The Flames of War, Part 4
I had set out on a long journey, but before I could even properly organize my thoughts, I ran into an obstacle.
It was the kind of obstacle that inevitably appeared on mountain paths in lawless regions—as persistent and annoying as mosquitoes.
"Think about it. If Eleonor comes here, wouldn't that give her a pretty convincing pretext?"
I was exhausted. I felt like screaming, wondering why I had to deal with this nonsense.
"T-that's...!"
Seeing the bandits trembling before me gave me a small sense of satisfaction, but it wasn't enough. In the first place, just having to exchange words with these brigands was deeply unpleasant.
"I heard Countess Eleonor's army thoroughly exterminates every bandit in their path..."
"They say they find hideouts as if guided by ghosts, no matter how well they're hidden. Apparently, they have rangers assigned to every unit who don't miss a single trace..."
I nodded slowly.
"Indeed. I am moving to prevent Eleonor's army from setting foot on this land. If I were to meet a mysterious death here, she would proceed exactly as planned."
"T-then at least leave the goods behind! You can at least leave the women and the treasure!"
"Please, if you have a brain, use it to think. Though I suppose if you had one, you wouldn't be bandits in the first place..."
I shook my head, placing my faith in my Charm.
With the meager Wisdom stats of ordinary bandits, there was no way they could withstand the sheer pressure radiating from my Charm. It was perfectly fine to act a little arrogant.
"These are basic, rudimentary gifts. When two lords meet, one cannot simply show up empty-handed and say, 'I have an urgent matter, so please meet with me.'"
"B-but that treasure was squeezed from our blood and sweat! Surely you can spare a little of it for us?"
"The inventory of these gifts is already written in a document signed by both Irene and myself! I cannot forge the document now, nor can I present gifts half-plundered by bandits to Eleonor."
"Ugh..."
"Consider this your warning. If you want to live, leave this territory. It will be better for you."
"Damn it!"
The bandit leader spat out a curse, his face twisted in frustration, before retreating into the depths of the mountain with his men.
"Sigh."
What a waste of precious time. Even if I traveled at breakneck speed, the window to meet both Eleonor and Valerian was incredibly tight.
The moment the forces of Arcteria and Valerian clashed even once, a deep rift would form between the two armies. Grudges would take root.
Valerian's army would demand blood for blood, while Arcteria's forces would refuse to negotiate a truce with Valerian's men, who had undoubtedly pillaged and burned their way through the land.
At a time when every second counted, those bandits had forced me to waste precious moments.
"Y-you are... truly incredible."
Selen stared at me, her eyes wide with astonishment.
She was still Irene's most trusted knight. Possessing both political acumen and martial skill, she was the perfect choice to keep an eye on me.
Furthermore, she was one of the knights connected to the vassal faction. For Irene, who was planning a massive purge against them, Selen's presence would inevitably become an obstacle, regardless of Selen's own intentions.
If the nobles Selen had known since childhood began begging her to stop Irene, it could fracture the solid trust between the two.
"Just like when you turned back those knights before, you chased away bandits with nothing but a few words."
"It was nothing special. Let's keep moving."
The carriage rattled back to life. Sitting across from me, Selen suddenly looked down, flushed with embarrassment.
"And... I apologize. We should have handled those petty bandits ourselves."
"It's not as if we would have lost a fight. It would have just been a waste of time. Besides, I was the one who insisted on keeping the escort to a minimum."
Speed was of the essence. To cover a long distance quickly, we had to minimize our entourage.
The number of soldiers escorting me was laughably small for a lord. There were no hairdressers, chefs, butlers, or concubines that typically accompanied a noble on the move. The only non-combatants were my maid, Serena, and myself.
"But..."
"Forget it."
We would have won. But if our forces had looked truly formidable, the bandits wouldn't have dared to target this carriage in the first place.
Composed of several skilled knights and even a mage, my escort was highly capable. However, engaging in combat in a place like this was a net loss.
This world didn't have a system for experience points; killing enemies wouldn't level up the knights. No matter how strong our forces were, a clash with a large group of bandits would inevitably result in injuries or deaths among the porters and ordinary soldiers.
Furthermore, it would consume time. Although talking the bandits down took some effort, it was still faster than fighting them off.
"Without even a proper succession ceremony, all for the peace of the territory..."
The look Selen gave me was starting to border on dangerous. It was becoming increasingly unclear whether she was Irene's knight or mine.
"I never intended to drag out the succession ceremony anyway. This is more than enough."
To hold a formal succession ceremony as lord, I would first have to gather people.
I would have to invite neighboring lords and royal envoys, wait for their arrival, and prepare grand banquets and accommodations for their stay.
If I wasted time preparing all that in this critical situation, the uninvited guests at my ceremony would be Valerian's army, clad in their Black Armor.
"I will gladly lay down my life to see your noble will done, Count Edrin."
I wondered if she really needed to go that far, but I saw no reason to rain on her parade when she was so eager to prove herself.
"Keep your guard up. The closer we get to Countess Eleonor's territory, the more dangerous the road will become."
"Why is that, my lord?"
I let out a soft chuckle and explained the reason to Selen.
I explained the nature of Eleonor—a character who, in the game, would infuriate players for no logical reason.
"Countess Eleonor cares deeply about the lives of the common people."
"I heard she was once an adventurer."
"Yes. She often takes action herself, and even in times of peace, she constantly deploys her troops to subjugate bandits and hunt monsters."
The level of control Eleonor and her allied territories maintained was staggering, though in a completely different way from Valerian.
While Valerian dominated her territory through a rigid system of control, espionage, and military might, Eleonor won the hearts of her people in a much more primal, hands-on manner.
"The nightmare of bandits, the bane of monsters. That is Eleonor."
The bandits I had just persuaded might have been influenced by my Charm, but ultimately, they fled and let me pass out of sheer terror at the mention of Eleonor's arrival.
Eleonor punished corruption so severely and lived so righteously that other lords often wondered if she was taking things too far.
Naturally, man-eating monsters and bandits who preyed on merchants were pushed to the outer borders. The entire ecosystem of the region had shifted.
"I see..."
A few hours passed.
The carriage pressed onward without rest, finally arriving at the destination we had marked for the day.
"I apologize, my lord. I wanted to ensure you had a comfortable rest tonight, but..."
Selen grimaced, clearly sensing something amiss.
"No, this is fine. I figured it was about time. What is it?"
"It appears to be a pack of hellhounds. There don't seem to be any other demons nearby; it looks like a stray pack of monsters traveling together."
"We can handle them, right?"
"Of course, my lord."
Humans were easy to deal with. In most situations, they were willing to exchange a word or two.
Monsters, however, were a different story. While my transcendent Charm wasn't strictly limited to humans, beasts and monsters were far more likely to view me as nothing but a prime slab of meat.
Even if a piece of meat looked appealing, it would only look like a top-grade steak. It would only intensify their urge to devour me, doing nothing to aid in negotiations or peaceful resolutions.
There was no avoiding it. We had to fight.
"Prioritize your safety and minimize casualties. If necessary, abandon the supplies."
"Understood."
"We traveled here with a skeleton crew. If we take casualties now, getting to Eleonor's territory—and returning—will become a problem. Do you understand?"
"I will keep that in mind."
By now, the foul, sulfurous stench of the hellhounds was thick enough for even my ordinary sense of smell to detect.
"Good luck. Go."
"By your command!"
Leaping out of the carriage, Selen immediately began directing the soldiers. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do at the moment.
I really need to raise my combat stats at some point...
When it came to war and direct combat, physical might was undoubtedly the most useful stat. However, there were ways to convert other stats into combat power depending on the circumstances.
For now, all I can do is wait.
Battle cries echoed from outside. Just as they were risking their lives to fight, I had to risk mine to do what needed to be done.
I had to bend Eleonor to my will.