Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Command of the Juras Legion
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The assembly point was the great city of Carten, located in the western part of Crossing. Currently, Carten had gathered not only 100,000 regular troops but also all the key military officers of Crossing.
I rented a two-horse carriage and set off for Carten.
The journey would take roughly two to three days.
I had brought books worth reading about this war, thinking the carriage ride would be boring, but I didn't have time to read them.
Because I had to learn horsemanship.
"Unlike the battlefields of Caliper Kingdom, where terrain makes it hard to deploy cavalry, this war will make active use of mounted troops. Als, you probably won't lead cavalry in a charge yourself... but in Crossing, they make sure to provide military horses to all officers."
I had ridden horses before, but I had no memory of properly galloping.
Caliper Kingdom tended to neglect cavalry, so I hadn't received any related training.
My master brought over a horse that had been prepared separately from the carriage.
"You're going to teach me, Master?"
"No, there's someone more qualified than me."
The person my master pointed to was Eonia.
'Now that I think about it...'
In the game, Eonia's unit was cavalry. A special unit called the White Horse Corps, no less.
Well, the White Horse Corps wasn't particularly superior in performance to other cavalry units, but it had received good reviews for its character skin aesthetic.
"Then, Sir Als. If I may be so bold, I will proceed with the training."
"Yes, please do."
"..."
"Eonia?"
"Um... could you possibly speak more casually? It feels strange to receive formal speech from my lord.... Feel free to call me Eo."
Since we weren't in a strict lord-vassal relationship anyway, and she wouldn't listen otherwise, I decided to go along with it.
"Got it. Then let's begin, Eo."
"Yes!"
She set the ultimate goal as reading books while riding horseback.
"We'll aim to finish all the books you brought by the time we arrive."
"Isn't that too harsh?"
I had brought a total of five books. To finish them all before arrival, I'd need to read six hours a day.
"Once you learn the knack of handling horses, it won't be hard."
"The knack, huh..."
"It's simple. Horses are clever creatures that can think and act on their own. If you grasp that meaning, you'll master it in no time."
Horses can think for themselves.
That was the key, just as she said.
Even without me doing anything special, the horse judges and moves on its own.
The rider just sets the direction.
Once I understood that, I could finally relax and read my books.
On the second day, I could even doze off while mounted.
After that, I could sleep comfortably on horseback.
On the dawn of the final third day...
"...What an amazing person."
In my half-asleep state, I heard such a voice in my ear.
It seemed Eo and my master were talking inside the carriage.
"I never imagined you'd master handling horses this quickly. I thought finishing three books would be impressive, but you've already finished the fifth!?"
Eo was chattering excitedly.
"Haha, I get that you're happy, but keep your voice down. You might wake Als."
"Oh."
Eonia cautiously peeked at me through the carriage door.
I decided to pretend to sleep quietly.
Reassured, she began showering me with praise for a full hour.
'Eo has a subtle flatterer streak.'
She interpreted everything about me positively, without any pretense.
But subordinates who only say pleasing things can be poison.
'Well, for now, it's fine.'
As I labored to ignore the barrage of praise, our destination, Carten, finally came into view.
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Carten was practically the capital of Crossing.
The actual capital was Cross Hone on the eastern coast, but due to Crossing's terrain growing increasingly barren eastward, the population was actually larger at the western edge in Carten.
The population here was a whopping 800,000. The largest among non-capital regions.
"This is Carten.... The territory ruled by that Juras fellow..."
From the moment we entered Carten, I had to wear my helmet.
Eo did the same.
We had decided to reveal her identity but not her face. That way, she could stay by my side even when I was Als.
I had worried she might find the helmet uncomfortable, but she seemed quite satisfied matching me with hers and had been chipper since putting it on.
Ignoring Carten's famous slave auctions, gambling dens, and everything market, I headed straight to the central military headquarters.
The headquarters was holding meetings 24 hours a day, so I couldn't attend midway.
"Mercenary Wade is entering!"
As soon as I appeared, Juras's bored face, seated at the head table, brightened considerably.
It was as if a long-awaited toy had arrived.
"You came, Wade. I've been waiting."
In addition to Juras, the other Crossing military figures narrowed their eyes, appraising me.
Here were not only First General and Supreme Commander Juras, but also Second General Creeper Nollak, Third General Patty Hurt, and others.
Among them, Creeper Nollak, looking displeased for some reason, scowled and spoke.
"Supreme Commander. Are you sure about this? Is this really the guy who supposedly beat you?"
"Without a doubt."
"The Milias Marquess house in Caliper might have pulled some strings."
"Ignore those fools. The Milias Marquess house has nothing to do with mercenary Wade."
"What about Illya Anpei then? They might have set up an unrelated mercenary as a body double for the retainer fee."
"Hah, slim chance, but possible. But that's different from the one standing beside him. Nollak, you'd recognize it. Whose presence is that?"
Only then did Nollak seem to notice Eonia.
Eo was glaring at Nollak with murderous intent, full of hatred.
"This presence.... Eonia Mirabel...!"
"Exactly the Eonia you personally fought during the conquest of Kurabel Theocracy. She follows Wade, who defeated me. With her here, this is undoubtedly the Wade I know."
"Urgh, urm!"
All the Crossing figures were showing interest in me.
The key question was one: What skills did he have to defeat Juras?
I couldn't suppress a sneer.
"Even so, doesn't that prove you didn't make a sound decision?"
"Are you saying my decision was wrong?"
"Of course. Handing command of regular troops to someone just because they won a simple chess match. No offense, but are you sane?"
At that, others erupted. "You bastard!" "Insolent mercenary!"
Juras smirked and calmed them.
"He's right."
"Right?"
I had expected him to cite repelling Gillas Melbun as justification.
But Juras readily admitted it.
"My decision to hire you was indeed solely because of that chess victory. Objectively, it's insane. But all my past insane decisions have always yielded the results I wanted. I'm confident this time will be the same."
"Hah... Nice sophistry. So? What are you assigning me?"
"I want you to command one legion."
As expected, command of troops.
Wait.
"What did you just say? A legion...?"
"Yes. The unit you'll command is this one."
What Juras pointed to on the strategy map with his baton was a cluster of six soldier-shaped pieces—and the reason the other officers were glaring at me.
Juras Familion.
This madman intended to hand me overall command of a massive army of 60,000.
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I had expected at most 1,000—2-3,000 if combined with Ilya's master's subordinates.
60,000 was far beyond my expectations.
And the assigned strategy was equally insane.
Holding position to defend the front might not have been so bad, but what Juras ordered was an offensive capture.
"Take your 60,000 troops north to Carrington and fight Bekavia's army there."
Crossing had deployed three armies on the front: Patty Hurt's 60,000 clashing with Albad in the west; Juras's 80,000 against the Albad & Bekavia allied forces in the northwest.
And 60,000 in Carrington against Bekavia in the north.
Crossing Republic was at war with two nations simultaneously.
But it wasn't a complete 2-vs-1 mismatch.
Crossing's ally Caliper, though not joining the fight, had stationed troops on the Albad border, preventing Albad Kingdom from concentrating its full force.
"Albad will probably go on the defensive. They can't predict Caliper's moves. So the western and northwestern fronts won't see decisive results."
"Hm."
"So, Wade. I want you to rack up achievements against Bekavia at Carrington."
Carrington was Bekavia territory near the front, a strategic hub.
Capturing it would threaten Bekavia's breadbasket immediately.
Naturally, Bekavia was defending it desperately.
Their defensive force was 65,000—5,000 more than ours—the full force Bekavia could muster.
"...Are you serious?"
"Why?"
"You're seriously entrusting this to me? A mercenary? A pivotal battle that decides the war's outcome?"
"Of course. And I believe you'll succeed brilliantly."
I couldn't fathom what basis he had for that, but this madman truly thought so.
'You can't read this guy's mind. Not even Prince Eldric compares.'
From the start, why start this war? What real gains for Crossing? All unknown.
Even in the game, Crossing was described merely as a mad nation warring for slaves, with no specifics.
'If they waged reckless wars for such reasons, they'd have collapsed instantly.'
Yet in the game—and here—Crossing wielded power among the continent's top three.
This Three Lions War too.
The game described it thus:
—Crossing Republic declares war on Albad and Bekavia Kingdoms and wins. Bekavia, suffering massive losses, walks the path to ruin.
Bekavia's fall was good.
But what followed was the problem.
Crossing didn't annex Bekavia, leaving it in chaos.
The protagonist later pacifies the region, raises a rebellion, and founds New Pensilon Kingdom—that's the game's main story.
'If they had no intent to annex territory, why declare war?'
Full of questions.
"That's the strategy briefing. What will you do, Wade?"
"What if I refuse and leave now?"
"Someone would end up in a sorry state."
Referring to Ilya's master's subordinates he held as leverage.
"You know that threat doesn't work, right?"
"Hah, figured. Truth is, I've already released Illya Anpei's subordinates."
"...!?"
"Once you were en route here, they served no purpose. Same for your Illya Anpei. Eonia Mirabel too. My interest is solely in you. Well, Wade. Now there are no shackles on you. What choice will you make? Show me your true caliber...!"
His eyes gleamed with a hint of madness.
At the previous party, I had told him: Show me your vessel.
Now Juras said the same.
Dangerous and absurd, but success meant grasping much.
The retainer fee alone would sustain me for years.
Discard the opportunity to spite him? Or seize it despite the disgust?
Whatever I chose, he'd gauge my vessel from it.
I steeled my resolve.
"...Promise 40 million silan in pay, with 20 million upfront, and I'll play along."
Double the retainer fee again.
Juras lifted both corners of his mouth eerily.
"Deal."