3 bar menu

Chapter 122 — Royal Envoys Arrive part 1

 

Three months had passed since our petition in the royal capital, and the day came for the royal envoys to arrive. To receive them properly, I had the core Satellite members assemble in Gantz under Dalshim and Walter’s command. With the highway refurbished, movement through the Great Demon Forest shouldn’t cause trouble anymore. The Margrave’s forces now included a few who had ‘transferred’ from the Royal Army for various reasons; we kept those men out of sight as much as possible so their faces wouldn’t be recognized.

From the moment the mission set out from the capital, I’d arranged a double layer of security. Erwin’s people were to quietly remove obstacles along the way, and from the air multiple drones kept watch to prevent any ambush by bandits or monsters.

In the end, the journey seems to have been boring for them—which suits me fine. If they arrive without incident, my honor remains intact. It lets us send a clear message to the capital: the Great Demon Forest is no longer a death trap; people can come here.

I’ve heard that Prime Minister Burke’s faction has already accounted for this visit and chose not to interfere. Both the King’s faction and the Prime Minister’s faction, it seems, are counting on the trade the mission might open up.

I took Julian—recently appointed to page duties—and climbed the gatehouse over Ares’s main gate. Ares relies on its moat for primary defense, but wherever the road crosses the water we’ve raised curtain walls and installed gatehouses. Below, in the open space before the gate, a line of carriages had arrived and were regrouping. Up to this point they’d kept a convoy formation; from here they’d re-order their column so that persons of higher rank entered first. I addressed Erwin, who was already waiting atop the wall. He’d quietly attached himself to the mission in Gantz to sniff things out.

「Erwin, what exactly is the Prime Minister’s faction hoping to gain from this trade? I don’t see why they’d help enrich an enemy on purpose.」

「My lord, to them Ares and Gantz are cattle before slaughter. The idea is to fatten us up, then butcher us.」

「They really think their advantage is that absolute?」

「In war, numbers are power.」

By my best estimate, the Belta Kingdom can field about fifty thousand, excluding fixed garrisons. I have to assume perhaps eighty percent would fall under the Prime Minister’s command once the royal order went out. Even if we scraped together every noble’s levy around Gantz, we wouldn’t hit ten thousand—and not all of those would pick our side. If the King’s order empowers Burke, then swelling to his camp is ‘only natural’.

「So they plan to overwhelm us with five-to-one numbers and call it strategy.」

「Yes. They’ve already drafted their levy plan. But the larger the army, the more important the size of the target.」

What does he mean by target size?

「The richer Gantz and Ares look, the easier it is to muster men—because the ‘reward’ for the punitive expedition grows.」

Raising a feudal host costs a fortune. Even if lords arm their men at their own expense, it’s hard to demand service without prospects of reward. And the ‘reward’, more often than not, is opportunistic looting.

「Exactly. They want to verify how fat our purse is. The Prime Minister’s agents have slipped into the mission in numbers to probe the true state of both cities.」

「Scouting our walls—or scouting what’s worth plundering, huh?」

If I were Burke, I’d squeeze this ‘peaceful visit’ for all it’s worth. You can’t take a city without knowing its guts, and since they know Erwin’s clan is watching, their regular spies won’t get far. This is their chance to learn what they can.

「Keep an eye on them. It would be bad if trouble befalls the mission—and bad in a different way if their spies roam freely.」

「Understood.」

「This is a separate token from your usual fee. Take it. I’ve been pleased with your work.」

I handed Erwin a pouch heavy with gold. Intelligence work burns coin, and unlike soldiers, spies don’t get battlefield rewards. When Erwin produces, I make sure he—and by extension, his clan—feels seen. Especially with large crowds, his people’s flexibility shines.

「My thanks, truly.」

He received the pouch with both hands, bowing his head.

「I’m counting on you. Report at once if anything changes.」

「At your command.」

Leaving the bowing Erwin, I went down with Julian. The mission was about to enter. As lord, I needed to greet them on the ground.

「Julian, am I presentable?」

「Perfectly, my lord.」

He checked me quickly. With so many people away on separate duties today, the absence of my usual watchful eyes shows in little ways.

I stepped into the square just inside the gate and took my place beside Roberto and the other retainers waiting to receive our guests.

「Roberto, thanks for handling this.」

「Ah, Alan-sama. The mission has arrived safe and sound. At last!」

The carriages rolled through the gate one by one. With the first carriage still moving, I wouldn’t be faulted for any delay in my salute.

Soldiers spilled out, forming ranks to receive the chief envoy. Ringed by his guards, the royal envoy’s carriage drew up in front of us.

A massive figure stepped down, bald head flashing in the sun. I went to one knee and bowed, and Roberto and the rest followed suit.

「You’ve done well. I am Count Khalifa, commander of this mission. It has been some time, Lord Corinth.」

A deep, bell-bronze voice—the voice of a man who’s led armies.

「Welcome to the depths of our forest, Count Khalifa. We’re honored by your presence.」

He threw back his shoulders and laughed.

「A king’s order is a king’s order. However busy I am, a soldier runs where his sovereign commands.」

He stroked a splendid black beard—oddly luxuriant against that polished scalp—and fixed me with a measuring gaze.

I’ve heard the chief envoy had been someone else, until Prime Minister Burke forced Khalifa into the role. We remain enemies, but Burke seized the chance for reconnaissance and sent a field commander in person.

「We’ve prepared a guesthouse for the mission. Please, rest there. This evening, we’ll hold a modest banquet in your honor.」

「Mm. All this must be a burden on you, Lord Corinth.」

「It is only proper for the King’s envoys.」

「Then I will impose upon your hospitality.」

With that, Count Khalifa returned to his carriage. Dalshim, waiting at the head of the column, signaled the move to the guesthouse.

Once Khalifa’s carriage rolled off, I exhaled and stood, brushing dust from my knee.

「Didn’t think he’d come in person.」

「That’s the man you faced at Gantz, my lord?」

Roberto leaned in, voice low with concern.

「Yes. Count Khalifa. An excellent soldier. I won’t lose to him—but he won’t be simple.」

「If even you judge him so, he’s a man to watch.」

We need to be wary—but I can’t show too much concern and chill my own men’s morale.

「I’m a soldier. I pay respect even to an enemy if he’s competent. But whoever stands across from me—I win.」

「Yes, Alan-sama. With the Goddess’s favor on your deeds thus far, we will redouble our efforts for you and Ria-sama.」

「Thanks, Roberto. I’m counting on all of you.」

By form, these people are ‘my’ retainers. In truth they serve Ria, and are here for Starveek’s restoration.

For them, too, I need to pacify Belta quickly and turn my efforts to conquer the Alois Kingdom and restore Starveek. Everyone knows unifying a realm takes time. Still, with each passing day, Alois’s grip tightens—that urgency is in the air.

「All right—Ria should be about here. Eyes to the southwest, everyone.」

At my word, every gaze swung to the sky.

「Gloria, Serena, Sharon—it’s your cue. Go.」

I kept my face neutral, ‘watching the carriages’, but fixed my eyes on the lake. A dark dot grew with every heartbeat.

「A dragon! A dragon!」

The spectators around the mission’s train shouted. Good—perfect timing. The noise will carry as far as Khalifa’s carriage.

We’ve trained for this day: Ria, Elna, Serena, Sharon, Ursula, and Roberta all practiced riding dragon and wyvern. Roberta is riding the dragon today; she and Gloria have crossed weapons, and there’s a strange sense of war-comradeship there.

Khalifa has never faced a flying dragon. We had no intent to threaten, only to show. They came knowing Ares has a dragon. Gloria’s normal flight over the city shouldn’t be an ‘incident’.