Chapter 430
My Villains Episode 430
65. peak of spring(5)
In recent years, the most famous people in the east were three boys. Two of them were earls fighting at Longdale..
Garwin, who succeeded the Margrave of Landri as protector of the New Highlands, and Os, the successor to the Marquis of Eavon and nicknamed 'The Young Fox of Arriaga'..
These noble boys led their respective vassals and soldiers to fight against the most powerful elector in the empire. Since the two young counts' forces numbered at most about 1,000, the Duke of Avilambus issued a strict order to capture them before the end of March..
However, the two boys moved their units nimbly, avoiding the enemy's main force and fighting only in favorable situations. Although they failed to achieve a decisive victory, they somehow maintained their strength and were still annoying the duke..
Garwin and Orth were putting up an incredible struggle, but it was a bit inferior compared to the legendary performance of the thirteen-year-old Baron..
Baron Lujan, the lord of Deli Road and the owner of Cheddar Castle, had neither trustworthy vassals nor vassals willing to risk their lives at his command. Under him were only conscripts and rookie mercenaries who were more like bandits..
However, the boy had courage that went beyond common sense and the magic power to attract people. Anyone with even the slightest eye for people could not deny that he would become a hero of the world. It was natural that he came to be called the ‘Descendant of the Dragon’ and that Antrum’s minor nobles rallied around him..
Of the hundred or so soldiers I left behind, half led by Utequai were also accompanying Baron Ruyan..
Ureger became a great helper to the young dragon who thirsted for power. The young dragon was a very good guide for the thunder giant who represented the mother goddess's wrath..
They scattered about 600 troops around High Castle and engaged in guerrilla warfare. Ruyan and Utequoi, who had been flaunting their presence through the fog for over 10 days, disappeared as the fog cleared towards the end of March..
They weren't the only ones who disappeared with the fog..
‘The heavy cavalry of 'Giant Knight' Ankir Whitestone and 'Painter' Hyltaire Seymour, who used Asag, the 'Land of the Dead', and Zelntree, the forest on the border, as a hideout to raid supply routes, also disappeared..
Troops sent from both Odenrok and Abiden, a large group of mercenaries from 'Shield Maiden' Grania, and pro-soldiers led by Hayla, as well as the Silver Prince led by 'Arrogant' Lyam Summersong and 'Seahawk' Gisella Winged. The unit under his direct command also disappeared..
No, not even a nose has been seen since right after High Castle collapsed..
“Hmm.”
I looked at the map again.
In Longdale, which is located on the southeastern side of the plateau, there were billboards with 'Gawin 600' and 'Os 400' written on them side by side..
After thinking about it for a while, I placed seven cardboards whose positions I could not tell, one by one, in empty spaces..
‘Rujan & Antrum 550', 'Liam & Giselle La 500', 'Aviden & Audenroc 400', 'An Kir 300', 'Grania 150', 'Utekwa y 50', 'Hayla 50’.
“It's just two thousand.”
Of course, this is only an estimate, so it may not be exactly 2,000. It may be less than 1,500, or it may be more than 2,500..
In this world, having 2,000 troops is enough to be called a great army. Well, it looks relatively insignificant since the Emperor and Zacharis are mobilizing tens of thousands of people..
Anyway, these troops are our army's last chance..
Before the Emperor and Zacharis each arrive at the Obdorpwa Plateau, they must throw the last card to decide the direction of the war. If it's too late we won't have any choice.
“……Fuck you. I have no idea.”
Of course, the last detailed plan that Prince Ulkar told me was to capture Eisbowalt..
-Once we conquer Eisbovald, what happens after that??
-Do as you judge..
-……yes?
-The war situation changes all the time, so how can you know what will happen a month from now and give orders in advance?.
-No, Your Highness. Still, you need to set a basic policy..
- The best would be to attack Topal's Centenary Castle, but if that is not possible, take control of the entire Ob Dorf. If necessary, you can attack the enemy from behind, and if you feel that things are not going well, you can retreat..
-What is that? There are too many choices. There is no context.
-I told you. Please make your move based on the Lord’s judgment. I believe in sutra.
-Our prince, you're talking about big trouble again. If you trust people so carelessly, you'll be in big trouble.
The prince just chuckled..
……Of course, I'm really grateful that you trust me..
But, no matter what, shouldn’t you have at least given me a hint?.
I racked my brain and guessed Prince Ulkar's plan..
It seemed unlikely that they would launch another siege to regain the High Castle they had given away. It would not be a bad idea to restore the helplessly occupied Pást region, but it was unlikely to have a significant impact on the general trend..
“Then what's left is.”
The gaze turns to the south and north of High Castle, which was occupied by the enemy..
Just the blade and Asag.
Maybe Prince Ulkar…….
“lily.”
The person who rushed into the office, interrupting my thoughts, was Deogen, the leader of Icebobalt's gangsters and a salted fish seller..
“It's late.”
“……That can't be possible. As soon as I heard Matheson's words, I came running.,”
“Stop talking nonsense and just hold out your hand. Today, I will especially look at you with one finger..”
When I placed my hand on the black ice leaning on the table, he quickly opened his mouth..
“Would you like to hear the information I asked about first? You will understand why we sent Matheson instead..”
“under. I didn't even know that the high lord of Bülsruhe himself came out with an army, so what? information? When I think of the money I spent fooled by your flattery,-”
“Thanks to the funds provided by the Lord, my ears have finally opened. I will prove that I did not spend any money, so please give me a chance to speak up..”
The color on his face didn't change even when I growled. Despite being a gangster, he has as much guts as any knight..
I feel jealous for no reason. I really thought about cutting off a couple of my fingers, but I'm not the type of person to be that scared of a knife sticking to my throat, so I decided against it..
“tell me where.”
As I leaned against the backrest and waved my hands, Deogen slightly wet his lips and began to report..
“First of all, there have been a lot of people gossiping about Nari recently..”
“……Is that strange??”
It's a bit embarrassing to say it with my own mouth, but I'm probably one of the most famous people on the continent right now. There were many people who listened to the rumors about me. It was not strange at all..
“What I suspect are foreigners.”
“foreigner?”
“yes. Since you took over Eisbovald, quite a lot of foreigners have been flowing in..”
“It was like that.”
To the extent that I call it a ‘quasi-free city,’ Eisbowald is a city with developed guild-centered industry and trade that takes advantage of its good location..
Therefore, if you are afraid of the enemy's agents and lock the castle gate, you will face all kinds of problems. It was a given that there would be a shortage of food and other supplies, and it was obvious that discontent would erupt among artisans and merchants who were unable to make a living..
Since they couldn't add fuel to the already negative public sentiment, they set up a few simple rules - no blades larger than your palm within the city, all metal armor must be left to the vigilantes, etc. After crying, I was allowed to open the door..
“Among the foreigners who came in like that, there are about 30 of them who do not buy or sell anything, but only ask about my whereabouts and where I live..”
“That's a bit suspicious.”
“So I released the kids and captured them all..”
“……what?”
I was dumbfounded and opened my mouth small. Anyway, Deogen continued speaking calmly..
“After holding them for about three days, most of them opened their mouths. Half of them were messengers sent by lords from all over Jeongdon, and the rest were messengers who received requests. There's nothing strange about this, since all noblemen enjoy digging up other people's backs, but errand boys have a bit of a dirty smell. Some said I received a request from some wizards, while others said I received a request from a rich man from somewhere on the Eastern Continent.-”
“Wait, wait a minute.”
I frowned unconsciously and cut him off..
“Are you kidnapping people with your vigilante kids??”
“It's not kidnapping, but sometimes we just investigate if there's a suspicious person..”
“Do you know what kind of magistrate you are? As a gangster, you can catch and lock up people at will.?”
I suddenly remembered the rumors I heard from the soldiers and interrogated Deogen..
“……I heard that in the past two weeks, people have often disappeared at night. Is that your fault??”
He must have read the dangerous coldness in my voice, and he swallowed dryly and strongly denied it..
“Absolutely not, Nari. Even in the past, I wasn't into things like human trafficking. And do you know how flat we are these days? Because I was taking care of my children, I stopped doing business with the market merchants. I'm barely surviving by using only what I've saved.,”
“This is a bargain. Just the amount of money I gave to build an information network was worth over 150 gold coins..”
“……But we really don't. It must have been done by the Nudein squires..”
“It was fifteen days ago that Atalanta cut off the heads of the boys who had an accident with the clan chief and hung them in the square. Do you think the Nude people are crazy and would do something like that again? And in the first place, all the Nudan kids are out in the north, so how could they have an accident??”
When Deogen closed his mouth with a look of ignorance, I sighed deeply..
“It's not unusual for spies to stick to me, so keep an eye out in the back alleys..”
“……All right.”
“When you're done talking, leave. There will be Goth Robb ahead, so leave a finger on the way..”
He glanced at his sweaty forehead and shook his head..
“There are still two more left.”
““Two?” "yes.”
Deogen took out a letter from his pocket and placed it politely on the table..
“It's from the south..”
“South, where? Proshafen?”
“It's nearby.”
I read the short letter in one go and narrowed my eyes..
“……Twenty battleships belonging to Eyland are said to be wandering around the coast.?”
“That’s right, Nari.” Count Akelle said that he was clearly scouring islands all over the sea and burning the fishmen's spawning grounds. To capture the ‘Witch of Praise’.
But an iron scale fleet appears on the coast of Angst? Why suddenly?
“As you come from the kingdom, you know better, but the pirates of Eyland are bastards who have no enemies on the continent. These bastards have no hesitation in biting their teeth and pooping everywhere if it serves their own interests..”
what? Do you want to die? After a moment of doubt, I realized that Deogen did not know my identity..
“The plan is probably to take advantage of the chaos caused by the war and devour at least a coastal city..”
“That's probably not it?”
“……Isn't it??”
“uh.”
It is extremely rare for Zahakar and Baluin to reach land directly..
If the Twin Kings, who are already acting as if they are the masters of the entire sea, project their power to the land, it is obvious that influential nobles on the land will rise up like a swarm of bees to keep them in check..
“……What on earth are you planning?.”
The back of my head is itchy for some reason, but there's no need to seriously worry..
Secondly, Count Achelé is a father-son relationship with me, and the Duke of Eyland is clearly a vassal of King Milanol..
Although Prince Ulkar is at odds with Lionel III, it still remains that he is a prince. If Akele were to attack us in front of the imperial army, it would be considered a serious betrayal and even treason..
In short, even Zahakar and Baluin could not do such a crazy thing..
After gathering my thoughts, I asked what the last piece of information Deo Zen had brought me was..
“The last one is the most important.”
After a brief pause, he opened his mouth..
“The Duke of Avilambus began his retreat..”
“……“Is Avilambus retreating?” As my eyes widened, Deogen nodded with a serious expression..
“The news was five days old, so the Duke must have left Highcastle by now..”
“No, why suddenly?”
“There was no way to find out the details..”
“Even the entire army was bitten.?”
“That's not it. Altenburg's army lost most of its troops, but Strom's army lost only a few..”
I rearranged the enemy's horse board based on his words..
“The units deployed in the Past and Antrum areas remain the same..”
‘A board with ‘Vermilo 2500?’ was placed in the Past region, and a board with ‘Ozan 1000?’ was placed on the road to Antrum..
“There is no news from the cavalry that is keeping Lord Ankir in check..”
“That's right, Nari..”
‘A board with ‘Picoord 1000?’ written on it was placed between Zelntree and Asag..
“The troops that came out from High Castle were?”
“I don't understand that. Instead, the sergeant guarding the supply route from Toh Pal to Obdorf guessed the number of troops that would remain in High Castle..”
At the end of the text, '??? ‘1500?’ was scrawled on and placed on High Castle..
“then. Duke Avilambus and Prince Savellard left Highcastle.?”
“you're right.”
After quietly counting the numbers, I filled in the last word..
‘Avilambus & Savellard 6000?’
I took a moment to look down at the map..
I rolled my head until my forehead got hot and slowly parted my lips..
“I didn't expect you to ask for such advanced information..”
“As you said last time, I am like a bedbug to you..”
“……so?”
“If you die, not only I but all my family members will die as well..”
“The rumor that I was a traitor had already spread in the back alleys. I think it was probably spread by those Nude converts..”
I scratched my eyebrows unconsciously..
It was because I remembered the words I whispered to Atalanta in bed one dark night not long ago..
“The moment the imperial army enters this city, I will have to either hang on to the square or abandon my hometown..”
Deogen smiled for a rare moment..
“But I hate both. So shouldn’t we struggle for my victory?” I stared into his motionless eyes and nodded..
“……great job. Let's go, tell Goth Rob to come in..”
“Yes, Nari.”
Deogen, who was just about to leave the door, was stopped..
“Oh, wait.”
“Please speak, Sir..”
“I'm warning you just in case, don't do anything to harm innocent people. If you want to rule in this back alley until you die of old age,.”
He grinned again, bowed profusely and left the office..
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