CH 36

On May 25th, in the year 501 of the Kingdom.

Asgard’s army of 5,000 men attacked the invading army of 6,500 men on the plain of his territory.

So began the war between the nobles of the same Kingdom.

A war between allies had begun, but…

“Get them! ! “

“Don’t mess with me! “

“Get his head! ! ! ! “

The assembled enemy forces have already collapsed, and within 30 minutes of the start of the battle, they are already in pursuit.

“I didn’t know they were this strong!?”

“Help me! “

The Asgard family has gold, but their soldiers are a bunch of fools.

The small nobles who had attacked on the strength of such a reputation were being driven out by the hordes of warriors who had gathered from all over.

The division of the Asgard family was very simple.

In a time of war, a platoon is formed of five men, and twenty platoons gather to form a squadron of one hundred men.

Now they had one general in each squadron, letting them compete with each other.

“It’s surprising how well you can do even with a hasty preparation,”

“From what I’ve seen, their individual strength is one of the best in the Kingdom.”

Klein would like to form a battalion of 1,000 men with ten squadrons, but he has not yet established a chain of command.

So they came to the battle with the plan to “rely on their own military strength.”

Watching from the main camp on a small hill, he has an indescribable look on his face.

“…Well, well, well. That’s what happens when you hire a bunch of sword masters and spear masters. How many did we end up hiring?”

“Fifty-seven. Your Excellency.”

Forty of them were appointed squadron commanders.

They were mixed with Hans and others who had originally served in Asgard and were in command.

The company commander class is well-equipped to manage the conscripted soldiers. Some martial artists had been able to serve at the very edge of the recruiting standards, mixed in with the platoon commanders.

They are all men who are confident not in their commanding ability but in their battle prowess.

“Ah, here and there, the commander is leading the charge,”

“Thanks to that, morale is very high.”

The military commander, impatient for success, charged forward with bloodlust and kicked the enemy to the curb.

The soldiers who are following them are also taking advantage of the victory, and they are attacking in a groove.

“I wonder how many heads I will have to examine for…”

The military is a relatively new sector, and it is easy to rise through the ranks if you make a name for yourself. Asgard’s military is a group of men and women who have put their lives on the line and are serious about killing each other.

In response, a collection of hoarders wanted to pick fights with each other and loot by sheer numbers.

They were so unwilling to fight that they were only interested in looting and even hoping the enemy to surrender without a fight.

When these two clashed, the enemy was instantly crushed.

The enemy forces were everywhere in a state of utter devastation.

Commanders of the nobility and even some of the heads of the family have been killed.

“No, even so. I thought it would be a harder fight.”

“The enemy’s soldiers are of poor quality. They are not getting enough to eat.”

“They are indeed moving slowly, and… they look skinny.”

The soldiers of Asgard, who can eat to their fill every day, are quite fit, even for conscripted farmers.

In contrast, the enemy soldiers look like they have prominent ribs and are on the verge of malnutrition.

Moreover, their allies were all fierce generals. There was no way they could lose.

And the biggest reason for the victory was the problem with the enemy’s command system.

“Retreat! Protect the baron!”

“Don’t be cowardly! Get back on your feet!”

“Pull back, or I’ll cut you down! Forward! Forward!”

Some of them tried to retreat quickly, while others tried to counterattack.

But the houses moved in different directions, pulling, staying, and pushing.

Therefore, just as they were about to come together, the battle lines quickly collapsed again.

There was no general in the combined forces. Since the chain of command was independent in each house, there was no way for them to cooperate with each other.

The enemy commander was trying to hold the line.

“There he is! The general’s head! “

“Hunt! Take it!”

The general, who had stayed behind as the others tried to flee, was the perfect target as he gave orders from his horse.

“Whoaaaaaa! ! Enemy general! Randolph, the Stout Lance will strike you!!”

“Damn it. He took it!”

“Captain! There’s a man of high rank over there!”

“Good job! Destroy him!”

The martial artists, who were hunting bandits in the mountains, attacked their enemies as if they were their prey.　

The more they fight, the more likely they are to be attacked by the fierce generals, so more and more enemies gradually run away from them.

In the end, five of the eight attacking families either surrendered or were captured.

Of the remaining three families, one baron quickly fled, and two barons were struck down.

In other words, the war was over in less than half a day because of the total annihilation.

At this point, all he could do was be appalled.

“How could these guys even think of starting a war in this mess?”

“Yes. But wasn’t this your Excellency’s plan?”

“What…? Ah, ahaha. You knew.”

Of course, Klein did not foresee this situation at all.

But he would prefer not to be seen as incompetent.

“What did you notice?”

I asked, trying to test Brynhildr.

She puts her index finger to her chin, tilts her head, and guesses Klein’s plan.

“They don’t know much about the situation in the center except that your Excellency has a silver mine, and you’re a very wealthy man. They don’t have enough information.”

“That’s right.”

At any rate, he says few words. He just nods his head.

Klein shakes his head.

“The recruitment is also being done in a way that avoids the territories of the minor nobility. They have only heard rumors. Probably don’t know that we’ve been keeping this many people around.”

“That’s true too.”

What was the actual situation?

Let’s assume. Around the lands of the war-torn confederation of minor nobles, most of the heads of the families are bloodthirsty.

He could imagine that they would do their best to complain if he tried to recruit people around them, and he didn’t see anyone of note at the dedication contest.

If he favors one of the houses, the house that has a connection with that house is likely to attack him.

If possible, he should leave them alone.

―That was all Klein thought.

There was no other policy but to keep them as far away from them as possible because it would not only be of little benefit but also harm.

For that reason alone, he had cut off all communication.

However, it seemed to the knight in front of me that this was a blockade of information.

“Since we were out of contact, the enemy must have thought that Asgard’s army was the same as it was before.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

They did not involve the minor nobles in their business and kept trade to a minimum.

At best, they paid high prices for their food.

Klein did not know them well.

He is convinced that it was the same for the other side.

“They’re going to get in the way eventually. So I think the best thing to do is to catch them off guard and hit them at once.”

“Hmm. That’s a great insight… but is that all?”

But is Brynhildr the kind of person who would praise him for that?

She is a close associate of the first prince, and the prince’s evaluation criteria are strict.

He kept his guard up and asked her if there was more to the story ―and sure enough, there was.

“We also bought food from the farming villages they governed, so it’s not hard to imagine that the famine’s effects were accelerated.”

“…right”

Since foodstuffs were the only thing Asgard bought, it would have been a blow to the various fiefdoms most affected by crop failure.

As a result, the number of people deprived of food increased, and many lords were forced to restore public order.

We should keep our hands full in domestic affairs and not let them turn their attention to us.

Or, they would take over those who came to them for protection.

Well, either way, it is an excuse to expand their power.

And if they should break out and attack us, we can easily repel them.

“Your Excellency’s spy and Trek of the Sleuth Chamber of Commerce did a good job, didn’t they?”

“Yes, Trek, Marius, and the others did a great job.”

Since he had sent them to the Sleuth Chamber of Commerce led by Trek to make purchases, there was no way they would leak information about Klein’s side.

Even if they could get information from the enemy, it would be difficult for the enemy to gather information on the Asgard family.

Finally, Klein, who had sent a secret spy, knew when the enemy would attack and was ready to intercept immediately.

In the event of a battle, he would be able to deal a heavy blow in a short period of time, which would be enough to destroy the enemy at its roots.

The cost of the war was surprisingly low since it was not much different from an exercise.

We can either keep up the plot to weaken the country.

Or maintain the status quo and play domestic politics.

Or go to war.

It is only profitable no matter which way it goes.

War, which would normally be an economic disaster, can become the most profitable course.

“Yep.”

“What do you think? Your Excellency.”

Indeed, this Klein guy seems to be a good schemer. Klein is impressed by himself.

But he can’t let his guard down yet.

Thinking he needs a little extra push, he smiles with a meaningful smile.

“You are almost right. But I have a little more to aim for.”

“Am I almost right?”

“Ahh, yeah. I’ll take care of it, ha-ha-ha.”

Actually, he didn’t plan anything. He just let the situation take its course.

Well, he had thought that he should think of something more before the battle was over.

Thinking of a plausible reason, Klein watches the pursuing forces.