Chapter 241

Chapter 241 - Entering the War (1)

This destination is Northfork village. Eugene's first acquired territory and his only stronghold on the continent. Chief Alesa, who was staying here, sent a letter different from usual.

- The situation of the Roman civil war is about to change greatly. If you intend to intervene, you must prepare the army starting now.

The contents not being clear is probably because she is also in the middle of grasping the situation. It also means it is an urgent situation enough to inform him even if incompletely.

Alesa's sense for grasping how the world turns was always accurate. It is sufficient as a reason to head for Northfork.

'This won't do. This won't do either. Here won't do either.'

Eugene consecutively flipped through landscape paintings of the surroundings of Northfork in the core room.

He can transfer the castle just with his memories, but then the margin of error becomes large. However, if he uses a picture, he can move to precise coordinates. Because looking at visual data is advantageous for conceptualizing the image.

Northfork is a strategic point that fits within the top five of Eugene's territories. Therefore, multiple landscape paintings of parking lots to descend the castle were also in a prepared state.

However, because people's souls were scattered in various places like squatters, it was quite hard to find a place to transfer to.

Then he finally found an empty land. The scenery of a desolate and abandoned land flickered in front of Eugene like an illusion.

"Let's go. To Northfork."

Eugene reached his hand out to the core shaped like an armillary sphere. The treasure among treasures, the only one of its kind in the world. The crystal of mystery that cannot be exchanged even with an entire country.

As the rings surrounding it rapidly rotated, a special attractive force is created. That force pulled the sphere from all directions and made dozens of cracks.

Kiiing-.

From the cracks, astronomical mysteries radiate out like the corona spewed by the sun. Those connected with the image Eugene's mental imagery grasped.

Beonjjeok!

Like that, the knight who rose up in Roman returned. Having finished 3 years of training and becoming the conqueror of Sicily and Britannia, together with the strongest army.

* * *

Guuuuung-.

As Moving Castle's main gate opened, the desolate land revealed its appearance.

"Uh? This place is where in the past..."

"Isn't this the plains where we fought ghouls in the middle of the night and passed by? Where corpses were rolling around immensely so the priests were purifying."

The mercenaries in charge of Eugene's guard reacted.

"Right. It's the place where the Northern Noble Faction and the Northern Imperial Faction waged an all-out war in the early stage of the civil war. You remember clearly even though it's an event from 3 years ago?"

"Because we woke from our sleep and fought in the middle of the night. The experience of Lady Homi's war cry enveloping us for the first time was also impressive."

Moreover, it was an event before the Hammer Brotherhood or the Blackhand tribe joined. The days when Eugene was just heading north to take over Northfork.

Being an original member who was together since the early days is the guard squad's greatest pride. The mercenaries clearly remember each and every one of those journeys. Homi also put on a nostalgic face as if memories of the past came to mind.

Eugene, who went outside, discovered a few Wights approaching slowly from yonder. Their decomposition was completely finished, leaving only worn-out clothes and bones.

"The rumor that large quantities of undead have occurred starting from central Roman was real."

Even while traveling around various places in the world, Chief Alesa had sent Roman's circumstances through letters.

"It's the 3rd year since the civil war started. A whopping 3 years! The North originally had low influence from the Imperial Faction, and it came to a conclusion quickly thanks to Duke Ismar. But how much death must have flown in the other regions?"

Marbas said with a heavy-hearted face.

"I know that, but the priests purified this place in the past. They sprinkled holy water and recited prayers too, so I thought this side was safe."

"The aura of death is like mold, so even when you think you've wiped it all away, it grows back again if given the chance. It even spreads. At times like now when the civil war is prolonged and death overflows from everywhere, well... No matter how much you purify here, it will be useless if you don't solve the root cause."

The mercenaries rode their horses and dashed out. Having continuously trained as heavy cavalry since they were together with Eugene, they had been issued Barcia military horses.

"Euryah!"

The cavalry flail combined with the heavy cavalry's massive charging power and demonstrated immense destructive power.

Ppogak!

Peoseok!

A clear sound rang out consecutively, and the Wights with their skulls smashed collapsed on the spot.

"Looking at these guys' outfits, they seem like guys who came up from below."

"It's the end of the world."

Even Britannia, which similarly went through a civil war, was not to this extent. It seems the situation worsened terribly while Eugene's party was away from Roman.

* * *

A river with abundant water volume and docks that jut out like 3 forks. Huge merchant ships passing in front of it. Northfork was exactly as Eugene remembered it.

There was no anxiety on the faces of the villagers, the livestock had put on weight, and the number of fishermen fishing also increased. It's probably because the required food also increased as the inflowing population increased.

The biggest change is the wooden fortress constructed nearby. Originally, it was a facility built to provide the Blackhand tribe with a separate residential area. However, now it has grown almost to the level of a manor. A size that could gradually be called a fortress village.

"I heard from Chief Alesa that she was continuously expanding it, but to think it was to this extent."

3 years ago, people only came and went to Northfork village and the docks, but now workers and peddlers actively came and went even to the fortress village.

Because Dark Elf tribes who had a thirst for settlement or felt danger in wandering life due to weakened forces had settled down. Chief Alesa is currently recruiting them to absorb them into Eugene's forces in the long term.

"!!!"

Upon entering the lord's manor, the butler welcomed Eugene. This loyal man in his 40s was still slim and his face was tanned a copper color. It is proof that he had worked diligently even though he became the fox of a den without a tiger.

When the lord is absent, it's common for deputies to get intoxicated on indirect wealth and honor, causing grease to flow on their faces and their bellies to stick out.

"Lord! Looooord! You have finally arrived!"

Eugene felt a sense of apology at the appearance of him prostrating flat on his face, crying and rejoicing.

"You've taken good care of the territory in the meantime. Thank you."

"Aigoo! I merely did what I of course had to do! How much better it became to live as the Lord lowered taxes and supplies and warriors gathered."

The butler pointed at the expanded residential area with a proud face.

"With bandits, walking corpses, and all sorts of evil things coming up from below, the other villages were all in a frenzy. Only our village was peaceful. Thanks to that, there were many people sneaking over from nearby, so we even built several houses."

He had received reports through letters, but seeing it in person feels different. It was already large enough that it was awkward to call it a village from the start, but now, combining it with the Dark Elf settlement, it's almost at the level of a small city.

"Haven't protests come in from other lords?"

In this era, the only ones enjoying the freedom of residential relocation are free citizens. Even then, if it were occasionally a few people it'd be one thing, but if a large number tried to move, the lord would make excuses and put on the brakes. Because it effectively means resources that would cultivate land, pay taxes, and do forced labor exiting.

"From what I heard, the neighboring lords grumbled multiple times. Still, no protest letter has ever arrived. Who would dare express dissatisfaction?"

Pride overflowed in the butler's voice. Even if one acts as a servant, it's better to do it in a high official's house.

He was a butler who felt proud every time he heard stories of his fast-advancing master through Chief Alesa or rumors. His pride was soon fear and authority to the neighboring lords.

"I'll need a device to make them cower a bit even if a protesting envoy happens to come."

At Eugene's hand gesture, Homi held up and brought a large trophy with both hands. The stuffed head of a deer-type demonic beast with impressive onyx-like glossy antlers. The butler made a fuss and jumped up.

"T-That is!"

"It's been a while, right? It's the Wendigo trophy. You liked it very much, I was sorry for snatching it away not long after hanging it in Northfork."

"Don't mention it."

Even though he said this, the fact that he was disappointed was revealed on his face.

"Let's hang this at the entrance of the lord's manor again. I won't take it back in the future."

The butler beamed a smile all over his face. Because Eugene also gained better exhibits, there was no need to deliberately keep the Wendigo trophy in the Moving Castle lobby.

"And decorate this as a set too. It'll be much cooler than just having the head."

Eugene also took off the Wendigo cloak he was wearing and handed it over.

Cloaks are consumables. The Wendigo cloak that had wrapped around Eugene all this time suffered severe wear and tear amidst the battles he plowed through, so it became hard to use now. The time had come for it to retire together with the Wendigo head.

* * *

"It's been a while. Castle Lord."

"It's the same for me as well. The steadfast support from a far place was a great help. Chief."

Hearing the news of Eugene's return, Alesa came to greet him from the fortress village. Because they had always exchanged contacts through various routes, it felt familiar despite seeing her after a long time.

Alesa was much more polite than in the past. Because the man in front of her possessed the qualities of a Supreme Ruler whose precedent is hard to find even searching through history. Much less the affluence the future he envisions will bestow upon the clan goes without saying.

"The Emperor's army has crushed the Noble Allied Forces at the Rain River. I've double-checked it several times, but it is certain."

"If it's the Rain River..."

It is a river flowing between central and southern Roman. It got the name Rain River because the appearance of its several tributaries leading to the south was like a cloud sprinkling rain. It is the lifeline that feeds the numerous farmhouses in the south.

"Don't tell me the Noble Faction's army got ambushed while carrying out a river-crossing operation."

"As expected, you realize it right away."

Alesa admired Eugene's attitude of reasoning first without batting an eye even after hearing the shocking news. A leader's cold-headedness is bound to give a sense of stability to those who follow them.

"The Noble Faction was overwhelmingly superior in numbers by several times, but that acted as poison. Because as the war became prolonged, the voices of dissatisfaction grew larger internally."

"We are this superior so let's sweep them away in one go and please put an end to this. Was it something like this?"

"...Did you perhaps deploy spies?"

Alesa's eyes widened roundly at Eugene's reaction of figuring out everything perfectly.

"Nobles' reactions when they are at an advantage are obvious. It's a story I heard frequently from my vassals during the Britannia civil war."

"As the Castle Lord said. By confronting for 3 years, debts increased and farmland became desolate, so the position of the pro-war faction became stronger."

A large-scale allied force, where most of the Southern nobles and a part of the Central and Eastern nobles had banded together, was being commanded by the young Duke Robert.

Their numbers were nearly 4 times larger, but they lacked equipment and experience, and it was a situation where unity couldn't be achieved with nobles of various regions each voicing their own opinions. In contrast to that, the Imperial Faction was a situation tightly united under the rule of one Emperor.

Robert established the best operational plan under this situation. To avoid all-out war, suppress them omnidirectionally using numerical superiority, and disrupt supply routes to bleed them dry.

This guaranteed a stable victory, but instead, as the war dragged out smoothly, the economic bleeding of the participating nobles ballooned into snowballs.

With the piled up dissatisfaction of the nobles exploding, Robert, who was placed right on the verge of expulsion from his commander position, inevitably had to wage battle.

- Let's pull back the army! The enemies have already arrived at the river-crossing point. It's certain there is a spy among our allies.

- Are you kidding? Our allies are as many as 8,000, and the enemy forces aren't even 1,000. Let's strike them exactly like this and sweep them away.

- To abandon a river-crossing operation at the point it's found out, even if there's a 10-fold difference, is the basics of military tactics.

- Anyway, this is why people who learned war only through books... tsk tsk! We'll become the laughingstock of the world if we retreat from a handful of enemies at a river where our noses would touch if we fall over! Everyone prepare to charge!

- N-No!

The Noble Faction's army that was advancing split into a few chunks. One of them suffered a crushing defeat while daring a rash river-crossing operation. In the beginning, they thrust their heads relying on the overwhelming numbers difference, but they quickly lost strength.

- What are you doing? Keep attacking! Cut down all the soldiers retreating!

No matter how much the knights urged, it was geographically far too disadvantageous. Because the enemy's defensive lines, which had set up camp at the waterside and were pouring down spears and bolts, were sturdier than imagined.

Still, the difference in numbers was large so if they continuously attacked they would've pierced through, but the Noble Faction's army did not have an elevated training level enough to maintain the offensive.

- I-I don't wanna die!

- I'm going to go home!

Conscripts and rookie mercenaries started deserting en masse. A situation where the non-commissioned officers and knights who had to control them also had a hard time moving properly due to the splashing water and corpses floating on top of it.

- Shoot generously! Make all the idiots who fearlessly entered the deadzone into fish food!

Since the Imperial Faction army attacked more fiercely capitalizing on this opening, the Noble Faction's large numbers instead changed like a pile of mud tangling each other and causing them to drown.

"Most of the Noble commanders who crossed the river were caught as prisoners or died, and the army was disintegrated."

"8,000 people in one blow?"

"Regrettably so."

Eugene also frowned his face as if this alone was beyond his imagination.

"Besides, there seemed to be a competent cavalry commander in the Imperial Faction. The moment he heard of the river-crossing operation victory, he gathered troops in that direction and conversely executed a cross-river attack."

With the sudden annihilation of the 8,000 Noble Faction army, that direction became an ownerless land. The Imperial Faction cavalry, who safely crossed Rain River, staged a raid on the Noble Faction's military provisions storage that they found out by torturing captives.

"With the news of the military provisions cache even burning down coming right after the news of defeat, the allied force's morale shook greatly."

"How many days' worth was the remaining food?"

"It was an amount barely enough to eat for about fifteen days. Castle Lord."

Having a large army means supply also becomes that much more difficult. If it's an army banding together in tens of thousands, they'll dry up in an instant even if supply gets cut off for a short while.

As things went like this, the Noble Faction's main camp became caught in a dilemma. A situation where if they endure they'll starve, and if they retreat the Imperial Faction aiming to strike their rear is glaring at them.

- The moon is hidden behind clouds.

- If we are to flee, it's now.

With perceptive mercenaries beginning to flee, the situation rapidly got worse and eventually even the main force was greatly defeated.

"How is the Western army?"

Due to Rain River, mountain ranges, etc., the Western Noble Faction was active independently.

"Since it wasn't a place directly confronting the Emperor's army, they were at ease. Overthrowing the Imperial Faction nobles, they succeeded in consolidating the Noble Faction's power."

It meant that the main battlefield of the civil war would gradually move to the West starting now. Regardless of fighting or spectating, it was time for Eugene to make a decision.

"To think they would collapse this suddenly."

Eugene had kept his distance from Roman's civil war all this time. The Noble Faction being advantageous was a part of it, but Duke Robert's operational plan as the allied force's commander catching his eye was also big.

Even if there is economic bleeding, sticking to an operation that clearly brings victory. That attitude fit Eugene's inclination well. Had Eugene joined, the hardline nobles would have run amok more and the time of all-out war would have been pushed forward.

They would've won even if left alone, so he disliked needlessly creating variables spending money and troops. But the nobles' internal dissatisfaction was beyond imagination.

"And a vassal summons order has been issued from Count Morad's family."

"A letter must've come to me too, right?"

"Of course. They were very, very polite. To the point where one would wonder who is the superior. Since the Castle Lord's military force is desperately needed, it's only natural though."

Eugene took Count Morad's letter, scanned through it, and nodded his head.

"It is time to do the worth of what I've received."

"Northfork is definitely a good village. Count Morad will also be glad."

"I was talking to the Emperor?"

"Ah..."

The opportunity to obtain Moving Castle. No matter what anyone says, the Emperor's contribution to arranging that is great. Eugene had felt heavy in one corner of his heart as he hadn't been able to repay him, but it seems that the time has finally come.