Fun Territory Defense Chapter 204 (Patreon)

[Another Viewpoint] The March to the Jiernetta Kingdom and…

[Panamera]

It has been less than a month since His Majesty returned to the royal capital. In a short time, we received a report that His Majesty had finished reorganizing the Knights and had left for his departure. The early horses came to report day and night, changing horses as they went, so there would be plenty of time to spare.

"How are the preparations here?"

I checked with the Knight Commander, who gave me a confident smile.

"Ha! Including the newly reinforced group, five hundred people are ready! The same goes for logistics!"

"Hmm. Two weeks of travel. We can stop by Seat Village on the way and replenish our supplies there."

After purchasing a ballista and a mechanical bow from Van, the team has been able to destroy bandit groups and take down large magic beasts with unparalleled ease. As a result, they have acquired various treasures and rare materials without any major damage, and they were making enough money to cover the cost of replenishing their expensive Van arrows.

"Okay, since you asked about rewards. It's time to start asking for territory."

The Knight Commander's expression tightens as he mutters this. Apparently, he is still cautious.

Nobility is a tricky thing, and there are various ties that exist. The first of these is the factional issue among the senior nobility. The number of senior nobles has not changed for more than a decade. Aside from the royal family, which has relinquished the right of succession to the throne, there are four marquises and counts in the royal capital and two to three in each region. Each lord is entrusted with a territory in the form of defending it on behalf of the king. Among them, marquises and counts who have achieved many military feats in the past rule large territories proportionally to their power, and they are given appropriate authority in times of emergency.

In other words, if something should happen, the higher nobles can move the surrounding lower nobles at their own discretion. In such cases, nobles who own fiefdoms have some say, but nobles like myself, who do not own a fiefdom, have virtually no say.

Especially when war is involved, as it was this time, there is a fear of being accused of treason simply by ignoring the orders of the higher nobility.

Therefore, the lower nobles are always looking at the higher nobles and trying to replace them if there is an opening. The same is true of Panamera.

"I refuse to risk my life under the orders of fat middle-aged men."

She muttered quietly and looked down at her palms. Although she was on the edge of nobility, her hands seemed to be very calloused as a result of wielding a sword. She clenched those hands into fists and raised them in front of her own face.

"I will rise with my own strength. I will not be a disposable pawn."

As she said this, she raised the edge of her mouth, and the Knight Commander laughed as he let out a gasp.

"I know that your spirit is admirable. But even if Panamera-sama gains territory, the Marquis of Fertio will probably be nearby. It's not a simple matter, is it?"

Having a fiefdom would make me stand out, and the Marquis would most likely be very hard on me since I am a member of Count Ferdinand's faction.

If anything, there is a possibility that I will be put forward in a tough situation in the upcoming battle. It is common sense for nobles to keep the stakes high. The knight commander must be worried about that.

Understanding this, I snorted and replied.

"I'll eventually use you as a leverage. Trust me."

When I smiled at him, the Knight Commander blinked his eyes for a moment, but immediately laughed hysterically.

"Hahaha! That's the thing...from the very beginning, we are the ones who have sworn allegiance to Panamera-sama. Please use us to fulfill that ambition."

"Well said."

I nodded, my smile deepening at the Knight Commander's chic reply.

Now, the battle is on. This battle will determine how far we can rise.

[Count Ferdinand]

"...His Majesty has departed?"

He heard the report and sat up.

"...The next battle is a big one, isn't it? Are you all right?"

My wife says this to me, and I pull my chin back and exhale.

"The next battle is clearly pushing through the opponent's territory, the first invasion in over a decade. The opponent will be on the defensive and will have set traps. On the other hand, the Counts of Ferdinand suffered the greatest losses in the previous battle. We don't have the strength to prepare for the next battle...but we must participate to ensure the survival of the Counts. And with consequences."

When he told her this with a sigh, his wife wrinkled her brow and turned her head down. Then, somewhat embarrassed, she opened her mouth.

I'm sure that Baron Van will be there on the battlefield, right? You said that the Baron's armor is excellent...I was wondering if I could borrow his armor...I have my daughter under his care now..."

My wife said such a thing and I almost yelled at her. However, I stepped back, sensing her thoughts. I took a light, deep breath and calmly opened my mouth.

"...How can a count's family ask for help from a rising nobleman? In the first place, it was not for the alliance that I sent my daughter away. You must not make a mistake in the order."

Having said that, I looked out the window in the direction of the castle town. The town, which had turned red in the evening sun, seemed to have lost some of its vitality. I let out a deep sigh at the sight and clenched my fists.

"My power is not strong enough, and the Count's family is losing momentum...but this battle is a great opportunity."

As he uttered this, his wife lowered her eyebrows and turned her head down.

"...I understand."

I nodded after hearing my wife's reply. It has been a long time since I became the head of the Count's family, but it is shameful and infuriating that I have made my wife so anxious.

This is the time when he must show his power at the risk of his own life.

On the other hand, Van's achievements are still frightening, even though he has just started his own house and has a lot of momentum. The fact that he has the magic to make that many ballistas and mechanical bows is a major factor, but it is his precise use of them that makes his achievements so impressive.

In addition, the fact that he can build a fort in the blink of an eye is another factor that makes him a valuable asset to His Majesty. In the future, if they walk into the territory of Jiernetta Kingdom, the other side will definitely have the advantage. Even if they take Jiernetta Kingdom's forts and fortresses, it is doubtful that they will be able to handle them well.

If they are attacked in the middle of a march, they could suffer a heavy defeat.

"...Likely, Baron Van will have the most significant number of military achievements in the future. Then, we should aim for the second and third merits, but we need to outwit that Marquis Fertio."

He mutters, and then the face of that arrogant man comes to mind, and he is fed up. He has an extremely caustic personality, but also a brilliant tactical eye that dominates the battle with a cool-headedness. Frankly speaking, if the same forces were to challenge him in a field battle, they would lose eight times out of ten.

The only way to outwit the Marquis de Fertio would be to break through the gates of the enemy's stronghold first or to raise the head of the enemy's general class. In that kind of battle, even Van would not be able to participate.

As I was thinking about this, I remembered something my wife had said to me once.

"...Come to think of it, when our land was attacked, I heard that a fearsome knight crushed Jiernetta's army."

When I ask this, my wife nods her head with a serious face.

"Yes, yes...I was unable to see it in person, mercifully, but I heard that two knights in full silver armor from a group carrying the banner of my Count Ferdinand's house cut the army of Jiernetta Kingdom in half..."

"Even as a heroic tale, it sounds like a bad joke. Fighting in heavy full-body armor is no easy task. And even just riding a single horse in the midst of 1,000 knights is a desperate feat, but Jiernetta Kingdom's army was as large as 10,000... I can only guess, but those two knights must not be human."

He exhaled. Then my wife turns her head and her expression darkens as if in penitence.

"...Long ago, Arte once showed me how to manipulate a puppet with magic. At that time, I was angry and irritated that she was apt at the puppet's magic, which is reputed to be a despicable magic..."

He looked sideways at his wife as she bit her lip to hold back tears as she said this, then turned his gaze outside.

"...When I met Baron Van earlier, he gave me a sermon: the wound that was carved in Arte's heart will never fully heal again. But we can do something to heal it, even if only a little. So please listen to Arte."

He mutters, then exhales a long, thin breath.

"Maybe it's too late, but if you want to apologize to Arte as a mother, I can take you to Seat Village sometime."

When he turned around after telling her this, his wife stifled her voice and began to cry.