Chapter 247

Chapter 247 - Black Crusade (1)

The place where the pagan rebel army rose up is the Southern direction. Because it became a lull after the two giant fOrces clashed with a bang, it was a perfectly good state for wicked people to act violently.

Bandits, deserters, and mercenary groups blinded by money roamed around like wild dogs, but the power to suppress them disappeared. Refugees that occurred here and there and unprotected villages are perfectly good prey for pagan worshipers.

Naturally, the advance direction of the Western Allied FOrces was also decided to be the South.

"To sweep away the pagan bastards and drive out the Emperor's army too, it truly kills two birds with one stone."

"Please do not forget about the fOrces testing the waters while professing neutrality. Do you know how much money they earned by placing a foot in both sides during the civil war? That is all the hard-earned blood and sweat of Roman! The war that should end quickly is prolonging because of those bastards."

The opinion to pressure villages or cities that maintained neutrality was the majority. It's a story of making them join the Noble Faction and requisitioning supplies. If they refuse, that exactly is what is desired. It becomes a justification to occupy and pillage them as is.

"Then before we depart, please sign the written oath as notified in advance."

As Duke Leray gestured, the scribes brought an armful of prepared papers.

'A written oath? What?'

Because Eugene joined suddenly at the very end, he didn't know something like this existed.

"Your Highness the Duke. Do we absolutely have to do something like this?"

A certain baron who received the written oath said as if not pleased.

A noble is a privileged class bestowed by heaven. They must be an existence free from everything. For that reason, it is natural for an oath to be unwelcome. The reactions of other nobles were similar.

However, Duke Leray came out firmly.

"Robert who led the Southern army was a competent commander and their military fOrce was more than 3 times that of the Emperor's army. And yet, the reason they suffered a great defeat at the end is because they were not united."

The written oath Eugene received deals with a few prohibited matters. It's a content agreeing on staking their name that they will receive disadvantages in the distribution of rewards according to merits if violated.

Duke Leray shouted a passage at a time looking around at the nobles scanning the written oath. He had perhaps memorized it entirely, as there was not a single letter wrong.

"Until the civil war ends, there must not be quarreling among comrades. I will prohibit private duels within the Allied FOrces."

That they duel among the same side leaving a mighty enemy in front of them might sound like crazy talk, but it's unexpectedly not a rare occurrence either.

"I also disallow missionary activities within the units. Faith is a splendid thing, but right now victory takes priority! I will not tolerate bringing about unnecessary conflicts on my honor."

Several nobles flinched with pricked faces. In a world where diverse faiths coexist, a place like this is the best missionary opportunity. Because seducing a single noble equipped with military and financial power helps with the expansion of the church's influence more than the powerless common people.

As Eugene saw it, the oath was a reasonable composition without anything excessive, but there were several nobles who didn't like the oath itself. The forefront of that goes without saying is Count Morad.

"Requiring an oath like this before departing for battle, isn't that a matter from the Ancient Kingdom days?"

"It's a war to restore the order of that time, so what is the problem?"

"We are fighting to restore Roman's order, but I say this because we are not trying to create another Emperor."

However, the ones who signed the oath without complaints were the majority. Those who wanted to quickly end the sickening civil war, those who possessed trust in Duke Leray's distribution of war merits, those whom Duke Leray recruited beforehand, etc.

To advance the state of affairs in this situation, a trigger is necessary. A neutral and honorable person leading a strong army. There is exactly one person in this conference room fitting that.

"What do you think, Count Mayer?"

Eugene inwardly sighed at the earnest gazes gathering onto him.

"The maximum advantage of the enemies is the point that they are strongly united under one leader. Offsetting that is essential for victory. Duke Leray voluntarily took upon the role of the villain, so how could I refuse this?"

Eugene performed a performance of holding up the paper showing it after signing in front of everyone watching.

"The Cruz family also agrees with Count Mayer's will."

As Caras likewise held up the signed written oath and showed it, the trend of the situation was confirmed as is.

"That heart that gladly yielded solely for the end of the civil war! This Duke will never forget it!"

Duke Leray, whose eyes looked as if he sent a love letter, approached smiling broadly. Personally gathering Eugene and Caras's written oaths, he massaged their shoulders.

Let alone the nobles who were pro-Leray faction from the beginning, the nobles and mercenary captains who were reluctant also competitively started signing.

"Will it be alright? The gaze from the Morad family side is not good at all."

"Complete neutrality is impossible. If you stood at a crossroads of choice, you have to give what needs giving."

Eugene shrugged his shoulders at Caras' whisper.

The relationships of nobles are bound to become estranged even over trivial matters. It feels like he became one step further estranged from Count Morad's family, but naturally one cannot always chase two rabbits.

"You can sign in the square place at the bottom of the document and stamp your seal next to it."

The scribes shouted while distributing written oaths and quill pens.

"Is it alright to let a vassal ghostwrite it?"

A middle-aged noble looking born to be a warrior, with as many as two sword scars on his cheek, asked.

"No. It must absolutely be the Lord's own signature. If it's not possible, it's fine to replace it with an X mark."

Everyone played their pens at their respective seats. Including the noble who asked just earlier and the mercenary captains, there are many people drawing X's. Because the ones who didn't know writing were not few and illiteracy wasn't particularly a shameful thing.

Even among people writing their names, there are quite a few cases of writing crookedly like a child who just learned to write.

"Hoh."

Naturally, Eugene's written oath written in an elegant handwriting couldn't help but catch Duke Leray's eye. Their impressions of the other party completely changing after meeting was the same for each other.

"Gratitude for the lords' devotion."

The invited high-ranking priest drew the holy sign and blessed the nobles who came to submit the written oaths. When the process was all finished, Duke Leray gestured as if waiting for it.

The finest beautiful wines were set full, and exotic beauties recruited from several countries came out in two files and danced. The performances of outstanding musicians, incense candles as expensive as the equivalent weight of gold melted the nobles' hearts.

"There wasn't a rumor that he's a particularly hedonistic gentleman, but he's a flexible personality."

Caras said while putting a snack into his mouth.

To properly integrate this multinational army, a certain degree of coercion is necessary, but it was also troublesome to solely squeeze them too much. He has to walk a tightrope between both sides, and Duke Leray is doing it well.

* * *

As the departure date was confirmed, all camps of the Western Allied FOrces moved busily. They respectively maintained their weaponry and inspected the state of provisions and military horses.

Eugene visited an ally, Caras' camp, and discovered something immensely welcome.

"Rice?!"

Eugene shouted an exclamation looking at the clumped rice balls.

"Is Your Excellency seeing it for the first time? Indeed, because even in Samur the regions cultivating it are only about 3 tenths."

Caras liked the usually calm Eugene's intense reaction. Even though it's odd that he had this kind of reaction to merely rice and not something else.

"Will you try taking a bite?"

"Thanks!"

"No, over merely a rice ball..."

Eugene, who received it with both hands rejoicing intensely, took a big bite.

Omul.

What nuttiness enjoyed in how long is this? The faint sweetness unique to grains of rice and the texture filled his mouth full. Perhaps the variety was different from the Japonica rice Eugene knew, the stickiness was low, but it also didn't give off a fragrance like Indica rice. It literally stuck to his mouth smackingly.

"Sir Caras. Could you perhaps sell me the seeds for this?"

"As much as you want. However, it will probably be hard to cultivate in the lands of Britannia or Roman."

"If I rummage around here and there in the world, there will be an appropriate cultivation land."

Caras's camp had quite a different atmosphere from other noble encampments. So did the exotic feeling of their race, tents, and equipment, but the appearance of preparing combat rations particularly stood out.

"Keuak!"

Homi, who came observing togAAether, freaked out and darted off. Her sensitive sense of smell couldn't endure the intense smell given off by beans fermenting. Hind had no expression change, but it seems he is also considerably agonized.

Only Eugene alone sniffed with a satisfied face and savored the fragrance of fermentation.

"As expected, if there's rice there must be soybean paste."

"It's a food Roman's nobles get terrified of, but Your Excellency is unique too."

"I like Samur food. I liked it from before too, but from today I will say I fell in love with it."

Let alone Caras, all the Samur knights who followed him looked at Eugene favorably. A foreign noble sincerely praising their heterogeneous hometown food is not common. Since that was Eugene, a knight among knights, it approached even more joyfully.

"Is this taro stem?"

Eugene lifted a straw rope piled up a lot. The length is about 1m. Nearby, a Samur knight is boiling water strongly dissolved with soybean paste. Into that place, the taro straw ropes entered and were boiled down.

"So you boil the stems in soybean paste and pickle them like this, then use them as combat rations."

"It's regrettable since Your Excellency does all the explanations I would make."

Caras grinned and nodded his head.

"It's convenient in field operations. You soak rice in water, appropriately cut and put those stems in, and boil it, then a stew for one meal is completed precisely as is."

"Please pack some of this for me too."

"Your Excellency's knights will hate it, though?"

- What kind of pig slop is this?

- To serve something like this to an honorable knight. Samur's barbarian bastards.

In the Cruz family's territory it's a combat ration even knights commonly eat, but in foreign countries they don't even look at it.

"Then that's even better. Since I can eat it all by myself."

"Your Excellency is the greatest eccentric I know."

Unlike his words, satisfaction was full on Caras' face gesturing to a servant.

"It seems you don't eat rice much in Samur either? Because when I went to Tripol before, I didn't see it at all."

"There's also climate and soil quality issues, and because it's a grain only the regions eating it from the past eat. A foreign envoy party that crossed the ocean in the distant past gave it as a gift. It fit perfectly with our land, which was experiencing difficulties cultivating wheat or potatoes."

The Cruz family, whose entire territory was a subtropical climate and wetlands, rapidly grew its power as they started rice farming. Escaping from a weak family and growing into today's great lord is entirely the power of rice.

"Could you tell me in detail regarding that envoy party?"

If it's about the level of propagating a different food culture to this extent, the possibility is high that it's a region that sprouted a separate civilization.

"I'm sorry, but related records burned down during war. Besides the fact that it's an event from 1,500 years ago, there's nothing left."

"It's a pity."

Considering all sorts of dangerous creatures roam the ocean, there's nothing strange that there were no similar envoy parties afterwards either. Eugene had to be satisfied with having obtained rice seeds.

* * *

"Wouldn't it be good for the Count to observe the situation from the rear guard? I hear Your Excellency's power is needed to move Moving Castle, so if you go back and forth the troops under your command will be tired, Sir."

Duke Leray showed signs of wanting to stop Eugene from going with the advance party. It was because he wanted to spare Eugene's army as they are an elite fOrce no matter what.

"It's to find a good place to have the castle descend. Since things like this are certain only if I see them directly with my own eyes. And when I return to the castle, I will go alone, so there is no need to worry."

Eugene said quietly so that only Duke Leray could hear.

"What does that..."

"I'll be riding this guy and going in a situation where security is stabilized as the Noble Faction army passes, so there will be no becoming a problem."

Keureureung-.

Might, who approached Eugene's side. That majestically overflowing figure and legs like steel logs persuaded Duke Leray more effectively than a hundred persuasions. However, he added one word.

"Count. I acknowledge it is a method considering efficiency and safety, but please do not forget your importance. Even if it worked until now, it does not change that it is a strategy relying on a single military horse in the end. A solo knight is not the virtue of a great monarch."

"It's advice akin to my wife's. I will gratefully accept the heart worrying for me. I am also paying attention to it, so do not worry."

Currently in Moving Castle, special scouts who learn horsemanship and landscape painting simultaneously under Valda's instructions are being fostered.

Keureung-.

Might felt dissatisfied at the conversation seemingly not believing in him, but he softened when Eugene stroked his cheek.

The soldiers of the nobles designated as the advance party actively visited each other's camps. Since they are comrades who will fight the pagan army, it is natural they want to confirm if they are trustworthy guys.

Naturally, those with peculiar armaments rose as topics of conversation. Like the Samur knights who enjoyed using curved swords unlike the continent's knights who use straight swords.

Among them is also a deformed weapon attaching a 50cm handle to a blade curved close to an oval.

"Isn't it too undignified for a knight to use?"

"To think a weapon likely to be used by barbarians of the northeast grasslands is..."

Roman's knights had an unenthusiastic gaze, but the Dark Elves approached favorably.

"There's no weapon like this for smacking Orcs or Goblins. Since the weight is concentrated on a single point of the blade, the cutting sensation must be outstanding."

"...As expected of His Excellency the Count's warriors, you have a discerning eye. It's because there are barely any enemies wearing heavy armor in Samur, so weapons like this are effective."

The Dark Elves, whose flexibility increased under Eugene, observed Samur's weapons with interest.

Samur also often crossed the desert leading camels and horses. Even if the methods were different from the Dark Elf tribes who lived in Roman, there were many overlapping nomadic cultures with each other.

"I felt sorry not being able to bring the Sinkhole mercenary group, but it's a relief there were more reliable warriors here."

The ones who received the most attention are the special ops female warriors under Cassandra. Their beauty is beauty, but the power of the slings processed from monster leathers and sinews cannot be unknown to a warrior whose experience has filled up.

The second one to receive attention was the troops specially prepared by Duke Leray.

"What kind of net on a battlefield?"

"I heard they're fishermen serving in the army receiving money from Duke Leray?"

Men boasting well-trained copper-colored bodies despite not wearing a single armor were carrying nets on their shoulders.

The mercenaries who crossed over from foreign lands had a reaction of 'What is that?', but Eugene looked with an admiring gaze.

"I heard the Duke Leray Territory has more frequent pagan subjugations compared to other regions, and that know-how is revealed."

With a full belly and a warm back, miscellaneous thoughts are bound to enter. Into the Duke's territory possessing the most food and a mild climate, those holding wicked faiths constantly infiltrated.

"Castle Lord. Is that net amazing?"

"They do seem like hard-to-handle weapons(?), though."

The Dark Elves, who are familiar with tracking/killing and annihilation but do not prefer capture weapons, found it strange.

"Ordinary bandits become docile if one bolt or spear is stuck into their bellies. But pagan worshipers' eyes roll back and they pounce on the subjugation fOrce like mad dogs. Moreover, there are many cases where curses or drugs are added on too."

The undead Wight is also famous for immortality, but a fanatic whose flesh hasn't been eaten by rot is much more complex. Because they also utilize the simple martial arts the pagan priest taught while maintaining muscular strength and agility.

"There's no weapon like a net to neutralize that aggressiveness. Especially if it's the skills of fishermen whose daily life is throwing nets for their entire lives."

Peculiarly, Duke Leray's fishermen each led a single horse. If farmers were encouraged with archery training and given bows in Britannia, it was said they made fishermen do horsemanship training in the Duke Leray Territory.

For a pagan army, existences that originally cannot mix like human fanatics, undead, possessed monsters, and demonic beasts summoned from hell are massed togAAether into one lump.

To properly respond, the subjugation fOrce likewise needs to be equipped with diversity. In that aspect, the army advancing right now is equipped with the best conditions even among pagan subjugation fOrces in history.

However, there was one strange part for Eugene too.

"It's said pagans move on fanaticism, but I feel like it's a too un-winnable uprising. For both the Emperor's army and the Noble Allied FOrces, aren't there tens of thousands of large armies nearby? When it's obvious they'll be suppressed anyway."

Marbas answered as if he had already seen it multiple times to Eugene asking for advice.

"To those serving evil gods, whAAether they succeed or not is not important."

"The uprising itself is the worship they offer to their god. In that process, how much blood will flow and how many sacrifices will occur?"

"Means are more important than the goal, I see."

"Pagan priests are not fools either. They know it's impossible to usurp a world already dominated by the light of civilization. Instead, they turned to causing bloodbaths whenever an opportunity comes and offering loads of tributes to their god."

They are simply individuals who want to see the world burn. The evil gods who obtained power with tributes even support them with messengers of hell as a reward. They can be considered the most dangerous type of outlaws.

"In a way, they can be said to be the last remaining Crusaders. Though it's an expression priests don't like very much."

The Apostolic State abandoned reclaiming the Eastern Holy Land officially and raised the banner of harmony.

- Please contain god in your hearts.

Saying that the location is not important when it comes to worshipping god.

"Bribes or compromises don't work, and the reclamation target is the whole world. It effectively is a Black Crusade that will infinitely rise up 10 times and 100 times until the moment human civilization falls."

Marbas drew the holy sign looking at the Allied FOrces starting their advance. To him, a summoner, there was no army more sublime than those who block the Black Crusade.