Price of Management

“Woundee, heal! ”

- Yeah!

Undine hurriedly empowers Baron Laurel with her healing powers. He was bleeding from a serious cut on his side and shoulders, but his wound healed and he stopped bleeding.

“Are you all right? Why don't you come down?" ”

I brought Baron Laurel down from the horse with Earth's Hand and laid him to the ground.

His complexion does not improve as Wounded continues to heal.

Baron Laurel opens her mouth.

“Your Honor……. ”

“Don't say it. Let's start with healing. Dammit, there's no healing potion at this rate! ”

“…… too late. There was too much... bleeding. ”

“Don't be so gentle. Just be patient. We can steal the Healing Potion from the Horn Empire bastards. ”

“Please… ask the soldiers…… Master…… big brother…… goodbye… honor…… happiness…. ”

“Baron Laurel! ”

Baron Laurel drops his head as he leaves a few words intermittently.

I stared at Baron Laurel for a while. The spirit senses tell me he's dead.

“Ugh... ”

“Baron Laurel.... ”

Almost 3,000 soldiers who barely survived gathered and wept bitterly.

I don't know much about Baron Laurel. So it wasn't that sad.

But when I saw the teary soldiers, I could see how good a man he was. So I'm sorry. Damn it.

In doing so, Duke Meutt's battle returned to the victory of the Horn Empire as planned. However, Duke Meutt lasted long enough to achieve his strategic goals, and both sides could see that he had achieved his goals.

And apart from my depressed mood, my mission to save Duke Meutt was a success. It is because Duke Meutt has escaped safely, and his disciples have saved many lives. Moreover, Duke Meutt's army, which had originally been wiped out, survived over 6,000 people.

Perhaps if I returned to King Erik, I would be honored.

But I felt really dirty.

* * *

The battle in the Baden River Basin was like no other region.

The four families gathered around Earl Jason Ranzhel were thoroughly prepared for war based on the vast wealth they had accumulated over the years. You've recruited excellent UAVs, hired mercenaries in bulk, and stockpiled plenty of munitions.

Maybe that's why.

On the part of the Horn Empire, Earl Kaison and Duke Romfel have marched into the Baden River and attacked, but the gates were consistent as unshakeable defenses.

It had been more than a month since the state of confrontation, but the tension of the battle did not tilt either way.

They had no particular target points, so they had to be consistent as a defensive strategy that didn't give each other any gaps.

After a long struggle, supplies become more important to the Horn Empire than battles.

“I've never seen such a boring war in 50 years. ”

Duke Rompel didn't seem very eager to fight.

“It's not a war to be funny. ”

Duke Caisson has his tongue on his back.

“As a lifelong soldier, I feel that as I fight the battlefield, the patterns of war seem increasingly complex over time. In my day, soldiers' deception and the bravery of their commanders were of the utmost importance, but these days it's money. Without money, no matter how many elite Masters come, we can't win. ”

“It's like the difference between our Horn Empire and the Kingdom of Leaden. We are economically desperate, so we can't fight long, so we're aggressive and tempo fast, but the Kingdom of Leaden is more defensive than the attack. ”

“Indeed. The more you have, the more defensive you become to protect what you have. I have a point."

“Anyway, what's important now is supplies. Allies are currently not getting a good supply. ”

“What's wrong with that? ”

“We have a lot of friendly troops, so we need a lot of supplies. We have to keep moving that much from the mainland to here, so we have a setback. ”

“Should we increase the number of supply troops? ”

“We need more cargo ships to transport munitions to the Baden River. We need more wagons than we do right now. ”

If the supply continues to be disrupted, it could lead to unrest and retreat. The opposing faction waits for it and counteracts the defensive side.

“That's a lot of money to put around their necks. ”

Duke Romfel said, "What are you thinking about?" The "wealthy" he spoke of were Earl Lindell and Earl Antares.

“Your Majesty, would you do that for me? ”

Earl Kaison gives you a glimpse of his fortune.

Duke Romfel stares at the late Kaisson and is stunned.

“Why? Can't you? ”

“Wouldn't it be more effective for the Grand Duke to put pressure on you than on me? ”

If Duke Rompel, called the 110-year-old monster, threatens to get more money, who's to say no?

“Stealing shallow tricks and bats isn't that hard. ”

“Then I'll ask you a favor. ”

“But it's not, literally, difficult, so I leave it to you, Lord Kaison. ”

“Yes?”

“You can't trust an old man who's dying to be active. ”

The expression that everyone is dying makes no sense to the late Kaisson. I think Duke Rompel will outlive himself.

Duke Romfel said in a daze.

“If you want to stop hearing about the lightning bolt in the king's eyes, why don't you show the two bats some cowardice? ”

“Ahh... ”

The blatant words of Duke Romfel make Lord Kaison sigh. He was a tired old man in a different way from King Kars.

Marquis van kaison.

Along with the Marquis of Juden, Marquis of Halstein and Marquis of Great Gen, there were four key side apartments called the Emperor's men. However, it was the late Kaisson who was the least of the four.

The Marquis of Jurden put an end to a struggle to die on the orders of the Emperor during the suppression of the nomadic rebellion. The Grand Duke of Halstein was a guardian who followed the Emperor like a shadow. The Grand Marquis is the valiant leader of the Black Cross and an unmanned man.

Compared to them, the late Kaison was just a fortunate man who was accidentally chosen and sided with them.

…… was the general view of a politician who did not know the situation well.

In fact, the late Kaison was recognized by the emperor for his meticulous management of his troops with impeccable military administrative ability. Because he thought he could rule the great army, Emperor Kars appointed him as one of the five army commanders to lead the conquest of the Kingdom of Leaden.

However, it was the late Kaisson who did not play a particularly prominent role, so I had to listen to the false noises such as the ‘Thunderbolt Man’.

“Grand Duke. ”

“Why?”

“Did you know that my burden was doubled when the Grand Duke handed me over to command his own army? ”

“I told you, the war wasn't this complicated in my day. I left it to you because I thought you were the right one. Don't worry, I'll show you when you're bleeding to death. ”

Leaving the command of your own troops to others? That would be unreasonable unless you were wounded or sick.

However, Duke Romfel was a man who ignored such common sense, and no one could blame anyone for acting like this. He was the only one who could stop talking without hesitation in front of the emperor Kars.

The late Kaisson accepted Duke Romfel as a man of the impossible to judge as commonsense like Emperor Kars and listened as he wished.

“Very well. I'll take care of it." ”

The late Kaisson has decided to step forward himself.

"I can't do it. ’

I sighed.

There was much work to be done in leading the two armies, so there was no time to wage war with the two Earls. But when he said he hated Duke Rompel, he had no choice but to go out on his own.

* * *