Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Strategy Meeting
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I instructed Cutter to expand the size of the mercenary band, then got to work in the office handling the backlog of tasks that had piled up. In truth, Gringem had already taken care of most of it, so all I really needed to do was review them.
"It's surprising they won."
Fortunately, Cutter and the mercenaries had pulled off their first battle brilliantly. If they'd been smashed there and either wiped out or routed, it would've been a real headache. Ten injured, zero dead. Against three times their number, coming out with losses this light meant virtually no casualties at all.
It was enough to make me curious about how exactly they'd fought. That's when Cutter launched into an excited retelling of what he'd been through.
"Just like you told me, brother, we formed up tight. You said if they spread out wide to envelop us, thicken the formation and punch through the center..."
To sum it up, the enemy had trusted in their numerical superiority and arrayed themselves thin and wide, trying to encircle us. So Cutter had followed my advice to the letter: a narrow, dense formation that shoved straight through the middle.
There had been knights on their side, but only a handful—and even those couldn't close the distance thanks to our five-meter pikes before the fight was over. No wonder the casualties were so low.
"Most of them were conscripts, so once the center crumbled, they just shattered. They barely even fought properly."
As Cutter wrapped up his tale, Gringem opened the office door and stepped in. He probably spent more time here than I did, so you could call him the real owner at this point. His face looked more worn than when we'd first met, a testament to how much work he'd been putting in.
"My lord."
"Gringem. Any changes around the territory lately?"
"Sorting out the money confiscated from the serfs and streamlining the inefficient budgets has improved things a bit. And now that the mercenaries have returned with their earnings, funds are starting to circulate in the territory."
That was exactly the effect I'd been aiming for. Creating the mercenary band solved the unemployment issue while the money they brought back revived the territory's economy.
"Give the mercenaries a slight tax break. Encourage them to spend more here in our lands. And since trouble in the castle would be a problem, offer to store their weapons for them and let them retrieve them when needed. Wouldn't that draw even more mercenaries our way?"
"It'd be like opening a bank for mercenaries."
As expected from a former merchant—he was quick on the uptake. That was precisely what I'd had in mind. And it wouldn't hurt the mercenaries' side either.
They rarely got into castles or cities anyway, so they had nowhere safe to stash their cash. That stereotype of mercenaries as wastrels stemmed from it: always carrying their gold around, burning through it constantly.
"Spot on. I'll leave the bank details to you—handle it well, yeah?"
Gringem nodded with his usual stoic expression.
"Of course, my lord."
I never imagined we'd end up like this when we first met, but now Gringem was indispensable to the territory. He handled tasks efficiently on his own, so I decided to sweeten the pot with a reward. I knew all too well that without proper incentives, even the best workers lose their drive.
"Once the bank's up, tell the inns and forges—the places mercenaries frequent—to treat them right. No price-gouging."
People who get mistreated everywhere are won over by even the smallest gestures of kindness. And if they store their money here, even if they take jobs elsewhere, they'll have to come back sooner or later.
"As you say. However..."
Gringem paused on his way out, speaking cautiously.
"However?"
"There've been sightings of magic beasts near the territory lately."
"Magic beasts?"
They're rare to spot, sure, but not so rare that it's shocking. Territories of any decent size usually had one or two wandering around. But he shook his head, as if reading my thoughts.
"About ten witnesses so far, and they all reported different ones. It doesn't feel right..."
"Ten magic beasts..."
That changed things. Magic beasts usually roamed solo or claimed vast territories on their own, so ten in one territory was highly unnatural.
"I'll investigate personally once the subjugation force returns. In the meantime, warn the residents to avoid casualties."
"Understood."
As Gringem bowed and turned to leave, I added one more order.
"Oh, and gather all the knights still in the castle. Not the nobles—the knights."
I'd hastily designed a family crest. It was just temporary, so I kept it simple. Even tagging along with Cligrove's army, going alone would've drawn eyes, so I brought one squire doubling as a soldier and three knights who'd been lounging in the castle.
Clop-clop.
"Fine horse you've got there, my lord."
One of the accompanying knights remarked as much. There were three knights left in the territory total. I hadn't hired them—couldn't afford to. They'd chosen to follow me because I'd dangled the chance to find a new lord.
And it wasn't a lie; it was genuine. The subjugation force was crawling with lords and nobles from all over. The capital was probably swarmed with unfamiliar faces by now. Finding a new master was on them from here.
Someone might argue I was just handing high-value assets to other lords, but personally, I was skeptical of knights' worth.
Unless they could wield aura like Lenia or unleash swordmaster aura blades that cleaved steel like butter, why bother with knights...? For the same money, training multiple mid-tier cavalry made more sense. Sure, on foot, knights had the edge...
Lost in those thoughts as I rode, a knight detached from the Cligrove side and approached.
"Lord Lucas!"
"Ah... Sir Karon."
"We'll be camping soon, but it looks like you don't have tents."
He scanned my group and noted as much. I'd planned to hitch a ride with Cligrove, so I hadn't packed any—which was why I'd borrowed one last time.
"We'll provide the tents. And join us for the evening briefing."
A briefing, huh. Hard to refuse when we were already freeloading tents. I accepted readily. That evening...
"Sun's setting! Move it, you lot!"
"Hurry the hell up!"
Cligrove's army was a mess. With mercenaries making up nearly 6:4 against regular soldiers, the undisciplined mercs turned even camp setup into chaos. It'd been better when I was a merc. These newbies...
Thankfully, the junior officers were dashing about, and the setup somehow got done. I watched them pitifully as I headed to the command tent.
"Oh! Lord Lucas!"
"Haha! Our hero arrives!"
The Cligrove knights were already inside. No sign of Lenia or Edward, but they greeted me warmly—probably because I'd saved their lives before. They rose naturally, paying their respects.
"Heard about your latest move. Sold off manor and castle goods to buy grain for the people, right?"
"A model for any knight. Even if you're not one yourself! Haha!"
Thanks to their friendly reunion vibe, I could chat without awkwardness. Soon, the tent flap opened, and Lenia and Edward entered.
"Everyone, take your seats."
Her words silenced the rowdy tent in an instant, like dousing it with cold water.
"I've called this meeting to hear your thoughts on this expedition."
As the knights eyed her questioningly, Lenia turned to me.
"Lord Lucas offered advice. He says this subjugation has a high chance of failure. So while we're joining, we won't commit aggressively—we'll position in the rear for a quick retreat if needed."
All eyes snapped to me at her blunt words. Turning the spotlight on me like that? But the knights seemed to buy it, eyes gleaming as they buzzed.
"Come to think of it, you're the elf expert, aren't you, Lord Lucas?"
They recalled how I'd spotted the elves first in the last war, instantly dubbing me an expert. I'd just drawn from old memories and winged it. Amid the chatter, Lenia spoke first.
"To stay in the rear, handling logistics seems best. What do you think?"
Logistics... Not a great idea. Given the elves' mobility, they'd hit supply lines first. Plus, splitting deliveries dispersed troops. Better for multiple small lords to handle it.
"Then just hold the rear directly."
"That minimizes casualties best. Elves favor swarm tactics, so arming with basic shields would cut losses further."
"Swarm tactics?"
Lenia and the knights stared blankly, unfamiliar. I'd assumed they'd know, but Cligrove folk were even more clueless about nomads than I'd thought.
"What they used in the last war. Shooting arrows at the edge of effective range."
Only then did Lenia and the knights nod. They'd learned the hard way and remembered.
"Then we'll prepare shields. And if ten thousand of them swarm like that... it'll be a nightmare. I see why you think this subjugation will fail."
The mood grew heavy. One knight raised his hand.
"So, Lord Lucas, no path to victory in this expedition?"
Not true. Nomad armies weren't invincible. If they were, the Mongols wouldn't have been crushed on their European campaigns.
Nomad forces unbeatable against regular infantry and light cavalry were vulnerable to crossbowmen or archers, and heavy cavalry or knights in thick plate.
But I kept quiet. No need to explain how I knew—questions would follow.