Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: The King is Poor
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The king is poor.
You might think that's nonsense, but it's true.
Even the kings of the Joseon dynasty—which ranked among the top ten powers in the world at the time—lived worse lives than a modern office worker in the 21st century.
In Joseon, where a strong central government funneled the king's power and the nation's wealth into the royal treasury, things were still like that. So what about the countless European kingdoms that fared even worse?
Not to mention a romance fantasy world modeled after those medieval European kingdoms?
'Of course, it should be normal for them to be poor... but.'
Enri let out a hollow chuckle inwardly as he surveyed the knights gathered around him. Hundreds of them had assembled, and over half were court knights on the royal payroll.
What did it mean that more than half the forces summoned by royal decree from across the nation belonged to the king's army? It meant the king's military strength surpassed that of all the nobles combined—except him—and that the king had no need to grant land to nobles or knights or maintain the feudal system with vassals.
"—Looks like everyone's here. Let's get the meeting started."
The knights, who had been sizing each other up in a battle of wills, relaxed their glares and turned their attention to him.
Roengram, captain of the Royal 2nd Knights, opened the proceedings. He unfurled the royal edict from the king and began reading its contents.
"His great majesty, King Paragail Gracia, decrees: 'Seditious vermin lurk within our kingdom. My knights shall join the knights sent by my vassals to root them out and eradicate every last remnant.'"
Everyone present knew those "remnants" referred to the Anti-Kingdom Alliance. They knew the king had flown into a rage after their failed attempt to kidnap the prince. And they knew this subjugation was a punitive expedition born of that fury, one that would cost far more than it gained.
Sighs erupted here and there. The Anti-Kingdom Alliance—chased out centuries ago by the founding king of Gracia—were like cockroaches, hiding and surviving in the shadows. Hunting them all down wouldn't end in a day or two.
Roengram knew it well, so he added reassuringly,
"Of course, His Majesty said that, but he has no intention of dragging this out until every last one is truly eradicated. It's impossible anyway. Chasing down remnants one by one is work for soldiers and armies, not knights."
"Then why summon us?"
"Simple."
The edict included a map. A map marking the base of the Anti-Kingdom Alliance, obtained through interrogation of those captured after their failed train hijacking.
This was why the king had issued the summons for knights nationwide.
"We're turning their base into a wasteland."
A wizards' base that screamed "trap" to anyone with eyes.
Because they had to charge right into it now.
Some say: With knights who can cut down dozens alone and wizards who can raze a city, why bother with soldiers?
It's like asking why infantry is needed in a modern era with nukes that can obliterate cities and strategic bombers that can turn nations to ash.
Knights are superhuman, but not invincible. If an army forms ranks and presses relentlessly, even soldiers alone can kill a knight.
Wizards are artillery that can slaughter hundreds with a gesture, but that insane firepower doesn't come free. It requires preparation and time. To knights honed by constant training, they were drool-worthy prey.
This predator-prey dynamic was what made armies—and noble rule—possible.
That's why no soldiers were on this subjugation expedition. To wizards, soldiers were nothing but fodder.
"—Isn't that Horus?"
"Ah, yes."
"Impressive. I heard his owner finally showed up... So you're Sir Enri? The one who rescued the prince?"
Enri was riding blankly when Roengram, leading from the front, approached and spoke up. Enri nodded lightly, then froze as he saw a faint gleam in Roengram's eyes.
He dimly realized this knight was cut from the same cloth as Captain of the Guard Theodor Balheim.
"Remarkable. Word is you even had a good bout with Sir Theodor. How about a match with me sometime—"
'Are all the royals' knights like this...?'
His face stiffened in dismay, but he nodded in agreement anyway. Roengram didn't stop, unleashing a torrent of chatter.
Was it a trait of middle-aged men, or just his personality? Roengram chattered on relentlessly, reminding Enri of his old boss from his previous life's company.
"Back then, I really thought I was done for. But a talisman from my dear wife back then luckily blocked the dagger..."
"Captain Roengram!"
"Ah, duty calls. We'll continue this later."
Mid-ramble, a lead knight shouted from ahead. Roengram rode forward, and a forest came into view ahead.
The base obtained from interrogating an Anti-Kingdom Alliance member.
At the forest entrance, Roengram pulled an unidentified potion from his pack and carefully sprinkled it on the ground. The liquid trickled through the underbrush and seeped deep into the earth.
"As expected, the intel was solid."
The entire forest glowed brightly, revealing the magic circle blanketing it. Confirming the reagent's reaction, Roengram gave a wry smile and stepped back.
"This is..."
"We nearly got in deep trouble."
Knights were wizards' natural predators, but wizards weren't helpless. A prepared wizard could kill knights just fine.
And this was the Anti-Kingdom Alliance base. An ancient magical forest reinforced over ages by elf wizards. The forest itself was practically a wizard's workshop.
No matter how mighty the knight, entering was suicide. Even hundreds summoned nationwide changed nothing. Roengram knew it well.
However.
"Commence the operation."
A wizard's workshop wasn't hidden for nothing. It wasn't tucked away in some festering pit for no reason.
A fortress seems sturdy on the surface, but it's destined to crumble.
The knights unpacked components from their saddlebags and assembled them one by one. In moments, dozens of cannons stood ready. Loaded with shells engraved with fire magic.
Dozens of booms echoed as flames like white phosphorus rained down on the forest. As it blazed up, Roengram shouted,
"Everyone! Surround the forest! Exterminate any rats that crawl out!"
In the face of such ruthless pragmatism—devoid of any knightly flair—the knights spurred their mounts forward.
Thus was completed the encirclement annihilation formation: 300 crushing 5,000.
While knights whipped their horses raw for one more achievement, Enri led the Black Rose Knights slowly to a spot far from the operation zone, out of sight.
Arriving, Enri yawned widely from horseback, bored.
"This the place?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Our lady sure is something. How does she even know about this?"
The spot Enri and his knights reached was the escape route Lady Eve had tipped them off about beforehand. Specifically, where their underground tunnel led.
No one else suspected elves—of all people—would dig tunnels like dwarves. Elves were forest fairies. No one expected them to burrow and flee ignobly rather than fight in the woods.
Sure enough, the ground soon trembled oddly. Suddenly, it caved in with a whoosh. Mud-caked elves began crawling out one by one.
"Good, we're finally safe..."
"—Took you long enough."
"...What!?"
The elves froze at the sight of Enri and his crew waiting calmly at the tunnel exit. Without bothering to explain, Enri grabbed one by the collar and yanked him out like pulling a mussel from its shell.
He flung the elf aside, and waiting Black Rose Knights bound them and hooded their heads.
Enri joined this tedious operation on Lady Eve's strict orders. And Eve had sent her own knights to support him here for one simple reason.
"—Everyone. Surrender quietly, and I'll spare your lives."
It was a chance to effortlessly acquire skilled elf wizards with nowhere else to go.
Trembling in fear, the elves judged escape impossible and began emerging from the tunnel, surrendering one by one.