Chapter 689
I'll Handle Everything. (1)
Tyran furrowed his brows, not understanding the meaning behind the words. Ghislain clicked his tongue and explained a bit more clearly.
“We’re going to have to fight anyway.”
“Why?”
“Because Count Crest is a bad guy. Don’t you think so?”
Count Crest was a brutal tyrant. He seized neighboring territories through force and treated the people of his domain as nothing more than expendable tools.
That wasn’t all. He even controlled countless criminal organizations and bands of thieves in the area, collecting tributes from them.
He could be called one of the pillars of evil that plunged the world into chaos.
But his power was so overwhelming that no one dared to hold him accountable. It was a world where it was natural for those with power to act as he did.
Ghislain was well aware of Count Crest’s atrocities. It was because Andrew, the lord of this land, always lived in fear of Count Crest’s gaze.
“We’re a mercenary corps that only does righteous work. So of course we can’t join forces with Count Crest.”
“What are you talking about? A mercenary corps that only does righteous work? That kind of mercenary corps doesn’t exist in this world!”
“It does. Did you think I was joking when I said we’d save the world?”
“No, but still...”
“Since Count Crest is evil, naturally we have to side against him and fight, right? That’s what I meant when I said we’d have to fight him anyway.”
“...”
If the Julien Mercenary Corps sided against Count Crest, the count wouldn’t just sit idly by.
He knew how strong the Ironclad Lion Corps was. If he had to face the top mercenaries in the region, the damage would be immense - clear as day.
So how would the count respond, knowing all this?
“Obviously, he’ll try to take us out before the territorial war begins, right?”
“...”
Tyran felt a chill down his spine as he looked at the smirking Ghislain. It felt like everything was already in the palm of that guy’s hand.
But predicting everything didn’t mean the actual battle would be easy.
“Count Crest commands over ten thousand armed soldiers. No matter how strong we are, we can’t match that in numbers.”
“Baron Nodehill has a thousand.”
“...”
“And our ally, Baron Larks, also has around a thousand-armed men.”
“...”
“And our mercenary corps has about six hundred, right?”
“...”
“That makes 2,600 total. Doesn’t that sound doable?”
“Wait… do you not know how to do math?”
“...That’s an insulting remark. I’m a mage.”
Ghislain wasn’t exactly the best with numbers, but that had nothing to do with this situation. He had never needed to calculate anything to fight.
“With barely half their numbers, how do you plan on winning?”
“We have enough. We’re stronger than the knights of Count Crest’s domain.”
“There’s only four of us.”
Ghislain, Julien, Kyle, and Tyran. Each of them was strong enough to take on the knight commander of Count Crest’s domain.
The problem was their limited numbers. No matter how powerful the four were, it would be difficult to handle all of Count Crest’s other knights, soldiers, and mages.
Even so, Ghislain gave a relaxed smile and said,
“It’s fine. War isn’t about numbers; it’s about real combat.”
“...”
Tyran shut his mouth. He figured this so-called ‘smart’ mage must have a strategy of his own. The guy boasted like crazy, but his skills were the real deal.
And truthfully, Tyran had no choice anyway. His pride wouldn’t allow him to run away out of fear.
Having settled into the mood after the meeting, Tyran asked another question.
“This mercenary corps... something feels off.”
“What about it?”
“Julien’s the captain... but you, the vice-captain, act like the real one.”
“That’s a misunderstanding. Our captain’s just really shy. I simply convey his intentions since I know what he wants. Isn’t that right, Julien?”
Julien just nodded.
“...”
The more he listened, the more dumbfounded Tyran became.
Shy? That guy with the terrifying eyes that stabbed people with a glance?
And that Kyle guy wasn’t any better. What kind of person struts around with a sparrow on his shoulder?
That Kyle then looked at Tyran and said,
“Honestly, I’m stronger than Julien. You should spar with me sometime.”
As Tyran scowled, Kyle quickly added,
“Ah, not now. My stomach’s a bit off.”
“...”
Then the one on Kyle’s shoulder, Dark, also spoke up.
“Of course, he’s stronger than Julien. I trained him.”
Tyran’s eyes widened in shock.
“The sparrow... talks?”
“You insolent wretch! How dare you call me a sparrow! Do you wish to suffer and die under a curse?!”
As Dark looked ready to pick a fight, Ghislain shot him a glare and said in a warning tone,
“Just think of him like a spirit. He’s a bit socially inept and kind of a dunce, so try to be understanding.”
“...Alright.”
Hearing it from a mage, Tyran decided to let it slide. He didn’t really know much about magic or spirits anyway.
‘Spirits live in the Spirit Realm, right? Maybe their personalities are this nasty because they live in such an isolated place.’
It was the first time he learned that spirits could be antisocial and foul-mouthed. This moment would shape his preconceptions about spirits moving forward.
His opinion of the Julien Mercenary Corps also became more solid. This place was full of weird, arrogant weirdos. Living peacefully here didn’t seem likely.
But he had already said he’d join. What could he do? Even if he wanted to take it back, his pride wouldn’t let him.
"Alright then, let’s do well from now on. And don’t worry about the war. I’ll take care of everything."
At Ghislain’s confident declaration, sounding like he truly had no concerns, Tyran could only let out a sigh.
* * *
“It looks like the preparations for deployment will soon be complete.”
Count Crest nodded after receiving the report from the Chief Overseer.
“What about Count Swifel’s response?”
“They seem to have caught on and are deep into war preparations as well. They’ve been requesting support from nearby regions, but haven’t received any definite answers.”
“I see.”
Count Crest looked unsurprised.
He was the undisputed ruler of this region. And he was also the vassal of Marquis Falkenheim, the most powerful man in the kingdom.
No matter how hard Count Swifel tried, he wouldn’t be able to rally any allies. No one would want to fight against Count Crest.
Even the mercenaries in this area were all under Count Crest’s control. It was the reality that Count Swifel couldn’t even properly hire a single mercenary.
“Hurry and finalize the contract with the Ironclad Lion Corps. We’ll be marching out soon.”
Count Crest gave his order coldly to the Chief Overseer.
To him, the Ironclad Lion Corps was quite a useful tool. He had profited significantly by using them in several previous wars.
He also knew full well about that man Tyran’s ambition. He intended to use it to his advantage again this time.
“He’s got talent, but for a worthless guy, his dreams are far too big. Make sure to crush his spirit this time.”
“Understood. I’ll put the Ironclad Lion Corps at the vanguard and concentrate the damage on that side as much as possible.”
“What about the bandits in the surrounding areas?”
“They’re set to raid the villages and towns behind Swifel’s territory as soon as war breaks out. We’ve given them permission to pillage, so they’ll take whatever spoils they can manage.”
“Good. Whether they succeed or fail doesn’t matter, just let them run wild.”
“Understood.”
Count Crest truly spared no means or methods when it came to his own gain.
Not only was he using bandits to disrupt the enemy’s rear lines, but he was also inciting them to pillage in order to hinder the opponent’s supplies.
Normally, when the goal was annexation, one wouldn’t go this far in ruining the land because eventually, it would become one’s own to govern but he truly didn’t care. Whether the local people lived or died was none of his concern. His focus was solely on expanding his territory and strengthening his military might.
“If His Lordship the Marquis just seizes control of the kingdom... I’ll be able to claim even more land. So, there’s no need to worry about petty issues. Just focus on annihilating the enemy. Try to carry out as many assassinations as possible too.”
“Yes, sir.”
Fighting this way made it easy to win. But honor would be trampled to the ground. It was a method that wouldn’t be tolerated in peacetime.
No, even in this era, using power too excessively backfired all the same. It was obvious that the nobles who opposed him would join forces and strike.
But Count Crest placed his faith in Marquis Falkenheim, who stood behind him.
“They’re all scum we’re going to wipe out anyway. No need to hold back. If we win, they won’t be able to say a thing.”
With a brutal gleam in his eyes, Count Crest emphasized it to the Chief Overseer several times.
He was the strongest in this region. No matter what kind of lawless acts he committed, no one would dare challenge him.
However, just as preparations for the expedition were being finalized, the Chief Overseer brought new information.
“The Ironclad Lion Corps… has been defeated.”
“Defeated? The largest mercenary corps in the area? What happened?”
“They lost in a match against a newly-formed mercenary corps.”
“A newly-formed mercenary corps?”
“Yes, the Julien Mercenary Corps. They’ve only been around for two years.”
“Huh… The Ironclad Lion Corps lost to those guys?”
“Yes. It was a duel between the captains. Tyran lost and submitted under them.”
That made Count Crest raise his eyebrows. While he didn’t care about most things, even he acknowledged Tyran’s skills.
Yet someone had beaten Tyran in a one-on-one duel. The appearance of a new powerhouse piqued Count Crest’s interest.
“Can we recruit them?”
“We’ve already made an offer, but they refused without hesitation.”
“Arrogant bastards. What’s so great about being a mercenary anyway…”
Becoming a knight was entirely different from being a mercenary. The honor was incomparable.
Tyran was the same despite having such skill, he still chose to remain a mere mercenary. Crest couldn’t understand it.
Clicking his tongue several times, Count Crest spoke.
“Lowborn trash will always be lowborn, I suppose. Fine. No point in dragging in someone who doesn’t want to come. We’ve told them not to participate in this war, haven’t we?”
“Well… about that…”
“What?”
“They… refused that too.”
“What?”
Count Crest furrowed his brow. He had never imagined that a mercenary in this region would dare to refuse his command.
A mercenary turning down a request from a high-ranking noble like himself? It made no sense.
“What reason did they give?”
“They said they couldn’t do it for that amount of money.”
“How much are they asking for?”
“They want three times the amount originally promised to the Ironclad Lion Corps.”
“…Three times?”
“Yes, exactly three times.”
Flames flared in Count Crest’s eyes.
The Ironclad Lion Corps had been expensive to begin with, befitting their reputation. Hiring someone of Tyran’s caliber naturally costs a lot.
Even without counting Tyran, the corps had five hundred members. Sending that many into a dangerous war required an immense sum.
Still, the reason for hiring a mercenary corps was because they were worth the money. Trying to raise that level of military strength without mercenaries would cost even more.
But asking for three times as much? At that rate, it would be better not to use them at all. With that kind of money, one could instead take time to train armed soldiers and recruit knights at a much lower cost.
Bang!
Count Crest slammed his desk hard.
“How dare… worthless mercenaries mock me?”
Who did they think they were to dare haggle with him! Did they expect him to thank them for demanding triple the amount?
He was a noble. There had never been a time when things didn’t go his way. For mere mercenaries to demand such an outrageous sum from him it was utterly insulting.
As Count Crest ground his teeth, the Chief Overseer cautiously continued.
“There are rumors that Count Swifel is trying to contact them.”
“What?”
“It seems word has already spread that they rejected our request.”
“…”
Count Swifel had gathered close to five thousand troops but was still at a disadvantage compared to Count Crest. He hadn’t even managed to hire any proper mercenaries.
Under such circumstances, it made perfect sense for Count Swifel to approach the Julien Mercenary Corps after hearing they had turned down Count Crest.
“The cost won’t matter to Count Swifel.”
If he lost the war, he’d be finished anyway, so even if the Julien Mercenary Corps demanded his entire fortune, Count Swifel would give it to them.
Of course, Count Crest didn’t believe he would lose just because the Julien Mercenary Corps sided with the other.
However, fighting a mercenary corps of that caliber would clearly cost them a fair amount in casualties.
Forcing himself to stay calm, Count Crest spoke.
“That mercenary corps sure knows no fear.”
“Indeed. What should we do?”
“You said they’re closely connected to Baron Nodehill, didn’t you?”
“Yes, they’ve helped solve various problems in the Nodehill Estate, and apparently their base is located there.”
Leaning deep into his chair, Count Crest sank into thought for a moment.
Soon after, he made a decision and spoke slowly.
“We need to take care of Baron Nodehill first.”
“By that, you mean…?”
“If Count Swifel and those mercenaries join forces, the damage on our side will only increase. So, we’ll strike Baron Nodehill before that happens.”
In war, troop size was extremely important. No matter how strong the Julien Mercenary Corps might be, that fact didn’t change.
Baron Nodehill’s forces amounted to only a thousand men. If they were attacked before forming an alliance with Count Swifel, they wouldn’t be able to resist much.
After a brief pause, the Chief Overseer asked,
“Against overwhelming numbers, those men will have no choice but to kneel but what if they abandon Baron Nodehill and run?”
“Even then, it won’t matter. We’ll just win over Baron Nodehill and have him go after them instead.”
“I see… That would work.”
To survive and perhaps out of a sense of betrayal Baron Nodehill would likely turn against the Julien Mercenary Corps.
And that meant using Baron Nodehill’s troops in place of the mercenary corps.
It was a scheme without an escape route. Count Swifel might rush to intervene, but the war would be over before then.
The troop gap between the two estates was just that overwhelming.
Count Crest immediately sent an envoy to declare war.
Upon arriving at the Barony of Nodehill, the envoy confidently declared before Andrew:
“…Therefore, we hereby declare war upon Baron Nodehill, who is harboring the impudent Julien Mercenary Corps that dared to insult this Count!”
The envoy presented the justification for war in long-winded fashion. In short, the Julien Mercenary Corps had acted arrogantly, so Baron Nodehill, who sided with them, would be punished.
Andrew, who had been peacefully focused on duck breeding operations, was stunned by the sudden declaration of war.
“Wha- Why? Why are you suddenly attacking me?”
To him, it was like a bolt from the blue.