Third Person POV
……………………………………………………………………………
Imperial City of Sandoria, Kingdom of Sandra.
One day during winter, the Red Dragon Knight Order, who had been absent for a month, returned to the Imperial City of Sandoria. Although they claimed that they were patrolling the provinces, the truth was that they were sent to the beastmen town in the south.
And right now, at the King’s throne, the diplomat, Braunitze, and the new captain of the Red Dragon Knight Order were kneeling before the king, reporting about the results of the expedition.
“Did you succeed in doing business with the beastman town?” The king asked.
“Yes, without any hindrance.” Braunitze, who was the highest ranking officer of the expedition, replied.
“Well, this will make the country richer.” The king smiled widely. “So then, how was that town from your point of view?”
“It is dangerous.” The diplomat stated.
“Hmm... To that degree, huh?” The king muttered.
“Right now, it is not much. But, after ten to twenty years, it will definitely become a threat to our country.” Braunitze elaborated.
“What did you see? Tell me.” The king ordered.
“Everyone lined up atop the castle walls wore armors that seemed to be made from iron. This wasn’t in the last report.” The diplomat reported.
“Iron, huh? Did they produce it?” The king asked.
“Perhaps. Moreover, on the west side of the town, there were countless houses built from bricks. This might be in anticipation of a population increase. According to the them, the houses in the town should have been made from wood. In other words, in a land with few trees, they were able to build new houses suitable for that place. That town is developing rapidly. If it is accompanied by the increase in population, it will become a powerful ‘country’.” Braunitze completed his report.
“Muu....” The king grimaced.
Braunitze concluded that it will become a country. It wasn’t about the scale. Braunitze used the word “country” in a sense that it will have equal power with the Kingdom of Sandra.
Then, the new captain of Red Dragon Knight Order, who was kneeling next to Braunitze, cut into the report.
“What are you troubled about, Father? Hasn’t it already been decided regarding what to do?” The new captain knight who called the king, father, was a beautiful woman with short golden hair.
Her name is Mireille San Sandra. As her name implied, Mireille is the second daughter of the king.
Now then, why is the princess acting as the Knight Captain? It will be explained in a bit.
Even though she is a woman, the princess is a tomboy who likes to swing a sword, and has a fondness for bows. Mireille’s love regarding that is known to the world But, her martial arts prowess was beyond that of a simple tomboy princess, and was not inferior to the knights’.
...That was something clearly shown about two months before. On the day of the ceremony to decide the new leader of Red Dragon Knight Order, as per tradition, the one who wants to become a leader needs to have strength above everyone. For that reason, those who are confident can compete with each other by crossing swords, and the last person standing will be appointed as the leader of the Red Dragon Knight Order.
In a formal tournament match, even though only wooden swords are used, if it hits a vulnerable spot, it can still result in broken bones or even death. Therefore, only the participants with ability were able to participate in the match. Sano, a knight apprentice, seemed to have misunderstood something, and participated. Naturally he didn’t survive, and lost in the first match.
And suddenly the one who appeared before the champion was Mireille who was wearing a mask. Mireille didn’t utter a single word and only held her wooden sword challengingly. For the Knight Order, power is justice, and there was nothing else beside this. Even if it’s an intruder who was wearing a mask, they can investigate after the intruder is incapacitated.
One of the knights took a wooden sword and stood before Mireille. But, before he was even able to make a single move, the knight’s neck had been hit by Mireille’s wooden sword.
“Unusual skill...”
“This is not an ordinary person...”
Like trees being blown by the wind, the knights become excited and murmured amongst themselves.
“Silence!” The knight who was the winner silenced the knights. He was already behaving like he was the leader of the knights.
And then, the match between the champion and Mireille began. It was a splendid match which showcased both of their skills, causing every spectator to feel breathless with awe.
But, the fight did not last for a long time. In fact, the fight was only about 60 moves. It ended with the champion dropping his sword to the ground, and Mireille pointing her sword at the opponent’s chin.
“With this, I am the leader of the Red Dragon Knight Order.” Finally, Mireille declared loudly, her feminine voice echoing throughout the venue.
Taking off her mask, she laughed innocently, as if she was a mischievous child who had succeeded pranking someone.
Incidentally, a woman who could win against a trained man... Was there really such thing? The answer was... There are.
She was a genius with an innate talent to manipulate magic within in her body. This ability was not just a convenient coincidence. The royal family was originally from a long line of martial artists. Although the current king has a docile personality, the first king who established the Kingdom of Sandra had the same magic manipulation technique as Mireille, which allowed him to subjugate the land which would eventually become the Kingdom of Sandra by force.
When Mireille was still a child, the story of the founding king was often recited as a bedtime story. It was almost like a fantasy tale about a hero, causing Mireille to admire him. When she realized her talent, the admiration eventually became desire. She wants to be like the founder. Such a feeling became stronger day by day.
The ceremony for appointing a knight leader was held in drill ground. This was the opportunity for Mireille. She is 17 years old now. If she misses this, she will have to marry into another country as a bargaining chip. That was why Mireille stood before the champion and won. Mireille shouted loudly that she was worthy of being the leader of the Red Dragon Knight Order.
Of course, her father, the king, opposed it. But when Mireille said that she would run away if she was not recognized, the king was forced to accept it.
Back to the throne room...
Being told that the beastman town will become powerful in the future, the king was lost for words. On the other hand, Mireille made a disrespectful statement, saying ‘what are you troubled with?’
“What did you want to say, Mireille?” The king looked at her.
“Nip it in the bud. Is it not that simple?” She snorted.
“It’s easy to say that, Mireille. But, to wage war is not so easy.” The king sighed.
“No, Father. On this occasion, it is obvious that it will get harder as time passes. Having time is advantageous for the beastmen. It is vital for us to attack without letting too much time pass. This seems to be a more
reasonable and ‘easy’ strategy.” Mireille suggested.
How is that? Mireille pressed him with her determined eyes. Her disposition was stern. Mireille had already cast away her disposition as a princess, and had developed a strong spirit as a knight leader.
The king breathed lightly, letting out a sigh.
(Why did my daughter grow up to become like this?)
“That is enough, you can leave. I will decide it later.” The king declared.
Braunitze and Mireille stood up, bowed and left. After Braunitze and Mireille left the throne room, the only ones left were the king sitting on his throne and his oldest chief advisor standing next to him.
“It will be too far away even if we attack it. You will only be hurt if you put your hands into the bag. That is why one should not enter the bag in the first place.” The king said.
Because there is a desert between them, the king compared the land the beastman town was in to a bag. If they attack from here, they will have geographical advantage there. The southern ground doesn’t have any supplies. It is a severe place. Anyway, it would not too late even if the beastmen pointed their spears here, or so the king thought.
In short, he was against the war.
In response, the chief advisor shook his head.
“Giving money to those lower classes will only lead the beastman village to expand. We can attack the beastman town and turn it into a supply area. After the war, we can use that as a relay point for commercial purposes.”
“What about the earthquakes? We can’t build houses there.” The king floundered.
“Aren’t tents good enough? It can be anything unless you are particular about the shape. In the first place, once we control the beastman town, there won’t be any enemies anymore. We won’t need castles or walls.” The advisor pointed out.
“Umu...” The king still felt undecided.
“Settle the land in spring, cultivate it in summer, plant wheat in autumn, and as soon as they are harvesting the following year, the army will move southward.” The advisor suggested.
“But, a siege battle will also cause great damage here as well.” The king argued.
“If the town can’t fall easily, you can just surround it with numbers. I heard that the fields are outside their walls. They will starve after we surround the town, and they will surrender by their own will.” The advisor stated firmly.
[TL: I laughed here.]
[TLC: Well...infinite supplies lol.]
[ED: I laughed too. Gleefully and derisively tbh.]
“Hmm, but the magic analysis is not complete yet...” The king protested weakly.
The death of Garland, the previous leader of the Red Dragon Knight Order, still weighed heavily on the king’s mind. The Red Dragon Knight Order was defeated miserably without being able to bring his corpse or any mementos home. Although it was said that the magic could only be used by an individual, was that really the enemy’s only card? That was the concern of the king.
“The situation of the continent is unstable. Does Your Majesty know about the Igor Empire?” The advisor asked.
The Igor Empire is a territory north of the Kingdom of Castile. A civil war occurred due to a contest over some territory. The eldest child won, and the rebellion was quelled, but the one who was manipulating the second child was the Kingdom of Castile.
The eldest child said that since the Kingdom of Castile was supporting the second child, if the second child wins, he will defect from the empire and side with the kingdom.
[TL: this war is in one of the province or territory not war in all the province at the empire]
If the second child becomes the lord and defects to the Kingdom of Castile, it would no longer counted as civil war, and the Igor Empire will not be able to handle it. It was a loophole which the Kingdom of Castile found in the church’s no war announcement.
“It is inevitable that a continent will be wrapped up in a war eventually. To cut off that anxious feeling, I think that the subjugation of southern part can’t be avoided. Your Majesty, please make your decision.” The advisor took his stand.
“Hmm...” However, the king was still indecisive, and avoided making a decision on the spot.
However, at a later date, a discussion which gathered important people from the military and administration was held, and the result was that the kingdom will start their southern subjugation and begin to make their move.
◆
When Braunitze and Mireille were having an audience with the king, the knights, who have returned to the barracks, will take care of their arms, while the apprentice knights would take care of the horses. And, amongst those caring for the armor was Tsutomu Sano.
Sano had been promoted from an apprentice knight to an official knight. The trigger was the appointment of a new knight leader two months ago. Sano, who had participated in the match without knowing his position and lost in the first match, had crossed swords for several dozen moves against a veteran knight. Because there was a vacancy in the Knight Order, the expectations regarding his future potential in sword wielding, and courage, he was openly promoted to knight there.
Getting back to the subject...
In a small, single room typical for knights, Sano was wiping his plate armor with oil. But, his hand movements were dull.
The Red Dragon Knights Order is mainly made up of light cavalry. Unlike heavy cavalries, their equipment maintenance ends quickly. In reality, other knights have already finished their work, and are heading for a bath.
But, Sano was still absent-mindly polishing his armor despite its gleaming shine.
The subject weighing on his mind was the lord of the beastman town. During the meeting with Braunitze and the lord of the beastman town, because Sano stayed with the army, he wasn’t able to see the face of the town’s lord.
(Fujiwara, huh? Looks like there was no one else but Fujiwara...)
During the march, he didn’t have time to think because he wasn’t accustomed to riding a horse, and he also had his duty as a rookie knight.
Fujiwara... If it is written in Japanese kanji, it was common surname. It was also the name of many great men in history.
(He is definitely Japanese. What should I do next?)
The other knights said that when the time comes, they will attack the town.
(What to do when that time comes?)
First of all, he needed to go over his current situation. He became a knight as he desired. He might become the strongest knight in the future.
But when? How many years must he wait?
Sano dislike troublesome things. Recently, he can’t feel the swift progress of his sword training like in the beginning, and became bored.
(I need to do a meritorious deed somehow if I want to become a noble.)
The goal of becoming a knight has been achieved. Isn’t it already good enough? So, Sano thought that he should move on to his next goal.
The princess who became the leader of the knights... It may be possible to become a noble if he performed a meritorious deed, and was remembered by the princess. No, more than that, if he can lay his hands on the princess who only has a good face...
[TL: what a scumbag. I hope he get blowed by Fujiwara Cannon]
[TLC: yeah lol.]
[ED: Hope the princess spears his ass instead.]
“Gufufu.” A wicked idea appeared in Sano’s mind.
Sano was pissed at the beginning when the woman become the leader, but now, it doesn’t seem so bad anymore.
And then, a meritorious deed named Fujiwara has rolled in front of Sano. There is nothing to worry about it. With Fujiwara as a stepping stone, he will be able to step into nobility.
However, there is a problem. It is the modern weapon [Gun]. It would be extremely troublesome to deal with it. Even Garland, who was able to grab a flying arrow, died when dealing with the [Gun].
(Wait...)
After all, guns need an ammunition, there is no doubt that there is a limit.
(Just how many do they have? Of course, I don’t know. No, leaving that aside, if I approached him as someone who came from the same country, and was able to hold him hostage while he is careless...)
I am confident that my sword is faster than the opponent’s gun. In the previous world, Sano had heard a saying that knives were scarier in close combat.
Sano put away the armor he polished, took up his sword, and went outside. Then, he swung the sword as much as he wanted on the grass growing at the garden. He was doing image training against a man with a[Gun].
For the coming battle, Sano will not be lenient even if they were from the same town. Eat or being eaten. It was only that.
But, he had a baseless conceit in his strength, so he couldn’t imagine that he would be defeated. After all, it was just a shallow youth’s dream.