Chapter 218

“Fire!!”

Staring ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍at the flustered Crown Prince Charles I, Sir Biden issued the order at once. Judging by everything he had seen, the man was unquestionably formidable.

So ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍there was no reason to fumble and give him time to think.

-FWISH-SHSHSHSH!

No ‍​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍sooner had Sir Biden’s command fallen than the archers lying in ambush began loosing arrows.

-Kyaaagh!

-Ghk!

With arrows carpeting the passage, the soldiers Crown Prince Charles I had brought were struck down helplessly.

If only there had been somewhere to hide, they might have tried to take cover—but this place was, of all things, a straight corridor that had once been used as a waterway.

And that was not the only problem.

Oil had been smeared thickly across the canal floor.

And there was the Ancient Empire’s magical flame, notorious for never going out once it took hold.

“E-everyone, spread out! Get out of this place, now!”

Crown Prince Charles I shouted in panic the moment he grasped what was happening, but it was already too late.

-SCREEEECH!

-FWAP!

-FWISH-SHSHSHSH!

The archers, having finished reloading, immediately loosed another volley.

This time, unlike before, each arrowhead had paper wrapped tightly around it, soaked with oil.

If it had only been oil-soaked paper, it might have been manageable, but that paper was already burning fiercely.

-WHOOSH!

The instant the arrows struck, the flames began to writhe.

-Kyaaagh.

-Fire!

-Splash water on it, hurry! Get into the water!

There was a reason it was called the Ancient Empire’s magical flame.

Once it caught, it roared higher and higher, lashing out with red tongues as it swallowed people whole.

They screamed in heat and agony and threw themselves into the water with a SPLASH, but this vicious oil fire burned even more violently in the water.

-PATTER-PATTER!

-BOOM!

-WHOOSH!

The formation collapsed in an instant. No matter how disciplined they were, even elite troops were helpless before such a raging inferno.

Acrid smoke.

Scorching flames.

And even threatening arrows.

Crown Prince Charles I’s army, in the blink of an eye, was busy fleeing with its tail between its legs like a stray mutt from the alley.

And nobles were no different.

Did flame and smoke spare “blue blood” just because it ran noble?

These brutal conditions were laid out equally for all.

“Y-Your Highness! You must flee, even now!”

“To safety, at once!”

“We will hold them back. Hurry—run!”

The nobles shouted desperately at their lord, Crown Prince Charles I.

Now that they knew it was all a trap, the only thing left was to run.

“Uh… uh-huh-huh… my army…. My army…!”

Of course, Crown Prince Charles I could hardly bring himself to face that reality.

***

-Tiriring!

[Notification: The seeds you scattered have met fertile soil and grown lush and strong. Following your stratagems and plots, your vassal has defended the castle brilliantly from the enemy’s attack.]

[Notification: Your bond with your vassal deepens. Strengthened vassal: Biden Ludwig]

[Notification: Biden Ludwig’s Stratagem greatly increases.]

“Hm?”

All at once, the system notification chime rang out in a cascade.

He did not know the details, but it seemed Sir Biden had handled something well.

In a way, it felt fortunate… and yet something about it was unsettling.

‘Following my stratagems and plots?’

To begin with, I wondered whether I had done anything worth being “followed” as a stratagem or plot at all. But the wording made it sound as though I was some incarnation of malice.

Sure enough—

[Notification: You have exerted evil influence.]

[Infamy increases by 1.]

[Infamy increases by 1.]

…….

…….

…….

[Infamy increases by 1.]

‘Damn it! Damn it!’

Fine. I would concede a hundred times over that Sir Biden looked at my methods and succeeded with his plot.

But why was my Infamy going up?

It was infuriating beyond words.

If anyone’s Infamy should rise, should it not be Sir Biden’s, the one who actually carried out the scheme?

“Why are you making such a face? Has something unpleasant happened? You were staring into empty air with a scowl, and then your emotions suddenly wavered so. Are you seeing things?”

At that, Magician Agpiel, who had noticed my expression, tilted his head and asked. I flailed my hands in hurried denial.

“Ahem. Ahem. A face? What face? I was only thinking.”

“Hmnnng. Is that so?”

“Oh, come now. I told you, Magician Agpiel. Why would I suddenly be seeing things? I am simply troubled over how to lead the war from here.”

“Well… if you say so, then perhaps so….”

Even as I spoke, Magician Agpiel still looked unconvinced.

His gaze was one of concern, as though he feared that prolonged strain had finally cracked my mind.

Living the long life of a wandering advisor, Magician Agpiel knew all too well how often rulers facing tangled crises collapsed in an instant under mental stress.

If it came to that, he seemed ready to tell my vassals at once and have them drag me back to the inner castle by force to rest.

“Put away that strange look, and tell me whether the army’s reorganization is proceeding properly. Magician Agpiel.”

“The reorganization? The administrators below are running themselves ragged, are they not? You spent a fortune training them—why worry so much?”

“Grrr. Yes, but…”

Even now, a deep distrust of the people of the Pangea Universalise era was lodged inside me.

Their leisurely sense of time and loose sense of responsibility—this ‘as long as it looks fine, it is fine’ attitude—had a way of twisting even simple matters into knots.

A few ledger errors, a few paperwork mistakes, and they called it normal, then skimmed here and skimmed there—were they not always like that?

If I loosened my grip on tension for even a moment, they might make this reorganization an absolute mess.

“Tsk, tsk. You are still like this. Did I not tell you before?”

“What did you tell me?”

“That those above do not need to examine everything so meticulously. Meticulousness in a narrow field is a virtue for those below, not those above. You only need to grasp whether the larger mass and the greater direction are moving correctly.”

“Ahem. I know that, but… is that not the hardest part?”

“Tsk….”

At my excuse—an excuse, yet not—Magician Agpiel clicked his tongue.

“Stop worrying about that now, and pay attention to something else.”

“Yes? Something else? Has something happened again?”

“Happened? Do not tell me you forgot?”

“?”

Forgot?

What had I forgotten?

Reading my expression, Magician Agpiel went pale and shouted.

“Count Steffen! You did not truly forget him, did you? After you even put weapons into his hands?”

“Uh… pardon? What do you mean all of a sudden…?”

“Normally you are a clever fellow, but at times like this you become maddening.”

Magician Agpiel thumped his chest and complained.

“Did you not return weapons to Count Steffen and the nobles and knights under him?”

“Yes. I did. With the war already decided, and their ties to the Emperor essentially severed, would they point a sword at me just because they held weapons? I gave them back after thinking it through. But… why do you bring this up, Magician Agpiel?”

“…Do not tell me you still do not realize that this is the core of the problem?”

“Uh…. The fact that I gave them weapons?”

“Yes! You fool.”

“Ahahaha….”

At the irritable Magician Agpiel’s words, I rolled my eyes and forced an awkward laugh.

“Already, among Count Steffen and the nobles and knights under him, there is talk of joining your expedition.”

“What?!”

What kind of nonsense was that?

“You treated even the defeated with a noble’s honorable courtesy. If knights holding weapons then only loaf around and eat your food, what do you think they would believe?”

“Uh… that it is pathetic?”

“Yes! And that is why Count Steffen’s people are joining your campaign! And as you say, their connections to the Emperor have nearly snapped, so they must at least salvage their honor.”

“Good heavens….”

Only then did I understand what he meant.

“Even so, the people who were crossing blades with me until recently want to become my allies?”

“Is that not commonplace? Knights become idiots in the face of honor.”

To my incredulous reply, Magician Agpiel merely shrugged, indifferent.

Indeed, in the era of Pangea Universalise, it was nothing unusual.

In principle, nobles who became prisoners paid ransom and regained their freedom, but at times they bought their freedom by selling their martial strength.

In fact, it was cheaper—and from the standpoint of honor, far better.

A knight who displayed such outstanding prowess that even the enemy commander who captured him acknowledged it—

what better title was there to wash away the disgrace of being taken prisoner?

Of course, from my standpoint…

“This means things could become irreversible with the Emperor.”

“That is correct, Magician Agpiel.”

“But it may be for the best. Are you not already enemies in all but name? You and the Emperor have walked too long and too far to become friends again.”

“That is also true.”

From the Dwarf Canton Confederation to the Holy See, the War of Succession of the Kingdom of Aragon, and even the subjugation in southern Campania County—

when I thought about it, I had picked far too many fights with the Emperor over the years.

Taking in Count Steffen, who had been the Emperor’s right hand, for a while was not going to worsen a relationship that had no room left to worsen.

“Then I should take this chance to make Count Steffen firmly my ally.”

“Hm. That would be best. You need a fierce general like Count Steffen—someone who can command and fight in your stead. You go to the front too often. It worries me greatly.”

“C-cough. Do you think I wanted to be at the front? It is only that the situation was poor—”

“What do you mean, poor? To me, it looks as though you simply enjoy charging in.”

“What are you saying! I am a cautious man. My foremost goal is to keep this body of mine safe.”

“Good heavens…. Of course. Our pious Performer of Miracles.”

He spoke with biting sarcasm, but I did not care.

My mind was already full of the earlier issue—Count Steffen’s participation in the expeditionary force, and how I might coax him into becoming my feudal vassal.

Considering the aristocratic temperament I had witnessed in Count Steffen, he seemed difficult to win over…

“?”

But that worry was a completely needless fear.

“Your Excellency, Margrave of Bellua.”

“???”

Count Steffen arrived with his vassals and knights, bowed to me with a resolute expression, and addressed me with honorifics.

And then—

“I was deeply moved by the mercy Your Excellency showed me, a prisoner. Please allow me to repay that grace during this expedition. I will gladly follow your commands.”

He spoke in the utmost honorifics, declaring he would obey.

-Tiriring!

[You have moved Count Steffen. Count Steffen will, for the time being, treat you with the utmost respect as though you are his own lord. But take note. Many covet an exceptional great man. If you do not wish to lose Count Steffen, you must continue to win his heart.]

[You have temporarily recruited the 4-star general Count Steffen.]

[Notification: Fame increases by 10.]

[Notification: Prestige increases by 4.]