The Generous Lord (3)
The Generous Lord (3)
"Luna-nim! We've spotted 10 Ancient Tree Monsters!!"
"Good. Evacuate another village."
"Yes!"
Without Luna even needing to provide support with Wind Spells, the machete-wielding knights easily sliced apart the 10 Ancient Tree Monsters.
Luna, having calmed the panicked villagers, naturally merged them into the evacuation procession.
Watching the villagers frantically packing their belongings, Luna grinned smugly.
"Anyway, so the rear is no longer safe now."
As long as the North holds the line, the rear has no problems.
That absolute faith had been shattered to pieces.
"The Noble Council bastards are probably deluding themselves, thinking they can control the North as long as they grip the logistics and supply lines."
"Ainshuvan has no need for central support whatsoever. Because we have the Marshall family."
When would the Noble Council come to realize that fact?
If they knew the Marshall family's supply capabilities, would they even be able to believe it?
Luna was immensely satisfied with the typhoon now sweeping across the entire kingdom.
***
As the prospective husbands each held their young lady and dashed to the battlefield, the young ladies cradled in their arms were terrified.
"Why are you taking us there?"
"Because you have to be in the safest place!"
"What? The safest place?"
"Because, the safest place is right beside us!"
The shout filled with unwavering conviction resonated deeply in the young ladies' hearts.
And the young ladies were now seeing with their own eyes what 'the safest place' truly meant.
The young knights, each seemingly fighting wildly, entrusted their backs and swords to one another while maintaining the defensive line.
Mana-infused machetes mercilessly slashed through the branches and roots of the Ancient Trees.
The knights, as if they never tired, dispatched the Ancient Trees with tremendous speed and agility.
"Th-they're so fast. And they aren't getting tired at all."
"Each and every one is an elite like that... The North truly is an incredible place."
The young ladies had encountered knights through their fathers, oppas, and younger brothers.
But the movements the Northern knights were displaying now far transcended the young ladies' experiences.
"This place, where they are, truly was the safest place after all."
The battle, which had been almost rapturous, finally came to an end.
Not a single Ancient Tree Monster could be seen standing intact.
The young ladies smiled brightly, each running to her husband and embracing him.
"You're so cool! You're the best!"
"That was truly incredible!"
Without caring about their dirtied bodies, they all shared deep expressions of affection.
However, not all lovers were happy.
One young lady, clinging to her fallen husband whose arms and legs had been severed, was sobbing uncontrollably.
"What do I do... Someone, someone please save my husband! Please!"
"Step aside. I shall use Healing Grace."
"Healing Grace? B-but, how can he endure that pain with such a major injury? He'll die!"
With such massive amputation injuries, common sense dictates giving up on healing and stopping the bleeding.
One chooses life even if it means permanent disability, fearing death from shock.
But the priest shook his head.
"The mental fortitude and endurance of the Northern Wolves are steadfast. With those two, any pain can be withstood."
The priest inserted mental fortitude and endurance into the mouth of the knight who was gasping from injury and blood loss.
It was a Fentanyl Kit.
Confirming the drug had properly taken effect, the priest immediately focused his mind.
"A healing touch upon the dying lamb."
Hwaaak.
Light rose and the wounds began to heal.
The young lady wept and prayed that her husband would not die of shock from the pain of healing.
And under the priest's pressuring gaze telling him to 'take the hint,' the injured knight quickly let out a 'cool, restrained groan of agony.'
"Keu, keu-euk... I can endure it! I am! A wolf of the North!"
"You! Hold on! Just a little more! Please, just a little more!"
And so, the healing was complete.
The young knight, fully recovered, embraced his tear-drenched young lady and shared the emotion.
"My lady, this is the mental fortitude of the Northern knights."
The priest solemnly punctuated the moment.
And.
"..."
Far away, there were Anbelrum knights staring blankly in shock.
"How can they... Th-the combat power and mental fortitude of the Northern knights are at that level?"
"Every one of them is above Sword Expert level. How did they raise such knights when food should be scarce?"
"To survive the pain of healing a severed limb...!"
To their eyes, unaware of the Mandrake Latent Power Activation, it was sheer shock itself.
A knight is a calorie-devouring combat machine.
To use them properly, they must be fed well regularly. That reserved stamina is clearly revealed in battle.
"However, what is truly astonishing is their combat endurance."
The knight commander, his face pale, whispered his report to Elenoa.
"While our Anbelrum knights fought at full strength and repeated cycles of briefly pulling back to replenish stamina, they never stopped once."
"...Does that mean they didn't exert all their strength?"
"Yes, they were fighting leisurely. The time one can fight at full power while maintaining a Mana Sword is not long."
One secret the Anbelrum knights did not know.
The Northern Army fought while obtaining calories their cells could use immediately upon consumption through Glucose Biscuits.
Second secret.
The superior durability of the machete makes maintaining a Mana/Aura Sword comfortable.
To prevent blade breakage during combat, a knight must operate their mana carefully.
If mishandled, the injected mana shatters the sword.
The concentration consumed and the accumulated combat fatigue from this are considerable.
But the machete, even with mana injected recklessly, does not push metal fatigue anywhere near its critical point.
Therefore, one can swing the sword much more comfortably.
"Those are... the Wolves of the North raised by Count Balckenhardt..."
"If those men were to turn their swords..."
And the third secret.
Though the food situation in Count Anbelrum's territory was said to be abundant, it fell far short of the Ainshuvan Army mess hall, which unlimitedly distributed improved grain varieties from modern Earth.
Knights and soldiers who fill up on calories to their heart's content train their bodies daily through 'Mana Weight Training' and 'Mana Sword Training.'
A dimensionally different level of daily training.
The tough machete that reduces combat fatigue, the Glucose Biscuit instantly converted into calories.
Even the combat power explosively unleashed by the Mandrake Root.
With all these layers combined, to the eyes of the central knights, they could only appear as an army of warrior gods.
***
I comfortably rode the Palanquin Official Residence down to the northern bank of the Dwein River.
When bored, I enjoyed the scenery with Hildea and Rebecca from the pyramid-top observatory.
I had been a bit reluctant to grill Samgyeopsal because I was conscious of the soldiers watching.
"Piel, why care about your subordinates' eyes? Did you embezzle public supplies? No, right?"
"There is absolutely no need to mind your subordinates when using your private property. There is no weak soldier in my unit who would be jealous over that."
So we held a Samgyeopsal party every day at the rooftop observatory of the official residence.
Of course, I still had a conscience, so I separately distributed charcoal-grilled skewers to the soldiers.
Then everyone would cheer with delight.
At first, I thought the residence staff numbered in the hundreds, but it turned out they far exceeded a thousand.
'Still, they're all really strong. I wonder what the big three lifts are for mana muscles? They'd probably start by adding a zero, right?'
Far away, I could see the refugees gathered on the riverbank.
I felt a little nervous, since it was my first face-to-face meeting with the territory residents.
Come to think of it, I hadn't met the original residents of the western territory either.
Right now, Head Butler Andrea was managing my territory from the Count's Castle, but I should show my face once the Elf Legion subjugation is finished.
"Piel, let's change clothes."
"Huh?"
"First impressions are important. A lord who is merely a Lieutenant Colonel might disappoint them."
"Alright, alright, let's take off the rank insignia for now."
It made sense, so I agreed.
This time too, I changed into new clothes that Rebecca had secretly prepared.
A design that was flowing, the pinnacle of splendor, looking like something a wealthy, lazy noble who greatly loves debauchery would wear.
"Uh, hmm. The clothes are a bit excessive."
"You need to wear this kind of thing for the territory residents to feel reassured and view you favorably. Thinking, 'Our lord is incredibly wealthy.'"
The Palanquin Official Residence finally arrived before the prostrated territory residents.
I slowly descended from the rooftop observatory.
It wasn't to strike a pose, but the clothes were flowing, and the 45-degree inclined stairs were higher than expected, making it dizzying.
When I almost lost my balance by stepping wrong, Hildea and Rebecca quickly supported me from both sides.
"Careful. You almost fell."
"Lieutenant Colonel Piel, this won't do. Hold onto my shoulder."
"Hold my shoulder too. Falling would be a disaster."
"My shoulder alone seems sufficient, but Lieutenant Colonel Piel's safety is paramount, so I'll let it slide."
I had held Hildea's shoulder many times, but placing my hand on Rebecca's shoulder was a first.
I grabbed both women's shoulders and carefully descended.
'This is more nerve-wracking than I thought.'
Falling in front of the territory residents at our first meeting would be an utter disgrace like no other.
***
The evacuated residents had been tense at some point during the endless march.
"How far up are we going?"
"Until we reach a safe place."
"Isn't that the Dwein River? Huk! We've already come up to the North?"
"We cross the river from now."
Everyone was surprised, but they didn't spout nonsense about being sent back home.
Territory residents are fundamentally the property of the lord.
They were accustomed to this treatment.
During the march, the knights frequently provided rest and plenty of delicious rye bread, so they also had trust.
'We have to go all the way to the North...'
'It seems the central region has been completely occupied by the Elf Legion.'
'Would His Majesty the King be safe?'
'Still, the capital should be safe. But there won't be room for territory residents like us to enter.'
'If anything, the North, guarded by those powerful knights, might be safer.'
'Seeing how they generously give us rye bread, the food situation in the North seems fine these days.'
The North, garrisoned by a powerful army, would be safer than the devastated central and southern regions.
Because of that judgment, the refugees followed the guidance without chaos.
And when all 40,000 of the first wave of refugees had crossed the river.
"Everyone prepare! Your new lord is now arriving!"
"Th-the lord is coming all the way to this distant place himself?"
"He's coming to see us?"
"Good heavens..."
A benevolent lord who comes out to greet mere territory residents.
They had never heard of such a lord existing.
The refugees felt a swelling in their hearts.
Perhaps they could look forward to their future settlement life in the North...
'Huh?'
'What is that?'
'Oh my god, what on earth is that?'
The territory residents, who had peeked up while prostrated, were horrified.
A small villa was moving.
Thousands of sturdy soldiers were carrying the building from below, advancing in step.
Even while bearing that gigantic mobile palanquin, their eyes were strong without a hint of strain.
"...!"
"Mom, I'm scared..."
"Sh, shh. Be quiet... The lord might get angry."
Finally, the enormous building stopped in front of the prostrated territory residents.
From the top, their lord was leisurely descending the stairs.
With a dazzlingly beautiful silver-haired beauty on his left, and a blonde beauty on his right.
A young lord who moves on a gigantic palanquin carried by thousands of soldiers, and even parades beauties at his sides on the battlefield.
The territory residents no longer dared to sneak a glance, pressing their foreheads to the ground and trembling.
At that moment, the lord's voice resounded thunderously.
"All of you, raise your heads and look at me."
An immensely loud voice, as if tearing the ears.
But it was not a roar squeezing the throat.
His comfortably spoken tone was simply massively loud, like a roaring sound.
The territory residents, who did not know of loudspeakers, panicked, wondering, 'What kind of person is our lord?', trembling as they struggled to raise their heads.
"I am your new lord."
Only then did the lord's appearance become properly visible.
First, he is tall, and his skin is extremely pale.
As if he has never been exposed to sunlight or experienced hardship in his entire life.
The brilliant beauty of the two women at his sides greatly elevated the lord's authority and fearfulness.
In this moment, the territory residents realized.
Just how perfectly this young noble commanded that powerful army.
"I welcome your settlement in the North. From now on, you will come to know. How warm a region the North is for the weak and the good."
A gentle tone.
But the heavy, deep bass resounded as if eardrums would fall out.
"I am a generous lord. So you may rest assured."