Chapter 638: Volume Seventeen: Dark Descends on Earth - Nine: Borrowing Troops (2)
This news chilled Princess Renta to the core. Among the royal family, now only she, Katya, and another sister, Bijij, remained unmarried. However, Katya already had a fiancé, which left only herself and Bijij. But Bijij was only sixteen years old, and since her own maternal lineage was not as prestigious, it was most likely that she would bear the brunt of it. She had never imagined sinking to the state of having to marry a lesser nobleman of illegitimate birth, an idea she found simply unacceptable. Although the experiences of this journey had slightly altered Princess Renta’s impressions, it was not enough to change her mind. She would never marry such low nobility; her ideal husband was to be at least the heir to a Great Lord with a rich territory, or even better, the heir to a duchy or kingdom on the Continent. But now, this dream seemed to slowly be falling apart, especially given the kingdom’s current predicament, making hope even more elusive. Her only hope was for the kingdom to rise again, for only then would there be hope for her marriage.
At this point, Komer also noticed that the gaze of both their Highnesses was fixed upon him. Borrow troops? This request seemed somewhat absurd; the Central Kingdom was indeed asking him, a small lord whose desire for direct vassals was unattainable, to lend troops? Komer weighed the pros and cons, frankly admitting to himself that the combat strength of the three thousand Self-defense Army was limited. With insufficient training time and no experience in truly bloody and brutal wars, they had played little role in the conflict with the Homer People. This might be an opportunity for training, but the Self-defense Army was too weak. If the kingdom borrowed this army, who would defend Leon and Caucasus?
"Your Highnesses, of course, I should obey the kingdom’s command to send troops. But please also consider, how will the safety of Caucasus and Leon be addressed? The threat from the Homer People is very real. If that can be resolved, the Caucasus-Leon Self-Defense Force would naturally be willing to serve the kingdom," Komer said, diplomatically suggesting a retreat. However, he was well aware that since Hoffman and Renta dared to make this request, they must have considered the Homer situation.
"Viscount, rest assured on this matter. Before coming to Caucasus, we had already visited Cyprus and secured a promise from Duke Philip. He assured that he will not act against Caucasus and Leon before the Beastmen invaders are dealt with, and he is willing to make a public commitment. Moreover, Viscount, you may appropriately retain a portion of the Self-defense Army for the security of your territory. That’s not an excessive request, is it?" Hoffman wore a victorious smile, having understood why Philip was so readily agreeable to the promise after hearing about the battle with the Homer People from Komer: Philip had suffered yet another significant blow from the Caucasus and now needed time to recover. He was in no position to launch an attack recklessly anytime soon.
It was then that Komer realized that the two Highnesses had clearly set their minds on borrowing his seemingly strong but innerly frail Half-beast troops. As for the matter of passage, they must have also received Philip’s consent. He lacked a reason to refuse. So be it; let this army face a real battlefield, let the Half-Beasts and Beastmen come face to face. Didn’t Fran always want this army to experience a real war? Perfect, let him take two thousand Self-defense Army to give it a try.
"Your Highnesses, since you have considered everything so thoroughly, what else can I say? Our Caucasus only has three thousand Self-defense Army, so how about I send half of the soldiers to aid the kingdom? What do you think?" Komer no longer demurred.
"Viscount, can we have a bit more? Fifteen hundred is a little too few."
Hoffman’s face always maintained a smile, while Princess Renta seemed somewhat unsettled, though for what reason, Komer did not know. He feigned a decision-making struggle before saying, "Well then, I’ll add another five hundred. They are the most elite of my Half-beast Men and Elf Archers under my command. They will absolutely obey your orders, Your Highness, and I believe they can contribute to your cause. I will also continue to train more Half-beast Warriors. Should Your Highness need them in the future, I will be absolutely supportive."