──In a storehouse of Circry House's mansion.
Lionel was gathering his acquaintances.
They were jobless nobles like him. And then, they were second son or third son who couldn't inherit their house and dependent to their house.
「Sorry to call you guys here. Actually it's about the subjugation force this time, my future is hanging on this.」
Lionel was seriously aiming to marry into Circry House.
The girl who he accidentally smooth talked successfully was a daughter of a house of viscount──Doris.
When he asked her, the eldest daughter and third daughter had left the house, and the remaining child was only Doris.
At this rate being a heir of a viscount house wouldn't be a dream.
「Even if I participate it would be hard without my own troops beforehand. How about it? Will you guys join as my subordinates?」
The five people who were gathered here looked dissatisfied.
「Why do we have to become your subordinates?」
They had known each other from a long time ago, but Lionel wasn't their leader. Because of that they were dissatisfied.
「Is it alright for you to say that? If I can marry into Circry House, even you guys will be able to get job you know? Besides, you can even be promoted if you raise achievement in the subjugation this time.」
When Lionel said that, he showed them the armors and weapons that he asked Doris to prepare.
The armors weren't full body armor, even so the armors were proper standard armor.
The swords and spears were also brand new.
「Awesome.」
「It's okay for us to receive this!?」
「If I have this then even I」
Just like Lionel, they also had no money. They were unable to obtain weapon and armor, so they couldn't go out to fight monster.
Even if they participated in the subjugation force, someone who didn't have armor and weapon would only get turned away.
Because of that, the color of their eyes changed in front of the proper equipment.
'As long as they have this then even they can obtain success', they thought.
Lionel gloated inside his heart.
(I'll work these guys hard with this equipment as the bait.)
「Idiot. It's a loan. But, if you guys raise achievement then I'm not going to mind to give them as your reward. Work hard so I can become the heir of this house.」
There were equipments for ten people prepared separated from Lionel's equipment.
「Hey, can I call my acquaintance to come too?」
「Naturally. After all it won't look good unless I can gather ten people at least.」
The subjugation force this time was a mishmash gathering. In such a mishmash subjugation force, if there was anyone that he could cooperate with it would be his own comrades that he gathered by his own effort. After all he didn't know if there would be others who could be relied, and there would also be rivals that he would compete with for achievement.
(If there are ten people then it will be quite the number. I don't know who will be the captain of the subjugation force but, there's no way they'll be able to ignore me. I also asked Doris to support me, if I can obtain great achievement here……I won't lose against that guy from the branch house.)
That guy from the branch house. He meant Lyle.
From the view point of the capital noble Walt House, the feudal lord noble Walt House was treated as branch house.
Lionel was constantly thinking.
(Even though we're the same Walt House, and yet I'm poor, while that guy is rich……that's just unreasonable.)
It grated on his nerves how his environment was different from Lyle.
Furthermore, he heard that Lyle didn't have the qualification as heir, that he was disinherited and driven out from his house.
(I'm more amazing than that kind of guy. I'll absolutely become a son-in-law of a house of viscount and show how I'm better than that guy!)
Lionel was burning with rivalry toward Lyle──.
The formation ceremony of hippogriff subjugation force.
It was carried out by reserving a bar in the capital, but I who participated there wanted to go home quickly.
Even though there was only a few more days before the departure, the gathered lineup was terrible.
Standing on the speaker stage was the knight leading the subjugation force.
Ten-knight squad captain Norma Arnette.
She was a female knight with strong-willed face. She didn't even try to hide her sour look when she saw the faces of the lineup.
She looked to be in the middle of her twenty or at her late twenty.
The middle aged male knight beside her, Morris Usher was pacifying her.
「Commander-dono, you should calmly greet them here.」
「Morris, are you telling me to lead this kind of thugs and fight? I'm a Bahnseim Kingdom's ten-knight squad captain! I won't tell you to gather knights, but why can't you gather trained soldiers?」
「No, that, even if you ask me something like that」
「That's why you'll be an average knight for eternity. You're finally chosen as vice captain. Work seriously.」
Morris-san was had plump and small stature. He was at his forty with small mustache on his face. He was being scolded by the female knight──a superior who was far younger than him.
It was a scene that invited pity.
「I, I'm sorry. But, I'm more or less a knight leader.」
「You're still undoubtedly lower ranked than me right!?」
「Ye, yes!」
The gathered people drank the prepared alcohol as they pleased and reached out to the food.
There was a lot of people but it was a crowd without order. The people's gazes were gathered to the alcohol and food, and then to Normsan, so I gripped my Jewel and talked to the ancestors.
「She seems unreliable.」
The Fifth answered me.
『Ten-knight squad captain huh. If it's the same with my era, then she is platoon commander or company commander class in the kingdom's standard.』
The Second was calmly looking at the gathered personnel.
『That female knight's subordinates are the unreliable knight leader and around ten knights huh? The rest only look like a mishmash group no matter how you see it. This is far more horrible than expected.』
The Sixth was also laughing at the excessive horribleness.
『This is terrible. Will these guys able to protect the town?』
Only the number was a lot.
Among the participants, it was Lionel who had gathered the most comrades.
He looked at me and made a triumphant look.
「No matter how I see it, this subjugation force look weak.」
The Fourth was laughing.
『Lyle, this is how the world is. In the first place, the capable people would already find work since a long time ago and got promoted.』
The Third's opinion differed from the Fourth.
『If there are this many gathered, then there'll also be capable people among them. Even so, this lineup……somehow they only look like extra to make up the number.』
The requirement to join the subjugation force was to own the minimum equipment.
But, apparently this time even for applicants who didn't fulfill the requirements, all of them would be taken along too as logistical support. The people in this bar were around a hundred people who were formally recognized as soldiers.
If I just looked at the number then the scale of this force was big.
The Second seemed to be concerned about something.
『……There might be something behind the scene of this subjugation force.』
「Behind the scene?」
『Lyle, this isn't a game. To move this many people then a considerable amount of expenses will become necessary. If you consider that the logistical support personnel has to be paid too, don't you think that the money required will be great?』
The Fourth started talking with profit-and-loss calculation.
『This'll sound cruel but, I don't think that town is worth so much to have a force in this scale to be sent there. It'll be best to reduce the number more and send the force swiftly. That's if you're thinking normally.』
The Seventh sighed deeply.
『How many people are they planning to send just for taking care of hippogriff? It will be harder to think that there is no ulterior motive behind this. The consideration of this isn't a decent one.』
Thinking normally doing the subjugation this way was a mistake.
It couldn't be helped if anyone wondered just what the higher-up was thinking.
「What're they planning to do recruiting people until the very last minute?」
The Second answered with a cold voice.
『……These guys, they might be discarded.』
After the ceremony was over and I returned to the inn, there were Mirandsan and Arisan at the lobby.
The two of them were making serious face for some reason.
「What's the matter?」
「Oh, you're early Lyle.」
Mirandsan looked surprised when she turned around.
Arisan asked me for confirmation.
「Hey, could it be the commander of the subjugation force is a female knight named Normsan?」
I nodded.
「Could it be she's your acquaintance?」
Arisan shook her head.
「I heard the rumor while I was shopping but, that Norma person, she has bad reputation. It seems she is someone who'll do unreasonable things in order to be promoted.」
Mirandsan also looked troubled.
「I heard about it slightly from Renard but, it seems she is also disliked in the palace. Apparently her reputation is also bad among her fellow knights.」
It seemed they were gathering information before our departure. It was something really appreciated for me as a leader.
「Well, certainly it felt like there would be problems with this subjugation.」
「Really? Will it be alright like that?」
「……Who knows?」
「Lyle, get a hold of yourself. This is a request that you accepted.」
I couldn't say anything back.
I didn't tell anyone around me about the existences of the ancestors. From the perspective of Arisan, she must be finding it hard to understand why I was accepting this kind of request.
Mirandsan was looking apologetic.
「Lyle, you don't need to force yourself for our sake. If you feel like it, you can simply take us and get out from Centralle. There is no need to properly go along with them.」
I shook my head.
「I also have my own circumstances. This isn't Mirandsan and Shannon's responsibility.」
While we were conversing like that, the situation inside the Jewel was strange.
The Third was muttering.
『Disliked female knight. And the gathered applicants are……isn't this a hundred percent already? There is no doubt at all.』
The Fifth didn't seem concerned.
『The opponent is hippogriff. Aren't you overthinking it?』
The Sixth also had the same opinion, but it seemed he was more relaxed than usual.
『Yeah. The opponent is too lacking……well, it's a harsh opponent for the dimwitted capital nobles though!』
Inside the Jewel, everyone laughed together hearing those words of the Sixth.
The hatred of these guys to the capital noble was deep.
After laughing the Seventh sighed.
『Haa……I can't get motivated facing a mere hippogriff.』
It was me who was working, and in the first place hippogriff was a plainly troublesome opponent. I couldn't understand the standard of the ancestors.
──Circry House's mansion.
Ralph was talking with Renald in his office.
「So you failed in persuading Miranda.」
「Yes. My apologizes. She is seriously in love with that young man.」
Ralph was staring outside the window.
The voices of Lionel and others entering the mansion and starting an afterparty could be heard.
Ralph warped his face as though to say that the voices were offensive to his ear.
「In that case let her do as she please. In the worst case there'll be no problem as long as Doris is still here. That Lionel brat also won't be returning.」
Renald turned his gaze on the table. The true request paper was placed on there.
「Doris too will open her eyes after the case this time. As for Miranda……honestly it's a waste.」
Miranda was capable even from Ralph's eyes. If she was born as a male, he wouldn't be worried with the problem of inheritance. It was vexing.
「She is similar with Milleisama. She had the grounding from the start.」
「If she is similar with grandmother then it's all the more regrettable. She should just be quiet and devote herself for this house's sake.」
Renald asked Ralph.
「Master, is it really alright?」
「Is there any problem?」
「Is it really alright to send the two Ojou-sama to that dangerous place? What will Milleisama, the previous heads, and the deceased madam think about this──」
「The dead cannot say anything to interfere. If they have anything to say then they can come out and tell me. I won't mind at all. That's right……the dead cannot say or do anything after all.」
The face of his beloved wife came to Ralph's mind.
(That's right, if they can come here then I'll happily welcome them. It's because they can't do that──if, I can't meet her for the second time, then I'll just devote everything for the house's sake without thinking of anything else.)
Ralph listened to the offensive voices of the youngsters while making a cold gaze.
「With this the capital will also become slightly cleaner.」
The dispatched subjugation force.
They were sent to a dangerous place──.
The number of subjugation force that exited the capital's rampart and gathered outside was around four hundred people.
If the knights riding on horse and wagons and the like were included, the scale of the force was really big.
What was concerning was the people who were present at the formation ceremony and yet weren't here. ……It seemed they ran away.
What was different from before──when we went for dungeon subjugation as adventurer, was that there was no troupe of traveling performer and post exchange merchant coming along this time.
Why didn't they come along? That was because the commander Normsan disliked it. Because of that voices of dissatisfaction were coming from the soldiers.
I looked at my party.
At this place there were only me, Novem, Sophisan, and Mirandsan.
Sophisan looked over the subjugation force and said.
「This is……horrible.」
Adventurers in their own way didn't have any unity, but they would at least arrange proper equipment on their own. And yet, the group before us really didn't have anything except the minimum necessary equipment.
If the top was Normsan riding on a horse with full body armor and her knights, then the bottom of the barrel was the ordinary people bringing tattered armor and rusty weapon──they didn't look like they could fight.
Even though we would have to move out soon, everyone was still talking idly without any coordination. That also lowered their evaluation.
The Second was irritated.
The Second hated something like this.
『Anyone is fine, just consolidate this bunch properly.』
We who brought the bare minimum baggage found Lionel and his groups. They were wearing uniform equipment among such disordered group.
Lionel was talking to Normsan.
「Commander-dono, please take care of us!」
「……You have weapons and armors prepared. You also have wagon and supplies. Well, among these bunches you guys are at the better side I guess.」
Normsan seemed to be confirming the group that she would be leading. Her mood got slightly better.
She might be thinking that Lionel's group that had better equipment than normal soldiers looked like they would be useful.
The Third laughed at me.
『Oh, are you feeling annoyed Lyle? Well, but……I don't know what kind of method he used, however he has sufficient number of people and supplies. Lionel-kun is also capable huh.』
He didn't look like he had that much money. While I was thinking that, Mirandsan spoke beside me.
「Doris prepared those for him. But, it's curious that Otou-sama allowed that.」
It seemed she knew that it was Doris-san who prepared those things.
And then, at the same time I also saw him giving something to Normsan.
「Oh, he is even handing a bribe.」
「Ee……」
I was astonished. The Fourth warned me.
『Lyle, something like that is also necessary for a smooth human relationship. Well, you should choose who to give the bribe to though, and his method is a bit unrefined. He should think more about where to hand that over, and if he don't think about what to give then……』
The Fourth predicted that the one given the bribe in that way would think badly of the bribe giver. But,
「……You, giving me something like this……so you get it aren't you!」
「She happily accepted!」
Normsan left from there in a really good mood.
The Fourth was dumbfounded. Even the surrounding was the same.
『……E, eeeh?』
Lionel walked here wearing the equipment he was proud of.
He was grinning widely.
「Haha~, the commander has good eyes. She came to our spot but, she didn't even take any notice to you. It really can't be helped. Every last one of your party member is woman. Could it be, you're planning to start a business here?」
Business──he didn't say it clearly but, he must wanted to say whether I was bring around prostitutes.
Sophisan was offended and she was going to say something back, but I stopped her.
「Uniform equipments and even horse cart, you've prepared a lot.」
「I wish you won't confuse me with a poor adventurer like you.」
Miranda folded her arms and turned her gaze at Lionel.
「How high-spirited. Those are equipments gathered with my little sister's money, so treat them carefully.」
Lionel couldn't argue back to that. He immediately left as though running away.
Sophisan looked at his back.
「I met him before in the capital but, he is really, that's……」
She was sending glances at me, so I immediately understood what she wanted to say.
「No, he is a stranger. Things like main house or branch house are irrelevant, we're already stranger to each other.」
「Ha, haa, I see.」
Mirandsan was chuckling.
「They look similar. And yet the two of them are this different. It's funny.」
It seemed that I……no, Lionel looked similar with me.
While I was thinking that such thing wasn't true, Novem cut into the conversation with a relatively scary face that didn't look amused at all. She was a bit……scary.
「He isn't similar with Lyle-sama at all.」
Mirandsan made fun of Novem who was like that.
「Really? Their hair and pupils are the same color, besides his voice is also──」
「Where? Lyle-sama's hair color is a very pretty blue. It's different from the hair color with coloring that's like it got mixed with strange color. Besides that person has no class. In addition his attitude is also unacceptable!」
Mirandsan was slightly creeped out.
I moved to stop Novem. After all she was starting to boast about me like「Lyle-sama is very wonderful──」 with a loud voice.
「Novem, stop. Stop! Look, we need to prepare. Besides, Clarsan and the rest will arrives soon.」
「No, allow me to say it. Just how wonderful Lyle-sama is!」
It was unusual that Novem was this excited, but I'm begging you, I wanted you to stop boasting about me so loudly.
Mirandsan was bewildered.
Sophisan muttered.
「……Ah, there they are.」
Ahead of Sophisan's gaze, Clarsan and the rest with the complete arrangements──came to pick us up in Porter.
While the surrounding were getting noisy, Evsan who was riding on Porter's roof was waving her hand.
「This is amazing! Lyle, this is really amazing~」
I let out a tired sigh before the departure.
The marching speed was basically not fast.
After all we were marching by walking.
In addition there were also the battles against the monsters we encountered.
Because the number of people moving was a lot, the encounters couldn't be avoided and there was no other choice but fighting but…….
「Don't come. DON'T COMEEEE!」
「Oi, get to the front! You get to the front!」
「Don't screw around! You go forward!」
……What's this, horrible.
Before the departure, the people who were saying things like 'I'll defeat the most monsters just you see!' were scrambling to be the first to run away when the battle actually happened.
We got 400 people on our side.
The monsters didn't even reach ten even at maximum.
Even now, several dozen people were surrounding just one orc, and yet they were getting cold feet without being able to do anything.
「Ah, seems someone is coming.」
I heard the footsteps of horse and turned my gaze there.
The rushing knight was Morris-san. He readied the crossbow on his back on the horseback.
While I was watching that from Porter's roof, Normsan came from behind Morris-san with a displeased face.
The arrow that was fired from the crossbow pierced the hand of the armed orc.
Morris-san yelled.
「Commander!」
「Don't yell for every little thing!」
Normsan jumped from the horseback and drew out the sword on her waist. The thin double-edged sword was a one-handed sword and raised overhead. It was then swung down by making use of its falling speed.
The sword was enveloped in flame the moment it was swung down. The slashed orc was burning.
Arisan and Evsan were watching that together with me.
「That's a flashy technique. Is that Art?」
「Isn't it magic? Those knights like that kind of flashy technique. But, it's making you excited so I like it. Don't you somehow feel thrilled about female knight who control flame?」
「Ee~, it's not thrilling. Because, that person, Morris-san is it? That person's skill is more amazing.」
「I recognize that but……other people don't notice that.」
Hearing that I watched the surrounding's reaction. There were cheers but it was only Normsan who got praised. There wasn't anyone talking about Morris-san.
「That female knight is amazing.」
「Perhaps we'll be alright if she is the commander.」
「At first I was anxious hearing that it's Norma, but it's a relieve if she's that strong.」
Morris-san wasn't appreciated, however the person himself didn't even look bothered about that. He was talking to Normsan.
「That was splendid.」
「There isn't even any need for me to come out. After this take care of something like this by you all here. Come on, we're going.」
Evsan evaluated Morris-san like this after seeing that exchange of the two.
「He is the type who is plain but can do his work. He's the type who looks like a good person, but because of that he gets handicapped.」
It seemed Arisan couldn't understand the surrounding's evaluation.
「Why don't Morris-san get appreciated? That person, perhaps he's strong isn't he?」
「Human evaluate in a way that is easy understand from what they saw. Isn't it also the same in story? Rather than a person who is plain even though he is actually the one who should be appreciated, the star character──the flashy character is the one that is praised.」
I watched the magic stone getting taken out from the orc. Morris-san was giving instruction for the work efficiently.
The Second sounded a bit happy.
『That kind of knight is valuable.』
The Third also joined the talk.
『A type who can do their work is important after all. Even the flashy battle just now, wasn't it a suggestion from Morris-kun too?』
I gripped the Jewel curious about what the Third meant. The Second explained to me.
『Look around. They're relieved because they understand Norma's strength right? He is teaching them that your commander here is strong see, like that.』
Was it not good if the commander wasn't strong?
From where I was standing, someone with good head and decisiveness would be more appreciated.
I could understand that it was better that they commander was strong rather than weak but……I thought it would be enough as long as they were strong enough to protect themselves.
『Lyle, you don't get it. Look around you. They're visibly relieved after seeing that battle. These guys don't have the eyes that can see through whether someone really can do their work or not.』
The Third also sounded displeased.
『It's troublesome because there is this. It can also be said that they are easy to handle though……now then, Lyle too should move soon I guess. At the next battle finish it with only your group.』
Being told that I concentrated. Inside my head the map of the surrounding and──dots with blue or yellow color could be seen.
It was the Arts of the Fifth and the Sixth.
For some reason, around me──the people around who weren't my party member, the subjugation force participants were harboring hostility at me. Why?
Other than them the yellow color was a lot.
A disunited group without any leadership……there was a gathering of red dots. I found them approaching here as though targeting this group.
『Oh, these guys seems right. Their number is quite a lot.』
The number of the red dots didn't reach twenty.
But, this was the greatest number among the monsters encountered until now.
They were good opponent to make us stood out.
──Norma was irritated.
The marching speed was slow. And above all else there was no order. In addition, most of the gathered participants didn't have fighting experience.
Most of them were jobless noble or commoner. They at least knew how to hold a weapon, but that was really all they knew. There were even some among them who couldn't do anything.
She guessed that there would also be capable talent among them, but on the whole they really couldn't be relied on at all.
(Compared to legitimate knights and soldiers, their quality is just too inferior.)
After much effort she was finally entrusted with this mission.
If she succeeded then she would undoubtedly get promoted, and yet the riffraff that was gathered were dragging her down.
Her gaze was also turning dangerous from the excessive irritation, so her subordinates also didn't try talking to her.
During that time, there was a soldier running toward her.
「Commander! E, enemies!」
「Again! Why is so many monsters appearing this near to the royal capital!?」
Knight orders and soldiers were subjugating the monsters near the capital, but monster were attacking them right away when they got a little bit of distance from the city.
The soldier who came to report was flustered in front of Norma who was in a bad mood. Morris came forward to deal with it seeing that.
「Is the enemy monster, or bandit?」
「I, it's monster.」
「Their number?」
「E, err……I don't know. But they're definitely many.」
A volunteer soldier who wasn't trained couldn't even make a satisfactory report. It increased Norma's irritation even greater.
「You guys, come with me. We'll take care of the monsters. Good grief, no matter who everyone is all useless.」
She complained while deciding to head there personally because even further delay than this couldn't be tolerated.
「E, err. But……it might be alright.」
Vein pulsed on Norma's forehead.
It made the messenger soldier turned pale.
「You……just what in the world are you saying!」
When Norma raised her angry yell, cheers welled up from some distance away.
「Wha, what? Oi, let's go.」
She spurred her horse. When she arrived there, there was a group fighting the monsters.
The group wasn't surrounding the monsters using number. They were courageously challenging the monsters with fewer number.
No, instead they were the one who were on the offensive.
Morris was surprised, even so he checked the group's background from his names register.
「They're……adventurer it seems.」
「Adventurer you say?」
A large snake that looked like it could swallow a human whole opened its mouth largely in intimidation. Its body had the width that was equal to an adult male, while its length surpassed twenty meter.
It slithered forward on the ground. When it raised its head, it was so big one had to look up to it.
A blue haired young man standing on its way. And then he slashed with the sabers in his both hands.
The large snake was cut down in a flash, then right away magic was attacking rapidly at the monsters who were trying to jump at the young man.
Norma and others who were trained knight and from noble──magician bloodline accurately comprehended that magic's power and precision. They couldn't hide their surprise.
(What……what are those guys!)
A black haired woman who was surrounded by orcs were cutting them down with her battle axe.
A red haired woman attacked the monsters trying to circle behind her allies, a green haired woman was tying up the monsters with strings that came out from her hand and immediately constricted them, choking the life out of them.
Perhaps the noise triggered something, because monsters were coming out one after another from the nearby forest.
But, even then they didn't look perturbed.
Norma asked in confirmation.
「There shouldn't be any renowned adventurers participating isn't it?」
「Ye, yes. But, they're young. So perhaps they're adventurers who'll become famous in the near future.」
Hearing Morris's reply, Norma felt worried rather than acceptance.
(They're adventurers? Don't screw around. It's me who should be raising achievements. If I don't obtain achievements and get promoted……)
When she noticed the battle was over. Norma glared at the young man who was sheathing his sabers.
(Hm? That face……is that the guy who gave me the bribe? No, but his equipment is different.)
She thought whether he was the young man who handed her the bribe, but the equipment and party member were different so she decided that it was other person but……Norma thought that they looked really similar──.
After the battle.
Morris-san came here just as expected.
When he found me near the beheaded large snake, he came down from the horse and called out to me.
「I've watched the battle just now. That was amazing.」
Morris-san praised me normally.
But, Normsan who was staring over here from some distance away was obviously looking guarded.
The Third was laughing loudly inside the Jewel.
『How small. Normchan, you really have small caliber. You need to praise your subordinates more.』
I had known about Normsan's small caliber from the start. As expected, it seemed she couldn't forgive anyone who was standing out more than her.
「Thank you very much.」
「I heard that you're an adventurer, but I've never heard your name in the capital. Did you move here from somewhere?」
「We came from Arumsaas. We're only stopping by in the capital. We coincidentally received a request so we participated in the subjugation this time.」
「Request?」
「Yes, it's a request from Circry House's head. Ah, I also have the proper written contract here.」
It was curious that our participation wasn't told to the leader of this subjugation force.
When I showed the document, Morris-san was flustered.
「You're connected with a viscount house?」
「Well……something like that.」
The Third spoke.
『Lyle, tell him, he is my father-in-law. Surely it will be amusing.』
The Second was exasperated.
『What use is there making any provocation here.』
Morris-san was sending glances at Normsan.
「Aa~, that……I'll go to confirm with the commander, so can I ask you to collect the magic stones and materials for now?」
When I nodded, Morris-san hurriedly headed toward Normsan with the written contract in hand.
There were gazes gathering on me so when I looked over there, among the cheering soldiers──there was Lionel looking at me with a really vexed look.