[WN] Jitsuwa 3-Domedatta : Chapter 414

Chapter 414

(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)

Unending War

Translator : PolterGlast

The man Alexis invited into the conference room was someone I also knew well. Handler, who leads a trading company that conducts trade with the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy; he responded to an auction on the umpteenth try with 『beneficial information』 as added value, and since then, alongside his trade, he was tasked with gathering intelligence on the enemy. The moment he was invited into the conference room, Handler froze in sheer surprise at the prominent figures lined up...

「Handler, it's been a while. Social formalities and greetings are unnecessary. Regarding the movements of the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy, I want you to speak without reserve about the matters you should report.」

The fact that Alexis invited him into this place rather than speaking privately meant he judged it a matter that everyone needed to share urgently. Therefore, I went along with it and prompted him.

「In accordance with Archduke-heika's words, I will omit greetings. The twenty thousand Istoria Orthodox Theocracy Army troops that returned their forces in the previous battle did not return to Tria, but proceeded to launch a surprise attack on the Royal Capital of the Vile Kingdom.」

「What!」 「An allied nation... de aruka.」 「Those bastards, perhaps that was their original objective.」

Marquis Solis and Marquis Gorman looked surprised, while the Commander, though surprised, calmly tried to grasp the situation. Alexis listened silently.

「So, what is the subsequent war situation?」

「To begin with, the Vile Kingdom had dispatched what could be called almost their entire army. Moreover, as you said, the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy was an ally in this dispatch; therefore, they advanced without being questioned until they were near the Royal Capital, and suddenly launched a surprise attack, it seems. The Vile Kingdom side could not even put up a proper fight, and the Royal Capital fell in less than a day. I am told all the royalty remaining in the Royal Capital were captured and executed immediately...」

「Is that all? If it was an action planned in advance, there should be more to it?」

「Exactly as Archduke-heika says. It appears they turned their army as it was, launched a surprise attack on the Royal Capital of the Lute Kingdom, and caused it to fall as well. After all, the three countries were originally one country and maintained allied relations, so there were no defensive facilities whatsoever on the borders.」

「I suppose so. If the Vile Kingdom fell in a single day, the Lute Kingdom wouldn't have had time to prepare either.」

「Yes, in addition, the Lute Kingdom, which had committed its main force to the battle, had deployed soldiers along the border with the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy, leaving the border with the Vile Kingdom and the Royal Capital completely defenseless, so they had no means to resist...」

They really did it. Making the main forces of each country fight us to whittle them down, and then attacking the emptied home countries, huh... It's so vile it makes me sick.

「Currently, reinforcements have advanced from Tria to suppress the two countries, while simultaneously imposing oppressive rule on the populace and forcing religious conversion. At the time I returned here, the invading army of twenty thousand had advanced their troops toward the last remaining country, the Cain Kingdom.」

「As expected, the Cain Kingdom must have learned of the situations in the other two countries, hurriedly rallied soldiers, and deployed defensive battles. However, they were the country most complacent in their stable situation among the three to begin with, and inferior in military force. I doubt they will last long...」

At this point, Alexis opened his mouth for the first time. And he continued his words further.

「The matter is a problem in another country. Originally, this would become a highly political issue, and a matter we cannot intervene in on our own discretion...」

Just as he said, this is originally nothing more than a case of reaping what they sowed. As a result of invading another country and being defeated, they are in no position to complain even if their national territory is plundered by another country. Even if it takes a morally unforgivable form.

「That is right. Whether we act or not aside, we have not received requests for relief from any of those countries, and they are countries we have no diplomatic relations with to begin with. Even more so when it's a story about belligerents we were fighting against until just the other day, it will likely be a difficult matter.」

These words of the Commander are reasonable. Emotionally, it's an unpleasant story, but originally it is not a matter we should act on. While I was thinking so, Handler's report continued.

「Regarding this matter, I have been entrusted with a letter addressed to Archduke-heika from Reim-dono. Please, I would like you to read this.」

Hearing the name Reim, Raphael stood up and received the letter from Handler. Then, he seemed to be carefully checking the envelope in which a document was wrapped.

「There is no mistake. I believe the contents of this are unmistakably Reim's letter. Please read it.」

Reim is a member of the intelligence unit led by Raphael, so he must have left some sort of mark on the envelope. Thinking so, I checked the contents.

「!!!」

I couldn't endure it as I read on.

「Damn it! Just how many people do those bastards have to kill to be satisfied!」

「Takuhir-sama?」

I, who had unconsciously spat out words in a fit of rage, managed to control myself at Yuka's words.

「Ah... I'm sorry. Handler, thank you for the valuable report. If there are no other reports, I want to give you a reward, so could you wait in a separate room?」

I somehow suppressed my anger and had him leave the room first. Because from here on, it will be an important discussion related to the policies of the Demon Territory Dukedom. After he left his seat, I looked around at everyone once more and continued my words.

「I want to share this anew with everyone. The ones leading the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy Army this time were two Cardinals, Lugner and Azel.」

「「「What did you say!」」」

Just those names are enough for us. Lugner is the eldest son of former Viscount Hiyorimi, the man who assaulted Teigoon and incited the rebel army in the Principality of Fearalt. Azel is a man who was a close aide to Cardinal Castro at the time in the Istoria Imperial Kingdom, and in the previous conflict, a man who became part of the staff of the Margrave of the West and maneuvered in secret. Both names were mentioned in the letter of accusation left behind by Viscount Kirias, and when the Clan of Darkness was destroyed, they evaded the pursuit and fled to who knows where. Such men are currently the most important state criminals wanted by the Kyle Kingdom and the Westlights Demon Territory Dukedom.

「It seems various things have connected. Reim's report states that the 『Apostles of Darkness』 were involved with the populace they incited. The rapid rise of the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy, and the participation in the war by the three countries that should originally have been unrelated—if the 『Apostles of Darkness』 were entangled in all of these, everything can be explained.」

「If so, we cannot simply feign no involvement either.」

From the Commander who said so quietly, a brimming, overflowing thirst for blood could also be felt.

「The Commander is right. Even though we finally won the battle and the time for peace has arrived, I am sorry to everyone. I have no territorial ambitions, nor do I have any intention to exact revenge on the three countries that invaded, even if I feel anger towards them. But...」

Here I looked at the faces of everyone. Reaching this point, the pain of having to make a choice that might steal the lives of my comrades once again tightened my heart.

「Please, exactly as Takuhir-sama desires! This is also our wish.」

「「「「「We also, by all means!」」」」」

At the Commander's words, everyone followed suit. I stood up and bowed deeply to everyone.

「Everyone, thank you. At the very least, I want to save the people living in the three countries from unjust invaders. I don't care if I am criticized as a hypocrite for it.」

「Takuhir-sama's will is our will. However, the problem lies in the political aspect spanning multiple countries...」

「Raymond's point is correct. One thing I can say is, we have two banners. As one of them, when leaving Big Bridge, I was entrusted with a 『Writ of Subjugation Authorization』 from the Third Prince.」

『Against foreign enemies who have invaded Imperial Territory, I entrust you with pursuit in order to hold them accountable in place of the Imperial Army. This includes opening battles anywhere within the Empire, and if necessary, crossing national borders on the responsibility of the Empire to subjugate enemy nations at your own discretion.』

Such matters were written in the entrusted document. These were entrusted assuming a case where the northern front had not yet concluded, but this current matter should somehow fall within the acceptable scope of the authorized contents.

「I intend to obtain the other banner from here on, but for the time being, I want to confirm something with everyone before that. The prisoners everyone acquired after so much effort through victory—depending on the situation, I think we will end up releasing them. Would you agree to that?」

「Release them all, you say?」

「Marquis Solis, that is incorrect. We will temporarily release those who wish to on the condition that they serve in the military, and depending on their military exploits, release them for good—we will adopt a form like that. Of course, I think this will be a story based on several conditions beforehand. What are the opinions of the generals who undertook the defense?」

「I see, if that is the case, I have no objections either.」

「From the start I have no objections. The path the Archduke proceeds on is the path I proceed on de aru.」

「The Apostles of Darkness are the enemies of the late Margrave; there is no way we would have any objections.」

「As the Royal Capital Knights, while we cannot offer assistance, we have no objections to your country's policy.」

「Then after this, we will enter the audience with the surrendered generals and prisoners, confirm the preceding conditions, and if possible, I would like to obtain the other banner. We will temporarily disband leaving a portion of people, but please do not neglect preparations for troop dispatch!」

「「「「「Yes!」」」」」

After this, having confirmed the information on the enemy generals from Alexis, we moved our seats to the audience venue. As I heard the stories, my interest grew towards the two individuals I was about to meet.

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[WN] Jitsuwa 3-Domedatta : Chapter 413

Chapter 413

(Kyle Calendar Year 515: Age 22)

Triumphant Return, and Then...

Translator : PolterGlast

Two days after passing by Viscount Kamin on the highway, we finally managed to reach a place where we could truly feel we had crossed the national border into the Westlights Demon Territory Dukedom! This was because we arrived at a checkpoint established just before Kusanagi, a place where we could look up from afar at the city walls of Kusanagi spreading atop the cliff. Perhaps thanks to the express messenger the Commander had sent ahead before we reached this point, from there all the way to Kusanagi, lines of people welcoming our triumphant return continued endlessly on both sides of the highway.

「Long live Archduke-heika!」

「Long live the Demon Territory Dukedom!」

「Prosperity to the Dukedom!」

However, I took the loud cheers and voices of praise from the gathered people in a different sense, and was in a complicated mood.

『Originally, I am not the one who should be receiving these cheers. The ones who should be receiving them are those who protected this land. We did not protect them...』

With such thoughts in mind, we responded to the crowd's performance in moderation and advanced our horses towards Kusanagi. And when we arrived at the city gate... In front of the gate, with Raymond, Yuka, and Chrisia at the lead, the respective commanders of the Defense Army had aligned their faces, kneeling and waiting.

「We respectfully rejoice at your active role in Imperial Territory and the safe return of Archduke-heika.」

「On behalf of everyone, I congratulate you on the safe return of Takuhir-sama and all of you.」

「Everyone lined up here, who were entrusted with holding the fort, have fulfilled the mission entrusted to us by Onii-sama.」

Raymond, Yuka, and Chrisia spoke in turn, and finally everyone...

「「「「「Welcome back!」」」」」

It was at that moment that I finally noticed something unusual for the first time. A comrade who should originally be here was missing... Behind the three who welcomed me at the very front, Alexis, Marquis Gorman, Marquis Solis, and the others, who were the defense commanders, should originally follow; however, for some reason, a familiar set of armor and an unfamiliar large shield were set on a pedestal in front of them, waiting for me.

「Yuka... keep it brief, please. What happened to Gale?」

My low voice cracking, I couldn't help but confirm the fact that I didn't want to confirm. While being self-aware that the blood was draining from my face all at once...

「He passed away... In order to protect the people of the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy, he protected them with this shield so that not a single one would be hurt, and...」

「Kuh...」

With only his armor waiting, I had somewhat guessed it. I had guessed it, but... This shock was incredibly huge, and after uttering short words, the rest wouldn't come out.

「I am terribly sorry. Due to our own lack of virtue, Commander Gale... We have no way to apologize for losing Commander Gale and many others while entrusted with holding the fort!」

Saying so, Alexis prostrated himself as if to rub his head against the earth, and everyone followed suit. No... stop it... I don't want to receive such apologies.

「Everyone... please... Please, raise your heads. The responsibility for losing Gale and many soldiers is entirely mine to bear. It is not everyone's responsibility.」

Saying so, I unconsciously leaped off my horse, advanced before Gale's armor and large shield, and knelt. No, I couldn't help but do so.

「Gale... I am truly sorry for placing a burden on you because of my own inadequacy. And... thank you for protecting everyone.」

I said so, but Gale, who would normally reply 『Not at all, this much is nothing!』, is no longer here.

「We promised, didn't we... to reunite without lacking a single person... I didn't want to meet like this.」

When it comes to battle, someone will inevitably die. Even with a perfect victory, sacrifices will definitely occur. In fact, even the elites of the Demon Territory Knights who went on the expedition and piled up perfect victories suffered several dozen deaths. As long as we fight, we are always prepared for that. However... the loss of Gale was so great to me that it was beyond words. My association with him dates back to when I was still ten years old, and he is one of the most senior comrades among the Mages. But that's not all. Even in my second life, I had driven him to his death. He wasn't a soldier at that time either, but Gale and the others who rushed to the defensive battle of Teigoon ultimately fought desperately to let an injured me escape, became sacrifices, and died. In other words, Gale has lost his life for my sake twice...

「Takuhir-sama...」

Yuka had eyes that looked as if she wanted to say something, but she still seemed to be deliberately holding her words back. Yeah, Yuka... thank you. I understand. Right now, I have things I must do too. And I cannot mourn only for Gale. When I lost Cran in the past, I was severely distraught, and there was a time I was saved by Anne's words. And now, the words Anne said to me that time clearly ran through my mind once again. I made up my mind and stood up.

「I'm sorry, everyone. We will mourn and lament for Gale anew later; right now, above all, I want to express my appreciation to everyone who protected our home while we were away. Therefore, first of all, I want everyone to raise their heads and stand up. Come on, quickly...」

Prompted by me, everyone stood up again. And I looked around at everyone's faces anew.

「Thanks to everyone dedicating their lives to protect us to the bitter end, we were able to win. This applies to both the northern front and the southern front! Thanks to noble sacrifices, we were finally able to grasp the future. Therefore, I want to express my thanks once more.」

After saying so, I went around to Raymond, Yuka, Chrisia, Alexis, Rosa, Marquis Gorman, Marquis Solis, Count Falmus, Viscount Bold, Mars, Aral, Danke, Isaac, Masrur, and Glenn, tapping the shoulders of each and every one of the leaders who were present to welcome us, offering words of appreciation and thanks.

「We will hear the reports again after this, but for now, I want everyone to puff out their chests and join the triumphant procession together. Because if he saw our depressed figures, Gale would surely be troubled. From here on, let's return in triumph together with our hero (Gale).」

「「「「「Yes!」」」」」

And we crossed the gates of Kusanagi together, striving to fulfill the roles we must perform now in response to the great cheers of the people. However, harboring an unfillable, massive sense of loss in our hearts...

※

Upon returning to Kusanagi, without even undoing my military uniform, I decided to immediately receive reports first. Present there were the expeditionary force, the home defense unit, and Legion Commander Schultz, who led the residual unit of the Royal Capital Knights who came as reinforcements.

「Right away, I would like to ask Alexis for the report on the northern front, and the Commander for the report on the southern front.」

「Yes, as for the final participating military forces on the northern front, we had 45,700 men including allied forces, and the enemy army had 65,000 men. First, ahead of the detailed report, I will report on the distinguished contributors who are currently not present in this place.」

(Hm... does he mean the Imperial Army? I certainly don't see the figure of Viscount Durul...)

「In this battle, the ones who came leading ten thousand cavalry, the main force of the Royal Capital Knights, were Darek-sama, the Margrave of Hastburg. It is no exaggeration to say that we were greatly saved by their participation in the war.」

(Hahaha, was I saved by Niisan again? I won't be able to hold my head up for a while...)

「However, what ultimately decided the victory was the Magic Corps led by Krugel-heika from the Principality of Fearalt. Due to the participation of Heika and one thousand Principality Army soldiers, the Lute and Vile Kingdom Armies ended up surrendering while still retaining a fighting strength of nearly twenty thousand.」

「Wha... is that so.」

(Seriously! Krugel-heika himself?)

「To speak honestly, we were about to be defeated in the final phase. That is how formidable an enemy the Lute-Vile Kingdom Allied Army was. It is no exaggeration to say that we were saved by Krugel-heika.」

Seeing how everyone nodded deeply at Alexis's words and uniformly hung their heads, I understood all too painfully just how much of a tightrope walk that victory was.

「When the battle ended, Krugel-heika and the Margrave withdrew their armies, and I believe they are currently staying in Kylar. Furthermore, Heika said that he would return once again when Takuhir-sama returned in triumph.」

「I am grateful; then let us offer our thanks anew.」

(We who went to help the Third Prince were also saved by Heika and Niisan; that's what it means, right? I mean, for him to return means...)

When I heard that, I unconsciously looked at Raphael and our eyes met. When I nodded at him, his face was twitching grandly...

「As other reinforcements, the reinforcement of five thousand men led by Viscount Kamin also saved the Viscount Durul Army from a predicament, and bore a wing of our defensive formation.」

(Hm... Viscount Kamin led a whole five thousand men? He didn't say anything like that when we passed each other, you know! This is... I have to buy as much merchandise as I can from the Bottakurina Trading Company with top priority...)

「And as for the losses of our army... the Demon Territory Dukedom Army's war dead is approximately 500 men, the Royal Capital Knights' war dead is 100 men, and those wounded and forced to leave the battle lines from both sides amount to approximately 4,000 men.」

◇ Demon Territory Dukedom Army

・  Participating Military Force: 16,700 men

・  Wounded (Left battle lines): 3,000 men

・  Killed in Action: 500 men

◇ Kyle Kingdom Army (Royal Capital Knights)

・  Participating Military Force: 15,000 men

・  Wounded (Left battle lines): 1,000 men

・  Killed in Action: 100 men

Damn it, a whole six hundred men! We did suffer major damages after all... With that difference in fighting strength, it might be called a great fight on paper, but human lives are not something to be counted with numbers.

「However, the damages of the Imperial Army are even greater... combining the two armies, 1,700 war dead and 3,300 wounded were forced to leave the battle lines. Especially the mixed army led by Viscount Kamin, their attrition rate was remarkably...」

「I see... I have caused hardships for everyone. Incidentally, although he is not here, is Viscount Durul in good health?」

「He sustained war wounds in the battle over Lorelei and is currently recuperating in the hospital in Kusanagi, but he escaped death and is heading towards recovery. Furthermore, due to the Viscount's desperate fight, the lives of two hundred orphans trying to evacuate Lorelei were saved.」

「T-That is... I am also one of the people whose life was saved by Viscount Durul.」

(Eh? Does that mean Rosa was out on the front lines too? What does that mean?)

「Separate from the main battle, the detached force led by the King of Vile assaulted Lorelei, and in order to protect Rosa-sama, who was directing the evacuation, and the evacuees, Viscount Durul fought desperately...」

「I see... I will go visit Viscount Durul later and offer my thanks personally as well. I hear Viscount Kamin is coming to Kusanagi leading his trading company, so please give utmost consideration to how we handle him.」

◇ Imperial Army (Viscount Durul Army)

・  Participating Military Force: 8,000 men

・  Wounded (Left battle lines): 1,800 men

・  Killed in Action: 700 men

◇ Imperial Army Reinforcements (Viscount Kamin, others)

・  Participating Military Force: 5,000 men

・  Wounded (Left battle lines): 1,500 men

・  Killed in Action: 1,000 men

「Regarding the enemy's fighting strength, I can only speak in approximations, but the military forces of the three countries suffered 8,500 war dead, 24,000 prisoners, and roughly 2,500 missing due to desertion or other reasons.」

「Ah... no, wait a minute! No matter how you think about it, isn't the number of prisoners strange?」

I also heard that the military forces of the three countries totaled 35,000 men. If so, it makes it all the more doubtful that over seventy percent became prisoners.

「In the final decisive battle, two generals, the First Prince who led the Lute Kingdom Army and the General of the Vile Kingdom Army, accepted the recommendation to surrender. Therefore, separate from those taken prisoner in the battles up to that point, it is the result of over fifteen thousand healthy soldiers surrendering as prisoners.」

◆ Vile Kingdom Army

・  Participating Military Force: 15,000 men

・  Left battle lines: 1,000 men

・  Killed in Action: 2,500 men

・  Prisoners (including wounded): 11,500 men

◆ Lute Kingdom Army

・  Participating Military Force: 10,000 men

・  Left battle lines: 500 men

・  Killed in Action: 1,500 men

・  Prisoners (including wounded): 8,000 men

◆ Cain Kingdom Army

・  Participating Military Force: 10,000 men

・  Left battle lines: 1,000 men

・  Killed in Action: 4,500 men

・  Prisoners (including wounded): 4,500 men

「Oho, while possessing a healthy military force of over fifteen thousand... is it? That is not something easily done. Are they extraordinary fools, or else...」

The Commander is right. With that many soldiers, they could have carried out a forceful breakthrough amidst the enemy and retreated. I want to know the reason why they deliberately didn't do that.

「I believe they are outstanding individuals. To begin with, they were being unilaterally annihilated without any means to resist by the attacks of the Magic Corps, and furthermore, they were completely surrounded and their retreat paths severed.」

That is true; in past battles, it was an overwhelming annihilation attack with even three hundred men. If it was a thousand men, it must have been something beyond imagination.

「The two generals said, 『Since the trend of the battle has been decided, if the officers and soldiers will not die in vain in exchange for my own head...』, and accepted the recommendation to surrender.」

「I see, that is not something easily done. From hearing the story, they seem to be figures whose deaths would be a shame...」

At these words of the Commander, two memories revived within me. The first was the words of the Count who said the same thing to the Third Prince during the prisoner audience ceremony the other day. And the other was the action I myself took in my second life. Remembering those, I took an interest in them.

「I would like to meet them and talk to them once. What are they doing right now?」

「After this meeting, we are proceeding with preparations for the prisoner audience, and in addition to those two, we have the King of Vile waiting. I believe you can speak with them at that time... Furthermore, the Second Prince who led the Cain Kingdom Army died in action during the fierce battle prior to that.」

「Understood. Please continue the report.」

(I mean, they captured a King too? Moreover, each army came personally led by royalty...)

「The Istoria Orthodox Theocracy Army invaded with twenty thousand regular army and ten thousand unarmed territory residents; Commander Gale passed away in the process of saving those territory residents.」

「...I am sorry to interrupt. Is there anyone who attended Gale's deathbed?」

「Yes, there is the garrison captain of the First Roadside Station who served alongside him. Since we have him waiting as well, I believe you can hear the story later.」

I see, that helps. I must also meet with his wife directly and apologize. For that purpose as well...

「I will continue the report. Regarding the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy Army, the estimated war dead is approximately eight hundred men, and we are protecting nearly ten thousand territory residents; however, the rest deceived us and fled when the situation became disadvantageous, so they got away.」

Saying so, Alexis and the others floated expressions of anguish, but I fully understand their feelings of helplessness. Because in the end, those guys made their surroundings dance to their tune as much as possible, and then sought their own safety...

「Furthermore, the existence of 『Apostles of Darkness』 was confirmed among those inciting the people, and they attempted to assassinate Princess-denka, but this was narrowly avoided just in time.」

「What did you say!」

Those of us who went on the expedition, starting with me and the Commander, shuddered at the words 『Apostles of Darkness』. Because they are an existence akin to a natural enemy to us, and those we can never forgive. Those guys targeted Yuka? Damn it! Just how far will they follow us! I will absolutely not forgive them! I felt my body temperature rise all at once. However... I should not explode in anger here. If I do, they who let them get away will lose their standing. After letting out a large breath, I strove to act as calm as possible.

「I'm sorry, please continue.」

「Regarding this matter, we have not been able to grasp their tracks, and we believe it is likely they have moved their base of operations to the Istoria Orthodox Theocracy.」

◆ Istoria Orthodox Theocracy Army

・  Participating Military Force: 20,000 men

・  Killed in Action: 800 men

・  Prisoners (including wounded): None

「I see, so they make only other countries dance and remain unharmed themselves... Unforgivable. And this time's war, it's highly possible that they are involved and pulling the strings. I wish to advance discussions on this matter later with some people, including Raphael. For now, let us hurry and continue the reporting and sharing.」

After conveying so, I turned to the Commander this time and prompted his report.

「At the time our expeditionary force arrived, Grat-denka's whereabouts were unknown, and approximately thirty thousand allied forces were struggling against an enemy army of one hundred and twenty thousand.」

「O-One hundred and twenty thousand, you say!」

「De... aru, ka...」

While everyone was at a loss for words, my father and father-in-law leaked words of surprise. This is because the number of this enemy army was equal to the total number of all enemy armies on the four fronts the Kyle Kingdom faced in the previous war.

「In the first battle, our army swept away the thirty-five thousand enemy troops besieging our allies, transitioned to another battle to defeat ten thousand enemies and rescue Grat-denka, and re-entered the fort protected by our allies by scattering the besieging forty thousand enemy troops. After that, we destroyed the thirty thousand-strong First Prince's Army, and defeated the forty thousand-strong Principality of Sura Army, deciding the victory.」

「「「「「!!!」」」」」

No... Commander, hearing only that makes it sound like we did something incredible... Well, as a result, it is a fact, though. Everyone in the home defense unit is surprised, of course, but are they rather put off because the numbers are too big?

「Hahaha, Takuhir-sama's battle results are so incredible that it somehow makes our victory look hazy... It made me scared all over again.」

「De, aruna...」

「No... it's so tremendous I can hardly believe it, but to take on one hundred and twenty thousand with only ten thousand cavalry? Just how on earth...」

Even Alexis is smiling wryly with a twitching face, and the two fathers were completely put off.

「Grat-denka also seemed to deeply feel unparalleled meritorious deeds and gratitude for Takuhir-sama's battle results; I believe our relationship with the Empire is secure going forward. There are still some unconfirmed parts, but arrangements for the distribution of spoils of war, post-war cession of territory, reward money, and the like are proceeding, and I believe it will be something unprecedented.」

「「「「「Ooooh!」」」」」

「Incidentally, to supplement the Commander, we have one thousand cavalry who surrendered to us accompanying us as immigrants, but the remaining four thousand cavalry are also scheduled to come here at a later date, you know.」

「F-Five thousand cavalry, you say?」

At this, many people, starting with Raymond, were surprised. They are basically entrusted to us as prisoners, but it is on the premise that they migrate to the Demon Territory Dukedom and become cavalry. That's why I also deliberately used the expression 『immigrants』 rather than prisoners. On the flip side, the costs (such as food and gold coins for stipends) will pile up considerably.

「That's right, and along with that, a corresponding amount of food will also be sent. The details are still undecided, though. This time was a defensive battle, and the means to reward everyone's achievements are limited. Therefore, using what we obtained from the Empire as the original capital, I intend to distribute it and reward everyone according to their achievements.」

「On behalf of everyone in the home defense unit, I express our gratitude for your consideration toward us as well. Furthermore, there are contents regarding the reconstruction status and the handling of prisoners that I would like to report and receive your approval on, but before that, there is information that must be reported with priority. May I speak about that?」

「I do not mind. Judging by your appearance, it isn't a very good story, is it?」

「Then, the one who informed us of this valuable information for the report, right here.」

From the man invited into the conference room at Alexis's instruction, we were told an astonishing fact. That the battle was not over yet...

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