The One Who Devised The Plan…

View of Harukurea-El-Moris-Lumoria, 17th King of the Lumoria Kingdom, self-proclaimed War God

“A plan… Your Majesty?”

Count Harekukku beside me asked with a surprised expression.

“This battle. Without even thinking, our victory is assured. However, merely winning is not enough.”

“…”

“Winning is easy, but most of the enemy army are my people who were only threatened. Should they not be saved?”

“…I understand Your Majesty’s mercy. However, whatever the reason, they raised weapons against Your Majesty. Living on while bearing such sin is not what they themselves would desire.”

He considered their hearts—those who were both within the enemy camp and yet my beloved people… If granting them peace by my own hand was possible, perhaps that was best.

“…There is merit to that. Indeed, that burden of guilt is too heavy for the weak. Is it also a king’s duty to cleanse them along with their sins?”

“I… if I were ever to fall into depravity, I would wish to be judged by Your Majesty.”

“Very well. That too is the king’s duty… But Count Harekukku, I will not permit you to fall into depravity, understood? I will need you to support me for a long time to come.”

“As you command. I, Sarnare-Rubaras-Harekukku, pledge to serve Your Majesty for all eternity.”

At the count’s vow, I showed a smile and nodded.

That a count of such talent would devote his loyalty—this too was the fruit of my virtue.

“Right… now, what were we talking about?”

“…Your Majesty. If you would, could you inspect the camp to encourage the soldiers?”

“Inspect the camp?”

“Yes. Some may have acquaintances in the opposing army. Soldiers do not possess hearts strong enough to kill their personal feelings and move as Your Majesty does. By showing them Your Majesty’s presence, and helping them find righteous purpose in their actions, they will finally be able to fight.”

“I see… Indeed, it will be a painful battle for soldiers who are merely human. Very well—then I shall go to inspect them at once!”

“Your Majesty, ordinarily I would accompany you, but I must give them a few more instructions.”

“Mm. This is a battlefield, after all. There must be many matters only you can handle.”

“My apologies. I will have the royal guards and Baron Yōran guide you. Baron Yōran, can you do it? Take His Majesty with you and rouse the soldiers’ spirits. I am counting on you—truly.”

“Understood. Your Majesty, this way… I will guide you.”

“Mm.”

Was it Baron Yōran, as Count Harekukku had said? I did not recognize the man, but if Count Harekukku selected him, he must be capable.

It might be worth remembering him.

View of Sarnare-Rubaras-Harekukku

“Good grief… did he finally leave?”

“Thank you for your hard work, Count Harekukku.”

When I let out a large sigh, the viscount seated nearby offered words of appreciation with a wry smile.

“Even if he is a puppet we created… should we have given him a bit more sense?”

“Because he is a puppet without sense, he is easier to use… but I sympathize with the strain you bear, Count Harekukku, having to deal with him so often.”

Everyone in the tent wore bitter smiles as they watched the exit the king had just gone through.

“It’s convenient that he’s easy to control as long as we flatter him… but I would really like someone to do something about him blurting out absurd ideas.”

“Coming to the battlefield was also a whim?”

“Yeah. I had no intention of coming myself. But now that he has come, we must return with results worthy of it, or it becomes money wasted.”

Sighing once more, I stood, braced my hands on the table, and looked over the members of our faction gathered in the tent.

“Now then, His Majesty’s intrusion stalled us, but let us resume the war council. First, regarding crossing the river—personally, I believe we should not carelessly set foot into it. Thoughts?”

“That would be best. We would be far too defenseless while crossing, and the depth is considerable. If we force it, we will only become easy targets.”

“What about using the bridge to the west?”

“It’s a bit far from the battlefield, but if we want to cross safely, that is the only way… however…”

At the suggestion of using the bridge, I fell briefly into thought.

“If the enemy tries to force a crossing of the river in front of us, we should rain arrows and magic on them. If the enemy aims for the bridge, then do we fight the decisive battle there?”

Staring down at the map, I repeated the viscount’s words in my mind.

If they tried to force a crossing, that was fine. But if the battle centered around the bridge… it was hard to call that efficient.

It wasn’t a particularly large bridge… if fighting broke out on it, the scale would likely be only a dozen or so men clashing at once. Even if we seized it, how long would it take to get across to the other side?

And positioning ourselves with the river at our backs was not wise… After all, we should not cross the river.

“I believe we should not cross. Rather, we should let the enemy cross and thin them out at range. As for the western bridge… we should not force a crossing there either, and instead simply station defensive troops.”

“We won’t attack from our side?”

“Fortunately, we have ample provisions. Even though our rear is the old-nobility Kruser Territory, there is no issue transporting supplies. I do not welcome a war of attrition, but the enemy is nothing more than a patched-together sham of an army. If we make it a long-range fight across the river, they will crumble with no means to respond.”

“I see. Certainly, setting aside magic, it’s questionable whether they can even attack with bows…”

“They defeated fifteen hundred territorial troops, so the core force of three thousand likely can fight to a degree… but right now, all three thousand won’t be there. Conscripts cannot be tasked with guarding hostages. With nearly fifteen thousand conscripts, it can’t be only one city. It is reasonable to think they conscripted from several places, which means the enemy must spread their guards over a wide area. Of the three thousand troops they had, at least two thousand are likely assigned to monitoring.”

“In other words, Count Harekukku’s estimate is that the enemy main force is only around a thousand, and the remaining fourteen thousand are merely civilians?”

At my assessment, a not-small stir rose in the tent.

Civilians were foolish… In their fear, they inflated the existence that threatened them as though it were some completely different species.

If they thought normally, there was no way a mere thousand extortionists could command fourteen thousand.

They likely kept them in line by saying they would kill the hostages if contact was cut… but hostages were meaningless unless kept alive. If they resisted while accepting some sacrifices, the rest would be freed.

“I understand your concerns. But fools remain fools, no matter how far they go. I, who stand at His Majesty’s side, can say I feel that more strongly than anyone here.”

At my words, small laughter rose from those in the tent.

“However, if the enemy truly has only about a thousand soldiers, wouldn’t it be quickest to prioritize reaping them first?”

Such a remark flew from a baron seated near the bottom, but I immediately shook my head.

“That would be difficult. The enemy will certainly push the civilians to the front. From behind them, they will calmly watch us and the civilians grind each other down.”

“Despicable scum.”

To the baron who spat the words, I replied with a composed smile.

“Yes—but it’s simple. We can accept the sham army head-on, then crush the enemy headquarters that sits behind them sneering. Fortunately, this terrain is easy to defend… We can use the river as a shield and pour down a hail of arrows, line shields along the bank to make crossing difficult, and the western bridge is too small to pass a large army. The only thing we must watch is the forest, but moving a large force through it isn’t easy—at best, small units. We have already sent scouts into the forest, so there is no problem.”

“I understand it’s easy to defend, but what happens afterward? Surely we won’t slaughter every last civilian as we told His Majesty earlier?”

This time, a different viscount tilted his head. Of course, I had no intention of ending it with defense alone.

“Civilians will increase on their own if left alone, but it has already been decided that Yōntsu Territory will become mine. If anyone here wishes least to reduce their numbers recklessly, it would be me.”

As I said that, I let out a light sigh.

“However, that is merely my circumstance. For you, it will be a necessary sacrifice. The civilians must learn properly what happens if they oppose us. Therefore, I intend to thin them out for a certain period…”

“For a certain period?”

“Three days. For three days, we will devote ourselves to holding defense here.”

“Three days? And after that, we go on the offensive?”

“No, we will not move. The ones who move will be the territorial troops dispatched from my Harekukku Territory. I have already sent a messenger. The troops coming from the east will bypass the forest and appear from the hilly region beside the enemy army. At that point I cannot know how much of the enemy remains, but the enemy’s true main force—about a thousand—will be cut down in a single sweep by my territorial troops.”

As they heard my plan, voices of admiration echoed through the tent.

“As expected of Count Harekukku. You had read everything and kept your territorial troops in reserve.”

“Hmph… I did not read everything. I simply intended from the start to use the territorial troops to strike the enemy’s rear, and I merely made use of the situation well.”

“Even so, it’s a splendid tactical eye. The enemy are weak troops… our complete victory is decided.”

“If it goes well, might we not win without losing a single soldier?”

“Exactly! With Count Harekukku’s intellect, let us achieve a flawless victory that will remain in history!”

Spirits flared in the tent.

Accepting the pleasant praise, I tightened my focus and spoke.

“The territorial troops number three thousand. That will be enough to crush the enemy main force, but depending on circumstances we may also need to advance our army. All of you, do not let your guard down. If even one person here were to be lost, it would be a great loss indeed. Keep your heads clear and fulfill your roles.”

At my words, the nobles who had looked carried away shifted to serious expressions.

“Then let us confirm everyone’s placements and begin the battle. As for His Majesty… I would like to leave him in Baron Yōran’s care like this. Once the fighting begins—even if it will be an easy battle—I will be busy as well.”

As I said with a shrug, laughter rose.

From the start there had been no element that could lead to defeat, but thanks to the battlefield the enemy chose, it had become quite an easy fight… Once this battle ended, we would have a path to eliminating the old nobility.

When I first heard that an unknown army had appeared, I had worried over what to do… but now, everything had flowed in a favorable direction.

The future of the Lumoria Kingdom was bright.