The Storm Arrives
Imperial Year 550, November 11th. Andeln led an expeditionary force of thirty thousand into Clozel von Kruzenstein's territory.
From the south, Leona von Kruzenstein was pressing in. From the north, Andeln von Setia was pressing in. Clozel stood in a crisis as precarious as a candle flame in the wind.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere among our forces was festive. An unspoken sense that victory was already assured hung in the air.
It was hardly surprising. The enemy's total numbers did not even reach fifteen thousand, and half of those would be tied up holding the south — meaning our side only needed to face seven or eight thousand.
Crushing eight thousand with thirty thousand. It would be easier than twisting a child's wrist.
That was what everyone thought. At least, until the moment they marched out.
"Any house that wishes to take the vanguard, speak now."
"My lord! House Giesel can take the vanguard!"
"No! House Endia is the one!"
At Andeln's single word, the heads of the Four Great Houses raised their voices in competition. The vanguard of an unfavorable battle was a role of guaranteed heavy casualties — but the vanguard of a favorable battle promised great military merit.
And right now, this was a favorable fight. That everyone wanted the vanguard was only natural. However…
"House Meyer is quiet. Do you lack the confidence to take the vanguard?"
"I have the confidence."
"Then why don't you step forward?"
"Because the time when I am needed has not yet come."
Andeln wore a puzzled expression.
"Is that so? Then I won't force the role on someone who refuses it. Endia, Giesel, Ost, Flea."
Andeln called the heads of the Four Great Houses.
"Yes!"
"You will take the vanguard in rotation."
"Yes!"
"House Meyer and House Ignati will jointly handle rear supply."
"Yes."
"Yes!"
"The importance of each role may differ, but no one has been assigned an unimportant duty. Carry them out thoroughly."
"Yes!"
"Dismissed."
At those words, each man moved toward the post he had been assigned.
"Sir Meyer, I am Adelheid von Ignati, assigned as your supply assistant."
"Ah, so you're…"
The one who had spoken was a beauty of refined appearance, her long pale-blue hair tied behind her back. Adelheid von Ignati.
I knew her well. Of course I did — within Story Mode, she ranked among the most famous figures in the entire cast.
Leadership 87, Might 77, Intellect 89, Politics 99 — a general of truly outstanding ability.
Every stat except Might exceeded 85. Her Politics score was even the second-highest in the entire setting. Of course, she was still young, so her current stats might be lower than the ones I knew — but given her future, cultivating a good relationship with her was well worth the effort.
"You are my lord's maternal cousin, correct?"
"Yes. I have no particular personal connection to Lord Andeln, but by the family register alone, I am his maternal cousin."
In other words, she was Andeln's maternal relative. The reason someone of that standing was stuck doing grunt work alongside me was simple: the entire House of Ignati had been cast adrift.
Ignati had originally been the house of Henrik's liege lord. After marrying an Ignati princess, however, Henrik had raised a rebellion and toppled the house. This woman was the daughter of that princess's older brother.
Which meant Ignati was the original rightful owner of the Duchy of Setia — and was in a position to claim legitimacy over the duchy at any time.
Given that situation, the remaining remnants of Ignati found advancement even harder. Eyes watching for any sign of rebellion clung to them wherever they went. That was why Andeln had not sent Ignati to the vanguard, but had instead assigned her as my assistant.
"Lady Ignati."
"Yes, Sir Meyer."
"Neither of us is going to make our fortunes in this battle, are we?"
I said something I didn't mean, trying to build a sense of shared fate and draw closer to her. She gave a short laugh.
"No. It seems not."
I smiled too. But from the perspective of someone who knew the future, both of us would rise. We would come to rule territories vast beyond any comparison to the Duchy of Setia.
Two cast-off remnants looked at each other and smiled. Our time had simply not yet come.
There wasn't much for the supply corps to do in this battle.
If the terrain had been rough, or the supply lines unstable, or the enemy actively trying to cut them, supply work would have been busy. But that was the story of an even fight. The enemy had shut themselves inside their castles and done nothing, and our supply lines were utterly clean.
Supply under these conditions was safe. And with a capable officer whose Intellect and Politics both sat in the nineties helping me, I had almost nothing to do.
"Quiet around here."
At that, Lady Ignati, who had been working busily, stopped and asked:
"Do you dislike a quiet landscape?"
"No. I like it."
"That's a relief. I was wondering whether I should assign you more work."
No — having a deputy do everything while I coasted was perfect.
"I'm satisfied with the current situation. Only…"
"Only?"
"It's always quiet before a typhoon."
"A typhoon…?"
"Yes. A typhoon."
As I saw it, a storm was coming soon.
One week later.
It arrived — the storm.
Clemens de Balboa, a general under Leona's faction, a warrior straddling the line between A+ and S-rank.
A bit hot-tempered and short on deep thought, but purely in terms of battlefield command ability, he would not look out of place among the S-ranks. A man who was simply phenomenal at war. In Romance of the Three Kingdoms terms, roughly Zhang Fei from the novel?
That man had led five thousand troops up a mountain and made camp.
Looking at them entrenched on the mountain, our forces could neither advance for fear of their supply lines being cut, nor retreat — and so could only fret and fidget.
"What's there to worry about? Let's just crush them!"
That was House Giesel's opinion among the Four Great Houses.
"The enemy is a mere five thousand! Even if they're camped on a mountain, numbers will overwhelm them!"
This, too, was the opinion of one of the Four Great House lords.
But Andeln said this:
"It isn't those five thousand I fear."
"Then…?"
"Through our alliance with Leona, our forces are to take Clozel's north while Leona takes the southern castles. At present, of Clozel's thirty-two castles, we have taken only eight. We still need to take eight more — but if we wipe out those five thousand, doesn't that break the agreement with Leona?"
"…"
"…"
After a stretch of silence.
"…In that case."
Louis de Giesel, head of House Giesel, stepped forward.
"I will go settle the matter myself."
So saying, Louis de Giesel took only a handful of escort knights and approached Clemens de Balboa, camped on the mountain.
"Listen here! Clemens de Balboa — I understand you are a general under Lady Leona von Kruzenstein. Why, then, do you block our army's path?"
At Giesel's question, a sturdy man with a thick bushy beard and the look of a mountain bandit bellowed in a voice that shook the air.
"I don't know either!"
"What?"
"My lord ordered me to be here, and so I am! No one passes this place! Anyone who tries will all be killed!"
"…But your lord and our lord have signed an agreement!"
"I know nothing of that! I only follow orders!"
Words were useless. Giesel had no choice but to return.
"My lord, there was no reasoning with him at all. He said anyone who passes this place will be killed."
"Damn it all — is Leona planning to break the agreement…"
Watching Andeln wrestle with the problem, I let out a sigh. Henrik would have known from the start that such an agreement was nothing more than a scrap of paper. In peaceful times, perhaps — but this was an age of chaos. And in an age of chaos, what ultimately mattered was power. Leona understood that perfectly well.
"So she has broken the promise that each side would take sixteen castles…"
"My lord! We have been betrayed!"
"…Crush them."
The Four Great Houses spoke in turn. Andeln deliberated for more than ten minutes, then nodded with difficulty.
The battle began. Our forces led all thirty thousand troops toward the enemy's five thousand on the mountain.
In that short time, Clemens de Balboa had raised a temporary fortress on the mountain and was holding it under siege defense.
"Whoa…"
"Wow…"
The generals of the Four Great Houses seemed not to grasp how remarkable that temporary fortress was — but Ignati and I stood side by side, astonished.
Building a fortress in so short a time was impossible without elite troops of the highest caliber. It required a professional engineering corps, and raising one in this era was an extremely difficult undertaking.
"Leona's army is impressive."
"There's a reason they defeated an enemy twice their size."
Leona's six thousand had easily annihilated Clozel's fourteen thousand. That overwhelming victory had been no accident.
"All forces!"
Andeln shouted. Silence fell on every side.
"Charge!"
In that instant, a thunderous war cry erupted from all directions, and the great army of thirty thousand surged toward Leona's five thousand.
Among them were Meyer's two thousand as well.