The Seeds of Conquest
"Ha."
He had fled. Pecigen had no choice but to accept the bitter truth: he had run away from the battlefield.
There was nothing he could have done. Perhaps their defeat had been sealed the moment the mercenaries broke and ran at the very first explosion.
Accompanied by his personal guard, Pecigen had ridden hard all the way back to Grifort Castle. Even now, he felt as if Irene's voice was echoing right behind him, pursuing him.
"M-My Lord..."
The battle had been an utter disaster. The atmosphere was so grim that even his subordinates barely dared to speak.
Yet, they could not remain silent forever. Pecigen was the Lord of Grifort, and it was his duty to make a decision.
"Report the casualties."
"F-Fortunately... the death toll is not high."
"Not high, you say..."
Pecigen let out a heavy sigh.
Of course the death toll wasn't high. The mercenaries and conscripts, who made up the vast majority of Grifort's army, had fled the moment the fighting began.
"What of our elite troops?"
"Most of them... either lost their lives in the battle or were taken prisoner."
Pecigen sighed deeply.
They had died because they did not run. They had died because they obeyed their orders until the very end.
Pecigen had expected as much, but seeing his fears confirmed filled him with a profound sense of misery.
"And the crossbowmen?"
"Their losses were also significant... but thanks to your previous order to prepare spare crossbows, a considerable number of weapons remain in the armory."
"Is that so?"
"If we train the reserve forces well, we should be able to replenish our numbers in no time."
This was hardly good news either. No matter how they tried to sugarcoat it, the reality of their crushing defeat remained unchanged.
"So, very few survived that battlefield."
"Since many fled, the overall numbers are better than those of the elites... but yes, my Lord."
Pecigen sighed again.
He shifted the subject. Even if it was forced, he desperately wanted to find a glimmer of hope.
"What are the enemy's movements?"
"I-It is difficult to gather precise intelligence right now, but... they are moving methodically. It seems they intend to slowly conquer the nearby villages first."
"Tell me more. What are they doing? Looting? Or are they fortifying the surrounding territories? Have they occupied the castles?"
"We cannot be entirely certain, but... they have not made any further advances for now. It appears they are resting their troops."
"Really?"
Only then did a faint smile return to Pecigen's face.
Lucky. If they had pushed their advantage and marched straight here, we would have been in grave danger.
Yet, he couldn't say Edrin had made a mistake.
To wage war in Grifort's territory, one needed a secure supply line. No matter how bizarre Edrin's tactics were, he could not bypass the fundamental rules of warfare.
He has no reinforcements. The strength he showed in the last battle is all he has. If so...
There was still hope. Pecigen let out a sigh of relief.
"Did you find the traitors among the mercenaries?"
"About that... it seems there were no traitors. We are almost certain of it. Even the trustworthy mercenaries we have dealt with frequently fled in large numbers."
"Then does that not mean the enemy prepared that meticulously?"
"No, my Lord. It was... a superstition. The sailors share a superstition regarding colorful explosions."
Pecigen bit his lip.
"Ah, so that was it."
Though he was not a sailor himself, Pecigen possessed a deep understanding of seafaring folk as the Lord of Grifort.
The moment he heard those words, he understood exactly why they had fled.
"But surely there must have been some among the mercenaries with half a brain. Did even they fall for such a foolish superstition?"
"We will... look into that, my Lord."
"Indeed. It is not over yet. Do not lose heart. If we reorganize our lines, we can still win."
The fact of Pecigen's defeat remained. However, it was not a fatal blow that would force him to surrender all his lands and step down as lord.
He still had a chance.
"If you have nothing, you should have run..."
If Edrin had simply plundered Grifort and fled, Pecigen would have had to watch helplessly.
He had neither the time to stop Edrin's army from looting nor the strength to pursue them as they retreated.
But since Edrin chose to keep fighting, since he wanted more, Pecigen still had room to turn the tide.
The Lord of Grifort clenched his fists.
"Looting will not be tolerated. Spare those who surrender, and keep the soldiers under tight control. Make sure they understand clearly that this fight is far from over."
It was a monumental victory. It was the kind of triumph that could easily make soldiers complacent, letting their guard down in celebration.
But whatever others might do, I could not afford to get drunk on this success.
Pecigen won't give up after a single defeat.
If I only wanted money, I could have withdrawn after securing this victory.
Even if he had the strength to fight, a direct confrontation would be a massive burden for Pecigen.
If he could send me away with a few gold coins, he would gladly do so.
But I had no intention of settling for that.
I hadn't attacked Grifort just to make a quick profit.
I was going to take all of their territory. I would seize the very foundation of their wealth.
To achieve that, I needed to prepare meticulously starting now.
"I will keep a tight rein on the soldiers. However, this will inevitably place a heavier burden on those in charge of supplies," Selen replied with a troubled expression.
In this era, plundering the local populace was widely accepted as a necessity of war.
Expeditions consumed vast amounts of gold and supplies, and few lords were willing to bear that entire cost themselves.
"Of course, I understand the nobility of your decision... but realistically, we must verify if this is an expense we can actually afford."
Selen's point was valid. We were currently in the heart of enemy territory, and it was obvious that the enemy would regroup if we dragged our feet.
Since we couldn't march straight into Grifort Castle right away, it would normally make sense to ease our supply burden through looting.
But I could not choose the easy path.
This is land I must conquer and rule.
Pillaging and arson were the perfect ways to incur the wrath of the locals.
Just as the citizens of Arcteria had burned with rage at the Grifort mercenaries' pillaging, the people here would grow to hate Arcteria if my army began to plunder them.
If my plan was to crush and oppress them forever, I might have considered it. But that was not my goal.
I did not possess a reputation like Eleonor's, which could make people who had never even seen her follow her. Nor did I possess the overwhelming martial might of Valerian to suppress all opposition.
"If it is a problem that can be solved with gold, I do not care how much it costs."
I could always pay it back later. Once I completely occupied Grifort, I wouldn't have to worry about debts to merchants.
"If it is a problem that cannot be solved with gold, then looting may only proceed under my direct permission and strict supervision. I will absolutely not allow soldiers to enter civilian homes on their own."
"I will do as you command."
The way they looked at me had changed. The victory we had just won seemed to have wrought a significant shift in their hearts.
The special magic bombs crafted by Roselyn had yielded incredible results. It was an invaluable victory.
As long as they trusted me and followed my lead, we would have no trouble winning the battles to come.
"For now, focus on stabilizing the area and securing our supply lines. Irene, I am leaving this task to you."
"...Me?"
"Yes. I have other matters to attend to."
Roselyn's magic bombs were certainly powerful, but they were ultimately a trick. I knew exactly why the mercenaries had fled upon seeing those explosions.
Now, I had to turn that illusion into reality.
"I plan to tour the occupied territories with a minimal escort."
"...That is too dangerous."
Irene stared at me, her eyes filled with concern.
"Brother, could you please realize just how many lives rest upon your shoulders?"
"I know. I have it under control. I have no intention of wandering into unsecured areas, nor do I plan to scout the enemy forces myself."
I hadn't attacked Grifort simply because I coveted the gold generated by the territory or its strategic coastal location.
Something far more important lay dormant in this land. Something vast and grand, transcending human knowledge in a completely different way from Roselyn's research.
"I am only doing what must be done to secure our victory. I ask that you trust me, just as you have until now."
Irene let out a dry laugh. Selen nodded. The other knights showed no signs of mockery or reluctance to follow my orders.
"Let us win. Without fail."
And I had a duty to live up to their expectations.
I had to make the contract a success.