Postwar Cleanup

“Is the reason you’re using summoned soldiers to run experiments in this village also part of the specialty-harvest experiment, Lord Fels?”

“To say it is would be true, and to say it isn’t would also be true. I did hope we could harvest specialty goods by using many different kinds of seeds, but more than that, I wanted to see if we could make use of summoned soldiers for things other than war.”

I answered Lynferia’s question.

“Summoned soldiers are dependable in war, but outside of that, aren’t they basically only as useful as scarecrows?”

“So you mean it isn’t enough for them to only fight?”

“That’s right. Since we have an inexpensive way to increase manpower, it’s only natural to look for ways to make use of it.”

“And the result of that search was~ the field you made on the edge of the village~”

“Mm. Though ‘field’ is an exaggeration—I only had them turn the soil. Flip the earth, remove the stones. That’s all I made them do, but summoned soldiers don’t tire, and they’re well-suited to repeating the same task endlessly. Well, I won’t know the results until we go check, but… I told them to report immediately if it failed, so it probably went fine.”

At my words, Ilmitt nodded happily.

From Ilmitt’s perspective as the one overseeing internal affairs, thinking about effective resource use was probably something she found genuinely pleasing.

It cost one mana stone per summoned soldier… If that summoned soldier helped produce specialty goods, we’d completely recoup the cost. Back in the game, even if a summoned unit wasn’t worn down in war, it disappeared on the next turn anyway.

“But… are those who can only fight… unacceptable?”

In stark contrast to Ilmitt’s cheerful smile, Lynferia asked with a serious—no, stiff—expression.

Understanding what she meant from that look, I shook my head.

“Lynferia, don’t misunderstand. I’m talking about summoned soldiers. Their operational range is narrow, and they’re inconvenient. What we need right now is manpower. But you—you can act of your own will for me and for Einheria, can’t you? That’s entirely different from summoned soldiers. Summoned soldiers can’t do detailed work unless you give them constant instructions, and they have no means of conveying intent.”

“…”

“Kiriku, Ilmitt, Ururu, and Otonoha—because of their abilities, I have them do work only they can do. But Lynferia… you, as my Royal Guard, possess strength specialized in protection beyond anyone else. That’s why I send you as my guard to whichever place I deem most important at that moment.”

“I apologize! Despite being Captain of the Royal Guard, to utter such words—”

Cutting off Lynferia, I raised a palm toward her.

“Lynferia, the knight I trust most. You are Einheria’s shield. No matter who the opponent is, they cannot break you. So long as your will does not falter, not a single blade will reach those behind you. The one and supreme shield—Lynferia. I need you.”

With that, I smiled at Lynferia.

Lynferia’s post was Captain of the Royal Guard. It was a position that applied defensive buffs to the entire allied army… though strictly speaking, the exact defensive buffs varied depending on the character’s capabilities.

Sword and Legions favored offense over defense, but it was no exaggeration to say the game’s difficulty changed dramatically depending on the quality of the character you appointed as Captain of the Royal Guard.

Or rather, the buffs from the Captain of the Royal Guard were so strong that once you added elemental resistances to each individual, defense was basically covered.

Growing individual defensive stats was just a waste of development resources.

As I thought that and looked at Lynferia, she wore a slightly dazed expression—then, in the next instant, her face turned bright red and she lowered her gaze.

Did I say something weird…? Harassment? Was that harassment!?

“Oh my~ Lynferia is loved~, isn’t she~”

Still smiling, Ilmitt spoke—yet with an air that somehow carried a faint sting.

So it was harassment!? Was the Overlord getting sued!?

No, wait—what did “loved” even mean? Harassment-y toward someone you like? Even elementary schoolers get disliked for that. Adults just get sued. So that was why Ilmitt sounded a little chilly!?

Should I just apologize? Say I’m sorry?

But if she replied, “What exactly are you apologizing for?” that would be even worse. Maybe there was a problematic remark, but I didn’t really understand what part was bad.

To break this subtly awkward situation, I spun my “Overlord brain” at full speed.

Alright—what do I do? How do I do it? How do I cover up the harassment incident? An Overlord-style speech? No, that would probably earn me flat looks like, “What are you even saying now…?”

In that case… yes. Third-party intervention. That’s the only way.

Who could smash this atmosphere to pieces…? Right—Jōsen! If he burst the door open with something like, “My lord! I kept you waiting, de gozaru!” then this whole mood would blow away!

Come on, Jōsen! Now’s the time to show the sharpness of your sword! Come, Sword Saint!

My wish went unanswered. The meeting hall door showed no sign of opening.

Also, you shouldn’t cover up harassment incidents.

Viewpoint: Karmos-Fivro-Yōntsu (Former Lumoria Kingdom, Lord of Yōntsu Territory)

Together with Harris, I was led by Sir Jōsen and Lady Ururu to where our captured soldiers were being held.

The number of prisoners confined in this so-called temporary holding facility was a little over fourteen hundred… I was told that every soldier except the thirty-two dead had been taken prisoner.

It was a terrifying thought.

Even if we had been in a dense formation, we were a group of fifteen hundred. Those positioned near the edge should, under those conditions, have scattered and fled like spiders. To capture all of them without letting even a single soldier escape… just how vast a difference in power would make that possible?

And yet the soldiers did not seem badly injured.

After the war… and despite being the defeated army’s troops, their condition could only be described as remarkably healthy.

“We have received strict orders from our lord! The prisoners are given two meals a day without excess or lack, and any who complain of poor health receive an examination and treatment via healing magic.”

“To treat prisoners with such care… you have my gratitude.”

“Hahaha! This, too, was all decided by our lord! We merely follow!”

Sir Jōsen laughed proudly. Though he was a man who had sworn loyalty to His Majesty, he was extremely good-natured and went out of his way to show consideration to me, the defeated commander.

Even though I had surrendered early and submitted to their rule, I assumed I would not be accepted so readily. Yet not only Sir Jōsen—His Majesty’s vassals, contrary to my expectations, accepted us.

Of course, I did not believe there was no ulterior motive at all. Sir Jōsen had apparently been appointed as my guard by His Majesty himself; it was easy to imagine that “guard” also meant “watcher.”

And yet it did not feel suffocating in the slightest—perhaps because of Sir Jōsen’s character… or perhaps because of the very air of the nation called Einheria…

As I walked thinking such things, Sir Jōsen stopped in front of a building.

“About thirty representatives of the prisoners have been gathered here. We would like you to explain the current situation and what you, Lord Karmos, intend to do, and ask them to think about what they themselves want going forward. The commander class has been taken to the castle, so those here are squad leaders and men who kept their groups together… but they are all your subordinates, Lord Karmos. As for explaining things to the reinforcements from the neighboring territory… that will need a bit more time, I suppose.”

“Yes… Viscount Assen has still not spoken?”

“He seems to be refusing. If we had a little more time, we would have liked to have him meet with you, Lord Karmos, but…”

“I believe the decision to resolve the territory capital issue first is not mistaken. And Viscount Assen, for all appearances, is fairly flexible. Once he’s in a mental state where discussion is possible, things may proceed surprisingly smoothly.”

“Understood. I will tell our lord as much. Then, Lord Karmos, Sir Harris—please, if you would.”

With that, Sir Jōsen opened the door.

Inside, just as he had said, around thirty people sat in chairs, waiting for us.

When they saw Harris and me enter, they all wore expressions that looked, uniformly, like relief.

I recognized a few faces, but unfortunately I could not recall names. A company commander is one thing, but when it comes down to squad leaders, my direct involvement is minimal—it is difficult to remember them. Perhaps Harris, beside me, knew them… but—

Drawing their attention, I sat in a chair prepared at the back of the room. At the same time, Harris spoke to them.

“First, I offer thanks to all of you who took up your swords for Yōntsu and fought at the risk of your lives. My name is Harris. I am a squire-knight serving Lord Karmos, the former lord of Yōntsu Territory, who is seated here.”

At Harris’s words—former lord of Yōntsu Territory—those in the room murmured.

Without trying to suppress the murmurs, Harris simply watched them for a while, wearing his usual gentle smile.

Eventually, like the tide receding, the murmurs faded. When Harris confirmed their attention had returned, he spoke again.

“As you know, we were defeated in this war. And Lord Karmos has decided to submit to Einheria.”

“…”

“The King of Einheria is magnanimous. Not one prisoner soldier, nor any of your superiors who are not here, has been treated poorly. You likely know the soldiers’ treatment better than I do—how is it?”

When Harris addressed the man seated in the front row, the man showed slight panic, but admitted that, as Harris said, they had received respectful treatment.

“As you have all witnessed, the strength of Einheria’s forces is not ordinary. And the depth of their generosity can be seen in how they treat even us—the enemy army they faced—so carefully. Therefore, Lord Karmos decided to cede this land to Einheria.”

“…”

“Of course, I understand your anxieties. Whether you can continue living as before after leaving Lumoria’s protection. However, the King of Einheria… no, His Majesty promised us: that under the name of Einheria, he would protect all people equally from all lamentations.”

At the words Harris conveyed from His Majesty, a murmur arose again—smaller than before, but present.

Such grand claims… It was only natural they would think so.

It was easy to say “all lamentations,” but reality was not so simple.

Einheria’s army was elite; there was no doubt they could protect us from external threats. But the lamentations of the people were not limited to external enemies.

Poverty, hunger, disease, injury… the list was endless. No matter how great a hero His Majesty might be, it was impossible to completely erase them.

And yet… with His Majesty, perhaps… perhaps it was possible to bring those countless lamentations close to zero… Einheria, and His Majesty, carried an atmosphere that made one believe such things.

…Though the location of Einheria Castle itself might become the single greatest cause of lamentation… I would not mention that to the people. It was my most immediate fear, but it seemed countermeasures were being considered. Even now, after learning of the Ground Dragon, His Majesty and his people remained calm and composed.

“It is only natural you cannot believe such things when told so suddenly. Lord Karmos and I touched His Majesty’s intent, and chose to work under him.”

“…”

“However, you are different. You are people of Yōntsu Territory—and soldiers. His Majesty says he will respect your free will.”

“…Sir Harris, please allow a question. What do you mean by ‘free will’?”

They all looked confused, but the man who had spoken earlier about their treatment asked on behalf of the rest.

“It means you may do as you wish. Before long, you will be released from here, and after that—moving to another territory is fine, returning to your homeland where your families wait is fine, becoming Lumoria’s soldiers again and facing Einheria’s army once more is fine… though personally, I never want to do that again.”

When Harris said that with a joking air, the soldiers gave wry smiles as if to say, “Indeed.”

“And you may also choose to work as soldiers for Einheria—those words, too, have been granted. Whatever you choose is your freedom. But if you wish to become people of Einheria… His Majesty says that with the power of Einheria, he will protect your future.”

“…”

“Please convey these words to your comrades who are not here today. In a few days, we will confirm each person’s will, so please think seriously about what you want to do. One last thing—about the troops of Assen Territory: they are brave men who took up their swords for us, for Yōntsu Territory, but Viscount Assen is refusing dialogue with Einheria, and we have not yet been able to proceed with discussions about their future. His Majesty wishes the same treatment for Assen’s soldiers as for us, but please do not yet tell them what you heard here today. It could cause unnecessary confusion.”

““Yes!””

After Harris finished explaining, I stood and spoke.

“To all of you: I am grateful that you took up arms and worked, wagering your lives, for Yōntsu Territory until today. For your families, for your friends, for yourselves, for the nation… your reasons for taking up the sword were many, but because you were there, Yōntsu Territory was able to enjoy peace. I do not know what path each of you will choose from here, but I look forward to the day we may meet again.”

““Yes!””

After offering those final words as the one who had employed them, I left the building.

When I returned to the territory capital, I would need to prepare both rewards and condolence payments for this war… but this had originally been a defensive battle. The funds to pay had already been set aside, so it should pose no issue.

With fewer dead than expected, the total amount would likely be lower… but perhaps it would be good to pay a little extra. It would be the last thing Yōntsu Territory could do for them. A bit of largesse would not be a problem.

After all, the operating funds from now on would be replaced by those of Einheria.

As I walked thinking that, Sir Jōsen beside me spoke.

“They were splendid warriors, were they not?”

“Compared to you, Sir Jōsen, they possess no great strength—but they are soldiers I am proud of.”

“Strength itself bears little meaning. To take up the sword and burn one’s life for the people, for the nation, for one’s lord… that resolve is what makes a warrior a warrior.”

“If they knew someone of your stature said so, Sir Jōsen, they would be pleased.”

When I said that, Sir Jōsen laughed with a bright, open smile.