Chapter 134 : Chapter 134
Chapter : 134
"Your Excellency! I am sorry. Count Bozen has already fled."
"No. He was just fast. It is not your fault."
At the elf knights' words, I smacked my lips in regret.
If he had attacked, I would have blown him away in one stroke, but for some reason, the path Count Bozen chose was to run away.
As soon as Count Bozen saw my charge, he turned his horse around along with his subordinate vassals.
How fast he moved.
It was a speed that I couldn't even dream of catching up to.
Come to think of it, unlike me who had broken through the enemy once and fought another battle, Count Bozen and his subordinate vassals were fresh. Since they only watched the battle from afar.
"How should we pursue? Your Excellency?"
"That is correct. Give us the order! Just say the word, and we will run immediately for Your Excellency's honor!"
The elf knights, whose excitement from the battle had not yet subsided, shouted while emitting heat. They were ready to chase right away if I just said the word.
I looked at those elf knights nonchalantly and shook my head.
"It is enough. Even if you do, there is nothing Count Bozen can do now anyway. It is more important that you do not get hurt than that bastard's skull. How great a loss would it be if knights like you were injured from chasing recklessly."
"Oh, Your Excellency...!"
"Indeed.... Only Your Excellency cherishes us!"
At my words, the elf knights looked at me with faces full of emotion. Although I didn't say it with that intention.
'These brats. If they get excited again and run recklessly only to fall into a trap, it's a big problem.'
Having been together for a while, I knew the elf knights' personalities very well.
Talking about honor and military merit, they were perfect for running in without discipline and getting caught in an ambush. Moreover, the power of Count Bozen and his subordinate vassals who fled was quite non-negligible.
At least 50 knights had fled with him.
'It's right to just safely organize the battlefield first. Hmm hmm. Right.'
How much money had I spent on the elf knights? The expenses were so high that Treasurer Palmer even begged me to stop letting them eat so much.
I intended to milk these money-eating hippos thoroughly to the bone.
"We will settle the battlefield first. Help Captain Konrad and Sir Biden capture resisting knights and gather the prisoners in one place."
"Yes!"
Although Count Bozen fled, because of the numbers, the battlefield was not yet finished.
Information spread quite slowly in the tangled battlefield.
Moreover, most of the remaining enemies were cavalry on horseback. They were resisting with formidable combat power.
"Your Excellency! We found a payment chest in Count Bozen's tent!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
An elf knight scanning the now empty command tents brought me good news.
A payment chest!
I thought he would leave supplies but definitely take that, but apparently not. I wondered why he moved so fast, and there was a reason.
'What a windfall?'
Laughter came out naturally.
As in reality, money was needed for an army to move in the [Pangea Universalise] era.
Salaries paid weekly to participating knights, soldiers, and mercenaries, and various costs for them to eat and drink. Like this, enormous money was used like water moment by moment. But would there be paper money in this era, or would credit transactions work?
Everything had to be paid immediately on site in real-time.
Therefore, what was needed was the payment chest that the elf knight just mentioned.
"Ha ha, how much is there?"
"It seems he hasn't even paid the first salary yet. Two chests are filled to the brim with gold and silver coins. Your Excellency."
It was a jackpot.
That rotten Count Bozen still had some conscience(?) to leave such a gift.
And this wasn't the only good news.
As the battlefield below the hill was roughly wrapping up.
-Ding!
[You have achieved a great victory in a pitched battle against a neighboring competitor. Until now, it was judged that infantry could not deal with cavalry. However, you have crushed cavalry with an equal number of infantry with overwhelming results. People will now take an interest in your army.]
[Notification: Tactic 'Pike and Shot' is officially introduced. Securing this technology increases infantry discipline and shock defense.]
At the same time.
[Accumulated combat experience raises the rank of Captain Konrad and Sir Biden.]
[Ordinary -> Extraordinary]
[Captain Konrad and Sir Biden's army command becomes more solid. They will grow into commander-type knights rarely seen in this era.]
[Subordinates grown so far]
[3/10]
'Hmm?'
Suddenly, tremendous rewards began to fall one after another.
* * *
-WAAAAAA-!
-Break through! We must break through somehow! Push the bastards, these damned vulgar bastards away!
Although Count Bozen's mercenary unit was crushed and his lord broke through the cavalry in half with a single blow, the battle was not over.
Sir Biden was busy dealing with Count Bozen's cavalry, which was desperately trying to break through the phalanx.
"Push forward!"
"Reload! Don't wait for orders, fire immediately as soon as it's done-!"
"Phalanx! Attach more reserves! Rear pikemen move immediately to cut off their retreat!"
Screams bursting from all directions.
And the sound of clashing metal, tearing flesh, and gasping pleas for life.
All these tangled things confused Sir Biden's mind.
-NEEEIGH!
-CRUNCH!
Just a moment ago, part of the phalanx collapsed for an instant due to the angry enemy cavalry's charge, and the encirclement was almost broken.
But every time that happened, Sir Biden stepped forward himself to encourage his subordinates and absorb the shock immediately.
Before anyone knew it, Sir Biden, who was active as a knight in a small territory, had become a proper commander.
And an expert handling the formidable infantry phalanx at that.
"Just push a little more! Strength. The end of the battle is in sight!"
"HO-!"
The heavy cavalry that seemed so fierce and intense were now almost all falling down.
The battle was ending soon, just as Sir Biden commanded.
"How is it over there? Are you okay? Human Knight!"
"Oh, Captain Konrad. It is wrapping up here too."
"Hmph. Just say the word. Our side is almost done, so I will help you."
Sure enough, Captain Konrad approached from the side, having roughly finished his work.
Indeed, unlike himself, he was like a mercenary captain whose fame was already high.
"Raise your spears! End the meaningless resistance here-!"
Sir Biden shouted loudly, burning with a strange competitive spirit.
'I too... cannot lose.'
How much had his lord, the Margrave of Bellua, changed in the meantime.
At first, he thought he was just an immature lord he had to take care of, but before he knew it, he had moved far ahead.
Look even now.
-I will break through as is and capture him! This war ends here!
That appearance commanding while leading elf knights with a drawn sword in the fierce battlefield.
He enriched the territory, attracted talent, and constantly trained soldiers.
Especially this formidable infantry unit.
'Combination of pike phalanx and crossbowmen.... He called it Pike and Shot tactic.'
He didn't know where he found out this infantry tactic, but the effect was tremendous.
In the last southern heretic subjugation war, in the Kingdom of Aragon succession war, and in this war with Count Bozen. The tactics devised by his lord were showing their power thoroughly.
'I am not special.'
It was bitter but true.
Perhaps if it were any other ordinary territory, he might have had to end his life as just an insignificant knight.
But at least here, it was different.
'I too... am a proper commander. I am also a vassal trusted by the Lord!'
Therefore, Sir Biden decided to change himself too.
Just as the Margrave of Bellua changed day by day.
Doesn't a knight dedicate his life to someone who recognizes him?
Sir Biden wanted to become a person who was not shameful to the Lord who gave him trust.
'I will go together. Although I don't know where the end the Lord thinks of is.'
Even if he collapses from exhaustion while chasing.
-WAAAAAA!
-Victory! Count Bozen ran away!
Looking at the battlefield that had now ended, Sir Biden, grasping the hilt of his sword, thought so.
* * *
"Oh...?"
It was unexpected but a good thing.
Actually, rather than earning trivial money like this, what was gradually becoming important now was nurturing talent.
But for Sir Biden and Captain Konrad to grow like this in a timely manner.
It was truly a good thing.
'Wow.... What is really happening?'
I barely calmed down the corners of my mouth that were twitching on their own.
If I relaxed even a little, I felt like I would grin frivolously.
"Hmm.... Is there something good? Why do you look like you're about to laugh like that?"
"Ah, ah? Khem. It is nothing. Didn't we win the battle? Now Count Bozen is finished too."
"Hmmmm?"
Magician Agpiel looked at me with narrowed eyes as if something wasn't right, but I turned my head away stealthily.
Anyway, he was a quick-witted gentleman.
"Well, if you say so, then so be it. What do you intend to do with Count Bozen now? Are you going to invade as is?"
"It is better to strike as quickly as possible. Lord."
"Right. Human Lord. We must crush them before they reorganize!"
"I have similar thoughts to these friends. It is not good if war drags on. It would be better to end it as quickly as possible."
People unanimously said to march straight to Count Bozen's castle.
Although Count Bozen's main force collapsed, the power of his subordinate feudal vassals still remained significantly.
Moreover, the money Count Bozen possessed was also considerable.
If we dawdled even a little, he might hire mercenaries and increase his army before we knew it.
However.
"Hmm, no. Let's take it a bit slowly."
"??"
"Yes?"
"What do you...?"
My thoughts were a bit different.
Even if I crushed Count Bozen like that, it would be difficult for me to fully absorb Count Bozen's territory.
From old times, while it is easy to annihilate and receive compensation, absorbing another's territory is a very difficult task.
I intended to completely absorb Count Bozen's territory as my own on this occasion.
"Do I not have a younger brother[nephew]? I intend to use that."
"......?"
"Surely you?"
"Yes, isn't our second João... a friend mixed with the bloodline of Count Bozen? Hahaha. If the nephew drives out the immoral uncle and takes that place, who would say anything?"
When I laughed heartily, the surrounding vassals looked at me with astonished expressions.
It seemed they were thinking, 'Did he keep João and stepmother Juana alive for this?'
Of course, it wasn't that, but I saved him because the young child was pitiful.
But....
"Why do you look at me like that?"
"N-No. Your Excellency."
"You really.... You were an amazing Human Lord!"
The vassals' thoughts seemed slightly different after all. Just when I thought I was being misunderstood in a subtle way....
-Ding!
[Infamy rises.]
'No, why?!?!?!?'
It was truly an unjust thing. Damn it!