Master and Slaves

"She also said she wanted you to help her. Well, I was the one who asked for aid, though."

Come to think of it, Helene had said that too.

"Which means this place is in danger."

They had gone so far as to make me a criminal to send me here.

They must be quite pressed.

"Yes... About two weeks ago. Right around when Lord Hiroyuki left Torrestia, I should think. The Cardilia Kingdom Liberation Army was destroyed."

"The Cardilia Kingdom Liberation Army?"

"Yes. An army of nobles and knights from the old Cardilia Kingdom, with Lord Bernfried Kuhlenkamp at its head."

Bern... fried?

Who was that again?

"It is the army Lord Giacomo Lothar is with."

Ah, right.

Muriel whispered it in my ear from behind, and I remembered.

The army of former Cardilia Kingdom nobles we had parted from before crossing the elf forest, when we retook Torrestia, the royal capital of the Torrestia Kingdom.

I remembered Giacomo.

A large man, who swung a huge sword as if it were his own arm, and whose sword skill was sharp.

An open character, no front and no back, and even as a noble his eyes were kind when he looked at Dules.

I had a good impression of him too.

...Bernfried, I only half remembered.

But destroyed...

"The survivors..."

I was about to mutter that there were none, but Freit cut me off.

"They fled to a village near the border, I am told. Lord Bernfried fell in battle, so a former noble called Lord Giacomo is in command."

I see.

Not wiped out. Destroyed.

Giacomo’s name coming up let me breathe.

"Then it was in the battle for the royal capital after all?"

"No. The Torrestia Kingdom army that had been invading the Rern Kingdom, or rather, the former Torrestia Kingdom army now, turned on its heel and returned to the Cardilia Kingdom. Then they fought them on a plain far short of the royal capital, Cardil, and the liberation army fled."

A plain?

"...That former Torrestia Kingdom army, was it small?"

On open grassland with a clear view, a surprise attack was hard.

Tactics that used the lay of the land were hard to take too.

If so, the enemy was about the same number, or a disorderly mob.

But an army that had succeeded in occupying the Cardilia Kingdom and meant to attack the Rern Kingdom would not be a disorderly mob.

If so, one would normally think they had split troops from the army invading the Rern Kingdom, and so their numbers were few...

"No. I am told they were over two hundred thousand."

"Uh, the liberation army’s numbers were..."

"483."

"..."

Hearing the number Freit spoke, my mouth fell open.

With a gap like that, they could not win even if they fought head-on.

Even I, an amateur at war, could tell that much.

No. Maybe there were ways of fighting that only an amateur would not understand?

I turned and looked at Muriel, who had commanded soldiers before.

Muriel looked dumbfounded too, and when our eyes met she shook her head without a word.

Even Muriel could not make sense of it.

I confirmed that what I had thought was right, and turned my face back to Freit.

"If they had a strategic magician, I could still understand, but I am told it was only knights and infantry. Apparently they meant to break through with a knight charge alone. For that, they deliberately made the battlefield a plain easy for horses to run, with few obstacles. If you will forgive me, I am amazed they thought they could win that way."

Freit said what he thought, sharply.

"..."

That had been close...

If I had been fighting alongside people like that, what would have happened?

Well, when we retook the royal capital of Torrestia, we had been no less reckless...

"In that charge Lord Bernfried fell, and Lord Giacomo, who had been commanding the infantry, withdrew."

I see. That made sense.

"And that former Torrestia Kingdom army of over two hundred thousand is coming this way on that same momentum. Of course, a great army moves slowly, so we expect it will take another half month to arrive here."

And that was why they needed me.

"Um, may I?"

From behind, Muriel asked permission to speak.

"I don’t mind."

"I do not mind either."

I turned to Muriel and nodded, then looked at Freit to confirm, and Freit agreed as well.

"Thank you. I would like to ask two things. I heard from Lady Helene that the former Torrestia Kingdom army was about 350,000. What became of the remaining 150,000?"

Muriel bowed her head to Freit and me, and spoke one of the questions she must have been holding.

"Ah. Some died in battle, but most were killed, I am told."

"Killed?"

Hearing words I had not expected, I asked back before I could stop myself.

"Yes. Killed for the crime of plotting defection or rebellion."

"150,000 of them?"

"...No. Nearly all of the 350,000. Whether that is the truth, I do not know."

Hearing words Freit had not expected either, I was struck dumb again.

"What do you mean?"

"This is what I heard from Helene, but most were probably those who starved or died of illness, or if not, those without the strength to serve. Some were purged as well, I am told."

It was not what I had wanted to ask, but the content still surprised me.

Come to think of it, the people left in the royal capital of Torrestia had been full of those weakened by hunger and illness.

I had heard Helene say the population had fallen to a few tenths, or less.

"Then the 200,000 soldiers are... it can’t be!"

While I was sunk in thought alone, Muriel opened her mouth.

Then, as if something had occurred to her, she raised a voice of surprise.

"Ah, yes. It is an army made of monsters."

Freit answered Muriel.

Monsters, meaning intelligent creatures that lived in the demon realm, such as goblins and ogres.

Even so, they apparently did not have intellect on the level of humans.

"But the one leading that army is human... should be."

"Yes. Former nobles and former knights of the Torrestia Kingdom."

I lost confidence partway through and checked, and Freit nodded.

"And they can command monsters that well?"

Hearing that, I spoke the question that had come to me.

"If you will forgive me, I have commanded monsters. If one has an enchanted item that controls monsters, command is simple. Of course, one needs a reward the monsters will be pleased with."

Hearing my words, Muriel answered with a frown.

"Even with monsters, if you twist them down by force, you do not need an enchanted item."

Then Gejia, beside Muriel, corrected Muriel’s view.

"Gejia."

"Forgive me. But I thought my information might be of use."

When I scolded Gejia for speaking on her own, she apologized readily.

What Gejia said was true, but this was Lubeck, a city harsh on Dules.

Even if Gejia was unused to the human world, that was no excuse.

At the least, if I, her master, cautioned her, that was often enough to settle it.

"No. Gejia is right. Most likely there is an intelligent higher kind among them. Whether above or below the humans who should be leading them, I cannot say."

Freit allowed Gejia’s opinion, and agreed with it besides.

It must have shown on my face. Freit narrowed his eyes and smiled at me, who had been surprised.

"Fufu. I too have made one I love into a Dule. I am not as stubborn as Lord Hiroyuki thinks."

Freit said that and looked at Lotte, his A-Dule, and Laura, his To-Dule, standing by the wall.

I looked too. Freit’s Dules smiled, pleased, and bowed their heads.

"Of course, this city is harsh on Dules. Outside, I think it would be best to take care."

I nodded at Freit, who looked at me again and cautioned me.

"Well then, is that enough? Muriel."

"Um, one more. Was there no request for aid from Lord Bernfried?"

Muriel spoke her second question.

"Ah, there was. We were at our limit too, so we refused. Helene said she refused as well."