Chapter 47 – The Future of Barkdine

“Alright…! The basic army operations have come together nicely…!”

Until now, I’ve been commanding the army from the top down, but from now on, I want to adopt a strategy of moving multiple corps concurrently, centred around the messenger skills of the Dorga tribe.

With that in mind, I’ve appointed new leaders to command the corps.

There are a total of ten people but since our forces aren’t that numerous yet, not all ten have their own corps.

But if we continue to absorb more forces, the scale should increase rapidly.

Furthermore, during operational manoeuvres, the Dorga messenger troops will be prioritised for resupply without fail. How we can handle them freely will greatly alter the options for actions we can take.

“Vyril is amazing, isn’t he? He leads us and achieves unbelievable results.”

Rina was lying naked on the bed. It’s daytime now, but she’s been busy with baby-making since morning.

Mayo is out with her guard, Shizuku.

“It’s all thanks to everyone. Oh, and also thanks to our ancestors who left us with the contracts.”

“Hehe… It still feels like a dream. To think that I, who loved Vyril since I was a child, can be together with him like this…”

“It’s not a dream.”

With that, I moved closer to Rina and pressed my lips against hers.

“But you’ve been staying at the mansion all this time, haven’t you? Aren’t you going to make a move soon, like with the Lord’s Alliance?”

“There will be movements…but what I do next will depend on the movements of the Imperial Territory.”

We’ve already sent messengers to both the Lord’s Alliance and the Imperial Territory. Roban-san is heading to the Lord’s Alliance, while Karan-san is heading to the Imperial Territory.

Additionally, Karan-san is also leading the Muga tribe and has sent messengers to the lords who will pass through before reaching the capital.

We’ve instructed them to join us but they might not betray the emperor directly yet. That’s why I’m planning to proceed with caution.

And to the Lord’s Alliance, I’ve boldly sent a proclamation that they should gather under me to unify the empire. I’ve instructed them to integrate all the forces they hold and let me take command.

Certainly, the conventional way of fighting in the empire involves the central government’s knight order and the provincial armies held by the lords fighting together against the enemy.

This has its advantages. Firstly, the central government doesn’t need to worry about managing the provincial armies. And since the lords recruit according to the scale of the war, it’s easier to gather a substantial number of troops.

However, there are disadvantages too. Provincial armies are not permanent, so their training is often lacking. Also, if multiple lords each lead their own troops onto the battlefield, coordination becomes nearly impossible.

If someone rushes into battle seeking glory, others will be tempted to follow suit with a『We can’t let them outdo us!』 mentality. Similarly, if someone decides『It’s hopeless, let’s retreat!』and starts running, others will likely follow suit.

I was particularly concerned about the lack of coordination. With an assembled army, we wouldn’t be able to manoeuvre like we did when we defeated the 60,000-strong force.

In a way, it would be like having a large army, but with difficulty giving orders beyond advancing or retreating.

‘With that, unifying the empire will be difficult… and even after that.’

The empire is surrounded by unfriendly neighbouring countries. Even after unifying the empire, a strong army will still be necessary.

And if we build it up while unifying, it will save time.

Unless there are significant movements in the Imperial Territory, I was inclined to make a move with the Lord’s Alliance. I planned to travel around, absorbing the Lord’s Alliance’s armies while making them cover the costs of maintaining the army.

Of course, I’ll provide compensation and I also intend to reduce the number of soldiers slightly. Once the current Lord’s Alliance is consolidated, I plan to take about a year for preparation.

During that time, I’ll train the army to be even stronger and continue the groundwork against the empire and the western bandits.

And once preparations are complete, we’ll swiftly move to capture the imperial capital.

‘When to start the preparation period… and whether it will really only take a year, that will determine when we can unify the empire…’

The general plan is laid out. I’ll adjust the course as needed.

“Now then… I’m going out for a bit. Rina, when you go outside, always have Master as your escort.”

“Okay”

After gently stroking Rina’s cheek and finishing changing, I stepped out into the hallway. Along the way, I stopped by the kitchen and had them prepare two bottles of liquor and cups.

“…Right, those ten people. I should think of some suitable names for them.”

They will eventually become the core of my army. I want to give them names that suit their roles.

Hmm… maybe I’ll consult someone later.

■

“Hmph. You’re here again today.”

“Yes. Barkdine-tono’s discussions are always enlightening and interesting.”

With that, I arranged the cups on the table and poured the liquor brought from the kitchen.

These past few days, I’ve been getting closer to Barkdine. Indeed, by changing the direction of attack, Barkdine has been more forthcoming with various information compared to Roglain.

How Aeroston has changed the Imperial Army, how many people are opposing him, and how many are supporting him.

Recently, it seems many from Barkdine’s faction are switching allegiance to Aeroston’s support base. The Imperial Knight Order is quite complex in terms of factional adjustments and expanding networks.

“Indeed, the Grand Knight Delegate is competent. But from the perspective of knights like me, it’s not pleasing to have someone who doesn’t know the battlefield ordering us to risk our lives.”

“I see…”

The Imperial Knight Order boasts around 150,000 troops. Combined with the provincial armies, the empire could field double that number, perhaps even reaching 400,000 troops with some effort.

If conscription were pushed at this rate, it might affect things like harvesting in the fields.

Looking at it this way, sending 40,000 troops from the Imperial Knight Order indicates how Aeroston perceived me as a threat.

At that time, it wasn’t military strength but rather the symbol of Vilgard that was seen as a threat assessment.

Anyway, up until today, I’ve been able to hear various things from Barkdine.

He now feels a sense of camaraderie with me as fellow citizens of the empire. So, it seems my frequent visits with liquor in hand were worthwhile… probably.

“I have a report for Barkdine-tono today.”

“Hoou? Has my execution date finally been set?”

“Don’t joke. We received a messenger from the capital. We’ve received the ransom, so Barkdine-tono will be released.”

“…I see.”

Ransom for both Roglain and Barkdine has arrived from the capital. There were other noble knights as well, but no ransom was paid for them.

Honestly, I was considering the possibility that they might not pay the ransom, attributing it to taking responsibility for a major defeat.

From what I’ve heard from Barkdine about Aeroston’s character and the fact that they’ve actually paid the ransom, it’s clear to see the power struggle happening in the capital.

Even Aeroston couldn’t afford to adopt a stance of discarding subordinates if they lost under his leadership as the Grand Knight Delegate.

Both of them will probably have to take some responsibility when they return to the capital, but that’s not my concern. However, there’s still a possibility that I might get involved in the future.

“I never thought the Grand Knight Delegate…and His Majesty would pay my ransom. Vilgard-tono, did you sell me cheaply?”

“Of course not. I placed the highest value on you as the General. It seems you’re still highly valued.”

“Hmph, saying things you don’t mean. They probably just want to settle things with me in front of everyone. Honestly… to become a disgrace to the Bihickturk family at this age…”

Barkdine, too, is now calm and understands that there isn’t a bright future awaiting him upon returning to the capital.

But paying such a high price to buy him back, only to hold him accountable and execute him, is not a simple solution.

Moreover, Barkdine has been fighting for the empire all this time. Perhaps it’s a way of rewarding him by retiring him as a knight and letting him spend his remaining years a little earlier.

For Aeroston, this also demonstrates a stance of not easily discarding traditional knights.

With the Imperial Knight Order divided into two factions, they will likely unite under Aeroston’s leadership.

“Someday, I will unify the empire and go to the capital. I look forward to the day we meet again.”

“Hmph. If Vilgard-tono becomes the emperor, I’ll celebrate with the finest wine in my house.”