Wortenia Senki (LN) - Volume 21 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Delivered Letter

It was around 2 a.m. at the camp outside the town of Dursen, which had the banner of a double-headed snake with gold and silver scales coiled around a sword—the Mikoshiba barony’s emblem. One could say that the camp was so well defended that physical walls surrounded it. The tent at the center housed the young warlord leading this army, who sat with his arms crossed as he stared out into the air.

Having finished all manner of paperwork, he was considering his future options. Everything’s going according to schedule so far.

He mapped the area surrounding Dursen in his mind. Located to the north, with Dursen as its base, was Viscount Rancard’s domain, with towns of Thelmes and Anpol to the south. These three towns formed a vital position for Viscount Rancard.

And we took the most significant town of those three, Dursen. They treated us with a great deal of dislike, but we won them over. It’s unlikely they will do anything until this war is over. 

Ryoma sneered, recalling how the delegation returned to town smiling after meeting him. On the evening of the day before, they finally accepted Ryoma’s call to surrender and agreed to place Dursen under the Mikoshiba barony’s occupation. Even after hearing that, Ryoma didn’t have his army enter the city, nor did he demand any gold or supplies.

This surprised the Dursen delegation, and they reacted with great relief when they realized Ryoma wasn’t lying. A conqueror occupying a city in this world partook of the locals’ supplies, which was a privilege and necessity since one had to do so to support their army.

In the face of this necessity, most conquering armies acted much the same as they took from wherever it was easiest—simply put, commoners—and resorted to force if necessary. The tyranny of those in power was even more marked than in modern society; if they deemed it necessary, they would not think twice before resorting to violence.

The northern subjugation army was a good example of this. When Ryoma’s starvation tactics led to a lack of supplies, Mikhail forcibly gathered supplies from the region around the capital. With the country’s survival hanging in the balance, he’d acted with exceptional decisiveness.

When your country’s on the brink of collapse, any attempt you’d make to sugarcoat things goes out the window. Upholding ideals can be important, but when you take it too far, it can do you harm.

This outlook was something many of the people living in this world understood naturally and had accepted. So, Ryoma’s decision came across as baffling to those from Dursen.

In a serious tone, Ryoma had said, “I know the starvation tactics drove the kingdom to requisition supplies, and that everyone’s livelihoods have become strained. I’m not going to make things harder for you.”

Hearing those words made any enmity and caution the townsfolk felt for the man waver. Still, Ryoma had his own reasons for saying that.

I’m not going to use supplies taken from the enemy. God knows what’s in them.

The chapter on tactics in Sun Tzu’s The Art of War mentioned that rations stolen from the enemy were more valuable than those from one’s home country. But this also applied to weapons, armor, and medical supplies.

Carrying supplies from one’s country required horses and a workforce, which needed food and supplies of their own to make the trip. Delivering a ton of supplies to the front lines consumed the same amount, if not more.

In Japan’s history, people would reap the crops of other’s fields to steal ownership over their fiefdoms. This practice was called harvest violence, which warlords used during the Warring States period to strike financial blows to other warlords.

Being able to both take from the enemy and bolster your own side was like striking two birds with one stone, as it made stolen supplies have greater value most times. On top of that, stealing from the enemy’s commoners affected their country’s economy. This was something Ryoma fundamentally agreed with.

But only under certain conditions.

There was no guarantee the stolen supplies were safe to use. For example, it was easy to ensure food stolen from crops in a field was safe to consume, but not grain taken from a granary. If Ryoma were part of the Dursen delegation and inclined to stall or hurt the enemy army, he would consider poisoning the food.

Poisoning all the food is difficult, but still.

Even if one intended to poison the enemy, it wasn’t necessary to taint all the food or use a lethal substance. Using some poisonous mushrooms growing in the woods or, for lack of a better option, mixing spoiled food into the supplies was enough.

Doing that also makes it easy to claim it was all an accident. Those were relatively accessible methods that just made whoever ate the food sick. But that’s good enough.

Crippling a single soldier didn’t amount to much unless many soldiers simultaneously developed fevers or came down with stomachaches, meaning they could end up ignoring their commanders’ orders. The army could call doctors, but that would still result in several days of delay that lowered its marching speed.

One could easily assume that such ailments weren’t a big deal. Warriors fighting with sword in hand begged to differ. Sending soldiers to fight in that condition was akin to sending them straight to their deaths.

And commanders can’t always gauge the state their soldiers are in.

For commanders, the number of soldiers they had was a factor that could decide whether they won or lost. They wouldn’t send severely sick or gravely injured soldiers out to fight, though soldiers feeling ill wouldn’t necessarily convince them to send fewer forces.

And preventing poisonings like that is relatively tough.

The only foolproof way of ensuring food wasn’t poisoned was using food tasters. While one could employ animals for this, it took time and preparation. Even if one went that far, eliminating the possibility of poisoned food was not easy.

Of course, if they were to mix poison in our food, they’d meet retribution. But people don’t necessarily think ahead when backed into a corner.

The threat to the kingdom could give them the resolve to act even if their families were in danger. Or maybe they had their families evacuate ahead of time, minimizing the loss of life retribution could bring.

Food wasn’t the only resource where sabotage was a threat. The enemy might hand over weapons with broken clasps, making them fall apart or malfunction during battle. They could have done any number of these things if they didn’t mind resorting to any means or fear losing their lives.

And if they knew the enemy would go after their food and supplies, they’d tweak them ahead of time.

With that in mind, Ryoma realized the danger of stealing enemy supplies and putting them to use. He didn’t deny Sun Tzu’s opinion on the merits of this tactic, but wouldn’t put stock in everything from The Art of War.

When you think about it that much, the obvious answer is not using the supplies you take.

In other words, one needed to make sure they weren’t careless enough to reach the point where pillaging the enemy was their only option.

Besides, you’re bound to come up short on something if you depend on getting supplies from the field. While I don’t have to spare the people here, pushing them too hard isn’t a good idea either.

Ryoma had no intent of hurting the people of Rhoadseria more than he had to. However, he wouldn’t hesitate to use any cruel tactic on them if he deemed it necessary.

Maintaining a balance between mercy and cruelty is important.

Merciful people were easier to adore but perceived as exploitable. Cruel people ruled efficiently through terror and opposed those who pushed them too far.

In the case of the Mikoshiba barony, their recent victory on the Runoc Plains boosted the army’s morale. The soldiers felt invincible. But favorable conditions opened the chance of mistakes, and inflated confidence could turn to arrogance leading to ruin.

The scariest part is the possibility of the occupied towns and villages rebelling. 

Due to Mikhail’s orders, the remaining soldiers in the nobles’ domains had gathered in Pireas, leaving the surrounding towns and villages unprotected. Any soldiers there only numbered from the dozens to a few hundred, and citizens armed with hoes and spades wouldn’t put up significant resistances. The difference in strength between such commoners and Ryoma’s soldiers was like heaven and earth.

But war isn’t won based on such factors.

If a rebellion broke out while he was attacking Pireas, it could end up flipping the script on him. At worst he’d lose contact with his stronghold in the Wortenia Peninsula, and the Mikoshiba barony army would get stranded in the heart of the enemy’s domain. His soldiers wouldn’t be able to exhibit their full strength and would make this war for naught. As strong as his soldiers might have been individually, mental pressure was unavoidable and would hinder their capabilities.

Evil must be capable of doing good, and good must be capable of doing evil.

Not taking any supplies or informing the enemy they didn’t intend to do so would come across as unnatural. Ryoma still needed to keep up the appearance of having gained something here.

And so, his response was an act. Saying that he didn’t take their supplies to protect the livelihood of the commoners gave the impression that he was a merciful man. Additionally, it was the most effective way of dealing with the cornered wealthy commoners of Dursen.

Apparently, the Igasaki clan has captured a lot of spies recently. Probably they were sent to stall us until the northern subjugation army returns to the capital.

Dilphina reported taking out quite a few spies, and Ryoma had no idea she was still engaged in doing that at that very moment. But he was kept up to speed on the enemy’s recent actions.

Are they seriously going after me or doing it to keep us in check?

The enemies weren’t fools. Peacetime had moments of calm, but they were in the middle of a war. Ryoma would have all manner of measures in place to keep away spies, and the enemy knew that. Surely they didn’t think they’d be able to assassinate him.

Since they failed to take him down the traditional way using their army, perhaps they would resort to any means to do it. Even so, this all depended on circumstances permitting it, which was why he guessed the spies’ true purpose was to keep him and his army in check.

I don’t know who’s leading these efforts. They likely just tried to buy the northern subjugation army time to return to the capital.

After a major defeat, the question became how to minimize losses while on the retreat. An army hit from behind was a target that could easily be defeated, no matter how large it was.

For instance, Shimazu Yoshihiro employed retreat tactics like the Zazenjin or Sutegamari, where he left behind military units in key positions during the Battle of Sekigahara. They sacrificed themselves for him to stall his pursuers.

These attacks Ryoma was facing were similar to this in nature.

But I can tell that they’re hoping to kill me. If I had to guess, Mikhail or Meltina are behind this. Either them or some relatively shrewd noble... I can’t see Queen Lupis doing this.

This tactic was brutal because it used people as disposable pawns, which made it effective yet risky. The physical harm caused by throwing away soldiers made it so others would regard whoever ordered this tactic as cruel and inhuman. It also made it so subordinates wouldn’t trust their superiors; no one enjoyed being expendable, unless they were highly loyal.

Unless they were psychopaths incapable of empathy, the weight of making that choice weighed on people’s consciences. Because of this, few people knowingly accepted those risks and made that choice.

Using such cruel tactics required intellect and a certain human quality. Employing such ploys necessitated extreme caution and a great deal of resolve, and Queen Lupis lacked that quality.

She doesn’t have the nerve or determination to do that.

Queen Lupis’s nature was that of a selfish person who hid that trait behind a thin veneer of kindness and benevolence. She had a weak will that gave in to the opinions of those around her while claiming she wanted to preserve the peace.

On this front, Ryoma held Mikhail and Meltina in much higher regard. For better or worse, those two looked back on their flaws to learn and mature. Moreover, they wholeheartedly supported the kingdom, the royal family, and their queen. There was a bit of foolishness to that effort. Ryoma didn’t deny the nobility’s determination.

Not that I’d want them working under me, though. Ryoma yawned as it had become late before he knew it. I’ll turn in for the night for now. Gotta get up early tomorrow, after all.

Even a warlord that mastered martial thaumaturgy couldn’t stave off the sandman. He stretched and got into the bed at the corner of his tent. He must have been quite tired, because his consciousness drifted away as he wrapped himself in the blanket and closed his eyes.

But there was no rest that night for the young conqueror, it seemed. He didn’t hear any voices or shuffling. All he sensed was the slightest disturbance, which immediately prompted him to sit up, perfectly awake, and reached for Kikoku, which rested beside his pillow.

I sense someone... Upon doing so, his grip on Kikoku’s hilt grew tighter.

It was unlikely that anyone had the necessary skills to slip through every layer of defense as Igasaki ninjas and soldiers patrolled the camp’s perimeter. In this regard, Ryoma’s caution could be seen as excessive to the point of paranoia. Regardless, no defense was perfect. As slim as the odds might have been, he couldn’t deny the possibility of an assassination.

One could see this caution as bordering on cowardice, but Ryoma was both a warlord and a warrior. He knew that even with many soldiers, only he could defend himself. So, he followed his faith in both mind and body while believing that none of his retainers would disturb his sleep at this time of night.

And this was why his voice was calm even though he had just woken up. “What happened?”

The figure standing in the middle of the tent deliberately and tensely examined Ryoma’s reaction. It was one of the trusted Igasaki ninjas, surprised to hear their lord call out to them at a time when everyone but the sentries were fast asleep. They quickly hid their surprise and spoke.

“Dilphina intercepted an enemy attack earlier.”

Ryoma frowned at those words. Surely the ninja didn’t come here in the middle of the night to inform him about this? They could have reported that in the morning. The fact they did so now meant something unusual must have happened. Rising out of bed, Ryoma stood in front of the kneeling ninja.

“Did they break through Dilphina’s interception?” he asked with a hint of surprise.

He truly felt something about this situation was unusual. After all, Dilphina’s father, Nelcius the Mad Demon, had trained her, making her one of the finest and most skilled lance warriors in the Mikoshiba barony. Only a dozen or so in the entire continent could possibly match her prowess, including Chris Morgan.

The long-lived dark elves had rich reserves of prana, making them skilled verbal thaumaturgists. They also had ample experience as hunters through their lives in the monster-infested Wortenia Peninsula. When it came to unconventional warfare, few could match her.

The ninja shook his head and responded, “No. The assassins were disposed of without issue. But she ran into an unexpected intruder.”

“An...intruder,” Ryoma said pensively.

Ryoma could tell the ninja wasn’t sure how to regard the intruder, implying it wasn’t simply a third party who had become involved in the fighting. This piqued Ryoma’s curiosity.

“And? What became of them?” he asked.

In response, the ninja took a letter from his pocket and handed it to Ryoma.

A letter of surrender? He could have said a messenger from some noble arrived.

It wouldn’t have been unnatural if, after he beat the northern subjugation army into submission, some of the nobles had lost their confidence in Queen Lupis and sought to turn to Ryoma’s side. This was something urgent enough to justify waking him up in the middle of the night.

Why would he be so hesitant to talk about it? Ryoma suspiciously took the envelope. Huh? A noble with his own emblem came to this country?

The wax seal on the letter had the emblem of a wolf holding a sword in its mouth. Noble houses having their own emblem was not rare, but he could not recall a Rhoadserian noble with one like this. Ryoma had risen to power after the previous civil war, so he didn’t recognize other nobles’ emblems at the time. When going to war with Queen Lupis, he had gathered information on most nobles to understand how the enemy armies had organized. But none of those houses matched this emblem.

Is it some minor noble?

Ryoma didn’t discriminate against minor nobles, but there were reasons for their inferiority. They were either capable but hated by people in power, or they had made a blunder in the past that resulted in their family being stripped of power.

Once he read the letter, any such questions left Ryoma’s mind entirely.

Perhaps noticing the change in Ryoma’s expression, the kneeling ninja gingerly asked, “Master?”

“Oh, sorry. I’ll see the man who brought this letter—Mr. Tachibana. We might need to change our strategy based on how things go, so I’ll have to speak to everyone. You’ll have to get them out of bed, but gather everyone here for me.”

The ninja nodded and disappeared into the darkness. Left alone in the tent, Ryoma fixed his clothes and pondered the letter.

Hm... Rodney Mackenna, huh...? An unexpected letter from an unexpected person. But if he remembered, Koichiro spoke highly of him. If nothing else, he has a good eye for seeing how the tides shift.

Shortly after slaying their court thaumaturgist, Misha Fontaine, Koichiro escaped Beldzevia and discovered that Asuka Kiryuu was in the Church of Meneos’s capital, the Holy City of Menestia. For a time, he watched over her from afar.

The Church had considerable influence over the city, so rescuing Asuka from there would have been difficult. But seeing it would endanger the girl he loved like his own granddaughter, Koichiro decided not to do so.

I imagine he wanted to rescue her using the Organization’s power, even if it meant leaving mountains of corpses behind. One could call him a terrible monster for coming to this decision. Starting a war to save one relative... But if Asuka were in danger, grandpa wouldn’t think twice before doing it.

To Koichiro, Asuka was an irreplaceable part of his life. He cared for her as much as he did for his direct grandchild, Ryoma, if not more. Koichiro wouldn’t leave Asuka in danger, and neither would Ryoma.

We both have a soft spot for her, Ryoma thought with a self-deprecating smile. And if it were me in Asuka’s shoes... Well, he wouldn’t come save me.

Ryoma knew his grandfather loved him dearly, and he didn’t question that affection. Koichiro had raised him harshly to the point where some might see Ryoma’s training as abuse. Indeed, there was even a time when people learned of the intensity of their training and reported them to child services, who came to visit.

For as long as Ryoma could remember, Koichiro treated him with more love than harshness, not spoiling him. They acted more as father and son than grandfather and grandchild. Koichiro was also Ryoma’s teacher who trained him in martial arts. Overall, their relationship was far too complex to describe with a single word.

Not only would he not save me, he’d drop in just to scold me for not getting out of the scrape.

Compared to that, Koichiro’s relationship with Asuka was simple. He had taught her a bit of martial arts, but he didn’t train her in the Mikoshiba Mortal Arts. His affection for Asuka was more akin to a grandfather spoiling his granddaughter. It was a matter of difference in their positions, not how much he loved them. So long as Ryoma was to live on to become the heir to the Mikoshiba Mortal Arts, this was unavoidable.

This dynamic was a question of a relative being weak and needing protection. Ryoma was undoubtedly strong, and Asuka was unfit. Since Koichiro cared so much for her, there was only one reason he didn’t rush to her aid.

It was because he decided that she’d be safe in Rodney Mackenna’s care. Koichiro didn’t speak of it aloud, but he must have trusted Rodney. And he did mention not killing him when he secured the firearm in Galatia.

When they had met some days ago, Ryoma learned of the events that had occurred since Koichiro was summoned to this world, including the Galatia incident. Koichiro had told Ryoma that he didn’t kill Rodney at the time, which was baffling.

The Mikoshiba Mortal Arts are based on killing the opponent as efficiently as possible while protecting your own life.

Once a practitioner locked blades with another, it would end with one or the other dying. It was an anachronistic approach, but by maintaining this mentality, the Mikoshiba style could keep its purity and lethality even during the peacetime of modern society.

Despite that, Koichiro only severed one of Rodney’s arms and neglected to kill him. He likely kept Rodney for his nature and authority within the church, acknowledging he would be capable and willing to protect Asuka.

And if this letter is correct, he was right to believe that.

Ryoma looked down at the letter in his hand wordlessly. The proposal in this letter greatly endangered Rodney’s position within the church, and he wasn’t sure if one would go that far to save a girl that appeared from another world.

Some people were virtuous to a fault, but they were few and far between, especially in this world where it was survival of the fittest. Knowing such a person rescued his relative felt like such a stroke of luck that Ryoma had to think there was something contrived to it all.

Maybe I’m just too jaded. I hope so, at least...

Ryoma working alone was not an issue, but he was the head of the Mikoshiba barony. He had responsibility over a domain of tens of thousands of people, which weighed him down. Nevertheless, the desire to save Asuka Kiryuu tugged on his heart as much as it did Koichiro’s, if not more.

Genzou Tachibana...

Koichiro told Ryoma about this man. He was a police officer who visited Ryoma’s home a few times to investigate his sudden disappearance from his high school. The middle-aged man was unfortunate enough to be summoned into this world with Asuka.

Of course, Ryoma wasn’t naive enough to blindly trust the man just because of where he came from, but this was still a factor.

Guess I should talk to him before I make any decisions. With that in mind, Ryoma left his tent while considering how to save Asuka.

†

“Wait here. We’ll call you over in a moment.”

Dilphina stopped in front of a large tent at the center of the camp and spoke to Tachibana. Tachibana heeded her words and froze where he stood. He gave a slight nod to Dilphina, who vanished into the tent, then swiftly glanced over the two sentries guarding the entrance.

They’re young but very well trained. And looking at them close up, their gear is of good quality too. Better than most soldiers would have.

As he passed by the patrolling soldiers on the way here, Tachibana questioned this a few times, and it seemed he was justified.

Even with torches around the camp, it’s hard to see through the darkness and tell for sure, but it’s on a whole different scale from the Church’s camp. The atmosphere about these soldiers is on another level.

The Church of Meneos’s soldiers were not incompetent. They were ardent believers who formed a force that dwarfed private armies from Rhoadseria. This was especially true of the Eighteenth Order of the Temple Knights, who were elites boasting combat prowess that exceeded the Royal Guard and Monarch’s Guards of this country.

Even compared to them, the Mikoshiba barony’s soldiers stood out from all of those with their degree of training and the quality of their gear. There was no doubting their morale either.

Their will is as firm as the Church’s soldiers of faith. This is the army of a man planning to take down an entire country.

It was likely even the most rank-and-file soldier had the objectives of the war explained to them. He didn’t sense from them the irresponsible compliance some soldiers had, who only stood on the battlefield because they received orders. They were highly motivated, and Tachibana was keenly aware of this based on how he had managed subordinates in modern society.

Keeping one’s subordinates motivated wasn’t simple and was much easier said than done. During Tachibana’s tenure as a police officer, this predicament troubled him more than once.

Still, leading such a large army when he’s barely twenty... Aside from his deceased parents and large physique, nothing about him stood out when I looked into him back in Japan.

Tachibana recalled ordering his colleague, Kusuda, to look into Ryoma’s relationships.

No... Come to think of it, there were a few points, albeit they weren’t directly related to him. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but...

Oddly, it seemed there was always trouble around Ryoma. There was no proof he was ever involved, and most of those were mostly cases of delinquents who got what they deserved.

I mean, it was the case of an elementary school teacher who overlooked bullying reports the board of education had made. Then, a group of delinquents who robbed, extorted, and raped in the area got knocked out.

In all those cases, Ryoma was neither the victim nor the perpetrator. It was hard to say if he was even involved.

After all, that teacher was from the same elementary school but was the homeroom teacher for another class. They might have recognized each other by sight, but that was about the extent of young Ryoma’s relationship with that teacher. As for the delinquents, they were active in an area not far from the Mikoshiba household. Whoever attacked them was apparently skilled in martial arts.

Ryoma’s martial arts experience made him appear suspicious, but that wasn’t enough to link him to the attack. Kusuda, who gave him the report, didn’t put much weight to it, and Tachibana didn’t deem it worthy of deeper investigation.

Both cases were of people who were likely to buy people’s ire. We shelved the investigations because too many people were involved.

In the teacher’s case, people had lynched him online and forced him to flee the city. The delinquents had had their arms and legs broken, leaving long-lasting effects. Both cases were regrettable and pitiful, but were nothing compared to the countless other victims they’d hurt. As a police officer, he couldn’t say that aloud, but he believed they got what was coming to them.

But he couldn’t help but have his suspicions, which his position allowed to a certain extent. While such paranoia was an occupational hazard in his home world, Tachibana was oddly grateful for it in this one. As that thought crossed his mind, Dilphina stepped out of the tent and spoke.

“Thank you for waiting. The lord wishes to speak to you.”

“Understood,” said Tachibana, then he set foot inside the tent. When he did so, he felt like someone had thrust a sharp blade against him.

“Something the matter?” Dilphina asked, noticing his sudden reaction. The elegant smile on her shapely lips implied she knew perfectly well what happened to him.

This damn woman is teasing me...

He had developed some respect for her after their clash in the woods earlier, but what she said ruined it. Trying to smooth his emotions over and hide his displeasure, Tachibana knelt.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Genzou Tachibana. Thank you for granting me an audience at such short notice.”

Three people were seated at a rectangular table at the tent’s center. Once Tachibana spoke to them, they fixed their eyes on his kneeling figure, and the pressure he felt upon entering the tent grew even more.

Such an oppressive aura...

Sitting at the furthest seat was the young warlord, Ryoma Mikoshiba, with his grandfather and closest aide beside him. Even if he was a noble, the matter concerned his relative, so it was natural for him to attend to it even if he had trusted retainers. Seeing Lione the Crimson Lioness here was within expectations.

But Koichiro Mikoshiba’s presence was something that took him by surprise.

I didn’t expect to meet him here...

What concerned Tachibana the most was whether he could prove his identity when delivering the letter. His inability to do this made contacting the Mikoshiba barony army difficult. With Koichiro present, it was a different story.

It made all his efforts so far feel wasted, but Tachibana kept up his formal greeting. This might have been a secret message, though it was still the decorum expected when speaking to an authority figure in this world.

Ryoma, however, raised a hand, gesturing for him to stand up. “There’s no need for all that. We’re short on time right now. Why don’t you take a seat over there?”

Since Ryoma, the man with the most authority in the room, asked him to do so, Tachibana wouldn’t argue.

“Excuse me, then,” Tachibana bowed his head and settled into his seat. Yet he sensed Ryoma’s presence. This man really is a monster.

This wasn’t just a matter of his physique or social status. Tachibana’s instincts informed him that something basic and primordial about this man, his very essence as a living being, was on a whole other level.

And him too...

He had witnessed Koichiro’s might during the incident in Beldzevia, but that was only one side of this man. As he pondered this, Koichiro spoke up.

“It’s been a long time, Officer Tachibana.”

“Yes. You saved my life back there.”

Koichiro stayed behind at the time to keep the Kingdom of Beldzevia from pursuing them. Tachibana had been suddenly thrown into another world and instantly cast into a scene of carnage. Usually, he’d have questioned the old man since he seemed the most knowledgeable. For the time being, he silenced his curiosity and thanked him instead—a show of his maturity.

“Ah, don’t mention it. You did help Asuka out a great deal, so thank you too,” said Koichiro.

Even if he was a police officer, no one would have faulted him for prioritizing his life here. Koichiro wasn’t so selfish as to take the fact Tachibana protected a girl who was summoned with him for granted.

The same was true of the young warlord. The intimidating air from earlier died down, and Ryoma rose from his seat.

“Yes, I ought to thank you. You have my deepest gratitude for protecting Asuka, Mr. Tachibana,” Ryoma said, bowing his head deeply to Tachibana.

Lione looked on in surprise, a faint smile on her lips, but didn’t say anything. Tachibana scratched his head, his expression awkward at seeing this young warlord bow his head to him.

I didn’t think he’d thank me so earnestly... I guess he is related to her.

Even as a police officer, he rarely saw someone thank him so earnestly. As Ryoma settled back into his seat, Tachibana got right to the point.

“I believe you already read Sir Rodney’s letter. Can you answer his suggestion?”

Ryoma looked at Koichiro briefly, then said, “I’ve read Lord Rodney’s letter, and I understand the situation.”

“Meaning?” Tachibana asked, confirming his intent.

Ryoma responded, “Yes... We must take Asuka under our wing urgently. Since this is a very selfish request on my behalf, I need your side’s help. Be aware that helping me could potentially endanger your position within the Church. It’s probably for the best if we discuss the danger involved first.”

Tachibana jerked his head in a nod. He knew full well what Ryoma was concerned about.

So it does come down to this. Like Menea thought.

Rodney initially thought it would be a simple matter of sending Asuka away, but Menea Norberg was much too jaded to believe it would be that easy. At worst, their actions could be considered treason against the Church.

When Menea gave Tachibana the horse that took him here, she had warned him about this possibility. To that end, she granted him free rein.

As such, Tachibana effortlessly said, “That’s fine. They have given me the right to decide on this matter.”

And they did so because this was the one way to save Asuka from fate’s unpredictability. If it worked, Rodney would not think twice about laying down his life.

†

The following morning, the Mikoshiba barony army hurriedly reorganized its forces. As the one charged with dividing the soldiers, Lione grumbled to herself.

“Seriously, the boy makes some pretty forceful demands...”

A sudden request to divide an army of ten thousand men in two would confuse anyone. Organizing an army wasn’t simply shifting several people. Multiple soldier types, like spearmen, archers, and knights, needed to be divided appropriately, and their gear needed management too.

Doing this would take several days, so she would usually refuse Ryoma’s demand to do it in half a day.

Also, he wants me to stall by leading the siege of the capital while he leads a small rescue party.

This was an extremely reckless gamble. After all, Lione would be left with only an army of seven thousand at her disposal, and she was to lead it as scheduled to meet up with Laura and Sara’s detachments to surround the capital. Ryoma and Koichiro, meanwhile, would lead a force of three thousand men to rescue Asuka.

Lione agreed this was the safest plan, given they were limited in how many soldiers and commanders they had for this operation. But it was still a desperate last resort.

Until now, Ryoma had made many choices that seemed reckless or risky, but he took considerable time and preparations for said plans. This time, however, the circumstances wouldn’t allow for that. He tried maintaining his composure, but Lione could tell he was anxious with a relative on the line.

Not that I can’t relate.

She had no family because the warring nature of the western continent had swallowed them up. If one of them were alive, Lione would have thrown away everything to save them, proof of her filial love. Despite all her complaints and dissatisfaction, she didn’t object to Ryoma’s decision, even if it was daring to save Asuka himself.

But having the old man handle the negotiations feels off...

Besides the people who would participate in the rescue effort, Ryoma needed someone who could negotiate with the Church of Meneos. Ideally he would fill that part, but having the warlord handle negotiations with the Church while his army was marching on the capital would appear unnatural. Since he insisted on leading the rescue party, someone else had to fill that role.

Though Lione headed for the capital, she wasn’t suited for negotiations to begin with. She was skilled at fighting on the battlefield, but politics and diplomacy were not her expertise. The same applied to many of Ryoma’s retainers like Boltz.

When it comes to diplomacy and politics, Counts Bergstone and Zeleph are the best at it out of everyone in the barony.

Unfortunately, both stayed behind in Epirus to assist with the Wortenia Peninsula’s development. Calling them over would be difficult, and they couldn’t ask Zheng and Veronica to fill the part, as they were members of the Organization. Although the Organization kept its information strictly secret, the Church of Meneos scrambled to learn anything and everything about them. And if Veronica and Zheng were to end up clashing with the Church, the plan to save Asuka would fall apart.

By process of elimination, Koichiro alone remained the sole option, even if Lione had her misgivings over whether he was the right man for that job.

That old man’s crazy strong. I know that.

She saw him duel Signus, which made everyone acknowledge his prowess. Many members of the barony were skilled fighters, but very few could beat Signus Galveria and his metal staff.

And he did it while hardly moving from his spot. I wouldn’t be able to pull that off.

If Lione or others couldn’t perform that achievement, Ryoma was the only one who could reasonably do so. Among soldiers and mercenaries, strength was what set the pecking order.

Because he displayed such strength, many people, such as members of the Crimson Lion group, regarded Koichiro with great respect. She never saw him lead an army, so she wasn’t sure about his skills as a commander. If nothing else, his martial prowess reached the point of mastery.

But handling negotiations? Can he really pull that off?

Negotiations were handled with words, not swords. From Ryoma’s perspective as his grandchild, Koichiro was an eccentric old man. But Lione mostly saw him as a witty, social person. Even so, he wasn’t exactly equipped with charisma.

There was another reason for her doubts: Koichiro Mikoshiba’s external position remained undecided.

Well, Nelcius said he’d have that taken care of, so it’ll probably be fine. Still...

Apparently, some dark elven medicine could change one’s appearance. Lione had no idea how it worked, meaning she couldn’t express an opinion.

Still, there’s no one else who can handle that role...

With that thought in mind, Lione went about her duties as a retainer serving her lord.