I followed Rouchell to a facility in the Kingdom of Rhodelia.
When we arrived, the facility was in a state of devastation and Rouchell's body could not be identified.
And Lorna and I kept looking for Rouchell.
Six months ago, I discovered its location and broke into a certain fort.
That's where I finally discovered Rouchell's ruinous form.
I couldn't save her, and I ruined her life with my own hands.
After interrogating the enemies, it turns out that the culprit who trampled on Rouchell's life was General Jeriah of Rhodelia.
It took me six months to avenge Luchel.
When Aldis finished speaking, Grace threw her anger into her body and threw it away.
"That bitch..." How far are we going to go...! "
"And Marty..."
Just the tone was polite, but Elion snorted with a definite rage in her cold expression.
"... if I knew this would happen, I should have buried them all then."
"Sister Lu..."
Next to Aldis, Reina and Kyou were reddening their eyes while calling Lucille's name.
Maybe they shouldn't have heard about it yet.
With a little bit of regret pushed deeper into her heart, Aldis brings her consciousness in a different direction.
There are only three avengers left.
But there weren't enough fangs in Aldis to reach the three of them.
"There are three left." That madwoman, Marty and her fellow man. But none of us can reach it easily. "
Geria, a stronghold of the Rhodelia Royal Army, is, of course, always in a fortified castle, along with Marty, who reports directly to her.
It looks like we already have our target, and Marty and the others are avoiding acting alone when they leave the castle.
"Then come back."
The words are short and Grace tells her.
"I'm not going to involve the regiment in my revenge now."
"No, she's definitely an unforgivable opponent to us anyway." It's not like we've been doing anything. "
"The Commander is right."
Elion continues.
"We've also been keeping an eye on the trends of the general." I'm not the right person to fight and win. "
The Wisteria Mercenaries have never had a peaceful day since Aldis left.
Of course, being a mercenary regiment meant that I had to fight every day, and at the same time recover my reduced strength.
She was still searching for revenge against General Jeriah.
“We were able to finally get to the realistic plan by continuing to take root in other mercenary groups and countries where the Rhodelia Kingdom stood. The battle is in two months. I don't want to think it's just a coincidence that I met Aldis at this time.”
"... let me tell you more about it."
It was only natural that Aldis should return the answer.
After leaving the inn, Aldis meets Lorna, who was waiting outside, and leaves the city, heading to where the Wisteria Mercenaries are camped.
"Oh, that's Aldis!" Is Rona with you! "
"Hey, Derwat."
"Aldis!?... Seriously, Aldis!" Haha, you totally turned into the face you were just a minute ago! "
"You're as good as ever, Joan."
"Good to see you back, boy..."
"Stop it, little boy, Lexie. As expected, I'm not old anymore."
Grace was followed by a group of familiar mercenaries who called out to Aldis as he appeared in the camp.
"If you want to show your face for now, come to me." Please guide me, Elion. "
"Yeah, I'll be right there."
Got it.
The date of the moon, which is nearly five years old, is never short.
While returning the words to his friends who were a little more penetrating than the last time they broke up, Ardis is just wrapped in pure "return" and warm emotions.
I realized that this was my home, but at the same time I looked around and I was hurt by the small number of faces I knew.
Unleashed from his old friends who rejoice, Aldis is guided by Elion to Grace's personal tent.
The number of people is the same as before.
When Aldis in the tent was able to calm down, Grace spoke of the current situation.
"When Aldis was there, half the members were... no, about a third." Of course, there are a lot of new Americans who don't know your face. "
"Well... I guess it'll be like that in five years."
Aldis smiles bitterly.
So, I'd like to ask you about the plan?
"Well, don't be so hasty." Viktor immediately-- "
The entrance to the tent opened as Grace tried to answer Aldis.
I'm sorry to keep you waiting, right?
It was the tall man with the wheat hair that showed up.
A strangely elegant look, which does not resemble the noisy way of life of a mercenary, looks at Aldis softly and loosens.
It's been a long time, Aldis, and Rona.
"Viktor... that's right."
As Viktor sat in his free space, Elion switched places and went out.
Well then, let me explain that Viktor is here too.
Is everyone else okay?
"They all know what they used to do. I don't have to explain it now."
Answering Lorna's question, Grace starts talking about the situation.
You know Aldis, right?
That's right. Are you sure it was about a thousand stationed troops?
Yeah, that's the story.
Rona answers Aldis' question, which is not for everyone.
"As expected, did you know that much?" Then it goes without saying, but you also know that there is no way that a mercenary group can be used against a thousand opponents in the castle. "
Aldis agrees with Grace's question, and Viktor takes over the explanation from the side.
"In that case, I'd like to say that on the battlefield, but the general's status is getting higher in the kingdom year after year." As in the past, small-scale battles no longer make their way to the front line. If it's a battle on a thousand people scale, it doesn't have to be the battle itself. That said, when it comes to large-scale battles, it becomes difficult to assault the main unit with the gap that we've been through before. ”
"That's why I haven't been able to do anything so far." Unfortunately, as time goes by, she goes out of reach. "
Aldis only nods silently without interrupting.
I've had a lot of trouble bringing this operation into shape.
It was mainly me and Elion that struggled, though.
After Viktor's relentless rampage, Grace jammed her words for a moment, then continued as if nothing had happened.
"There's a big fight in two months. The Four Nations are going to beat the rhodelia together."
It was once the five countries that had a hand against the Kingdom of Rhodelia, but now it has been reduced to a union of four countries because one of the constituent countries has been involved in a civil war over succession.
For the past five years, there has only been a skirmish between Rhodelia and the Four Nations.
But this time, the Four Nations seem to be planning a very large expedition.
"You think I'm going to take part in that battle?"
"No, I won't participate. But I'll use it."
"If the Four Nations alliance were to deploy with their backs up, the strength would exceed 10,000." If that happens, that general will of course be leading the army himself. There is no other human resource in the Rhodelia to lead 10,000 units of generals. "
In doing so, Viktor widens the simplified map to point to the capital of the kingdom of Rhodelia.
"I think that when an army of that size is formed in the capital, the general will take over the command on the way to the front." Kamigami is a place where soldiers gather in the castle of the general, but there will not be enough martial arts officers and civil servants to handle it if it is not the capital of the king. "
"Isn't it possible that that woman will return to the capital and lead the army from the beginning?"
"Well, if you're going to move with a small number of guards, I might be able to fulfill your wishes." Rather, it's easier and better that way. "
"The commander is right. In that case, we can take out the general who will travel with a small number of guards. But that's unlikely. I don't think the Kingdom will summon that general to the Royal Capital with just a few guards. It has a different status and position than in the past. That said, since it's wartime, it's too late to pull a large number of troops from the castle near the frontline to fall backwards to escort them back to the capital. In the first place, there's no way you can show such a gap to someone you're fighting."
"Is that so..."
So, what do we do?
On the day that the main unit from the capital arrives at the general's castle, we will conduct a recreational operation about half a day from the castle.
While saying so, Viktor points to a point on the map.
“It's a scenario where a part of the Wisteria Mercenary Corps and an army of lords ruling the land turn a flag against the town of Rhodelia.”
"Are you saying the Lord of Rhodelia will help you?" I don't think there's such a convenient story. "
"No, you're not, Aldis. They are not helping us. We will help them with their campaign. At least in their perception."
"... is that so?"
What do you mean?
Lorna leaned her neck and Aldis made a guess of her own.
"It must have inspired the dissatisfied elements of Rhodelia to worry about it. The Wisteria Mercenaries are using it to make it look like they're helping out by providing enough power to defeat the oppressors."
"That's pretty much right. It looks like Aldis can think of something too. Of course, the coalition of the four countries is pulling the thread behind the campaign, but it seems that it has been used. The lord is planning to call up the army when the battle begins on the front line, but I'm sorry to inform you that I will be able to speed up the call for a few days. It's more accurate to say that we have to create a situation sooner rather than later.”
"Wow, that's vicious."
It's a compliment for doing a conspiracy.
Viktor returned with a plain face to Lorna in a teasing tone.
"Ignoring our intentions, we will expose the rally to daylight, but of course Rhodelia will have to send soldiers to deal with it. You can't leave the anxiety element in front of a big battle. Given the size of the surrounding area, there is no doubt that the suppression force will be sent from the General's castle first. We can't extract troops from other places without showing them to the Allied forces.”
That's how it's supposed to be when we burst into the castle after the women's men left.
Grace adds at the end.
But Aldis's expression remained cloudy.
"I don't think it's going to work that well..."
"You're going to launch an attack on the castle before the main unit arrives from the capital?" But on the other hand, it would be a bad idea to dilute the protection of the castle, and I wonder if we'll put off the suppression until the main unit arrives? "
"It can't be that way." In the case of the Rhodelia forces, we would definitely want to avoid holding the rebels in our hands when confronted by the Four Allies. If you delay in dealing with it, you will be delayed in appeasing it. The more we struggle, the more the enemy will march, and the worse it will be, the more we can crack down on the rebellion and fight the Four-Nation Alliance. The Rhodelia, which was originally on the recipient's side, was one hand behind the other. Moreover, if we take the trouble to quell it, the situation will get worse. I would like to quell the rebellion as soon as I can from the standpoint of the Rodería forces, but the forces that can be spawned for this purpose will fall into a dilemma. That's where timing comes in. ”
Timing?
“Yes, what if we received a report of a mutiny on the day the main unit would have arrived at the castle?”
"... if the main unit arrives soon, I might think that even if we dedicate the strength of the castle to suppression, the time for defense will be minimal."
"It will take half a day to prepare to launch the crackdown force. In some cases, it may be odd to assume that the main unit will arrive while you are preparing. And once you start moving, it's easier for people to move as planned. If you can lure out the castle soldiers with minimal empty strength, and at the same time use a separate squad to stop the main unit somewhat....."
"There is room to break into the empty time that has been created."
Aldis pinched his chin with his finger.
As far as I can tell, Rhodelia's main force ― Where is the force that holds back ten thousand units of troops?
"You don't have to fight for anything." For some reason the streets were littered with boulders and rubble, for some reason it was not raining, but some of them were muddy, for some reason travelers who asked for help often appeared, and for some reason beasts that you would not normally see attacked... If such a little trouble happens to overlap, each one will accumulate more and more even with a small time loss. Especially in the case of a large army, stopping and starting to move forward can be difficult. ”
As Viktor dumbfounded with a smile, Rona paraphrased it in a different way.
So instead of fighting, you're harassing me and stopping me?
"That's what I'm talking about."
"I see..."
"I don't think it's going to be a success, but don't you think it's not bad? I estimate that there is a 60% chance of success."
Ardis also thought it was unlikely that he would succeed.
Viktor is right. The hard part is when the news of the rebellion gets to the castle.
“What if Rhodelia puts the crackdown behind her? After the arrival of the main unit, we decided to send a suppression force, prepared to be disadvantaged in the battle against the Four Nations."
“Then let's give up and wait for the next opportunity. It's best to contact your recruited lords and retreat them secretly.”
"And there's one more thing that bothers me."
What is it?
"... is there nothing like before?" Um... like when I went to conquer a research facility. "
A request for the suppression of a research facility contracted by the Union of the Five Countries at the time.
It's an unforgettable and bitter past for Ardis to open the lid and see that it was a plot to trap the Wisteria Mercenaries.
Unsuspectingly, the Ardis, caught in the trap of General Jeriah, were devastated by the loss of more than half of the regiment.
That's why the Wisteria Mercenaries turned into a group that wanted to take revenge on Jerry.
"If our plot had gone to Rhodelia's side like that..."
It was only natural to think that way.
"Don't worry. At that time, the Union was dancing, but this time the Wisteria Mercenary Corps is operating alone, so there should be no other plan." Certainly, the operation itself will be a form of camouflage for the conspiracy of the Four Nations. However, we are not in direct contact with them to establish a joint front. We're trying to keep a lot of people in between, gathering information, getting involved. ”
Apparently, the anxiety material was already taken care of.
"Well, I'm relieved to hear that."
Now that the most serious concerns have been dispelled, this is a unique opportunity for Aldis to capture General Jería in time.
Well, how about that? I don't mean to force you, but would you like to bite a piece of that girl too?
Already, Aldis's conclusion had been decided without Grace asking.
"Yeah, of course, but I'd be forced to join you if you told me not to."