Organizing The Intelligence — Squire-Knight Side

View of Harris — Lumoria Kingdom, Yōntsu Territory, Private Knight Order, Company Commander

“Was it really fine to withdraw without even trading a single blow?”

Lumbart-dono, riding beside me, asked with a hint of dissatisfaction.

Well, it was only natural for a young, earnest man like Lumbart-dono to feel that way…

“Yes. That was the best course.”

“The best… course, you say?”

“Right now, reporting this takes absolute priority above all else. I believe the difference in strength between us was at least double. We were caught in a sudden encounter, couldn’t properly form up, and there were no defensive works at all—if we had collided with an enemy twice our number, we wouldn’t have gotten off lightly. We saw no one on horseback among the enemy troops, so our cavalry likely could have escaped, but even so, the casualties would have been considerable.”

My explanation seemed to settle Lumbart-dono’s emotions somewhat… but in a situation like this, saying “don’t be confused” would be the harder demand.

“Lumbart-dono, you’re likely still bewildered by how sudden this was. To be honest, I’m still sorting it out myself—so let’s confirm things one by one, together.”

“Y-yes. Thank you.”

Lumbart-dono straightened his back as he thanked me, but as I said, I hadn’t fully comprehended it either. As one grows older, one becomes skilled at least at keeping up appearances.

In times like these, speaking with someone helps you process events as information and notice what you may have overlooked.

“First… do you recognize the name Fels, or the nation called Einheria?”

“No, I’ve never heard them. Perhaps it’s simply one of the small states scattered across the southern lands?”

“Hm… that seems plausible, but for now, let’s avoid mixing in speculation. We should prioritize confirming what we know as fact.”

“Yes! My apologies.”

Yes… I had a feeling that if we didn’t organize this information and report it upward quickly, it might become irreparable…

Of course, we’d already sent a messenger, but that was only the first report… a detailed explanation was necessary.

“Let us refer to them as the Einheria army. Even by a conservative estimate, there were no fewer than five hundred at that scene. Against that, we had two hundred… We are not strong enough to clash with a force more than twice our size.”

“…Yes.”

“Over five hundred armed troops were discovered inside our territory. That must be reported immediately. Even if the target had been goblins as planned, once you confirm a number like five hundred, you do not simply fight on the spot.”

“…But even if we report it, will anyone believe us? That a foreign army suddenly appeared within our territory… If we were near the border, perhaps, but Yōntsu Territory lies near the center of the Lumoria Kingdom… The border is beyond several other territories, isn’t it?”

“That is true. Framing it as a large bandit host would sound more realistic… but we can only report what we saw. The Einheria army… they looked like highly trained soldiers to me. What do you think?”

“Yes. I believe your assessment is correct. During your exchange with the enemy commander, not one soldier showed emotion—yet when the nation’s name was spoken, their movement was flawless. Even the royal ceremonial guard in the capital might not manage that.”

Yes… when those soldiers offered their swords to their nation’s name, I found myself entranced by the refined beauty of it. I remembered being moved by the royal guard’s drill during ceremonies, but frankly, the Einheria army’s precision surpassed that.

“I wonder what position those troops hold within the Einheria army… but if they were ordinary soldiers, my spirit would break.”

“Surely that cannot be… That kind of movement is not something common soldiers can achieve. I would think they were composed at minimum of squire-knights or higher. Even so… assembling that many squire-knights or above feels unreasonable.”

To gather more than five hundred squire-knights or above… a great power could do it, but if so, the name Einheria would not be unknown.

The training level we witnessed did not match the nation’s obscurity.

“…Yes. Forgive me. Overestimating isn’t necessary right now either. And then… that commander named Lynferia—she appeared to be a formidable warrior.”

“Yes. Her posture never revealed an opening, and that killing intent she showed once… honestly, I was impressed you endured it without drawing your sword.”

“Hahaha. I only shook so badly I couldn’t even reach for my blade. To be frank, I believed I was about to die.”

I pressed a little to read her emotions… and regretted it instantly. That level of killing intent… how many in our kingdom could fight her properly? As for me, I would very much like to abstain.

“Even someone of your experience, Harris-dono?”

“I’m nothing more than an old soldier. But… looking back on my campaigns, I can scarcely recall another opponent who emitted killing intent as intense as hers.”

“So she is that dangerous…”

“And at that age, no less. Still… it is strange that someone so extraordinary has no information attached to her. A young woman knight with killing intent like that—moreover, she was very beautiful. Judging by her composure, it’s not as though she has never seen battle. With the name Lynferia, shouldn’t she be the subject of rumors?”

“I’ve never heard the name either. But if we’ve never even heard the nation Einheria, isn’t that only natural?”

We had circled back to the same conclusion again… though at least it made our report easier to submit.

“Einheria, Fels, Lynferia. Those names should be investigated with top priority. This may not be something Yōntsu Territory can resolve alone… The capital might have information.”

“I see… Ah, speaking of the Einheria army, there was something else that caught my attention.”

“What was it?”

“Among the troops standing behind them, there was a man in black armor—only one—who did not offer his sword and did not move at all. If I’m not mistaken, the soldiers behind were positioned not to protect Lynferia, but to protect that man.”

Hm… from my position, he was hidden in her shadow, but I do remember a man in striking armor when we approached on horseback.

But positioned to protect him…

“Let’s include the armored man in the report as well. It is likely he was Fels himself—or someone above Lynferia—but that is only conjecture. I did leave several men to observe that village… I can only hope they obtain something.”

“The scouts we brought to locate the goblin settlement, yes? They should return with new information.”

“…Yes. I also have subordinates stationed in the nearest town. It would help greatly if they gathered information well. The courier sent to the territorial capital should arrive by tomorrow morning, and we too must return as swiftly as we can.”

“Because if it’s only the courier’s explanation, they might think we’ve lost our minds.”

Lumbart-dono laughed as he shrugged, seeming much calmer now.

And he was right. If I heard this from a courier, I would ask two or three times—and even then, I would only tilt my head in disbelief.

“Can Yōntsu Territory’s forces handle this alone?”

“It may be difficult. If the five hundred we encountered were all they have, we might manage… but if that was only half their total strength, it would be grim.”

“…Going back to what we said earlier—can such numbers truly appear in Yōntsu Territory unnoticed…?”

“…Even five hundred is already beyond belief. Even if they had a detachment elsewhere, it would not be surprising.”

“… ”

At my words, Lumbart-dono’s smile vanished and he fell into thought again. It was dangerous to fear the enemy too much, and equally dangerous to underestimate them… Still, I never imagined we would march to exterminate goblins only to encounter an army from a nation we’d never even heard of.

I could only hope the upper echelons already grasped something… If so, an extermination army might already be forming… but that was nothing more than wishful thinking.