Chapter 238: Rumors of the Heroine Louise
With the successful recapture of the provincial capital, Presidio, the Abysspanian Liberation Army, led by Knight Commander Barland, was riding a wave of triumph.
No longer just a knight commander, Barland had earned the title of triumphant general.
However, the fame of Louise, the female hero who had cut down dragons with a single stroke, surpassed even Barland’s. Rumors spread like wildfire, claiming that Louise was the one destined to push back the Demon Army and defeat the Great Demon King Ifriil. Somehow, the story had even twisted into Louise being the one who personally defeated the governor of Presidio, Sardival.
「…and that’s the current situation.」
「I see. That clears things up.」
After listening to reports from the scouts who had infiltrated the Abyss Continent with Clementine, everything became clear. It appeared that the rumors surrounding this ‘Heroine Louise’ had been deliberately fueled by none other than Lyle-sensei herself, who had instructed the scouts to spread the tale.
When Holy Mother Ria descended, and the Holy Steriana Queendom was established in the province of Baal, Lyle-sensei must have anticipated that Louise’s extraordinary feats would lead her to be hailed as a hero, a symbol for the people. By planting the seed of Louise as the ‘female hero’, it created the perfect diversion against the demon nation that worshiped the Great Demon King Ifriil.
To hide a tree, you place it in a forest. Instead of concealing our forces, Lyle-sensei shifted the strategy to spreading rumors, making the enemy focus elsewhere.
While the Demon Army’s attention was drawn to the army of Holy Mother Ria in Baal and the ‘Heroine Louise’ in Presidio, we would strike the northern province of Times, launching a surprise assault on Times Square with the Silesian fleet to seize control of the seas. From there, we’d launch a rear attack on the demon capital, Laurentite.
However, the battle in Presidio had been intense, and we hadn’t come out unscathed. One of the dragon knights who had brought me here suddenly bowed deeply and gave me an unexpected report. 「I apologize, sir. The wyvern has been stolen.」
「What? Is that even possible?」
The idea of a wyvern being stolen was hard to believe. Trained wyverns only obey their riders, and I couldn’t imagine anyone but a dragon knight being able to control one. But this young knight wouldn’t lie about such a failure.
「It was my negligence. I was personally assigned to this task by King General himself, and yet I allowed this to happen. I have no excuse and will accept any punishment.」
「No, don’t worry about it. This was an unforeseen situation. You’re not to blame. You’re a valuable rider, and I need you to stay focused.」
「But to escape punishment so easily…」
「Training dragon knights takes time and money. The fact that you survived is enough. We can always replace a wyvern.」
What’s done is done. I patted his shoulder, trying to ease his mind. The young knight raised his head.
「I will restore my honor, sir.」
Perhaps the enemy had a demon with the ability to command beasts, which would explain how the wyvern was taken. If that’s the case, we may have let a powerful foe slip through our fingers.
「Well, it can’t be helped.」
As the old saying goes, fortune is fickle. War is like rolling dice—you never know how it will turn next.
The enemy will likely return to their homeland with useful information about our muskets and cannons, along with the mistaken belief that the heroine Louise emerged from the people of Presidio. These misdirections play perfectly into our diversionary strategy. Letting them escape with just enough false information could work to our advantage.
「Ensure all scouts stick to Lyle-sensei’s plan and manipulate the information accordingly.」
「Yes, sir.」
I would also ask Louise to continue playing the role of the heroine.
「So, I just need to keep acting as this so-called heroine and keep pressing the attack on the enemy? Simple enough.」
Louise immediately accepted the role of the ‘Heroine’ without hesitation.
She was incredibly reliable.
「I honestly think you’re a much better fit for the hero title than I am. Maybe you should just become the real hero.」
I was half-serious. With Louise’s current strength, she could very well earn official recognition as a hero.
Of course, for that to happen, she’d need to defeat the Demon King herself. When I said as much, Louise apologized unexpectedly.
「Actually, I’m sorry about something. The orichalcum greatsword you gave me broke.」
「If you’re unharmed, that’s all that matters.」
Breaking an orichalcum sword? That meant there were enemies in the Demon Army powerful enough to make even Louise struggle. Fortunately, we had recovered the remains of the sword from the enemy’s corpses, so it could be repaired and reused.
「Takeru, Knight Commander Barland also asked if you could come to the royal palace once things have settled down.」
「Oh, right. We still have some unfinished business after the battle.」
The citadel that had served as the Demon Army’s command center in the heart of the capital, Presidio, was to be restored to its former function as the royal palace of Abysspania. When Louise and I arrived at the palace, renovations to restore it to its original state were already underway.
「This palace sure has been through a lot, being taken and retaken.」
「They said the hardest part was fixing the damage from the grenades you threw.」
「Yeah, sorry about that.」
「Haha, don’t worry about it. In fact, by focusing your attack on the command center, you spared most of the palace from more extensive damage.」
When we entered the palace’s audience hall, Barland, his staff, and several knights were already gathered. At the far end of the red carpet stood the royal throne, but it remained empty for now.
After all, the queen of Abysspania was still an infant. Even if she were here, there was no way they’d place her on the throne.
「Hero of Asama, Sawatari Takeru, I once again express our deepest gratitude for your assistance. Thanks to you, we have reclaimed the capital.」
For the Holy Abysspania Queendom, the state capital Presidio was now their de facto royal capital. Barland stood and bowed deeply, followed by his staff, who hurriedly stood and bowed as well.
I waved them off, signaling for them to raise their heads.
「This was all thanks to the efforts of you and the Abysspanian army under your command. We’ll continue to offer our support however we can.」
Louise followed up.
「We’ll keep working with you too. Even though we’ve retaken Presidio, there are still enemies lurking in the rest of Linmon Province.」
Although we had reclaimed the capital, our control extended only to the areas around the Easter Peninsula and Presidio. More than half of Linmon Province was still under the Demon Army’s control. The possibility of the retreating forces regrouping and launching a counterattack was very real, so we couldn’t afford to relax.
「To think the day would come when we could truly reclaim the capital…」
Barland choked on his words, his eyes brimming with tears. His staff shared in the quiet joy, savoring the moment.
They had taken back their homeland. It was natural for emotions to run high.
「I hate to dampen the mood, but with the capture of Presidio, we can also expect stronger counterattacks from the enemy. I’m sorry, Barland, but we’re going to need you and your men to play a crucial role in drawing the enemy’s attention. We will, of course, make sure to recover the rest of Abysspania’s territory, but you must also prepare for the possibility that Presidio could be recaptured in the near future.」
They were going to serve as the diversion, meaning there was a chance the enemy would focus on retaking the capital. Barland was the heart of the Abysspanian army, and I couldn’t afford to have him die defending the capital at all costs. It was important to be prepared for setbacks.
「I understand. Please, under the protection of Takeru-sama, shelter Her Majesty the Queen on Antil Island until the day we can reclaim our lands.」
「Yeah. It’s better not to move the Queen yet. Once we take down the Demon Capital of Laurantite and defeat the Great Demon King Ifriil, the demon army will crumble on its own. Then the country’s recovery will be secure.」
「That’s our hope. For that, we’re ready to become mere stepping stones.」
With those words, Barland softened his expression. It was reassuring that Barland and the others understood the situation.
The next thing to address is how to treat the prisoners. They’ll need to let go of old grudges and learn to cooperate with the demons.
「Barland. The land you stand on now is no longer the Holy Queendom; it is now the royal domain of Abysspania.」
「I am aware of Takeru-sama’s stance.」
「You’ve taken prisoners in the recent battle, correct? Try to win over as many demons as possible and get them to join our side. If not as fighters, at least use them as labor. Let’s keep them alive and useful.」
「We shall do just that. Even my wife has been urging me to be more flexible. We’ll spread word far and wide that the kingdom’s policies have changed. We’ll call upon the remnants of the demon army to surrender, perhaps invoking the name of the newly risen Hero Louise to persuade the people. It should help gain their understanding.」
It seems word has already spread among Barland and his men about Louise playing the role of the hero. It’s a clever move to fully leverage her reputation.
「I appreciate that. So, you’ve heard the plan to let Louise act as the substitute hero?」
「Rumors of that have been circulating for some time now. The fact that the people rose up as volunteers is thanks to Louise-dono’s valiant efforts.」
Well, it’s no surprise. Louise, wielding her massive dragon-slaying sword and cutting down powerful foes, certainly looks more like a hero than I do.
「That helps a lot. By the way, I’d like to make use of the ships at the port.」
「We’ve seized a fleet of sixty small sailboats and galleys. We can secure the crew from this town, so they’re ready for your use.」
「That’s great to hear.」
While small galleys aren’t suited for combat, we’ll need transport ships for future operations. With sixty vessels, even small ones, we’ll be able to move a considerable number of troops and supplies. Especially now that my wyvern has disappeared somewhere, I’ll need a ship to return to Antil Island.
With that settled, I sighed and sat down. Speaking as a representative is exhausting. Times like this, I wish Kaara or Lyle-sensei-sensei were here to handle the negotiations, but since they’re all busy, I have to hold the fort.
Especially since Kaara is apparently pregnant now. I’ve heard that using magic in moderation is actually good for a pregnant sorceress, but I still don’t want her on the battlefield. I’ll have to step up and carry the burden.
As I was trying to take a moment to relax, Louise leaned in and whispered with a wry smile.
「Takeru, I hate to interrupt when you’re tired, but the rewards for meritorious deeds aren’t done yet.」
「If possible, I’d like you and the generals of the Abysspania army to handle that.」
I’m only here temporarily to help out. I’m not the commander of this front, so it’s a bit much to handle all the awards and commendations myself.
「Then let’s keep it brief. While you’re still here, we should address the punishment and reward for Clementine, the prisoner. You sent her here, so it’s not something you can avoid, right?」
As soon as Louise spoke, the blonde knight sitting nearby, Clementine, flinched with a start. Just as I had feared, Clementine had gotten carried away and ended up being captured by the enemy, becoming a hostage—a grave mistake.
At that moment, Clementine’s comrade, Berenice, raised her hand, asking to speak.
「Clementine may have failed, but she did manage to take down the enemy knight captain, Gibbon Krupan. I believe that’s an accomplishment worth recognizing.」
Louise scoffed at the suggestion.
「So, you’re saying we should balance out her failure with her achievement? That’s naive, Berenice. Achievements are only valuable if you survive. The only reason she wasn’t executed was that the enemy planned to use her as a bargaining chip. She could’ve easily been killed right then.」
「That’s…true, but…」
「If you’re going to talk about achievements, Barland and I have taken down twice as many enemy commanders as you. And Takeru, along with his guards Suzanne and Claudia, have accomplished even more. Thanks to their efforts in taking down enemy strongholds, we were able to claim this palace. Without them, we wouldn’t be standing here now. Suzanne, Claudia, you’ve done an outstanding job. I’ll be promoting you both to lead two thousand troops under my command.」
「Yes, ma’am!」 「Thank you very much!」
Suzanne and Claudia proudly stood as they received their new orders. Watching them, Berenice slammed her fist on the table in frustration.
「If King-sama accompanied us, we could have…」
Clementine, who had been silently looking down, whispered to Berenice beside her.
「Berenice, that’s enough. I was careless, and my capture is an undeniable failure. I’ll accept whatever punishment is due.」
「But we tried so hard…」
Louise didn’t miss their conversation.
「Berenice, you said if Takeru had been there with you, things would’ve been different?」
「That’s right, isn’t it? The victory over the enemy command is all thanks to King-sama. Those two just followed him.」
「Very well. Berenice, Clementine, I hereby strip you both of your positions as commanders as punishment.」
「…!」
Berenice bit her lip in frustration, while Clementine sighed, accepting her demotion.
「Both of you will return to being Takeru’s guard knights. Berenice, you’re not wrong in saying that Suzanne and Claudia learned flexible tactics from serving under Takeru. You two are candidates for the leadership of Silesie’s Royal Guard, aren’t you? If you don’t learn strategy and only chase after glory, you’ll end up as reckless warriors. Go back under Takeru and learn military tactics again.」
Somehow, it sounds like guarding me has turned into some sort of punishment. I was hoping to leave their training to Louise, but it seems they’ve been handed right back to me.
After that, the merit awards for the generals of the Abysspania army were finally completed, and the meeting drew to a close. Barland and the others stayed behind to continue discussing future domestic policies. It’s a tough job.
As for me, I was wondering what to do with Clementine and Berenice, who were now back under my command, when Louise whispered in my ear.
「Takeru, make sure to discipline Clementine properly.」
「Discipline? How exactly am I supposed to do that?」
I’m really not sure how to handle this.
「She may be reflecting on her actions, but I think she’s brooding too much over her failure. If you give her a light punishment, it might help her feel better.」
「Ah, I see. Alright, I’ll take care of it.」
But what exactly does ‘discipline’ mean in this context?
Hmm… I’m not sure. Maybe something like ten laps of running or a hundred squats would work as a punishment?
Having guards is great, but expecting me to train knights… that’s a bit much. They’re grown women, and I’m not sure treating them the same way I do with the young slave girls is appropriate.
Just as I was pondering this, completely worn out from everything, Barland, the knight captain, offered me some words of encouragement.
「By the way, Takeru-sama, I have some good news for you.」
「Oh? What is it?」
「While the palace has sustained some damage, the bathhouse remains mostly intact. The Rose Bath, a famous feature of Presidio’s royal palace, is still operational. We will prepare it for you, so once things settle down, how about relaxing there and easing the fatigue from battle?」
「A rose bath, huh? That sounds amazing!」
I had heard that the nobility of Abysspania had a bathing culture. I’m quite curious to see what this exotic rose bath is like.
It seems Barland knew about my fondness for baths and suggested it to me. After all the fighting and the cleanup that followed, I was exhausted, so I decided to gratefully accept his offer.