Chapter 78 : Reconnaissance Mission (6)
Chapter 78: Reconnaissance Mission (6)
Nothing could be seen.
Of the five senses, the only thing remaining was the sense of hearing echoing within the skull.
‘What happened...?’
The clashing of blades on the battlefield and the word ‘Shatien’ dug into the ears. A distant dizziness was twisting the battered spirit with all its might. Tenaciously.
-Kill him!! We must kill that man!
-Save Sir Shatien! Even if we have to pay every sacrifice!
It was impossible to tell whether these were hallucinations heard before death or if death had already occurred and this was the middle of hell. Then, a sensation of someone pulling the body up was felt.
-We saved him!
-We have secured Sir Shatien! Did you say this was Miles? This is entirely your credit!
The shouts mixed with cheers and the sound of clashing metal also faded.
-Clop clop.
The body was shaken within the chaos.
Where was it going?
There was no way to know.
Perhaps because of having inhaled too much smoke, consciousness withered away to the other side of darkness once again.
* * *
“Urghhhh!!”
Shatien regained consciousness.
“......”
‘Where is this?’
The scenery of the barracks coming into view felt familiar somehow. A place visited once before. It was right inside Count Bellua’s barracks.
“...Phew.”
Fortunately, he survived.
A sigh of relief came out naturally.
However, a sense of dissonance soon followed. Since there were no memories of the journey to this place, it was impossible to tell what had happened yet.
Clearly, memories remained up to the point of being driven into a corner while fighting Baron Ludwig and setting the fire...
‘So why am I here now?’
The details must be known. Furthermore, Shatien recalled the voices of Miles and the mercenaries calling out for him desperately through the blurring memories.
Surely, they would know the full story of this matter well.
‘Ah...! They must be alive, right?’
Then, realizing that they had come to save him, he also became worried about their safety.
-Creeak.
Shatien drank a glass of water from the table and immediately tidied his clothing. To know the current situation, one must go outside and grasp it properly.
In the meantime, the presence of a person was heard from outside. A servant opened the tent door and entered.
“Oh, heavens. You have woken up. Sir Shatien. You have woken up after one week.”
“One week?”
It was quite a long time, so Shatien naturally knitted his brows.
No wonder his body felt hollow and lacked energy.
“I would like to meet Count Bellua if possible. I have things to talk about regarding what has happened.”
“R-Right now?”
The servant stuttered with a flustered reaction. How could a person who just woke up already think about moving? In the meantime, the barracks door opened again from behind. It was Count Bellua.
Count Bellua, meeting his eyes, smirked and twitched the corner of his mouth.
“Fortunately, you have recovered well. Sir Shatien.”
“I greet the Count.”
“Ah. There is no need for such formalities. Just stay lying down. Your body must still hurt, yes?”
“I am fine. Quite decent, actually. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“Haha. Hospitality? Rather, I am the one who is indebted. Thanks to you, I heard about the Order of the Black Rain in advance.”
“Ah...!”
Fortunately, the information seemed to have been delivered to Count Bellua properly.
“Yes, thanks to your tearful struggle, I could receive proper information at the right time. We immediately requested support for knights from the Margrave of Rostingia in the North. An eye for an eye, you know? Since they took personnel from the North, naturally we should receive support from a noble of the North as well. Haha. The Imperial Army will be flustered.”
Shatien nodded at the words of Count Bellua, who spoke while laughing as if satisfied.
‘Indeed, those two are archenemies, so it is quite a relief.’
The Margravate of Rostingia and the Order of the Black Rain were both forces located in the Northern part of the Empire. Their relationship of grudges went back hundreds of years, making the rift deep, but funnily enough, both sides were Elves. If there was a difference, one side was killers from the East who hungered for pagan blood, and the other side was berserkers from the civilized North who used to plunder quite a lot?
‘Hmm, both of them are a bit distant somehow.’
Well, is that not why they are Elves?
Pointy-eared Elves.
A race that is bellicose, self-centered, and utterly arrogant.
Therefore, the story of being civilized was something that, in a way, did not suit Elves at all. Thinking about how the Elf warrior he met at Akten Castle died before he had dignity in his speech, he might have been from the Margravate of Rostingia.
Anyway, thinking that far, a question suddenly arose.
“Did the Order of the Black Rain stay still until they arrived?”
“Hmm? Oh dear. Oh dear.”
Then, Count Bellua shook his head as if he could not help it.
“Do you know how massive the fire you set became? The spring drought is truly terrifying. With the dry and hot wind added, that entire region is a literal hell now. Hahahaha. Thanks to that, those bastards are coming around the long way.”
Ah, that’s what happened.
Inadvertently, he had bought some time. Now, a certain amount of necessary information had been obtained. Shatien tried to get up from his seat to find Miles and his subordinates. Then Count Bellua caught Shatien and continued speaking.
“Sir Shatien. To express my gratitude for fulfilling my request, I shall bestow upon you armor tailored to your body.”
“...?!”
Tailored armor was expensive, needless to say. Furthermore, if it was armor personally bestowed by Count Bellua, it surely would not be ordinary armor, right? As expected.
“Bring it in.”
“Yes, Count. I shall bring it now.”
-Clank, clank.
A man who appeared to be a blacksmith brought an armor with corners engraved in Ancient Imperial language. It was armor reinforced with iron plates between the chainmail.
Count Bellua spoke calmly.
“It is armor made during the Ancient Imperial era. It is said to have been forged with the mysteries of Dwarves, Elves, and Mages. From what I hear, it possesses protective power that can block even a giant's strike at least once.”
“Woah....”
Somehow, as soon as he saw that armor, the mystery of his bloodline began to seethe. It was as if he were trying to explore the suddenly appearing mystery.
“Such a precious thing... Thank you truly. Your Excellency Count Bellua.”
“Hehe. I am glad you are pleased.”
-Thump.
The blacksmith, who set the armor on the floor, wiped his sweat and asked.
“Sir Shatien. I must take measurements, so may I touch your body for a moment?”
“Sure.”
The blacksmith felt Shatien's limbs here and there, thought for a moment, and then finally nodded.
“It is slightly large for you. But it does not matter much. For this range, it will adjust itself once you wear it.”
Since mysteries from the Ancient Imperial era are ingrained, it seems it even has such a marvelous function. Count Bellua said he would send the armor to his servant. Shatien, with words of gratitude, immediately left the barracks and headed for the mercenary company.
* * *
“Miles!!!! I am glad you are alive.”
“Ooooh! Shatien. Dammit. So you were alive! You have come to your senses!”
“Kkikikik! Kkikkkik!”
The boisterous welcome makes his mind dizzy. Shatien calmed down Miles and the pet monkey and then asked about the details.
He was dying of curiosity about what exactly happened with the situation.
Then Miles told the story of that day with a somewhat dark complexion.
How he went to rescue Shatien with the mercenaries.
How he pulled Shatien out against the Imperial Army.
And...
Even how the mercenaries who were with them that day protected Shatien by sacrificing their lives.
Shatien remained silent for a moment for the departed mercenaries.
‘...Thank you all.’
It was a bond never experienced in his past life. And at the same time, a heavy sense of responsibility was felt.
With this incident as a catalyst, it felt like his mindset for the future was changing completely. He was getting a grasp on how to lead more and more people.
He would not be able to stop mercenaries and subordinates under his command from dying on the battlefield, but he would not treat them as trivial expendables. Like Baron Ludwig.
‘If I had used them that way, the mercenaries would not have acted for me like they did that day.’
Comradeship that would rush in while defying death.
And loyalty that would want him to carry on their lives instead of their own.
All of this was important.
Shatien thought that if the day comes when he leads his own mercenary company in the future, he would build the unit centered around that.
‘Yes. The people who entered the mercenary company are now my new family.’
Thinking so, Shatien stared at Miles.
With a gaze filled with gratitude.
Of course, Miles...
‘What’s with him again? This bastard had a strange look in his eyes last time too... Seriously, could it be?’
Well, he was misunderstanding something deeply(?).
Seeing that thought clearly, Shatien clicked his tongue with a sigh.
“Stop that weird expression. Miles. I told you to stop having strange fantasies.”
“A-Ahem. It is not like that.”
“Sigh. Whatever. I am trying to set the mood to say thank you, so is it okay for you to be like that?”
Only then did Miles clear his throat and scratch his head.
“Ahem. Anyway. I tried adjusting the unit a bit while you were unconscious.”
“Adjusting?”
“Yes, it is nothing grand... Since we were maintaining a close-order formation, there were some uncomfortable things.”
“Oho....”
It was an interesting remark.
As Miles said, it was not easy for pikesmen to properly establish a formation because of the length of the pikes. But he adjusted that?
“Why? Should I turn it back to how it was? I knew I felt like I was acting beyond my station... Hahaha.”
Miles spoke while scratching his head vigorously. He was a Centurion assisting Shatien, but that did not mean his influence over the unit was strong. Originally, was he not in a position like an accessory officer of the century led by Shatien? In a way, it could be seen as an overstepping of authority.
But Shatien did not care.
Rather, he was proud.
‘Huh, I thought this man was just drinking alcohol and chasing women every day... but he did such a proud thing?’
Anyway, if there were wrong or lacking parts, it was a matter he could readjust himself. Rather, it was very encouraging that Miles was taking such an interest in the work of the mercenary company.
He could not possibly pay attention to every small detail forever, could he?
“Well, let us have a look. If it is good, we will use it as it is, and if not, we can just revise it, right?”
“Ah, right? Right?”
“Yes, of course. What is there to worry about?”
“Ahahahaha. You’re right you bastard. Our rookie, no, boss! Then let us go see it. I’ll tell you you would like it!”
And a moment later.
“Pikes, forward!”
“Forward!”
-Swish!
“Again, again! Reorganize!!”
“Reorganize!!”
“Widen the interval more.”
Shatien blinked his eyes.
The pikesmen unit moved in perfect order according to Miles's command...
‘This... is a square formation, is it not?’
Indeed.
It was the square pike phalanx, an anti-cavalry tactic invented around the time the civil war within the Empire reached its peak.
And Miles, that alcohol-loving hot-blooded man, had accomplished it.
“Huh....”
Truly absurdly, that is.
“Miles....”
“Why? Is it bad...?”
“No. Bad you say? It is absolutely amazing!!!”
“What the? What is with that look? Is there something on my face?”