Chapter 173
(Kyle
Calendar Year 509: Age 16)
The
Reorganization of the Right-Wing Faction
Translator : PolterGlast
The day after the
conferment of honors in the Royal Capital, the executions of former Count
Goyoku, former Viscount Hiyorimi, and the other participants in the rebellion
were carried out.
"The execution of
the great criminals who raised the banner of rebellion against the kingdom will
now commence."
Former Count Goyoku
trembled, his face pale from beginning to end, but next to him, former Viscount
Hiyorimi was smiling. No, he himself was likely unaware of it. His eyes were
unfocused, drool trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he was muttering
incessantly. He remained completely unchanged until the moment his head was
severed.
All the nobles who had
directly participated in the rebellion were publicly executed that day.
However, those sentenced to death by association were, for the time being,
imprisoned in the capital's dungeons, and the implementation of their sentences
was postponed for the foreseeable future. It was said that there was a
possibility of their sentences being reduced by one degree through a future
pardon.
"Though it is our
duty, and though they were an enemy who caused us great suffering, it was not a
pleasant sight to behold."
I agreed with Margrave
Hastburg's words. I would have preferred not to see it if I could have avoided
it, but witnessing it was one of our duties as involved parties.
Afterward, at the
Margrave's call, we gathered in a corner of the Royal Palace.
"Well now, I've gathered
you all today because I wish to decide on our future roles and the division of
our forces. His Majesty has spoken of 4,000 riders at the Southern Gate and
2,000 in Teigoon."
Gathered here were a
total of nine people: the convener, Margrave Hastburg; Count Gorman; Count
Solis (my father); Viscount Kirias; Viscount Cornell; Viscount Solis (my
brother); Baron Copper; Commander Weiss (now a Baron); and myself, the Demon
Territory Count Solis.
"First, we must
decide on the allocation of the Frontier Knights and change the organization
slightly. To begin, Baron Copper, you will reorganize the former Hiyorimi
soldiers you currently lead into a 500-strong cavalry unit, and as the 7th
Corps of the Frontier Knights, you will operate under Viscount Solis. Do you
have any objection to this?"
"No, of course
not. I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity to restore honor to myself and
my soldiers. I will perform my duties with the utmost sincerity."
Erol replied, bowing
his head.
"Viscount Solis,
as the commander-in-chief of the Frontier Knights, you shall integrate the
existing six corps and lead 3,000 riders. Of those, 1,000 shall be your direct
command, comprising your current 500 direct soldiers and the 500 led by Baron
Copper.
The 2,000 riders from
the First through Fourth Corps shall be your vassals. You will command them as
well and build a cavalry force that will serve as a powerful strike unit."
"Yes, sir!
Understood. I will take charge of everyone's units."
My brother Darek gave
a short reply.
With this, my brother
had obtained a force large enough to sway the course of a battle. With his
military genius, he would undoubtedly play a major role.
"Now then,
regarding the 4,000 riders His Majesty spoke of, we are still about 1,000
short. Incidentally, it has been decided that 500 new riders will be dispatched
from the Royal Knights. Another 500 will be newly recruited, and I am thinking
that this 1,000-strong force will act as a mobile unit, to be led by a general
dispatched from the capital.
Well, the First Corps
also has soldiers from the Royal Knights, so they will be reassigned here as
well."
If these 4,000 riders
were to move as a mobile force, we would have a mobile force that could somehow
stand against the Empire's 5,000-strong Iron Cavalry Corps. The significance of
this was extremely great. It seemed that everyone present felt the same way.
"Next is the
matter of the Frontier Knights branch. His Majesty really made some grandiose plans,
speaking of 2,000 riders...
First, Count Gorman,
Count Solis, I won't say immediately, but since your domains have doubled in
size, it should be possible for you to provide 200 riders for the time being,
and eventually 300 each, correct? Viscount Cornell, for you, it would be 100
for the time being, and eventually 150, I suppose."
Count Gorman gave a
large nod, while Count Solis gave a small one. To be honest, I thought it must
be a difficult task for my father, who was already stretching himself at the
viscount level, to now have to prepare a force befitting a count. His face
twitched slightly, as not only were the 100 riders I had dispatched from
Teigoon now gone, but he also had to provide more troops.
"The domains of
both counts have become extremely vast. To manage them, it will be necessary to
greatly expand your mobile forces, namely your cavalry, will it not? Think of
it this way: you can entrust your reinforced troops to the Commander and have
them forged into an elite force."
What does that... mean
for the Commander's and my position? It sounded an awful lot like, 'after
you've worked hard to scrape them together, you can just dump the training on
us'...
"And the biggest
problem, Demon Territory Count Solis, is your allocation, is it not?"
I knew it~. My domain
is honestly at the level of a slightly prosperous barony, with only its gold
coin reserves being exceptional.
"Currently, you
are providing 100 of your own cavalry and 100 from the mercenary company to the
Knights, but I would like you to strive to eventually be able to provide 250
from each side to the Frontier Knights. With a five-year target... can you do
it?"
"Yes, I will do
my utmost with all sincerity."
The Margrave was
likely well aware that, in terms of the ratio to my domain's population, this
was an absurd request. It was a discussion based on the premise of the enormous
reward money from His Majesty the King.
Naturally, they
weren't going to let me have it easy.
"The rest is
manpower. With the allocations just now, the new soldiers you all will provide
is 300. As the Frontier Knights branch, the required new force is 750.
In total, you will
need 1,050 new personnel in the future. You are to discuss this with Commander
Weiss and devise countermeasures.
There is also the
matter of the Cadet Knights this time. If those 800 come to serve under you
after graduation, the remainder is 250. Can you manage that?"
"I believe so.
They worship the Commander. A considerable number of this year's graduates are
already slated to join. I think a fair number will come."
"As for the new
forces for the branch, at least 750 riders, as His Majesty decreed, all
expenses including salaries will be covered by His Majesty's direct domain (the
former territory of Count Goyoku). You would do well to consider that in your
planning."
Honestly, without
that, my domain would go bankrupt. As it is, we are expecting a large deficit
from maintaining an excessive military force, and it would become an amount
that the Teigoon area could not possibly support.
But to hold back the
Imperial invasion, which will almost certainly come, we need as many troops as
possible... It's extremely vexing.
"Thank you. We
will need to revise our domain planning to some extent in anticipation of
future intake..."
"Indeed. I am
looking forward to seeing your skill, Demon Territory Count. And the Commander
will finally be able to direct his loyalty to the lord he originally wished
for; nothing could be better than this. I'm counting on you."
Ah... that's not what
I meant, but... oh well. I'll discuss it with Miseri and the Commander later.
I had actually brought
Miseri with me to the Royal Capital this time. There was a mountain of domestic
affairs I needed to consult with her about, so I had her accompany me.
"I gratefully
accept the Margrave's command. There is just one matter I would like to inquire
about."
The Commander, who had
been silent until now, raised his hand for the first time and spoke.
"The southern
border region has, until now, been under the complete command of Margrave
Hastburg, who held all authority to command the military. Am I correct in
understanding that this will continue in the future?"
"That's right...
we must make this clear.
The Demon Territory
Count will hold a rank equivalent to a Margrave. This means he will have
independent discretion in matters such as the chain of command in wartime and
diplomacy in peacetime.
From now on, there is
no need to consult me on every little thing. You and the Demon Territory Count
may handle all matters as you see fit. Although, I would be happy to receive
consultations and reports...
Henceforth, I grant
you the authority to act on your own discretion! Furthermore, the right-wing
camp will fall under the command of the Demon Territory Count in times of war
and shall follow his instructions."
"Ooh!"
Voices rose from those
around us. Count Gorman looked pleased, while my father, Count Solis, looked at
me with a slightly complicated expression.
This was a very big
deal for us. To be given greater authority than ever before meant we were also
given greater responsibility.
And, although still
far from tens of thousands, the Commander would have a force of 2,000 riders
and be able to command them as he pleased.
He could also be
entrusted with command of the entire right-wing camp, likely over 5,000 strong,
as a staff officer. For me, that was what made me happiest of all.
"Oh, that's
right. I'd forgotten something important. I have a message from His Majesty,
saying he is looking forward to the next joint top-tier tournament."
"!!!"
Of course~. As I
thought, he’s coming...
"Understood.
Although the plague has mostly subsided, we cannot risk anything happening to His
Majesty.
When spring comes...
the Teigoon area will be in full bloom, and a path of flowers to welcome His
Majesty will be ready. Could you please convey that to him?"
This wasn't just
because of the plague. All the nobles of the right-wing camp had an enormous
amount of work to do with post-war cleanup, managing their new domains, and so
on. They had no time to leave their domains and come to Teigoon. They would
likely need to focus on managing their new domains for at least half a year.
"Is that
acceptable to you all? Many of our officers and soldiers are honing their
skills to avenge their last defeat. We too are looking forward to it, and we
would like to see the skill of the Demon Territory Count. We leave everything
in your capable hands."
And so, the topic
changed in an instant, and the tense atmosphere gave way to a cheerful one,
with each head of house speaking of their enthusiasm for the next tournament.
With the exception of
one person (Takuhir) holding his head in his hands...
<Southern
Border Region - Right Wing Camp Overview>
Count Solis (Before
Rebellion) → (Post-War) → (Five Years Later)
Frontier Knights: 100
riders → 200 riders → 300 riders
Wartime Mobilization:
500 men → 600 men → 1,200 men
※ Pre-rebellion numbers exclude forces dispatched from
Teigoon.
※ Total includes number of troops dispatched to the
Frontier Knights.
Count Gorman (Before
Rebellion) → (Post-War) → (Five Years Later)
Frontier Knights: 150
riders → 200 riders → 300 riders
Wartime Mobilization:
800 men → 900 men → 1,200 men
※ Total includes number of troops dispatched to the
Frontier Knights.
Viscount Cornell
(Before Rebellion) → (Post-War) → (Five Years Later)
Frontier Knights: 50
riders → 100 riders → 150 riders
Wartime Mobilization:
200 men → 300 men → 600 men
※ Total includes number of troops dispatched to the
Frontier Knights.
Demon Territory Count
Solis (Before Rebellion) → (Post-War) → (Five Years Later)
Frontier Knights: 100
riders → 100 riders → 250 riders
Mercenary Knights: 100
riders → 200 riders → 250 riders
Royal-funded Portion:
0 riders → 0 riders → 750 riders
Garrison Soldiers: 200
men → 200 men → In planning
Garrison Mercenaries:
100 riders → 100 riders → In planning
Militia Farmers: 100
men
Longbowmen: 1,000 men
Wartime Mobilization:
250 men → 400 men → 2,000 men
※ Total includes number of troops dispatched to the
Frontier Knights.
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