Chapter 40
7Qy6duThe adamantium sword and the magic armor were, without a doubt, treasures.I3ODaI
WRobiHowever, they were also ambiguous treasures, as they weren’t worth plunging into a political dispute just to obtain them.Op1
PSKuYEIt wasn’t just any matter; if it went wrong, it could completely ruin the future. Seeing things that way, the duke clicked his tongue and said:9aTZZym
4RIG3“The fact that none of you want to carry that burden proves why the third deserves that reward. A burden that no one is willing to bear is a hundred times heavier than one someone accepts to carry in place of others.”UWe
UUp1JIFaced with the duke’s stern reprimand, the three brothers couldn’t find any words to refute and lowered their heads at the same time.b69U
bdcQDAfter that, there was no further talk about what Lucian had received.gBT8
QDxEZTwo days later, an official envoy finally arrived from the imperial court to request troops from the duke.haKxk
FmyhLjU“To suppress the heartless forces of Krephelt, reinforcements are requested from the head of House Valdeck, Sigmund Valdeck.”L7Q
EBWkEb“I will comply with His Majesty’s order.”QFgt4
bPz5OF7Since everything had already been arranged beforehand via a secret missive, this was merely a formality to maintain appearances.iF4m
cLUJLucian assembled the army, long prepared, in front of the fortress’s outer gate.5GL9
6ISN6ZIThe number of troops sent by the Valdeck family totaled one thousand.FLGaP
9LBTDLIt wasn’t a huge number, but considering they were all veterans of the standing army, it was an elite force more than sufficient.pgu1
lRZAc2U‘Also, when forming an allied army, it’s not always wise to send too many troops.’xWoFrm
vlIGyDThe Valdeck family already wielded great authority.KJZW
sj8Sending a large number of soldiers on top of that? Setting aside supply problems, it would give them too much weight within the allied army.CsdTX9F
hENFrom the perspective of the imperial court, that would go from reassuring to uncomfortable. The right amount had to be sent so that the court could still hold the reins of the allied force.2ZDp
YtTvRi‘And yet we must still show power fitting of the family’s prestige. Politics really is a headache.’1PF
s5qjLucian gave a bitter smile as he etched the duke’s teachings into his mind.9tV3x
nuSUnIf he ever wanted to become a ruler, this type of political consideration would be essential too.pinidr
KzFOnce the preparations for departure were complete, a middle-aged knight approached Lucian and bowed his head.ssa8S
5g8D“Pleased to meet you, third young master. My name is Gerard Luden. From now on, I will serve by your side as an advisor. If you have any doubts about the army, don’t hesitate to ask me.”ShaP
ONZMS“Looks like I’ll have to rely on you quite a bit. I’ll be counting on your help from now on, Sir Gerard.”sDy
tUt5xThe conversation was polite, but despite his respectful tone, Gerard’s expression wasn’t exactly cheerful.jZY
ofGcTh7Lucian, who could easily imagine how he felt, let out a slight chuckle.FzM
7N5tI‘With all the authority in my hands, he must feel like he’s sitting on pins and needles. After all, if I wanted to ignore him and proceed on my own, I could.’ffgcUtB
bK5UAnd if it ended at being ignored, that would still be fortunate.ZMtE8LJ
LsNSince the duke himself had granted full authority to Lucian, if he wanted to, he could even remove Gerard from the advisor position.krXBf
NTVdj8GRather than restrain Lucian’s potential excesses, Gerard had to worry about not displeasing him, so it was natural he felt uneasy.6DnmcD
YFu‘Well, I don’t plan to worry about his feelings anyway.’1DGx
ewMIf the duke had truly intended to impose an advisor, he would have sent someone with greater prestige.gfpf5
MErzZeUWith a well-known name, even Lucian wouldn’t be able to act lightly.P55y
FHFuHowever, the appointed advisor was a knight with plenty of experience, but hardly known.F5zpmI
ppMRdThe duke’s intention was clear: take the advice as reference and act by your own judgment.p0ie
3faNA‘It’s a shame he’s not even aware of that.’0BLzY
VMP5erXSince knowing wouldn’t do him any good, Lucian decided not to explain anything.YpOs1n
oRryM5After exchanging a superficial greeting, he kept Gerard by his side as an advisor.ioc
J8zAs long as their opinions didn’t clash, there was no need to ruin the relationship.RhD0
uyf“By the way— I don’t understand what you’re doing here again.”njf
667S“Hahaha, it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, and you greet me with such coldness? Even if I don’t look it, we’re comrades who fought shoulder to shoulder, aren’t we?”MrXUrf
XGMg4“Don’t wink at me. A man your age doing that gives me chills.”lGynI
V1dAoJAt Lucian’s words, Raymond scratched the back of his head with an awkward expression.Svit7y
igPbov“Believe it or not, I’m only thirty-five.”zDiAhl
DhZn“Age doesn’t matter. So, what’s going on this time?”qjsu
29EKMD“Naturally, I came as the third young master’s escort.”qSg
rVGhU“Escort, with the number of troops we have?”6wIhFgl
4WRO“Even so, it’s always better to have at least one personal bodyguard, just in case. The truth is, I wanted to come with my team, but they said that would be excessive, so I came alone. After all this time, aren’t you happy to see me?”jVgQY
UXDS1“Pff!”pUc1Xjz
rkTF3iyLucian, who had been interrogating him, ended up bursting into laughter at the shameless response.D4sTuE
wevaHe had suspected it might be surveillance, but it seemed Raymond had really volunteered purely out of goodwill.dukBV
nDk3R“Well, having a competent knight by my side isn’t bad. By the way, are you still Raymond here too?”7rxY
OBU3pdV“Unless it’s something shady, I’m always Raymond.”t6D8877
EJq“Perfect. I was worried we’d get confused if the roles changed.”PZCp
THsUbYTA knight who merely follows orders is not the same as one you can entrust your back to.vxmT7
noCNB4YThough Raymond didn’t reach that level, he was far more reliable than others for handling important matters.HYEm
XMALXc9Lucian went to find Hugo one last time, whom he had appointed as decurion.038XN
XAQ“How’s the decurion position? Can you handle it?”vJD
gQtbCMz“Somehow, I managed to get them to acknowledge me as their captain. Damn it, I thought taking the post would be easy, but they’re all insanely fierce.”OtrFOg
LWIG“That’s normal. They’re veteran soldiers who’ve participated in multiple suppression campaigns. For elite troops who’ve crossed the line between life and death, you probably seem like a rookie.”20Vqu
ut2EV“That’s exactly how they treat me. Even after crushing them with sword technique, they wouldn’t bow their heads. I was about to lose my temper. Only when I mentioned my prior experience in Bornholm did they grudgingly accept me.”rtZxi
3tveqn6Hugo shuddered. He said that if he hadn’t had even that experience, he might have been kicked out of the position Lucian had given him.cvF7
NrG“For now, I’ve got things under control. All that’s left is to prove my worth.”X1XYd
Pb3cQ“Even so, they’ll grumble for a while. Want me to say something? Then they’ll follow you without complaint.”6k1B
ozPLLuy“No.”vRK0r
x2lkThe response came instantly. At the same time, a spark lit up in Hugo’s eyes.hlU
v0c“If I can’t handle ten soldiers on my own, I don’t deserve to be called a knight. I’ll make them submit with my own abilities.”17OO
jhS“Good answer.”lEudvZ
mn6WZ5qLucian had been testing him just in case, but his determination seemed firm.xvN
i47GDWith all preparations complete, Lucian mounted his horse and looked at the thousand troops lined up before him.lZly1o
GVJ0EThe farewell was over, he had received the duke’s speech, and now only his order remained.Hg4
4b0uAfter regulating his breathing, Lucian shouted loudly.DfE1
QGjsp“Entire army, march out!”OJn
dNW***WGB4
OnkIk0At Lucian’s command, the thousand troops began to move.hEE20
fJviThe route and estimated time had already been determined, so for a while, there would be nothing but continuous marching.Q1UQ2O
etVfVWAHowever, it didn’t take long for Advisor Gerard to voice a differing opinion.ykQ0
g2s“It’s best to stick to the route, but increase the pace. Roughly double the current speed.”qY5l3N
rX2EY“Wouldn’t that be a forced march? The soldiers will tire quickly.”Iu0k
WmX5“If they were hastily recruited conscripts, maybe. But they’re veterans of the standing army. They can handle it easily.”tYEJPfL
9fvB“Before anything else, tell me why we should increase the speed.”RPB0
6gt8“For political reasons.”CNEOt
R6walFPolitics, before even arriving? At Lucian’s doubtful expression, Gerard calmly explained.yJAG
s0JW7“In allied armies like this, conflicts are inevitable. No matter how great the authority of the supreme commander, minor frictions can’t be avoided.”uHHoTL
CfT“That’s true.”jTI1O
glrNN“The problem is that sometimes those frictions create far bigger rifts than expected. In extreme cases, factions even form.”HW9
WlZy0And those conflicts affected military operations more than one might think.8m7jgr
gpq55zRFrom sharing limited supplies to the speed at which reinforcements arrived during critical moments.l3illym
5YWH9When relations broke down entirely, sometimes allies were more hostile to each other than to the enemy.vNO5sx
w6ST“If we arrive late, it’s very likely those conflicts will have already broken out. We’d lose the chance to intervene.”kS3IMhr
fe0“And we’d end up having to support one of the already-formed sides?”FFb39o
pqasv“Exactly. A real headache. To avoid that, it’s best to arrive as soon as possible. That way we can either prevent the conflicts or, at the very least, understand the lay of the land.”GOw0f
xgLqokd“Hmm.”GqUd
0aqNLucian nodded at the reasonable argument.75s
FrGvEven in his past life, when many mercenary groups gathered for major battles, similar situations often arose.0DqnG
0nO3SVIf conflicts didn’t happen, it would just be unnecessary worry, but having insurance never hurt.jrVYD
mbWu“Then let’s increase the pace a bit. But remember, it’s pointless if the soldiers are exhausted and scattered.”3CsDwoO
VyU“Yes!”KMgjZ
OKMLYyGerard replied firmly and stepped back to relay the order.MBzZRL4
uLiX8Perhaps because his advice had been accepted, his expression now seemed much more relaxed than before.jke
iJno***IIK0Cs
LfcSw8Fortunately, even with the increased pace, the soldiers continued to march without showing signs of fatigue.WYdjiX
suwchPDThere wasn’t a single complaint, not a single groan.Gpry
sxVVEven Lucian, who had seen many armies with strict discipline, was a little surprised.d4ZY
UWnYJh‘Is this the true strength of an army from a great noble house?’4iM
kx3nDWith the same number of troops, but this level of quality, they could easily defeat most armies.4XxJOk0
NEcnPwIt was a good benchmark for the future when he would have his own army.EEupeB
86AYAnd so, a few days later, Lucian arrived at the allied army’s assembly point much earlier than expected.aGt2urG
wGu2“They really don’t seem tired. I thought they’d at least show some fatigue.”1wb
yBzuX5z“For Valdeck soldiers, this is normal.”PWi
768XAt Lucian’s admiration, Gerard responded with a smile. His confidence that they wouldn’t be embarrassed in front of the other lords was evident.d6ePl
zziFjGxLucian nodded and turned his gaze toward the assembly point.WS9C
3ee420j“That’s better. It looks like everyone has gathered much earlier than I thought.”ruu
TARHyvAround the Horsen River, which led to Krephelt, countless banners were already visible. Each bore the emblem of a different noble family.TASY5U0
7XdVDespite having hurried, it seemed more than half were already present.XeNvOZh
rhog“Good thing I listened to your advice. Otherwise, we really would’ve arrived late.”LmS1mjN
ZbCej60“The others must’ve thought the same. They probably haven’t been here long. At most, a difference of three or four days.”Zqsx5
A2l4“Considering the distances between territories, that sounds reasonable. I see the imperial banner—has the first prince already arrived?”vrFoM5
45UQ4xwThe red dragon emblem, reserved only for imperial family members, flew higher than any other and stood out even from afar.7X9tkM
eSKT“I thought it was an unspoken rule in these situations that the supreme commander arrived later. If you arrive after him, you’re the one at fault.”cXp
2UgH“It depends on the case. Sometimes he arrives early to defuse potential conflicts before they arise.”pCmS
NX3SgDT“Defuse conflicts…”HNSS
itjNaGJLucian smiled ironically and shook his head.Nvs
zPaHe doubted the first prince had that kind of ability. He had never seen him in person, but the rumors surrounding him were far from favorable.TaKGaA
ZBDIMdj‘Whatever the case, since we’ve arrived, we have to make our greeting.’aee
GN6When Lucian led his troops to the assembly point near the Horsen River, he felt the atmosphere shift.I3QA
Kl1As soon as they were identified as members of House Valdeck and their identity confirmed, several knights bearing the red dragon emblem rushed out.YZp
KptNAmong them, a young knight who appeared to be the leader stepped forward and bowed.tW5
vxIT4“I express my gratitude for House Valdeck’s unwavering loyalty. I am Jurgen Wald, commander of the Order of the Black Scale Knights, and I greet the duke’s representative.”r9B8t7
lLbKs“We are merely returning the firm trust of the imperial court. I am Lucian Valdeck, here as representative of Duke Sigmund Valdeck.”nWb
pJT“So you’re Young Lord Lucian. I’ve heard much about you. Even His Majesty the Emperor praised your actions in Bornholm, saying you would become a pillar of the Empire.”6ij
5NH“That’s high praise. I only did what I had to.”IiIPiwv
8R3ZD4uWith a light greeting, Jurgen continued showering Lucian with compliments.G01EG
ywPUUYGiven that they were dealing with a grand duke—the only one of his rank in the Empire—this treatment was understandable.7SzyT
z0jTx9PHowever, even when the formalities should have ended, the praise didn’t stop.XyJUg7T
zSthO“You are truly humble. I heard the way you handled the mercenaries was extraordinary.”vKCPIqV
oYh“It was nothing more than smooth talking. But, His Highness…?”XxJ
VQE18q“It wasn’t just smooth talking. After that, you even personally led the mercenaries into battle. Hard to believe it was your first combat.”UwJ
coWpc9“I appreciate the compliments, but I think it’s time to see the first prince.”T5Mn5
yUMPcUnable to endure it any longer, Lucian got straight to the point.j7Zgc
Zx0All the families had already gathered—what was the point of lingering out here?rkUZG
QEz7n“I don’t mind being kept waiting, but delaying the report any further would be disrespectful even to the first prince. I’ll pay my respects to the commander-in-chief first. We can talk more comfortably afterward.”Lzx
Wrl“Yes… well… that is… you’re absolutely right, but right now…”NB4FXR
MxxtSAt Lucian’s words, Jurgen began to stammer and broke into a cold sweat.ogUj
qrXjk3Noticing his suspicious behavior, Lucian narrowed his eyes.UvgU
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