do that?"
"They must have taken on responsibilities they don't deserve."
"If that's the case, they should step aside."
"If they can do that, can they suppress their desires?"
"...Yeah, that's right."
Through a series of meaningless exchanges, Ren's feelings gradually subsided. It is a scene that can be seen from time to time. However, for those who see it for the first time.
The former King of Mercenary, who was watching the exchange between the two with a look of dismay, sighed heavily and then spoke up.
"Did I lose to a child like this?"
"Huh?"
"What's with that childish whining? People live in the grip of their desires. A grown man should understand that and treat people accordingly."
"A man must not forget his ideals. People who forget that are no better than beasts."
"......And now, you talk like an adult."
The former King of Mercenary is bewildered by Ren's ever-changing mood. Ren's demeanor changes depending on who he is talking to. It was impossible to understand him in the short time he had with him.
"Even I have feelings. If I'm having a bad day, I try to vent it."
"Is that woman a demon?"
"Are you jealous? I won't give her to you."
"Are you a child?"
"Just kidding. So what's the answer?"
"Are you talking about serving you? I'm a former king, you know?"
Ren demands that the former King of Mercenary, including his subjects, serve him. In response, the King of Mercenary returned negative words.
"You're also a mercenary. It's not strange to be hired to work."
"We were a mercenary many generations ago. I have been a royal of the United Kingdom of Mercenary since birth."
"Then don't call yourself the Mercenary King."
"The title was established by the first generation. It is a reminder to never forget how you felt when you were a mercenary."
"Then, I'm sure the founder would allow you to go back to being a mercenary."
"What kind of logic is that?"
"Anyway, we're in trouble because we don't have enough manpower. We don't have enough military officials, civil officials, or more importantly, we don't have enough people to plow the fields."
"Not enough people to plow the fields? When did the Nord become such fertile land?"
In the past, Nord did not have enough fields to cultivate. The former King of Mercenary knows this.
"...That's perceptive. You're a king, I guess."
"What do you mean by I guess? I'm a proper king."
"The land is a lot better than it was before. But people don't grow up that fast."
"That's true. Can I ask you a question?"
"Any number of questions."
"Why did you target our country? With that army, you can easily conquer the surrounding small countries, right?"
The United Kingdom of Mercenary is the strongest country in the north. If they have the power to defeat the United Kingdom of Mercenary, they should be able to win against other small countries more easily. The former King of Mercenary is curious about why he didn't choose the easy way.
"…There are various reasons. One is that I didn’t want to leave a large country in the north. The presence of a nation with freedom of movement would create unexpected situations."
"I see"
"The other reason is that if we were to invade another country, the Northern Alliance would collapse. With the major powers, they would try to unite by sheer numbers. With us, they might be motivated by their own interests."
"That makes sense."
"Other than that, I don’t want to occupy the country. Even if we expand our territory, we cannot afford to develop it. We don't have enough manpower. That's why we decided to move only the people. I thought that if they left their mother country, their loyalty, or rather their sense of belonging, would be transferred to that country, not to their mother country."
"I can't say anything about that. I have a certain amount of feeling for the land where I was born and raised."
He doesn't think one can easily abandon one's feelings for one's homeland. The former King of Mercenary returned Ren's thoughts on this matter.
"You can promise to get that back later. I'm just saying that it would be better if you had no feelings for your former country, even if you did have an attachment to the land."
"That makes sense. Then let's move on. Why do you need the Northern Alliance?"
"To buy time. The truth is that we wanted to stop the invasion of the Luine Kingdom. We wanted to delay the most powerful kingdom in the struggle for supremacy. In the meantime, the Izrim Magic Kingdom will accumulate power, which will make it difficult for the Luine Kingdom to move south."
"Did you intend to fight against the Luine Kingdom?"
Ren's idea of first fighting against the Luine Kingdom, which is said to be the strongest among the great powers, was surprising.
"I think the sooner the better."
"Why is it so?"
"Now is probably the time when the power of the Luine Kingdom is at its lowest. I thought of weakening it by having it fight other countries, but I didn't think that would happen."
"Why is that?"
"The Luine Kingdom is a large country. It has enough manpower. I think they will soon have the occupied countries completely under their control."
"That's true."
What the Luine Kingdom has that the Nord Empire does not is the number of human resources. The Luine Kingdom has a political organization that is large enough to absorb a number of small countries with ease. It probably has a political organization that is far superior to the small countries that will be absorbed.
"Not only that, but I think that the defeated countries would be more likely to follow the Luine Kingdom's lead if it were them. If it is the Luine Kingdom, it is inevitable that they will lose. If that is the case, they can imagine being a member of the Luine Kingdom from now on. I think there will be people who will be glad that they lost."
"......That may indeed be the case."
"So we will defeat them before they add to the number of occupied countries. Or we'll wound them until they can't even think about invading another country for a while."
"……I see."
Ren is less than half his age. However, he was clearly reminded that Ren's thoughts were far beyond his reach.
"Are you feeling a little more motivated?"
"Why do you think so?"
"If you serve me, I can take you right into the middle of the battle for supremacy on the continent. You may not be the king, but you may be a hero. Don't you think so?"
"...Seriously. You've done your research, haven't you?"
A hero is the complete opposite of Ren. The reason why he said the word [hero] is because he is a hero. The reason why he used the word [hero] is because that is what the former King of Mercenary used to say.
He knows that better than anyone else. It was such a transparent invitation, but it was the deciding factor.
Karl Wallenstein, the former king of the United Kingdom of Mercenary, along with many of his subjects, came to serve the Nord Empire.
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