Chapter 190

Chapter 190 - War of Wrath (7)

"Captain. Shouldn't we be slowly bouncing?"

"Idiot. When would we be able to run amok to our hearts' content like this if not now? You have to pack to the maximum when the opportunity comes."

"That is true but... Huh? What are you doing right now?"

The expression of the bragging mercenary captain stiffened, then he suddenly mounted his horse.

"Giddy up!"

"Captain! Captain! Where are you going?!"

And as he ran hurriedly, all his subordinates panicked. The reason the captain bolted was known quickly.

"Wipe out the bandit bastards!"

Nearly 100 cavalry pointing composite bows were charging in.

"Ambush! It's an ambush!"

"Captain bastard! Hey you son of a bitchhhh!"

Being scattered on top of being abandoned by their captain, the mercenaries were swept away doing nothing.

A situation where they have to show their backs to the cavalry of a nomadic tribe even if they try fleeing at best. They are merely reduced to prey with good hand taste.

"Huu. As expected, we like the East. Horizons are visible wherever you look, and the ground is appropriately soft, so there's a taste to running."

After the subjugation ended, Rex stared at Eugene with a subtle expression.

"Don't you think it would be wonderful if we changed it all into pastureland?"

"Can you not see the color of the dirt here?"

Eugene let out a hollow laugh at the profound idea of changing fertile black soil into pastureland.

"Wouldn't even more delicious grass grow quickly that much more?"

"Stop joking and send return messengers to the cavalry in other areas too. Clearing out bandit bands is enough at this point. Since the supply routes have become safe, we must focus on the upcoming pitched battle."

"Understood."

Now direct supply from the Moving Castle became possible.

While accepting the supplies stockpiled in the castle, they sent the loot obtained while ravaging the West and Center.

The heretical scriptures to be offered to Vanas, the tyrant's heart Cassandra would use, the magic armor obtained from the Dullahan.

Since it was troublesome to use them right away, they had to be safely stored until the war ends.

"It becomes comfortable at once as the horse feed problem is resolved."

Hind entered numbers into the supplies ledger moving his eyes like rolling glass beads.

Although he is top-notch as a knight too, true to being from a merchant family, he also had considerable talent in calculation and supplies management.

- Sir Knight. I have a chronic illness where I cannot count numbers on paper even though I can count well how many sheep are in the meadow. Please put away those terrible scrolls.

A situation where all the tribal knights including Rex were terrified of this sort of thing.

"The reorganization of the distribution plan is finished. We can proceed like this until the next supply."

"Good work."

If Eugene creates the distribution plan from a macroscopic perspective, filling its gaps is Hind's role.

Although the tribal merchants serving in the army are taking on the role of quartermasters, there also exist tasks they cannot help with.

A close aide who hears all confidential information by his side and shares various discussions. Only such an existence can coordinate logistics while even considering the future.

"It is a relief they clarified their attitude in the North."

"I was planning to ask for reinforcements to saddle them with a two-front war, but it's a shame. They were out of their minds there too, having just ended a family dispute."

Count Constantine, who newly became the Northern administrator, sent a letter asking to look favorably upon them. Together with oatmeal powder, combat rations in the Northern style.

Since it happened to be lunch time, everyone is trying it, but true to a porridge famous for being tasteless, the reactions are not good at all.

"Let's subjugate the North too after smashing that Kruger bastard!"

They were even chattering lines like jokes with expressions like serious talk.

"It's tasteless because you eat it mixed in plain water. Everyone try eating it like this."

As Eugene handed it over adding pork fat, salt, and a bit of spices to sheep's milk, the reactions changed to the opposite.

Perhaps it was quite alright, only the sound of tableware clattering rings faintly. It was a luxury they could enjoy because it was a march together with livestock.

At that time, a commotion arose outside.

"Hey! This is a restricted area. The spot for outside merchants is over there."

"Oh my, we are sorry, sirs."

Sutlers from the West bowed and scraped to the soldiers. Their messy appearance and the deep worry on their faces showed signs of having suffered some accident during their trading.

"Who are they?"

"They are people who set out for trade and got shipwrecked. They are in the middle of trying to dispose of even the items they barely salvaged. Those who are still short on money even after that are serving in the army as laborers."

Hind, who deals with sutlers a lot, answered immediately.

"That's really unlucky. But you say trade, why are they coming from the West?"

Most of Britannia's trade is conducted in the South or East. Gord, Barcia, and the petty kingdoms bordering the sea are the main customers.

"They say there is a land of snow beyond the sea to the northwest of Britannia. Over 8 tenths of the land is frozen, but there is a city at the very bottom so they share trade with there. I heard various furs are special products."

"Eight tenths of the land is ice?"

"People live in such a place?"

The tribal knights who had only lived on the meadow made faces of disbelief.

"Hoo."

"Lord. Surely you don't intend to go there too, right?"

"Why? Isn't it enjoyable to sightsee the world? While you guys rejoiced every time we went to Samur or Sicily and the like."

"Because falling into a snowfield is a different matter."

To the Dark Elves who are a nomadic tribe, a snowfield zone was equivalent to hell on earth.

"I think Homi would like it though."

"...Your words are cheap."

Since Kingdom's End belonged to a warm southern region, it was hard to see snow even in winter.

However, if it snowed once by chance, Homi didn't know what to do and rejoiced. Grabbing Eugene's hand, she would playfully run out and roll around in the snowfield.

"Kkyahahaha!"

"Ahahat!"

Everyone's gaze headed to a rock where the sound of children's laughter was heard. There, Homi dressed in sportswear was playing with children the sutlers brought.

Because the world is what it is, seeing children on the battlefield is not a hard thing.

Doing small errands for soldiers, gathering branches to use as firewood, or doing odd jobs in the merchant groups, there were many places to put them to work.

They used to bring and use children of merchants or orphans who lost their parents.

One boy who warmed up bouncing plumply lay face down on the rock and stood his right arm.

Ssss.

A long, thick tail wraps around that hand twice. The boy's face turned into a broad grin at the soft touch and fragrant scent.

"Hey. Aren't you going to focus?"

Only after a surrounding girl chided him did he collect his expression and put strength into his arm.

"Iyaaaat!"

"Pfft."

However, the tail doesn't even budge.

"Heuiyaaap!!"

"Fufufut."

Even though he exerted himself to the point his face turned bright red, he ended up losing the arm wrestling in the end.

"Hmph."

Perhaps because they were the prizes staked on the match, everyone became gloomy looking at the white breads piled in the basket.

But Homi intended to give them regardless of victory or defeat from the start. As she smiled gently and placed the basket in their arms, flowers of laughter bloomed from the children.

It was a warm sight unbelievable for an army ahead of a war.

* * *

Conversely, the Central army is in a heavy atmosphere. Just looking at the war results they plundered a lot and achieved highly nutritious victories, but it wasn't a situation to rejoice in.

There are profane bastards daringly pursuing them from the West. The central nobles, who had always been in the pursuing position, were exceedingly unpleasant.

But the pursuers are not ordinarily strong guys. Every time they produced war results, the pursuing army produced war results several times bigger and threw cold water.

"My son was captured."

King Kruger's mutter caused tension in the banquet. Unlike the weak firstborn, he cherished his secondborn who was a splendid knight.

- You resemble your mother quite a lot.

The soft tolerance of his wife who died early. That shard was often glimpsed in Krey's leadership.

Every time that happened, a piece of warmth was contained in the smile King Kruger made. To the point one could never believe it belonged to a cruel tyrant.

"If we hear the rumors, they say they don't seem like prisoners. Receiving hospitable treatment, and wearing armor on top of that..."

"So are you saying my son bastard betrayed me?"

"Ah, I-I apologize!"

At the low but heavy voice of the King, the vassal bowed his head.

"Tsk."

Staring silently, the King clicked his tongue.

"The large and small battles I have experienced so far alone exceed 200 times."

"Is there another king who has experienced more battles than Your Highness?"

A certain vassal quickly retorted. If only he could dissolve this heavy atmosphere, he felt he could even curse his own parents.

"I didn't always win. I have been defeated many times too. There were enemies who insulted me as well."

"But haven't you always made up for it with bigger successes in subsequent battles?"

As King Kruger raised his horn cup, the nearby nobles drank liquor together.

Even if the King is a tyrant, he is not of the disposition to like lip service. However, these days he needed this kind of side dish to swallow his liquor.

And it's not wrong words either. Making up for defeat with a bigger victory. That is also the secret to how King Kruger became equipped with the best eagle manufacturing skills.

The sight of mouths that once insulted him begging for death is a reward as joyful as victory.

"But this time alone is different. If we lose this time, there will be no next time. The army pursuing right now are such guys. Do you understand what I want to say?"

"Living, all of us will enjoy wealth and honor under Your Highness, and dying, we will enjoy the glory of Valhalla in the arms of the Gods."

"As the wisdom of our ancestors is with us, we can surely win."

As they came together up to here, the vassals in this place were the cream of the crop. Whether in military might or in loyalty.

"Please rest assured, Great Chief. You just have to trust us."

"Weak land warriors or the likes will all be chopped to pieces before the axes of the sea, so what is there to worry so much."

The Viking chiefs who devoured the food ravenously pounded their chests.

"Such rude..."

King Kruger restrained the vassal trying to step forward. Pressing those who have no concept of a king to address him as Your Highness would only ruin the mood. Anyway, their capabilities as warriors were trustworthy people.

"As I came, I saw a shaman preparing Tears of Fanaticism."

At the question of one chief, King Kruger nodded his head.

"This battle, we cannot afford even a speck of leeway."

"Even so, isn't that too excessive?"

Just as civilized countries gave birth to guardians called knights, the Vikings also possessed a lethal move.

The decisive battle weapon completed by mixing their violence and folk beliefs. Berserkers.

The 'wisdom of our ancestors' a certain vassal mentioned earlier when sharing a toast was the talk about utilizing berserkers.

It's a forbidden secret art that temporarily makes even an ordinary warrior into a monster equivalent to a knight.

Because the side effects are that great and it's also difficult to utilize fitting the army's discipline, it's actually hard to see. To that extent, Kruger staked life and death on this match.

"Please entrust the vanguard to us. When the bizarre screams of beasts begin to cover the battlefield, it will only be full of screams. Before that, I will shout my name and family before the enemies."

"Do as you please."

"However, Your Highness. The operation we already established..."

King Kruger raised his hand and blocked the vassal's words again.

By Britannia's standards it's a relationship between a king and barbarian leaders, but by Viking standards it's a relationship between equal chiefs.

Just as the nobles individually exercised command over the troops they brought and ran amok, the Viking chiefs also had no obligation to receive anyone's commands.

Even calling him Great Chief now was an amazing concession in their own way. Because the Kruger family wasn't a very noble clan in the Viking homeland just strictly looking by bloodline.

"I really like this land because it's warm. Wherever you go it's green too."

"If only we omit the severe smell of cow dung, that is. Wherever you go just what kind of bastard's dung smell is so thick."

"But isn't it good that women have little hair on their bodies?"

"Certainly that one thing is amazing!"

The vassals frowned at the sight of them spouting dirty words while laughing loudly and throwing liquor cups.

That these were not just one-time mercenaries. To think they would put down roots in the East from now on and become neighboring nobles they'd face, it was terrible.

But it was what everyone sympathized with that without them there is no victory either.

* * *

"They say the Vikings who were habitually plundering joined King Kruger's army without exception!"

Even though there was quite a threatening report, Eugene and those serving in the army didn't waver.

Because their morale pierced the sky having achieved consecutive victories doing a tour performance across the whole of Britannia.

And it wasn't a normal victory in a normal battle; each one was a saga for them to use as a lifelong side dish for drinks when they returned to their respective villages.

'It's worth fighting.'

'Even if we lose, the opponent will also take miserable damage and come to the negotiation table.'

Since those two beliefs were firm, everyone worried over a more relaxed topic.

Since Eugene would figure out how to win well, they were engaging in a war of nerves over 'where' to win.

"Letting my horsemanship rot is a waste. I shall rightly stand at the front."

"At whose discretion are you deciding such a thing?"

"You can't possibly stand the face of this glorious large army as infantry, can you? If you're dissatisfied, you should have ridden horses well."

"The opponents are central bastards, so what does it matter if you can't ride that little bit of horse! It's obvious those bastards' vanguard will also come running on their feet!"

This childish quarrel occurred as Eugene gave up the honor of vanguard and declared he would focus on command.

A large-scale pitched battle where troops of this scale clash was also a first for Eugene to experience.

'Since there's Might and the elite cavalry, I can intervene anytime if push comes to shove. So...'

Rather than running amok with the bravery of a common man from the start, as the general commander, he had to read and tune the entire battlefield.

"It seems they forgot those bastards suffered 4 consecutive losses to Krey's knights?"

Rex was dumbfounded seeing the southern nobles shouting boldly here and there.

He didn't really like the sight of people who would all run away right now if Eugene's main unit fell out, acting arrogant under borrowed authority.

"Don't view them too badly. Because they have to make a living too."

Eugene had a top-tier trade city like Haven, and Baron Lester had salt mines in his territory so he touched big money.

The other lords had no choice but to dig dirt to live. But how much would it be even if they received barley, beans, or wheat as taxes? They couldn't cover a noble's maintenance costs with that.

It's actually a favorable situation if they even possessed a small fief. Because there were also people whose noble status and armor were everything, lacking even that.

In the end, the answer was war. Even if dangerous, it's hard to find an opportunity to earn a higher income than this.

Naturally, the more merits they build in battle, the more they catch the eye of the general commander Eugene, the more things they can obtain.

"Indeed. Before you reigned, Sir Knight, they probably couldn't even dare to imagine such an opportunity. They would have probably just gotten beaten up every day against central bastards and pirate bastards."

"It seems you have quite a hair stuck in your hatred for them. Still, we're the same family, so look upon them a bit generously. Anyway, they're filling the head counts well, right?"

"You are too generous, Sir Knight."

The nobles' topic of conversation had moved on to other things.

Besides the vanguard of the battle, there were positions like the mobile force to strike supply units, or the reserve force which is good having low casualties although it's hard to build merits.

"Where is this person raising his voice? Do not forget you are in front of the Countess."

"A, no, what I mean is..."

Thanks to Valda stepping forward instead and listening to the nobles' stories, Eugene could take a breather.

Beautiful yet combining refinement and charisma, she skillfully handled the nobles who flocked like hungry puppies.

Sage of the Forest, Elf Princess, hostess of the Meyer family. Carrying 3 noble statuses in one body, she is a reassuring political companion.

She provided perfect wifely assistance so Eugene could fully concentrate on the struggle for supremacy against external enemies.

'The tribal elders whining asking when I would marry were so bothersome, but seeing it now it was foresight.'

A monarch definitely should have a family.

"Excuse me, I have a chronic illness so my joining was delayed. Please accept these riches and put in a good word with His Excellency..."

A noble who joined the army belatedly after watching the situation placed a box full of silver coins in front of Valda.

"I have surely received Sir's sincerity. I will speak well to the Head of the family, so do not worry too much."

"Thank you! I will serve with all loyalty in the future!"

Valda functioned excellently as a communication channel for nobles who found it burdensome to speak to Eugene directly. Eugene also found it convenient in many ways to receive bribes through his wife rather than receiving them openly.

And one more thing. Even when receiving surrenders, Valda's existence was convenient.

"My master wishes to change his flag. If you just accept us, we will offer our loyalty."

An envoy met in a secret room avoiding others' eyes knelt down.

"We have been trapped in the tyrant's oppression for too long. Master has always spoken of an honorable person we should truly serve."

The nobles who realized the war situation was not good and wanted to switch sides needed a justification.

'I think I will go bankrupt if I keep staying under Kruger, so I will quickly betray him!'

'We still harbor loyalty to the Elf royal family who ruled this land. Since the Princess has returned, we must rightly keep the oath of our ancestors.'

Even if switching exactly the same, naturally the latter looks much better to others. Valda's existence became a very convenient excuse for those trying to surrender.

After speaking a few lines of surrender intent, the envoy praised Valda's beauty and nobility for nearly 5 times that much.

"Thank you for the praise. You truly have a lord who knows honor."

"I am merely grateful you recognize it, Excellency."

As the envoy stepped back, Valda leaned her head on Eugene's shoulder.

"Is the royal family now just good to use as an excuse?"

"It's insolent, should I tell them to get lost?"

"You cannot do that. Is it not a blessing that came looking for you?"

Valda shook her head with a faint smile. Hair like gold threads tickled Eugene's shoulder and neck.

"Use her to your heart's content. This pitiful woman who has nothing but honor and her body."

"So it's that kind of concept today. Like an obscene Elf Princess."

"Kkyak! T-Tickling is forbidden!"

As Eugene tickled her armpit, Valda freaked out.

She is unusually weak to tickling. If Eugene happened to scratch the sole of her feet in bed, she convulsed to the point she couldn't even breathe.

"Pranks stop here! How will you answer the surrender just now?"

"We must accept it."

Eugene answered immediately.

"Are you not suspicious? Even if not a trap, they could be someone trying to spy on our information."

Furthermore, the opponent didn't even reveal their name. Because surrender before battle has various methods due to its nature.

There also exist formats where they provide fragmented information like a down payment concept, then if the opponent accepts it positively, they produce additional results and join.

"It's the first surrender of a central noble. Surely there will be many pondering besides that person. If we cut it off firmly from the start, they will also all give up on surrender."

"That is true."

"It doesn't necessarily have to be a sincere surrender. If we can shake the hearts of the central nobles currently pondering even more, that alone is sufficient."

Eugene conveyed to the envoy that he would accept the surrender. Only, this surrender held a meaning much greater than Eugene imagined.

"Really? His Excellency Meyer was satisfied?"

"That is so! Master! Now you only need to wait for an appropriate opportunity."

Baron Boute, who hoped to defect, was not a mere commander serving in King Kruger's army.

He was a person guarding a castle further in the rear. A place to become a stronghold for the Central army to take refuge and reorganize if push comes to shove.

Baron Boute rubbed his hands and stared outside the castle walls. Even now, supply wagons were busily coming in and out from Kruger's army camp.

Now there remained only one day's distance between Eugene's army and Kruger's army.

Even though they had a seemingly peaceful horizon between them, thanks to military flags, tension, and fear, each other's existence was clearly felt.