Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Reinforcements
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The city that was once the baron's domain.
Now one of the territories under the marquisate, today too I patrolled the streets.
"Duke, sir! It's another fine day today!"
"Mm."
"Your Excellency Duke, the fish we caught today are so good that we've set some aside for the knights to eat. May we bring them to the outpost?"
"Take them there."
"Oh no, you mustn't. We'll handle carrying smelly crates like this."
Despite the fishmonger's protests, Duke stored the crate overflowing with fish into his subspace pocket.
Straightening up after bending to stow the crate, the massive knight spoke.
"When the people's sentiments weigh so heavily, how could a knight refuse to bear that burden? I'll make sure to pass it on to my men."
I turned my back on the shopkeeper, who gazed at me with an impressed expression, and continued my patrol.
The admiring stares from behind.
Definitely worth striking the pose.
- "Kyaa! He made eye contact with me!"
- "Please show us you swinging your sword, even just once!"
- "Duke, sir! Trample me as you pass!"
For some reason, the reactions seemed even more intense than back in the marquisate, but this wasn't bad at all.
On the contrary, it was great.
They had to react like this for the posing to pay off.
Of course, the baron's citizens hadn't been this friendly toward me from the start.
Whatever the baron had propagandized to his subjects, they were too busy begging for their lives with tears and snot whenever they met my eyes.
Especially on the day we occupied the capital and held the victory parade, recalling how they prostrated themselves on the roadside pleading for mercy—it seemed the baron had done a fine job with the incitement.
So I used the children.
People naturally see those who are kind to children as good people.
Thus, I saved a child nearly hit by a drunken carriage driver and escorted them home, putting on a charming gap moe display of gentleness,
(And threw the driver and carriage into the river.)
and built an orphanage for war orphans to care for them.
(I got Remesis to pull orphanage director duty.)
Thanks to these efforts, a month after the occupation, the citizens were now approaching first just to touch the hem of my clothes.
"Gasp...! It's sunlight from him!"
Occasionally, weirdos tried to collect(?) the light reflecting off my helmet, but this was uncivilized medieval times, so unavoidable.
In any case, the baron's territory had been successfully conquered.
It was safe to say no more nonsense about independence would arise.
To prepare for leaving the city, I visited the orphanage.
It seemed well-run; the children were so clean and chubby it was hard to believe they were orphans.
"Wow! Knight, sir! Can I touch your cape?"
"Sorry, the cape's dirty right now."
Patrolling slums left it filthy.
Not suitable for kids to touch.
Instead, I let them grab my sleeve and was led to the warehouse where Remesis was.
There, I found Remesis tsundere-ing at the kids while organizing the warehouse.
Clearly a gloomy returnee, yet with an apron and mask, she looked utterly out of place.
I approached the cleaning fairy Remesis and made my presence known.
"Remesis."
"Ah, it's the boss."
Remesis looked my way.
Her face said she had no idea why she was here and just wanted a cigarette already.
But she wasn't smoking around the kids for their sake.
"Time already?"
"Yeah."
"I've got a separate director lined up, so we'll hand it off to them."
Remesis untied her apron and prepared to leave.
"Waaah! Director, don't go! I'll be good from now on! No more whining about side dishes..."
"Haa... Didn't I tell you kids? I'm just a temp."
"This is why I hate kids, boss."
After a month of tsundere-ing at them, even leaving the orphanage was a chore for her.
Thus, bidding a tearful farewell, we headed back to Rex's capital.
On the way with Remesis, we discussed the current war situation.
"It's been a month since the royals declared war. Fortunately, the other fronts are responding smoothly."
After the royals branded our territory traitorous, fronts formed in the southwest, south, and north.
(The east is Sneria's territory, no invasion there.)
Thankfully, the other company commanders dispatched to those fronts were achieving victories even against barons.
This was due more to Rex's command than their strength.
'He held three fronts alone in the original without company commanders, after all.'
Rex's true value shone in large-scale wars, not one-on-one.
In this world without proper communication, real-time command alone gave overwhelming strategic superiority,
and the commander was a veteran from a millennium-advanced civilization.
Knight vs. knight might differ, but army vs. army, Rex had the edge.
In the original it was like that; now with better knights and soldiers, even more so.
"Somehow the defense war turned into a conquest."
Remesis admired the expanded map.
We'd planned for survival defense, but now we were the ones advancing.
- "War! War forever!"
- "My life to the Providence dynasty!"
With victory reports and low casualties, enlistment rates skyrocketed everywhere.
Follow Rex's commands well, and only idiots die—total victories.
My battles featured heavily in the propaganda.
"Haa... Thousands want to ride with you on the hobby horse. Do they think war's child's play? And logically, why fall for the same tactic twice..."
Remesis sighed in a deflated tone just hearing it.
Her "hobby horse" referred to the strategy that took the baron's fortress.
The Trojan horse that comes to mind.
I could've just breached the fortress, but Rex wanted it intact.
- "A fortress built with imperial-era lost tech? High research value."
Due to his [Fortress Research Success Rate] ability.
So we did the isekai Trojan horse.
Pretend defeat, leave a giant statue; vain baron drags it in.
Knights hidden inside emerge at night and strike.
In the original, it went smoothly; a rank-3 senior knight beheaded the baron.
Even rank-5 can't fight with a stake in the heart while asleep.
But here, the baron's reaction differed.
- "Take it? That thing?"
He suspected our retreat, so too lazy to scheme, I forced it.
- "This is a symbol of peace. While this horse stands in your domain, you won't invade this land again. In return, we won't invade while it's there."
Overwhelmed by killing intent, he tearfully hauled it in.
That evening, Remesis emerged and slit his throat.
Didn't we say no invasion while the horse remains?
So she smashed the horse.
Peace symbol destroyed—now we have cause to invade.
'If it's unfair, become the winner.'
History is written by victors.
The historian follows Rex, not me, so they believe my version.
Thus, I adapted the original flow into the tale...
- "With Lord Rex's wisdom and Duke's might together, no one dies, and we claim victory's glory!"
Spread thus across the territory.
Only 15 total knight and soldier deaths during occupation—enlistment boomed.
One propaganda highlight:
- [50 Knights Defeat 250 Enemy Troops: The Invincible Honor Guard.]
True story.
During cleanup of baron's remnants post-fortress.
Not Rex's genius command; I botched power control, bisected their leader—morale crashed, one-sided win.
Good is good; I enjoyed the propaganda.
'Heh. At this rate, can't I call myself 0.5 Yi Sun-sin?'
Not comparable, but 0.5 maybe...
Yeah, no. Who do I think I am.
Anyway, enlistment rates soared.
Any able-bodied man not enlisting got castrated stares—macho atmosphere.
Occupy enemy land, bestow Rex's grace, inject knight buffs a few times...
- "The battlefield awaits us!"
Conquest bred more soldiers like a bug.
Rex, hating macho and heroism, tried reining it in, but couldn't.
Thus, berserker units fearless of death formed, beyond original.
Our territory sailed smoothly despite royal enmity.
But not all good news.
"All three fronts smooth. Per Rex, truce in a fortnight."
Even wanting our annihilation, winter halts inter-territory wars.
It's for livelihood; winter campaigning too harsh.
Unable to win easily, truce talks for rest.
Thus, winter breather.
But...
"Our territory yes, but not Sneria's."
Didn't apply to a domain on invasion's brink.
Fruit nearly ripe—abandon for winter?
No, intensify assault to prevent regroup.
Sneria's situation dire, unlike ours.
In the carriage, amid Remesis's briefing, I worriedly asked.
"How are Peter and Sneria's lord?"
"Peter the swordsman is infamous up north. Sliced 10,000 in a valley, they say."
The old man blocked the north front alone, eating and sleeping in the valley.
True to ex-duke fame, solo against armies.
Three northern lords he held off—pure force show.
But war isn't individual.
Specifically, defensive war isn't.
Superhumans matter assuming personal victory.
To protect citizens, avoid devastation, shelter conquered innocents—superhuman limits clear.
Then quantity and command for front maintenance matter alongside quality.
Same for Sneria.
Old man holds north; east and south empty.
(West is ours.)
Normal lord would've abandoned east/south.
They don't care about citizen deaths or production drops.
Surrender flesh, push north.
But she couldn't.
She sat as lord to protect people.
Thus, guarded other directions personally.
Knowing this, royals and neighbors ignored Peter, invaded her.
Old man's strong—so what?
Sneria's lord has much to protect.
Send army north, hit east/south.
Frankly, I like her, but she was too naive.
Couldn't blame her though.
Hostility everywhere, doom marching—without hope circuits, sanity crumbles.
Her narrowed view partly situational.
'Led to that tragedy in original too.'
Peter was by her side there too.
Old man north; she and retainers east/south.
But insufficient power...
'Had to break taboo.'
Recalling soured my mood.
Noticing, Remesis cautiously said,
"So Lord Rex wants to send reinforcements this winter, but..."
Back to reality.
Yeah, this world differs.
Original Rex couldn't due to his own issues.
Now we had excess; defense became conquest long ago.
Allies need reinforcements?
I composed myself and replied.
"How many reinforcements?"
.
.
.
Meanwhile, Sneria's eastern front.
Soldiers and knights bled to hold it.
South had the lord fighting personally, but lacking superhumans for east, they fed men into it.
Yet the front held.
Thanks to citizens voluntarily sacrificing for family and land.
- "Has to be here. Has to be our lord."
- "Even if I die, she'll care for my family."
Normal citizens indifferent to lord changes.
Just one bastard swaps for another.
But Sneria's, knowing other domains, differed.
Lord change turns paradise to hell.
Thus, they took arms.
Rather than surrender, charged death.
Couldn't fight? Venomous acts to spite foes.
Invaders' momentum stalled.
- "Devils live in that domain."
- "Don't say it. Some whore poisoned booze, died with officers."
Front held.
Slow retreat, but not routed despite power gap.
Winter hit eastern front; Sneria camp grew heavier.
Short food, barely feeding troops, outlook pure despair.
This cold winter meant worse hell.
Yet they took weapons today.
To block vile invaders.
Then, a letter arrived for the senior knight commanding east.
"Reinforcements! From Providence!"
Officers jumped up beaming.
"When?"
"No, how many first?"
Commander bid wait, read letter.
Face darkened like chewing bitterness.
"Captain?"
"...One."
"Pardon?"
Mood plummeted.
One.
Implication clear.
"Damn, shouldn't trust alliances."
"Yeah, let 'em eat well alone."
Officers slumped defeated.
Commander crumpled innocent letter in dismay.
Then recalled overlooked fact.
"Perhaps..."
Before finishing, wall sentry rang alarm wildly.
"Enemy attack!"
"To positions!"
Reflex shout before voicing thought.
How strong is one reinforcement?
Irrelevant if front falls first.
Commander climbed wall, eyed invaders.
Maybe 1,000 at glance.
Quickly prepped siege defense.
His eyes caught a robed giant atop wall.
Unfamiliar, new mercenary? Then giant approached.
"Halt! State your affil—"
Ignoring spearmen guarding commander, giant shed robe.
Revealed helmet and uniform.
Commander's eyes bulged.
"You...!"
"What's wrong?"
Others clueless.
But commander, Sneria's close aide, met him once.
Not just met—rolled to survive his sword.
Thus, couldn't hide joy.
His body remembered that sole reinforcement's might.
"My lord!"
"Here to end this war."
"Understood. Summon knights immediat—"
"No."
The giant, Duke, turned from commander to wall edge.
"I'm enough alone."
With that, he leaped from the wall.