Chapter 608
My Villains Episode 608
71. sword teacher(11)
Brist, a territory under the direct control of the King, is an incredibly large territory..
There is no way to know the exact figure, but it is probably fifteen times larger than Prince Depelken. It is said that it takes about five days to cross east to west even on horseback and using well-paved roads, so wouldn't that be roughly ⅓ of South Korea? Even more than 70% of its area was fertile land on the plains, so it was no wonder that Brist was called the heart of the kingdom..
Although most of this vast land is now the home of humans, it is said that it looked completely different in the distant past. No, it may be awkward to call it a long time ago since it only happened about 200 years ago..
As Prince Ulkar once mentioned, at the time, Brist was a pit of chaos and a crucible of evil..
Orcs and goblins prospered and formed a nation, evil wizards roamed the sky and shook the boundaries of the dimension, and every riverbank was lined with tombs of bones dedicated to evil spirits. The refugees of the ancient empire who came from the south - the so-called Milanese - once again had to become slaves or prey..
In other words, the Breast of the past was a demon world that made it difficult to believe that it was from Middle Earth..
It was Zeot, the ‘King of Conqueror,’ who proudly planted his flag in that hideous den and cleaned it up. It is said that a red-skinned orc general, an archmage who travels to the Flame Realm, a lustful black fairy godmother, and a prophet baptized by an evil spirit all had their heads blown off by Zeoth's 'holy fist'..
Afterwards, the descendants of the conquering king spread peace and faith everywhere, using the vast territory under their direct jurisdiction as their home garden. In the process, the Brist region, which was once a magical place in the middle of the continent, became a bustling center of humanity with a population of more than 2 million people..
Brist's dramatic prosperity and succession to the heirs for as many as eight generations..
These two were the most core reasons that allowed the Jeore royal family to wield overwhelming royal power despite the feudal state system. The legitimacy he had built up by reigning as the protector of the Northerners and Milanese for generations was stronger than anyone could have imagined..
Thanks to this, the King's Territory was also a stage for rationalizing and propagating Jeore's rule. Prosperity and stability that were incomparable to other regions were a device that made outsiders look up to the royal family..
However, there was one minor problem: Brist was not yet a 'perfect safe zone'..
This is a bit surprising considering that the standing army under the direct control of the King is well over 10,000 people, but as I said before, Bristol is an incredibly large land. No matter how much the 3,000 mounted patrols roamed around, they could not guarantee security in every corner of the province..
Moreover, although it is now almost subdued, Breast was originally a demonic realm of Middle-earth boasting history and tradition. This means that it was a particularly terrible neighborhood in the Central Continent, which had become a lawless land with the fall of the ancient empire..
And there may be a reason for that, even though nearly 200 years have passed since Zeot was founded, monsters and thieves still appear from time to time..
What was especially troubling were all kinds of monsters that descended on private homes from the high mountain ranges surrounding the two sides of the northeast..
Even in Brist, there were quite a few forests and many large rivers, so if you were even a little distracted, monsters would grow like cancer cells. It is said that until 40 or 50 years ago, scary things like dragons and hydras sometimes appeared..
Of course, these days it's not to that extent, and at most there are small groups of greenskins, aquatic monsters crawling up from rivers, and corpses rising from shallow graves. To the ruler, it may be no different from mold in the corner of the bathroom, but to the people who actually encounter the mold, it can be said to be a complete waste of money..
“And a few weeks ago,”
Princess Eadina cleared her throat loudly and continued speaking..
“A mounted patrol picked up suspicious rumors and conducted a large-scale search. As a result, they found more than twenty goblins..”
“It's a goblin. Has that happened??”
“I guess this is your first time hearing about Ludo? It was a bit noisy in its own way..”
“……Oh, now that I think about it, I think I heard it somewhere..”
I answered appropriately and scratched my head..
Contrary to what the princess said, the ones who actually found the goblins were a small number of mercenaries commissioned by a mounted patrol..
It was natural for me to understand the details. Because those few mercenaries are none other than my subordinates. Seven people, including Fritz, Goleman, and Geliamon, are operating under the guise of mercenaries..
Fortunately, Eadina didn't seem to be able to read the awkwardness in my expression..
“According to Baron Daeron's report, it may be a scouting party belonging to a fairly large greenskin tribe..”
“……If you are Baron Daeon.”
As I repeated the familiar name, the face of a handsome young man with brilliant blonde hair came to mind..
Baron Daeon was the king's sixth rider, and he had a record of visiting me as a messenger for Zacharis toward the end of the Blademan War. That means you are familiar with me..
Just as most of the horsemen worked near the king by order of Zacharis, Baron Daean also had a position..
“You mean the commander of the mounted patrol. Did he report to Her Majesty??”
“Oh, that's not it... … . I happened to be sitting with my father, His Majesty. It was by chance that we heard the report together..”
There was something uncomfortable about it, but she pretended not to notice and continued talking..
“Several military officers speculated that a medium-sized or larger tribe of greenskins might be coming down the Temel River or the mountains to the northwest. And two days ago, a follow-up report came in that added credibility to that speculation..”
Greenskins originally lived sedentary lives in families or clans. However, when their numbers increase beyond a certain point, whether by raising young or absorbing other groups, they begin to wander in tribal units..
It was not simply a wandering for hunting or plunder, but was also an expedition aimed at spiritual achievement. Going on a pilgrimage as a servant of the evil god Ushtu..
Greenskins believe that through rituals of destruction and slaughter, they become closer to Ushtu and thus gain greater power..
Unfortunately for most humans, this belief was not entirely in vain. Like many religions in Middle-earth, the greenskins' faith also receives a certain price..
I slowly opened my mouth while thinking about the ecology of greenskins..
“……Well, did you find an altar or something??”
“that's right.”
The princess nodded calmly..
“It was a poor and barbaric structure, as befits the workmanship of the Greenskins, but it was clearly shaped like an altar. My father, His Majesty, gave an order to form a punitive force centered on two horsemen, Baron Acraden and Baron Daeon. They will probably go out as soon as the cathedral knight sent by the church to confirm returns..”
“……Her Royal Highness. Then, what is ‘large-scale field trip’?.”
“No way, what??”
As the pale purple wall sparkled with anticipation, I suppressed a laugh..
“Are you planning to send students to the punitive force??”
“Correct answer. Well done.”
……Wow, you crazy bitch..
Eadina was smiling, as if it was funny to see me with my mouth wide open..
“Isn't this a pretty good opportunity? This is an opportunity to have a safe battle against the greenskins..”
“……It's a safe practice. This is the first time I've heard this in my life..”
Despite the sarcastic remarks, the princess was still smiling brightly..
“So, let's say it's a 'relatively' safe practice..”
“You've got to be kidding me.?”
“Not at all. Are you against my plan??”
“of course. Sorry, but this is a ridiculous plan. It's too dangerous.”
“You don't have to worry too much, Ludo. In any case, only a few will be given the opportunity to take action..”
“Number is not the problem,”
“Among students who majored in military studies, those who are excellent at martial arts will be the main ones. Among those majoring in occult studies, we plan to include about 50 people who are taking advanced steps in magic and exorcism. It would be good to bring some students from the alchemy and herbal medicine departments as well. I plan to select only about 200 people based on strict criteria..”
“……I apologize, Your Majesty. I don't think two hundred people are a minority..”
“Is that so? My first thought was three hundred people..”
I sighed inwardly. I feel like I'm getting dizzy.
Eadina seemed slightly embarrassed, as if my reaction was worse than expected. And as if he wanted to clear up my misunderstanding, he quickly added:.
“Like I said, I'm not saying we're going to subdue the greenskins with just the students. At least five hundred troops will be organized into a regular punitive force, and the students will only play a supporting role..”
“Playing an auxiliary role does not eliminate the risk..”
“I know. So, we are selecting people who are capable of protecting themselves at least..”
“Ah, I see. So, do you think there are such skilled people among aspiring alchemists??”
The princess's expression distorted slightly at my pitiful gaze. She pursed her lips for a moment before answering..
“……Probably not. Actually, I was also a bit worried about being a student of alchemy or herbal medicine..”
“That's not the only problem-”
“It's not unprecedented. It's common for students to go hunting to gain practical experience and show off their bravery.?”
The princess continued talking as if she was trying to convince herself..
“I am planning to ask my father, His Majesty, to bring sufficient cathedral knights and priests. Personally, I'll take about ten guards with me..”
“Just because there's a priest doesn't mean people won't die - wait, it's a royal guard.?”
I opened my mouth in a dazed mood..
“Could it be that the princess herself came forward??”
“If possible.”
I looked for something to say for a moment and then sighed..
“……Well, um. It's a great plan in many ways..”
“thank you.”
“It wasn't a compliment... … . No, I don't think His Majesty the King will allow it in the first place..”
“It doesn't matter.”
The princess said nonsense with a proud face..
“I plan to participate in the punitive force, not as a princess, but as the person in charge of the plan and the chairman of the royal university's steering committee..”
“It can't be like that…….”
“If the Steering Committee gathers their opinions and submits their opinions, even His Majesty will have no justification for rejecting them. Like I said, it's not unprecedented..”
“But the princess joining the punitive force is a problem on a whole different level..”
“That's right. but…….”
The princess shook her head before speaking..
“Well, that's not what's important right now. The first thing to do is to gather the opinions of the steering committee and submit the agenda. This is where Ludo needs help..”
I wasn't happy at all about being caught up in Eadina's 'great' plan, but I had no choice from the beginning. If I didn't help, the princess was ready to give up her investigation into the Dawn Council..
In the end, I sighed and listened to the princess's request - no, command...
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