Chapter 102: Gantz’s Bloodless Capitulation part2
「Hey there, Captain Guido.」
「L-Lord Protector…」
He hesitated over kneeling. His liege had marched to kill me—but without a royal writ, that was a private war. My standing as Lord Protector still held.
「I’m in a hurry. No need to kneel. I want to speak with the city’s principals—the heads of the Commerce Guild and the Adventurers’ Guild. Call them here if they’ll come. If they refuse, so be it.」
If nothing else, that signals we’ll attack if talks fail. But I’d rather not be an enemy of Gantz.
「This mess hurts you too. Please, Captain Guido.」
My tone softened him. 「I’ll send messengers to invite both guildmasters. That’s all I can promise.」
「Good. I’ll wait over there—within sight of the gate. Tell them their safety’s guaranteed. All I want is to consult on restoring order.」
「I’ll relay that faithfully.」
While we waited, I reviewed dispositions with Dalshim.
「Selena-dono and Sharon-dono’s wings were exemplary.」
He wasn’t wrong. Cavalry mobility plus heavy firepower from magic—then precise top-down fixes and real-time comms. With the use of magic stones, they didn’t need to conserve their magic power, allowing for uninterrupted fire. It’s a vicious package.
Their pincer didn’t just crack the enemy line; it melted it. Even with the enemy leader down, a pursuit this one-sided came from the twins’ ceiling and the unit’s training.
「They’re twins; their intent syncs fast. And everyone’s skill has improved a lot. That’s where the clean linkage comes from.」
Dalshim looked proud of the Satellite squads. Their soldiering standards are high. It takes talent to follow complex orders at speed—while riding and casting. Even in our favor, it’s hard to keep your head when a hundred are facing thousands.
「The regular training paid off.」
「It did. It built cohesion, and everyone got stronger. And we’re not done climbing.」
Progress you can see—that’s a gift. Figures emerged from the gate—guild personnel, most likely.
Even at a distance, I recognized the silhouettes: Silas-san and Kevin-san, with Guido along. Each had one aide. Six total. Dalshim and I made two, so they probably matched our numbers.
「Sorry to drag you out.」
No need for highborn diction if it’s just us. Honestly, noble speech muddies the point when I need straight talk with Silas.
「Lord Protector.」
「Alan, what in the world is going on?」
Kevin-san bowed; Silas-san met me in his usual tone. Natalie-san stood beside them.
「Let’s drop the formalities and talk straight. Count Gantz marched on the Great Demon Forest. I’m not letting him wreck the city we built. I told him to withdraw. He didn’t. I killed him.」
「You serious? He had over three thousand men.」
Faces went slack. Fair—three thousand routed by about a hundred will do that.
「I can show you proof. I’ll deliver the Count’s body to the gate next. Commerce Guild—your cold storage is serviceable, right? Can you keep the remains cool so they don’t rot?」
「It’s feasible, I guess.」
「I need him identifiable. I’ll pay the handling. Please store him inside the guild facilities.」
「All right. We can do that.」
「Now about the future. With the Count dead, Gantz’s administration is an issue. I don’t want Gantz to suffer; I need the city to move our goods. Gantz needs the Great Demon Forest’s resources as well. Let’s join hands.」
「What, exactly, are you proposing?」
Kevin’s eyes sharpened. Guido kept his peace, but he was following.
「Nothing outrageous. This was a private war between the Count and me. I remain Lord Protector—His Majesty still favors me.」
I’m not a hundred percent certain how much goodwill King Amado has for me—but he does like me, and he did hint at making me a margrave if I developed the Great Demon Forest successfully. May as well tell them that.
「His Majesty promised me a margraviate when we succeed. That’s probably why the Count marched on us—he didn’t want me settling the Great Demon Forest and becoming a margrave.」
So far, no objections.
「We’re pioneers; you’re the Adventurers’ Guild, the Commerce Guild, and the City Guard. Different posts, one interest: keep Gantz prospering on the Great Demon Forest’s resources. Right? I need Gantz to sell what we bring out.」
Still silence. Listening.
「As Lord Protector, I’ll destroy anyone who attacks Gantz. I’ll place the city under my protection. But I won’t meddle inside. Let the two guilds and the Guard run things as before until a royal order settles the city’s status. In exchange, allow my troops into Gantz today.」
「There’s no precedent for this…」
Kevin frowned, thinking.
「Plain terms, then—what about taxes?」
「We’re guests. We won’t touch the city’s taxes. You can submit reports to the Count’s lawful successor exactly as before. From that flow, pay Guard wages and operating expenses as usual. Hold the remainder in Commerce Guild custody for the successor recognized by the King.」
「If the guild administers taxes, we can manage. Custody by an agent until a royal successor is named is a measure acceptable according to the kingdom’s law.」
「From the Guard’s side—if wages are paid, duties unchanged, and the order comes from the Lord Protector, I can bring the men along.」
Guido’s phrasing was cautious, but he meant it: give me both legitimacy and pay, and I’ll keep order.
「We accept the Count is dead—but surely his three thousand weren’t annihilated. What about further fighting?」
Kevin-san pressed. Fair. Even if they align with the Lord Protector, no one wants war inside their walls.
「That’s my immediate concern. I don’t want the survivors entering Gantz and digging in. They’re ragged—no commander, short on food. If they get inside, this drags on.」
Everyone present understood how dangerous a loose army would be with their lord dead.
「We’ll stop them from entering.」
Silas-san answered fast. 「Alan, I’m in. Until a royal writ arrives, the guilds steering the city is the least turbulent path. But if the Count’s army gets into Gantz, this deal’s dead. You know that.」
「I do. It won’t happen. Under those terms—you accept my protection?」
「No looting or assaults. We can’t have ‘incidents.’」
Kevin-san raised the last big flag—but he was already halfway on board.
「Of course. While we’re guests, we’ll pay fair value and obey the law. I won’t yield anything touching the city’s defense—that’s the Lord Protector’s lane—but so long as trade runs as before, I won’t micromanage your governance.」
「Give us a moment.」
They stepped aside, conferred briefly, and returned.
「We accept.」
Silas-san spoke for them. Kevin-san and Guido nodded. Good—wrapped.
「Excellent. I’ll deliver the Count’s remains. Show them to whomever you must, but secure his effects. I don’t want the evidence to vanish.」
「Understood. If he were ‘missing,’ it would get messy. We’ll keep it proper.」
「It’s complicated—but as townsmen, we’d rather not have a disordered army push our gate.」
「With the Count gone, we should follow the Lord Protector’s direction.」
Talks concluded: both guilds would allow our occupation on grounds of guild neutrality—conditional on us breaking the Count’s army first.
There were other chores—forms, ceremony, just cause towards the kingdom, divvying interests—but once city-to-city cooperation was set, the rest was small stuff.
I returned to the troops with Dalshim.
Kenny, Squad Leader of Satellite Eight, met us. 「How’d it go?」
「Gantz stays neutral in the fight. If we keep the survivors out, the guilds will run the city as before. If we can protect it, Gantz will come under my protection. Taxes and such stay guild-handled. In practice, we’ll move freely and keep the status quo.」
「That’s a relief. When you said we might have to storm Gantz, I worried.」
「Formally, we hold the city until a royal writ. With Ares’ defense in mind, securing Gantz matters. Good enough for now. Kenny—take your squad and deliver the Count’s body to Captain Guido.」
「Yes, sir.」
Once the handover was done, all that remained was to watch the enemy’s move. Late afternoon, they finally showed.
They’d cleared the treeline and sought open ground—trying to reset for a field fight. They must’ve re-formed before exiting the forest. When they shook out, they still numbered close to a thousand.
「Iris—headcount?」
「Eight-six-three, Captain.」
From three thousand down to that. Still—nearly nine times our strength. Not to be taken lightly.
「Weapons and rations?」
「Better than expected for a Sea bivouac. Likely rearmed from the dead. Food’s not dire in the short term—monster meat is edible, and so are their mounts if it comes to it. With a competent officer, that’s manageable.」
So the Great Demon Forest took care of the weak soldiers, and only the elites remain. That’s no good. We’ll probably win anyway, but we might receive too much damage. Still, with the Count dead, they have little reason left to fight. That, we could exploit.
「Adjutant Dalshim—send envoys. Use lightly wounded prisoners we’re holding. Mount them on captured horses with this message: ‘Abandon Gantz and withdraw, and we won’t pursue.’ Add that we’ll release remaining wounded and accept those who want treatment.」
Volunteers were easy to find. I picked suitable men, healed them, and sent them riding toward the enemy. We watched.
If they took the offer, this private war would end here. If it were just my hundred, they’d charge without a second thought. But I had Gloria—a dragon—in our rear, and cavalry on both wings that, when linked, hit like a hammer. How strong would they rate us? Everything hinged on that assessment.
Under everyone’s gaze, the enemy line edged backward. Then they turned and walked off the hill at a stately pace.
Iris reported after checking the Drone’s footage. 「The enemy force is withdrawing. The wounded and women who accepted your terms are heading our way with the envoys.」
A few small groups broke off and came down toward us. The withdrawal was real. They’d given up on Gantz. The private war was over.
「All right—let’s enter Gantz.」
With cheers at our backs and prisoners received, I led our column through the gate and back into the city.
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