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At first glance, it was a magnificent view, but the rain was so strong I couldn’t keep my eyes open. This region is supposed to have low rainfall. I lowered the Eagle to the landing spot, as I was completely soaked.

“I am Yuri Hou, head of the Hou Household and regent. I wish to meet with Kien-dono.” (Yuri)

As soon as I landed, I removed my restraints and spoke. A dry cloth was handed to me, so I wiped my wet head.

“I will inform them at once.” (Soldier)

The soldier from the Rube Household seemed a little tense, but he ran off quickly. Looking around, perhaps because of the rain, something felt off. There was a peculiar murderous feeling that you get when you enter a military camp shortly after a battle. The tension, the somewhat excited atmosphere. But here, everything seemed quiet and sunken, as if everyone was dejected.

Before even a minute passed after I got off the Eagle, the soldier returned.

“The strategist will explain the situation. This way, please.” (Soldier)

“I see. Lead the way.” (Yuri)

The strategist? The “strategist” here refers to the officer from the Hou Household sent to offer military advice to Kien.

If we were to issue direct orders like “Do this” or “Do that,” the relationship between the two households would quickly sour. The role was meant to be a mere advisor, someone who would offer opinions in complicated situations where the Rube Household might hesitate in their judgment. The person was placed as a representative of the Hou Household’s interests.

Normally, they should act modestly, more like a secretary for Kien, doing whatever is needed. Of course, the Rube Household could dismiss them if they felt they were unnecessary. However, since Myaro and I personally interviewed and selected a sharp, problem-free candidate from within the Hou Household, no issues had arisen so far.

From the Hou Household’s perspective, it would be more accurate to describe this “strategist” as an ambassador stationed within the Rube Household’s army. Like many ambassadors, this role also carried a certain spy-like aspect. They gathered information that could be seen or heard in the camp and regularly reported it back to the Hou Household.

“They’re waiting here.” (Soldier)

The soldier walked quickly through the rain, splashing mud, and guided me to a nearby house. He knocked on the door firmly.

“I have brought His Excellency Yuri Hou.” (Soldier)

I heard the sound of running inside, and the door opened immediately.

“Your Excellency, please come in.” (Strategist)

“Thank you. Ah, and you, thank you for guiding me.” (Yuri)

I parted ways with the soldier and entered the room.

—

“Thank you for your long journey.” (Strategist)

“Carnot, enough with the pleasantries. Tell me the situation.” (Yuri)

I placed firewood in the fireplace and dragged a chair closer to sit. I wanted to dry myself as soon as possible.

“Kien Rube is in critical condition. He was hit by an arrow in the shoulder, and the doctor has warned that we should prepare for the worst. His breathing is shallow, and he spends long periods unconscious.” (Carnot)

Carnot swiftly explained the situation.

“An arrow to the shoulder? Was it poisoned?” (Yuri)

“I’m not sure about that… However, due to his old age, the doctor may not be able to make a proper judgment. I was present when he was shot. The arrow was fired with such force that it pierced his armor and drove into his shoulder. Considering Kien-dono’s age, it wouldn’t be surprising if it proved fatal.” (Carnot)

Carnot was experienced in combat, so if he said so, I had to believe it.

“I see… I had planned to meet with Kien as soon as I arrived, but since you were sent to meet me, does that mean he is unconscious?” (Yuri)

“Yes, that seems to be the case. The Rube Household’s vassals are competent, so they should understand that your requests are their top priority. The reason they brought you here is likely that they hesitated to explain Kien’s condition directly. Since I, as a member of the Hou Household, can share this information with you, they had no problem allowing me to do so. They will likely call you as soon as Lord Kien regains consciousness.” (Carnot)

“Alright, then I have time to hear the battle report. Explain it to me.” (Yuri)

It felt a bit odd to refer to it as a ‘battle’ since I knew thousands of troops had been moving, but it ended so quickly that I couldn’t think of another term. ‘The fight at so-and-so’ would be more fitting.

“To be honest, there’s not much to explain. The enemy likely knew our position through reconnaissance. Before we could even form our ranks, they charged in with a wedge formation. Their cavalry charge was so fierce that it threatened Kien-dono’s main camp. Even if we had gathered elite troops from the Hou Household, I doubt we could have matched such a charge. It was an impressive cavalry attack, even from an enemy.” (Carnot)

Was it really that intense?

Carnot took pride in being a knight of the Hou Household, which he served with honor. For him to admit that the enemy’s charge rivaled that of the elite Hou Household cavalry meant it was indeed a formidable assault.

“That’s why there were no complex maneuvers from either side. It was just a brute force charge. If anything, you could say they aimed to break through our formation.” (Carnot)

It wasn’t a sophisticated or clever tactic, but sometimes brute force can be more effective than complicated strategies. It’s easy to deal with, so it won’t work more than once, though.

“However, their plan ultimately failed, didn’t it?” (Yuri)

“Yes. Kien-dono believed that if we had tried to retreat defensively at that moment, the enemy would have broken through our ranks with their momentum, and the entire army could have collapsed. So, instead, he ordered a fierce counterattack, meeting force with force. As a result, the enemy was unable to break through the elite soldiers directly under the Rube Household, and most of them were annihilated. Only a few cavalrymen, who had been holding the flanks to prevent encirclement, managed to retreat. The troops that advanced towards Kien-dono’s main camp were all wiped out.” (Carnot)

“Hmm… who was the enemy? You should be able to tell which country they belonged to from their equipment.” (Yuri)

Well, I can guess.

“They were from the Papal State, the 1^st Volunteering Knights, 4th Division.” (Carnot)

“As I thought.” (Yuri)

“And the Flusha Kingdom… Their forces were led by a young man known as the Duke Wellingen. They seemed to have been tasked with supporting the flanks of the charge. Compared to the Papal State’s division, their numbers were fewer, and their training wasn’t as good. The Duke Wellingen himself was killed in action, and we recovered his body clad in luxurious armor.” (Carnot)

“I see…” (Yuri)

The Duke Wellingen was the one who led the large cavalry corps that had gathered enemy forces during the Battle of Shibyaku. In that battle, the cavalry played a decisive role, but the Duke failed to utilize his large cavalry force effectively and fell into our trap. He made the mistake of having his heavily armored cavalry chase our light cavalry, exhausting their horses before they could launch a proper charge. He was captured and later ransomed back.

I don’t know what happened to him afterward, but since Carnot referred to him as a young man, it’s probably his son or another relative who was leading this time. The Duke who was captured during the Battle of Sibyaku should have been a man in his prime.

“But what was the purpose of this invasion…? Have we interrogated any high-ranking prisoners to find out?” (Yuri)

“It seems we haven’t. There are very few prisoners, and all of them are from the Flusha Kingdom. They probably don’t know much. None of the soldiers from the Papal State were taken prisoner. They all fought to the death.” (Carnot)

As expected, the 1^st Volunteering Knights are quite fanatical. When it comes to serving their god, they don’t hesitate for even a second. There’s no need for farewells with family. They can die immediately.

“As for the Duke Wellingen, it’s possible that he was a defeated noble from the internal power struggles of his home country, thrown away as a pawn. But the 4th Division…?” (Yuri)

“That could also be a result of power struggles. The Papal State is not a monolithic entity. Especially since the current pope is essentially under house arrest.” (Carnot)

That’s certainly true. The 1^st Volunteering Knights, also known as the Temple Knights, are originally tasked with guarding Vaticans. Even though the other units within the Volunteering Knights are not particularly well-trained, these guys are different. They receive training that surpasses even the elite of the Hou Household. From what I’ve heard, they don’t bat an eye when someone dies during training. In fact, their system ensures that any deaths during training are considered martyrdom.

They’re all former monks, and many of them are orphans raised in orphanages or second and third sons of nobles who had no prospects of inheriting their family titles and were sent to monasteries. In the case of orphans, they’re nominally made monks, only to be immediately sent for selection into the knights. Either way, their supply of recruits is endless.

That said, it takes more than a year or two of training to forge such an elite unit. Especially since the 2nd and 3rd Divisions, which were deployed in the Battle of Sibyaku, have already been wiped out. The Temple Knights are composed of four divisions in total, and it’s likely they’ve been working quickly to rebuild the two destroyed divisions. But now, they’ve gone and thrown away their intact 4th Division even if it was just the cavalry unit. There must be some significant reason for this.

For example, the commander of that division could be a die-hard supporter of the pope, so much so that his beliefs have permeated the entire division. Perhaps Epitaph Palazzo, who has seized power by imprisoning the pope, found them impossible to manage, turning them into a thorn in his side.

At the very least, this wasn’t a force that should have been wasted in a small, strategically insignificant battle like this. Or maybe there was a strategic purpose after all? To defeat Kien’s army and launch a major offensive from the Tyrellme region before our forces could regroup…?

If they did that, they’d cut off the central part of our long, narrow country. In other words, they’d sever our communication with the Shantinion region, which would be a serious problem for us.

If that was their goal, then Kien has thwarted their strategic intent.

*Knock*

*Knock*

There was a knock at the door, and Carnot immediately headed to the entrance. After a brief exchange of words, he returned.

“Your Excellency Yuri, Kien-dono has regained consciousness. We must hurry.” (Carnot)

“Understood.” (Yuri)

I stood up.

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