Episode 105: Pastrier Fortress City

“Very well then—our army shall proceed with further invasion into the Serodonia Kingdom. Any objections?”

As the strategy meeting drew to a close, Siegfried delivered his concluding remarks.

Almants, still wearing a desperate expression, pressed on stubbornly.

“B-but… what about securing provisions!? If we advance, our supply lines…”

“We’ve already secured the food stockpiled at the Western Legion’s encampment. That should suffice for a while. Moreover—merchants have been arranged to transport provisions from various parts of the Kirchhen Kingdom. This year’s harvest was bountiful. There’s more than enough food to go around, if you know where to look.”

“B-but… relying solely on merchants for transport isn’t that dangerous? And if we divert soldiers to guard them, it’ll weaken our main forces!”

Domestic transport is one thing, but for an invasion into Serodonia Kingdom territory, defending supply lines is critical.

If the enemy deploys a detachment to ambush and cut off our supply lines, the army could find itself in dire straits.

“That matter has already been addressed. We’ll use adventurers.”

“Adventurers…?”

Those who make a living by taking on various quest requests from the Adventurers’ Guild.

By trade, many of them are highly skilled.

“Fortunately, the Kirchhen Kingdom currently has a surplus of idle adventurers. I intend to hire them to guard the transport units.”

The reason so many adventurers have gathered is the discovery of a new labyrinth dungeon.

The discoverer was Martina Hyatt.

Last autumn, she found a new labyrinth dungeon near a certain valley and attempted to conquer it.

However, the dungeon proved too much for her alone, forcing her to withdraw.

But Martina didn’t give up.

Aiming to conquer the labyrinth dungeon—and to reunite with the ‘silver-haired hunk’ who saved her there—she reached out to adventurers from abroad, rallying them to the Kirchhen Kingdom.

Forming a large-scale team composed of multiple adventurer parties, she launched a full-fledged assault on the dungeon this spring.

However—just as they were about to enter the labyrinth dungeon, they discovered it had already been completely conquered.

That, in itself, was within Martina’s expectations. If it was that ‘silver-haired hunk,’ it wouldn’t be surprising for him to have cleared the dungeon.

If that was the case, so be it.

Even if the dungeon was already conquered, its interior should still be filled with valuable resources like magical ores.

The adventurers could collect those and bring them back. Hauling back that much magical ore would surely yield a fortune—that was her thinking.

But they were met with an unexpected situation.

The magical ores and other rare resources that should have been inside the labyrinth dungeon—every last fragment had been completely mined out.

It was far too much for that ‘silver-haired hunk’ to have carried out alone.

So, did he hire others to transport it?

However, the valley was sealed off by deep snow throughout the winter, making it nearly impossible to access.

It was hard to imagine a large-scale mining team entering the area.

In the end, the reason why all the magical ore had vanished remained a mystery.

The only certainty was that the adventurers were left utterly disappointed, their expectations completely shattered.

Seizing this moment of disillusionment, Siegfried made his move. Through the Adventurers’ Guild, he extended an offer.

—I’ll pay you well. How about taking on a job to guard the merchants?

Almants’ face betrayed an uncontrollable flicker of unease.

(He foresaw the invasion, arranged food transport, and even secured adventurers to guard it…!?)

In other words, Siegfried had been meticulously laying the groundwork for this invasion long before he assumed command of the Eastern Legion.

No matter what objections were raised, they would be futile. Every possible counterargument had likely been anticipated and neutralized.

“So… are there any other objections?”

Siegfried’s gaze swept the room. But by now, not a single person dared to voice dissent.

After some discussion to iron out minor details, the strategy meeting came to an end.

Deputy Commander Almants left the strategy room, his steps unsteady as he shuffled down the corridor, muttering to himself.

“At this rate… I’m finished… I have to do something… I have to act…”

 

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Two days’ ride from the Western Legion’s encampment stood a city encircled by sturdy walls.

Its name—Pastrier Fortress City.

It was a defensive stronghold built as the cornerstone of the Serodonia Kingdom’s western defenses.

In a room within the castle at the city’s center—the lord’s private chambers.

“Tch…! To think that I… that I would suffer such humiliation…!”

A voice laced with anger was forced out by a blond man clad in extravagant attire.

A cleft chin, thick eyelashes, full lips—a striking appearance that drew every eye.

The Second Prince of the Serodonia Kingdom and commander of the Western Legion—Volfirio himself.

Three days had passed since his defeat, yet Volfirio’s rage showed no signs of subsiding.

Three days ago—faced with the near annihilation of the Western Legion by the Eastern Legion’s assault, Volfirio had fled.

Abandoning the battlefield with his officers and personal guard, he had escaped.

His party fled relentlessly, spurring their horses until they finally reached Pastrier Fortress City.

Defeated soldiers followed, trickling into the fortress.

Those stragglers merged with the troops already stationed there.

As a result, Volfirio’s forces had recovered to around ten thousand men.

(That said, the enemy—Luverios’ royal army combined with the Eastern Legion—numbers over forty thousand. There’s no way ten thousand men can win.)

Volfirio let out a deep sigh.

“If I’m being honest, I’d rather not linger here and just flee back to the capital…”

Still, he held back from doing so.

He wanted to at least show his father, the king, that he had stood his ground as a commander.

Additionally, he had sent messengers to various regions, requesting reinforcements.

(Though I doubt my brother would come to my aid.)

His brother—the First Prince, Garfilia. Volfirio’s rival for the throne.

It was hard to imagine such a man rushing to save his younger brother in distress.

(But… even if my brother doesn’t act, there’s a chance others might come to my rescue.)

For instance, other royals or powerful generals. If they arrived as reinforcements, the tide of battle could shift dramatically.

Alternatively, there was still the possibility of the enemy proposing peace talks.

(In any case, now is not the time to act recklessly. Staying in this fortress city keeps me safe for now. If things turn dire… well, I can always escape with my entourage.)

He had prepared for every scenario—peace negotiations, the arrival of reinforcements, or the enemy’s advance. All that remained was to quietly observe how the situation unfolded.

With his resolve hardened, Volfirio leaned back in his chair, reaching for the sweets on the table—when, at that moment.

“Your Highness Volfirio.”

The moment a soldier called out from beyond the door, Volfirio’s shoulders jolted involuntarily.

(…Has something happened!?)

News of reinforcements? An enemy attack? Or perhaps a messenger for peace talks? But the report was something entirely unexpected.

“A suspicious group approached the city earlier, and we’ve detained them.”

“Suspicious… enemy soldiers?”

“Indeed, they are from the enemy forces. However… their behavior is, well, rather peculiar…”

“What do you mean?”

“Yes, well… their leader, a man with a frog-like face, claims to be ‘Almants, Deputy Commander of the Kirchhen Kingdom’s Eastern Legion.’ He is requesting an audience with Your Highness. …What shall we do?”