Chapter 41 – Knight of the Thunder Brigade Captain: Encounter with Roglain

After concluding such a major battle, the aftermath inevitably requires a significant amount of time for processing.

Currently, I am based in the mansion of the lord of the Alcarol domain. Soldiers are given rest and prepared for the next battle.

However, the next battle will likely be some time away. The Imperial government should also be cautious in their dealings with me.

Yet, we have little time to spare. We must swiftly proceed with the available options.

I gathered the key members at the mansion and proceeded with the meeting.

“This man is the lord of the Alcarol domain, Barkat. He has pledged allegiance to me.”

“Yes, indeed! I never imagined you were the son of His Majesty, Emperor Ragmark…! Without realising this, I have been terribly rude…!”

“Enough. We will observe your performance for a while, but if you prove useless, I will dispose of you immediately. Don’t forget that there are plenty who can replace you.”

“Y-Yes, your highness!”

He seems quite confident, doesn’t he…?

Well, it doesn’t matter. Despite being corrupt, he is still a lord and knows this region well.

“Rhoban, how is the manipulation using merchants progressing?”

“Yes. As per Vilgard-sama’s instructions, we are already in motion. The outcome of this battle and Vilgard-sama’s name will soon spread throughout the entire empire.”

Information warfare is indispensable in crafting strategy. I have been actively spreading the story using Muga traders.

The narrative is about the annihilation of a massive army of 100,000 troops with a mere force of 20,000 soldiers. It’s appropriate to exaggerate and embellish such figures.

Moreover, it attributes this feat to Vilgard, the son of the former Emperor Ragmark.

He was deeply troubled by the turmoil brought upon the continent by the current emperor’s reign, causing suffering to many. Therefore, he rallied the nomadic tribes, whom he had long relied on, and married Tsukimikado Mayo to unite the empire for rebellion…

In reality, the empire has suffered tens of thousands of casualties, and this rumour will spread across the empire like wildfire.

There are many soldiers who won’t return, and some may have deserted. They should also contribute to spreading the rumour.

“Rabua, how much spoils of war have we obtained?”

“Yes. We have acquired a large amount of weaponry, gold, and provisions from the recent battle. Additionally, there’s an abundance of supplies stored in Dockward, more than enough for our own use.”

“We should also focus on expanding our forces… What about the prisoners from the roadside battle?”

“About 4,000 survived. Around 1,000 of them seek freedom, while the remaining 3,000 express their willingness to continue fighting alongside us.”

There’s a promise to reward the 3,000. Given our current financial situation, we should be able to afford it.

“…Surprisingly, many have chosen to stay.”

“Yes. It seems that many have seen hope in Vilgard-sama, thanks to the miraculous victory in the previous battle and your royal lineage.”

“For me…?”

“The combination of skillful command and royal bloodline has raised expectations that you will finally achieve the unification of the empire.”

I see. But it seems that the people are weary of the long-standing civil strife.

“There’s still time until the next battle. Have them undergo training incorporating those soldiers for a while.”

“Yes!”

I turn my gaze back to Rhoban.

“Rhoban, send a letter to the Lord’s Alliance. Can you handle that?”

“Of course.”

Having gained fame by defeating 60,000 Imperial soldiers, it’s evident they’ll reach out to us sooner or later.

But that won’t do. We’ve seized a great victory and we must maintain the initiative.

“The Lord’s Alliance consists of four major lords. To whom shall the letter be addressed?”

“All of them. They’ll gather their own vassal lords to consolidate their opinions.”

For now, the interests of the Lord’s Alliance and myself align…but whether we can truly cooperate remains to be seen based on future contacts.

The discussion shifts to what to do with the large number of prisoners we’ve captured. There are over 10,000 of them, including some noble knights.

“Come to think of it, there were some tough ones with long spears… I thought Imperial Knights must be highly trained.”

“Indeed, those are words only someone who has fought on the frontline can say. It seems those infantry belong to the Thunderstrike Brigade.”

“They were a newly established brigade.”

We’ve also captured the leaders of both Imperial Knight brigades. This will be a significant card for the empire.

“Then, start by calling in those brigade leaders.”

“Understood.”

After a while, a young man entered the meeting room. He looks quite young.

I’ve instructed him that『if he behaves, the prisoners won’t be mistreated』 perhaps that’s why he doesn’t seem particularly unruly.

“So, you’re Roglain Armales. Your brigade put up quite a fight.”

I commend Roglain’s valour and prowess. Indeed, he fought fiercely on the battlefield until the end. I personally subdued him.

Roglain seems surprised to be praised right after entering the room. He eyes me warily.

“…You were strong too. Did you fight all the way through?”

“Yes.”

“And your name?”

“Vilgard Zeltreich”

“……………..!!”

Roglain’s eyes widened in clear astonishment.

“The General…! You were fighting at the forefront of such intense battles…!”

“That’s right. I knew our battle with you would be decisive. If I wasn’t willing to put my life on the line, who would follow me?”

My statement elicits wry smiles from those around.

In truth, I had been prohibited from being on the front lines. I gesture for Roglain to take a seat once again.

“Is it true… about the royal bloodline?”

“It is.”

With that, I make the insignia on my left eye glow.

“In the empire, there should be records stating that Vilgard bears this insignia on his left eye. Check when you return.”

“………..”

I’ll subtly hint at the possibility of letting him go. Hopefully, it’ll loosen his tongue a bit.

“Now then… What do you want to do from here? Any hopes or concerns?”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you bring me here for interrogation?”

“Of course, there are things I want to ask. But I’m also curious about your current thoughts and emotions.”

I say that, but well, if he answers what I want to know, I’ll grant his wish… I just want to negotiate.

I could resort to torture since he’s a prisoner. But I’d rather not tarnish my reputation when he returns to the capital.

After all, I do intend to become the emperor of this empire, at least nominally.

“Will I be released? What about my soldiers?”

“I’m considering releasing you depending on the circumstances… As for your soldiers, I’m thinking of incorporating those with the mark into our ranks… but there are also some nobles among them. That’s still pending.”

I’ll make it clear that there’s no intention of killing him without a proper exchange.

“Why… did we lose that battle?”

“What do you think, Roglain?”

“We, who could only see ahead, were caught in some kind of scheme. But I don’t understand what it was. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by what should have been a smaller enemy from all sides.”

He’s being somewhat objective. He’s undoubtedly an excellent commander.

“We indeed trapped you with a scheme. From the moment I knew you were leading a force of 60,000 soldiers, I could already see that victory.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Can you believe it? Even choosing that location as the battlefield, and positioning the soldiers in what seemed like a very ordinary formation, was all part of setting up that scenario.”

It’s also thanks to the strength of the grassland people. But it’s not something I need to explain to Roglain in detail right now.

“However, it was a bit unexpected for you to advance along that roadway while maintaining formation. It’s not a place where you can deploy your troops widely to the sides and if you didn’t know the enemy was lying in wait, wouldn’t you hurry to get through the road? I thought Barkdain-dono, the General, was a bit old-fashioned as a knight… but he was quite cautious.”

“……I was the one who suggested it to Lord Barkdain.”

“Oh…! Why would you do that?”

I thought there was about a 20% chance they’d advance while maintaining formation…I had considered the possibility, so dealing with it wasn’t a problem.

“The Knights-General told me to be wary of nomads. Once we entered the roadway, we were already in Dockward territory. I advised Lord Barkdain to be cautious, just in case something happened.”

“It seems Roglain-dono was the more cautious one. Because of that, the planned diversion by the cavalry archers was cancelled and we ended up with a head-on collision from the start.”

And Barkdain, who accepted that advice, is quite something too. It seems that competent individuals are chosen as leaders of the Imperial Knights, after all.

I had the impression that perhaps it was just high-ranking individuals with no battlefield experience acting as commanders, while experienced knights served as deputy commanders…

“Roglain. I highly respect the strength of the Imperial Knights, including yourself. And I’m interested in your personal abilities as a knight. Would you mind sharing? Why are the Imperial Knights so formidable?”

“……you say that, but it doesn’t sound very convincing.”

“Perhaps so. Judging by your understanding, is the Knights-General who urged caution towards us quite skilled?”

This is what I wanted to hear most. I’ll try to steer the conversation as naturally as possible and gradually inquire about the inner workings of the Imperial Knights, mixing it with casual chatter.

As coffee is served to Roglain, he takes a sip.

“…It’s because of that person that the Imperial Knights became strong in such a short period. Well, perhaps they had that potential from the beginning. The Knights-General merely helped to bring it out.”

“For someone like Roglain to praise them so highly, they must be quite outstanding. …What’s their name?”

“Sir Arloston Londonic…If you are indeed the royal highness Vilgard, you may already be familiar with them?”

“……… Yes, I am.”

I see… He mentioned the name to ascertain whether I’m the real Vilgard or not. Well, honestly, I’m surprised.

“It’s been quite… a while since I heard that name. It brings back memories… We used to play together with Reminiel in the Imperial Palace.”